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General Discussion => Essentially Flyertalk => Topic started by: j-von on September 14, 2012, 05:06:28 PM
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Ok, let's give this a shot. Talk photography and equipment, or share good photos that you or someone else has taken.
I'll kick it off by talking about my beginner strobist setup I'm trying out.
I ordered 2 old Nikon sb-24 flashes
This kit (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/425220-REG/Impact_DFUMK_Digital_Flash_Umbrella_Mount.html) from B&H
A wireless shutter trigger
Still looking around for the right set of wireless flash triggers. I don't want to spend the money for a pocketwizard yet so I'm probably going to go with Yongnuo rf-602.
All together I'll have about $250 in it. This is usually a portrait type setup but I'll be using it for product photography as well as trying to get interesting shots using the flashes off camera.
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put it on auto. GO TO TOWN!
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Looks like you've got a good starting point. I don't like the swivels that came in that kit very much though. These (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/649244-REG/Rosco_Strobist_55_Piece_Filter_Kit.html) are way better. At the very least consider replacing the cold shoes with something like this. (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/744548-REG/Frio_ENLFRC1A_Universal_Coldshoe_Tripod_Adapter.html)
Really the only addition that I think that you really need are some gels (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/649244-REG/Rosco_Strobist_55_Piece_Filter_Kit.html). Those things are extremely useful. I mean there's lots of other stuff that you can get to flesh out that kit, but you can get to all that later.
From the other thread I know that you are looking at the strobist blog, which is by far the best place to start with this stuff. But like pretty much anything else, the most important thing you can do is practice. I'm sure you'll be a regular Greg Heisler in no time.
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put it on auto. GO TO TOWN!
Are you still doing the travel blog? If so are you taking any pictures?
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put it on auto. GO TO TOWN!
Are you still doing the travel blog? If so are you taking any pictures?
haha, well, I guess. I did three blog posts and quit and me and rick daris were supposed to discuss our strategy and figure out a posting schedule but then we didn't. and, yes, I take a lot of pictures of hotel rooms and airplanes and other travel stuff.
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Looks like you've got a good starting point. I don't like the swivels that came in that kit very much though. These (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/649244-REG/Rosco_Strobist_55_Piece_Filter_Kit.html) are way better. At the very least consider replacing the cold shoes with something like this. (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/744548-REG/Frio_ENLFRC1A_Universal_Coldshoe_Tripod_Adapter.html)
Really the only addition that I think that you really need are some gels (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/649244-REG/Rosco_Strobist_55_Piece_Filter_Kit.html). Those things are extremely useful. I mean there's lots of other stuff that you can get to flesh out that kit, but you can get to all that later.
From the other thread I know that you are looking at the strobist blog, which is by far the best place to start with this stuff. But like pretty much anything else, the most important thing you can do is practice. I'm sure you'll be a regular Greg Heisler in no time.
Thanks, I definitely need to get some gels and that reminded me. I'm usually someone who likes to buy nice stuff the first time around but I needed this pretty quick for a project I'm working on so this will have to do for now. I'll take a look at those other links and probably get them soon once I get the hang of things.
Do you have a flickr or anything that has some of your strobist work?
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put it on auto. GO TO TOWN!
Are you still doing the travel blog? If so are you taking any pictures?
haha, well, I guess. I did three blog posts and quit and me and rick daris were supposed to discuss our strategy and figure out a posting schedule but then we didn't. and, yes, I take a lot of pictures of hotel rooms and airplanes and other travel stuff.
Did you post it on here and I missed it? Point me to it again, I can't remember the url.
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put it on auto. GO TO TOWN!
Are you still doing the travel blog? If so are you taking any pictures?
haha, well, I guess. I did three blog posts and quit and me and rick daris were supposed to discuss our strategy and figure out a posting schedule but then we didn't. and, yes, I take a lot of pictures of hotel rooms and airplanes and other travel stuff.
Did you post it on here and I missed it? Point me to it again, I can't remember the url.
IT'S A SECRET, SHUT UP JVON :shakesfist:
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Looks like you've got a good starting point. I don't like the swivels that came in that kit very much though. These (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/649244-REG/Rosco_Strobist_55_Piece_Filter_Kit.html) are way better. At the very least consider replacing the cold shoes with something like this. (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/744548-REG/Frio_ENLFRC1A_Universal_Coldshoe_Tripod_Adapter.html)
Really the only addition that I think that you really need are some gels (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/649244-REG/Rosco_Strobist_55_Piece_Filter_Kit.html). Those things are extremely useful. I mean there's lots of other stuff that you can get to flesh out that kit, but you can get to all that later.
