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Semi-Erotic Photography: Questions...

cayenne
Hi Folks,

I was about to put this in the portraits section, but that looks to be mostly for posting taken shots, rather than for questions.

I'm a noob at everything as you can tell from other posts...learning video and stills. I live in New Orleans, lots of stuff going on here as you can imagine...from new movies and other entertainment being filmed and processed here (especially due to tax breaks LA give down here)...but also, to the old 'bread and butter' industries around say, the French Quarter.

That preamble being stated...

I have friends around town...many of whom have worked as DJ's around town to bouncers at strip clubs locally. And I mean the good ones too.

One of them is a good friend and has lots of the female strippers/erotic models in town as friends and he's talked me up to them and many are enthusiastic about me taking pics of them for their portfolios. Some saw some PP I was doing experimenting with styles, etc....and wants me to take some images of her, and do the color isolation on some of them....to show off her tatoos...I'm thinking something along the lines of her laying face down on bed nude (no naughty parts showing in the image)...to get the body art in with her...etc.

Anyway, I've not done any portrait or pro photography at all...and these models understand that. So, I'm wondering things like:

1. Any precautions to be taken when taking pics of women, potentially with nudity? I don't wanna get sued or have some whacko accuse me of something. I'm purely business here.

2. I'm starting to try to read up on regular portrait type photography...but guessing that something more erotic would be a more specialized theme...does anyone have any suggestions or links to read up on this?

3. I'm not trying to be paranoid, but with everything you hear on the news, etc...are there any pitfalls I should look out for?

4. With regular or erotic photography...do you need to get consent/release forms signed? I'd want to have some release for me to use any images for my portfolio too for any really good shots I take, after all...I'm wanting to earn a bit of $$ off this to pay for my photog habit I'm rapidly developing.
:)

5. What to charge? What do people normally charge for regular portrait photography? Would there be a premium on something more erotic? Again, I'm being honest about my skills...so, I'm fine with some early trade off of not charging much...in order for me to get experience with real live people as models, and try to build my own portfolio.

I've always been the type to figure that in order to learn something, you read and absorb all you can from good basic research, and then try to jump in with both feet and learn by doing....but this area gave me pause and I thought I'd ask.

I mean, let's face it, I have NO problem with hanging out with as many scantily clad women as possible....and there no shortage of potential customers here in New Orleans....if I do well, word of mouth with my friends could potentially mean some good $$ and well, lets' face it..this could be fun.

But I just wondered if anyone here could give some advice or links to more info....I can see potential both good and possibly bad.

Thanks in advance,

cayenne
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Does google use Canon?

T
Ok, this is NOT a Canon sucks post. I love my Canon stuff. But I was on google maps, and I saw something very familiar to me.... Banding in the shadows on the satellite images! To the best of my knowledge, this is fairly exclusive to Canon. So yeah. If million dollar satellite cameras have banding noise in their shadows, do we have any hope of our lowly little cameras ever breaking free from this curse?
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Need comparisons between Canon 135L vs 100L

cayenne
Hi folks,

Still a bit of a lens noob.....and have been looking at these two lenses. Many people swear on how good and sharp they are.
One is f/2.8 and the other f/2. More and more I'm thinking for any future lens purchases, 2.8 is the absolute minimum...and lower is something I do like as that I don't own a flash yet, and many pics I like to take you can't use them (concert shots, nightime in bars/clubs)...both for video and stills.

So, can someone give me why they like one over the other?

They seem pretty close in focal length...what use would one be superior at than the other?

I hear the term "macro" thrown around a lot...but I don't know exactly what that means...can someone fill me in why a macro lens would be superior to a non-macro lens?

I hear a lot about these lenses....many seem to rate these at times higher and nicer in many respects than the 85L....

One last thing....throwing this int the mix. I'm debating getting one of these....vs, just saving a bit more and going for the 70-200 2.8 IS II L lens....would just getting this pretty much make getting either the 135L or 100L macro redundant? If not...then what specific purposes and niches in lens-dom, for want of a better made up word, does each excel at.....

Another way to maybe ask it...if one was to save (a lot) and get all three...how would they compliment each other for a day of shooting out and about?

Thanks in advance,

cayenne
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My 5D Mark III portraits

florianbieler.de
A selection of my best portraits since I own my 5D Mark III, which is for a little over three months now. Owned a 500D/Rebel T2i before, the difference is vast, I believe I don't need to tell you. You can find others on my website www.florianbieler.de or on facebook, if you got that.

Here we got some taken with the 100mm 2.8L:

8112855072_2d708c90e4_o.jpg


8109249802_32954063bc_o.jpg


Before that I owned the 100mm 2.8 non-L, also great for portraits.

