The Photography Thread

[MikeyT]

Nice to hear someone of the younger generation appreciate the city of our childhood.

I've been meaning to ask this question about your camera and lenses. I have owned Nikon equipment since the seventies and so collected a few lenses on the way. My Nikkormat was stolen and ultimately replaced with and automatic N8008 then into the digital age with my current D80. I looked at the Canon but decided that with my lens collection. it would be silly to waste them when they would fit on the D80 body.

I look at my photos and compare them with those taken by you and others with Canon and really do regret that decision. Just about every great photograph I see on Deviant or Flickr has been taken with a Canon. Even the news and sports guys use them. Canon photos seem so much vibrant and well exposed compared to mine which seem to be washed out in bright sunlight or underexposed in darker situations or cloud even with using an f1.8 lens. I guess not so much a question but your thoughts would be appreciated.

I use a Canon EOS 550D with an 18-55mm lens and just invested in a 55-250mm one as well (expensive hobby).

With a lot of the shots i take, i take multiple shots of everything in different settings and then if needed a touch up with Photoshop, although i like try and keep my shots as natural as possibe. Just a case of trial and error for me. I went to Swithland Wood earlier, just got back and i took 459 photos. I'll probably only use a handful or two of those. I get the same problems as you and dare say all photographers do. I just mess about with the settings until i get a look i like. I don't know if anything i have said helps, but i guess to sum up, just keep playing with the camera and experiment as much as you can. I always use Manual setting now . When i first started out i used all the easy settings that does it all for you.

I'm going to be shooting fireworks in low light on Friday, that should be a test for me, never done anything like that before and am already convinced they'll come out a blurred mess. haha

I guess a 100 ISO and "Bulb" setting shutter speed, and around F11 to F18, plus a tripod will be the way to go, but we'll see.

Got my Flickr and Deviantart links below. (please ignore the photo of me on there, it's for ID purposes, and ironically it's blurry)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/48407529@N04/

http://leadingman.deviantart.com/

[Smudge]

I use a Canon EOS 550D with an 18-55mm lens and just invested in a 55-250mm one as well (expensive hobby).

With a lot of the shots i take, i take multiple shots of everything in different settings and then if needed a touch up with Photoshop, although i like try and keep my shots as natural as possibe. Just a case of trial and error for me. I went to Swithland Wood earlier, just got back and i took 459 photos. I'll probably only use a handful or two of those. I get the same problems as you and dare say all photographers do. I just mess about with the settings until i get a look i like. I don't know if anything i have said helps, but i guess to sum up, just keep playing with the camera and experiment as much as you can. I always use Manual setting now . When i first started out i used all the easy settings that does it all for you.

I'm going to be shooting fireworks in low light on Friday, that should be a test for me, never done anything like that before and am already convinced they'll come out a blurred mess. haha

I guess a 100 ISO and "Bulb" setting shutter speed, and around F11 to F18, plus a tripod will be the way to go, but we'll see.

Got my Flickr and Deviantart links below. (please ignore the photo of me on there, it's for ID purposes, and ironically it's blurry)

http://www.flickr.co...s/48407529@N04/

http://leadingman.deviantart.com/

I guess I come from the tight arsed school of photography when a roll of film and developing was quite expensive for an amateur, so shooting off 450 shots for a handful wasn't an option; I guess I'll must do that now with digital, Having spent all that money on technology, I didn't think I'd would need to revert to what I had learned with film. It's amazing that Henri Cartier Bresson framed every shot in the camera and never spent any time in the dark room.

Before I give up on my Nikon I should give it another go and revert to the basics. The temperatures have dropped around here so the light is getting better, I'll try again.

I used to live near Lichfield and joined the local photographic club, we went out one night and did a lot of long exposure stuff. I remember we used high speed Ilford Ektachrome. The base ISO was 400 but you could double it up to 800 or 1600 with resultant graininess, so 100 sounds really low. Using bulb we definitely needed a cable shutter release so I'd recommend a remote control if you have one. I haven't done it since but it was a lot of fun. Dark streets with houses in and around the Cathedral that have limited lighting, really came out well.

Edited 2 November 2011 by Smudge

[Smudge]

Some good tips here, especially scoping out the location in advance. Edited 2 November 2011 by Smudge

[Bucks fox]

Mikey you need a corded remote control like the Canon code is TC-80N3 to do really good firework photographer as you wont get any shake on bulb mode and getting the exposure time just right is very much trial and error

The Canon remote costs £107, but get a generic one from 7dayshop as it is only £14.99 delivered and does exactly the same and works!! The only problem is you wont get it in time for Saturday.

P.S. The unknown contact invite you have on Flickr is from me ;-)

I shoot fireworks at 100 ISO as my 7D aint half grainy above 400 and they come out fine

Edited 2 November 2011 by Bucks fox

[MikeyT]

Mikey you need a corded remote control like the Canon code is TC-80N3 to do really good firework photographer as you wont get any shake on bulb mode and getting the exposure time just right is very much trial and error

The Canon remote costs £107, but get a generic one from 7dayshop as it is only £14.99 delivered and does exactly the same and works!! The only problem is you wont get it in time for Saturday.

P.S. The unknown contact invite you have on Flickr is from me ;-)

I shoot fireworks at 100 ISO as my 7D aint half grainy above 400 and they come out fine

Yeah i know mate. Am skint at the moment though now, so will have to wait a bit, plus have car tax to pay for this month as well. Silly bills!!! Oooh and i cannot see a contact invite from you. Try sending again.

