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Photography

Hunner

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,334
Location
Arkansas
I don't think we have a thread on this yet. I thought it would be fun to share what cameras and lenses we use as well as post processing software.

Maybe start another one on video. I know I need help on this new digital software stuff. I did video productions for years but it was all analog big stuff.

I pulled this over here when it came up on our Attica Badlands thread and thought it would be fun to share maybe the best shots you have of your vehicle that stand out and/or even just posts on interesting photographs you have made or places you have gone not specifically Hummer shots but of course we all like those too! I know we have plenty of threads with pictures I was thinking more on HOW you took them and any ideas that work.

Here goes, of course it's all subject to opinon and there are other good choices.
When I retired I had worked up to a Nikon F4 35mm film camera and it was hard to convince me this new digital stuff would work! haha That was in 98. I spent "years" in darkrooms, uh photo labs. I tried the D70 when it came out, but it was not there yet. Then I had a D200 but mine seemed to lack contrast I wanted but it was good and I was able to post process if necessary. I still carry that for a spare, Hunner theory. I tried a D300 and it seems to have what I want and plenty of options. I of course can still use any of my 40 years of Nikon lenses, but these new ones for DX with VR and decent auto focus are really nice.
I have always carried lots of equipment so to me it's just part of the process. I used to shoot larger format 6x7 and 645 so these DX cameras are sporty to me.
When I started favoring the digital format more and more I saw the light and they really ramped up the technology.
I played with a 10.5 and it was fun but hard to get good horizon level shots that did not have the fisheye effect.
Replaced that with a 12-24 that is not distorted unless you force it to up close.
My 17-55 2.8 is my studio lens but I found that a 16-85 with VR is a sweet overlooked lens. I use that for most offroad work of vehicles and it stays on the camera. Easier to carry also.
I pack a 80-400 VR for reaching out there but it takes some practice because it is a bit slow to focus. I got that before they brought out the 70-200 which is really fast focus and good color saturation. I set up different profiles in camera for each lens as I found that they all have their differences. That is a neat feature of digital. I have built up a selection of the higher quality lenses as I still supplement my income with photography. Nikon used to only have high end stuff but I can see now they are shooting for consumer price point and have a line of lenses that have plastic mounts and a bit less quality glass. My stuff gets used a lot in all kinds of conditions and I'm a lens "hore" so I need tough stuff to change around and survive the elements and me.
Looking for the next place to go....................
Like I said, we might should start a photo thread and share camera info. Might just copy this to that.
The 80-400 also makes a good telescope on those night runs to places that are really dark.
DAH_21205xs.jpg

Wide angles are good for lots of depth of field for scenery.
DAHs_1746.jpg

DAH_1698-1.jpg

OK I gotta stick in my most treasured H3 shot, that has been around awhile. I shot this while a friend drove my H3. Long lens zooming to keep it framed as he approached and without having to roll focus with auto-focus now accurate. This shows how long lenses, meaning in mm magnification, compress the foreground and background giving to some, what appears to have movement in a frame.
DAH_8977.jpg
 
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M22KLARS

Unsafe At Any Speed
Messages
2,315
Location
Minnesota
My primary Camera is a Canon T2i - Nothin' fancy. Does the job for what I need.

The wife has a Canon 7D and a 5D MarkII that she uses for her Photography business.

Lenses: Way too many to even get into. Personally my favorite to use is the EF-S. I believe it's a 10mm - 22mm. 3.5 - 4.5


For processing we use Adobe Lightroom. We should read, she. It's confuses the **** out of me but I still play around with it from time to time. I generally use photoshop or Picnik.
 

Big2dabank

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,216
Location
Central Florida
I bought a Nikon D5000 a couple of years ago for my wife and I have to say, she has been very happy with it, I hardly ever get to use it. The Nikon is so easy to use and we always get great pictures of the kids. Neither one of us are by any means professional, I would love to take a professional photography class one day to better understand how to get the maximum benefit our of this camera.

As far as post processing, my wife uses Aperture on a mac at home and she has been very happy with it.
 

