The End of Summer Random Discussion for TPBM (29)

puddlepirate44 wrote in post #8619252
It's so easy to get lazy because we can fix these mistakes in the comfort of our homes, not in some stifling dark room. But it does tend to make us sloppier photogs in the process.

No kidding.

puddlepirate44 wrote in post #8619099
OK, here it is. My quarterly serious set of photographic remarks. I'm going to lay it all out on the line here and write out the things that I'm thinking and learning in regards to photography.

As you know, Lisa is starting out in her journey of professional photography. I'm kinda on the sidelines watching this happen, learning as she goes. I just want to relay what I've noticed so far. This does not mean that I'm the all-knowing, experienced photographer with all the answers. These are just my observations. There's a good chance I'll look at this again in two years and scoff uproariously at myself.

So, we live in a digital age. Where we can take a photo of something, download it into our computers, tweak the pixels and the 1's and 0's and when we're done, it will look NOTHING like the original. Take a photo and it can be a diamond in the rough, just waiting to be cut and polished.

Unfortunately, it has to start out a diamond in order for it to end up as a diamond.

Meaning, all the photoshop skills in the world won't help a bad shot. One of the many problems that I see in myself is a laziness that comes from being able to tweak a photo in post processing. Because I can do that, I allow sloppiness to creep into my "shooting protocol".

There would be so much less work in post if I would take the time to get the shot right "pre-shutter".

• Am I using the lowest possible ISO and still have a desirable shutter speed? or do I just set it at some high ISO and forget it. By using a lower ISO whenever possible, I'll get higher quality shots in the end.
  
• Am I "looking for the ugly" in the shot? This is something that Lisa is teaching me. Is there a light pole in the background that looks like it's sprouting out of the top of someone's head? Is there some brightly colored object in the back that will become a large, colorful "bokeh ball"? Telephone wires?
  
• Don't fall into the trap of "Oh, I'll just fix that in Photoshop." That's a slippery slope. Especially when you're there, the client's there, the setting is there.... just recompose or remove the object in question and reshoot. Get it right "pre-shutter" and you won't have to worry about it in post.
  
• Get in the habit of taking 3-5 shots of every pose/composition if possible. This will reduce the chance of mistakes, e.g. closed eyes, hair in face, goofy grins, etc. I'll get into why it's necessary for so many shots later, but let it suffice to say that we're not using film, but digital. The extra shots don't cost extra and you're able to purchase some peace of mind with them.
  
• Do NOT settle for anything. Too often I settle for my less than stellar lens because I'm too lazy to swap out for the better one. Or I settle with the composition that's before me because I'm too lazy to stand up on a footstool or a bench to get the better angle. Or I settle for handhold even though I know that the shutter speed is waaaaay too low just because I won't get the tripod. What's the point, really. I mean, if you're doing a second rate shot, you're not going to be happy. But with a little extra effort, you could fire off a couple of real keepers.

More later.

Very well said. Kind of reminds me of this great video from Zach Azarias.

http://www.scottkelby.​com/blog/2009/archives​/3433

I have a love hate relationship with PS. I so much prefer to get things right in camera as much as I can. I hate cloning. But, some of the locations I use (like the bridge) require me to clone a bit no matter what angle. There are lots of light poles in the park behind it. I always do what I can to avoid extensive PS fixes. Time is money and if I'm spending half an hour fixing what I would have avoided by taking 5 minutes or less of time in shoot....well, I'm wasting money. As for ISO...I typically keep it stuck on 100 unless I'm forced by light to change it.

Permagrin wrote in post #8618879
well, I have an ear ache, a stuffy head and a fever. Dangit.

Hope it doesn't last long.

cfpackerfan wrote in post #8618886
I'm losing my tiny little mind.

short5 wrote in post #8618895
We know.

Pete wrote in post #8618988
Happiness for me.

I've finally managed to get my coffee machine working. It was gunked up with limescale (or something). A partial dismantling and poking around with a bent paperclip followed by a flush through with limescale dissolver sorted it out.

I feel all manly now that I've repaired something.

Very kewl! (deleted comment)

puddlepirate44 wrote in post #8619099
OK, here it is. My quarterly serious set of photographic remarks. I'm going to lay it all out on the line here and write out the things that I'm thinking and learning in regards to photography.

