Messages

226

Macro / Re: Canon MP-E 65 1x-5x 2.8 Macro Lens example photos

« on: September 20, 2012, 06:31:19 PM »

But $1000 is a lot to pay for a lens that isn't good for much beyond shooting bugs.

I paid $500 for a pristine used copy.   

That's fantastic. I just saw your other post about buying and selling on Craigslist.

The 65mm macro should be a great lens to by used, because of its specialty status. A lot of people probably buy it without realizing how challenging it can be. And then, as a buyer, I don't necessarily have to compete with a lot of people in the used market. Most people who buy a bug lens probably aren't tight on cash, and thus buy it new (rather than used). Well, that would be my guess, anyway. ;-)

227

Macro / Re: Canon MP-E 65 1x-5x 2.8 Macro Lens example photos

« on: September 20, 2012, 05:33:45 PM »

This lens is so freaking amazing. And these shots are incredible. Big up on everyone's shots.

Eventually, I will probably get this lens. But the thing that keeps knocking it down on my list is the fact that it's primarily a "bug lens". Don't get me wrong... I love me some bug shots. And I think it would be tons of fun to go around finding bugs to shoot.

But $1000 is a lot to pay for a lens that isn't good for much beyond shooting bugs.

228

Canon General / Re: How many of us are making money out of photography ?

« on: September 20, 2012, 02:35:10 PM »

Most professional photography is low-paying grunt work that involves tons of customer service and zero job security.

...which can also be said about a lot of non-photography jobs too. ;-)

229

Canon General / Re: How many of us are making money out of photography ?

« on: September 20, 2012, 03:49:27 AM »

I make my living as a visual designer and Photoshop pro. I often work with photographs, although rarely my own.

I think it would be fantastic to be a pro photographer. But it seems like most of the money is in weddings, events, sports, and glamour shots, which might be great for people who enjoy that sort of thing. But I think I'd probably rather do the post processing for a wedding than actually shoot the damn thing.

And stock ...

Dream job!!

230

Canon General / Re: How many of us are making money out of photography ?

« on: September 20, 2012, 03:11:31 AM »

I make my living as a visual designer and Photoshop pro. I often work with photographs, although rarely my own.

I think it would be fantastic to be a pro photographer. But it seems like most of the money is in weddings, events, sports, and glamour shots, which might be great for people who enjoy that sort of thing. But I think I'd probably rather do the post processing for a wedding than actually shoot the damn thing.

231

Lenses / Re: Patent: EF 14mm f/2.8 With a New Coating

« on: September 19, 2012, 11:12:27 PM »

But my question is: "Will they discontinue the 16-35mm?" Or will they maintain three wide angle zooms in the lineup?

Hopefully they will replace the 16-35mm in the lineup (with the 14-24mm) and thus be able to lower the price (because it will sell more units at a lower price).

The patent does not cover a zoom, only a prime.

Thanks for the clarification.

I think you can see where my head is at on this one (i.e., thinking very wishfully). ;-)

232

Lenses / Re: Patent: EF 14mm f/2.8 With a New Coating

« on: September 19, 2012, 10:53:06 PM »

I agree that it might be that rare non-telephoto lens that breaks into the $3k price range.

But my question is: "Will they discontinue the 16-35mm?" Or will they maintain three wide angle zooms in the lineup?

Hopefully they will replace the 16-35mm in the lineup (with the 14-24mm) and thus be able to lower the price (because it will sell more units at a lower price).

233

Lighting / Re: Direct Flash - How to make it useful?

« on: September 18, 2012, 07:43:34 PM »

I received my wing light today. They're are a few things I will have to tweak on it but otherwise its the best direct flash I've ever seen.

Will post later when I get some time behind it.

I checked this out and it looks promising! Definitely keep us posted.

234

Lighting / Re: Need Assistance on how to improve skin tones with strobes

« on: September 18, 2012, 04:08:04 PM »

I also got an unresponsive page with a blank target area. Chrome on a Mac.

235

Software & Accessories / Re: Google Buys Nik Software

« on: September 17, 2012, 02:07:03 PM »

Apparently Nik was in business for 17 years. Wow. One thing to consider is that Nik might not have been very profitable; and so this would be a well-deserved reward for the founders.

I agree that this probably does not bode well for Nik's pro / client-based apps. It seems likely that Google will carry various Nik features into new Google products. But it does seem likely that Google will discontinue the Nik software line in its current form. This acquisition of Nik could also be an "acqui-hire" where they simply want to use the Nik team on totally new Google projects.

R.I.P. Silver Efex???

236

Lighting / Re: Need Assistance on how to improve skin tones with strobes

« on: September 15, 2012, 02:52:44 PM »

I appreciate the compliments. I would say my edit is maybe 75% of how good it could be. I just wanted to give it a quick try (45min). The skin tone of the face is still off a bit, I think. But the splotches are fixed and the color scheme is more appealing.

I find that getting colors right usually requires experimenting with all of the color controls in concert, bouncing back and forth between them. It can be helpful to think of color editing as a zero-sum game of "color ping pong". To remove the red, I definitely made sure to compensate with other colors (so that it doesn't flatten out). I was able to remove the red splotchiness in the HSL controls by reducing the red saturation, upping the orange saturation, and increasing the luminance on the red (because part of the problem was that the red was dark). I also dropped the overall saturation.

The bottom line is that color is crazy complicated and it's all about experimentation and keeping your eyes fresh while you work.

I tried to attach my Lightroom settings for this shot, but the forum won't allow me to attach ".dng" files (and for good reason). But anyone is welcome to send me a private message and I will send you the settings I used here.

237

Lighting / Re: Need Assistance on how to improve skin tones with strobes

« on: September 15, 2012, 04:05:07 AM »

Lightroom

238

Lenses / Re: Should I sell 35L f/1.4 to get 24-70II?

« on: September 15, 2012, 01:23:34 AM »

This is a great question. And I would say it is very similar to the following question:

"If you can have only ONE lens in the "standard" range, what would it be?"

Obviously, the answer needs to be matched to sensor size.

For me, the answers comes down to bokeh and night shooting. With a 5D3, both of these lenses are capable of getting a proper exposure in almost any circumstance. But the minimum DOF of an f/2.8 simply doesn't come close to an f/1.4.

I've been considering a 35mm f/1.4 L, but I'll definitely be curious to see just how soft it is at f/1.4. Hopefully this 24-70mm will cause people to dump their 35s and lower the price! :-)

239

Software & Accessories / Re: Need help on neck/Shoulder Strap for camera body...!!!

« on: September 14, 2012, 09:32:28 PM »

Black Rapid RS-7

The only downside of the RS series of straps is that you generally need to keep a hand on your camera so that it doesn't swing around while you're walking. The RS straps work great while you're shooting, but not so great for long walks. I tend to put my camera in a Lowe Pro while I'm walking. But while shooting, the RS straps do a great job of keeping the strap out of the way.

240

Lenses / Re: 24mm F/1.4L II or 24mm-70mm F/2.8 II

« on: September 13, 2012, 03:18:40 AM »

For street primes, it seems like 35mm and 50mm primes are the most versatile lengths.