Boston POTN Meet

[BBrat]

I will bring a couple cases of diet coke for everyone.

[nihsahs]

if anyone from the Boston area wants to carpool let me know, I'm in Quincy MA. Might save a tree or something.

[mai_lin]

if anyone from the Boston area wants to carpool let me know, I'm in Quincy MA. Might save a tree or something.

Really? Almost all of my father's family lives in Wollaston - I love it up there!

I think you're our only metro-area participant, it won't take too long to get here - I think patrick will be coming as far as you from the opposite direction ;)

See you tomorrow!


Jen D.

[bryanj87]

The friend I asked can't make it. I did message another potn'r who I've shot with before, but haven't heard back yet. I'll try to think of anyone else and message them....

[nihsahs]

Oh how nice to wake up to this :cool:

nihsahs - Ya, Becky has a profile on Model Mayhem and she contacted Manny through that - she was actually the first one to do so, so she's very serious, which is awesome!



man I need to stop speed reading. I missed this part. I just emailed you saying she emailed me to tell me she will be there haha.

Really? Almost all of my father's family lives in Wollaston - I love it up there!

I think you're our only metro-area participant, it won't take too long to get here - I think patrick will be coming as far as you from the opposite direction ;)

See you tomorrow!


Jen D.

yeah I moved to Quincy recently (well, 6 months ago) and am totally loving it, so much variety of scenes around here. My wife and I just drove by Wollaston Beach this afternoon and the water was so deep blue. I can't wait 'till it gets warmer for some outdoor shoots!!!

looking forward to meeting everyone tomorrow,
n

[oneeyejack]

i live in the boston area but i'm leaving at 9 tomorrow so i'll be there around 10.

[bryanj87]

I didn't hear back from anyone else. We'll be heading over there shortly.

[bryanj87]

We had a great time today. It was a good experience, I learned a lot (as well as learning that I have a lot to learn). Thanks Jen for hooking this up!

[kpratte]

Jen - I checked and it works fine so if we want to use my web hosting we can all drop photos via FTP (can actually use IE to do it) and then it presents just like another website: http://www.pattiandken.com/potn/ (I tossed a photo up for folks to see..) Then we don't have to mail CDs, etc around.. if that is agreeable to the models.

What size are the photos supposed to be?

Oh I checked, I have 38GB of space and 800GB of download for the month (upload is free), so there is plenty..

- Ken

[mai_lin]

Ken - wow I want your web host :p I'll check with the models and see what they say.

Thanks so much to EVERYONE for coming - my gosh what a great day this was! We had such great models - thanks a ton for finding Becky nihsahs, she was amazing. I was just showing my hubby her shots and he agrees she was the best of the bunch!

Manny had a ton of fun too! Well... except for the part where we got locked out with all of his stuff sitting in the foyer. We actually had to take the door of the hinges to get in and rescue his stuff - It's now 9:30, I just got home. I'm going to bed :lol:

Thanks again everyone - I had such a fabulous fun time and it was wonderful meeting all of you. If you're interested in doing something like this again Manny is very interested in teaching - he says he wished all his groups were as good as ours :cool:


Jen D.

[holland_patrick]

It was a fantasic class.....

I want to see some photo's though....

thankyou manny and jen

[mai_lin]

Ya - ken, can you post the group shots, and perhaps upload it to your FTP so the rest of us can grab it too? I know I'd love it for my scrapbook

I'm trying to finish some client images before I tackle the models. Plus, I bought Manny's other tablet and he's coming over to help me get set up on it on Wednesday, so I'll pick his brain on post processing them while he's here :lol:


Jen D.

[mai_lin]

Ok, couldn't resist...

Phil and getting his make up on. (Straight out of camera, no editing)

[mai_lin]

Margie solo and with Gina (all straight out of camera... no editing thus far)

[mai_lin]

And my favorite model of the day, Becky! (also SOOC, no editing)

[bryanj87]

Those are great Jen! I've started the tedious process of post work on mine (and Michelle's-I'm her Photoshop horse). Here's one of Margie...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3550/3286127861_0921346e6c.jpg

[mai_lin]

ooh - nice angle on that one Bryan!

[Nathan]

wow... if you guys do this again... i'm in... i just couldn't get away for valentine's weekend

[mai_lin]

wow... if you guys do this again... i'm in... i just couldn't get away for valentine's weekend

I've got enough interest for another one - it's in the works ;) It'll be 'studio lighting for models II'



Jen D.

[mai_lin]

I didn't get any of Phil with Gina and Margie but Laurie did and she sent me one... had to post it, its awesome :lol:

[bryanj87]

I'd totally be interested in another workshop like this.

After taking a day or so to think about it, I'm almost thinking we should have only used one transmitter at a time per model and give each photographer 15 minutes with each model and then pass it off to the next, then start the cycle over. The reason I say this is the models didn't seem to know where to look or when to blink. I got so many blink shots it isn't even funny! Plus I think this way, Manny could could have more easily divided his attention amongst us.

I'll post some more shots tonight as I get through them. I hope the models are as happy with the shots as I am!!!

[kenyee]

Just wanted to pop by and thank Jen and you guys for organizing this. It was AWESOME. Manny was a constant fountain of knowledge. The models were great. Everyone was friendly and helpful. And thanks for ragging on the Nikon guys instead of the lone Pentaxian ;-)
I'm up for the next meetup and hopefully I won't make so many studio noob mistakes...

I should have set up the strobist gear I brought (speedlights, lightstand, softlighter, fleabay triggers) in the stairwell. Maybe next time, I'll set up a strobist setup so we can see what can be done w/ hotshoe flashes instead of wired strobes...

p.s., any folks get pics of the setups and the power settings (only thing I remember is the beauty dish)? I forgot to :-P

[mai_lin]

Bryan,

Ya, the next workshop is going to have 'stations' with a model or two and only 2 or 3 photogs at each station at a time. We didn't have enough time (or access) to set it up that way this time, but yes, that's the idea for the next one. What will be nice about the next one is that it'll give you full creative control with both the lights and the models - something we didn't really have this time.

This workshop was more of a quick 'overview' of working with lights and models - to give everyone a taste of it. Next time we'll get to really dig in ;)

Ken -

So glad you had a good time - agree about the stairwell - next time we'll have it set up as a station. I really wanted to get some stairwell shots too!


Jen D.

[Coppatop85]

Oh wow, that looks like a lot of fun, I've never done this type of photography, but I would love to get practice -- I should go next time!

[bryanj87]

Sounds good Jen. I've got at least 2 other photographers interested (one Canon and another Noink to goof on! lol! )

[nihsahs]

Ken - wow I want your web host :p I'll check with the models and see what they say.

Thanks so much to EVERYONE for coming - my gosh what a great day this was! We had such great models - thanks a ton for finding Becky nihsahs, she was amazing. I was just showing my hubby her shots and he agrees she was the best of the bunch!

Manny had a ton of fun too! Well... except for the part where we got locked out with all of his stuff sitting in the foyer. We actually had to take the door of the hinges to get in and rescue his stuff - It's now 9:30, I just got home. I'm going to bed :lol:

Thanks again everyone - I had such a fabulous fun time and it was wonderful meeting all of you. If you're interested in doing something like this again Manny is very interested in teaching - he says he wished all his groups were as good as ours :cool:


Jen D.


Thanks again Jen, I had a great time on Sunday and learned some really neat things. Manny is an incredible teacher! Those are some great shots you and the others posted. Becky was great to work with, and Gina, Margie, and Phil also had some great looks, I'm glad we were able to get such a variety in one day.

I just put my favorites up on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hsair/). For the life of me, I can never remember how to post pictures on here...

