Messages

46

Animal Kingdom / Re: Wrong Photography Ethics?

« on: May 12, 2013, 02:59:56 AM »

if i retouch the dust spots out of my image is it no longer a photo?

i am simply stunned at the absurdity of this thread with so many people trying to tell everyone what is and isn't photography. its a pretty pointless exercise. ask yourselves this....who appointed you (in the general sense) the definer of the medium of photography and why should anyone listen?

art and photography are not mutually exclusive.

I enjoy this thread, it's a perfectly valid question from Sanj to the forum members and I think the discussion has developed nicely. It's fun to try to define this and also to some extent important. At least that's my view.

I agree, totally.

And it's a CR Forum thread, you don't "listen" you read.

Plus if the thread & comments/advice contained within don't meet with your particular brand of principals, then just move on to a thread/topic you do enjoy, and feel free to comment.

The Op asked for advise/Comments, with one or two exceptions the majority of Posters have done their best to assist the Op in what he asked and done so in a Positive manner, for you to define all the Posters here as absurd, is absurd.

And yes, at times these Threads drift off topic, but it's the nature of the beast when your dealing with individuals that have different views on how to answer the original query.

47

Software & Accessories / Re: GoPro Video and Helicopters

« on: May 11, 2013, 11:01:30 PM »

For aerial video the Hero 3 is a good starting point. The video quality is ok especially for just playing around. The Hero 3 is not a good choice for aerial photos. I don't have a way to switch the camera from taking video to taking stills. With the Sony NEX 5N I can switch between photos and video from the ground with the flip of a switch on my transmitter, through an LED remote sitting in front of the camera. With the Hero I can grab stills from the video, but I can get a much higher quality photos from the APS C sensor in the Sony in both still and video modes. There is also a lot of fisheye with the hero that becomes distracting.

I believe putting a good quality camera in the air has some interesting possibilities such as real estate work, I've also does a few large group photos from the air. There is some question as to how legal it currently is in the US, but Obama has given a directive to the FAA to formally allow drones for commercial use in the USA by 2015. Currently most other countries around the world allow for drone use on commercial work. Many of the tv and movie shots are now being done using these types of small RC helicopters.

Here is a photo of helicopter I am using now...

Hi Chris, I noticed the Helicopter has "Graupner" on the Props, but I dont see this model on their web site at all, do you have a link.

Love the video, I can just see flying this around a Group of Lions, carefully.

48

Animal Kingdom / Re: Wrong Photography Ethics?

« on: May 11, 2013, 08:42:05 PM »

For Mick

These Rules apply to Nat Geo's Photographic Competition, they do not Apply to Nat Geo Photographers that are supplying Articles/Photographs that will eventually go into the Magazine, Yes, there are rules that apply to these Guys as well, but "No Manipulation at All" is not one of them.

Have you ever seen a B&W Image in a Nat Geo Magazine ?? Manipulated.

Have you ever seen a Stitched Panorama in a Nat Geo Magazine ?? Manipulated

Have you ever seen an Image that employs stacked focussing in a Nat geo Magazine ?? Manipulated

Have you ever seen an Image that's been cropped etc Saturation levels increased etc

You get the Picture I'm sure.

49

Animal Kingdom / Re: Wrong Photography Ethics?

« on: May 11, 2013, 08:31:51 PM »

My view is quite a simple one. If you look at National Geographic magazine you will see photographs beyond what we see on here. Yet,they were all taken in camera. If such can be taken in camera, why do you need a computer to make your images look better when they dont?

+1

Mick, are you saying that no photos published in Nat Geo has been post processed?

Hi Mick, sorry, but your basically wrong.

The attached Photo is the front cover of the February 1982 National Geographic Magazine, it became quite famous due to the fact that the Nat Geo Photographer, Gordon Gahan, moved the Pyramids closer together in Post (Photoshop) to achieve a more "aesthetically" pleasing photo. His other Photos taken during this shoot were all either staged (he paid Camel drivers to ride backwards & forwards in front of the Pyramids to achieve his aims, or they were adjusted in Post for colour, saturation, crop etc.

