About photography Number 3

[LovelyLadyLux]

Terrific picture Grandad. Your creativity is terrific! And what a neat-o picture!!! Am truly impressed. Still like your "Faces of Change" (which with MY failing memory might not be the exact title of your photograph of faces on coins that was in a L4U photo contest a few months back).....Love the pencils.

Horus - My program is NOT the 'ULTIMATE'! I'm also truly loving all your advice and suggestions and am making a book out of all of it! Terrific info and the guidance is straightforward in a way I can understand. (Are you/were you a teacher in your 'OFF L4U' life? If not you should be!!! ;);)

I'll play with the program some more. Maybe just the limitations. This program was new but an older version and I'll try the clone idea. Gotta run as the day job beckons but am looking forward to your photos (and Horus IF I can find it I have a photo of a slug that will match and beat your snail!!!)

[Kiya]

A mixture of pictures taken recently with my new Canon using the automatic exposure modes, still a lot to get to grips with buttons having multi functions
All taken from villages around my area

[Grandad]

All good pictures Kiya and I can see a distinct difference between these and earlier ones, taken on your old compact.

But you must start twiddling some knobs and pushing some buttons now. Not so much with landscapes but with a picture like the "Happy Hooker" (Great name) If you had switched to 'A' on the dial and chosen a large aperture, the boat would have been in sharp focus as the subject, and the background would have been slightly blurred making the boat really stand out. Don't worry about the shutter speed, the camera will take care of that.

Start selecting other than Auto and refer to the Manual when you feel a need. You will soon learn what all those functions mean and do.

I am in exactly the same boat, no pun intended , on my camera there are 17 dials and knobs plus all the screen options, bit of a nightmare at the moment

[Ashtree0]

As the topic came up I thought I'd share a few Blackpool photo's I took last year when P and I went to see the Illuminations. The structural ones definitely look better in black and white I think.









Anyway, off to Taba Heights in the morning - been off sick since Friday with a virus, I've lost my voice, I feel dreadful and still need to pack. Also need to do a good impression of a healthy person when I get to the airport! The camera will get it's first outing in ages so hopefully some new material for the photo comp!

[Grandad]

Wondered where you were Ashtree, just found your pictures in the album before I came in here. My fav is the donkey picture. Really like the colour, structure, and focus on the donkeys.

Have a great time in Taba and I hope you find some interesting subjects to snap.

[LovelyLadyLux]

I love all the photos. Kiya - absolutely love your first photo of the boat. It is GREAT!

[bigken]

Called at this place the other morning Brimham Rock Nr Harrogate

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brimham_Rocks

Anyone been?, should be good for a outing with the camera, think i'll treat my good lady to a trip out ( need someone to carry my bag)

[Horus]

Hey that place look great for some pictures Ken but I would stay clear of that big balancing rock

[bigken]

Instead of me posting more pictures on here i've been adding some to my flickr account ..... http://www.flickr.com/photos/29778292@N04/ ( will add more )

[LovelyLadyLux]

Need advice please kinda related to taking portraits.....I have a Nikon D40 and it has an automatic flash via a little thingy that pops up when it senses it needs to do this. Never seem to get red eye (which is good) cause there are other beams of light that flash out when I press the button halfway down however this automatic flash isn't really adequate. I've put the camera on "night" setting and it helps but in the evening or in low light I don't seem to take good pictures of people. I have been thinking about buying another flash and most of the new ones I look at seem to be able to swivel so that the light hits somewhere else and bounces around etc.

My question is - is this bounce feature really a good thing? (vs a more trendy thing?) and with this 'bounce' feature are we bouncing off the ceiling? walls? what is best? is this one bounce, 2 bounce, 3 bounce?

Any thoughts or suggestions for a flash? Anything specific to get? Anything specific NOT to get?

[LivinginLuxor]

Yes, a bounce flash is a good thing in my opinion - I had one when I was in England, and by tilting it at say 45 degrees, the light bounced off the ceiling, giving a good exposure and 'spreading' the light around - a much softer light than the harshness of a conventional flash. Now, I hardly ever use flash as I hate the harshness of light and shade it causes, although 'fill-in' flash is useful in daylight at times.

[Grandad]

I agree with Stan here, direct flash tends to be hard, it flattens the image and also throws very heavy shadows.

You would have to pay quite a bit more for a full swivel head flash but that is what you need. A dedicated Nikon is around £250 (cheaper in the US) but there are other cheaper brands that are compatible.

To endorse this opinion, just look at all the press photographers at some event on your TV....all using bounce.

