Photography...Cinematography... Beginner...Pro... Anything Goes!

I've been in a frustrated photographer mood lately. No matter what I do, I always want to get behind the camera and just capture photos and videos. Dunno what it is. Maybe it's just a phase. Thankfully, cameras these days make it look simple, with all the preset features and whatnot. I am by no means a pro, and I know VERY little about cameras. I just know that I can take some really nice shots with some luck, while most of them end up as crap. LOL...

Lately, I've been playing around with Cory's camera (a Nikon D5100) and one of the features is the Miniature feature, that I've been obsessing over as of late. I've gone around Bremerton (where I live) and took some photos and videos with this feature, and I've come up with some pretty interesting results.






This one has got to be my favorite out of the four pictures. It looks even better in video too!
(It's labelled as Bremerton Manette, in the video)


If you're into Photography/Cinematography, or if you're a frustrated photographer such as myself (or a pro/hobbyist), please share your experiences!   

Awesome shots!

I have been in to photography for a while (for fun), and have a couple friends that do it professionally in the sense of portraits and action sports for local shops/companies.

I personally always have a tougher time 'perfecting' a shot, but have begun to realize how much easier it is to get a decent shot these days, thanks to the rapid improvements and obtainable technology. While I'm no pro myself, either, I always enjoy the insight and occasional shoots I spend with my friends - learning a little more every time about a hobby I will always be learning in.

These tilt shift shots are really cool, and always add an awesome perspective to a normal shot. I also love how you have it as a built in feature. I usually do my tilt shifts in editing post-picture, but it's more genuine when you can get the effect as you take the picture. Rad shots and keep em coming!

So is that with a Nikon D5100 with a tilt shift lens, or is it a software feature in the camera itself? Either way, really cool shots! I'm a huge fan of bokeh!

I've only been playing with the camera for coming on two years, and I love it. My best decision was to go take a day class in Seattle to get familiarized with manual mode. Now everytime I try to switch out into some automatic mode (like shutter/aperture priority) I find myself mad at the camera for trying to make a decision that's not what I want, so I go back to full manual. I do appreciate a good auto focus and AWB though, so I'm not all against some sort of automation.

On the toy feature front, another favorite toy is the lensbaby lenses. I don't use them as much anymore, but I did get some nice blurred edge pictures of my fish with them. They give you a very cheap way of taking some interesting pictures, but I have to admit the novelty wore off quick.

MRTom: I've still got a lot to learn, especially with bokeh! Someday, I would love to get together with you and learn all you know about photography. I try and try and try to read books and read articles, even watch youtube videos, but it all just doesn't make any sense to me. I'm so sloooooooooooow. LOL

Whoa, lensbaby lenses sounds neat. Time for me to research!

dinnerwithwolves: I know exactly how you feel, lol! Oftentimes, I just like to point and shoot, but I never get the same results with a point and shoot camera. :\ something about the DSLR cameras, just really bring out the frustrated photographer in me, that I can't get with a point and shoot camera. Hahahaha!

I like doing macro photography but I also enjoy landscapes.
Most of my pictures are taken with an old 45mm or my ipod, My smart camera is too smart for me sometimes lol!

Those are beautiful pictures, MorganEA!

Thank you.
I'm still learning as well, the cat one is over exposed and the elk one is from my Ipod and is lower quality.

It's a cat picture... automatic masterpiece!

DSLR is great if you have it. If you have cats who hate you (for whatever reason), you can whip out your telephoto and take pictures of them against their will! This was at 205mm... from about 40 feet away, maybe? When I got closer to turn on the lights in the room, they went under the couch and hid. They thought I was coming for another dose of flea medicine!

Another tool I really need to invest in is lightroom or photoshop. I tried out ACDSee for a while, but I wasn't quite satisfied with the editing features. If I had photoshop, I'd have adjusted levels on that picture a long time ago!

Those miniature pics remind me of model railroad layout shots...great work Angelo. And everyone else, wonderful photos.

MorganEA, that elk is amazing!

I really need to learn to use the settings on my camera!

MRTom: I loooooooooooooooove love love love Photoshop! It's how I do all my work, for Mark's sideline job (Political Campaigning).

It's also a great way to edit photos. I love all the features I've yet to unlock from learning!

cichlid-gal: that's exactly what I thought of when I first saw a video of someone else doing this, and I was just amazed at how "toy-ish" it looked!

If you ever want to get together and shoot, let me know. It would be nice to have a photo buddy again. I even know how to use most of the cool settings too!

Jessikins: OOOOOOH!! That would be splendid!

That sounds like a really cool idea! If you all want more photo buddies, let me know!

I don't own Photoshop but wish I did...videos like this one are part of the reason why (there are lots of tutorials available for Photoshop on the web...once you have the basics down)

Man, I need to "legally" acquire photoshop now that I've upgraded my computer. I used to really be into medium format film, and have probably spent well over $1000 on Polaroid film. I have a huge collection of ecletic cameras, ranging from Kodak Starflex to Canon AE-1. My most prized one is a gorgous Polaroid SX-70 Model 1 with a matching leather case.

Though, my daily driver is a beatup Rebel XTi with different lenses.

My favorite is my Sunex 185 degree fisheye. I can create a full spherical panorama with only 2 shots   

bronzefighter wrote:Man, I need to "legally" acquire photoshop now that I've upgraded my computer. I used to really be into medium format film, and have probably spent well over $1000 on Polaroid film. I have a huge collection of ecletic cameras, ranging from Kodak Starflex to Canon AE-1. My most prized one is a gorgous Polaroid SX-70 Model 1 with a matching leather case.