CNY750Rider

Well-Known Member
Messages
98
Location
Syracuse, NY
I only have a Olympus SP-800UZ 30X. It does what we need but I do need a tripod for any zoom shots. I just like to play around. Also, I use photoshop.
 

cgalpha08

"Like Nothing Else"
Messages
3,584
Location
Indianapolis, IN
I have a canon powershot digital elph.....im not a professional phtographer, i just like quick snapshots of wherevere im at. It has 14 mp, so it does the job haha
 

alrock

El Diablo
Staff member
Messages
10,442
Location
Scottsdale
I started off in photography with my father's two Pentax 35mm cameras that he bought in 1969. Heck, these were so old they didn't even have hot shoes for a flash! I had a clip on light meter attached where the hot shoe would be and then it was 100% manual control from aperture to shutter speed to focus. No batteries in those cameras.

I did some projects in high school with those cameras and learned about good shooting, developing, etc. but never developed it into a serious hobby or the profession like my father. I do enjoy it but at the same time never got a dslr. I do have a good point and shoot, a Canon G10 which is the so called step down camera for professionals when they don't want to carry the dslr. It has the manual controls but admittedly I rarely use them.

I use Photoshop Express for my editing. Sometimes I dabble in the bigger tools though usually it is just a quick contrast adjustment to make the photos "pop" a bit.

I have spent some time playing around with fun shots. This is one of my favorites - it was taken from my hotel room in Waikiki.
531806026_cCcJv-L.jpg


Navajo Bridge, AZ
939359571_62K6L-L.jpg


Slot canyons near Escalante, UT
939372463_5Ypas-L.jpg


Frozen plant, Alaska
531615173_DsYCf-L.jpg


Kinei Peninsula, Alaska
531606604_Q4ZeX-L.jpg
 

CNY750Rider

Well-Known Member
Messages
98
Location
Syracuse, NY
I took a advanced photoshop class once and have some masking tips I could post. They work wonders. I just recorded the macro and run it on all my photos by default now (the ones I edit anyways lol)
 

DJinCO

Well-Known Member
I started with a Pentax Spotmatic F in the early 70's. (Screw lenses...) Worked for a studio doing all of the B&W processing and printing and the "gofer." Joined the Navy in 1977. I lusted after Canon F1 for years. I finally bought one in 1979... I think it was about $600. Pretty steep when my disposable income was about $150 per month. Purchased a lot of "L" lenses. When Canon shifted to EOS, I abandoned Canon as fast as they abandoned me. Shifted over to Nikon. 8008, 8008s, F100 and finally F5 as my retirement gift to me when I retired from the Navy in November 2000. Off and on shooting weddings and seniors. Bought a Bronica ETRS w/wide, normal, portrait lenses; flashes, Quantum batteries, etc...

Started with the Nikon digital with a 1 or 2mp P&S that was about $1200. Then bought a D100. Sold all of my darkroom equipment (Bessler 23CII) and all of the film cameras. Except the F5. Still have that. I keep it around just in case I need a wheel chock!

I purchased a D2X and it was a lemon, so I returned it. I really liked the feel of the D2X.

I finally upgraded to a D300s and really like the performance. The best part is all of my really fine Nikon glass works great with the D300s. (My motto, F2.8 or faster!)
 

f5moab

Mr. Beretta
Messages
1,986
Location
Hiding in a potato patch in Idaho
I started with a Yasica Electro 35 back in my army days.
Progressed to a Nikon F2as, then to a F4, then to a F5 and onto the current D200 and D300. Most of my money is actually wrapped up in pro lenses (All F2.8 or faster).
And yes, I have taken some waterfall shots. These are all from the F5 (although a few could be from a F100 I had for a year or two). All on Fuji Velvia film...

Little river off the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, and yes, that is snow and yes, the water was f-ing cold
GSMNPStreamwithSnow-1.jpg


RoaringForkStream_Snow.jpg

Highest water fall east of the MS river
White water falls, NC
WhitewaterFalls-SpringFull.jpg

And a fall shot too
WhitewaterFalls-FallFull.jpg


Looking glass falls
NCLOOKINGGLASSFALLS.jpg


Dry falls
DryFallFull.jpg


What happens when you use a long exposure with Velvia; the reciprocity goes haywire
NCOCONALUFTEERIVER-4000-DPI.jpg


In the spring
OconalufteeRiverSpring2001.jpg


There is a breed of white squirrels (not albinos but actual breed) and this one posed just for this photo.
WhiteSquirrelFull.jpg


