Photography - I'm hooked

[Jamie M]

Anyone else get excited about photography?

I've always enjoyed and appreciated it - but only in the last couple of months have I really started to love it.

It feels like when I first started to get into property investing - I couldn't absorb enough information fast enough. That's how I feel about photography at the moment - I love watching youtube tutorials, reading books, learning from others and experimenting with my new DSLR. I can tell it's going to be an expensive hobby!

On that note, can anyone recommend some good photography forums?

Cheers

Jamie

 

[Kinnon Bell]

I was/am a mad keen photographer. Used to do it professionally but that took the fun out of it. Now I just do it purely for fun.

IMO http://photography-on-the.net/forum/ is the best photography forum there is. If you don't shoot Canon it's ok, they don't treat you too much like a leper It's a great learning tool and if you post photos up you get some good constructive criticism. When I was living in NSW often attended the Brisbane meetups and same in Melb.

What kit have you got? Any editing software?

If you ever want to talk aperture, ISO, bokeh, DOF, dust bunnies, chromatic aberration, shutter speed, blowing out highlights, back focus, chimping etc etc you know where to find me!

 

[vaughan]

I studied photography at TAFE and used to teach it at evening college. I recommend looking at a lot of photographs and making a note of the images that you like and wish you could have made (regardless of current ability, or other any limits). Flickr is great for looking at photographs.

Once you have an idea of what you like from the above exercise, buy the gear you need to make those photos. If you like sports or wildlife then you NEED the big, fast telephoto lenses, you simply cannot do sport and wildlife with the kit lens. Similarly, for architecture you need perspective control (aka "shift") lenses. Really, you need the specialised gear.

Buy a small amount of good gear. If you cannot afford it new then buy used.

Then, go out and make photographs. Lots of them.

 

[topcropper]

I enjoy it.

This is one of the better photos I've taken.





Two of my mates upside down under a canoe after a big run down the Barrington river. Mainly luck involved in that shot.

Canon 450 D with zoom lens.


See ya's.

 

[Jamie M]

If you ever want to talk aperture, ISO, bokeh, DOF, dust bunnies, chromatic aberration, shutter speed, blowing out highlights, back focus, chimping etc etc you know where to find me!

Awesome Kesse! I'll take you up on that.

I've got a Nikon D7100 with an 18-140 and a 50 prime. I've been using lightroom for editing and I'm starting to get into HDR stuff - I'm using photomatrix for that.

Now I've got another forum to become addicted too

Cheers

Jamie

 

[Jamie M]

Then, go out and make photographs. Lots of them.

Thanks Vaughan Great feedback.

At the moment I enjoy taking candid family stuff and travel pics/street photography. Realistically my 50mm prime can cover most of the stuff I enjoy - but I have no doubt that in a years time I'll have a bag full of lenses/gear.

Cheers

Jamie

 

[Peter_Tersteeg]

Now you know how I feel about diving...

 

[Blacky]

Now you know how I feel about Freediving...

There - I fixed it for you(me)

 

[ZachAnSel]

Infrared Photography (false color) fanatic here!!!
http://www.redbubble.com/people/anwarsalim/portfolio/recent
But not active for a while..

 

[dex]

This is something I've also started to enjoy combined with diving. The Go Pro is great for video but not so good with photography, especially macro. I got a Canon s120 and underwater housing last week so I'm looking forward to my dive trip at the end of this month to test it on some shipwrecks. There's a sub reddit called I Took A Picture which is good to scan through and read the critique.

http://www.reddit.com/r/itookapicture

 

[MightyWill]

I use to be a member of photo.net and Fredmiranda. It's been over 5 years since I last visited the sites. I got a lot of advice from both sites. I have a 20D and a 5D mkiii. I mainly take fine art landscapes. Sunrise/sunset beaches and whatever looks spectacular.

Here is a pic from Vivid Sydney just recently. It was hard to get a shoyt as the projection kept moving. It's taken with a 10 sec exposure. It may not show if it's too big to load on site.

 

[jackbak]

I enjoy it.

This is one of the better photos I've taken.

Two of my mates upside down under a canoe after a big run down the Barrington river. Mainly luck involved in that shot.

Canon 450 D with zoom lens.


See ya's.

TC I thought you must be into your photography, some of the photo's on your farm posts are unbelievable. Keep them coming, really enjoy them!

