Photography

[Anonymous]

I notice a fair few people around here list photography in there hobbies..
only something ive recently got into, well always like taking photographs but have always survived on rubbish digital cameras..
Finally this summer upgraded to a better spec camera, a Fuji S9500, still a digital but with manual zoom, focus and all of the settings normally seen on a slr camera..

Still very much learning about using ISO, Exposure, and Shutter speeds effectively, so will probably be grilling people on how to use them better, and looking for tips on how to take better photographs..

A Few of the better photographs ive managed in the last few months since starting..

The Wife In Paris

The Big V Playing at a recent festival. The Girl is a freind of ours

A street performer in montemartre, the view over paris from montematre reflected in the ball

 

[Anonymous]

Pet Cemetary in Paris

The Day after the tour in paris at les doux maggot (a famous restaurant apparently.. spent £20 on a damn teapot )

Cycling in North Devon

Most of mine have avoided high speed shots, not really yet got the hang on shutter speeds v exposure etc to get good action shots.. or i get the speed right, but have not had time to focus on the action before taking the shot.. how do you get the hang on pre-focusing.. Going to take the camera up to the tour of britain in london and see if I can get the hang, so any advice on settings for photographing cycling would be great...

 

[elapid]

Action photos can be difficult from both a digital camera and a photographer perspective. The lag time with some digital cameras can be frustrating and other than buying another camera with a shorter lag time there is no easy way around it. For most action shots, the camera needs to be as quick as possible so either set your camera to the lowest f-stop (or widest aperture so it allows in the most light quickly) in aperture (A)-priority mode or the fastest speed in the speed (S)-priority mode. If you have a digital SLR, then a good lens helps. I just bought a very fast lens (70-200mm f2.8) and it makes a world of difference for action photos. Then there is the photographer and this is where I suck with action photos. Good panning technique is important and it only comes with practice.

Having said all of that, you photos are great. Love the monochrome, gives it more mood.

You are also in the centre for amateur photography. There are so many mags and courses in the UK, especially compared to Canada. Also, here are some good websites for advice, posting photos for critique, and forums:

http://photo.net/
http://www.fotocommunity.com/
http://www.ephotozine.com/

Cannot wait to see your Tour of Britain photos.

 

[kiwirider]

Going to take the camera up to the tour of britain in london and see if I can get the hang, so any advice on settings for photographing cycling would be great...

Have had no training in photography, but I have got a number of my photos on the "old site" here and been published in a couple of magazines ... Comments are a bit more on the ins and outs of taking photos rather than settings - but regardless, take my 10c worth with however many pinches of salt you wish ...

I'm not into big lenses and all that. It is amazing what you can do with a relatively short lens - I have a 24-120 lens that sits on my D70 all the time. Then get as up close and personal to the racers as you can - the "Cartier-Bresson version of sports photography". Insides of corners are always good places. Pinch spots on climbs make for some great perspective shots. Yeah, sure, you're not going to get the sprints - but unless you've got a press pass, you're not getting a particularly good finish line shot anyhow. Note: this technique also works for motorcycle road racing (and occassionally on circuits if you can talk your way into the in field) - just remember that they're moving bloody quickly and that you don't want to hang out onto the track at all!!

The other thing that can stand you in good stead is having a knowledge of the sport. It is amazing how many "professional sports photogrpahers" don't seem to understand cycling. Knowing the sport - so knowing the points where attacks may go and watching the riders as they come past to see who looks like they're planning something puts you in good stead for getting some good shots.

Composition is pretty much as per any other type of shot. Although don't get too hung up on precise composition - you're playing with subjects who are moving and are thinking about everything other than giving you the perfect shot (most of the time - occassionaly they play up to the camera). Near enough is good enough - the software at home can do the rest.

Be wary of backgrounds. There's typically a heap of stuff going on in a race and it is really easy to come out with a flat shot where the subject is swamped in a mass of cars, spectators and other riders. Play around with depth of field to give you what you want in that regard.

Move around the circuit as much as you can. If it's a circuit race that's obviously pretty easy. If it's point to point, that gets a little harder to achieve. But moving is especially important if you want to get things published - I had one editor who told me he didn't want any of my shots because I'd only taken them from two locations on the circuit (and then put in shots from one of his staffers taken from those same two spots plus one more ... ).

