Photo snaps!

[CopperBrompton]

Best thing is to resize them to something like 800 pixels wide or (for portrait orientation) 600 pixels deep, then save them as 72dpi.

 

[swee'pea99]

...and save them as jpg, not tiff or bmp files, which are much bigger.

 

[Fixedwheelnut]

WOW...I'm blown away by these shots they are all really good.

the ones that really stand out for me are Ben-l's, Trollers, Fixed W-N's, Rigid's and Kyuss.

if you guys aren't pro (ben i think you are aren't you) then you should be.
beautiful
Kyuss, I really like the urban feel in the bike shot (not just because of the bike!) and the cobbled street shot has a real "ridley-esque" feel to it. Ben, the ballet dancer is stunning.

Fixed, the london eye shot is "rocking!!", you 'shopped that right? (or is that as it was?)

I'm gonna check you'r profiles now and see what you guys do for a living!

I can see why...it's really good.

How did you light the bow of the boat, it's beautifully contrasted.

Mrs Jeez has a "snap" that a friend took of some Argentinian horses playing in the surf, that she has as her desktop. It was literally a snap taken on a point and shoot, but caught the light and looks really good.

I think I need to invest in a digi SLR (something I can use my old Canon electronic lenses on I think)

Thanks Johnny Jeez and RH100
I was quite lucky there, the paint on the bow was a bit lighter less faded than the rest and just really popped out in the hdr process, it is from one single RAW file taken on my Canon 400D.
I created three tiff files at different exposures in Photoshop and then created the HDR and tonemapped it with Photomatix.

The Millenium Wheel shot was late afternoon and walking back over Westminster bridge the sun came through the moody clouds and just lit up the wheel so I grabbed a shot, again created three different exposure tiff files to create the HDR.
The Thames barrier shot was three bracketed exposure raw files processed in Photomatix

HDR really works well with contrasting cloudy sky shots I find

I'm no professional just an amateur hobby restarted, I used to shoot film as a kid and develope my own and print at home [handy when your Dad was in to it too]
Click on any of my pics should take you to my Flickr set, I can spend hours on there, the talent there is inspires you, take a look in flickr explore.
This was shot with an Exacta Varia 11B 35mm slr and 135mm lense asa400 B&W film at about 1/60th when I was 15, the driver Pete Argentsinger gave me tickets for the 76 Grand Prix at Brands for it.

 

[rh100]

Thanks Johnny Jeez and RH100
I was quite lucky there, the paint on the bow was a bit lighter less faded than the rest and just really popped out in the hdr process, it is from one single RAW file taken on my Canon 400D.
I created three tiff files at different exposures in Photoshop and then created the HDR and tonemapped it with Photomatix.

The Millenium Wheel shot was late afternoon and walking back over Westminster bridge the sun came through the moody clouds and just lit up the wheel so I grabbed a shot, again created three different exposure tiff files to create the HDR.
The Thames barrier shot was three bracketed exposure raw files processed in Photomatix

HDR really works well with contrasting cloudy sky shots I find

I'm no professional just an amateur hobby restarted, I used to shoot film as a kid and develope my own and print at home [handy when your Dad was in to it too]
Click on any of my pics should take you to my Flickr set, I can spend hours on there, the talent there is inspires you, take a look in flickr explore.
This was shot with an Exacta Varia 11B 35mm slr and 135mm lense asa400 B&W film at about 1/60th when I was 15, the driver Pete Argentsinger gave me tickets for the 76 Grand Prix at Brands for it.

So HDR is done with one original capture, run through different exposure levels 3 times, then combined? OR you can create 3 seperate shots and combine? - tripod required i guess. Are they simply merged with photoshop?

 

[Tollers]

So HDR is done with one original capture, run through different exposure levels 3 times, then combined? OR you can create 3 seperate shots and combine? - tripod required i guess. Are they simply merged with photoshop?

You can play with the raw exposure to create 3, 5 or 7 varying exposure to merge, but it works a lot better with separate shots. Tripod essential!

Photoshop has an HDR function, but i prefer a program called photomatix.