PS. A compromise is a fixed head flash (much cheaper) with a clip on diffuser that will spread the light and reduce its harshness.

[LovelyLadyLux]

Thanks guys! You supported what I was understanding. Am now grappling with "would I use it enough to justify the cost?" (although there are some on Ebay that are pretty cheap and compatible and am leaning towards a real cheapy cause am not sure I'd really use one that much. Ahhhhh decisions, decisions!!). Sure are 'lots' of gadgets!! BUT it IS SO MUCH FUN!!!

[Grandad]

A DAY OUT AT DUNGENESS

Nice day today and Mrs G packed a picnic and we went off to Dungeness on the South Kent Coast. It was her suggestion to give me an opportunity to try out the new Nikon. For those who won’t know, Dungeness is widely known as the site of two nuclear power stations, Dungness’s A and B.



Dungeness is in fact a peninsular comprised solely of shingle beach. It contains far more than the two power stations. Historically it was a very busy fishing area and after the decline of that occupation many boats and fishermens huts were just left to decay. There are two lighthouses, one active and the older one is a visitor attraction.

There are many small simple bungalows on the beach, mostly timber construction and many nicely painted and with pretty flower gardens….even on the shingle. Many are occupied by artists and photographers. Lastly, Dungeness is the end of the line for the Romney, Hythe and Dynchurch light railway but more about that another time..

It is an artists and photographers haven and even I came home with over 100 pictures. The following is a small selection to illustrate the diversity of subject matter in Dungeness.















Worth a visit, you photographers, if you are ever in the district......

[Grandad]

To revisit a subject that was discussed many weeks ago, tripods, I have just bought a cheapie......couldn't justify a Manfrotto for my very occasional use.

I bought a Hama Star 61 like this


The Currys PC World price was £59.99....but....wait for it....at Amazon it was £12.29 delivered, same product, and quite light at 1.7kg and it comes with a very serviceable canvas type zip bag.

I can find potential weaknesses in it but for that price and only occasional use, I don't care if it only lasts a few years

Hama also make a Hama Omega Premium Tripod that I have looked at in Currys (£64.99, Amazon £41.24) and this is very robust although nearly 3kg in weight.

[bigken]

Nice shots GD, looks a top place to go to

Had a little go of the nikon myself this morning while at Lyme Park

[LovelyLadyLux]

WOOOOW!!!!! All these photos are so GREAT!

GD you've got true talent. LOVE your photos! What a delightful place to go. Photographers heaven!

Love your photos too BigK! Wonderful places!

Your tripod looks great! Interestingly I was looking at brochures for where I'm going to head on vacation AND quite a few places(parks, Gardens, zoos etc) have a 'no tripod allowed' policy but "monopods" are apparently ok. The monopod was quite cheap but it should suffice to hold the camera, steady it AND be ok in the different places I want to go to. I think in part the no tripod policies are just cause the places are busy with too many people around to allow for easy photographing. I don't have a tripod (yet) and am hoping to actually find a good but cheap one at a boot sale.......will see! Am getting lots and lots to carry around!

[LivinginLuxor]

I had a tripod like that one - lightweight aluminium legs etc - unfortunately it was not stable in windy conditions and so I ditched it in favour of one that probably weighs about 10kg.

As for no tripod allowed sites - you can use a tripod in any of the temples here if you buy an extra ticket for it! I've done that at Abydos - essential for the wall reliefs, and at Luxor temple at night.

[Grandad]

Totally agree Stan and stability was one of my observations about it. However it is lightweight and the hook at the bottom of the centre ratchet column means that you can hang a bag on it to improve stability in windy conditions. Still good value for money though at £12.29

LLL, I have a manfrotto monopod which is very useful and more convenient to carry around than a tripod. I have a ball and socket on that. And they DO give extra stability with larger cameras. Thanks for your comments, you would like it down there, plenty of interesting subjects.

There was a guy there with a model girl taking pictures and using the old relics as backdrops. That would make good pictures but Mrs G would not pose for me :lol:

Like the fungi pictures BigKen Like you, I am always looking for something a little different

[Horus]

Great pictures guys Glad that you added the potted history to your pictures Grandad, I always think a bit of background information makes it a more interesting thread.

Love the fungii pictures Ken they are great, I always enjoy taking natural life pictures myself and these are very good.

I also have exactly the same tripod as you Grandad which I bought from Aldi on one of their bargain offer days and I only paid £9.99 for it:)
I solve the stability thing by hanging a plastic bottle filled with water on the hook, easy to carry when empty and usually easy to find someplace to fill it up when you need it.