The Photography Thread

[MartyG]

It definitely makes a difference on my Epson Ink Jet - but it is quite an old printer ( though was pretty high-end when I bought it ) - if I try to scale to page size without setting the DPI to match the printer I get some odd results, I find it's far better to alter the DPI than let the printer try to cope with it.

Small size pics it doesn't seem to matter ( it probably doesn't need all the information in the source ), but when I'm scaling up, it makes a difference for the output I get.

Maybe I need to get a new printer :/

[Alastair]

Dan, copy and pasted from another forum:



Pretty much what Fragglerock said. That shot was:
Tripod and remote release
3 second exposure
f8
ISO 100

You may find that any exposure is fine, don't try to meter it as if you get a black sky background the brightness of the fireworks will be enough to imprint on the sensor. I was basically using bulb mode to take my shots and holding it open until the interesting things stopped. If you do try to meter when there is nothing in the sky it'll just tell you 30 seconds which will be way too much. Open the shutter when you think a firework is going to go off and close it when the interesting burst has finished.

Framing is an issue, you'll get a feel for where things are happening but I'd suggest going a little wider angle just to be safe as your best shot otherwise is bound to have the edge of a burst cut off.

Also, wind. make sure the wind is behind you otherwise it'll be all **** cloudy shots with smoke in front of the bursts.

Hope that helps.

[funkydan]

Yes thanks Al - I've not used the BULB mode before so is this how it works - you set the shutter speed to BULB, frame the shot etc, hold down the shutter button until you want to take the shot, take your finger off to take the shot and hold it off until you want the shot to stop (hence the need for the tripod), and then depress the shutter once again to sort of put it back into hold mode before you take your next shot? Is that right?

[Alastair]

Erm, no. Hold it down to open the shutter, let it go when you've finished. You'll be needing a cable release really to eliminate shake.

[funkydan]

Erm, no. Hold it down to open the shutter, let it go when you've finished. You'll be needing a cable release really to eliminate shake.

I have much to learn! Don't have a cable release either, so may just use a 1/250th shutter speed and see how I get on

Thanks for the advice

[Alastair]

Get one off ebay for about a fiver delivered Dan, it really is worth it and you'll open up a whole load more possibilities in photography. Long exposure work is great.

1/250th will be **** for fireworks I promise, if you catch anything that fast it'll be little pin head explosions where as a long shutter will catch everything that happens from the rocket leaving a trail as it goes up to each individual bursts detail.

that shot I posted has around 8 different bursts in it and I'd guess that only 2 or 3 were visible at the same time but over 3 seconds I caught all that.

[Alastair]

Not that anyone ever comments on my shots anymore (guess I'm getting stale and staid or something) but here's one that's being printed for the show at the w/e. First go at using flash on people. I have a bit of tracing paper over the end to diffuse and was bouncing it off the ceiling.

This guy had the most striking eyes.

[funkydan]

Get one off ebay for about a fiver delivered Dan, it really is worth it and you'll open up a whole load more possibilities in photography. Long exposure work is great.

1/250th will be **** for fireworks I promise, if you catch anything that fast it'll be little pin head explosions where as a long shutter will catch everything that happens from the rocket leaving a trail as it goes up to each individual bursts detail.

that shot I posted has around 8 different bursts in it and I'd guess that only 2 or 3 were visible at the same time but over 3 seconds I caught all that.

Ah ok, I will get one of those things soon but not before the weekend I don't think (they come from HK), so could you recommend a decent (presumably slower) shutter speed that I could use? Sorry for all the demanding questions but I do appreciate your patience and advice

[Gareth C]

Not that anyone ever comments on my shots anymore

OK...I have taken the bait!

I really like this shot, the red clour in the BG is a little distracting but its still a great portrait. His eyes are amazing. Oooh, sailor!

[Alastair]

OK...I have taken the bait!

I really like this shot, the red clour in the BG is a little distracting but its still a great portrait. His eyes are amazing. Oooh, sailor!

It wasn't bait as such mate, it's how I feel, I never seem to get comments here anymore. I'm happy to hear good or bad comments or I wont get any better. Thanks for taking the time.

The red got me thinking too, I've done a cracking BW conversion too but when compared side by side the red seemed to give the image something the BW is missing. I'll look at them again tonight before I sort them properly for print.

Dan, whatever slow shutter you can get away with I guess, will depend how steady your hand is/how sturdy your tripod is if it affects the cam when on the tripod lots or not.

[funkydan]

Thanks Al, I'll be interested to see what I can manage to do. I do have a tripod so I think I will try to at least use that and have a go with BULB too.

As for your photo above it is extremely sharp and the colour tones are cracking - the guy does have striking eyes indeed, although I find them a little weird. Green eyes always weird me out after seeing that woman in They Live! Good shot though Al and sorry if we've been neglecting you. The love in this thread seems to come in fits and spurts and it just depends who's around I guess

[Gareth C]

It wasn't bait as such mate, it's how I feel, I never seem to get comments here anymore.

No, I was only joking about the bait thing.

Feedback here seems a bit hit and miss. I think the problem is that people are obviously and understandably reluctant to leave any feedback which may be construed as negative.

It happens a lot. Flickr is very similar and its only one or two other forums that I go to where I can get real (and useful) feedback.

I will try to be more constructive (positive or negative) in the future.

[Alastair]

Me too, I can't claim to be perfect at giving feedback and I don't want to discourage people.

Prepare for some feedback people, both glowing and constructive

[Ginger Tosser]

I have much to learn! Don't have a cable release either, so may just use a 1/250th shutter speed and see how I get on

Thanks for the advice

Also one other thing to remember about timed shots. Make sure you don't have a bright light source behind the camera. Light can leak through the viewfinder and cause incorrect exposure settings. The standard Canon EOS strap normally has a rubber viewfinder cover to put in place when needed (eye piece needs to be taken off)

[MonkeySteve]

Found this from a few years ago and gave it a quick going over. As I've only just gained a keen interest in photography a lot of my old photos are a bit 'meh', but I really like this one.