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Ask your photo related questions here!!!
here is a link to the index of questions and answers https://www.modelmayhem.com/p.php?thread_id=252393 Ask your photo related questions here! This is a trial that will hopefully go well and continue to be a living, breathing photo help section for all members of the forum to frequent and learn from. OK, READ THE WHOLE POST BEFORE POSTING!!! This is a new thing I am starting it will have several sections to it. This is an area to ask question regarding Photography basics, Photography Lighting, Photographer Business Practices. We will not answer questions of purely subjective matter like Canon Vs Nikon Vs Sony Vs Pentax or Mac vs PC they can start wars that are purely subjective and are best left to the daily threads. We may answer questions on using equipment that is specific such as how to use the speedlights and Canon e-ttl system or Nikons CLS if they come up. Ask relatively specific questions as "how do I shoot good pictures?" has no answer, you may not be able too, so be specific, if needed point to an image or several as reference, it is allowed under fair use. NO ANSWERS ARE ALLOWED HERE! everyday (well almost everyday) I will start a new thread on some of the questions asked on this thread. That will get the standard answers from all members and usual bickering, fighting, right and wrong answers, misguided attempts and such. That's fine, that's what we want. I will than take the question and start a new locked thread which has the question (reworded perhaps) and answers to it only, as well as answers given by the various members in the first thread and a link to their work so you can give credit and see who said what. This will be locked so it can only have answers not bickering, totally wrong unbacked information, misguided answers that were meant well but not correct for whatever reason. I will than maintain a formal locked thread of the "how to index file" which will have only the question and a link to the locked thread with answers to those questions. So if you are cool with that and have any questions feel free to post here what you would like to have answers too and we will start it off and see how it goes. I will post this here as well as in the question threads, but anyone posting here and there must be OK with having their answer paraphrased and re posted in another thread. It will be linked to your portfolio here so people can see who answered and give the proper merit to the answer and you get full credit for it. Why paraphrased? well if you are responding to someones wrong answer or obnoxious reply, I see no reason to repeat your text regarding how wrong they are since that answer will not be posted in the new thread so I would paraphrase your response to remove inappropriate or unneeded text, if that's not OK do not post a response, we will have others I am sure. Thank you. The index of questions is here https://www.modelmayhem.com/p.php?thread_id=252393 -- Stephen Eastwood http://www.StephenEastwood.com Feb 18 08 05:11 pm Link Stephen, I read that you sometimes use up to 9 lights, but is there a setup you can recommend for someone with 2 or 3 lights that will provide crisp highlights and dramatic shadows (that still hold detail - creating good "modeling" on the face)? I know some basic configurations, but I'm not sure that they are living up to my expectations. Does it sound likely that my small working space (with white walls) is allowing too much light to bounce around and fill in the shadows, creating flatter light? In a practical sense, I'm wondering if I should cover my walls with black material to absorb stray light. Feb 18 08 06:10 pm Link ok question: how to focus properly on the eyes when shooting FULL BODY under controlled but not so well lit conditions that can more or less let you have ISO 250, f5 & 1/50? tripod or IS is available. Focusing on the eye first and recomposing is ok but not enough. I know focus around the edges of a lens tend to get softer but does it happen to everybody or is it just me. the images are still useable though  Feb 18 08 06:21 pm Link Whats f9.5 or f10 is it 1/3 or 1/2 a stop between f8 and f11. And why if flash is daylight balanced do they put tungsten modeling lights in ? should I be using HMI's instead. Why are grey cards still 18% grey whilst meters and camera meters TTL are 12%'ish grey. Feb 18 08 06:28 pm Link - Feb 18 08 06:28 pm Link How to take picture of model in pool at night? Pool is light from inside of water. Iâd like to use strobes to be able to shoot at 200/f10/ISO 100. But still show the light coming from water Feb 18 08 06:29 pm Link 1. How to lit model on black paper, to have legs properly lit, but keep paper black. 