Let us share Questions and Answers

[Tareq]

So i want to ask many questions beginning of this year, so this thread i created to ask many questions in one thread mostly to get answers that will help me alot in my photography, and people it is up to you to answer just don't tell me that to search over the forum, i will ask some questions regardless they were asked before or not and i wish to get these answers here and it will be a big help and guidance for me in this year and for next years i hope.
And if someone has question to share all are welcome, but please no offensive or negative replies, it is free sharing anyway.

So now for my start questions:

1- What makes a photo nice (or better)? Exposure, colors, Quality, composition...etc?

2- What makes someone to be a professional or expert? Great photos, Experience, get paid, work in photography as job.....,etc?


Best Regards and Happy New Year (late)

Tareq

[Woolburr]

For your first question...I think a compelling subject is the key to a nice photo. Having the other little pieces right only serves to strengthen an image. You can line up your batteries, aim your camera to properly frame the image, nail the focus and exposure and post-process the image to technical perfection...but in the end, you still just have a boring picture of some batteries. Just remember that like all art, photography is very subjective and there will always be someone that likes and understands your work and there will always be those that don't.

As far as your question about experts and professionals...that is pretty open to subjective interpretation as well. When I think of an expert, I envision a person that has more answers than questions about the given subject. As far as professional goes, some folks say that being paid equates to being professional. I disagree...I think professional is more about the quality of service provided.

I hope you get lots of helpful answers.:D

[Tareq]

For your first question...I think a compelling subject is the key to a nice photo. Having the other little pieces right only serves to strengthen an image. You can line up your batteries, aim your camera to properly frame the image, nail the focus and exposure and post-process the image to technical perfection...but in the end, you still just have a boring picture of some batteries. Just remember that like all art, photography is very subjective and there will always be someone that likes and understands your work and there will always be those that don't.

As far as your question about experts and professionals...that is pretty open to subjective interpretation as well. When I think of an expert, I envision a person that has more answers than questions about the given subject. As far as professional goes, some folks say that being paid equates to being professional. I disagree...I think professional is more about the quality of service provided.

I hope you get lots of helpful answers.:D

Thank you very much Dan
I really got your points and the answers were helpful sure.
but still there are many issues, for example, who can judge that this Photo is better? you? me? experts? it is tastes at the end, so maybe this image is perfect for you thats meen it is good correct photo but for some others it is not that much good, so there is something more than the quality and qualifications of any photo, and it is maybe according to some views, maybe there is good photos to all people but yet still not that top of the line to make this photo as the winner, so i would like to see others points on this question.

and for question 2, there are people consider themselves as professional, maybe because others telling them as they are, or because they have degree in photogrfy or maybe because they had the chance to sell thier works so they will keep saying they are top level, so what do you think of that? let's say that you have exactly the same tool of a professioanl and you went to a match with that professional and you both stand at the same place of the field with same tools (camera and lens) exactly and you both set the camera to the same settings, then you both started to shoot under same exposure and metering, so what will make his photos better than you? is it because he is professional so for sure the photos are great or because you can't say that your photos are good enough as pro even taken at the same time and conditions and situations, what will be the difference then? so i feel there are many factors as well, so i hope others can join and give what they have.:)

[GyRob]

Been a professional has nothing to do with takeing great photo's all it meen's is they earn there liveing taking photo's .
As to what makes a photo nice - i do :)
Rob.

[Tareq]

Been a professional has nothing to do with takeing great photo's all it meen's is they earn there liveing taking photo's .
As to what makes a photo nice - i do :)
Rob.

Interesting.
I agree that anyone can take great photos wether professionally or not.

My new question:

3- What level are you thinnking to reach in Photography? Pro? Advanced? doesn't matter? or do you take photography as hobby only and you never think of levels you are growing with?

[Tareq]

So no more answers or discussion?
Too bad, i was going to ask more questions.
Anyway, no problem, i am still waiting.

[Aquaman]

Interesting.

My new question:

3- What level are you thinnking to reach in Photography? Pro? Advanced? doesn't matter? or do you take photography as hobby only and you never think of levels you are growing with?