As you know, Lisa is starting out in her journey of professional photography. I'm kinda on the sidelines watching this happen, learning as she goes. I just want to relay what I've noticed so far. This does not mean that I'm the all-knowing, experienced photographer with all the answers. These are just my observations. There's a good chance I'll look at this again in two years and scoff uproariously at myself.

So, we live in a digital age. Where we can take a photo of something, download it into our computers, tweak the pixels and the 1's and 0's and when we're done, it will look NOTHING like the original. Take a photo and it can be a diamond in the rough, just waiting to be cut and polished.

Unfortunately, it has to start out a diamond in order for it to end up as a diamond.

Meaning, all the photoshop skills in the world won't help a bad shot. One of the many problems that I see in myself is a laziness that comes from being able to tweak a photo in post processing. Because I can do that, I allow sloppiness to creep into my "shooting protocol".

There would be so much less work in post if I would take the time to get the shot right "pre-shutter".

• Am I using the lowest possible ISO and still have a desirable shutter speed? or do I just set it at some high ISO and forget it. By using a lower ISO whenever possible, I'll get higher quality shots in the end.
  
• Am I "looking for the ugly" in the shot? This is something that Lisa is teaching me. Is there a light pole in the background that looks like it's sprouting out of the top of someone's head? Is there some brightly colored object in the back that will become a large, colorful "bokeh ball"? Telephone wires?
  
• Don't fall into the trap of "Oh, I'll just fix that in Photoshop." That's a slippery slope. Especially when you're there, the client's there, the setting is there.... just recompose or remove the object in question and reshoot. Get it right "pre-shutter" and you won't have to worry about it in post.
  
• Get in the habit of taking 3-5 shots of every pose/composition if possible. This will reduce the chance of mistakes, e.g. closed eyes, hair in face, goofy grins, etc. I'll get into why it's necessary for so many shots later, but let it suffice to say that we're not using film, but digital. The extra shots don't cost extra and you're able to purchase some peace of mind with them.
  
• Do NOT settle for anything. Too often I settle for my less than stellar lens because I'm too lazy to swap out for the better one. Or I settle with the composition that's before me because I'm too lazy to stand up on a footstool or a bench to get the better angle. Or I settle for handhold even though I know that the shutter speed is waaaaay too low just because I won't get the tripod. What's the point, really. I mean, if you're doing a second rate shot, you're not going to be happy. But with a little extra effort, you could fire off a couple of real keepers.

More later.

Yes!!! I have to remind myself of these things all the time. It's very hard to do when you have a hubby waiting in the background. I always feel rushed, although he never has rushed me. I'm getting extremely tired of cloning things out though.

Pete wrote in post #8619158
I should have taken the umbrellas away before taking the photo

Both distractions will now be a pain to remove in photoshop.

I think the umbrellas look good there. Just my opinion though.

BECKY Love the renn fest shots.

Can I come next year? If I beg a little?

gjl711 wrote in post #8618669
Easy to keep clean though and you don't have to dry it after showering.

It'll never happen, but if I were back in the military, I'd probably have it cut that way...

Becky N wrote in post #8619177
You won't be disappointed. LINK

I've never been one for Ren faires... They strike me as more fantasy than authentic for the period. That's why I like the Civil War reenactments. The people participating in thos are sticklers for reality, right down to the uniforms and weapons.

If the Ren Faire people want to do authentic, then they would have to be clad in ragged homespun, no shoes or make-up and they would have to have not bathed for several weeks...

puddlepirate44 wrote in post #8619294
BTW, a 20% keeper rate is pretty good.

I didn't say they were good, I just said I keep about that many
On another note I wish I had the PS skills some here do. It certainly can take that diamond and polish it real nice.

Permagrin wrote in post #8618730
lol...that's because the others were so beautiful. I can honestly say, I couldn't hold up for an 8.5 hr hike...so I'd never get to see this irl.

I've done many much longer hikes, but those were quite a few years ago. I could never do that again today, without a couple years advanced notice to work my way back into that kind of shape again!

Nice pics Deeds! Lovely view.

gjl711 wrote in post #8619011
Have you noticed how many country singers today look and sound like rock singers did 30 years ago.

Country singers today are rock singers. The stuff they play on "country" radio stations these days isn't...

Pete wrote in post #8619158
I should have taken the umbrellas away before taking the photo

I actually like the umbrellas in that shot! A lot!