BTW anyone remember the name of the makeup artist (apart from Manny), or did the models do the makeup themselves? I figured I should credit them as well.

So did we decide how to give the images to the models?

n

[kenyee]

BTW anyone remember the name of the makeup artist (apart from Manny), or did the models do the makeup themselves? I figured I should credit them as well.
So did we decide how to give the images to the models?


Gina did the makeup as well as being a model.
Do the girls have modelmayhem numbers? They should probably be in the credits as well if we're putting images up on Flickr.
We're all supposed to send each model a CD w/ PP'd images (or upload them to Ken Pratte's ftp site and he'll burn the CDs for us).

Thanks again for bringing Becky, Harris. She's a natural :)

[kpratte]

We're all supposed to send each model a CD w/ PP'd images (or upload them to Ken Pratte's ftp site and he'll burn the CDs for us).I'm hoping that we don't even need to burn CDs.. I'm thinking we upload them, and then give them the URL... They can then grab what they want. I'm hoping to have some time tonight and PM folks the info on uploading to the FTP site.

- Ken

[bryanj87]

Thanks again Jen, I had a great time on Sunday and learned some really neat things. Manny is an incredible teacher! Those are some great shots you and the others posted. Becky was great to work with, and Gina, Margie, and Phil also had some great looks, I'm glad we were able to get such a variety in one day.

I just put my favorites up on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hsair/). For the life of me, I can never remember how to post pictures on here...

BTW anyone remember the name of the makeup artist (apart from Manny), or did the models do the makeup themselves? I figured I should credit them as well.

So did we decide how to give the images to the models?

n

I just checked your flickr stream (and added you as a contact), you got some incredible shots!

[mai_lin]

Thanks again Jen, I had a great time on Sunday and learned some really neat things. Manny is an incredible teacher! Those are some great shots you and the others posted. Becky was great to work with, and Gina, Margie, and Phil also had some great looks, I'm glad we were able to get such a variety in one day.

I just put my favorites up on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hsair/). For the life of me, I can never remember how to post pictures on here...

BTW anyone remember the name of the makeup artist (apart from Manny), or did the models do the makeup themselves? I figured I should credit them as well.

So did we decide how to give the images to the models?

n

Great stuff - you got some SUPERB shots!

[mai_lin]

Sorry guys - the models will need CDs (actually it was requested that they get both CDs AND downloadable shots... but I'll keep it at just CDs). I'll be sending their addresses along today.

Ken - can we use your webhost for some of the more informal shots? I have some 'papparazzi' shots you guys will get a kick out of ;)



Jen D.

[nihsahs]

Gina did the makeup as well as being a model.
Do the girls have modelmayhem numbers? They should probably be in the credits as well if we're putting images up on Flickr.
We're all supposed to send each model a CD w/ PP'd images (or upload them to Ken Pratte's ftp site and he'll burn the CDs for us).

Thanks again for bringing Becky, Harris. She's a natural :)

you're welcome!

I just checked your flickr stream (and added you as a contact), you got some incredible shots!

Great stuff - you got some SUPERB shots!

Thanks guys! I'd appreciate feedback on the tones and such 'cause I just got a new monitor and I have no idea whether they are totally off or not (I don't have any calibration equipment so I've been playing it by eye, so to speak).

Bryan,

Ya, the next workshop is going to have 'stations' with a model or two and only 2 or 3 photogs at each station at a time. We didn't have enough time (or access) to set it up that way this time, but yes, that's the idea for the next one. What will be nice about the next one is that it'll give you full creative control with both the lights and the models - something we didn't really have this time.

This workshop was more of a quick 'overview' of working with lights and models - to give everyone a taste of it. Next time we'll get to really dig in ;)

Ken -

So glad you had a good time - agree about the stairwell - next time we'll have it set up as a station. I really wanted to get some stairwell shots too!

Jen D.

The "stations" are a great idea Jen! I agree it would have been nice to really play around with moving the lights as well. The "paparazzi" style shootout was fun too though :)

BTW, what was the wireless system we were using? Also Jen, were those big empty rooms part of the studio or was it just open space anybody could use?

[kenyee]

BTW, what was the wireless system we were using?

They're variants of the "fleabay triggers", aka "ghetto triggers", aka "poverty triggers". You can find them here:
http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=m38.l1313&_nkw=v2s&_sacat=See-All-Categories

I have the "V2s" version w/ the rotatable hotshoes...the latest don't have rotatable hotshoes. There is a redesign in the works (they'll be called "V4") that should be out in a few weeks that are worth waiting for. They added an antenna to the transmitter for more reliability/range.
They're fairly inexpensive and you can't really use multiple transmitters on different "channels" because they're not really different channels so they collide. They're great for learning but don't use them for things like weddings ;-)

At the setup w/ the octabox with Becky, we used an Alien Bee Cybersync.

[bryanj87]

Thanks to this workshop, I bought an umbrella, clamp, lightstand, reflector, flash gels and wireless trigger for my speedlight today. A good start until I can afford Alien Bees.

Here are a few more from Sunday:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3571/3291275419_a571610267.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3399/3291275369_c274097159.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3593/3291275229_5451213198.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3342/3291275045_b4f1c9e9c1.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3592/3292092428_40d407bfa6.jpg

[mai_lin]

Ok, everyone, I'm busy today so can't go into details but we've set up the next workshop, tentatively.

April 25th or April 26th (possibly both days...). Cost to be determined - models may need to be paid next time.




Jen D.

[mai_lin]

Also Jen, were those big empty rooms part of the studio or was it just open space anybody could use?

Technically we can't use it. It's off limits but as long as we are respectful and no mess up anything the owner of the studio has permission to use other areas of the building.

I'll be talking to him today and hope he doesn't have anything to say about the condition of the studio or building as a result of the workshop. We were very careful to go through and make sure everything was left as we found it so I'm not worried.

Taking the door off the hinges was another issue all on its own but at least Manny took care of breaking that news to Ray, the owner and he didn't seem to be upset.


Jen D.

[nihsahs]

Thanks to this workshop, I bought an umbrella, clamp, lightstand, reflector, flash gels and wireless trigger for my speedlight today. A good start until I can afford Alien Bees.

Here are a few more from Sunday:


great shots Bryan! I like how crisp your photos always are. I was totally adoring your landscapes on Flickr!

n

[bryanj87]

great shots Bryan! I like how crisp your photos always are. I was totally adoring your landscapes on Flickr!

n

Thank you!

[kenyee]

I'm ready for the next meetup :D
I put up my PP'd pics on my flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/92795107@N00/) stream.
My stats for the day:
137 shots, culled down to 58. Each model got roughly 10 decent shots and 1-2 I'd consider good that I PP'd for my flickr stream. Phil got more than that number because I shot more of him, and unfortunately I didn't spend enough time w/ Becky so she got fewer. Total time spent in PP was roughly 1/2hr per photo but some of that was fiddling w/ PP techniques (tried a few different skin smoothing techniques). I usually just adjust contrast/levels/sharpening and call it done, but Manny's quick tutorial inspired me to try different things.
p.s., Manny was right about over PP'ing guys...I can make Manny look effeminate pretty easily...LOL.
p.p.s., someone smack me if I forget to use my WhiBal again...white balance was all over the place for the shoot and I just ending up doing the warmish cast I like :cry:

[nihsahs]

I'm ready for the next meetup :D
I put up my PP'd pics on my flickr (http://registry.gimp.org/node/11742) stream.
My stats for the day:
137 shots, culled down to 58. Each model got roughly 10 decent shots and 1-2 I'd consider good that I PP'd for my flickr stream. Phil got more than that number because I shot more of him, and unfortunately I didn't spend enough time w/ Becky so she got fewer. Total time spent in PP was roughly 1/2hr per photo but some of that was fiddling w/ PP techniques (tried a few different skin smoothing techniques). I usually just adjust contrast/levels/sharpening and call it done, but Manny's quick tutorial inspired me to try different things.
p.s., Manny was right about over PP'ing guys...I can make Manny look effeminate pretty easily...LOL.
p.p.s., someone smack me if I forget to use my WhiBal again...white balance was all over the place for the shoot and I just ending up doing the warmish cast I like :cry:

Ken,
the Flickr link takes me to the gimp "wavelet decompose" plugin page...
Are you a Gimp user as well? I found out about the wavelet decompose plugin about a month or two ago and I find it INCREDIBLE. I wrote a post here (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=639957) but got only one reply from someone who wasn't too hot about the method. I'm thinking it was because I might not have communicated effectively what I was trying to do, or maybe he glossed over the point, because I still think it's awesome. At any rate, I love wavelet decompose skin retouching, so I would be curious to see how your experience has been!

when I go to your Flickr I don't see any pics yet... am I doing something wrong?