I personally know 3 Photographers that frequently Provide Photographs & Articles for National Geographic Magazine, all provide both the RAW image & the Final Image to the editors, but Image manipulation is part and parcel of todays Photography, even at Nat Geo, They (Nat Geo) clearly do have more stringent rules regards the Images, but Mick, to think every Image you see in a Nat Geo Magazine in the year 2013 is a RAW Image, when at least since 1982 manipulation has been going on, is a little naive.

And Mick, to blanket statement that no one posting images on CR is in the same Ball Park as anyone that provides Images to National Geographic is simply a Blanket Insult, I dont remember ever seeing anyone on this Forum compare themselves to a Nat Geo Photographer, but I've certainly seen Images on this site that would be a shoe In for a Nat Geo Magazine.

50

EOS Bodies / Re: Bye Canon?

« on: May 10, 2013, 09:30:44 PM »

Get a room guys.

Yep, Agree, take a break guys and move your lives on, you'll both feel better for it.

51

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: iPhone5 or 1Dx

« on: May 10, 2013, 03:00:32 AM »

I don't get the point of this thread.

I dont think there was one, the Op was bored & decided to see how much of response he could get from posing a ludicrous scenario, a little like the chap a few days ago that wanted advice on wether or not he should buy a 1Dx now, or wait for the 1Dx2sx31etc, in Blue with pink splotches.

52

Animal Kingdom / Re: Wrong Photography Ethics?

« on: May 09, 2013, 07:58:02 PM »

Most of us are not forensic photographers who shoot crime scenes and dead bodies ... photography for me is a passionate hobby and an art form ... I'm no good at drawing or painting or sculpting  ... the closest I can hope to get to any decent art form is making images and manipulating them the way I like ... I am happy to manipulate and change images so they are pleasing and/or compelling to look at ... even if it mans adding a lighting bolt or removing an ugly wire or add an extra cheetah or make a fat person look a little slimmer (in fact I routinely use liquify tool to make people, with a big paunch, look a little slimmer) and as a photographer it gives me great joy to see people feel good about themselves when they look at the images I've manipulated ... I don't give a damn if the so called "purists" think it is unethical ... I thank God everyday that photography is my hobby and that it gives me a chance to look for beauty in the world around me and if I can't see it, I'll just manipulate that scene in photoshop, and I don't need to worry about being unethical coz I am not a forensic photographer shooting crime scenes and dead bodies.

Pretty well what I feel as well, well said.

Hi Sanj, the "African" Dilemma in June July, no Clouds. Photography to me is a form of Art, as mentioned above by 'Rienzphtoz', it gives some of us the opportunity to create something from what's around us, something hopefully that will give pleasure to others. Manipulation has pretty well always been part of Photography, the Wet Darkroom in todays digital world has simply been replaced with the likes of Photoshop, On One, Nik etc, every Photo I take goes into LR4 on to Photoshop and often into On One or Nik etc, I don't believe by doing this you are changing the Image to a degree where it is no longer the scene you originally Photographed by working elements within the original Image by developing the Image through Layers to a final Image, my view.

I do feel there is a difference though between Photography and Graphic Art, someone produced a Photo earlier of a chap with a Black Moustache, it's a good not to subtle view of the difference between the two, Photography/Graphic Art.

Essentially it's your Photo, you should NEVER feel poorly or confused about your own Photography, do with it what you will so long as the end product is first & foremost, what makes YOU feel good. I would offer only one caveat to that view, If your entering a competition you should offer up the fact that you have "added""subtracted" components into the Photograph (By this I don't mean removing sensor dust spots), then people will judge the Image on that Basis, not on the basis that the Image is anything else.

Personally I like the changed Cheetah Image, except for the lack of the Tree line, to me it looks more pleasing, but I still wish we could get lovely Cloud formations in Africa in June, unfortunately we need to go in December for the Clouds, and Africa in December is a bitch.

And Sanj, great choice of Thread for the morning, don't think I've seen a thread grow as fast as this for some time, and some insightful views from everyone.

53

Street & City / Re: San Francisco Long Exposure Cityscapes!

