***Photo Tech: Techniques and Important Information***

[.:Chris:.]

see i like ken rockwell's settings too, but everyone bashes me for it

+1, I've used his settings for a long time. I think they key to reading his site is common sense. It seems like he interjects sensational and outrageous sentences and paragraphs just to draw attention. His site gets a lot of traffic, and I think it's because of the outlandish claims he makes.

I need to look over my D200 settings again and compare them with his.

Here's a site with some humorous lines about Ken Rockwell. Here's an example:
"Before Nikon or Canon releases a camera they go to Ken and they ask him to test them, the best cameras get a Nikon sticker and the less good get a Canon sticker."

[Outkasted24]

First Off, I'd like to give props to budakinns for posting all of the Basic Composition for Photography information on the front of this stickied post.
Very informative to me so-far!!!

I do have one question for all of you..... that I haven't been able to find yet in this Sub-forum.

What Kind/brand of 52mm lens Filters should I keep an eye out for?
Is there a difference or preference on what all of you are using?

I hear Hoya is a good brand to use, Is this true?

Thanx

-Photo Newb

[.:Chris:.]

What sorta filters are you looking for specifically? For the most part, buy a circular polarizer and don't bother with any others. Tiffen and Hoya are generally accepted to be good.

[Outkasted24]

What sorta filters are you looking for specifically? For the most part, buy a circular polarize and don't bother with any others. Tiffen and Hoya are generally accepted to be good.

I'm looking for 1 UV & 1 Polarized filter to purchase right now, Then I'm flirting with the idea of buying a 5pce. set of Colored Lenses in the future.

[.:Chris:.]

All color filters can be replicated in photoshop very easily, and it's way more convenient than screwing on/off filters. Color filters are remnants from the film era IMO, if you're shooting digital then you're wasting your time.

Also, stacking filters can introduce ghosting and flare. If you're using a UV filter for "protection" then you're not aware of how hard and scratch resistant modern lens glass is. Keep your lens caps on when the lenses aren't in use and don't worry about it.

All that being said, opinions vary around here. Someone's gonna chime in and say I'm wrong.

[Outkasted24]

Thank You for the advice

[zubee]

There is still no widely-accepted standard RAW format; Adobe's DNG format has been put forward as a standard, but is not adopted by major camera companies.

[Bori300]

so basically from what i have read shutter speed has to do with lighting and not just how fast and slow the shutter closes? correct?

[.:Chris:.]

so basically from what i have read shutter speed has to do with lighting and not just how fast and slow the shutter closes? correct?

Not completely sure what you are asking. Shutter speed is the amount of time the shutter is open. You adjust it for different lighting conditions (shutter open longer during darker conditions and vice versa).

Hope that answers your question. Wikipedia has a decent article about Shutter speed - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia .

[Bori300]

oh ok i understand now. so its how long the shutter stays open for the amount of exposure desired.
so say like for a rolling shot with panning it will help get that blurred background affect but keeping the image of the car sharp.

[jblaine]

oh ok i understand now. so its how long the shutter stays open for the amount of exposure desired.
so say like for a rolling shot with panning it will help get that blurred background affect but keeping the image of the car sharp.

If you're rolling already, you don't need to pan.

Match the shooting-from car's speed to that of the car you're shooting (30MPH, whatever), focus, shoot. Adjust shutter speed as necessary to get blurred background and blurred wheels as you see fit. Try anything from 1/60 to 1/300 and see what you like. Remember, too, that if you speed up or slow down (the cars), you may need to readjust shutter speed.

[The Chimichunga]

Rule of Thirds or Golden Ratio

So, the first "golden" rule is the "Rule of Thirds" or "Golden Ratio". It affects the ratio (1:1.61 of a picture size, as well as the placement of the main subjects in the photo. This ratio is close to the 35mm ratio, so you don't need to change the size of the photo in most cases. But you need to consider the composition: main subject should lie on one of the four lines or four intersections (subject's eye for example). Truthfully speaking, these rules are not always the same. Rule of Thirds is a simplified version of the Golden Mean.



Golden Triangles

Another rule is the "Golden Triangles". It's more convenient for photos with diagonal lines. There are three triangles with corresponding shapes. Just roughly place three subjects with approximate equal sizes in these triangles and this rule will be kept.



Golden Spiral or Golden Rectangle

And one more rule is a "Golden Spiral" or "Golden Rectangle" (you'll see why it's a rectangle in the tools section). There should be something, leading the eye to the center of the composition. It could be a line or several subjects. This "something" could just be there without leading the eyes, but it will fulfill its purpose anyway.



Golden Mean

A whole bunch of old Greek mathy jazz that I don't feel like explaining, so just look at examples.








REMEMBER: These are not actual rules, but guidlines. If it doesn't look right to your eye, don't do it.

[henderson791]

It is lucky i can found this posts!cooooooool and useful article!

[Wade95]

Outstanding thread, thank u!

[00lgt]

Lots of useful info thanks to everyone i still got a lot of reading to do