Topic Wiki

Quick tips on random subjects that come up in between classes (will add as we go along):

Food photography tips
Newborn photography tips

Table of Contents (I'll change each line to a link as we go along.)

Introduction

1) Choosing a camera: Point and Shoot vs. Mirrorless vs. DSLR
2) Camera specs: What do they mean, and which ones matter to me?
3) Exposure Basics Part 1 - the shutter speed/aperture/ISO triangle
4) Exposure Basics Part 2 - getting to know your mode dial, and other exposure controls
5) All about memory cards
6) Using ultra-wide lenses





Lenses 101 - technology, terminology, and specs, zooms vs. primes, basic/advanced/unique lenses

Lighting 101 - focusing specifically on easy to afford and easy to use setups
Small flash - on camera, off camera, modifiers and accessories
Studio strobes
Continuous lighting - fluorescent, LED, and halogen
Basic light modifiers - umbrellas, softboxes, gels, reflectors
Basic supports - lightstands, umbrella brackets, backgrounds, etc.

All about accessories - memory cards, tripods, bags, filters, remotes, adapters, grips, geotaggers, and more)


So I bought all my stuff - now what?

What makes a compelling photograph?
Depth of field
Composition basics - rule of thirds, perspective, framing
Advanced composition - negative space, inclusion and exclusion, compression
Light - natural, golden hour, basic flash usage.

Let's start shooting...

Kids:
In the park
Playing sports
At home

Landscapes and wildlife:
"Grand" landscapes
"Intimate" landscapes
Seascapes
Waterfalls
Cityscapes
Wildlife
Birds in flight
Shooting in bad weather

Portraits:
Babies and newborns
Single person - indoors
Single person - outdoors
Families/siblings/groups
Natural light
Artificial light - simple
Artificial light - complex
Mixed light

Others:
Close up and macro
Product photography

How do I...? (Some specific scenarios/techniques - Basic)
Shoot out of a plane window?
Shoot underwater?
Shoot compelling black-and-white?

How do I...? (Some specific scenarios/techniques - Advanced)
HDR
Long exposures
Light painting
Twilight landscapes
Milky Way
Star trails

Basic editing concepts:
Exposure
Contrast
Clarity/sharpening
Color
Layers and masking

Poll

What type of camera do shoot with?

Point & Shoot - basic (Canon Elph style) or Smartphone
122 (36.9%)
Point & Shoot - advanced (Canon S100 or G Style)
52 (15.7%)
Mirrorless
26 (7.9%)
DSLR - consumer (Up to a Nikon D5200 or Canon Rebel)
74 (22.4%)
DSLR - prosumer or pro (Nikon D7000 or Canon 60D and up)
29 (8.8%)
P&S, but I plan on getting an SLR or Mirrorless in the near future
28 (8.5%)

Total Members Voted: 275

Author Topic: Learn Photography Master Thread  (Read 357829 times)

Offline Sam Finkelstein

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #920 on: July 13, 2015, 08:33:52 PM »
Formula for success: rise early, work hard, strike oil. –J. Paul Getty

Offline TimT

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #921 on: July 13, 2015, 08:35:33 PM »
Moraigne lake

Offline etech0

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #922 on: July 13, 2015, 09:19:50 PM »
Wow! You should totally write a book!
Workflowy. You won't know what you're missing until you try it.

Offline Ergel

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Life isn't about checking the boxes. Nobody cares.

Offline Something Fishy

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #924 on: July 14, 2015, 01:43:00 AM »
@SF, your thoughts on these two pics?



Fantastic shot. A perfect example of capturing the moment; you've made a great image in hard conditions. The light is flat and boring, and focus missed the mountain goat and hit the background instead. Even so, the picture is extremely compelling. There's great movement (the goat's in mid leap), as well as tension (How high is he? Will he jump? Is there a cliff on the other side?). The background has a million interesting details to explore, making it a very interesting scene. The more I look at it the more details I discover - my eye goes from the initial "wow - look at that goat!" to more intricate details and observations.

Do I wish the light was perfect, that the focus was perfect? Sure. But even so, it's a fantastic picture.



This one, on the other hand ;)...

Here's the deal: Banff is on my Top 10 to do list because of this exact scene (and one other as well). Problem is, this being a purely scenic picture (as opposed to the action shot above), I do have a problem with the light and composition. Now don't get me wrong - it's still a very nice picture. But I personally have been spoiled by seeing this scene shot in perfect light, and with a perfect composition, so seeing it in less than ideal situations just doesn't do it for me.