And a fall shot from white face mountain...
NCMountainFull.jpg


And in downtown Watkins Glen, there is a river gorge...
NYWATKINSGLENUPPERFALLS.jpg


Blackwater falls W. Virginia
BlacwaterFalls-WithSkyFull.jpg


Ashley Judd's horse
HorseInternetNoName.jpg



Back in the days of the F4
The old seven mile bridge
sevenmilebridge.jpg


And I believe my F2as....From Pike's Peak
PikesPeakNoName.jpg
 

f5moab

Mr. Beretta
Messages
1,986
Location
Hiding in a potato patch in Idaho
And I spent some time in Monument valley with an Indian guide
All F5 shots with either Fuji Velvia or Provia...
The crotch shot (Ear of the Wind arch)
MVEAROFTHEWINDARCHWEB.jpg


Moccasin Arch
AOLMVMoccasinArch-1.jpg


Hogan arch
AOLMVHoganArch.jpg


Somewhere in Monument Valley
AOLMVLandscape8X.jpg


MVReflectionsX.jpg



And of course the most photographed of Monument valley...the Mittens. Heck there were at least a dozen people standing there with tripods...
mittens.jpg
 

05Mudiak

Well-Known Member
Messages
731
Location
Lake Charles, LA
I bought my wife a Canon T2i for X-mas last year I would like to get her a lens or 2 this year but have no idea where to even start. I know close to nothing on lenses. I know a friend of her gave her 2 different ones but they don't fit she needs some adapters form them or something.

Any tips, advice of what I should get. If if anyone has any sell or donate:thumbs: a lens that will work on her camera. maybe wide angle or one with a bigger zoom capability. IDK :cheers:
 

Hunner

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,334
Location
Arkansas
Yeah this is some good stuff. I'm glad you guys are posting up. Nice to see some interest in this.
I have a little report from Attica Indiana when I went to the badlands. Some of you know there is only 1 hotel other than the state park south of town somewhere but I wanted to try the Historic Attica Hotel.
Nobody at the desk, hmmm to the left is a great looking old bar. Great, I can have a cold one. There are three people in there and on top of a fridge is a tube type tv and they are watching a colorized Wizard of Oz, part of the color was the old tube going! I quietly sit at the bar, bar keep points to the BudLight tap and I nod. He pulls a cold glass out still eyes towards the tv, pulls a beer smiles and goes back to watching. I fell like I may be back in time and start getting into the movie. Dorthy makes it home, again, I was just in Kansas!
I tell the bartender who is the owner I need a room. He says got one left but it is a "sleeping" room. Ok, that is what I plan to do. Bathroom down the hall.
Quaint little place.
He says there is a key in the basket on the desk, just help myself to room 9. He says there are two keys on there, one for the room and one for the front door if I'm a hoot owl. I go up the grand staircase and check it out knowing I have to stay here now. It is really quite in here except for three wobbly ceiling fans. I swear when I get up there they have this place looking orginal. I get the feeling there has to be the presence of the past around me. A little creepy but very interesting. What does ole Hunner do, well hell shoot pictures. I crank up the ISO so as not to disturb the spirits with a bright flash and capture some of this.
To add to the ambiance my room was behind the neon Hotel sign. One side was off but it added a charmglow to my room!
These were all shot on auto color balance which adds to the haunting aura. I did not correct any of them.
DAH_3015.jpg

DAH_3017.jpg

DAH_3020.jpg

DAH_3018.jpg

This is great, all this period stuff and a microwave!
DAH_3019.jpg

Did you see that! hooo haaaa ghostbusters, the end of the hall was where the bathroom was.
DAH_3023.jpg
 
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Hunner

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,334
Location
Arkansas
What upload service is everybody using? I tried Nikon's and it was a bit stuffy, Photobucket was good at first but unless I am having computer problems it has become buggy. It rotates my verticles to horizontal, I edit them in PB and have to go back and forth refresh to see them. Then when I upload those they take a refresh again and sometimes do not rotate??
I think the Pro 5 version of ACDSEE I just upgraded to gives me some storage, I will check into that.
The bulk loader used to work but now starts uploading thumbnails before I can drill down to the folder I want. Just weird. I may check out Smugmug or Picasso.
Maybe the Bucket is messing with me because I have not gone to the paid version. I was afraid at this point somehow if I did I could lose some images in the transition. I know it should not but that does not mean much lately.
They say the ads or video to do not interfere with your uploads but many times I see it hang my up load until the ads fully download to the screen.
I only have 1470 images on there, most all of that Hummer shots.
Well I tried again, they are now correct on PB and I replaced them on here but they still are not verticle. hmmmm
ahhh only 11 hours are so and I see now they have rotated. Probably shorter than that but maybe it's this server we are on that has to figure out the change. Technology:huh:
 