From the other thread I know that you are looking at the strobist blog, which is by far the best place to start with this stuff. But like pretty much anything else, the most important thing you can do is practice. I'm sure you'll be a regular Greg Heisler in no time.
Thanks, I definitely need to get some gels and that reminded me. I'm usually someone who likes to buy nice stuff the first time around but I needed this pretty quick for a project I'm working on so this will have to do for now. I'll take a look at those other links and probably get them soon once I get the hang of things.
Do you have a flickr or anything that has some of your strobist work?
Don't get me wrong, the stuff that you have will work.
My pictures are kind of all over the place. I'd post some, but they're mostly of people I like and/or am related to, and I'm afraid that people on here might be mean. :ohno:
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put it on auto. GO TO TOWN!
Are you still doing the travel blog? If so are you taking any pictures?
haha, well, I guess. I did three blog posts and quit and me and rick daris were supposed to discuss our strategy and figure out a posting schedule but then we didn't. and, yes, I take a lot of pictures of hotel rooms and airplanes and other travel stuff.
Did you post it on here and I missed it? Point me to it again, I can't remember the url.
IT'S A SECRET, SHUT UP JVON :shakesfist:
If the posters here only knew what went on behind the scenes, I mean...
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My pictures are kind of all over the place. I'd post some, but they're mostly of people I like and/or am related to, and I'm afraid that people on here might be mean. :ohno:
If you find any without people post them up. I'm trying to think of a few interesting shots to take on campus at night with the strobes. The Ernie Barrett statue would be easy, but not all that cool probably. If you think of something let me know.
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have you messed with long exposure shots yet?
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have you messed with long exposure shots yet?
Hey, I started writing you a message on facebook the other night to talk photography and then realized I didn't have anything important to say so I stopped.
Have you checked out the Jardine post on ksunews? I had to do quite a bit of long exposure stuff there and you'd probably like the spinning globe shot.
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i took a photography class. learned all about the rule of thirds. and lighting and all that crap.
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i took a photography class. learned all about the rule of thirds. and lighting and all that crap.
I needed you in the construction thread when I was trying to explain why I made my wainscoting 2/3 the height of the room.
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have you messed with long exposure shots yet?
Hey, I started writing you a message on facebook the other night to talk photography and then realized I didn't have anything important to say so I stopped.
Have you checked out the Jardine post on ksunews? I had to do quite a bit of long exposure stuff there and you'd probably like the spinning globe shot.
havent seen it yet. you got a linky?
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nm. i saw them. NICE work man.
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My pictures are kind of all over the place. I'd post some, but they're mostly of people I like and/or am related to, and I'm afraid that people on here might be mean. :ohno:
If you find any without people post them up. I'm trying to think of a few interesting shots to take on campus at night with the strobes. The Ernie Barrett statue would be easy, but not all that cool probably. If you think of something let me know.
I took this one about 6 years ago, not long after I got my first SB800. If I were doing it today, I'd use a softbox held just out of frame to soften the light, and I'd probably use either a 1/2 or full CTO gel to get a closer match of the light to the sunset.
(https://goemaw.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmachafamily.org%2FAlbums%2FKState%2FDSC_3214_2.jpg&hash=4a998a625ac09e6accb7ec20e28c0c77d2534198)
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I'd just stand there and blast away on "auto" and rough ridin' nail that shot
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I'd just stand there and blast away on "auto" and rough ridin' nail that shot
OT, my mom still doesn't understand that you need to hold the camera button down so it can focus. She still thinks she should be able to press the button and "snap", photo. She keeps telling me to look for a digital camera that can do that.
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I'd just stand there and blast away on "auto" and rough ridin' nail that shot
OT, my mom still doesn't understand that you need to hold the camera button down so it can focus. She still thinks she should be able to press the button and "snap", photo. She keeps telling me to look for a digital camera that can do that.
Get her one of those Lytro cameras. Match made in heaven.
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My pictures are kind of all over the place. I'd post some, but they're mostly of people I like and/or am related to, and I'm afraid that people on here might be mean. :ohno:
If you find any without people post them up. I'm trying to think of a few interesting shots to take on campus at night with the strobes. The Ernie Barrett statue would be easy, but not all that cool probably. If you think of something let me know.
I took this one about 6 years ago, not long after I got my first SB800. If I were doing it today, I'd use a softbox held just out of frame to soften the light, and I'd probably use either a 1/2 or full CTO gel to get a closer match of the light to the sunset.
