What photography means to me

[Eric Hardy]

Laurie, a PS. I don't know if you are aware of the DPReview site: -

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos40d/

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos450d/

[NightHawk]

Thanks for all that info Eric.  I'll look into Flickr a bit later on when I've got more time. 

I have used that dpreview.com site before I purchased my first Nikon camera and find their reviews to be very detailed, unbiased and extremely helpful.

I haven't been to the site for reviews on Canon cameras as yet, just wanted to get a feel for them through members who use them first.

Laurie.

[NightHawk]

After much deliberation Eric I've decided to stick with my Nikon.

The problem I mentioned about the distortion on the landscape setting was entirely down to me.  The standard lens on the camera is a 28-55mm and I'd focused down to the minimum 28mm, which of course was giving me a wide-angle effect.  Schoolboy error, I don't know what I'd been thinking about or why I hadn't twigged earlier   

Anyway, that 'issue' now sorted I've invested in a longed-for telephoto lens, and picked up a real bargain on a Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 55-300mm F4.5-5.6 Vibration Reduction lens.
I haven't had time to put it through its paces yet, but it will suit my needs and I have no doubts of its performance capabilities.

Below is a photo of said lens:



Just wanted to keep you updated there Eric. 

Laurie.

[Eric Hardy]

Well done Laurie. I think Canons and Nikon cameras are both superb so why change once you have chosen the route to take? I have just checked up the customers reviews of your new lens on Amazon. Nine gave the lens a glowing 5 stars, one a good review but 4 stars and one a miserable 1 star. Either he had a dud or was extremely fussy and expecting the performance of a lens 5 times the price 

The problem I mentioned about the distortion on the landscape setting was entirely down to me.  The standard lens on the camera is a 28-55mm and I'd focused down to the minimum 28mm, which of course was giving me a wide-angle effect. 

I don't know whether you take your pictures in RAW. I do and use the software that comes with the Canon Cameras to convert to JPEGs. One useful feature is the software detects what lens you have used and will correct any slight distortion. I don't know whether Nikon have something similar. I believe some Adobe Photoshop programmes have this facilty and most lenses of whatever make are covered.

A lot of my shots are wide angle, of course, because I take a lot of church interiors. My Tokina 12 - 24 mm lens gets a lot of use (about 19 - 38 mm in 35 mm terms) This shows what 12 mm can cover (Gloucester Cathedral, April 2011)


Anyway, in the end it is best to forget what kit you have and just enjoy photography. I am sure you will get a lot of pleasure from your new lens and I look forward to seeing some results.

[NightHawk]

Thanks for that Eric.

My Nikon does have the capability to shoot in RAW mode, I've just never used it.  I've been satisfied with the results I get shooting in JPEG mode and manually adjusting any settings to suit a particular occasion if it's required.  Having said that though, I predominantly use the auto settings for the majority of my photo shoots and I am happy with the results I get.

Previously being a freelance photographer, I don't do commission work anymore, so I don't need the discerning results that my clients expected.  When you're being paid for your work then that demands absolute perfection.
Still, the camera can do only so much and I know the majority of professional photographers use post-production techniques with software such as PhotoShop to finalise their digital photos.
Some people say it's cheating, especially when you do glamour or fashion photography (which I used to do), but as long as you don't overdo the 'tweaking' then the results are more complimentary than beautifying your model out of all recognition.
After all, your model could have had a nasty spot or blemish that hasn't quite healed over and makeup couldn't fully disguise.  Then they appreciate the photographers sensitivity in using their skills to do what they couldn't on the day of the shoot.

Nowadays I just shoot for my own pleasure (not that it wasn't a pleasure before though  ), but I'm not getting paid for my work and I don't have that extra pressure that went with it.

Laurie.

[Eric Hardy]

George asked me to explain an articulated screen. I thought the easiest thing was to photograph it. Here is the new camera from the front.


Here it is from the back with the screen closed. I take most shots through the viewfinder so kept this way it protects it and stops it getting smeared from my cheek.


Here it is with the screen put in the traditional position


You can set it at an angle


And you can point it at yourself and see the screen from the front


As I said before - old boy with new toy!

[bossgard]

EricH:

I’m directing this Forum posting to you, but I hope other members of the Forum will join in. I have been interested in the Canon 60D ever since I first saw it advertised in the Seattle WA USA area.

The camera I’m using now is a Kodak V570, I purchased it originally to use in my interest of revitalizing Main Street Downtowns. My work consisted of recording revitalizing efforts in other downtown cities with the camera, and to bring those photos back for others to view that were interested in the same subject. The Kodak served its purpose well.

Since my retirement my interests have turned to both gardening and hiking the many, many trails in the Pacific Northwest of the USA. The Kodak is ideal for the hiking, it is very compact (the size of a deck of playing cards), and has given us some beautiful photos. I tuck it into a small shoulder bag, which leaves my hands free for ‘hanging on’. George has seen a few of the pics of the alpine gardens of Mt. Rainier. A beautiful day in August, several years ago, we hiked to the approximate 6,000 foot level. It was right at the peak for the beauty of the mountain, and I stood at awe and amazement at what I saw. I beautiful clear blue sky, the flowers at their peak, but we had an abrupt change of weather, and when that happens you get off the mountain.