[kenyee]

Ken,
the Flickr link takes me to the gimp "wavelet decompose" plugin page...
Are you a Gimp user as well?

Sorry...that'll teach me for posting a msg up after a long edit session ;) Link is fixed now. I'll add the photos to the S.K.I.T.A. flickr over the weekend.

Yep, I'm a GIMPer, but a relative noob at it. I've used Fractal Painter in the past and have only tried photoshop for a short period of time.
The wavelet decomposer only seems to work for skin smoothing if the person's face isn't lumpy from muscle contractions (e.g., it did *not* work on Phil's face at all...ended up w/ really lumpy skin).

[Coppatop85]

Have you guys done a Boston walk around shoot? I'm thinking of doing this sometime when the weather gets nice. Start at the Copley/back bay area (nice architecture/old buildings back there) go to common,Fanuel hall, then maybe back to the prudential tower for a night skyline shot.

[mai_lin]

Have you guys done a Boston walk around shoot? I'm thinking of doing this sometime when the weather gets nice. Start at the Copley/back bay area (nice architecture/old buildings back there) go to common,Fanuel hall, then maybe back to the prudential tower for a night skyline shot.

This sounds like a fun idea! I may be up for it! I'm more a portrait photographer but landscape shots, when done well, interest me. I think it's just that I don't do them well LOL

I'll be doing the 100 strangers project this spring and myself and a friend are already planning several weekend days in town to get our shots - I'll have to try to coordinate it with this too!


Jen D.

[kpratte]

I've uploaded my 80 shots: http://www.pattiandken.com/potn/ken/

For Boston shoots, we've done a few things.. Cruise in the harbor, a couple night walk/drives. Here's a couple of mine from the various trips: http://picasaweb.google.com/kenpratte/POTN#

- Ken

[BBrat]

Ken, nice shots. I got your email and I'll be posting some shots soon? I don't see any of Becky?

unfortunately I don't have any of her:(, not a one?

[kpratte]

Ken, nice shots. I got your email and I'll be posting some shots soon? I don't see any of Becky?

unfortunately I don't have any of her:(, not a one?Yeah, I'm in the same boat as you.

- Ken

[kenyee]

Think we need a model release from Manny for this? ;-)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/92795107@N00/3306165299/
Stop by and put your names in as notes to the meetup's group pic (thanks for the group pic Ken :-) if you'd like...

[mai_lin]

Think we need a model release from Manny for this? ;-)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/92795107@N00/3306165299/
Stop by and put your names in as notes to the meetup's group pic (thanks for the group pic Ken :-) if you'd like...


OMG that's classic :lol: had to send that to Manny, he'll laugh his head off.

How do you add notes to the pic?



Jen D.

[kenyee]

How do you add notes to the pic?

Sorry...I thought I had it set to allow any flickr user to add notes. It was just set to allow anyone in the pools I added it to add notes. Give it another try. You should see an Add Note button above it now.

BTW, if you folks are attributing your images, Becky's MM# is 1062736 and Manny's is 44477. I don't think Gina, Margie, or Phil are on MM or at least I didn't find them...

[oneeyejack]

Think we need a model release from Manny for this? ;-)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/92795107@N00/3306165299/
Stop by and put your names in as notes to the meetup's group pic (thanks for the group pic Ken :-) if you'd like...

hahah. nice!

[mai_lin]

I've received emails from both Becky and Margie - anyone sent off pictures to them yet?



Jen D.

[kenyee]

Mine are going out this week...sorry for the delay :(

[mai_lin]

No biggie - told them 1 month anyway, just checking :cool:

[bryanj87]

I've received emails from both Becky and Margie - anyone sent off pictures to them yet?



Jen D.
I just finished processing all mine and my wifes, they are going out in the mail by the weekend. I noticed Margie had visited my flickr page last night and fav'd all my shots of her I posted.

[mai_lin]

Ya, hope you don't mind, I gave her the link because she sounded really mad that Becky had her pictures posted on ModelMayhem already (mine and Haris') and they hadn't seen any.



Jen D.

[bryanj87]

Ya, hope you don't mind, I gave her the link because she sounded really mad that Becky had her pictures posted on ModelMayhem already (mine and Haris') and they hadn't seen any.



Jen D.
No, that's fine. You could even shoot them an email saying they'll get cd's in about a week.

[kenyee]

Is Margie on modelmayhem as well? I found Becky and Manny on it already.
I just wanted to get my attributions right on the flickr photos.
Mine are going out in the mail tomorrow, so hopefully everyone will get them by Saturday (1st class mail = 2 days)...sent them a print as well..trying to get color calibration to work properly is my next task and I found out my monitor needs calibration (not too bad..the prints look more natural than my screen which seems to be more reddish than it should be)-:

[Harm]

Hi guys, didn't realise there was a Boston thread, since I reside here too, thought I'd pop on and see which other PoTNers were in the area.

[denlem]

I just found this thread too. Douglas, MA for me. New to DSLR's with a 40D that either takes poor image quality pics or I just need to do a lot of learning... or both!

I'm lurking in the background taking it all in!

[kenyee]

For folks who made it to the last POTN meetup, Model Mayhem info for Margie and Gina in case you want to put them in your Flickr stream (Margie is linked to Becky and Gina is linked to Margie):
Margie (MM#1050451)
Gina (MM#814091)
No info on whether Phil is on MM.
Margie liked mine enough to put them in her MM pics! woohoo! (yeah, I know..cheap thrills for a studio noob ;-)
Anyone else finding PP'ing takes a while? I'm still learning Gimp but can't seem to get it under 1/2hr per photo. I have to give the Portraiture plugin a whirl next time...

[bryanj87]

Thanks for that info Ken! I'll have to go back and edit flickr stream.

I also found that PP takes a while. By the time I was nearing the end of processing the shots my wife took, I had my workflow down to using just camera RAW in CS4 and could make my adjustments in about 5 minutes each. I started out at around 30 minutes each shot in RAW and CS4. I think it's more because I'm used to a different workflow for my landscape and urban stuff, and modeling shots have a totally different workflow.

Now I just have to finish printing contact sheets for the discs so I can get them out in the mail!

[kenyee]

Now I just have to finish printing contact sheets for the discs so I can get them out in the mail!

We were supposed to do contact sheets? Whoops :oops:
I just created a Best folder w/ the favorites I heavily PP'd w/ various smaller sizes (web sites sometimes do a crappy job resizing) to make it easier for them to post up on MM. I also had an Others folder w/ the ones I only lightly PP'd because I didn't like them as much.