Very cool, that's kind of what I had in mind if I start testing on campus.
I got 4 yongnuo triggers today. One for the camera, one for each flash, and one to use as a shutter trigger and they work great so now I'm just waiting on the stands and umbrellas.
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I'd just stand there and blast away on "auto" and rough ridin' nail that shot
OT, my mom still doesn't understand that you need to hold the camera button down so it can focus. She still thinks she should be able to press the button and "snap", photo. She keeps telling me to look for a digital camera that can do that.
It isn't just older people either. I'm always surprised how many people pick up a new camera and mash on the button like it's a disposable.
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Screw it. This post will end with a picture I took this weekend of someone that I may or may not either like and/or be related to. This thread will suck a lot if pictures of such people never get posted in it.
But first a strobist style step by step walk through of what I did to make the picture. Think photography related FANalysis, and skip to the end as appropriate.
A request was made to me to produce a KSTATE0 picture of a tiny EMAW. What that person wants, that person gets. I decided that I would use a powercat flag as the backdrop. I didn't want to just expose the tiny EMAW and the flag with the same light, because that would produce a flat, boring picture, and I wanted to do something a little more exciting (no offense auto-blasters!). In order to get some working distance between the background and the subject, I selected a 105 mm lens (I shoot with a Nikon D300, so this lens has an angle of view equivalent to a 158mm lens on a FF camera).
I clamp the flag between a couple of light stands, and then place my camera on a tripod, and frame the powercat how I'm going to want it. I select a flash friendly f5.6 at ISO 400 because my key light is going to be an SB800 into a large modifier, and I don't want to have to fire that at full power in order to reduce cycle time between pops. From there I select a shutter speed of something like 1/40. I would like to get a little more ambient for fill, but don't want my shutter speed any slower than that. I take an exposure to check how things are going so far.
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/10651047/strobist/ksu/20120916_KStateMax_DTK_5426.jpg)
Yup, dark. Well, I'm not going to get any ambient fill, but on the bright side, I won't have to worry about the ambient polluting the color temperature.
I want to focus the light on the powercat, so I put an 8" snoot on an SB800, zoom the flash its maximum amount, and set it at 1/64 power, figuring that I won't need much light to get the exposure that I want, and knowing that I'm going to get a fair amount of spill from my key light later on. So, what does it look like?
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/10651047/strobist/ksu/20120916_KStateMax_DTK_5437.jpg)
Oops, looks like I missed. I do like how rapidly the light rolls off though, so I just need to change my aim a little.
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/10651047/strobist/ksu/20120916_KStateMax_DTK_5438.jpg)
Much better. Of course when I put my subject in I'm not going to be focused on the flag, so let's see what the background is going to look like with a stand-in in place.
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/10651047/strobist/ksu/20120916_KStateMax_DTK_5440.jpg)
Not bad. So now it's time to figure out the key. Here I'm going to use a second SB800 with a 1/4 CTO under its diffusor dome bounced into an obnoxiously huge 60" softlighter ii. The gel will add a little warmth to the EMAW. I'm going to count on wrap-around from my big modifier to alleviate the need for fill. Which is good, because I'm out of light stands, so I won't be able to use a reflector. I guess at 1/4 power, and this is what I get.
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/10651047/strobist/ksu/20120916_KStateMax_DTK_5467.jpg)
Not too much spill onto the background. The bear's nose is a little hot, but the little EMAW won't be that white, so I'm not too worried.
Here are a couple of pictures I took with my phone of the set-up:
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/10651047/strobist/ksu/2012-09-16%2015.31.07.jpg)
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/10651047/strobist/ksu/2012-09-16%2015.33.26-1.jpg)
The only thing left to do is to bring in the little EMAW, and an assistant to make sure that he doesn't fall off those two boxes that I'm using as a posing stool, and take a fantastic picture.
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/10651047/strobist/ksu/20120916_KStateMax_DTK_5497.jpg)
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[long post]
Should have included an auto blast for comparison.
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:excited:
Holy crap, that's exactly what I, and this thread needed. Thanks a lot for the detail, I'm sure I'll read through that another 10 times as I set up some test shots over the next week. I'll try to recreate something like this as I go along so you can tell me what you'd do differently.
That really is a great shot. The idea is a little K-State0, but you made it look good.
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Should have included an auto blast for comparison.
Yes, I should have. If I ever do one again, I'll auto blast the eff out of it before anything else.
