Weekly Photography Challenge Thread (see first post rules and then the poll at top before entering)

I wanted to get the whole thing as well. I had my camera on the very edge of a frozen fountain. I couldnt zoom out either because the left edge would have been in the shot. Do you think some kind of filter on my lens would have made it look any better?

 

Don't be that guy!

Hmmm polarizer?



No don't do that…lol

 

Wouldnt a polarizing filter take away the reflection?

on edit--sneaky sneaky.

 

Yup. You're not supposed to say that out loud though.

edit: Had to fix that before OZ came along and saw it.

 

Sorry, insert foot.

 

Im new to the game so I dont know a lot about accessories and such. I think I have a good idea how to use my camera iso, shutter speed and such. I just need to fine tune things and get creative. I saw this thread last night and went out to find as many reflective things as i could today. It was cold as shit today and I think i did a decent job with my newb camera and newb skills.

 

Definitely. Everyone is a newb at one point. The photo threads here, this one more than the other, has helped me grow a ton. Some of these guys really know their stuff.

 

I think you are doing an excellent job. With filters, a polarizer will take away reflections on things like water and such but not on metallic surfaces.

 

Nice to know. I was born in Columbus btw.

 

my other considerations. The selfie was off of a stainless elevator door.

 

I would have liked the composition like Chaz said up there too but with what you were working with it's a great pic. Only way to change it would have been a wider angle lens.

I moved here when I was 14.

 

That's okay... I was surprised last week when you didn't pick the donut shop

 

I found that a bit offensive. But I let it go because I'm mature...

I have never eaten a donut in uniform and never will! lol

 

Only one per week

Pick one for your entry.
I posted two of the straight razor only to show what the macro image displayed, the "tight" shot was the entry.


On filters, and this really is a topic for another thread, but the basic filter set that everyone should have would be a UV/Haze, circular polarizer, and ND4

The UV/Haze should be on every lens that you own at all times. It cuts out UV which can taint the color balance, but more importantly, it provides dust and impact protection for the lens... and when you finally do dull or scratch it from cleaning, it's a $25 filter... not a $300 lens.

The circular polarizer tames glare and reflections, and really makes clouds "pop".
Do not use a CPL with a fisheye or any other lens below about 25mm or you'll end up with a dark band in the sky.
The CPL mounts like a UV, but the glass is free to spin to adjust the angle of polarization. If your lens rotates the filter mount when it focuses, then you'll want to pre-focus, then adjust your polarizer.

The ND4 filter is simply a piece of dark glass. It is useful in brighter scenes to allow you to either:
Increase exposure time to add blur effects
Open up the aperture by 4-stops to narrow the depth of field.

You can get a basic cheap kit of all 3 on ebay for $15.
They're junk, but they are something to learn with.
A top-end 52mm UV/Haze can cost you $70-90, but you can get a thin-ring Hoya for around $25.
CPL is going to be more expensive, like polarized sunglasses.
The good ones are $100-$150.
I think I paid $50 for my Hoya.
An ND4 will be around $30 for a Hoya

Notice a trend?
Hoya is affordable and good quality. The glass is going to be flat and coated. A $15 3-pack? Most likely not.

 

Buddy of mine retired from Anaheim felt the same way.
He'd get his boys from his ex-wife and they'd want donuts, he'd talk them into pizza

 

Thanks for the explanation! I have only been in DSLR land for a month, but I love it. I have always enjoyed taking pictures and as I learn more and more about the controls on these I tend to challenge myself. I really only posted those last two for a little criticism.

 

You're doing well, man. For a little more technical talk and critique don't hesitate to hit up the "official photography thread".

Lots of good guys with all different kinds of experience. Just keep working on learning about aperture, ss, ISO and composition and whatnot. Each new things comes up as it's necessary. I got into landscapes first, then shot some sports, then started doing more street style photographing candid people. You grow as you go

 

Rich's post is spot-on for a basic filter set for landscape photography. If you can afford spending a little more, get filters that are multi-coated or they can have the effect of worsening the image quality you get from the lens, particularly if you are shooting into a light source such as the sun. I have filters from Hoya but prefer B+W, even though it's a more expensive brand.

Here's a shot I took when I first started out and put a $15 Tiffen UV filter in front of a $1400 lens. Notice all those little flares? That was caused by the non-coated filter, not the lens.



Compare that to this one, where I'm also shooting into the sun but the filter is multicoated:

 

Ugh, why did I think it was an ok idea staying up until 2 gambling and drinking. Sunrise shots are for the birds. I sure hope the weather cooperates and I get something good.

 

I went out to a pond yesterday, gotta go through them to see how they turned out. I might have to go back today to get some better lighting. At least it's only a 15 min walk away