Tollers

 

[gaz]

Almost everything done in Lightroom now. Shoot 14-bit RAW (on a D3), process in Lightroom 2. The only time I ever go into Photoshop is studio shots where I need to clone in more background.

lightroom is an amazing application, i remember beta testing it a few years ago. even then it was a brilliant step forward!

 

[kyuss]

OK. After review, gaz: the Pier shot kuyss: the Bike kuyss: the 'Passage' (last one) are the type of images that get me thinking. I admire the skill in all the shots, not least RT's capture of the flying mud...preceeded by a crazy rally driver!

WOW...I'm blown away by these shots they are all really good.

the ones that really stand out for me are Ben-l's, Trollers, Fixed W-N's, Rigid's and Kyuss.

if you guys aren't pro (ben i think you are aren't you) then you should be.

beautiful

Kyuss, I really like the urban feel in the bike shot (not just because of the bike!) and the cobbled street shot has a real "ridley-esque" feel to it. Ben, the ballet dancer is stunning.

Fixed, the london eye shot is "rocking!!", you 'shopped that right? (or is that as it was?)

I'm gonna check you'r profiles now and see what you guys do for a living!

Thank you very much. I'm by no means a pro, and to be honest I don't think I'd like to be. Photography is my escape from the design world. I do it for me and I'd never want to be paid for it. That way nobody can tell me what's right or wrong, good or bad, beautiful or ugly.......

Just curious how some of you process your images....

I'm oldschool. Still using film. I've always been a bit of a 'touchy feely' person and I get a bit excited picking up film from the lab and gazing into a loupe at some medium format film. I've had a shot of a few DSLR's in the past few years and they just make me lazy. Too easy to rely on in-built settings and auto focus. Give me an old manual focus film camera and I'm a happy chap. I like the process of thought that goes into something that is costing me money (can you tell I'm Scottish!). Not that I wouldn't sell a limb to own a quality DSLR of course.

The first 4 shots I posted were taken on an old Lubitel TLR I've been given a loan of. To be honest it was never a great camera even when it was released (plastic body and lenses, leaks light into the body sometimes, most shots have vignetting etc..) but I love the way those things lend it's own kind of atmosphere, only helped by the fact they were taken on out of date film as well. It's a PITA to use but I love it to bits and I'm not looking forward to giving it back at all.

The rest were taken with an old Canon A1 using HP5 or Delta 3200. I scan all my film. Very little Photoshop work, other than a touch of colour balancing/tinting, apart from the last shot which took a bit of dodging and burning as well to get the atmosphere.

 

[Globalti]

I took this on a walk last Spring. A colleague brightened up the colours for me - not sure how.

 

[jonny jeez]

plastic body and lenses, leaks light into the body sometimes, most shots have vignetting etc.

again, now that you say that, i can see the vignetting especially in shot 1 (also a little in the fourth I think).

perhaps its that that gave it the added atmosphere for me! I must be a vignetting kinda guy....must be all those fish and chips as a kid, plenty of salt and vignette

do you have any more to show us? (i'm learning so much about photography here)...who would have thought you could pick up so much just nattering on 'tinternet with a bunch of cyclists!

 

[rh100]

Thank you very much. I'm by no means a pro, and to be honest I don't think I'd like to be. Photography is my escape from the design world. I do it for me and I'd never want to be paid for it. That way nobody can tell me what's right or wrong, good or bad, beautiful or ugly.......




I'm oldschool. Still using film. I've always been a bit of a 'touchy feely' person and I get a bit excited picking up film from the lab and gazing into a loupe at some medium format film. I've had a shot of a few DSLR's in the past few years and they just make me lazy. Too easy to rely on in-built settings and auto focus. Give me an old manual focus film camera and I'm a happy chap. I like the process of thought that goes into something that is costing me money (can you tell I'm Scottish!). Not that I wouldn't sell a limb to own a quality DSLR of course.

The first 4 shots I posted were taken on an old Lubitel TLR I've been given a loan of. To be honest it was never a great camera even when it was released (plastic body and lenses, leaks light into the body sometimes, most shots have vignetting etc..) but I love the way those things lend it's own kind of atmosphere, only helped by the fact they were taken on out of date film as well. It's a PITA to use but I love it to bits and I'm not looking forward to giving it back at all.