My landscape photo workflow is totally different as well...usually consists of fixing dust/water spots, tweaking levels, doing HDR if needed, and cropping...once that gets rolling, it's 5min max. Skin smoothing take a lot more time to do w/o plasticizing the skin :)
BTW, I think Margie/Becky/Gina mentioned they've only gotten pics from me and Haris, so I should probably save the "woohoo" until they get everyone's ;)

[bryanj87]

I don't think we were required to do contact sheets, I just figured it would be nicer than just a plain old hand written case insert.

[mai_lin]

Contact sheets? Woah... you guys are generous! They're lucky to get a paper sleeve to hold the CD in from me :lol:

[mai_lin]

I've asked Manny to do another workshop on April 25th at Blueline Studios in Lincoln, RI.

I won't make this an exclusively POTN workshop as there are a bunch of other people interested from the last one. But... I am letting you guys know about it first. If you are interested please let me know ASAP. I'll be advertising this one in other areas this week.

12 photographers max. The goal is to have a more specific lighting lecture from Manny for a few hours and then have stations set up with lights and model and match up the photographers in 'teams' and rotate through the stations to have a more hands on experience with the lights and model posing etc. Manny will walk around and answer questions and provide feedback.

If you're interested let me know ASAP. The arrangements will be similar in that the models will be TFCD and you'll be required to send them editing images after the workshop.

Cost should be ~$50/pp and will include lunch/drinks. I'll know more about the cost after the models are finalized.


Jen D.

[kenyee]

case insert.

Case? :eek:
I just sent a CD w/ a sleeve..figured they'd probably copy any good images they wanted off it anyways instead of a stack of 10 CDs from each event they went to :)
Count me in on the next event...I hope to make real use out of those stairs this time :) I can pimp it on the strobist forums to fill it up if needed since we had such great shots from this one, so 12 shouldn't be a problem...

[mai_lin]

Case? :eek:
I just sent a CD w/ a sleeve..figured they'd probably copy any good images they wanted off it anyways instead of a stack of 10 CDs from each event they went to :)
Count me in on the next event...I hope to make real use out of those stairs this time :) I can pimp it on the strobist forums to fill it up if needed since we had such great shots from this one, so 12 shouldn't be a problem...


Already had ya on the list ;)

Oh ya, 12 won't be a problem at all as we already have 6. I can get AT LEAST 3 from my camera club too. I wanted to leave it open to the folks here so we can have a group that knows Manny and has some studio/model exposure. I really don't want to get folks that have too different a background.

If we get more than 12 we can run a similar workshop the next day so don't let the limited number of openings keep anyone from trying to participate - we can run the same workshop the next day if it will be a full one.

Jen D.

[funhouse69]

I was very sad that I wasn't able to make the last get together but would love to attend. Since I am on a very limited budget at this point is the price pretty set? If so you can count me in!

[mai_lin]

I was very sad that I wasn't able to make the last get together but would love to attend. Since I am on a very limited budget at this point is the price pretty set? If so you can count me in!

Yep - pretty sure it'll be $50. I'm doing my best to get only TFCD models - I think I may actually have too many interested so we won't have any trouble.

I'll add you to the list!

Jen D.

[nihsahs]

Contact sheets? Woah... you guys are generous! They're lucky to get a paper sleeve to hold the CD in from me :lol:

my CDs went in bare inside the envelope...

:oops:

[oneeyejack]

i still have to get mine to them. argh, i've had no time to do them...but i will sooooooon!

[Harm]

never done model shots before, 25th april...is this something for newbies as well? not newbie in terms of camera / shooting, but in terms of portrait shots etc.

[oneeyejack]

never done model shots before, 25th april...is this something for newbies as well? not newbie in terms of camera / shooting, but in terms of portrait shots etc.

yes, you can join in on the fun!

[DJS]

I've asked Manny to do another workshop on April 25th at Blueline Studios in Lincoln, RI.

Jen D.


If there is room, please count me in. I'm very interested in attending.

[DJS]

Jen D.

I'm not sure if you're interested but I may be able to bring a couple potential models with me if needed. They haven't modeled professionally but would be interested in the experience. They're both willing to sign releases in exchange for copies of the photos and one of them is also a professional hairstylist so she could help out there too.

If you're interested, please let me know and I'll see if they're available.

[Harm]

Well hell, count me in then, if noobs are permitted!

[mai_lin]

yes, you can join in on the fun!


Did you want to come Nate? I've got room if you are. I'm advertising this on Monday and only have 3 spots left. Manny told me he can't do a class on the 26th due to his work schedule so the 25th will be it, unfortunately.

Harm, DJS - I've got you on the list.



Jen D.

[Harm]

Thanks very much for that, Jen.

[oneeyejack]

Did you want to come Nate? I've got room if you are. I'm advertising this on Monday and only have 3 spots left. Manny told me he can't do a class on the 26th due to his work schedule so the 25th will be it, unfortunately.

Harm, DJS - I've got you on the list.



Jen D.

yeah that's fine. i thought you had me down for this and the other one. :)

[stephotography]

hi everyone! my name is stephie and i'm new to POTN and photography in general. i just got my first camera ever in december--a rebel xt--and i am absolutely in love with it. i don't entirely know what i'm doing yet, but i am soaking in everything i read in these forums, advice from friends, and some books i picked up for myself.

anyway, i am so glad that i found this thread because i only know one or two photographers around here and i'd love to find a nice group of people to go out with on sunny days to take pictures. can someone explain to me how these meetups work? how often do they happen? can anyone initiate them, or do they have to be approved by an admin or something? sorry if these are all dumb questions--i'm really, really new to this!

[Harm]

Hi Stephie, welcome to the forums & PoTN.

Anyone can initiate one, any time, any place. No need for any approval. This place is decent because it allows everyone to say whether they can make it or not etc. etc. without having to clump up your inbox of your email.

So where is "here" for you?

[stephotography]

i go to tufts, so i live in somerville. i would love to go out with some people this saturday...the weather is supposed to be beautiful. too bad i didn't know about this sooner--i could have put something together!

[Harm]

Nice, what do you study? I work downtown by the commons (by Arlington Station). Live up in Melrose. I know the weather is nice this weekend, but too short notice for me.

But nothing stopping you setting something up for the following weekend or further ahead.

[mai_lin]

yeah that's fine. i thought you had me down for this and the other one. :)


Ok, cool. The PS one is on hold - Manny's work situation is in peril right now so the May 2nd one is on hold.

I've got you on the list for the 25th.

From POTN I have Kenyee, funhouse60, Harm, DJS and oneeyejack - NO ONE ELSE HAS SAID THEY WANT TO GO SO YOU ARE NOT ON THE LIST AS OF RIGHT NOW. I have space for 2 more photographers if anyone is interested.

Also - if anone is interested in doing a 'painted bodies' workshop (which would be very very cool, I can't afford it right now), Blueline Studios is hosting the two premier body painters in new england for a workshop in April: http://members.cox.net/roustan/shootout.html


Jen D.

[mai_lin]

i go to tufts, so i live in somerville. i would love to go out with some people this saturday...the weather is supposed to be beautiful. too bad i didn't know about this sooner--i could have put something together!

Hi Stephanie! Welcome to POTN. There are lots of things going on in the greater Boston area. I'd suggest checking out meetup.com - I belong to several photography groups there and there is something going on EVERY weekend (usually too far for me because I'm in RI). I'll be in town (Boston) in the spring to do the flickr 100 strangers project but it'll be more toward May when its warmer and more people walking around.



Jen D.

[Harm]

Also - if anone is interested in doing a 'painted bodies' workshop (which would be very very cool, I can't afford it right now), Blueline Studios is hosting the two premier body painters in new england for a workshop in April: http://members.cox.net/roustan/shootout.html

would be nice, but expensive, plus i'd rather get some experience before I would do something like that...