2. Another â how to front lit model on black background and keep background dark and totally black. (Especially when you cannot have more then 4-5 feet model from background Feb 18 08 06:31 pm Link 1. The basics of fashion photography lighting. Positioning, Modifiers, metering, how to properly show off the client's piece. Feb 18 08 06:43 pm Link - How to get fulfilling work in the photography market - How to get your portfolio in the hands of the people who matter - Ethical business practices - Successfully marketing yourself - Photography: From the first phone call/eMail to cashing in the cheque: The full cycle of a professional photographer Feb 18 08 06:59 pm Link Eduardo Frances wrote: I know..but still thanks for the reply...I read it Feb 18 08 07:03 pm Link Photograph Danbury wrote: discussion here Feb 18 08 07:05 pm Link Koray wrote: Feb 18 08 07:06 pm Link OLJ studio wrote: Discussions here: https://www.modelmayhem.com/p.php?thread_id=252410 Feb 18 08 07:25 pm Link Sorry, didn't read the rules... Great idea, I like the thread. Feb 18 08 07:25 pm Link c_h_r_i_s wrote: Discussion here: And why if flash is daylight balanced do they put tungsten modeling lights in ? should I be using HMI's instead. Discussion here Feb 18 08 08:57 pm Link I have seen several threads, including the big one, on lighting diagrams. The diagrams presented in the threads deal with either day light or studio lighting. Question Can photographers post lighting diagrams that show placement and type of lighting used for nighttime shots that include city lights or buildings that are lit? Information on camera settings would be greatly appreciated. Feb 18 08 09:12 pm Link Question 1.... For those that use Canon systems, what's your secret for using a single speedlite either on-camera or on-a-bracket-on-the-camera, in a dark venue? Evaluative or Average? FEL or no FEL? I try to consistently do the same thing with each shot, dragging the shutter as much as is reasonable and using FEL, but about 1/3 of my shots are either about 2 stops over or 4 stops over. I'd like to acheive better consistency. Question 2.... Is anyone able to get consistent results from the Canon Wireless Flash system? If so, are there any special techniques that you've found to be especially helpful? Feb 18 08 09:28 pm Link Question 3.... When shooting wide open with 50mm lens, am I better off (a) composing the shot and then selecting a focus point closest to the eyes, moving the camera slightly to put the focus point on an eye, pressing the focus button, and then recompose slightly to make the exposure -OR- (b) only use the center focus point, move the camera (perhaps significantly) to put the center focus point on the eye, press the focus button, and then recompose (perhaps significantly) to make the exposure? I'm using a prosumer camera like the 20D and 40D, not one of those focus in the bat cave uber professional cameras.... I see that this has already been answered... thank you... Feb 18 08 09:35 pm Link Question 4.... I've found through trial and error that I seem to be better off when using a zoom lens to always zoom in, focus on the eyes, and then zoom out to wherever to compose and expose the shot. That seems to produce more consistent focus results than composing the shot, focusing at that particular focal length, and making the exposure. Generally, how well do zooms hold their focus distance as the lens is zoomed in/out? Feb 18 08 09:38 pm Link No Questions yet.. just wanted to voice my appreciation for you taking the time to answer all of our questions. Your previous replies in the forums has really helped those of us who are just learning and this sounds like it will be even more informative. Feb 18 08 11:07 pm Link c_h_r_i_s wrote: Answers: Feb 19 08 12:55 am Link (stephen rocks) Feb 19 08 12:59 am Link BendingLight wrote: Answers: Feb 19 08 01:33 am Link what makes ur pictures different from anyone else? what makes up more of your magic the camera or photoshop? & how do you take a glamour shot? why is it that the same subject taken with the same cameras at the same point but different photographers at the same time always look different. is it the setting on the cameras? the lighting. what is it? Feb 19 08 01:51 am Link Twan Imagery wrote: I rely fully on Feb 19 08 02:31 am Link Bookmarked! Thanks Stephen for your answers, and thanks to all who ask questions I and others may not think of. Feb 19 08 02:59 am Link What is the relevance of dpi/ppi to images destined for display on monitors and not printed? There's a lot of talk about 72 dpi/ppi optimized web images. Does it have any effect on image quality or file