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  • #16
    Originally posted by mrslcom
    I was an amateur photographer ... It all depends on what you want out of the photograph.

    Background...pay attention to background and how it affects the total composition of the picture.
    I'm somewhere between advanced amatuer and semi-pro, I guess. Before I started pronouncing couples as man and wife I was the one taking their pictures. Also a lot of protraits, especially senior class photos and kids' pics.

    I've also photographed a number of cars, planes, trains, motorcycles, boats, and about anything else with a motor just for fun. In addition to the tip above about checking the background, also look at what's being reflected on the glass or body of the car. Maybe you want it there ... but probably not!
    (Rev) Greg :: 2006 Fusion Orange GTP Coupe auto - 35% tint - MPD hood - Razzi wing- Dr. Speed CAB - GTR exhaust - GM STB - caliper paint/decals - mesh lower grilles - more to come

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    • #17
      Mammoth Lakes (eastern sierras), California



      Enjoy

      2007 Member of the Year - Blue Man Group
      Originally posted by shi-fu
      Panda, we do not wash our pits in the pool of sacred tears...

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      • #18
        Nice photo. I used to go backpacking up there.
        Stay off the John Muir trail, if your backpacking. Bears love the pack mules. They bring food.
        G6P member 340

        G8 GT 334 0f 1st 888
        Pedders Street II suspension. Pedders Strut Tower bar. VMS HSRK, VMS PCM/TCM tune, Forged and Stroked LS3, Garrett Turbo
        Borla Cat back. SLP underdrive pulley. FAST ported 102 intake and TB ported. BMR trailing arms, Circle D 3200 stall converter.
        20 percent tint by Scott's tinting and graphics.

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        • #19
          The thing I've learned about photoigraphy is that there's 2 discting "pictures" that you can take--snapshots and photographs.

          Snapshots are basically a still moment frozen in time as a record of what happened. This is what every amateur with the $200 best buy camera does.

          A photograph, on the other hand, is an image in which it shows the viewer what the photgrapher wants them to see. Instead of *click* done. The photographer composes the image.

          Here's one I took about a year and a half ago (Weapon of choice was a Nikon N75, Nikkor AF-G 28-100mm Zoom lens, Fujicolor 1600 speed film, and time of the photo was approximately 1:00am)



          Now, there are some that debate some of the things done with this shot. Well, at the time, I didn't have a remote (since I consider myself a better-than-average amateur only), so to get the correct exposure I want, i needed really high-speed film (no, I don't do digital, yet). For a night shot, yes, the sky was overly exposed--giving the shot a faux daylight quality to the sky (the waning gibbous moon was at my back and is the only illumination). As such, it REALLY lit up Mt. Rainier. The surrounding landscape was full of shadows, thus darkening the nearer trees and lighting up the further away ones, and the moon *just* catches the reflection of my car to hint at it's existance. Plus, the graininess of the shot adds to the surreal nature.

          Per photography "rules", yes, the shot was over exposed, but i needed to overexpose to get the shot I wanted.

          But, as per the OP, when you're taking a photo, consider what you want seen--how you want it seen. Especially since a lot of people work digital nowadays, unless you're taking a high-speed shot, you can preview and erase (can't do that with film ). So really think about the shot you want, and then take a few testing the angles, shutter, depth of field, zoom characteristics, and whatnot.

          Anyhow, other things i've picked up on:

          Best times to shoot are near sunrise and sunset (might need a cooling filter), or best yet, a cloudy day. It tends to naturally soften the shadows.

          Like was aforementioned, Shoot with the sun--or light source at your back. If you don't, you can get some interesting light-play effects, but it can wash out brighter objects.

          Underexpose slightly if the backdrop is dark and you intend it dark. otherwise, the light meter in the camera will get the light reading from the darker area, over expose the shot, and wash out the subject.

          If shooting against a bright backdrop (like snow), over-expose slightly. Again, the light meter corrects for the snow and will natually underexpose the shot.

          And lastly, have fun with it.

          BTW, Stahlight...great photo
          "Cross creviced chasms vast, and endless plains of unshaven ass"
          ~~GWAR's description of Hell
          SkaĆ°i: 2008 Pontiac G6 GXP Street Edition

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          • #20
            Mt. Rainier huh...look familiar?

            my old roomate climbed it and i think this pic is amazing
            -Mike #2 (the self-proclaimed tallest G6 owner)
            http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2645383

            VMS ECM, GT-R Exhaust, Dr. Speed Stage 3 CAI, 35% Llumar Tint, Redline Hood Struts, Vent Visors,
            Pontiac Inset Upper Grilles #1, STB, Black Euro Tails, PowerSlot Rotors, Hawk Brake Pads

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            • #21
              yeah, I hardly ever adjust any pics... I said it to myself when I posted it... But that's why I like the Nikon so much more... I had more WB problems with the Canon - always having to 'adjust' something. Nikon just seems to read and duplicate the color so much better... My O, though...

              But yeah, I've got these lenses:

              EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM

              EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM

              EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

              EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM

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              • #22
                I almost switched to Canon a couple weeks back.

                Had a 5d and 50mm 1.4 here. Shot some pics of my dog then decided it was 1700 that would better served being dumped into something else.

                Great camera tho.

                That 16-35 II is a banger of a lens, especially on a full frame body. I was gonna pick it up myself.

