About photography Number 3

Post by **Horus** » Mon Jul 19, 2010 8:59 pm

Only just spotted your contributions Kiya

somehow slipped the net

Love all the pictures and the local history

I am with Grandad on this one, it is nice to see peoples local contribution in both pictures and in words, also your pictures are getting better and better, you must be getting in a lot of practice with your new camera

Post by **Grandad** » Mon Jul 19, 2010 10:24 pm

Havn't used the camera for a few days and was about to start painting a garden fence this morning and this little guy was sunning himself.....and he waited for me to get the camera

Other end of the scale from Kiyas big skys and landscapes. My lenses don't have a macro feature but the camera has a 'close up' option on the top dial. I switched to this and let the camera do the rest.

The result is nearly there, still a bit OOF but most definition is visible.

EXIF is 1/500s, F8, ISO200, 55mm (82mm equivalent)

Post by **JOJO** » Mon Jul 19, 2010 10:35 pm

Wow fantastic photo Grandad.I've been pottering around the garden testing the 'Macro' feature and they have come out ok, mind you I have not or dare not alter anything on the camera so they are all on 'Auto' settings.

Post by **Kiya** » Mon Jul 19, 2010 10:36 pm

I'm ashamed to say I don't know enough about the history of my own hometown of Peterhead, there is much to read up on which goes back many a century.
Just today I read of the Buchanness lighthouse at Boddam a village 2mls south of Peterhead, the pic I uploaded a few weeks ago.

1827 The Lighthouse at nearby Boddam was built by Robert Stevenson. Robert Stevenson was the grandfather of Robert Louis Stevenson, better known for writing classics such as Treasure Island , Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and Kidnapped.

I do hope I am improving a little with my pics, "practice makes perfect" a bit to go yet though

Post by **Kiya** » Mon Jul 19, 2010 10:41 pm

Omg Grandad! I enlarged your pic to get a closer look....wish I hadn't only because I don't like creepy crawlies but what a fantastic close up showing so much detail...........btw...what is it?

Post by **Grandad** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 10:00 am

Just a fly to me Kiya but I bet our online entomologist, Horus, will know.

And yes, I agree with Horus that you are having much more success with the new Canon. Start thinking a little more about composure now and have the old rule of thirds in the back of your mind. It is a very reliable maxim for most scenes.

And Jojo, glad to know you are looking in.....you must start playing with some other settings. Try the 'A' aperture setting, set the largest aperture (that is the lowest number, probably 3.5 or 4.5 on your camera) then take a picture of something a few feet away and see how your subject is sharply focussed and things in front and behind are out of focus (OOF).

Good for a portrait to highlight your subject.

Post by **Grandad** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 9:12 pm

LLL aka firespirit, asked me to 'forward a forward' for her. It is a picture story of a battle for survival between a little duck and two bald eagles.
It is not LLL's pictures but she thought it showed a great photo opportunity for the snapper who was there at the time.

It was easier for me to put them on a web album at http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/Raddang/A ... JOawNTF5QE#

Just a bit of photo fun but 'Well done the duck'

PS. LLL, I did a bit of editing of the text to make it easier.

Post by **Kiya** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 9:17 pm

Grandad thanks for uploading for LLL, great pics & well done to the duck

Post by **Kiya** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 10:06 pm

Another beautiful day for photos, took a stroll along to the Birnie Bridge over the River Ugie just a matter of mins away from my home, I remember as a child having to pay 1 old penny to cross the bridge, today its free

I tried the AV mode today with low F No's & auto......I'm trying

Looking at the close ups I've no ides why 1 is ringed? it looks to be a common seagull to me.

Post by **LovelyLadyLux** » Wed Jul 21, 2010 12:32 am

Thanks for re-posting Grandad! I had no idea how to pull that apart and much better presentation on the words too! Not my photos but would have sure been something to witness.

Love the dog photos too Kiya! It is also great fun to take them to the beach.