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:excited:
Holy crap, that's exactly what I, and this thread needed. Thanks a lot for the detail, I'm sure I'll read through that another 10 times as I set up some test shots over the next week. I'll try to recreate something like this as I go along so you can tell me what you'd do differently.
I don't know how comfortable you are with this stuff, but I'd take a few pictures with just one light. Get to where you really know what that light is going to do, and how to balance it with ambient, and then add the second light for fill/separation/whatever.
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Screw it. This post will end with a picture I took this weekend of someone that I may or may not either like and/or be related to. This thread will suck a lot if pictures of such people never get posted in it.
But first a strobist style step by step walk through of what I did to make the picture. Think photography related FANalysis, and skip to the end as appropriate.
A request was made to me to produce a KSTATE0 picture of a tiny EMAW. What that person wants, that person gets. I decided that I would use a powercat flag as the backdrop. I didn't want to just expose the tiny EMAW and the flag with the same light, because that would produce a flat, boring picture, and I wanted to do something a little more exciting (no offense auto-blasters!). In order to get some working distance between the background and the subject, I selected a 105 mm lens (I shoot with a Nikon D300, so this lens has an angle of view equivalent to a 158mm lens on a FF camera).
I clamp the flag between a couple of light stands, and then place my camera on a tripod, and frame the powercat how I'm going to want it. I select a flash friendly f5.6 at ISO 400 because my key light is going to be an SB800 into a large modifier, and I don't want to have to fire that at full power in order to reduce cycle time between pops. From there I select a shutter speed of something like 1/40. I would like to get a little more ambient for fill, but don't want my shutter speed any slower than that. I take an exposure to check how things are going so far.
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/10651047/strobist/ksu/20120916_KStateMax_DTK_5426.jpg)
Yup, dark. Well, I'm not going to get any ambient fill, but on the bright side, I won't have to worry about the ambient polluting the color temperature.
I want to focus the light on the powercat, so I put an 8" snoot on an SB800, zoom the flash its maximum amount, and set it at 1/64 power, figuring that I won't need much light to get the exposure that I want, and knowing that I'm going to get a fair amount of spill from my key light later on. So, what does it look like?
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/10651047/strobist/ksu/20120916_KStateMax_DTK_5437.jpg)
Oops, looks like I missed. I do like how rapidly the light rolls off though, so I just need to change my aim a little.
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/10651047/strobist/ksu/20120916_KStateMax_DTK_5438.jpg)
Much better. Of course when I put my subject in I'm not going to be focused on the flag, so let's see what the background is going to look like with a stand-in in place.
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/10651047/strobist/ksu/20120916_KStateMax_DTK_5440.jpg)
Not bad. So now it's time to figure out the key. Here I'm going to use a second SB800 with a 1/4 CTO under its diffusor dome bounced into an obnoxiously huge 60" softlighter ii. The gel will add a little warmth to the EMAW. I'm going to count on wrap-around from my big modifier to alleviate the need for fill. Which is good, because I'm out of light stands, so I won't be able to use a reflector. I guess at 1/4 power, and this is what I get.
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/10651047/strobist/ksu/20120916_KStateMax_DTK_5467.jpg)
Not too much spill onto the background. The bear's nose is a little hot, but the little EMAW won't be that white, so I'm not too worried.
Here are a couple of pictures I took with my phone of the set-up:
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/10651047/strobist/ksu/2012-09-16%2015.31.07.jpg)
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/10651047/strobist/ksu/2012-09-16%2015.33.26-1.jpg)
The only thing left to do is to bring in the little EMAW, and an assistant to make sure that he doesn't fall off those two boxes that I'm using as a posing stool, and take a fantastic picture.
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/10651047/strobist/ksu/20120916_KStateMax_DTK_5497.jpg)
kid is adorbs
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I don't know how comfortable you are with this stuff, but I'd take a few pictures with just one light. Get to where you really know what that light is going to do, and how to balance it with ambient, and then add the second light for fill/separation/whatever.
I'm a complete beginner when it comes to using speedlights. I've read that using one flash can create really good results so I'll be trying out both ways. I was playing around with it on my camera the other day but it has to be on manual because the d3100 doesn't communicate with it. There's so many options between the angle, power, gels, zoom, etc. I think it will just take a lot of experimenting to figure it out but so far I'm impressed by what the single flash did indoors.
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I don't know how comfortable you are with this stuff, but I'd take a few pictures with just one light. Get to where you really know what that light is going to do, and how to balance it with ambient, and then add the second light for fill/separation/whatever.