What do I mean by that?

For starters, light. Light is the most important part of any photograph (yes, even more important that the subject - good light can make even the most mundane look amazing). There's only one time to shoot Moraine Lake and get sweet light, and that's in the 15 minutes or so before and after sunrise (preferably in the dead of winter, but that's going into crazy territory  ;D). Outside of that window, the light gets harsh, the air gets hazy, and the brilliance of color is lost, like in your picture. During sunrise, the air is still and clear, and the mountaintops light up with alpenglow. The contrast of the bright canoe colors stand out wonderfully against the neutral colors of the mountains.

2 - Reflections. Another advantage of shooting at sunrise is that the lake will generally be completely still. That means that there will be a perfect reflection of both the mountains and canoes, all juxtaposed over the dark blue waters. The ripples in your picture are pretty, but rob the image of the sense of total tranquility one would expect considering no people in the frame and all the boats tied up.

3 - Composition. When shooting grand landscapes such as this, an interesting foreground element is crucial. In this picture, that would be the canoes. However, observe how small a portion the canoes occupy in the image! The lake itself, while very pretty, is really just a large expanse of plain blue. The same lake could be suggested by greatly reducing the amount shown, and occupying the space with the more visually-interesting canoes. If you had moved a bit to the right, a bit lower, and a bit closer (dunno if the last part was at all possible without falling in the water), you would have put much more emphasis on the canoes and you would've gotten a more interesting picture. I also find the rocks and log on the lower right-hand side distracting and wish they didn't keep on pulling my eyes away from the canoes.

Now I'm not saying that you should have gotten up at zero-dark-thirty while on a family vacation to shoot one picture; I'm merely explaining the difference between a snapshot (and a very pretty one at that) and a thought-out scenic image.
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Offline Something Fishy

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #925 on: July 14, 2015, 01:46:02 AM »
This picture is a pretty good example of all three points - note the lovely light, the clarity of the air, the stillness of the water, and the prominence of the canoes:



This one is taken in bad light late in the day, but note the composition:

https://fortunatelylovinglife.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/img_1916.jpg (it won't embed properly)

Lastly, here's a totally different take on the same scene which I found very interesting (source):

« Last Edit: July 14, 2015, 01:59:53 AM by Something Fishy »
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Offline whYME

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #926 on: July 14, 2015, 01:58:00 AM »
This one, on the other hand ;) ...

Here's the deal: Banff is on my Top 10 to do list because of this exact scene (and one other as well). Problem is, this being a purely scenic picture (as opposed to the action shot above), I do have a problem with the light and composition. Now don't get me wrong - it's still a very nice picture. But I personally have been spoiled by seeing this scene shot in perfect light, and with a perfect composition, so seeing it in less than ideal situations just doesn't do it for me.

What do I mean by that?

For starters, light. Light is the most important part of any photograph (yes, even more important that the subject - good light can make even the most mundane look amazing). There's only one time to shoot Moraine Lake and get sweet light, and that's in the 15 minutes or so before and after sunrise (preferably in the dead of winter, but that's going into crazy territory  ;D ). Outside of that window, the light gets harsh, the air gets hazy, and the brilliance of color is lost, like in your picture. During sunrise, the air is still and clear, and the mountaintops light up with alpenglow. The contrast of the bright canoe colors stand out wonderfully against the neutral colors of the mountains.

2 - Reflections. Another advantage of shooting at sunrise is that the lake will generally be completely still. That means that there will be a perfect reflection of both the mountains and canoes, all juxtaposed over the dark blue waters. The ripples in your picture are pretty, but rob the image of the sense of total tranquility one would expect considering no people in the frame and all the boats tied up.

3 - Composition. When shooting grand landscapes such as this, an interesting foreground element is crucial. In this picture, that would be the canoes. However, observe how small a portion the canoes occupy in the image! The lake itself, while very pretty, is really just a large expanse of plain blue. The same lake could be suggested by greatly reducing the amount shown, and occupying the space with the more visually-interesting canoes. If you had moved a bit to the right, a bit lower, and a bit closer (dunno if the last part was at all possible without falling in the water), you would have put much more emphasis on the canoes and you would've gotten a more interesting picture. I also find the rocks and log on the lower right-hand side distracting and wish they didn't keep on pulling my eyes away from the canoes.