« on: May 09, 2013, 04:03:09 AM »

I wondered how this thread ran up a high post count so fast - I was hoping for lots of images, instead it's just dilbert being a rude ass and the fallout from that.  How disappointing.  Dilbert, are you sure you know a good picture from a bad one?  It's a bit more subjective than knowing the difference between a camera and a lens, and since you have trouble comprehending the latter, I question your ability to judge the former.

How did you manage to use a TS lens with that and still come out with your parallels incorrect?

The left side of the image is ok (technically) but the rotunda is just all wrong. The right side is higher than the left? The dome on the top looks like it is mounted on a slope?

No, I'm not sure that I know a good picture from a bad one, but I do know an unremarkable one from a remarkable one. Most night time photos fall in the unremarkable category as far as I'm concerned.

Your a very Funny Guy Dilbert, you've managed to insult everyone in this thread that's posted an Image, with the exception of your own image, very credible.

And it would appear you know about as much on the subject of "Fairy Penguins" as you do on Photography.

I originally come from Australia, I also Scuba Dive & do Underwater Photography, in the Southern waters of Australia, Fairy Penguins can be seen all day every day in their hundreds, if your close to Rocks & small Islands they're a PIA as they tend to surround you, all during the Day, you may be right about where they live "Under rocks", I wouldn't know about that as I don't live in that sort of neighbourhood.

54

Street & City / Re: San Francisco Long Exposure Cityscapes!

« on: May 08, 2013, 10:13:56 PM »

Oh, I did mean to mention.

Dilbert, from memory this is what Penguins look like, for future reference.

55

Street & City / Re: San Francisco Long Exposure Cityscapes!

« on: May 08, 2013, 10:01:45 PM »

Here are some of my landscapes or cityscapes of San Francisco shot on a 5DIII and a 24-70mm f/2.8L. Hope you enjoy! Thanks!

EDIT: Thank you for the criticisms! Highly appreciated. 


San Francisco Glow by BTNPhoto, on Flickr


San Francisco Bay Bridge by BTNPhoto, on Flickr


San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge by BTNPhoto, on Flickr

Hi BTN, I notice this is only your 4th or 5th Post, so not only were you brave to Post Images, but even braver to ask this Forum for Criticism, and as you have found out, the majority of people that involve themselves in the Forum, are dedicated Photographers of varying levels and only too willing to offer advise in any amount of ways to help other Photographers in a Positive way.

Some, like Neuro are not only accomplished Photographers, but exceptionally technical, Chaps like Gary Samples, rpt, Bdunbar79, serendipity etc etc, are a little of both, privatebydesign knows a huge amount about about Flash Photography, I've learnt heaps from these Guys on this forum, but.

You also have the Michele's and Dilberts, it's an open forum so you cant keep them out, if nothing else they do have humour value, albeit you need to develop a thick skin and learn to ignore the negativity of the down and outs of the world, they are generally born this way, so we need some compassion, and an occasional very large stick doesn't hurt, well I guess it does actually.

Onto the Photos, I love this City, one of my favourites after Florence, you've done an excellent job of exhibiting the City in your Photos, and like all Photographers, you have room to move your skill levels upward, I hope being involved with this Forum allows that to happen. I think well done & welcome to CR.

56

Software & Accessories / Re: Adobe to Stop Making Packaged Software

« on: May 08, 2013, 12:56:13 AM »

The mandatory move to CC subscription licensing only affects products in the current "CS6" range. Bundled products without a CS6 badge (including Lightroom and Acrobat, plus all the "Elements" versions) will continue to be available under perpetual licenses as they are now.

All paid CC members will have access to a select set of archived versions of the desktop apps. Starting with CS6, select older versions of the desktop creative apps will be archived and available for download. Archived versions are provided “as is” and are not updated to work with the latest hardware and software platforms.

Who are you? Adobe rep? Is that official info?

Yes it's official info - I'm an ACP, we speak to the user community on behalf of Adobe but we're not sales reps.

Please read the CC FAQ at http://www.adobe.com/products/creativecloud/faq.htm (it's being updated with new items regularly, including my two points above).