7677568270_c38dd8e3bf_o.jpg


7623431800_3295dd35ad_h.jpg


The 70-200 4.0 non-L also makes a nice portrait lens, if space is available.

8067244872_cc6f6262d4_h.jpg


And these ones were taken with the Tamron 24-70 2.8 VC

7623433502_fbac7b6d12_h.jpg


7856656060_bfaecb42ce_b.jpg


I love that thing.
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Canon EOS 5D Mark III Firmware adds HDMI & AF Upgrades

Canon Rumors
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<div name="googleone_share_1" style="position:relative;z-index:5;float: right; /*margin: 70px 0 0 0;*/ top:70px; right:120px; width:0;"><g:plusone size="tall" count="1" href="http://www.canonrumors.com/2012/10/canon-eos-5d-mark-iii-firmware-adds-hdmi-af-upgrades/"></g:plusone></div><div style="float: right; margin:0 0 70px 70px;"><a href="https://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="vertical" data-url="http://www.canonrumors.com/2012/10/canon-eos-5d-mark-iii-firmware-adds-hdmi-af-upgrades/">Tweet</a></div>
<strong>NEW FIRMWARE UPDATE FOR CANON EOS 5D MARK III DIGITAL SLR CAMERA PROVIDES UNCOMPRESSED HDMI OUTPUT SUPPORT AND IMPROVED AF PERFORMANCE


</strong>LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., October 23, 2012 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced a new firmware update for the EOS 5D Mark III Digital SLR camera that significantly improves the camera’s performance and usability. In response to requests from professionals working in the fields of cinema and television production, the firmware update enables the use of uncompressed HDMI Output support, making possible more efficient video editing and monitoring procedures. Additionally, the upgrade supports the advanced needs of photographers through improved AF performance when capturing still images.</p>
<p><strong>Uncompressed HDMI Output Support


</strong>When shooting video, HDMI Output makes possible the recording of high-definition uncompressed video data (YCbCr 4:2:2, 8 bit) from the EOS 5D Mark III to an external recorder via the camera’s HDMI terminal. This, in turn, facilitates the editing of video data with minimal image degradation for greater on-site workflow efficiency during motion picture and video productions. Additionally, video being captured can be displayed on an external monitor, enabling real-time, on-site monitoring of high-definition video during shooting.</p>
<p><strong>Improved AF Functionality


</strong>Even when the EOS 5D Mark III is equipped with an extender and lens making possible a maximum aperture of f/8, the firmware update supports AF employing the camera’s central cross-type points (currently compatible with maximum apertures up to f/5.6). Accordingly, the update will allow users to take advantage of AF when shooting distant subjects, benefitting sports and nature photographers, particularly when using telephoto lenses.</p>
<p>The new firmware update will be available, at no charge, in April 2013 from the Canon U.S.A. website and can be downloaded by end users or through Canon Factory Service Centers.</p>
<p><em><strong>5D Mark III at B&H (<a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/847545-REG/Canon_5260A002_EOS_5D_Mark_III.html/BI/2466/KBID/3296" target="_blank">Body</a> | <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/847546-REG/Canon_5260B009_EOS_5D_Mark_III.html/BI/2466/KBID/3296" target="_blank">Kit</a>) Amazon (<a href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=canorumo-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B007FGYZFI" target="_blank">Body</a> | <a href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=canorumo-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B007FGZ1V" target="_blank">Kit</a>), Adorama (<a href="http://www.adorama.com/ICA5DM3.html?kbid=64393" target="_blank">Body</a> | <a href="http://www.adorama.com/ICA5DM3K.html?kbid=64393" target="_blank">Kit</a>)</strong></em></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>
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Canon EF Lens Speculation [CR1]

Canon Rumors
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<p><strong>What’s in the pipeline?

</strong>A few more confirmations about a new EF 800 f/5.6L IS II being in the works. It was stressed that it is no where near market ready and Canon will probably wait for Nikon to get their new 800 to the world. The EF 200 f/2L IS is also on the update radar, but is for the distant future.</p>
<p>Another source claims to have tested a new “Canon ultra-wide zoom on an EOS-1D Xs”.</p>
<p><strong>A New 135L?

</strong>We have received lots of information over the last few years about a replacement to the EF 135 f/2L. It reminds me of the EF 24-70 f/2.8L II, which turned out to have a lot of prototypes before it was released and caused me a lot of headaches :). The current tested prototype is said to be an EF 135 f/2L IS. A replacement seems imminent, although I’m not sure if the IS version will ever make it to market.</p>
<p><strong>When is the new stuff coming?