Hi Stephanie! Welcome to POTN. There are lots of things going on in the greater Boston area. I'd suggest checking out meetup.com - I belong to several photography groups there and there is something going on EVERY weekend (usually too far for me because I'm in RI). I'll be in town (Boston) in the spring to do the flickr 100 strangers project but it'll be more toward May when its warmer and more people walking around.

nice tips, Jen

[stephotography]

Nice, what do you study? I work downtown by the commons (by Arlington Station). Live up in Melrose. I know the weather is nice this weekend, but too short notice for me.

But nothing stopping you setting something up for the following weekend or further ahead.

i'm a philosophy major who is regretting not adding a math minor. :) i'm pre-law, but i'm waiting a few years before applying to law school.

if i had gotten a camera before i started college, i would have probably begged my parents to let me do the dual degree program at tufts/smfa in photography.

i know exactly where arlington is--i've been to the starbucks on that corner many, many times. they're very nice there. :)

maybe i'll set something up in april when the weather is nicer...i'm just afraid of getting rained out!

[bryanj87]

I would love to attend, but can't this time around.


Ok, cool. The PS one is on hold - Manny's work situation is in peril right now so the May 2nd one is on hold.

I've got you on the list for the 25th.

From POTN I have Kenyee, funhouse60, Harm, DJS and oneeyejack - NO ONE ELSE HAS SAID THEY WANT TO GO SO YOU ARE NOT ON THE LIST AS OF RIGHT NOW. I have space for 2 more photographers if anyone is interested.


Jen D.

[Harm]

i'm a philosophy major who is regretting not adding a math minor. :) i'm pre-law, but i'm waiting a few years before applying to law school.

if i had gotten a camera before i started college, i would have probably begged my parents to let me do the dual degree program at tufts/smfa in photography.

i know exactly where arlington is--i've been to the starbucks on that corner many, many times. they're very nice there. :)

maybe i'll set something up in april when the weather is nicer...i'm just afraid of getting rained out!

Cool, well I can understand a nice weekend to get something set up...hopefully it'll be soon, bit tired of the winter blues!!

[funhouse69]

Hello & welcome Steph - I would also suggest Meetup.com but don't hesitate to post things here either. I always keep an eye out on this site even though I don't contribute to it as much as I would like to these days.

That said I recently changed from being a night crawler (working the graveyard shift) for the last 3 years which means was I was sleeping all day long and pretty much never seeing the light of day which for a photography fan is NOT good :-) Now I have shifted to a "Day" schedule and looking to get out as well.

Over the last 2 weekends I've managed to go 2 Different Local Zoo's which I haven't done as an adult before. I've had a great time and got some awesome photos some of which I have posted in various threads here.

Once again welcome, I think you will find this is a great resource to assist in learning and especially for tips when considering purchasing new equipment.

[funhouse69]

Come to think of it I never posted the links to the pics I did take at the Zoo's here. So if anyone is interested you can check them out here.

Franklin Park Zoo
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=658493

Stone Zoo
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=653885

[Harm]

Nice shots at the zoo. I live 5 minutes away from stone zoo, but i haven't been there yet!!

[funhouse69]

Nice shots at the zoo. I live 5 minutes away from stone zoo, but i haven't been there yet!!

Thanks - The Stone Zoo is Tiny compared to Franklin Park but well worth the visit.

I can't wait to make it to the grand daddy of them all the Southwick Zoo. That is over 300 Acers where Stone is 20+ and Franklin is 70+. Unfortunately it is closed for the season but will be opening back up in mid April which thankfully isn't too far away :-)

Maybe I will try and arrange an outing!

[GMACK24]

I realize this is last minute but if any of you are in the area please come join us.

Boston, MA Zakim Bridge walk.
come photograph the Zakim Bridge from the North Point Park in Cambridge.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/bostonmassachusetts_/

The Exact Discussion is here.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/bostonmassachusetts_/discuss/72157614388674013/

I have removed all privacy blocks so everyone should be able to view the thread.
If you are interested please come join us.

8PM @ the Playground. There will about 10 of us nuts out there : )

~ Greg

[egaertner]

I realize this is last minute but if any of you are in the area please come join us.

Boston, MA Zakim Bridge walk.
come photograph the Zakim Bridge from the North Point Park in Cambridge.

Would have loved to, was discussing a photography excursion to the Zakim with a friend just yesterday, never explored the area. Too bad I'm leaving tomorrow morning for the weekend, or else I would have joined.

[GMACK24]

we will prolly do it again in the summertime : ) - I forgot I was on POTN till somenone reminded me a few weeks ago. bryan actually : )

[Harm]

My two Boston shots at night....it was reeeeeeeeeeeeeally windy, so I couldn't do a panoramic....this was taken in Jan.

http://harm.smugmug.com/photos/468194816_9grrX-XL.jpg

http://harm.smugmug.com/photos/468195179_gH7Cv-XL.jpg


Shame there is a bright light in the middle of the 2nd shot, that detracts from the rest...but what can you do apart from knock it down when you're in North End the next time ;) ;)

[Coppatop85]

Awesome shot Harm! From what vantage point did you take that picture of the bridge from?

[Harm]

There is a long pier, just past the USS Consitution, in Charlestown. You can get an excellent shot from there. When sometime comes about, the sunsets are pretty spectacular to get also from the same spot....so I'll be bound to go there again some time soon.

[Scottes]

Is anyone interested in the Tall Ships in Boston this year? The big Parade of Sail is on a Wednesday, July 8th.

Last year a few of us rented a friend's sailboat for the Newport event, and had a hell of a time with a hell of a lot of great shots.

I'm not so sure that we'd be able to find a similar situation though, and might have to resort to booking a spot on one of the generic charter boats. But if enough people are interested, I am willing to hunt down a smaller boat dedicated to us POTNers.

Anyone interested in renting our own boat? Seriously interested, to the tune of $150 or $200 for the day? (I just made a wild-ass guess with that cost.)

If people aren't that interested, how about a general ticket on one of the bigger boats, and basically all just picking the same boat? I have no idea of this cost, but that probably won't be cheap either.


Edit: If you're interested in seeing what you missed during our Newport Tall Ships tour, here's a few key posts showing pics:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=3471025&postcount=1177
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=3479861&postcount=1191
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=3479899&postcount=1192
http://www.flickr.com/photos/colormechanic/695362550/in/set-72157594558561274/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/colormechanic/694281313/in/set-72157594558561274/

Wow, lotsa pics from many folks are offline after 1.5 years...

[DJS]

Is anyone interested in the Tall Ships in Boston this year? The big Parade of Sail is on a Wednesday, July 8th.

Last year a few of us rented a friend's sailboat for the Newport event, and had a hell of a time with a hell of a lot of great shots.


Count me in! I had a last minute conflict last year and I couldn't make it....been brooding about it since.

[BBrat]

Is anyone interested in the Tall Ships in Boston this year? The big Parade of Sail is on a Wednesday, July 8th.

Last year a few of us rented a friend's sailboat for the Newport event, and had a hell of a time with a hell of a lot of great shots.

I'm not so sure that we'd be able to find a similar situation though, and might have to resort to booking a spot on one of the generic charter boats. But if enough people are interested, I am willing to hunt down a smaller boat dedicated to us POTNers.

Anyone interested in renting our own boat? Seriously interested, to the tune of $150 or $200 for the day? (I just made a wild-ass guess with that cost.)

If people aren't that interested, how about a general ticket on one of the bigger boats, and basically all just picking the same boat? I have no idea of this cost, but that probably won't be cheap either.

I would love to do something like this. I saw the pictures you guys got from Newport and it looks like you had a fantastic time. I am up for any of the above.