I do agree with you about the sign in the second one, though.

short5 wrote in post #8619333
I didn't say they were good, I just said I keep about that many
On another note I wish I had the PS skills some here do. It certainly can take that diamond and polish it real nice.

I wish I did to! I do sorta ok with LR and presets. But PS Elements is just beyond me. I even have a book to help me figure things out. Maybe I don't have the patience, I dunno.

JWright wrote in post #8619328
I've never been one for Ren faires... They strike me as more fantasy than authentic for the period. That's why I like the Civil War reenactments. The people participating in thos are sticklers for reality, right down to the uniforms and weapons.

If the Ren Faire people want to do authentic, then they would have to be clad in ragged homespun, no shoes or make-up and they would have to have not bathed for several weeks...

Thankfully it is fantasy The civil war folks do a good job but I suspect if authentic they would not be the cleanest, nice smelling bunch. They lived in camp for extended periods and marched or fought during the day with only natural running water for bathing, when they did.

Another tip I've learned...

If you can't "see" the photo, then it's probably not worth taking.

Sometimes it's just nice to experience a scene with your eyes and your soul. When it's too big for your camera to capture, your memory will do just fine.

Sometimes it's nice to put your camera away and enjoy something special with your loved one....

sevillafox wrote in post #8619311
Very well said. Kind of reminds me of this great video from Zach Azarias.

http://www.scottkelby.​com/blog/2009/archives​/3433

I have a love hate relationship with PS. I so much prefer to get things right in camera as much as I can. I hate cloning. But, some of the locations I use (like the bridge) require me to clone a bit no matter what angle. There are lots of light poles in the park behind it. I always do what I can to avoid extensive PS fixes. Time is money and if I'm spending half an hour fixing what I would have avoided by taking 5 minutes or less of time in shoot....well, I'm wasting money. As for ISO...I typically keep it stuck on 100 unless I'm forced by light to change it.

I'm not bashing PS at all. I couldn't imagine photography without it. I just want to get to a point in my photography where I can use it if I WANT to, not because I HAVE to.

CrazieCricket wrote in post #8619320
I think the umbrellas look good there. Just my opinion though.

Well, actually, so do I.

short5 wrote in post #8619333
I didn't say they were good, I just said I keep about that many
On another note I wish I had the PS skills some here do. It certainly can take that diamond and polish it real nice.

I am always in awe when I watch Lisa work her magic in PS. I want to be able to use the post processing systems to give my shots that extra oomph, not to try to rescue a sucky shot. I think I have a bunch of shots languishing in my external HD that will never get out of the "rough" stage.

Pete wrote in post #8619371
Another tip I've learned...

If you can't "see" the photo, then it's probably not worth taking.

Sometimes it's just nice to experience a scene with your eyes and your soul. When it's too big for your camera to capture, your memory will do just fine.

Sometimes it's nice to put your camera away and enjoy something special with your loved one....

Problem there. My memory doesn't last long enough.

puddlepirate44 wrote in post #8619099
OK, here it is. My quarterly serious set of photographic remarks. I'm going to lay it all out on the line here and write out the things that I'm thinking and learning in regards to photography.

Very well said, Dan.

Becky N wrote in post #8619177
You won't be disappointed. LINK

Oh GOSH, Becky, THIS one is breathtaking.

Did you see on the link I posted that you can put your photos there too? I think you should.

puddlepirate44 wrote in post #8619376
I'm not bashing PS at all. I couldn't imagine photography without it. I just want to get to a point in my photography where I can use it if I WANT to, not because I HAVE to.

The less I use Photoshop, the happier I am.

This is because:-

a) I'm not that good with photoshop - if my bodging creates something that looks unnatural, I've failed.
b) I'm not good at knowing what I can do with photoshop to enhance an image. People with creative minds like Lisa know how to get the best out of photoshop, and most probably takes this into account when they're looking through the viewfinder before the press the shutter.

puddlepirate44 wrote in post #8619376
I'm not bashing PS at all. I couldn't imagine photography without it. I just want to get to a point in my photography where I can use it if I WANT to, not because I HAVE to.

Exactly how I took it.

I do love what PS can do. I just hate it when I have to muck around a bit to fix stuff that I either missed or knew ahead of time I would have to fix in PS anyway and are a product of my limitations (stupid narrow seamless paper).