Though, my daily driver is a beatup Rebel XTi with different lenses.

My favorite is my Sunex 185 degree fisheye. I can create a full spherical panorama with only 2 shots   

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PokeSephiroth wrote:

bronzefighter wrote:Man, I need to "legally" acquire photoshop now that I've upgraded my computer. I used to really be into medium format film, and have probably spent well over $1000 on Polaroid film. I have a huge collection of ecletic cameras, ranging from Kodak Starflex to Canon AE-1. My most prized one is a gorgous Polaroid SX-70 Model 1 with a matching leather case.

Though, my daily driver is a beatup Rebel XTi with different lenses.

My favorite is my Sunex 185 degree fisheye. I can create a full spherical panorama with only 2 shots   

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Here's an example (it's great fun at parties )

Durrr I just realized you were talking about the film... I don't think I have any of those uploaded right now. I need to get a proper scanner so I can start archiving them  

plus that stuff ain't cheap! on a good day film for my Spectra equaled out to at least $1 for every picture!

At a buck per picture, makes you want to really know what you are doing!

so your over all impression of the lensbaby is that its more novelty or can you crank out some decent photos with it?

I fiddle with my camera from time to time.  I enjoy macro, mainly flowers and some nature photography.  I don't own or understand how to edit my photos

hobbyorobsession wrote:so your over all impression of the lensbaby is that its more novelty or can you crank out some decent photos with it?

With my half frame camera, I can't really take advantage of the lensbaby. And the fact that it is full manual really limits what you can do with it! I mean, you gotta switch plates to adjust aperture! It can technically do what it promises, but it wasn't quite what I was hoping for so I moved on.

I would buy it all over again if I had to cause they are fun. If you have a spare 200 bucks, go crazy and buy a set and have some fun with them. I'd rather buy an 80 dollar lensbaby than an 1800 dollar macro.

hobbyorobsession wrote:I fiddle with my camera from time to time.  I enjoy macro, mainly flowers and some nature photography.  I don't own or understand how to edit my photos

The best photographers don't need photoshop.

Nice pictures, Daniel! :DLove the sharky one!

Ahhhh photoshop... how I love thee. (I too, need a legal copy. Maybe someday. *shakes fists* someday.)

I remember my first real breakthrough with photoshop, was when I succesfully did a "clone yourself in a photo" . . . I was so excited when I got it, and I've pretty much started learning more and more things on Photoshop. I tend to do more photo manipulation stuff on photoshop. I can't do vectoring at all, and I can't really make anything out of scratch, although I'm slowly learning how to do those as well. It's certainly an interesting hobby.






Going back to LensBaby lenses... I'm curious... So basically the effect is to make the targeted object in focus, while there's a slight radial blur as you progress away from the object.

This an be done in Photoshop (much like the TiltShift effect, if your camera doesn't have that option, OR if you don't own a tiltshift lense).

Here, I demonstrate an "artificial" lensbaby effect, with the help of photoshop. First, I went and found a picture of something that had the lensbaby effect, and then, I try to re-create it, using another stock photo, and manipulate the photo in photoshop (cs6).

(Image shot with a Lensbaby Lense)


Granted, I just learned how to do this within a couple minutes (okay, maybe 20 minutes of screwing around in photoshop, trying to find what effects were what...lol)

And this is what I got:

(Stock Image)


(Edited Stock Image with "Artificial Lensbaby" Effect)


What I'm trying to get at....with how software these days are getting more and more powerful, is it still really necessary to buy such expensive lenses? TiltShift lenses (good ones) are pricey, anywhere from $1000+... I'm pretty sure Lensbaby lenses cost a pretty penny as well. I'm sure to the untrained eye (such as myself)... you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a photo that has been manipulated through photoshop, or one that uses the necessary lens. Or...is there?

Thoughts? Opinions? Cheese?

The only advantage of having the actual lens, in my opinion, is if you were doing cinematography... as editing video with these type of effects (tiltshift, lensbaby, bokeh, etc)... can be super difficult. And by having the physical lens, you basically just shoot and record video, and the outcome will already have the desired effect. *shrug*

But yes, I am by far NOT a good photographer, hence my Frustrated Photographer title I call myself. LOL... =P

The lensbaby lenses are popular for their ridiculously low prices. I scored this guy for 80 bucks at the kenmore camera expo last year.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/580401-REG/Lensbaby_LBCC_Composer_Special_Effects_SLR.html

What you get here is a little lens that you can adjust in real time. Gives you a different degree of flexibility that coupled with photoshop allows you to do some very special things. IMO, the optical radial blur is far superior to the photoshop blur, because lights also show bokeh effects you just can't do in photoshop. They are also the cheapest way of getting a macro lens.... by a factor of 10. Here are two examples from the web:





What you don't get is something easy to use. If DSLR with its manual settings gives you a headache and makes you want to run for the automatic modes, then lensbaby, for you is not.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew!!! That looks awesome, MRTom!

I'd probably would like to own a lensbaby lens at somepoint in the future. Maybe not now, but someday. Hahaha

Easier to save 200 for a kit than whatever photoshop wants I took some awesome pics last year of Christmas lights, where I carved a little skull and crossbones aperture disk, and every light was a little skull and crossbones ghost... but now I can't find it   

Unless you have an arrr matey copy... >_>;;;;;

    

Ohhh ho ho ho . . . so bittersweet... <3