[Harm]

I'll be there for the tall ships...dunno about renting one out, as I may have family over during that time....unless we can make them walk the plank and shove them off the side...

[Scottes]

I'll be there for the tall ships...dunno about renting one out, as I may have family over during that time....unless we can make them walk the plank and shove them off the side...
Bring them along! We can babble camera terminology non-stop, be condescending when they ask silly camera questions, and generally drive them crazy until they throw themselves overboard to get away from us. :)

[Harm]

Bring them along! We can babble camera terminology non-stop, be condescending when they ask silly camera questions, and generally drive them crazy until they throw themselves overboard to get away from us. :)

Impossible dude, they are my in-laws...almost as bad as my own parents!! they need to be thrown in!

[flyfisher]

Scott,

Jackie and I would be Intrested, We couldn't make it last due to prior comitments.

[donlavange]

Is anyone interested in the Tall Ships in Boston this year? The big Parade of Sail is on a Wednesday, July 8th....
Yes Sir, Yes Sir!!! Count me IN!

How about that Big Cruiser we had for the Boston Harbor tour! That was pretty Nice. Maybe we could find SNIR on some Noink forum! LOL We know you are here Snir!

[donlavange]

Scott,

Jackie and I would be Intrested, We couldn't make it last due to prior comitments.

Would be nice to see you guys again as well!

[funhouse69]

Anyone that is interested in taking pics of Waterfalls I found this site with a visual map of Waterfalls in Massachusetts. It is basic but gets the job done

http://www.massfalls.com/

[bryanj87]

Is anyone interested in the Tall Ships in Boston this year? The big Parade of Sail is on a Wednesday, July 8th.



Normally, I'd be all over this like flies on poop, but with a baby due the week before, I'll have to pass on the boat. :(
I'll mark the date anyway, maybe I can watch the sail from land somewhere.

[Scottes]

Steve & Don - it would be great to see you guys again. I'll start checking out some boats. Having a small boat all to ourselves was great in Newport. It was great to be mobile - doing what we wanted to do and going were we wanted to go. After that trip I'd hate to get stuck on one of the big boats that just anchor in one place. I'll look into it.

[donlavange]

Steve & Don - it would be great to see you guys again. I'll start checking out some boats. Having a small boat all to ourselves was great in Newport. It was great to be mobile - doing what we wanted to do and going were we wanted to go. After that trip I'd hate to get stuck on one of the big boats that just anchor in one place. I'll look into it.

We will follow your lead. Just tell us when, where and how much! Promise we will do the Rum thing afterwards?

[kpratte]

Anyone that is interested in taking pics of Waterfalls I found this site with a visual map of Waterfalls in Massachusetts. It is basic but gets the job done

http://www.massfalls.com/Thanks for the great link! I've got a book for NH, but had nothing for Mass.

- Ken

[kpratte]

Steve & Don - it would be great to see you guys again. I'll start checking out some boats. Having a small boat all to ourselves was great in Newport. It was great to be mobile - doing what we wanted to do and going were we wanted to go. After that trip I'd hate to get stuck on one of the big boats that just anchor in one place. I'll look into it.Depending on the cost, I may be interested.

- Ken

[HoRnYTuRbO]

Is anyone interested in the Tall Ships in Boston this year? The big Parade of Sail is on a Wednesday, July 8th.

Last year a few of us rented a friend's sailboat for the Newport event, and had a hell of a time with a hell of a lot of great shots.

I'm not so sure that we'd be able to find a similar situation though, and might have to resort to booking a spot on one of the generic charter boats. But if enough people are interested, I am willing to hunt down a smaller boat dedicated to us POTNers.

Anyone interested in renting our own boat? Seriously interested, to the tune of $150 or $200 for the day? (I just made a wild-ass guess with that cost.)

If people aren't that interested, how about a general ticket on one of the bigger boats, and basically all just picking the same boat? I have no idea of this cost, but that probably won't be cheap either.


Edit: If you're interested in seeing what you missed during our Newport Tall Ships tour, here's a few key posts showing pics:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=3471025&postcount=1177
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=3479861&postcount=1191
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=3479899&postcount=1192
http://www.flickr.com/photos/colormechanic/695362550/in/set-72157594558561274/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/colormechanic/694281313/in/set-72157594558561274/

Wow, lotsa pics from many folks are offline after 1.5 years...

i'm down for this

[Harm]

count me out for the boat-trip...although i'll be around for the tall ships stuff as i work downtown

[flyfisher]

We will follow your lead. Just tell us when, where and how much! Promise we will do the Rum thing afterwards?

We look foward to shooting with you guys again

[peggs82]

First real post on POTN...long time lurker...

But after reading most of this thread, I'd love to meet up with you guys. I am down for the tall ships in the summer time!!

[Harm]

Welcome to the forums

[mai_lin]

First real post on POTN...long time lurker...

But after reading most of this thread, I'd love to meet up with you guys. I am down for the tall ships in the summer time!!


Count me in on the boat as long as the cost isn't too high. I need a longer lens for that me thinks...

Peggs82 - I take it you skydive? ;) I used to jump out of Orange, MA - do you jump local? Oh I see you jump out of crosskeys! Please tell Steve (or any of the other 'old timers') that Jen from RI says hello! I miss Sebastian too - did my AFF with Uwe - I bet he'll remember me, I'm the gal that finished AFF in 4 jumps (tons of tunnel time)and has a pacemaker. Boy does this bring back memories... *sigh*...

Also wanted to let you guys know of a new photography group I started for portrait photographers: http://www.meetup.com/Southern-New-England-Portrait-Photographers/

I'll be posting lots of 'people' photography related stuff there and lots of different classes and workshops. I won't be talking up anything like that here anymore so be sure to join!

Now that the weather is getting nicer we need to get some things going on here - anyone up for a historic boston walk? I'd love to get some shots on the freedom trail in the spring!


Jen D.

[funhouse69]

I'd be up for various get togethers.

One place I'd suggest checking out is the MT Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge. The place is 175 Acres of trails and all kinds of landscapes. I've been there the last couple of days to check out the owl that has been hanging out there. I've got a few really cool pics there of both the landscape and the Owl.

[Scottes]

Tall Ships research...

Best things I've been finding are small fishing boats who might do a non-fishing Tall Ships festival. Even if we could pack 6 people in one of these boats, it would be at least $125 per person - probably closer to $200 if we did an 8-hour cruise, which means that we could tour the harbor a little and be early enough to get a good spot.

This is just about the same as some of the regular cruise companies that work out of Boston, like Baystate Cruise Company. They are charging $150 for a 6-hour tour (9AM-3PM), which includes breakfast, lunch, cash bar, real bathrooms, a 3-story very stable boat for good viewing and pics.

There will also be 700 other people on board and that big boat probably lacks mobility.

Boston Harbor Cruises is charging $200 or $275, depending on how much food you want. Their tour is 2 hours longer - 7:30 to 3:30 - which is a hell of a lot more worthwhile in my opinion. 9 to 3 cuts off the start and end of the tour. BHC's boats are a bit smaller than Baystate's, but they're still pretty big compared to a 6-person fishing boat.


A small fishing boat might a little more expensive, it certainly won't have any creature comforts, but we would be mobile and have the freedom to do what we wanted, when we wanted. Last year in Newport our little sailboat was agile enough to go *exactly* where we wanted, which meant that we were right out front with clear viewing almost all of the time. No boats between us and the ships. We were able to tell the captain where to place us to get great backgrounds, and we were able to *change* the background by moving around. I seriously doubt that one of these big charter boats will be able to be mobile like that.


Mai_lin - You do NOT need a big camera. Last time I shot many of the ships with a 10-20 Sigma. 8 of the 10 shots I linked above where with the 10-20. I'd seriously be more concerned if you don't have a wide lens.