 

[Kinnon Bell]

Awesome Kesse! I'll take you up on that.

I've got a Nikon D7100 with an 18-140 and a 50 prime. I've been using lightroom for editing and I'm starting to get into HDR stuff - I'm using photomatrix for that.

Now I've got another forum to become addicted too

Cheers

Jamie

No worries!

The prime will get you a long way - they don't call it the nifty fifty for nothing. Ditch the 18-140 if you can (from memory it's a kit lens?) and get a decent piece of glass. Like Vaughan said, buy some good gear, it will make the world of difference. When it came to the pro lenses I had no qualms buying second hand. Just need to do some checks to make sure everything is in order and looked after.

Good to see you're already on to lightroom! I preferred it over photoshop for the most part.

You'll have to post up some photos you've taken.

 

[Jamie M]

You'll have to post up some photos you've taken.

Haha - the thought makes me a little nervous! Especially after seeing some of the awesome work from other SS users.

Cheers

Jamie

 

[Kinnon Bell]

Haha - the thought makes me a little nervous! Especially after seeing some of the awesome work from other SS users.

Cheers

Jamie

Psssht. We're all friends here, no need to be nervous

I was looking through some of my old photos to post a couple up, but I couldn't narrow is down to a couple of favourites then found myself wasting too much time reminiscing...

 

[roe]

I am fairly keen with photography, I have reasonable collection of canon professional lens and that is my weakness I don't like the IQ on cheaper lens.

so I always end up getting the L series...plus I also like the build and the weather protection of the L series as I handle my stuff fairly rough.

I shoot in raw, most of my photos I just load up in Lightroom, check for exposure and white balance then export ..quick and take bugger all time..

If you dont mind grey import these guys sell stuff fairly cheap
http://www.dwidigitalcameras.com.au/

I bought all my gears from them without any issue and they express ship from hong kong takes 3 days to get here ...

My recent purchase
http://www.dwidigitalcameras.com.au/astore/Canon-EF-70-200mm-f28L-IS-II-USM-Lenses.aspx

 

[ZachAnSel]

Jamie, I think we should go photo hunt. Then discuss property after that

 

[Peter_Tersteeg]

This is something I've also started to enjoy combined with diving. The Go Pro is great for video but not so good with photography, especially macro. I got a Canon s120 and underwater housing last week so I'm looking forward to my dive trip at the end of this month to test it on some shipwrecks. There's a sub reddit called I Took A Picture which is good to scan through and read the critique.

http://www.reddit.com/r/itookapicture

I agree on the GoPro. Good for video but terrible for anything else.

I imagine that nice housing costs more than the camera? To be honest, I just use a fairly basic point and shoot camera, I'm more into the diving than recording it.

 

[dex]

I paid AU$330 for the s120 and $248 for the Canon housing (WP-DC51). The GoPro Hero 3 Black Edition was AU$377. A mate also has the s120 and uses an Ikelite housing but always has problems with the buttons sticking. The s120 is a compact point and shoot which easily fits in my pocket. It also has a lot of manual controls for white balance and has excellent macro. Shoots great in low light too. A lot of divers use the Canon G1X but it's a bit more bulky, maybe in between a compact and DSLR in size. Check them out next time you're passing a camera store.

I'm also more into the dive than recording it but it's great to have a compact handy to shoot something special when you come across it. These new compact models are getting better and you don't need a DSLR unless you're serious. I have a DSLR (500D) but don't use it much these days because it's an effort to lug around with the bag and glass.

This seahorse was shot with a GoPro.. I can only get about 1 foot from the subject before the fixed lens focus doesn't work.

My GoPro rig looks like this.

 

[Blacky]

I agree on the GoPro. Good for video but terrible for anything else.

I imagine that nice housing costs more than the camera? To be honest, I just use a fairly basic point and shoot camera, I'm more into the diving than recording it.

Im more of the model than the photographer. My mate is right into his underwater shots. Though only freediving (not scuba).

The gopro is used for a bit of fun, but thats about all. Its ok to grab some pics of the situation, and usually works best when you have a couple of people getting footage all at the same time from different angles.

My mates set up is over $10k, The cheapest component is the camera (at about $2-3k I think). But then he produces some pretty amazing shots. I used to have a little point and shoot canon - which was ok to grab some shots. I guess the difference is the same as a phone camera picture 'grabbing the moment' and a professional photographer.

Blacky