This is my latest CREEPY CRAWLY. I took it with Nikon D90 in the garden with the 18mm-105mm lens then cut and pasted it down. I was using the Monopod but there is still shake even though I ran it through the Corelle Paint Shop pro 2 program a few times.

album_pic.php?pic_id=9234

I've become fascinated with trying to photograph bugs but find it very hard to track 'em through the lens. This probably would have been better if I'd used the 70-300mm lens but didn't have it one the camera and this bee wasn't waiting for me to change lens. I'm waiting for fall to get the spider on the dewy web photo!!!

Post by **LovelyLadyLux** » Wed Jul 21, 2010 12:35 am

Ok yet agatin i can't seem to ever post a photo on here!

This is second try #2 but will give up

if it doesn't print.

Post by **Grandad** » Wed Jul 21, 2010 4:49 pm

LLL, are you using Google chrome? I am and find that I can upload to the albums OK but I cannot copy from the albums to a post, just like you.

When I want to add pictures to posts I have to come in via IE......

Bit of a nuisance but can't do it any other way, and IE is so much slower than Chrome.

PS. I have just logged in via IE and all the pictures on this page are small white boxes with a red cross?????? Weired

Post by **Grandad** » Wed Jul 21, 2010 6:05 pm

A year or two ago I added some comments to some pictures in the photo comp and was accused by a certain member of being arogant or something of the kind. The comments were things like, 'if you had levelled the horizon it would have improved the picture; or, an increase in contrast would add definition etc, etc' I thought that was what the comments box was for, as well as approving compliments.....

That said, I always welcome constructive comments and criticisms about my own pics because it helps me to view things from anothers viewpoint.

Now the point of this post. Kiya and I have corresponded via PM etc during the period that she was considering the purchase of her new camera. I think we now have a friendly relationship.

We all acknowledge that Kiyas pictures have come on apace since her recent purchase and I would like to make some observations on some of her latest postings. Comments are from one persons point of view and not necessarilly a concensus and are there to be accepted or rejected.

I hope Kiya will accept my comments with the good intent that they are offered.....if that is arogance, just tell me.

1) Kiya, your pictures all show a very true horizon, if that is after correction it means you have recognised the need

If there is no correction then you are holding your camera extremely well

2) The picture of the two kids walking into the water is very pleasing, composition is spot on for me but if you could have changed your angle to exclude the moored boat the image would have been SO much stronger.

3) I like the picture of the two Laser boats on the beach. However, it is very symmetrical with a mass of beach to the left, sea to the right and the boats dead centre. Thinking 'rule of thirds' I copied the picture and re-cropped it to put the boats off centre to left and right. I didn't have much of the frame to play with but in my opinion the one to the left is best and introduces the eye to the sea, the natural place for the boats. Hope you agree......

4) Many of your pictures have an enormous amount of detail and lack a focus. Perhaps if you zoomed in on say one brightly coloured boat and let the rest become background, there would be more focus in the image.

Hope you accept these comments as observations to be accepted or rejected.......just trying to share a little experience.

Post by **LovelyLadyLux** » Wed Jul 21, 2010 9:05 pm

I do not have Goggle Chrome but don't understand 'why' my photos don't come out here. I can upload, download and walk down the road

but am not sure 'why' I can't seem to put photos on here. I have to ask Grandad what is "IE?" (Internet Explorer? And how do you do that?) I'm at a loss to know why I can't seem to get an image to come on here.

And - as for criticisms of photography - personally I don't think anybody is arrogant about anything. I know NOTHING so any observations, critiques, comments are appreciated. Everybody has an opinion and I welcome all comments.

Art is art and I guess everybody is a critic but I see that as the need of the artist to develop a thick skin so all comments can be absorbed, thought about and used as a learning experience so as to help the artist, photographer etc. develop and become better.

Post by **Horus** » Wed Jul 21, 2010 10:18 pm

Grandad, wrote:

Just a fly to me Kiya but I bet our online entomologist, Horus, will know.

Not quite that Grandad, but my young Grandson is well on his way, always looking for bugs in my garden.

