Starting a general Photography hints thread

[Ross]

Originally Posted by Lagoon

Quick question : - What to you use to clean up the lenses?

I personally use micro-fiber cloths, available from optomitrists, meant for plastic eye glasses. I believe Wal-Mart sells large ones in the eyeglass section. They won't damage coatings on lenses. I never use solutions unless something drastic has happened. Be sure and always use the same side of the cloth against the lens. I prefer to watch the direction of the label and keep my hands on the same side all the time. Oils from your hands will get on lens otherwise.

[Dorothy]

Thanks Ross
I appreciate the time you took to view my photos and comment on them. They were done very quickly as I just place them in from of a dark background and shot .. no thought of any other outside lighting other than what I was dealing with. These are the few out of the many I shot and deleted. It did take time but not hours .. I know taking your advice would bring to that next level!
Thanks Again!

[Ross]

New post: information on lighting control that you can carry with you in the field (so to speak)

Reflectors - used to bounce natural light into shadow areas of blossoms. These will work even if the sun is not shining as the sky is usually very bright compared to the shadow areas.

LiteDisc

Screens - used to reduce the contrast of bright sun-lit plants down to a range the film or digital camera can handle.

These are available as translucent LiteDiscs from Photoflex as well. The idea here is colors always appear more saturated when direct light is not hitting them. Ever see the bright reds of fall color leaves right after a rain or in a mist and the sun isn't shinning? They are much redder than when the sun is shining. You (or an assistant) can open one of these discs and hold above the plant, between the plant and the sun, and it will reduce the strength of contrast between highlights and shadows. The closer the screen is to the plant, the brighter the light will be.

Most of the better-equipped local camera shops carry or can order these discs. I personally have discs from 12" up to 60" size in many combinations of reflectors and screens. They collapse down to 4" to 24", depending on full size.

[Dorothy]

Do you think Ross is into this?

Hey where is our Special Photography Forum!
We need it now!
Please

[Ross]

I hope everyone realizes I really feel strange doing all this because I don't want to come across as a "know-it-all" (I'm sensitive to that.) But if people want help, I will do what I can. I also know there are plenty others out there that regularly post great pics that must have pointers as well. Let's hear from them as well!

[Nico]

Hi! Oh! SO much to read...

A very important thing in the artistic photo, not in the record pics: never put the subject in the middle of the image. because the viwer will look directly in the center, at the subject, and the left and the right part won't be important. So, the image will not be completly interesting. I hope is undestandable.

I usualy make frames of the pictures, because the subject and the image is more... how to say?... visible, emphasised.

I don't want to come across as a "know-it-all" (I'm sensitive to that.)

Same with me .

I try to translate some of the imformation...

[Ross]

Thanks, Nico - I almost forgot about that. This is what Nico is referring to (correctly) -

Rule of thirds - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Nico]

Originally Posted by rsfrid

Thanks, Nico - I almost forgot about that. This is what Nico is referring to (correctly) -

Rule of thirds - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yes! The image of the rule is very useful.

[Dorothy]

Isn't that similar to the use of negative space as in the oriental brush stroke painting where the space around the subject, even if it is blank, is just as important as the subject itself (by placing the subject asymmetrically in space - simply put .. off center)

[Dorothy]

No one is a know-it-all unless self-proclaimed -
then they are merely a fool!

.. we are all learning
and hopefully not just from ourselves but from one another!
and let's pray to God that never stops!