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kmug

Well-Known Member
Messages
116
Location
Lake Stevens, WA
I use Picasa, but only because I'm hopelessly caught in Google's grip. I like the fact that it's an actual program on my computer where I can do small touch ups, and then it just automagically synchs. It also makes it easier for me that everything is in one place.
 

Hunner

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,334
Location
Arkansas
I have heard about it for a long time, I will check it out. I can do all kinds of magic in my photo program I just want smoother uploads and searching.
 

M22KLARS

Unsafe At Any Speed
Messages
2,315
Location
Minnesota
I've been using photobucket for a long time and I never have any problems. Love it! I've finally started creating albums so I don't have to search through 60 pages of pics to find HUMMER shots.
 

alrock

El Diablo
Staff member
Messages
10,442
Location
Scottsdale
As for photo tools, I do use Picasa to organize on my PC and use Smugmug for hosting my pics online. Unfortunately Smugmug isn't free but you get good features for the fee, including pretty good speed, ability to control downloads (remove the right, limit sizes, etc) and even set up a store. I don't use many of the features but I'm pretty much locked in now! Smugmug does have mobile applications making it easy to upload to my various online albums.
 

LagunaH1

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,703
Location
Lake Forest, CA
Great thread!

I started out in photography when I still lived in Denmark, before the iron curtain came down. Back then, a lot of East German, Polish and other eastern products were sold in Denmark because it was all very cheap.

My first SLR was a Practica B100. The lens was a 50mm F1.8 with glass from the east german descendant company of Carl Zeiss. The glass was *excellent* but the build quality of the lens was iffy. I then got an Olympus OM707, my first auto focus SLR. -Then followed a Nikon F80, then a D200 and finally my current camera which is a Nikon D300s.

I love the picture quality of the D300s. However, since I'm such a gear head I have it equipped with big heavy lenses and big heavy accessories. The end result is that my setup is *very* capable but the size and weight is prohibitive.

98% of the time I use my favorite 18-200mm stabilized lens with the D300s. It's good enough for outdoors photos (F3.5 - 4.5) and is very versatile. I also have a 60mm Macro lens (Nikon calls their macro lens "Micro" oddly enough) and an 80-400 mm zoom lens as well as a 50mm F1.8.

I don't do a lot of processing of my photos outside the camera. I use iPhoto for the little corrections I do and so far haven't really felt like I needed more.

I try and keep things simple when I shoot: Laws of 3's, get some cool disappearing lines if possible and just in general try and think about what I want to show with the photo.
 
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Flash

Well-Known Member
Messages
195
Location
Michigan
eyeing-you-_web_.jpgSubmission_3[1].jpgSubmission_5[1].jpg8880 edited.jpgDSC_8911.jpg Yearbook fotog in High School. All B&W. Dark room for developing and printing. First Nikon body was an N6006 with a 50mm f/1.8. Picked up a couple other Nikkors (28-70 and a 75-300) but have let those go. Currently shooting a D70, SB600 speedlight, 50mm f/1.4, 17-35 f/2.8, 24-85 f/2.8-4, Sigma EX 50-500 as my big lens (equivalent 75-750 on the D70). Been looking at the D700 (w/ battery grip) and a Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 D. Will probably have those in hand before the year is out. My processing software is Photoshop elements 2.0 and PSP (Paint Shop Pro) 8. I have 3 covers published - NCRS (National Corvette Restorers Society), The Buick Bugle (actually a front and back 11x17), and Azimuth (THCI magazine). Family portraits and HS seniors are my "paid" gigs. I have an Epson 2200 archival ink printer, but typically use JD labs for my customer's prints.

Here is a link I use for my Nikon/Nikkor research and reviews. http://www.naturfotograf.com/index2.html
eta: I shoot exclusively JPEG/Large, typically ISO 640, and rarely other than Aperature priority...and...I still use 256 cards :roll:
 
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