sizes? Feb 19 08 03:46 am Link Ok maybe you can lock this thread I started, and answer this one. https://www.modelmayhem.com/p.php?thread_id=247432 Feb 19 08 10:38 am Link We tend to set out CT on monitors at 6500k, prints are viewed at ideal CT 5200k, daylight is at 5200k. So why do we use CT 6500k, mean noon sun. Feb 19 08 12:21 pm Link My question: Gels and filters. I spend a lot of time trying to get the colors I want, haven't found any great advice yet. One effect I like is the vibrant, saturated, technicolor look. I've had trouble doing this in digital without the aid of photoshop, as it is easy to blow out color channels. (have had better success with slide film, where colors blow out a bit more gracefully). What am I missing? I also end up wanting to change the color temperature on certain areas of a subject (warmer light on the face, cooler light elsewhere, etc). My results have been poor to date.... What gels do you find most useful, and used how? Feb 19 08 12:51 pm Link Stephen, mine would be a postproduction question. It would be "different ways to achieve the editorial look" and maybe we or you could post a before example, and after example. ~Nate Feb 19 08 01:30 pm Link I still use a CRT monitor. And I still think they are the best. But I am often wrong, so says my wife. Are there good LCD monitors out there? Not acceptable, I mean good. I have gone through the $5,000. true RGB LCD route and have returned to the CRT screens. I understand the business you are in vs the business I am in, and one is not the same as the other.You are churning out work for publication, where I am churning out work for galleries. I need the best representation of what my work will look like when it spits out of the printer. So far, CRT screens have shown me the best of the best, but DAMN they are getting harder to find. Feb 19 08 03:12 pm Link Hi Stephen, I realize this question is generalized (and long winded as usual) but value your (and others) input. Could you provide some information on taking image quality to the next level. Any suggestions pre, during, and post would be helpful. I've been at it a year and have accumulated equipment, software, etc. I've assisted a couple of photographers and hope to do it more often in the future. I'm thinking about buying a mannequin (hope my mom never finds out) and testing various modifiers and lenses on it (is my 70-200 sharpest at x aperture and y focal length). I've heard pros and cons and don't know if this is the right approach. I've been making headway with lighting and post but want to improve my raw capture as much as possible. Any input would be great All the best, Frank Feb 19 08 05:26 pm Link Just out of curiosity i was wondering how you alter the skin tones in order to make them look more smoother than they actually are? i'm a photoshop virgin and i've taken a picture in black and white and was wondering how i make the skin tone whiter than the back ground? Feb 19 08 05:32 pm Link I've been involved in photography for over 25 years. Just got my first digital camera. What is the advantage to using a micro drive card vs a cf card? If the cf card is a 2G card and the the micro drive is a 2G card, what is the difference? Thanks, Mike Feb 19 08 06:53 pm Link Michael Schroeder Photo wrote: Answer: Feb 19 08 10:45 pm Link Newlight Images wrote: Answer: Feb 19 08 11:12 pm Link i just want to say thanks for a great thread, stephen. Feb 19 08 11:39 pm Link sRGB vs. Adobe RGB vs. ProPhoto RGB I've seen the sRGB vs. Adobe RGB debate since I first got into digital photography. Adobe RGB has a larger color gamut than sRGB, but photo labs want sRGB. ProPhoto RGB has an even larger color gamut than Adobe RGB. The latest issue of Photoshop User has 3 articles that talk about 16-bit ProPhoto RGB: One by Ben Willmore talks about selecting 16-bit ProPhoto RGB for your workflow, and then in two "how to" articles, one by Matt Kloskowski and one by Kevin Ames, both say that 16-bit ProPhoto is their color space of choice. Adobe Camera RAW will let me process my RAW files to any of these 3 color spaces, but my camera (Canon) only lets me choose between sRGB and Adobe RGB. What color space setting do you use in your camera(s) and for your editing in Photoshop, and why? Thank you! Feb 20 08 01:41 am Link I want to make 20"x30" matte prints of some of my older work for a possible gallery show. Unfortunately I can't work with RAW file formats and have to use JPEG's. What is the minimum acceptable pixel dimensions and resolution that my images need to be for a 20"x30" matte print to 'look good' (ex: no pixelation, aliasing, etc.). Also, what would I need for a 16"x24" print. Best regards, Ian Feb 20 08 01:51 am Link |