For me, photography is purely a hobby. I enjoy the time I spend outdoors taking pictures and the time I spend with others sharing. I try to take the best pictures I can but the activity is more important to me than the results. So, to answer your question, my skill level is not important to me.

[Tareq]

For me, photography is purely a hobby. I enjoy the time I spend outdoors taking pictures and the time I spend with others sharing. I try to take the best pictures I can but the activity is more important to me than the results. So, to answer your question, my skill level is not important to me.

Interesting.
I am too don't worry about what level should i reach and think of as i am so happy in what i do and enjoy it, i met alot of people now because of photography and thats all to me.

[Tareq]

4- When using long exposure, do you turn off that NR in camera or keep it on?
and let's say you turned off that NR and use ISO 100-200 will you see any Noise in the shot? if so, why? shouldn't be that ISO 100 free completely from noise even very low light and low underexposure?

[thomascanty]

4- When using long exposure, do you turn off that NR in camera or keep it on?
and let's say you turned off that NR and use ISO 100-200 will you see any Noise in the shot? if so, why? shouldn't be that ISO 100 free completely from noise even very low light and low underexposure?

The "noise" you get from a long exposure is generally hot pixels, which is completely different from high ISO noise.

I've never once turned in-camera NR on, even though I've done several exposures up to 40 minutes long. I prefer to make a black frame exposure and do the hot pixel cancellation myself on the computer at a later time.

[Tareq]

The "noise" you get from a long exposure is generally hot pixels, which is completely different from high ISO noise.

I've never once turned in-camera NR on, even though I've done several exposures up to 40 minutes long. I prefer to make a black frame exposure and do the hot pixel cancellation myself on the computer at a later time.

I see.
ok, i will try to do some long exposure with NR off and see how are the results.
Thank you very much for your post.
Wait me next questions sooner or later

[thomascanty]

ok, i will try to do some long exposure with NR off and see how are the results.

If you decide to map out the hot pixels on the computer rather than in camera, you'll need software to do the job. I use BlackFrame NR from MediaChance (http://www.mediachance.com/digicam/).

Basically, what you do is this: After you do a long exposure shot, you do another one of the same exposure length with the lens cap on. That second shot is your "black frame", which should only contain the hot pixels -- pixels on your camera's sensor that have become too sensitive and glow brightly (usually red or green) when the sensor is activated for a long time.

In the computer, you load the real exposure and the black frame exposure into this software and it finds all of the non-black pixels in the black frame exposure and maps the pixels at those same positions in the real exposure according to the colors surrounding them.

This is exactly what the camera does with it's own "noise reduction" routine, but doing it on the computer, you can take a whole series of long exposure shots of the same exposure length and process them with one black frame. If you were doing a whole series of say 10-minute exposures using the camera's internal routine, you would have to wait 10 minutes after each shot while the camera creates a black frame for each and every shot.

[Tareq]

If you decide to map out the hot pixels on the computer rather than in camera, you'll need software to do the job. I use BlackFrame NR from MediaChance (http://www.mediachance.com/digicam/).

Basically, what you do is this: After you do a long exposure shot, you do another one of the same exposure length with the lens cap on. That second shot is your "black frame", which should only contain the hot pixels -- pixels on your camera's sensor that have become too sensitive and glow brightly (usually red or green) when the sensor is activated for a long time.

In the computer, you load the real exposure and the black frame exposure into this software and it finds all of the non-black pixels in the black frame exposure and maps the pixels at those same positions in the real exposure according to the colors surrounding them.

This is exactly what the camera does with it's own "noise reduction" routine, but doing it on the computer, you can take a whole series of long exposure shots of the same exposure length and process them with one black frame. If you were doing a whole series of say 10-minute exposures using the camera's internal routine, you would have to wait 10 minutes after each shot while the camera creates a black frame for each and every shot.

Thank you very much, mate.
Very helpful informative issue.
Just i have to check my exposure and be sure that the shot is clear free from noise or hot pixels by adjusting the exposure correctly.