Messages

31

Lenses / Re: UV filters (any difference?)

« on: March 04, 2013, 06:51:32 PM »

Proven to make your images softer but protect your lens from a tree. your call.

Noticeably softer?  I would like to see the source of that fact (unless you are referring to cheap filters).

http://www.digitalrev.com/article/uv-filter-vs-no-uv/OTMwNA_A_A

6:30 in.

also stated in this is the earlier made point that modern chips don't pick up uv rays anyway.

proof: conclusive 

32

Lenses / Re: your goto everyday lens and why?

« on: March 04, 2013, 02:40:12 PM »

50mm 1.4 on 5Diii

no matter what lenses I take to do anything I end up just sticking the 50mm on and it seems to get exactly what I want from it. if I'm using the 24-105 I end up getting annoyed and take it off, if I'm using a 70-300 I end up getting annoyed and take it off. I shoot everything with it. It's crazy.

It used to be 28mm 1.8 on my 7D. A little wider side by side and a bit more forgiving on the DOF but when I bought the 5D I couldn't use a crop sensor as a back up as the focal lengths just make no sense when swapping quickly between bodies. the curse of the 5Diii, you never want/need to use anything else. I bought a 2nd hand 5Dii as a second body and that's only been used to test if it works even though I planned on doing weddings with both and not having to swap lenses over. I sold everything crop and EF-s including an ultra wide as landscapes generally escape me or hate me.

the only time I ever reach for the 24-105 is for the groups and it bores the hell out of me. maybe I'd get on better with the 24-70 2.8 shooting around f3.5.

I feel like I'm cheating on the 28mm now, it's like the girl you've always had around that's great but then the 50mm turns up and steals the show. I'd equate the 24-105 being the lady of questionable morals in a bag of lenses that you should really avoid unless absolutely necessary... 70-300, she's not pretty but sometimes that's what you need to get the job done.

I love the analogies.

Personally, it's very hard for me to pick just ONE lens.  It depends on the situation. 

A day at Disneyland, I want my young and skinny 40mm. 

Studio portraits, and wedding candids, I want the 70-200 2.8 IS II all day (my "big, busty, and beautiful").

Casual shooting: the 24-70 II, plain but effective

Night time events, low light w/o flash, the 35 L (my late night mistress)

I did go a little deeper on my first draft of that post but I ended up toning it down somewhat... these are modern times, gentlemen. It's not the 70's any more and it's no longer acceptable to slap your secretary on the arse and call her sugartits when you send her to make the coffee. We've learnt that the hard way. I thought I'd spare the ladies my bawdy outbursts that so often let down my professionalism. you should have read what I'd written about the lensbaby composer and totty in little black dresses...

33

Lenses / Re: UV filters (any difference?)

« on: March 04, 2013, 01:59:04 PM »

I thought Kai from digital rev had already proven that UV filters were useless on dSLRs apart from protecting them when he was smashing it against a tree??? have a look for that video.

Proven to make your images softer but protect your lens from a tree. your call.

34

Lenses / Re: your goto everyday lens and why?

« on: March 04, 2013, 01:41:01 PM »

50mm 1.4 on 5Diii

no matter what lenses I take to do anything I end up just sticking the 50mm on and it seems to get exactly what I want from it. if I'm using the 24-105 I end up getting annoyed and take it off, if I'm using a 70-300 I end up getting annoyed and take it off. I shoot everything with it. It's crazy.

It used to be 28mm 1.8 on my 7D. A little wider side by side and a bit more forgiving on the DOF but when I bought the 5D I couldn't use a crop sensor as a back up as the focal lengths just make no sense when swapping quickly between bodies. the curse of the 5Diii, you never want/need to use anything else. I bought a 2nd hand 5Dii as a second body and that's only been used to test if it works even though I planned on doing weddings with both and not having to swap lenses over. I sold everything crop and EF-s including an ultra wide as landscapes generally escape me or hate me.

the only time I ever reach for the 24-105 is for the groups and it bores the hell out of me. maybe I'd get on better with the 24-70 2.8 shooting around f3.5.

I feel like I'm cheating on the 28mm now, it's like the girl you've always had around that's great but then the 50mm turns up and steals the show. I'd equate the 24-105 being the lady of questionable morals in a bag of lenses that you should really avoid unless absolutely necessary... 70-300, she's not pretty but sometimes that's what you need to get the job done.

35

Technical Support / Re: Dubai Pro Photographic Equipment Suppliers

« on: February 22, 2013, 04:04:26 AM »

how would the tax work with doing such a thing?

36

Technical Support / Re: Dubai Pro Photographic Equipment Suppliers

« on: February 21, 2013, 12:21:11 PM »

Thanks, I'm having someone source over there just to make sure on the prices. It's quite difficult to get information. buying it in the uk and taking it over does seem to be the best option though

37

Technical Support / Re: Dubai Pro Photographic Equipment Suppliers

« on: February 21, 2013, 07:10:35 AM »

I have done internet research but I'd rather have a professionals opinion that frequents such a store

38

Technical Support / Dubai Pro Photographic Equipment Suppliers

« on: February 21, 2013, 06:43:30 AM »

I'm tasked with starting a photographic department in Dubai for a sister branch of my firm. Having never been there or knowing what's available, what is the Dubai version of Calumet? Is there a store in the city where I can get hold of Canon/Bowens/Colourama? I need a 1Dx, 3 Bowens Heads/soft boxes & boom stand/arm, etc... so it's pretty high end stuff.