                But I came to my senses and stuck with Nikon. Bought a D300 out of the 2k I had. Use it to shoot one hockey game and returned it to stick with my D200. Gonna pick up a D3 come next summer I think OR think about switching to Canon again depending on IF Canon drops a 5d mkII or not.
                The Present: 2010 Mazdaspeed3... Zoom Zoom

                The Past: 06 G6 GTP Vert: Westers Tune - GT-R Exhaust - Doc's Stage3 CAI+ CRAB O4+K&N - GMPD Strut - RL Street Inserts - CMS Bespoke Vert Lowering Springs - Quicklifts - Enkei FN18's, N3000's 245/45y18 - 35% Tint Around - 4300k HIDs His & Los - Black Headlight bezels - Black Recessed Grills - Pooners Chrome Trim Blackout - Black Overlays on Darts - Avic f700bt

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                • #23
                  You didn't like the D300? I almost didn't get the D200 and wait for that... Wow...... Good to know...

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                  • #24
                    That's a nice lens set - out of them I've only got the 70-200, but it pairs
                    very well with the 17-55mm EF-S lens I've got too. I would like to
                    eventually get the 100mm macro you have. Or the 180mm version.

                    But the 10-22mm EF-S is my next lens purchase most likely.
                    If ignorance is bliss, going to Clemson must be orgasmic...

                    2011 Cyber Gray Metallic 2SS/RS

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                    • #25
                      The macro lens is just about the only one I use now... Since I bought the Nikon - I have superb lenses for that, but I haven't gotten a macro lens yet... I think that's my favorit type of photography... It's the only reason I still have the Canon. Hubby uses it for 'fun' now...

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                      • #26
                        Lucky guy.

                        Given that you have the D200 it's really apples and oranges anyway. The
                        D200 is in a different class than the XT, though I'd still take the "Canon
                        look" on the images and use the XT myself if given the choice.

                        The real kicker is thinking about how much better it would have been for
                        you to have put all of your resources into one company or the other... if
                        you have as good of a set of Nikon lenses you have a lot of money
                        wrapped up in two non-compatible systems....
                        If ignorance is bliss, going to Clemson must be orgasmic...

                        2011 Cyber Gray Metallic 2SS/RS

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                        • #27
                          D300 was great, don't get me wrong.

                          But, for the sake of 2100 (total) then spending more $$ for the grip and enel4 (whatever the #) battery for the grip and the charger, as that is the only way to get 8fps is with that battery, it ends up being about 3k for it all.

                          I have a grip on my d200 and I cannot live w/o, before I sold my second d200 I had almost bought the grip for that too.

                          Anyway, the d300 is nice. Great picture, some crappy high iso quality tho. Lots of smearing and blurring. The 5d is better still and the d300 is marginally better then the d200 at best (assuming you don't do a lot of off the camera work). If you shoot all raw and post process everything for color, tones, etc. the d300 is a waste as you just want the image as-is bringing it into ACR. If you shoot and don't post and just leave it all as is in the jpg, the d300 is awesome. Off camera the colors and tones are amazing.

                          But, it's full of gimmicks I didn't need, especially for the price. LiveView is next to pointless for my purposes. The info screen on the back was nice, but not worth 50 bucks of the 2k price tag. Some other small things were bonuses, but in the end of the day, all I care about is image quality and the d300 didn't take the cake. I sort of wish I still had the 5d, but it just wasn't suited for me either. So I wait for something better still. The d200 is great and as reviewers test shots are showing, the d300 is not blowing it out of the water.
                          The Present: 2010 Mazdaspeed3... Zoom Zoom

                          The Past: 06 G6 GTP Vert: Westers Tune - GT-R Exhaust - Doc's Stage3 CAI+ CRAB O4+K&N - GMPD Strut - RL Street Inserts - CMS Bespoke Vert Lowering Springs - Quicklifts - Enkei FN18's, N3000's 245/45y18 - 35% Tint Around - 4300k HIDs His & Los - Black Headlight bezels - Black Recessed Grills - Pooners Chrome Trim Blackout - Black Overlays on Darts - Avic f700bt

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                          • #28
                            Originally posted by colinpeddle
                            Well i got out and it started to rain a bit. Might be doing a sunrise shoot, so I'll see if I can remember to grab one then.
                            Still raining? Come on, put up those pics.
                            G6P member 340

                            G8 GT 334 0f 1st 888
                            Pedders Street II suspension. Pedders Strut Tower bar. VMS HSRK, VMS PCM/TCM tune, Forged and Stroked LS3, Garrett Turbo
                            Borla Cat back. SLP underdrive pulley. FAST ported 102 intake and TB ported. BMR trailing arms, Circle D 3200 stall converter.
                            20 percent tint by Scott's tinting and graphics.

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Originally posted by uscboy

                              The real kicker is thinking about how much better it would have been for
                              you to have put all of your resources into one company or the other... if
                              you have as good of a set of Nikon lenses you have a lot of money
                              wrapped up in two non-compatible systems....
                              Yeah, the D200 and Rebel XT are apples to oranges, but the Rebel was a decent camera... I started with a Nikon film camera - and I have 4 Nikon lenses for that. Then when I decided I wanted to go digital, I switched to Canon. So I bought all new lenses... Then I decided I didn't like the Canon, so I started over and bought more new lenses for the Nikon digital. I know the film lenses will still work, but I don't use them on the digi..

                              So, yes. I actually kind of have 3 setups.... I let hubby's mom borrow the film camera/lenses, and she's had it now for almost a year. I suppose I'll never get that back... But that was my first SLR and I've had it for like 10 years or better. Last time I used it was 2004 anyway...

                              Can't take it with you, I guess...

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                              • #30
                                Ehh, give me film anyday. The versatility of digital is nice, but the mad scientist in me prefers chemicals to photoshop .

                                Anyhow, on Rainier, the only routes up are on the south side. No one has ever made it up the north face--too trecharous.

                                So, if you look at my pic, likley he went up the side i shot
                                "Cross creviced chasms vast, and endless plains of unshaven ass"
                                ~~GWAR's description of Hell
                                SkaĆ°i: 2008 Pontiac G6 GXP Street Edition

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