</strong>I’m told that current NDA’s expire at the “end of the month”. I hope to know more soon in regards to announcement date(s), there is definitely more coming in 2012.</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>
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To take on a partner or not?

D
Hi everyone, thanks for previous helpful replies to questions I've had :)

My next one is this: In my recently set-up photography studio, should I take on a friend as a business partner?

Here's the background: we're both relatively new to being paid for our photography, and the potential partner is roughly my age, has roughly the same photographic skills and experience (but is probably more experienced in some areas), and is very extroverted (in a good way). Costs are not an issue at the moment (due to low rent), and each of us would probably only be able to work part-time (due to other commitments). We both have similar photographic goals (i.e. portraiture).

Feel free to ask more specific questions about the situation and I'll try to answer them :)

Thanks in advance for your ideas.
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1st day with the 1dx (wow)

Lloyd50
Hello everyone, i just wanted to share my thoughts on the 1dx. I just picked one up one today and let me tell you that i am shocked at how good the iso performance is on this body. I expected this camera to be a 5d3 on steroids, im moving from a 5d3 and 1d mark iv and this camera is the best of both worlds (better lowlight performance than the 5d3 and faster shutter than the 1d mk iv)! that is all.
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Best low-light AF body

pwp
At a function last night in a very dimly lit venue I struggled yet again with low-light AF. The 5D3 with 580EXII & 24-105 f/4is was OK except for the black AF points, which made it unprofessionally slow to always be sure of correct AF, but the 1D4 with 580EXII & 70-200 f/2.8isII was absolutely hopeless with a very large number of missed shots. Both bodies were on one-shot AF mode, keeping as often as practical on the cross-type AF points.

I'm actually considering picking up a couple of pre-owned 5D2 bodies just for these type of events. They have the handy red AF points and from memory are better than than the 5D3 for very low-light AF.

Any thoughts on this? What's the red-hot very low-light hero DSLR hardware?

-PW
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Soft Focus & Pictorialism

T
Hi all,

I'm taking my first digital photography course this semester and learning a lot about my new DSLR. The Canon Rumors forum provided me with great advice when choosing a camera, so I'm coming back for some new advice :D

This week's photoshoot is to replicate pictorialism. From what I gathered, this involves:

-Soft focus
-Slight blur effect
-A photo which tells a structured story.

What do you know about soft focus/blurring and how to achieve it? The professor told us to take photos at dusk. Is it more about the location/time of day than it is the camera?

I'm not sure what to take 3 to 5 images of, let alone how to create some of these effects. Still life? Landscapes? I'm shooting on a t4i, 40mm f2.8
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Canon EF 40 f2.8 vs. EF 35 f2.0 on crop body

FTb-n
For shooting candids at events or sightseeing, I often carry a 7D/70-200 2.8L II and a 60D/17-55 f2.8. But, there I times when I wish to travel a bit lighter and swap out the 17-55 for a 35 f2.0 -- or carry one body and the 35. I know the 35 is soft in the corners on a full frame body, but it's quite sharp for my crop bodies.

I must admit, it is hard to do without the 17-55 when I need to cover an event. But, when I'm shooting only for me, if I'm going to limit myself to a prime, I like the 30-40 range for grab shots.

Now, I'm intrigued by the pancake 40. It's half the size of my 35, but one stop slower. But, I'm having trouble justifying the loss of a stop for the savings of about 0.8" in camera/lens depth. On a 60D or a 7D, does the pancake make that much of a difference over the 35 in the convenience department?
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Focusing motor broken on EF 28mm f/1.8?

R
I recently bought this lens used and upon getting home noticed it has very strange focusing behavior.

The lens functions as normal with all apertures and AF points from its MFD to around 3 feet. After that, the motor becomes stuck and makes very small steps to try and focus, but is unable to move past that mark. Using manual focus also will not move the marker in the lens window past three feet. The focusing ring itself is very stiff.

Also, is it normal for the focusing ring to be turning during autofocus? My 85 f/1.8 does not do this. The focusing ring acts independently from the motor.

The lens was in a hot car all day, so I'm currently letting it chill in the refrigerator to see if the problem is that simple. Otherwise, I may be out of luck. It was a craigslist deal, and I'm not sure how willing the original owner will be to accept it back. I took a test shot in the parking lot and thought everything was fine as the object I chose was in the range that the lens currently works at. Now I know to test plenty of ranges when buying these things used :-\

I do have the warranty card all blank and able to be filled out, though I don't have any experience sending in or exchanging lenses with Canon. What can I expect if I try to send it in?
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Need advice for high ISO shooting / noise management

ahsanford
Hey gang,

I'm shooting handheld indoors without flash with my 5D3 all the time these days, it seems. Shame on me, I know, but these are often social / performance events where the flash would not be welcomed.

