How did you get the background white?

Just a very overcast day.. so no clouds out.. the sky was just pure white

Some lightning shots: My first attempt actually.

Taken outside my house.. Next time when i know its coming and have some free time, i will go to a better location.

I always like storm shots, nice nice nice!

Nice strikes, and as you already mentioned in your post, location wasn't great but if you had a better location it looked like a good storm to produce some nice shots!

Thanks all glad you like it

Yup location wasn't the best, but i never planned on taking photos that night.. Just spur of the moment thing..

OK was on the way to gym today and i noticed i accidentally left the camera in the car. So out it came.. pulled over randomly at places on the way.

No tripod so yes i know some images arent level etc..

some images were taken from inside the car lol...

When i get more time i will do it properly.. but anyways some fun images









^ that last one.. wish i had a monopod!! Would have been hectic!! ahh well next time..

Hope you all like it:

Sydney City Photoshoot- Quick 15mins session literally due to rain

1.



2.


3.


4.


5. Yup damn noise



I got more.. but these will do for now


Then on the way home pic

Only took a few.. this one turned out ok. not what i was expecting!! but will try again next time.

I really like that last photo. Would be awesome if you cropped the drain out of the bottom, and you had some sort of subject in the centre or something.

True.. I havnt even edited that pic. Just left it as is, as i wasn't happy with it.

I think i need to be higher as it will give a better perspective.

But i will do a slight edit and post it up

Clone it out, keeps the nice space in the frame and removes the eye-sore.

Yup will do!!

hey SR33

JUST WONDERING, YOU FOUND OUT ALL THESE TECHNIQUES JUST TRIAL AND ERROR OR HAVE YOU ENVESTED IN SOME CLASSES

Hi its all trail and errors and asking others for help!!

I haven't done any classes at all..


Here is an example for you:

Same location..


1st pic: Taken a years ago i think?? cant remember the date.




^ now to me im like man thats a hectic photo i just took!! Quickly realised everything was wrong.. Exposure was wrong.. wrong settings etc etc.. Asked for help!!

Went back a week later and improved heaps


Now back here again a years on

Here is what i gotta show:




So its practice practice practice!! Asking people for help and improve!!




In between those years. .

This is what i have taken:








^ perhaps i will go back to this spot later on in the future and take better shots..




I hope this has helped you or inspired you in some way

cheers

As perhaps a decent lesson, what did you change from picture 1 to picture 2?

ie. Which settings were used first then what did you change to?

Ah yes i should have written about that.. My bad


Things i learnt with the stock kit lens (18-55IS) AFTER taking the 1st picture.

- Turn IS off when its on a tripod.
- Mirror lock up if possible
- Check your tripod levels twice atleast - You can notice its not level at all.
- Purchase a remote shutter cable if possible - To avoid shakes
- Stock kit lens is best at F8. Its the aperture when its most sharp.
- Take off your UV filter at night or any other sorts of filters that you dont need.
- Shoot in RAW MODE!!

Just doing these simple things i improved the next time round. Remember i had no idea back then.. Only a year ago when i got into photography!!

Now in regards to settings.

I went back a week on from that 1st photo.

Corrected all those things i did wrong and shot it at f8 and had the according shutter speed set by the camera. I improved heaps!! Was quite impressed!!


Now a year on, with a different lens (sigma 17-70), i took the 2nd picture at f8 once again and shutter speed set in bulb mode at 37 seconds. The camera wanted 30 second exposure, but i have learnt not to trust it all the time. I mean its correct 99% of the time, but i try and go a tad more.

I still try and experiment with different settings so i dont always just choose one thing for the whole shoot..

Different lens have different sweet spots..

For the stock kit lens (canon 18-55) is at f8.

For my sigma its f8-16.

You will notice with most lenses that F8 is probably the most sharpest, because thats when it is letting in alot of light. Only the really good L series lenses perform below. <3 my 17-40L

Yea most of them..

damn wish i had a 17-40L.. sigh

yeah practice is the tip.

i just bought a panasonic, fz28. so far so good, havnt had alot of shots withit, as i work that many hours its not funny so i dont get to go out and try it in different places, but from what i have taken with it so far im happy with it.

im deffinatly not ready to go to the expense of getting a D/SLR camera as yet, but im really keen to start learning on this one as im fairly certain its one step back from your SLR CAMERAS.

your shots are quite insperational so thanks for that, and hearing that your shots have just come from trial and error, give me some sort of motivation to get better

cheers.
drew.

I'm sure a lot of us on here have learned from trial and error. Even professionals will adjust to suit conditions etc, this is trial and error somewhat but they'll have learned from experience what settings to roughly run on and fine tune from there.

