Thread: ***DSLR Thread***

Originally Posted by ValleyFan

I like it. I like that the textures on the ship read so well (the rivits and panel lines). The one thing I would interested in seeing is doing a little color balancing, as there is a lot of orange from the sodium vapor lamp. I think the direction it is going now helps the tone of the photo as it feels a bit like a sepia tone, but it is just a bit orange in my opinion. You could also probably bring the blacks up just a touch (keep the midtones where they are though). Very nice shot!

So, every once in a while, the wife picks up the camera and squeezes one off which makes her say "your camera makes me hate my camera" (which is always good for me as it means she sees the relevance of the camera budget ) Anyway, here is her latest, I included it here because it shows off some of Puck Monkey's fine work:

no see

Originally Posted by ValleyFan

I like it. I like that the textures on the ship read so well (the rivits and panel lines). The one thing I would interested in seeing is doing a little color balancing, as there is a lot of orange from the sodium vapor lamp. I think the direction it is going now helps the tone of the photo as it feels a bit like a sepia tone, but it is just a bit orange in my opinion. You could also probably bring the blacks up just a touch (keep the midtones where they are though). Very nice shot!

So, every once in a while, the wife picks up the camera and squeezes one off which makes her say "your camera makes me hate my camera" (which is always good for me as it means she sees the relevance of the camera budget ) Anyway, here is her latest, I included it here because it shows off some of Puck Monkey's fine work:


--Edited to make picture work--

When I went into Corbis looking for a job, I took my best stuff in my portfolio and they told me exactly what was wrong with each photo. It was the best thing that ever happened to me and it was kind of like what we do here, good honest criticism.

There was one important rule, especially for stage photos but almost for any photo that I learned that day and that is CONNECT. You have CONNECT with the photo and having lines crossing across the photo or someone's face detracts from that CONNECT. Having the subjects looking away from the camera loses that CONNECT.

In this photo, if the child was looking toward the camera there would be a CONNECT that would make this pic about 20 times better.

I swear to God that my photos got way better the moment I sucked it up after being nearly scolded that day and realized what it takes to not only compose a photo but CONNECT with the subject.



CONNECTing with Lil Wayne in a huge concert theater breaks it down to you and Lil Wayne and nothing else matters.



CONNECT invites the viewer into the celebration


This is something that you don't see in photo or art books, but a bell went off when I left Corbis that day and now I get it.

Originally Posted by ValleyFan

I like it. I like that the textures on the ship read so well (the rivits and panel lines). The one thing I would interested in seeing is doing a little color balancing, as there is a lot of orange from the sodium vapor lamp. I think the direction it is going now helps the tone of the photo as it feels a bit like a sepia tone, but it is just a bit orange in my opinion. You could also probably bring the blacks up just a touch (keep the midtones where they are though). Very nice shot!

Is this the orange you are referring to? Like I said, I am new at this...so any advice is GREATLY appreciated. Reading through this thread has been the greatest and I hope to get better with time.

I understand what you're saying, Mike, but I think the whole connecting with your subject thing is necessary in some images and wholly unnecessary in others. Sam's image above shows the wonderful emotion of a moment shared by dad and baby girl, even though no one's looking at the camera.

That said, you do people really well, Mike. And I think that connecting with a human subject is important in the types of photography you're really into. I just think that different situations call for different techniques.

Originally Posted by DRGinLBC

Took this one on Saturday. I'm a beginner...so be gentle.

Something about this image says "this is a brick wall, not a ship" to me. I think that were you to give the image a slight tilt to the left (making the buildings in the distance vertical) that the ship would have a more natural and graceful angle to it that would lend itself to a more nautical feeling.

The oranges are kind of high, so maybe a touch of adjustment to your white balance or color tints might be in order as well.

Originally Posted by FlyBoeingJets

I understand what you're saying, Mike, but I think the whole connecting with your subject thing is necessary in some images and wholly unnecessary in others. Sam's image above shows the wonderful emotion of a moment shared by dad and baby girl, even though no one's looking at the camera.

That said, you do people really well, Mike. And I think that connecting with a human subject is important in the types of photography you're really into. I just think that different situations call for different techniques.

And for another opinion I think you are both right in certain regards. I think that connections are important, but that connection isn't always between subject and camera, but sometimes between subject and something else the viewer can relate to. I think Corbis being a stock house has definite guidelines that they look for when judging how salable an image might be, and the Lil Wayne shot is a perfect example of when this works and works fantastically well (very nice shot)

It might well be an (more) interesting photo if she was looking at camera so you could better read her smile. But, seeing it was my wife's shot, she almost never picks up that camera, and autofocus isn't on the shutter, I'm impressed she hit focus

Saw this on craigslist and thought some of you may find this of interest.

Flickr: Discussing Strobist Meetup Changed to Sunday May 31rst - Long Beach CA in Los Angeles Strobist

Great colors

I agree about the rules of photography not applying to home shots. With family shots, who even cares if it's in focus if there is a memory captured?