In these situations, I leave the zooms at home and shoot either my trusty 50/1.4 or the surprisingly good new 28/2.8 IS. To avoid wide open softness, I am pushing ISO into 3200-6400 levels to allow either lens to be stopped down a bit. I won't lie that I push ISO even beyond 6400 periodically.

I am shooting RAW in these situations with the High ISO NR turned off as it seems to do nothing to RAW files (I presume it's a JPG-only feature?).

I generally prefer capturing sharpness + detail with noise than softening up the image by cranking up the noise reduction. That said, if I can chase the noise intelligently without much detail being sacrificed, I'd love to hear how.

Can folks on this fine forum please give advice on:

1) Best RAW processing parameters to managing noise in Camera RAW. I get lost on the five noise reduction sliders (Luminance, L Detail, L Contrast, Color and Color Detail) -- so pointers on which to use and when would be terrific.

2) Are there other settings in camera that are recommended for shooting in these indoor/handheld/low-light situations?

3) Is Camera RAW is the best tool for noise reduction work? Should I use another RAW handler? Does saving noise work for Photoshop to manage a better path to take? Advice appreciated!

Thanks for your help!
A
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Out with my 7D....in with what..? 5D MkIII or 1D MkIV..?

Hi y´all!

My first post in this forum is a question you may have heard before...but I´ll try it out anyway.
I´ve been using the 7D since it was released and today my main lenses are a 100-400 L IS and a Tokina 11-16 2,8. I mainly shoot wildlife (birds), roadracing and recently I started to fiddle a bit with landscapes as well... (examles at www.subevent.se)

Now...firstly I wanted to look for a new lens which would be faster and give me a better "reach"...and I got stuck on the Sigma 120-300 2,8 OS EX...because I thought it would be nice with a 2x converter.
But on the way I´ve started to wonder if it wasn´t time for a new camera instead...

What I ultimately want is still speed for birds and roadracing...but also an improvement in image quality for my landscape shots. (well...to be honest I want a IQ-improvement across the board)
I talked to my local cameradealer who also happened to have a used Sigma-lens available - and asked him if I should go for a camera or the lens. (I almost always get the answer to go for the lens - but not this time)
His adwise was to get a used 1D Mark IV or the new 5D Mark III instead...and I could tell he was lobbying toward the 1D Mark IV.

So...what is the feel about this? If I am to change the camera - I want to see a real difference in IQ which is the main reason for me to let go of the 7D.
The cameradealer sat neatly on a used Mark IV as well - which looked really fine and would cost me less than the 5D...

...eh...help?

/Patrik
www.subevent.se
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5D Mark III LCD Brightness Preview Too Dark

I
i have the same problem with this lcd brightness preview as some others has experienced. on auto brightness, images look like under exposed but they are actually not. as if images look like properly exposed, then they are over exposed.

it would be nice as if canon fixes this problem; otherwise, i have to also take a look at histogram in order to ensure that i have the right exposure before continuing on. i was confused at first two time using this lcd; therefore, i am settin' to maximum brightness right now. i am not sure if it should be a correct way to do it for now. i have not had that many chances of using this new one, still waiting for mid coming november to shoot entire day for two events.

canon, please help to fix this problem since we all would like to act quick, most time, on taking images rather than taking a look at lcd and histogram and compare...

as if there is any other suggestions how to use this lcd brightness properly, please let me know and thanks in advance...
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85 1.8 vs Zeiss 85 1.4

F
I recently tried the Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 manual focus lens, and I must say, it is stunningly unique. Unfortunately, I would have liked to compare that lens to the EF 85mm 1.8, but none of the rental places in my area seem to have it (they only have the 85L apparently... :o ). So I was just wondering is more than double the price and the lack of autofocus really justify the nice bokeh and IQ of the Zeiss? What are your experiences with the Canon? And if I'm into mid-tele portraiture, is there any other lens (preferably under 1k) that I should consider? I shoot a 5D2.

Thanks!
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Filter stacking on 50mm lens

7enderbender
Does anyone know a formula or a way to look up how man filters of a particular size/thickness can be stacked on a particular lens? I have a clear B+W standard size filter on my 50L and was wondering if I'm running into problems adding a circular polarizer on top of that. From experience I know that I can't do that on my 24-105 at 24 even though I have the thin-rimmed version on it.
It's probably not a problem at 50mm but who can I calculate that?
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