What a wonderful close up of the fly, great detail and I am sure that if it were not for the restrictions of uploading to the forum, we would actually see the multi faceted eyes on the little beastie.

The Grey thorax with the four black lines would indicate it being a Common House Fly.

Nice set of pictures taken on the beach Kiya,

improving all the time, I would agree with Grandad's tips about the composition, but it only goes to emphasis what I always say about using your PSP or other programs to get the best results after viewing your photo sessions.

In answer to Kiya’s ringed Gull, Landguard Bird Observatory in the UK have been ringing gull (chicks) on Orford Ness located at (52° 5.000'N 1° 34.000'E) since about 1984.
From 1996 onward the Lesser Black-backed Gulls have also been fitted with a red plastic colour-ring. These rings bear a white three letter code (reading from the foot upwards) which can be easily read in the field with binoculars or a telescope, thus enabling the individual to be identified without having to be caught. Since 1998 the Herring Gulls have also been fitted with similar red colour-rings, so it may be one of these or a similar project.

LLL, why wait for the fall? Get yourself a household plant spray with a mist nozzle and set up the scene yourself.

That way you can set up your camera on a tripod and get all the settings right before taking the actual picture. Try to pick a time with some bright sunlight illuminating the water droplets when you set it up.

I like your bee picture, it just needs the bee to become the focal point, everything else is quite sharp.

Post by **Kiya** » Thu Jul 22, 2010 12:51 pm

Grandad you know as well as myself my head was in a spin for many months deciding which camera to treat myself, if I didn't have you searching,advising I probably would stiil be undecided, thankfully we got there in the end & happy with my purchase.

I don't think your arrogant at all & welcome all the advise/comments you give to such a novice as I.

Sometimes I have to straighten horizons sometimes I'm just lucky, since I've had the Canon I've got my myself in the habit of keeping my elbows close to chest & feet slightly apart to steady myself before taking shot preventing camera shake, often when looking through view finder focus & reposition camera.

I went back to the 2 originals of the 2 pics you mention did a little cropping hopefully they've improved a little.
Also added 1 of the reels taken at harbour.

Keep your advise/comments coming....I need them.

Horus thanks for the info on gulls, my favourite is the ringed 1, I didn't notice the rings till I viewed them on computer, perhaps it is 1 of them.

Post by **Grandad** » Thu Jul 22, 2010 1:53 pm

Kiya thank you for your comments.

In my opinion the two that you have re-cropped are now better pictures. Just remember when composing a shot to look around the subject because there may well be something that you wish you had seen and excluded before pressing the button.

Now that you have cropped most of the moored boat away the focus is on the two kids striding determinedly into the water.

On another similar opportunity try crouching down to change the angle and make the subject more dominant in the frame....

I like the picture of the reels

A good documentary shot that you may find useful in the future for some illustrative purpose.......Keep snapping

Post by **LovelyLadyLux** » Thu Jul 22, 2010 10:05 pm

You know Horus - sometimes the "simple" escapes me!

Yeah - WHY wait for fall when I could do this now?!?!?! Never entered me brain to wet down a spider web. Was thinking on waiting for those crips dewy fall mornings to happen but yeahhhhh I can make a fall morning now!

Kiya - love the cropped shots even more. Like the big wheels too. Really powerful. Way to goooooo!

Post by **Horus** » Sat Jul 24, 2010 12:16 pm

There you go LLL

sometimes Mohammed must go to the mountain

I like the pictures of the 'drums' Kiya

are they for cable laying?
I often think that some of these industrial pictures can look very stunning due to their size and the fact that they are an unusual sight.

Post by **Kiya** » Sat Jul 24, 2010 12:33 pm

Horus, I've no idea if they are laying cables, my son looking at some fishing boats near by thought the cables used to tying up boats....I'm doubtful.
They are sitting at back of harbour I couldn't get round to other side for taking pictures for obvious safety reasons, the fence at front is higher than myself..........the reels/drums are gigantic & do make an impressive pic.