So, what do people think? $200 each for our own tiny boat, or should we just join the unwashed masses on a charter for $150??

[pmk]

Sorry, this isn't about the tall ships meeting but I just thought Boston area shooters might want to be aware that the Chelsea cops are getting all paranoid about people taking pictures of the Tobin Bridge.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=667931

Maybe there should be a meet up there too!

pk

[mai_lin]

Mai_lin - You do NOT need a big camera. Last time I shot many of the ships with a 10-20 Sigma. 8 of the 10 shots I linked above where with the 10-20. I'd seriously be more concerned if you don't have a wide lens.


The widest I go is 20 on a cropped sensor... hope that would work.

I may be able to do $150... but I would like cheaper ;)

When is this happening anyway? Hopefully not the week after july 4th - I'm in AZ.

ETA Doh - just saw this was july 8th :( I'll be in AZ...darn!!

Jen D.

[Scottes]

I may be able to do $150... but I would like cheaper ;)
From what I can find, the only cheaper option means walking along the harbor, on shore.

There is a $90 cruise for the Monday after, when the ships leave. I highly doubt that it would be anyway near as good as the Parade of Sails, since they leave on their own schedule, at any random time of day.

[donlavange]

Tall Ships research...

So, what do people think? $200 each for our own tiny boat, or should we just join the unwashed masses on a charter for $150??

I am in for whatever the most folks want to do.

Just got Home from another day at NAPP Show in Boston!

[20DNewbie]

Man, if there's space I'd love to jump in on this one. Who cares about the money, I can always make more of it.

[mai_lin]

I am in for whatever the most folks want to do.

Just got Home from another day at NAPP Show in Boston!


Are you gonna be there tomorrow Don? I'm going to be there for the vendor show - really to do some serious drooling :p




Jen D.

[donlavange]

Are you gonna be there tomorrow Don? I'm going to be there for the vendor show - really to do some serious drooling :pJen D.

I will be there for 2 seminars and then I have a lunch in Boston. Then back for a Wine Dinner tomorrow night at Chez Pascal., Dirty job but . . . . .

Watch out the vendor displays are designed to separate you from just about 20% more than anyone can possibly make! LOL

[mai_lin]

I wish I went yesterday Don - I felt really gypped. Canon pulled out today so I didn't get to stop and talk shop which made me really mad. I really wanted to go to see them specifically. Where they there the rest of the week?

But I got to see Ken there! Hi Ken! :lol:

I did do a Wacom class which was nice - makes me want to upgrade my tablet now. I liked some of the show only discounts and I got someone to do a lightroom workshop for my photography group out of it, so all in all a good day.

Hope you enjoyed Chez Pascal! We'll have to get together soon - and with J too. Haven't seen her in a while now :)



Jen D.

[kenyee]

I didn't expect to you there either, but it was nice seeing you again :)
That reminds me...did Phil ever get the pics from the meetup? I didn't have email info for him so I couldn't confirm he got my pics. Looking forward to the one next month.

What I'm bummed out about is I missed Joe McNally's flash demo at photoshop world...the stupid web site listed it as 9pm and it turned out it was 9am :P
So many things made my wishlist...a Sunbounce Mini or Pro (why are these things to bloody expensive????), Westcott's Master Brush Softbox (I thought I'd want a microapollo but wasn't impressed w/ the build quality), Fluid Mask software, Intuos 4 Medium (though it's realllllly stupid that you can't program your own graphic icons into the OLED display..only text), and my megawish drool item: the Epson 9900 super large format printer. I was amazed at the huge gallery size images Epson had hanging on the walls. I should have asked them for a copy while I was there. They were amazing quality and easily as good as photos but massive sized with colors that really popped w/o any pixelization whatsoever, even up close. It was good to see adoramapix, mpix, and ACI samples too (though I'm disappointed in the ACI samples because they use offset printing).

p.s., buy that 50D already...you know you want it ;-) I'm surprised how low the price has dropped already.

[mai_lin]

What I'm bummed out about is I missed Joe McNally's flash demo at photoshop world...the stupid web site listed it as 9pm and it turned out it was 9am :P
So many things made my wishlist...a Sunbounce Mini or Pro (why are these things to bloody expensive????), Westcott's Master Brush Softbox (I thought I'd want a microapollo but wasn't impressed w/ the build quality), Fluid Mask software, Intuos 4 Medium (though it's realllllly stupid that you can't program your own graphic icons into the OLED display..only text), and my megawish drool item: the Epson 9900 super large format printer. I was amazed at the huge gallery size images Epson had hanging on the walls. I should have asked them for a copy while I was there. They were amazing quality and easily as good as photos but massive sized with colors that really popped w/o any pixelization whatsoever, even up close. It was good to see adoramapix, mpix, and ACI samples too (though I'm disappointed in the ACI samples because they use offset printing).

p.s., buy that 50D already...you know you want it ;-) I'm surprised how low the price has dropped already.

Yep - Phil got images from you. He's over the moon ecstatic about all the pictures. Becky is coming back for the workshop at the end of the month - I'm looking forward to that!

I'm totally getting the Intuos4 when I get my first/next $1000 print order :p It seriously blew my graphire out of the water in terms of sensitivity. I didn't understand the graphics thing - there was a graphic used to represent on of the buttons on the lower button set that I know isn't a microsoft used font. Maybe Intuous5? heh

I was wondering about the ACI samples - they did seem different from mpix - what's offset printing? I've been using WHCC and BayPhoto as of late but really want to try ACI too. Mpix got a big no no from me when I had some clients order from there and the crops were ALL wrong...

And yes, I want the 50D, badly... but again... I need that $1000 print order first ;) Know anyone who wants some great family pictures? LOL


Jen D.

[bryanj87]

And yes, I want the 50D, badly... but again... I need that $1000 print order first ;) Know anyone who wants some great family pictures? LOL


Jen D.

You could opt for the new T1i (replacement for the XSi):
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=667105

My suspicion is that if the price is dropping on the 50D, then a replacement model is due soon.

[kenyee]

I didn't understand the graphics thing - there was a graphic used to represent on of the buttons on the lower button set
...
I was wondering about the ACI samples - they did seem different from mpix - what's offset printing?


The little labels next to the buttons on the Intuos can have graphics, but *only* if the graphics are built-into the tablet...you can't create your own and send them down :(

Offset printing is like what you see in magazines and newspapers...some colors are composed of little dots making up the other colors (the printer makes multiple passes of dots but each color is offset from each other). Some places like inkubook and shutterfly have really obvious dots far apart but the ACI stuff is probably as good as this tech gets. If you look at a real photobook like mpix/adoramapix's, you don't see any dots at all.

Looking forward to seeing Becky again...her mom told me she actually paid some local photography school for portfolio pics and they were pretty lame, so I'm sure she's happy with what came out of the meetup.
Glad Phil liked the photos...he had the weirdest outtakes from the meetup...I never posted those up in my flickr stream but they're probably ok to put up here ;)

I'd also agree w/ w/ Bryan on the T1i...looks like they jammed the 50D sensor and rear display into the Rebel body but I'm not sure if they improved AF. I think they're feeling the heat from Nikon :D

[mai_lin]

You could opt for the new T1i (replacement for the XSi):
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=667105

My suspicion is that if the price is dropping on the 50D, then a replacement model is due soon.


Ya, I've been reading the T1i hype but I really don't want video... I think its an odd addition to a traditional digital camera. What I really want is better AF and lower noise at higher ISOs but I can't afford a 5Dmkii right now. I think I"ll hold out for the 60D/7D whatever it ends up being but I'll need a couple of big print orders for that! :p



Jen D.