I'm a complete beginner when it comes to using speedlights. I've read that using one flash can create really good results so I'll be trying out both ways. I was playing around with it on my camera the other day but it has to be on manual because the d3100 doesn't communicate with it. There's so many options between the angle, power, gels, zoom, etc. I think it will just take a lot of experimenting to figure it out but so far I'm impressed by what the single flash did indoors.
So when you first start out, eliminate as many variables as possible. Because you're right, there are a lot. Stick one light in one of those umbrellas that you're getting, shoot in an environment dark enough that your flash can overpower the ambient, set it at 1/4 or 1/8 power and then start taking pictures. Don't change anything but the position of your subject (can be anything) and the light relative to your background (can be anywhere). You'll quickly find that just by moving those two things around that you'll be able to get a lot of different looks.
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When I originally posted this I had a new full frame camera, a bunch of nice full frame lenses, and proceeded to never take any pictures. I tend to go overboard with my hobbies, but all of that heavy equipment made shooting seem more like a chore, especially when my free time is almost nonexistent.
I sold about $3000 worth of camera stuff, and decided to pick up a mirrorless Sony NEX-5N and some lenses. Even with some nice glass I'm still under $1000 and taking way more photos.
(https://goemaw.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-IkCK7q-BjY8%2FTlbqvG9-rPI%2FAAAAAAAAB-8%2Fi2G8vTpKSdM%2Fs400%2Fsony-nex-5n-silver.jpg&hash=78cb973058d97d8118741bb2d06ce73e96931672)
Here's a few pics from yesterday with a Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 lens and some lightroom tweaks...
(https://goemaw.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ksunews.com%2Fimages%2Fdirt-road%2FDSC00592.jpg&hash=bb8dcc55248db5f2c12ba7dddbd7e65e77609561)
(https://goemaw.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ksunews.com%2Fimages%2Fdirt-road%2FDSC00594.jpg&hash=8c33a1a29f94ff66fce25fe03cc7f66a5c34432f)
(https://goemaw.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ksunews.com%2Fimages%2Fdirt-road%2FDSC00603.jpg&hash=081b039566f55989147fda21eb97b1335bba46fc)
(https://goemaw.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ksunews.com%2Fimages%2Fdirt-road%2FDSC00611.jpg&hash=1db682b000ea8cc5cd22cfe8eb10531bab620fe8)
Hoping to get a NEX-7 at some point, but doubt I'll ever go back to a DSLR.
Here's what a pro can do with a NEX-7...
https://plus.google.com/photos/+TreyRatcliff/albums/5805669813661838625
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great pics, but "some" lightroom tweeks? come on, son.
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those look real nice, j-von.
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great pics, but "some" lightroom tweeks? come on, son.
You make a good point. I was just saying that the raw files were already full of goodness so it only took a few minutes to get it where I wanted it in lightroom. Then I copied the profile and pasted it on the others. A little brush work and it was done.
Certainly not minor tweaks, they were big changes from the originals, but I've been really happy with what it's picking up in raw format so the tweaks go quickly. I haven't been using HDR as much as I thought I would.
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great pics, but "some" lightroom tweeks? come on, son.
You make a good point. I was just saying that the raw files were already full of goodness so it only took a few minutes to get it where I wanted it in lightroom. Then I copied the profile and pasted it on the others. A little brush work and it was done.
Certainly not minor tweaks, they were big changes from the originals, but I've been really happy with what it's picking up in raw format so the tweaks go quickly. I haven't been using HDR as much as I thought I would.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiqkclCJsZs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiqkclCJsZs)
The first one especially looks pretty cool. Did you shoot those with an HDR exposure spread or was it all just LR?
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great pics, but "some" lightroom tweeks? come on, son.
You make a good point. I was just saying that the raw files were already full of goodness so it only took a few minutes to get it where I wanted it in lightroom. Then I copied the profile and pasted it on the others. A little brush work and it was done.
Certainly not minor tweaks, they were big changes from the originals, but I've been really happy with what it's picking up in raw format so the tweaks go quickly. I haven't been using HDR as much as I thought I would.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiqkclCJsZs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiqkclCJsZs)
The first one especially looks pretty cool. Did you shoot those with an HDR exposure spread or was it all just LR?
It was all LR from single images, no HDR on these. One of the big advantages of the sony nex cameras is that they give you the option for raw HDR, but I'm still getting the hang of it. I'm hoping to do some cool stuff with the stadium once it's complete.