Reliability & customer service is a must

Cheers x

39

Technical Support / Re: Photographing paintings for a Catalogue help please

« on: February 20, 2013, 09:01:58 AM »

2 flash heads (bowens preferably) either side of the painting with small soft boxes will do it. set both to f16 or something. depending on the type of painting it is (oil or watercolour or acrylic) is how wide you have them to catch brushstrokes. make sure they're equal distances though. you can do them on a wall or facing down to the floor. wall is probably easier though then you're not working around the legs of your tripod... photo with 50mm or bigger to avoid verticals and horizontals being off.

either that or send them to me and I'll knock them out proper for £70 a pop

40

Sports / Re: It's just not cricket

« on: February 08, 2013, 08:46:43 AM »

Cricket? Is that when they play for 36 hours and then suddenly somebody picks up the ball and throws it over the sideline and someone wins?

Noooo, learn the rules, mate.

you play for 5 days and then it rains/goes dark early and it's declared a draw.

41

Canon General / Re: What's your definition of "Pro"?

« on: February 07, 2013, 07:34:40 AM »

I had point and shoot film cameras from an early age. I worked from 18 as a studio assistant, learnt the ropes with regards to lighting and re-touching. I spent lots of time in the dark loading 5x4 film into slides, I spent lots of time with an enlarger making prints, I spent lots of time with lighting, exposure meters and polaroids making sure exposures were correct (and they were to within a quarter of a stop, I might add). In my spare time I shot bands (with a mamiya 645). When the studio mover over to digital, I basically taught the boss to use digital cameras and photoshop. his main photographer left the company, I became the number 1 in the studio. He retired when I was 22 so I went to uni and studied graphic design & photography, I have a 2:1. I left there, started to work in a watch design studio in the graphics department. I started a photography studio with 5 bowens lights, a canon 1Ds mk3 and a G4 mac... The first year I saved the company 80K on photography... now god only knows how much I do. most of the watch advertising in magazines, on the internet and in brochures that you'll see is done by me (only the good stuff). I wanted a home set up, I bought a camera and some lights. then I bout another camera. and another. and more lights. and more crap. and more lenses. After enjoying shooing models and promo shots for bands I thought I'd have a go at wedding photography 2 years ago. I've just done my 11th last weekend. I'm pretty pleased with it. I aim to create the best pictures I can using the bet lighting I can get out of a situation, the sun, a reflector, a window, a strobe, 3 strobes, big lights, big lights + strobes...

I'd never consider myself a pro.

I earn just enough money to live by running the studio here at work, not for myself but for someone else but I'd never charge for anything I shoot outside of work. most photographers i know go mental because I'll do a 14 hour wedding and all the post-production for free (only for friends & friends of friends) If someone contacted me to do a wedding and it wasn't a friend or through a friend I'd turn them down.

I make sure all my equipment is maintained appropriately and I always have a back up for bodies and lenses (which included me spending £800 on a 5Dii last week just for this wedding)

when I've shot 100 weddings and I'm happy with all 100 of them, then I might consider thinking I'm on my way to being half almost decent. but not a pro.

When you've worked with a real pro who knows what to do in any given situation as things are constantly changing then it really puts you in your place.

you may have a real sweet set up and make some money from your stock images but there has to be more about you to be considered a pro. It's hard to pin down. they are out there, somewhere, and it's something to aspire to, not just a label that you give yourself because you over charge for your crappy pictures or because you'll have a pop at me for not charging.

42

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Emergency wedding, of sorts.

« on: February 06, 2013, 06:53:12 PM »

For future amateurs who are asked to shoot a wedding for a friend and to just have fun, you only need to rent one thing...

a professional photographer!

Some people have given some great advice, but advice is not experience.  Be a second shooter before you decide to accept the job of being the only shooter. If you are lucky then you might get away with shooting your first wedding by yourself but most people will not be that lucky and more crappy $150 wedding albums will be created.

everyone has to start somewhere, who knows, he may just have what it takes from the off? what better place to jump in than at the deep end?

I remember my first wedding...

Although I had been a commercial photographer for about 10 years before hand,. there's nothing quite like that rush of being plunged in way over you head

43

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Emergency wedding, of sorts.

« on: February 06, 2013, 08:00:31 AM »

do you think that it went so bad that the dude got killed???

44

EOS Bodies - For Stills / First big job using FF - for all the FF nay-sayers

« on: February 04, 2013, 07:46:22 AM »

So this is kind of in response to the nay-sayers of that canon interview where the dude is basically saying the future of canon is FF and everyones going off their tits about the future of 7Dii (or 70D if you're that way inclined)

I shot my first wedding with the paring of a 5Diii and a 5Dii (stepping up from last seasons 7D & 60D paring) and I coud not have had a more pleasurable time doing it. It was crazy just how nice it all worked out. I was originally a little bit anxious about it as the only other job for someone else I'd done with the 5Diii was a studio model shoot so I was out in the field without anything to fall back on.

I don't know if I'm slightly trolling here but just from what I've found this weekend, FF is the way forward... if you do own a 7D and you don't need the FPS then sell it and get a second hand 5Dii. The IQ and ability to frame is an amazing step up. I think I shot 90% of it with the 50mm 1.4 and just used the 24-105 for the group shots.

The colours, the image quality, the depth, the sharpness... I could go on

I wont put the pics on here as I've still to show the bride, but I have processed a couple of shots for testers and have them on my blog wentdownfighting.tumblr.com

I'm not the greatest photog in the world nor was this the most glamourous of weddings but I'm very pleased with the initial results 

I may even flippantly throw in my doubt that photog > equipment even applies any more...

45

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: Emergency wedding, of sorts.

« on: February 02, 2013, 04:03:04 PM »

Was this wedding today?? how did it go?!!!?!?!?!?!!!!???!!!!!!!one111!!!!