This is what I have (taken with samsung phone).


Takes fantastic pictures, only 6 megapixels. Paid a fortune for it at bestbuy.

Never learned how to use it to its max capabilities. Use the long lens for the track usually and the speed of the cam is amazing. The quality alone is amazing but again, i am full on amateur.

 

Please explain more about post processing with CS5 and what not because I would agree with the above. If you post process, then you really haven't captured what you intended. I'm not saying the end result isn't art. I just think it sorta defeats the point.

How do all of you use post processing to "enhance" your photography?

 

Even the greatest photographer will edit photos. I typically just levels and curves, maybe some color correction and removing artifacts. Most things I post are straight camera, but when I get a really good shot, I'll clean it up.

here's an example:

This is my processed shot:




and straight camera:

 

I don't post process much.

sometimes your camera just can't nail the white balance or you can't get a perfect exposure or you're just too far away with your zoom so you have to:

tweak white balance for skin tones
stretch out the histogram to lighten a dark photo
crop a shot to get rid of crap or "digitally zoom"
adding some subtle vignette to draw focus to the center of a photo

post processing is legit if used sparingly. people do this all the time digitally AND in the photo lab. but it's not a replacement for quality composition!

also remember: you can not reliably darken a blown out photo the way you can lighten a dark one. the dynamic range between the whites is not a great as between the grays and blacks.

 

Which is why I tend to shoot at -0.3, unless I have other reasons not to.

 

Here are the basic things that are required for a good photograph you can not fix with ps:
composition (location of the camera and how the subject was photographed to a degree)
proper exposure (if it is blown out the shot is not savable, same goes for if it is too underexposed)
using too high of an iso
improper focus (you can fake it a little with ps but you can never save a shot that you/your camera missed the focal point)

Things that I do all the time in ps:
nitpick on how level a shot is or centering of a subject
remove annoying little things (artifacts, rogue cigarette butts, ect)
tweak curves, color, saturation, and contrast to get the feeling of the shot perfect.
Also ps is a great way to experiment with new ideas.

 

I'll probably get flamed for this, but here goes. I completely understand the post processing. It gets the photo to where the artist intended it to be from the beginning. So while the photo is "enhanced" the idea is original.

Unfortunately, I liken this to lab created vs real gemstones. Lab created look fantastic because they are vibrant, flawless, and are real on a molecular level. However, I prefer gemstones that aren't lab created or enhanced. The flaws are part of the stone, and the flawless are when everything comes together perfectly.

Then again, art is art, so having a bunch of bitchen photos can certainly be better than waiting a lifetime for the "perfect" shot.

Anyway I won't side track this thread anymore than I already have. I'm still in for all the tech stuff.

 

gemstones are cut from imperfect clumps of mineral crystals in a lab... they dont come out of the ground in a round brilliant cut.

 

*

 

Body: Canon T1i
Lenses: 24mm-70mm f/2.8L, 50mm f/1.8, 28mm-135mm f/3.5-5.6
Tripod: None ATM
Filters: UV/Polarizing
Flashes/Strobes: Canon Speedlight 430EX II
storage/travel bag: Backpack
other accessories: Remote
Post Processing: None

50mm

IMG_3660 by heeblehob, on Flickr


KA 6-13-09 020 by heeblehob, on Flickr


KA 6-13-09 018 by heeblehob, on Flickr

24mm-70mm

trashh0010 by heeblehob, on Flickr

These were taken on my old Canon XT


ridinthesurf03 by heeblehob, on Flickr


backflip01 by heeblehob, on Flickr

 

no pics attached.

 

Should be there now

 

stand up ski FTW

 

Haha, it's the only way to ride.

 

The only somewhat decent or interesting pictures I have on this HD are from last years track day at Barber. And these are more documentary than artistic.

 

burning couch pics are awesome. i'd buy prints!

 

Canon XS w/ ring flash

 

 

For all the photographers out there, can I get a list of your equipment?

Body:
Lenses:
Tripod:
Filters:?
Flashes/Strobes:?
storage/travel bag:?
other accessories:?
Post Processing:?

 

Body: canon rebel xit
Lenses: 18-55, 75-300, 28-135, 50mm 1.8
Tripod: no
Filters:? circular polarizers

Flashes/Strobes:? 580exii
storage/travel bag:?
other accessories:?
Sea Of Gold. by DilatedPupils, on Flickr
Post Processing:? lightroom + cs3


A Tale of Two Riders by DilatedPupils, on Flickr

Tough Puppy by DilatedPupils, on Flickr