It's not that difficult but where courses come in I think, is stuff you can't just try your self, like studio lighting with models in an attempt at a professional shoot, you can't really attach a 80" octobox to your on-board flash and expect proper results.

drew- glad i have inspired you in some way keep at it!!

nick - yea i wouldnt mind doing a studio class one day.. Would help a lot!!

But even then you can get yourself a little studio, set it up and have some fun with it.. Trail and error once again..
But i get what you mean

$$$ Trial and error!

Photocontinental have classes and Dragon Image do some studio stuff too.

Just a side note, can you use the boost attach tool... or the thumbnails again.. I hate a scrolling page when I use the 'go to last read post' because it goes to it, then the photos load and I end up no where the last read post....

I have found if you don't 'add into post' it'll make thumbnails..

Woo thumbnails

I uploaded thumbnails before but someone didnt like it.. ahhah

But yea i will put in some thumbnails next time i guess..

Some more night shots:

Edited version below: The original one is on page 3.
Just a slight straighten. thats all..


Edited this one also.. Tighter crop.. Moved the sig more to the left.



The following are originals.. just resized..

Whoa, love that last shot man. Where abouts was that taken?

Cheers man

Taken in Lyon. Wonderful city!!

Some more random images for you all

crane bisecting the temple doesnt really work for me, but everything else is wicked.

I think probbaly just a bit mroe contrast in your photos?

amazing location!!

Cheers for the CC. hmmm couldnt really help with the crane being in the way. But i think it adds some sort of urbanness to it??

Cool will keep that in mind about the contrast.. ta




Indeed!! I miss it

like the snow ones, where were they taken??

Nice shots mate. I'm just a tiny it jealous of all the holidays you've been on.

I'm mad-jealous, how the other half lives eh?!

I'm not sure on the sunset cranes and gondola one, to leave the bird or clone it out.. it adds some life to it but it makes me think it's dirt until I pay more attention.

I want to see snow Joys of being born and raised in Brisbane eh? My cars windscreen got iced up in Mudgee one winter when we were down there, that's kinda close!

Also wanted to add - I think your night-time stuff is nice, very well exposed, I'm jealous of that too! (Not that I'm ever out after dusk )

Thanks for the kind words everyone Means a lot!!

The snow photos were taken in Bern (Switzerland). Its very expensive there.. Here is a little story for you.. I found a maccas out of all places open late at night near our hostel, and this maccas had big lcd screens for you to watch tv, ipods on the walls for you to listen to songs, playstation and xbox gaming machines etc!! I was like WOW a maccas like that back home will get thrashed in a day and everything stolen within minutes hahah..


The 2nd lot of photos are taken in venice!! Got plenty more images of that place if you keen to see more pics??



dec540- Dont be jealous man. I sold my car to go and it was the best decision ever!! Seriously stop spending thousands of dollars on mods etc and go on a holiday heheh

Just think of all the beautiful girls you can meet.. pub crawls with mates, drinking till 6am.. partying, site seeing.. doing random stuff.. seeing random things.. Incredible experience!!





I cloned out that bird after i posted it



Cheers for the comments about the night shots nick


Would just like to add, im no professional and only been serious about photography in the last 6 months ever since i went to Europe. So its just a beginning for me.

But thanks for the kind words once again!!

sounds like you've had some good experiences SR33. I'm pretty cut that I've been to over 30 countries but either was too young to remember or had not started photography.. Wish i could do that all again without having to fork out the money hehe

The best experience!! Made so many friends, met so many people.. Ate amazing food!! Ah man i miss it so much!! Getting bad withdrawals.. seriously!!

Dont worry my parents went on a big euro trip when i was heaps small so i couldn't remember either.

yea it does get expensive eh.. im so broke right now worth it

Love your subjects

Thank you sir

Thinking of selling my 70-200L lens.. anyone keen? Practically new and only used 4 or 5 times at most..

1k firm..

Anyone?

Reason for sale: Need to pay off some things so need the cash.

I would love to...

But I don't have the cash at the moment. Sorry lol.

Awesome shots in the last set too btw

hahah thats cool dude..

I would keep the lens, but somethings come up and i need the cash i guess..

As soon as uni is over in 6-7 weeks and i find my self a job, i will get back into photography!!

Is that the f2.8 or the f4 lens?

Its f4.. sorry forgot to mention it

So canon 70-200L F4 USM Lens

^ This is what im selling. If you are keen let mek now

Since everyone is posting dog pics.. heres mine

Who is Mek and how do I contact them?


Le joke

say what?? haha

i have no idea what you on about lol