Now I'm not saying that you should have gotten up at zero-dark-thirty while on a family vacation to shoot one picture; I'm merely explaining the difference between a snapshot (and a very pretty one at that) and a thought-out scenic image.
And this is why SF is the master.
I was gonna say "Nice picture but it needs more color / better light and the canoes should've been given more prominence," but i think SF explained it a little bit better 

Offline EJB

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #927 on: July 14, 2015, 05:38:57 AM »
Debating between a good APS-C and an ok full frame DSLR. What would you guys recommend? I'm currently debating between the D750 and D7200. I am flexible to wait for sales. <$2k budget.

I already have a NEX-6, so portability/small size is nice, but not required.

Offline good sam

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #928 on: July 14, 2015, 06:48:28 AM »
This is slowly becoming my favorite thread
If you don't care why would you comment?
HT: DMYD

Offline ChAiM'l

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #929 on: July 14, 2015, 07:53:59 AM »
Wild parakeet in my back garden. Looking for critique on the crop here.


Cropped:


edit: Ignore the white dot in the middle...

Original unedited:


« Last Edit: July 14, 2015, 09:34:40 AM by ChAiM'l »

Offline Something Fishy

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #930 on: July 14, 2015, 10:06:19 AM »
Wild parakeet in my back garden. Looking for critique on the crop here.


Cropped:


edit: Ignore the white dot in the middle...

Original unedited:


Very nice crop. Great use of negative space in the direction the head is turned, give the composition breathing room.

That appears to be a Quaker parrot, BTW.
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Offline ChAiM'l

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #931 on: July 14, 2015, 10:22:59 AM »
Very nice crop. Great use of negative space in the direction the head is turned, give the composition breathing room.

Thanks for the feedback.

That appears to be a Quaker parrot, BTW.

Potato, potahto... Seems to be one and the same.

http://www.pets4homes.co.uk/pet-advice/exotic-birds-living-wild-in-london-the-feral-london-parrots.html

Offline moish

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #932 on: July 14, 2015, 10:29:15 AM »

There's only one time to shoot Moraine Lake and get sweet light, and that's in the 15 minutes or so before and after sunrise (preferably in the dead of winter, but that's going into crazy territory  ;D). Outside of that window, the light gets harsh, the air gets hazy, and the brilliance of color is lost, like in your picture. During sunrise, the air is still and clear, and the mountaintops light up with alpenglow. The contrast of the bright canoe colors stand out wonderfully against the neutral colors of the mountains.
is this a general rule or is it specific to this location?

Offline Something Fishy

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #933 on: July 14, 2015, 10:40:04 AM »
Thanks for the feedback.

Potato, potahto... Seems to be one and the same.

http://www.pets4homes.co.uk/pet-advice/exotic-birds-living-wild-in-london-the-feral-london-parrots.html

Wasn't disagreeing; I was just pointing out the exact species in case you were interested (my in-laws have a Quaker).
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Offline Something Fishy

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #934 on: July 14, 2015, 10:42:18 AM »
is this a general rule or is it specific to this location?

Seems it's about time I wrote up a new lesson... Coming up shortly: Light for Landscape Photography.

Hope to have it done this week.
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Offline Zalc

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #935 on: July 14, 2015, 10:53:26 AM »
Wow, I'm really looking forward to it!

Offline Yehuda57

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #936 on: July 14, 2015, 10:57:00 AM »


You've been Best Ofed again. Incredible stuff. Thanks for taking the time to write these up.

Offline Work-for-ur-muny

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #937 on: July 14, 2015, 01:01:34 PM »
Seems it's about time I wrote up a new lesson... Coming up shortly: Light for Landscape Photography.

Hope to have it done this week.
Thumbs up! Have been eagerly waiting around for this.

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #938 on: July 14, 2015, 01:32:08 PM »
Seems it's about time I wrote up a new lesson... Coming up shortly: Light for Landscape Photography.

Hope to have it done this week.

Nice! Looking forward! Thanks

Offline Fan of Dan

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #939 on: July 14, 2015, 10:04:34 PM »
Seems it's about time I wrote up a new lesson... Coming up shortly: Light for Landscape Photography.

Hope to have it done this week.
Just in time for my trip to St John!