[MikeyT]

Some more Autumnal shots. This time from Swithland Woods. Plus one from Cropston Reservoir on the way back. Taken on Wednesday.

[urban.spaceman]

This is my first post on this thread, loving some great photos on here. Thought I'd add some of mine from my various travels... These are mostly from Africa (about a couple of years ago I quit my job, flew to Botswana, bought a car and explored)

Namib Desert (Oldest desert in the world), Namibia

Swakopmund, Namibia

Me dad trying to take a better photo! Dressed like a typical Englishman on holiday

The Milky Way

Klipspringer, Pilanesburg NP, South Africa

Leopard Turtle, Mokolodi Nature Reserve, Botswana

Splashing Elephant, Etosha NP, Namibia

Lion trying to mind its own business, Khutse, Kalahari Desert, Botswana

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe side

Meditation On The Edge

I definitely need to get back on the road with my camera.

Edited 4 November 2011 by urban.spaceman

[MikeyT]

This is my first post on this thread, loving some great photos on here. Thought I'd add some of mine from my various travels... These are mostly from Africa (about a couple of years ago I quit my job, flew to Botswana, bought a car and explored)

I definitely need to get back on the road with my camera.

Fantastic images there mate. Very envious indeed. Nice work!

[lcfcadam]

Some beautiful shots there spaceman, though a touch of resizing would be much appreciated in the future !

[MikeyT]

Some beautiful shots there spaceman, though a touch of resizing would be much appreciated in the future !

Took some Firework shots tonight. My first time shooting them. Really pleased with the outcome. Will post them tomorrow when I wake.

[urban.spaceman]

Some beautiful shots there spaceman, though a touch of resizing would be much appreciated in the future !

Is there a way to do it in the coding? I tried a couple of ways but i lost patience with the error messages!

Oh, here's another one I took in the US this year (I was working as a conservation volunteer in Arizona)

Monument Valley, Utah

Dang it i done it again

[lcfcadam]

Is there a way to do it in the coding? I tried a couple of ways but i lost patience with the error messages!

Oh, here's another one I took in the US this year (I was working as a conservation volunteer in Arizona)

Monument Valley, Utah

Dang it i done it again

I'm prepared to be corrected but I think you'd have to create resized versions on your PC before you uploaded them...

[MikeyT]

Ok, i can't be bothered to spend ages uploading the firework photos from last night, so here's a link to my 500px photography page, You can see them there.

http://500px.com/michaeljtopley

Edited 5 November 2011 by MikeyT

[Rincewind]

Some of the pictures in this thread seem too big for the page. Or my PC to handle. taking a little while to load and resize.

Just been trying to put together a few pictures for a slide show. I do not have Office/Powerpoint on my PC so having to use open office. Surprised how easy it is after learning how to do it.

Some of those pictures are fantastic. You have a great talent, too good to be displayed on a General Chat football Forum.

[nuttytimmy]

Great shots Spaceman.

Mikey, I love the 'red' portrait one - it's Lancaster's fireworks spectacular tonight, going to try and grab some good ones from the top of a hill here that overlooks the city. No idea how it'll work out - I guess ISO 100, f/10-16 or something

[MikeyT]

Great shots Spaceman.

Mikey, I love the 'red' portrait one - it's Lancaster's fireworks spectacular tonight, going to try and grab some good ones from the top of a hill here that overlooks the city. No idea how it'll work out - I guess ISO 100, f/10-16 or something

Yep i used bulb shutter speed, ISO 100, F/13, Shutter release cable and a tripod.

[nuttytimmy]

Yep i used bulb shutter speed, ISO 100, F/13, Shutter release cable and a tripod.

Heh, I guessed well! I'll have a go tonight then and post the results tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

My only worry is the street lights overpowering the fireworks

[Rincewind]

Mikey, I have just added a link in my blog to your photos. Also rearranged it so all links are under the title. Looks better. Its in the We Are One blog.. Willy add it to the other one as well.

[MikeyT]

Mikey, I have just added a link in my blog to your photos. Also rearranged it so all links are under the title. Looks better. Its in the We Are One blog.. Willy add it to the other one as well.

Thanks very much! Appreciate that. *gives a manly handshake"

[MikeyT]

Taken tonight at the Thurmaston Roundabout.

[Haydos]

Taken tonight at the Thurmaston Roundabout.

You even manage to get good photos of a roundabout. A roundabout.

Fair play.

[Tom17LCFC]

Taken tonight at the Thurmaston Roundabout.

I've always loved pictures with those light effects. Something about the last one that I really like as well!

[Phube]

Taken tonight at the Thurmaston Roundabout.

Are you in a cherry picker or summat??

[Rincewind]

The last one has a sort of Sci-Fi look to it. Your eyes are drawn along a passage of light into a black hole. You could be travelling at light speed to the past. The lights give off a star effect. They are all good though.

[MikeyT]

You even manage to get good photos of a roundabout. A roundabout.

Fair play.

Haha this made me laugh. Cheers mate!

I've always loved pictures with those light effects. Something about the last one that I really like as well!

Thank you very much!

Are you in a cherry picker or summat??

Haha, there's a walkway from one side of the dual carriageway to the other.

The last one has a sort of Sci-Fi look to it. Your eyes are drawn along a passage of light into a black hole. You could be travelling at light speed to the past. The lights give off a star effect. They are all good though.

Cheers. Thanks very much