Posts
31
Joined
8/16/2009
Location
North Hollywood, CA
US
Edited Date/Time
3/30/2016 1:42pm
I want to start a photography discussion for seasoned photographers and aspiring photographers alike.
Have a photography question you need answered? Ask away!
Want comments and critiques on you work? Post it up, But lets only post 1 photo at a time boys and girls.
Want to rant about how much you hate it when your pocket wizards just quit? let us have it!
There are some amazing photographers on vital like Sven, Spomer and JB. Maybe we can drag them into this conversation
Anything photography goes!
Have a photography question you need answered? Ask away!
Want comments and critiques on you work? Post it up, But lets only post 1 photo at a time boys and girls.
Want to rant about how much you hate it when your pocket wizards just quit? let us have it!
There are some amazing photographers on vital like Sven, Spomer and JB. Maybe we can drag them into this conversation
Anything photography goes!
my first piece of advice...when you start, don't worry about how cool/hip/expensive your equipment is...just go shoot with what you have and can afford. any gear can make great photos because not matter what, it takes practice and experience.
So which is best Nikon or Canon?
Think it's a matter of personal choice.
I've started with Canon for no special reason. Maybe cause all good photographers in Brasil (where I live) used one.
But I do think that Canon brings inovation before the others (DSLR with Full HD Digital camera for example).
And now I'm aiming a Canon 7D. That will give me the focus per area, feature that would be more than useful based on my style.
By the way you can check some of my photos (I use a Canon XSi) in this race report at DHBrasil.com.br
Get your camera high or low. step back from the action and show the surroundings or get really tight.
I think the most memorable race shot I've seen belongs to Sven of Brendon scrubbing, but he shot it from above and thats one of the keys that makes that shot for me.
http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/5690241/
All but one of my photographer friends shoot with Canon. And that'd be Josh/coralcorn. Why would I buy a Nikon when I have potential (some minor convincing may be required, hahaha) access to tons of Canon glass and Canon gear? Doesn't make any sense. But the day I buy a DSLR will probably be the day the earth freezes over.
Out of curiosity, do any of you still shoot film? I know Jason does.
will you be riding with mates and whip out a camera?
will you be setting shots up?
are they for your own/mates enjoyment?
do you aim to sell images?
remember a DSLR is big, clumsy and you need to faf with lenses a lot of the time. what happens when people buy these is they use them for a while but eventually give up on them as they are too much hassle. so get an S95 instead. or just use your iPhone camera ...
but if you've made all those decisions and are set on a dslr - remember that all the greatest gear in the world is no replacement for hard work, practice, research and pure dumb luck.
also, remember you'll need to edit images/video so you'll need good computer & software and a calibrated monitor to get the best out of your images.
anything else just shout
g
new vs used:
i have never purchased a brand new lens and out of the 6 camera bodies i've owned, the only new body i purchased was a 7d last winter. everything else was used. i purchase equipment that i can afford at the time and that will get my ideas created. i use ebay or keh.com usually.
70-200 f4
for my entire photo career, my telephoto zoom lens has been a used a canon 70-200 f4L lens...aka the small one. i got it for $470. it was all i could afford when i started building my quiver and i've never needed or wanted to upgrade to the 2.8. why? because it's light, small, fast and does what i need it to do.
i don't really make my living off of photography anymore, but i was able to stay afloat with this lens (and others), even though it wasn't the biggest/most expensive. does that mean you shouldn't get a 2.8? not necessarily, but you don't HAVE to have the most expensive gear to get the job done. do you research, decide what kind of lens you need (wide/long/zoom) and buy what you can afford to get your photography off the ground.
like gary said, practice and experience pay off. take your time and enjoy the ride. and like JP said, take time to look for a unique perspective. often times the most memorable photographs are the simplest and cleanest shots.
@ianjenn
i do all my own processing work using canon's raw converter and photoshop CS (just plain old CS). i have my workflow down and don't need to get any more complicated, so it still works for me. i think sven and gary use photomechanic to help archive/batch their huge amounts of photos, then use photoshop for tuning of colors/contrast on their selections. they can answer specifically though.
(stoked on this thread!)
So action stuff just the 1D's or the wifes 40D no film. I really need to start learning Maya. Just looking at Taylor James work saddens me.
http://www.taylorjames.com/
in 2002-2003 when i shot film, i ended up getting a job at a photolab just so i wouldn't have to pay for processing and could learn how that all worked. the pay sucked, but it was so worth it when slides came back and i didn't have pay for scans : ) i would have spent thousands of dollars on scans alone, LOL.
http://store.uniquephoto.com/e/index.php/nikon-super-coolscan-9000-ed-9…
JP- Nice post. I will be visiting here frequently.
I do love my Canon and that is what I grew up with. Use what you know. I hope that all made sense.
Cheers
You learn to use what you have. Don't let the guy next to you with a super nice body and nice lens intimidate you. My first camera I owned was a Rebel XTI ( I have only own two camer's). I loved that camera. They are shots in my portfolio that are taken with the Rebel XTI. I use to sit in my room and play with my camera for hours to see what every function did. I am not good with reading manuals and learning the technological side of things. I like to just sit down and play.
Since I am a broke college kid I took a LONG...... extended loan from my family and bout two nice lens (70-200 2.8 and 17-40 f4). If you can't afford that then go one step lower. There is nothing wrong with that. The 70-200 F4 is a great lens. Work with in your means. You can still produce great images with lower camera's. Camera technology is advancing so fast that the basic DSLR is a good camera.
(I have slowly upgraded in the past year 4 years. I still use my 70-200 2.8 and 17-40 F4 and I have up graded to a 5D mark II. Instead of saving for nice things I use all my money to travel.)
Its not the camera its you. You are the one who frames it up, sets your setting and pulls the trigger to capture the image. Experiment with your friends and family. Try anything and everything. Lay on the ground, get on a ladder, strap your camera to a poll and stick it in the air just think out of the box. And what the guys have said is very true.
Get what the majority of your "photo network" is shooting with. If most people at events you shoot at are on Canon then go Canon. If you break something, or need to borrow something it makes life easier.
Spomer had some great tip's up top!
I'd add these:
I shoot a ton (not spray and pray, but I always have a camera with me.)
When I shoot crap I don't worry about it. I move around and fiddle until I start liking what I'm getting.
The wider my frame the more I pay close attention to my background.
Sometimes I'll put the camera down, walk around and observe what's going on. This is when you might see something different.
When at an event I stay away from the "popular photo areas." If I see a ton of photogs at one spot I usually run the other way.
Programs...
Lightroom for Catalog and most processing
Photoshop for work that requires layers
Premiere Pro and After Effects for Video editing
I'll eventually end up acquiring a medium format camera. I've got my eyes peeled for a Mamiya C330. If you were at AT's Showdown, chances are you saw me with one asking for meter readings
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