To touch on pricing, as Tom Hogarty said last week, Adobe are looking at how their product offers can best be tailored to suit photographers. That may mean in future there are 'pick-n-mix' bundles at different price points - but it's very early days. As I'm sure you appreciate, feedback is not something Adobe are short of this week 

The position on Lightroom is a little more complex than Photoshop, as Lr is a bundle product (it doesn't sync release dates with CS, this time it's a coincidence). All existing perpetual licenses for Lr4 and earlier will continue to work, perpetual licenses for Lr5 will go on sale when the public beta ends, and Lr5 will be rolled out to existing Creative Cloud and new CC subscribers just as Lr4 was. The only significant difference is that boxed copies are not available - All Adobe software is download-only as of this month, so you buy a serial number (from Adobe's store or through the normal retail networks like Amazon) and download the installer from Adobe's CDN. Of course you can burn it to disc as a backup if you want.

In future there may well be times when new features appear in the CC-bundled version of Lr which aren't yet in the perpetual version, because Cloud subscribers get new features quicker (as SOX doesn't apply).

The questions about Web connectivity seem to have been resolved; to summarize - CC normally pings the activation server once every 30 days. If you don't have connectivity it will run a grace period of another 30 days, then revert to trial mode (which then runs for 30 days) - this gives 99 full days of work before the apps refuse to open. Customers have been asking about how to install CC on firewalled machines or how to work for more than 99 days in remote locations, there will be clarification on that shortly.

Nice of you to clarify, appreciated.

Issue exist within the way in which Adobe have handled this, from small to huge, the support has been virtually non extent here in Singapore, if there was an alternative I'de be knocking on their doors, which I'm sure wouldn't worry Adobe in the least.

I'm in fact one of the few on this Thread that thinks the Creative Cloud/App system works just fine, Apple have it down reasonably pat, Adobe's Creative Cloud attempt to Market has been an unmitigated disaster.

The 30 day re ping thing is total BS in my opinion, Adobe like so many other Companies in the "Digital Age" simply think that everyone on the Planet is connected to the Internet 24/7, that's just not the case, I may not be away from an Internet connection for 90 days, but I certainly have 45 to 60 days at times if I'm travelling in places like Antarctica, The Arctic, Africa, to have a situation where you need to be pinged every 30 days is nonsense, I have to assume this is based on the Monthly Billing, which I also think is ludicrous, there seems no option for an annual payment system unless you go to the "Business" oriented packages.

Adobe will loose custom, there isn't any doubt in my view, they may not loose the serious Amateurs or the Business involvement, but I cant see the individuals that take up CS4 for instance, then sit on the package for 4 years relying on updates to the CS4 package, liking this "annualised" hit to the pocket.

And has been said, it may be that the "system" Adobe has taken on will over time become more user friendly, but the support side is a total crock of you know what, if you want support in Asia, you get a Phone Number that's answered in Mumbai by people that hardly know what day of the week it is, numerous calls to these Guys has just ensured that my personal view of Adobe support goes from Ho Hum to downright hopeless.

But I'm sure Adobe will continue to prosper because again as has been said, at the moment, really what else is out there does what CS6 Suite does, Aperture ?? Not even close, and most of the other suggestions on this thread don't either.

I could live with the whole deal if Adobe would just get their support side to lift their heads out of their collective dark place.

57

5D MK III Sample Images / Re: 5D MK III Images

« on: May 07, 2013, 07:11:05 PM »

You run across the strangest things in the woods!

Looks like the spot they used for one of the early scenes from "Interview with the Vampire" didn't find Tom Cruise in the area did you ??

Good find & good Image as well.

Gary, EML, Thank you both!  I did a B&W rendition that I liked equally as well, perhaps better... gives it a nice creepy feel!

EML, Tom Cruise had already left the building!  LOL!  There are I noticed, two other souls buried in the Mausoleum.  I spied them looking through the glass on the doors..

Hi Krob78, yes I noticed the B& W over at the 5D III Images site, very nice, I agree, it's a lovely Image but the B&W does have the eye, good subject for the B&W treatment, both look excellent, and Good News about Tom Cruise.

58

Software & Accessories / Re: Adobe to Stop Making Packaged Software

« on: May 07, 2013, 02:55:39 AM »

Forgetting the cost for a moment, how would Lightroom service even work? Half the time I use it, I am on my laptop away from the grid.  Are we going to have to load our photos upstream to the cloud in order to work on them?  That doesn't seem practical to me when you are dealing with a couple hundred images in LR.

