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 357924 times)

Online etech0

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #1040 on: October 19, 2015, 02:56:13 PM »
Has the issue of photo paper been discussed anywhere?

High gloss, glossy, semi-gloss, luster, matte; pro vs. regular

Which do I buy? Pros and Cons
glossy pictures often have a glare
Workflowy. You won't know what you're missing until you try it.

Offline VacationLover

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #1041 on: October 19, 2015, 05:52:19 PM »
Has the issue of photo paper been discussed anywhere?

High gloss, glossy, semi-gloss, luster, matte; pro vs. regular

Which do I buy? Pros and Cons
For regular prints (ie 4x6, 5x7) you'd be best off with Matte, for photo albums you'd probably want luster (or semi glossy). Never use high gloss for photo prints.
« Last Edit: October 19, 2015, 05:59:36 PM by VacationLover »

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #1042 on: October 26, 2015, 11:09:16 PM »
i got from my photographer high resolution pics. where can i print enlargments and canvas the best quality?
#TYH

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #1043 on: October 29, 2015, 09:08:39 PM »
To anyone who was thinking about buying a Really Right Stuff tripod or ballhead, now might be a good time to do so.  They are celebrating their 25th anniversary and are offering some free items along with a purchase such as a tripod bag, etc.

http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/25-anniversary
What do you do after your dreams come true?

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #1044 on: October 29, 2015, 09:18:20 PM »
To anyone who was thinking about buying a Really Right Stuff tripod or ballhead, now might be a good time to do so.  They are celebrating their 25th anniversary and are offering some free items along with a purchase such as a tripod bag, etc.

http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/25-anniversary
Have anything to say about this company? Do they make the products themselves or they're just sellers? What kinda company is this?

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #1045 on: October 29, 2015, 09:31:56 PM »

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #1046 on: October 29, 2015, 09:42:39 PM »
Have anything to say about this company? Do they make the products themselves or they're just sellers? What kinda company is this?

They are well recognized as one of the premier manufacturers of tripods and ballheads.  All tripods and ballheads are manufactured by the company in the USA.  I exclusively use their products.
What do you do after your dreams come true?

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #1047 on: October 29, 2015, 09:47:01 PM »
They are well recognized as one of the premier manufacturers of tripods and ballheads.  All tripods and ballheads are manufactured by the company in the USA.  I exclusively use their products.
Thanks. Very pricey company.

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #1048 on: October 30, 2015, 12:58:32 AM »
Thanks. Very pricey company.

...and worth every penny.

I've been dying for a tripod and head from them for years. If anyone is looking to get me a gift, hint hint ;D.
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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #1049 on: October 30, 2015, 01:03:39 AM »
...and worth every penny.

I've been dying for a tripod and head from them for years. If anyone is looking to get me a gift, hint hint ;D.
I'm no expert in photography, but in the $800-$1100 range is it really worthwhile?!

...and yes, I get the hint and wish my budget would allow me for it...  :)

BTW Some of the folks on stage at last night's GOP debate sounded like the can (read fanatically) have every US citizen balance such a budget.  :D

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #1050 on: October 30, 2015, 01:12:33 AM »
I'm no expert in photography, but in the $800-$1100 range is it really worthwhile?!

For most people, not. For a pro who'd use it often, absolutely yes.

Personally I can't justify spending such an amount, but gosh do I want one.
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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #1051 on: October 30, 2015, 04:22:22 PM »

It is Jewish owned and it is top quality. BTW if you tried snapfish and shutterfly, york etc. You may as well try artscow.com they are good for regular prints (it is a Chinese company)

Thanks for your advice, got my album and it's beautiful. Appreciate your help

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photographing stars
« Reply #1052 on: October 31, 2015, 07:07:39 PM »
a gut voch, thank you for a wonderful informative learning thread.   i'm experimenting with my Rebel T2i DSLR to take pictures of the stars surrounding the mountains at night.  I did some research on night photography and set my camera to the following settings: F2.8, high ISO, and using the 500 rule, using a 10 second exposure, manual focus ,tripod, remote trigger.    While i did get some nice photographs with the mountain and stars reasonably in focus, other pictures come out completely blurry.  i also tried star trails but those are completely blurred.   I do not know how to focus on the stars. I've also watched a few tutorials as well as read some online articles, and they all say to put the focus ring on infinity, and focus on the brightest star.     If there is a way to help me, i appreciate it.   thanks
 

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Re: photographing stars
« Reply #1053 on: October 31, 2015, 07:36:25 PM »
While i did get some nice photographs with the mountain and stars reasonably in focus, other pictures come out completely blurry.  i also tried star trails but those are completely blurred.
While don't think I will be able to help you, other who may will probably find it much easier to help if you post some pics showing the issues.

A picture is worth 1000 words...

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #1054 on: October 31, 2015, 07:39:50 PM »
thanks for your reply. i am unable to post any photos from here as i cannot upload the images to my computer.

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #1055 on: October 31, 2015, 08:05:13 PM »
1. 10 seconds is awfully short. What lens are you using?
2. Focus by trial and error. Take a shot, see if it's in focus or not, move the focus a hair. If it's more in focus, continue moving the ring in that direction until you get the sharpest stars. If it's worse, move the ring in the opposite direction.
3. You need to be clearer about the blur. Is it fuzzy all around (out of focus), is everything smeared in the same general direction (camera movement), or is everything sharp but the stars are lines instead of points (too long a shutter speed).
4. After all is said and done, the T2i is absolutely not an ideal camera for the job. You can't expect incredible star pictures out of it, unfortunately.
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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #1056 on: October 31, 2015, 08:18:38 PM »
Thanks for your quick reply.  I am using the Tamron 28-75, f2.8..
i calculated the 10 second exposure based on the 500 rule i read up about before leaving.   I also increased the ISO to 3200 as well as increasing exposure to 30 seconds.  It's hard to focus on the stars when the LCD screen is practically black.  Yet, when i do see a pinpoint of a star, i try to focus on it.  You ask about the blur- there is no camera movement whatsoever since it's mounted on a tripod and i'm using a remote. I believe the stars are out of focus. I'd love to upload an image for you to analyze; however, that is not possible now. 

I'll try sunrise in about 4 hours, and hope to IYH be more successful with that.

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #1057 on: October 31, 2015, 10:56:51 PM »
It's hard to focus on the stars when the LCD screen is practically black.  Yet, when i do see a pinpoint of a star, i try to focus on it.  You ask about the blur- there is no camera movement whatsoever since it's mounted on a tripod and i'm using a remote. I believe the stars are out of focus.

You can try get it in focus by zooming in to each picture in camera after taking it, comparing results and slowly adjusting to get to the sharpest focus.

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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #1058 on: November 10, 2015, 03:05:55 PM »
Are there any disadvantages to constantly shooting with High Dynamic Range?
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Re: Learn Photography Master Thread
« Reply #1059 on: November 10, 2015, 03:31:15 PM »
Are there any disadvantages to constantly shooting with High Dynamic Range?
What kind of camera?

What kind of HDR? In-camera or manually merging different exposures?