[mai_lin]

OMG those are great. Phil really did have a great personality! He was fun to shoot. I'm trying to get another male model for the end of the month...

Jen D.

[bryanj87]

Ya, I've been reading the T1i hype but I really don't want video... I think its an odd addition to a traditional digital camera. What I really want is better AF and lower noise at higher ISOs but I can't afford a 5Dmkii right now. I think I"ll hold out for the 60D/7D whatever it ends up being but I'll need a couple of big print orders for that! :p



Jen D.

I noticed an improvement in reduced noise when I switched from the XTi to the 40D, esp at higher ISO's. I can only imagine the 50D is even better with that.

I'm beginning to think that HD video in a dslr is going to be a standard feature within 5 years.

[bryanj87]

Oh man, Ken, those are great! I was lol at some of his shots when I was going through them all.

[mai_lin]

I noticed an improvement in reduced noise when I switched from the XTi to the 40D, esp at higher ISO's. I can only imagine the 50D is even better with that.

I'm beginning to think that HD video in a dslr is going to be a standard feature within 5 years.


Really? I'm not terribly disappointed with my XTi in regards to noise as long as my light is decent but last weekend I shot a model in an abandoned fort and some of the interior rooms were DARK and my 430ex wasn't cutting it... noise is an understatement! I'd like a way to clean that up...

I really think video is odd in a dslr... am I the only one?



Jen D.

[kenyee]

interior rooms were DARK and my 430ex wasn't cutting it... noise is an understatement! I'd like a way to clean that up...

Sounds like underexposure? Or if you push it over ISO1100, you'll probably get lots of noise too. Try Noise Ninja or Noiseware photoshop plugins if you haven't (if you're running Gimp, you can try the GMIC plugin).

Bryan: we should have an outtakes thread next time ;)

p.s., I think video will eventually be in all DSLRs as well. The 5DmkII shows what can be done (narrow DOF effects w/ DSLR lenses) when it gets better. It's lots of work though.

[funhouse69]

Jen - I shot a ton of stuff with an original Rebel (300) in all kinds of lighting situations including clubs for bands and I got some really good results using my old 420EX.

If you don't mind me asking what are / where you using for settings?

[donlavange]

Oh man, Ken, those are great! I was lol at some of his shots when I was going through them all.

Hey! When are we going to do a local shoot! Been a long time. I have "Landscape Lust"!

[mai_lin]

My settings were, in manual, ISO 1600, f/1.8, ss/50 on my 50 and they were still dark (big room, the 430ex just wasn't powerful enough)... so I'd boost in LR and the noise was awful... which was a shame as the shots in that room were the only ones where the model looks ok (her posing is awful, she's a new model).



Jen D.

[funhouse69]

My settings were, in manual, ISO 1600, f/1.8, ss/50 on my 50 and they were still dark (big room, the 430ex just wasn't powerful enough)... so I'd boost in LR and the noise was awful... which was a shame as the shots in that room were the only ones where the model looks ok (her posing is awful, she's a new model).

Jen D.

Well the settings seem like they should have worked for very low light. Heck even candlelight seems like it should have worked at those settings :-)

I assume the flash wasn't straight on. Probably straight up with a high dark ceiling - Yuck!

That is why I always have some white foam board with me so I can bounce the flash off of them in situations like that.

The scary thing is that the 580 isn't that much more powerful than the 420 so that might not have even cut it without some help in these conditions :-(

[mai_lin]

Well the settings seem like they should have worked for very low light. Heck even candlelight seems like it should have worked at those settings :-)

I assume the flash wasn't straight on. Probably straight up with a high dark ceiling - Yuck!

That is why I always have some white foam board with me so I can bounce the flash off of them in situations like that.

The scary thing is that the 580 isn't that much more powerful than the 420 so that might not have even cut it without some help in these conditions :-(

It's funny you should mention that - we were doing alot of shooting on the outside of the fort so I brought a whole bunch of diffusers and scrims etc. not even thinking I'd need to INCREASE light.

The other photog I was shooting with brought OCF stuff... he shoots nikon. I'm envious of their CLS. But I like to be able to set my WB in one step ;)


Jen D.

[funhouse69]

It's funny you should mention that - we were doing alot of shooting on the outside of the fort so I brought a whole bunch of diffusers and scrims etc. not even thinking I'd need to INCREASE light.

The other photog I was shooting with brought OCF stuff... he shoots nikon. I'm envious of their CLS. But I like to be able to set my WB in one step ;)


Jen D.

The only other time I've had some issues is when the flash bounces off of something reflective and that in turn "Fools" the camera in to thinking that it got enough light. That happens a lot when I shoot bands, I catch a reflection off of something like the chrome of drum head or a mic stand and the shot is WAY too dark. I've also had this happen with jewelry as well but only with on camera / TTL flash otherwise with Studio Strobes it doesn't happen as they are set differently. The good news is that I shoot RAW and with a low ISO I can usually fix the shot somewhat easily through DPP.

I know this is completely after the fact and I'm not really familiar with your specific flash but I wonder if you set the flash manually as well if it would have made a difference. It still doesn't seem right, I think that the flash should have been able to handle it.

The other question would be is if you flash is truly compatible with your camera. Maybe you could check you manual just for the heck of it. The reason I say that is someone was asking about a sync issue in another thread and they said that the only flashes that are fully compatible are the 430EX II and the 580EX II. I don't know if what would also apply to older bodies or not.

[mai_lin]

I know this is completely after the fact and I'm not really familiar with your specific flash but I wonder if you set the flash manually as well if it would have made a difference. It still doesn't seem right, I think that the flash should have been able to handle it.

The other question would be is if you flash is truly compatible with your camera. Maybe you could check you manual just for the heck of it. The reason I say that is someone was asking about a sync issue in another thread and they said that the only flashes that are fully compatible are the 430EX II and the 580EX II. I don't know if what would also apply to older bodies or not.

I wish that hot shoe flash settings were added to the EXIF data. I was shooting ETTL so I'm pretty sure it was firing full on. I don't think I would have had better results on camera even in manual. The room was traingular in shape with the model at the top and camera at the base - although it should have been enough the ceiling was high and there was ALOT of broken cement around the room that may have caused a disruption in the light. I'm getting some strobist stuff soon and then I'll hopefully not have to worry about this again. Plus, I don't plan on shooting in a room that dark ever again - it was so dark I could barely see the model at the other end of the room. Now if I had an alien bee with me it would have been a great shot ;)


Jen D.

[20DNewbie]

Thanks - The Stone Zoo is Tiny compared to Franklin Park but well worth the visit.

I can't wait to make it to the grand daddy of them all the Southwick Zoo. That is over 300 Acers where Stone is 20+ and Franklin is 70+. Unfortunately it is closed for the season but will be opening back up in mid April which thankfully isn't too far away :-)

Maybe I will try and arrange an outing!

I'm game. I didn't get out there last year so I'm looking forward to all the new things they've done to the joint.

I work the graveyard shift also so any day is pretty good, although it gets pretty busy on the weekends obviously. I've been there some days during the week and I'd say there were less than thirty cars in the lot.

[funhouse69]

I'm game. I didn't get out there last year so I'm looking forward to all the new things they've done to the joint.

I work the graveyard shift also so any day is pretty good, although it gets pretty busy on the weekends obviously. I've been there some days during the week and I'd say there were less than thirty cars in the lot.

The Southwick Zoo opens this Saturday, April 11th and I can't wait to go and check it out. I will however avoid opening weekend and since I also have most of my days free I will wait until we get a nice day during the week to go and check it out.

[20DNewbie]

Cool, if you want to head into the deer forest anytime in the near future I'd suggest hiking/work boots. With all the recent rain I imagine it's going to be a bit squishy for at least a week or so.