I don't believe they're talking about cloud-based apps. I think you download and install normally, but activation and ongoing use requires an active subscription. So if you decide to stop paying, you can no longer open your files in the app. That's my big concern with this model. I also use a lot of site-licensed software at work and it can be a problem running such software when you're away from an Internet connection when the software decides to "phone home", depending on implementation. That could be an issue for people like you taking LR to remote locations on a laptop.

Lots of questions, though, particularly because they're planning to charge $10/mo for a single app and $50/mo for the full boat ($30/mo for the first year for upgraders). That's like buying a new copy of LR every 1-1.5 years, which I don't always do, and $360-600/yr is a LOT more than I pay now for all my Adobe software (PSE, Dreamweaver, etc).

Guess I'll be milking LR 4/PSE 10 for a long while, and hoping they still provide free Adobe Raw and/or DNG converters if I ever need a new camera.

Brave new world.

This is correct, I currently use Adobe Cloud for current release of all Adobe products, you download & install what you need as you need it, the product is then on your Hard Drive just like the DVD you purchased, you again download any updates as part of the subscription model you paid for. Each year you pay the subscription.

It works & works well, I'm completely Happy, but there's a caveat, the current system of Adobe Cloud is designed for Companies that require the use of more than 1 Licensed user, it's not really designed for the individual user, hence the +USD$800 price Tag.

In Asia in particular the most cloned software is Adobe, you can buy a full copy of CS6 Suite of the side of the road in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam etc, for $10 Bucks, so you can see why companies like Adobe are heading towards this Cloud Based Subscription Model, it's inevitable gentlemen, and Ladies.

I dont know for sure, but I would envisage Adobe creating a single user service of the Cloud at some point in the next 12 months, I would think prior to CS7, and I cant se the pricing not being more flexible for the single user, wouldn't make sense to try to charge a single user 800 bucks a year, as has been stated, Adobe will loose a huge amount of Business, and Adobe before all else, are about business & profits while providing a service.

What are you talking about?

The Creative Cloud is currently single user mode as well. 

You want to subscribe to the CC, it is $30 / mo first year, and then $50 a mo for the 2nd year.  If you want to just do 1 month, it is $75.  you also can do PS alone, which I think is like $15 a mo.

Couple of things.  $30/mo is for 1st year only.  Months 13+ is AT LEAST $49... and nothing to say year 3 or 4 they do not raise the price.

I GUARANTEE you, that as they add features or "upgrades" you can expect $75 - $100/ month for Creative Cloud.

Not sure on LightRoom.  From the release I saw from Adobe, it looked like EVERY UPGRADE was going to Cloud only as of June 17.  So maybe LR5 comes out before then.  Now LR is currently an "Also Included" in the Creative Cloud, and looks like main software is Photoshop, In Design, Illustrator, Premiere, DreamWeaver, AfterEffects and Muse, so LR might still be stand alone, but still not good.

Long and short, for Creative Cloud, at minimum 2 year cost is $960.  I expect year 3 to go up as well... whether $59 or expecting $69, you can expect the 5 year cost of the cloud to be around $3000 - $3500

What I'm talking about is the option that may well be available to you, in Europe or the US, wasn't available to anyone in Asia until today, and in fact even today it's not available as Adobe's servers for Asia area are down today, so back off Meh and dish your agro to someone else.

59

Software & Accessories / Re: Adobe to Stop Making Packaged Software

« on: May 06, 2013, 08:28:48 PM »

Just read this on Mac Rumours, seems reasonably clear


http://www.macrumors.com/2013/05/06/adobe-announces-new-creative-cloud-apps-abandons-creative-suite/

60

Lenses / Re: Poll: Most Wanted New Lenses of 2013.

« on: May 06, 2013, 08:23:19 PM »

14-24f/2.8 L, I currently use the Nikkor version with an adaptor on my 1Dx & 5DMK III, Beautiful Lens.

200-400f/4 L IS (1.4x) I dream about this Lens, have done for 3 years while waiting, patiently, less patiently after 2 years, Peed off now.