The rest were taken with an old Canon A1 using HP5 or Delta 3200. I scan all my film. Very little Photoshop work, other than a touch of colour balancing/tinting, apart from the last shot which took a bit of dodging and burning as well to get the atmosphere.

I started photography (apart from happy snaps) when I bought an old and slightly naff 35mm SLR in the mid 90's. It was quite limited, the exposure meter was a simple up and down pointer in the viewfinder to show correct adjustment and the lenses were fully manual. I then got hold of a couple of other second hand cameras, a Canon AV1 (I think) and an Olympus, cant remember the model, but got a few quid from Jessops on a trade in so must have been an OK one. But all of them were a bit knackered and gave unpredictable results - but the sense of achievement when a good result came out was great. I then went to a new but basic Nikon 35mm which was nice, and then went digital with the D300. Whilst I think the technical aspects of some of my pics have improved, it's mostly the camera that does it - but I suppose it leaves me to get the composition a bit better without fiddling too much. Digital certainly seems to be more clinical, maybe it's the same effect as music going over to MP3, you loose the touch and feel. I miss getting a pack of pics back from the shop to see how they turned out.

 

[CopperBrompton]

lightroom is an amazing application, i remember beta testing it a few years ago. even then it was a brilliant step forward!

Yep, on weddings I can do my processing in about a third of the time using Lightroom - I love it.

 

[CopperBrompton]

The first 4 shots I posted were taken on an old Lubitel TLR I've been given a loan of.

Heh, they're great, aren't they? More flaws than a politician's arguments, but unlike the latter all the more beautiful for it.

I'm not looking forward to giving it back at all.

You can pick them up on ebay for less than £20.

 

[Melvil]

Thank you very much. I'm by no means a pro, and to be honest I don't think I'd like to be. Photography is my escape from the design world. I do it for me and I'd never want to be paid for it. That way nobody can tell me what's right or wrong, good or bad, beautiful or ugly.......




I'm oldschool. Still using film. I've always been a bit of a 'touchy feely' person and I get a bit excited picking up film from the lab and gazing into a loupe at some medium format film. I've had a shot of a few DSLR's in the past few years and they just make me lazy. Too easy to rely on in-built settings and auto focus. Give me an old manual focus film camera and I'm a happy chap. I like the process of thought that goes into something that is costing me money (can you tell I'm Scottish!). Not that I wouldn't sell a limb to own a quality DSLR of course.

The first 4 shots I posted were taken on an old Lubitel TLR I've been given a loan of. To be honest it was never a great camera even when it was released (plastic body and lenses, leaks light into the body sometimes, most shots have vignetting etc..) but I love the way those things lend it's own kind of atmosphere, only helped by the fact they were taken on out of date film as well. It's a PITA to use but I love it to bits and I'm not looking forward to giving it back at all.

The rest were taken with an old Canon A1 using HP5 or Delta 3200. I scan all my film. Very little Photoshop work, other than a touch of colour balancing/tinting, apart from the last shot which took a bit of dodging and burning as well to get the atmosphere.

Saw your posted pics on saturday but was away for days - meant to say lovely shots - it's all the better having been to most of those places in and around auld reekie. Especially like this one: http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b10/KeithSmith1974/Museum-1.jpg - where was that taken? It's very abstract and nice in (warm) BW. Did you say you're a graphic designer too? That's kind of up my street in Edinburgh, so to speak.

 

[Melvil]

Yep, on weddings I can do my processing in about a third of the time using Lightroom - I love it.

Lightroom is great for both amateurs and pro's. I used Apple Aperture for a while and it's very good but just not as good as Lightroom IMHO - less features and a little slower.

For me the 'holy trinity' of photo progs is Lightroom, Photoshop and the plugin Tiffen DFX.

Love your pro site, Ben, very clean, fast and shows your excellent pics to their best. It's bookmarked.

 

[CopperBrompton]

I used Apple Aperture for a while and it's very good but just not as good as Lightroom

Yes, I was quite surprised by the difference, and don't really understand why they've done it. The only LR module I'm not happy with is the Slideshow, which is just too limited and clunky (I use Pictures2Exe for those).

Love your pro site, Ben, very clean, fast and shows your excellent pics to their best. It's bookmarked.

Thanks very much.