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TerryPDX [2013-06-19 08:21:25 +0000 UTC]

yet again hot man, great shot. Same style/type clothes baseball cap

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xCrimsonxNightmarex [2010-02-05 22:10:25 +0000 UTC]

it would be really hard if i had to restrain myself from commenting on this and saying you look adorable!

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zephyrgfx [2009-08-21 12:57:17 +0000 UTC]

This is a nice one! I love the hat.
I want to have this hat too!
Good shot.

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montroytana [2009-06-28 03:19:00 +0000 UTC]

would you mind if i make a portrait for you from this picture?

im on a kick where im making portraits for all sorts of people i barely know lol

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inspiredcreativity [2009-06-14 09:21:06 +0000 UTC]

This is my favorite shot for the background, the model's expression and relaxed pose, and being a closer-up shot. All it needs is a correction to increase its dynamic Range and this becomes an excellent photo.

This photo is underexposed this time. Underexposed is much better than overexposed because it is much easier to correct compared to overexposed shots. It is easier to pull detail out of shadows that to pull detail out of highlights.

If you look at this photo, do see how the tonal range feels flat? This is very easily corrected. It just needs to have its DYNAMIC RANGE increased (basically a Contrast Adjustment). Too many of the images pixels are concentrated in the midrage to mid-shadow range. In other words, there are not many pixels in the highlights and not many in deep shadow. By redistributing the pixels so that more are in the highlights and shadows, the flat look will disappear and the photo will look sharper and more realistic.

If you have Photoshop, just go to ( Image > Adjustments > Auto Levels ) to see how much it improves the light level and contrast.

If you would like to know how to adjust and correct the Dynamic Range and Color Balance of your photos, just let me know and I will send it to you in a note.

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I see that all of these grayscale photos are in RGB mode, which is a big waste of file size. Since there is zero color information, just save this in Grayscale Mode and it will be a much smaller file size, allowing you to save it in a higher quality or size.

It is also better save your work to be posted on the internet in PNG mode (lossless compression) and TIFF for work to be used for sale, print production, digital manipulation, etc.

JPG is a thing of Satan (slight exaggeration, lol). Its compression algorithms are lossy, meaning that every single time you SAVE, it throws more and more photo information away, further degrading the shot every time you save it.

PNG does not get as good a compression, but does pretty darn good, and it NEVER throws pixel data away. TIFF can use LZW compression, which is also lossless, but file sizes are bigger. It is the industry standard for print, advertising, and basically everything not meant to be posted or used on the internet. It is great because it allows you to save layers and selections (alpha channels). Sorry, got of subject.

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When you are shooting against a horizon with sky, the sky often gets blown out, or the rest of the photo becomes too dark. Graduated Neutral Density Filters are especially handy for shooting from shadow to sky, where you would normally blow-out your sky. You can get some very good skies that way.

In short, the filter is clear on the bottom, gradually increasing near the center to transition to the filtered part of the lens in the upper half. This way the sky can be filters, while the rest of the image remains unfiltered. SEE THIS: ND filter on Flickr - Photo Sharing! [link] for a good picture.

Filters can be screwed into the lenses of most SRL cameras (screw in filters), or you can get drop-in holders for the lens, or you can simply hand-hold one in front of the lens (not very convenient.

If you're on a budget and can only afford one neutral density grad, the most useful will be a 0.6 hard grad.

How To Use Graduated Filters How To Use Graduated Filters [link]

Here is a Wikipedia on Graduated Neutral Density Filters (very useful): Graduated neutral density filter - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [link]

Here are the ways to use Filters on your camera:

Filters can be screwed into the lens of most SRL cameras (screw in filters)

For lenses that you cannot screw a filter into, there are 4 systems available (drop in filters). Here is an excellent illustration of them (about half way down page): Filters Buying Guide: Manufacturers - B+W, Cokin, Lee Filters, Hoya, and Tiffen - Vistek Pro-Camera and Video Store [link]

Additionally you can simply HOLD a filter in front of your camera lens with your hand (not very easy to do without getting the filter smudged). They come in sizes like 3"x 3" and 3" x 4".

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Filters Buying Guide (very useful & full of info)
– Intro & Construction Filters Buying Guide: Introduction to Filters and it's Construction - Vistek Pro-Camera and Video Store [link]
– Filter Types [link]
– Manufacturers [link]

A Guide for choosing the right filter: Singh-Ray Filters: Galen Rowell Graduated Neutral Density Filters [link]
Also, What Digital SLR Camera Filter Do You Need? Find a digital SLR camera filter for your lens [link]
An example of a screw-on Nikon Lens (there are Canon one too): [link]

Book on Photographic Lens Filters: F&W Publications | Book: Photographer's Guide to | 0715314009 [link]

Filters For Landscape Photography Photography Lens Filters Guide - PictureCorrect Camera Tips [link]
Here is a table showing the density of each filter and the amount of light reduction by f-stop: [link]

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