Most importantly get out and have fun enjoying being at the race.

 

[usedtobefast]

back in school i shot for the paper and yearbook. also had classes in darkroom
technique. i still have my old Pentax 35mm, with only my tele left as a great
all round lens. i have a couple of digi cameras, with the little Nikon giving some
nice resolution for being so small. the digi cameras are tough for action.
i liked kodak tri x pan black and white film, 400asa. we used to push it to
1600 to get good sports action night shots. it has that little bit of grain, that
makes black and white a nice format. if i find something cool i will post it.
i have a lot of film prints and they don't scan as well as i would like. i like seeing others folks work too, so post away.

 

[usedtobefast]

back in school i shot for the paper and yearbook. also had classes in darkroom
technique. i still have my old Pentax 35mm, with only my tele left as a great
all round lens. i have a couple of digi cameras, with the little Nikon giving some
nice resolution for being so small. the digi cameras are tough for action.
i liked kodak tri x pan black and white film, 400asa. we used to push it to
1600 to get good sports action night shots. it has that little bit of grain, that
makes black and white a nice format. if i find something cool i will post it.
i have a lot of film prints and they don't scan as well as i would like. i like seeing others folks work too, so post away.

 

[craig1985]

Just quickly:

Ha Long Bay in Vietnam.

 

[the truth.]

holiday snaps

WTF


whats next- gas milage? cost of childcare?

 

[mikealhussy]

All Photograph are beautiful. Thanks for your tour photo. Action photograph are most diffucult.

 

[usedtobefast]

a very blue moon...

 

[usedtobefast]

vlad guerrero getting a base hit. you can see the ball heading to the outfield.
taken on a not so fancy digi camera, with the calendar on.

 

[Anonymous]

todays offering.. nijinkski's grave in paris (i thought nijinski was a racehorse)

as for cycling ones, going to have a bash next weekend.. tour of britain comes a few miles from the house on the friday so going to head out (which is going to annoy the wife ridiculously cos she is working) and then head up to london on saturday.. see if i can work out these apetures..

 

[180mmCrank]

WTF


whats next- gas milage? cost of childcare?

It wouldn't be a cafe without holiday snaps...

Here's one of mine

 

[Anonymous]

IMHO some of the absolute best cycling photography I've seen was by Caroline Yang
http://www.carolineyang.com/ She covered the Tour a few years. Most online pics of races are the samo samo "crossing the finish line both arms in the air" repeat stuff. Her work makes the riders come alive as people. I was sorry when she stopped.

 

[elapid]

IMHO some of the absolute best cycling photography I've seen was by Caroline Chang
http://www.carolineyang.com/ She covered the Tour a few years. Most online pics of races are the samo samo "crossing the finish line both arms in the air" repeat stuff. Her work makes the riders come alive as people. I was sorry when she stopped.

Very nice. Thanks for the link.

 

[usedtobefast]

i just wanted to bring this back to the front. i got nothing. anyone?

 

[usedtobefast]

flower power

 

[elapid]

Nice photo usedtobefast. I like the colours and sharpness throughout the entire photo.

One of the major festivals in Ottawa is the Tulip Festival. The tulips are basically a gift from the government of the Netherlands to the people of Canada in gratitude for Canadian soldiers helping liberate the Netherlands in WWII. Here are my two favourite photos of tulips from these festivals.

This is a sunflower photo while visiting family in Markt Neuhodis is Austria last year.

 

[krebs303]

Los Angeles County Fair

 

[Anonymous]

 

[Anonymous]

 

[Anonymous]

 

[Anonymous]

well while we are on flowers (and some of those previous ones are superb)...

monets gardens in giverney this summer

 

[Anonymous]

gotta say, weve got some pretty damn good photographers on this forum..

a couple more random ones from this summer in paris...

basillique Sacre Couer

Parisien Pigeon

another of the performers in montatre.. we took a whole series of about 20 photos.. great bunch of guys

 

[Anonymous]

and some graveyards...

Nijinsky

monteparnasse

monteparnasse tower in the background.. :/