Back to the 60D camera, the first articulating view finder that I had ever seen, was several years ago, and could be attached to my V570. I was trying to figure out how to take a ground view photo of the blossoms on my tuberous begonias, but lying on my stomach didn’t prove too successful. The product was called ‘flipxbac’, made in China, marketed Canada. Its advertising illustrated several uses; laying the camera on the ground, holding it above your head, and shooting behind one-self. But, it was all done with mirrors. Since I’ve worn bifocals most of my life, trying to make sure the camera was targeted and focused where I wanted it was difficult. I never did install the gadget.

But, I’m still interested in the articulating view finder idea, have you found where the feature is a benefit to you when you take your garden photos. I know very little about taking photos, working with lenses, etc. Since I’m using Genie Pro, I’ll take the clue from George, and use his terminology about either linking my photos to ‘gardens’ or to ‘plants’. That is what I want the Canon 60D for. In using Amazon as a research tool, they list the fact that the 60D in available with two different lenses, I was thinking of buying the camera body with one of the lenses, and buying the other of the lenses separately. Do I need to do that? What lenses do you suggest?

By the way, I read the other day from some ‘expert’ that gardening photography is all about ‘tripods and shutter cables’, do you agree?

Here is something you and the other members might also be interested in, my Issue 184 of Gardens Illustrated magazine, on page 99, showed the winners of International Garden Photographer of the Year, and provided this link. http://www.igpoty.com/competition05/winners_thebeautyofplants.asp?parent=winners

- Toby

[Eric Hardy]

Hello Toby,

I had never heard of a Kodak v570 camera until you mentioned it in your post. I have just looked it up in “Digital Photography Review” and am amazed; I haven’t seen a digital camera like it, with its dual lenses. The 23mm wide angle one should be very useful. It most certainly sounds an ideal camera to take on your hiking. You certainly wouldn’t be taking the Canon 60D in your pocket, it is a heavy beast. I have just put the camera body on the kitchen scales and it weighed just over 1lb 10oz. With my favourite lens attached it weighed 3lbs 6oz! Having said that, it is lighter than my Canon 40D.

The 60D is very much a new toy so I haven’t put the screen through its paces. I take many photos of old churches and cathedrals. Sometimes I put the camera on the floor with the self timer on to photograph a vault and it is very much hit and miss at the moment. The articulated screen will be great for that. Here is an example taken in Gloucester Cathedral


I had an old Fuji 9500 which was a nice camera with a tilting screen. I managed some upward looking shots at flowers with that and when the weather gets nicer I will try some more.

Of course the trouble with DSLRs is the need for lenses and I find I am inclined to collect them. I have two prime lenses – 50mm and 100mm; a wide angle zoom 12mm – 24mm, my favourite zoom, 24 – 105mm and a telephoto 55mm – 250mm. You would need a backpack and strong shoulders to lug that lot around on your hikes.

I have a photographer friend who has all the paraphernalia, just as I have, but who has bought himself a Canon G12 with which he gets excellent results. It has an articulated 2.8 inch screen, 10 megapixels and a 5x zoom. It has all the manual controls. It seems to be a popular camera with keen photographers who have all the kit but don’t always want to lug it around. It also has the advantage of being half the price of a 60D and there are no expensive lenses to buy. You might care to look it up on Amazon and read the reviews.

By the way, I read the other day from some ‘expert’ that gardening photography is all about ‘tripods and shutter cables’, do you agree?

For the perfect macro shot, that is probably true, but for 99% of my shots I just set the ISO high enough to get the shutter speed fast enough and go from there.

Thank you for the link to the International Garden Photographer of the Year site. I think they probably did use tripods and shutter cables. There are some lovely photos there.

I will finish with a few shots I took the day before yesterday, trying out the camera in the garden in between heavy showers. I used my 100mm lens, ISO set at 250 and aperture set at f6.3. I was trying to see if I could capture raindrops.







I hope this is of some help

Eric

[bossgard]

EricH:

I want to thank you for doing me a big favor. You helped me make a decision, and I think that it is a good one. I’m going to stick with using my Kodak v570. I thought that I needed all those ‘new’ things to improve my photography, but first I better understand the camera I now have. I’ll follow Laurie’s advice: “Practice, practice, and practice some more”

Kodak, by the way, is out of business. Very sad, that the leading company in photography here in the USA, no longer exists. They made the first personal motion picture camera, my older brother had one, black and white, and my 35mm color slide camera was their manufacture, even the projectors that were used with them. Was not Technicolor also their invention?

I like my Kodak very much, I like the way it transfers images to my computer with just the push of one button from its loading dock. So, out will come the instruction book for a good read, and there is lots of online help still available from Kodak.

I can do macro with it, based on the camera being approximately 18” inches away from the subject.

I have a beautiful (just lucky) photo that I took, that I’m using as wallpaper on my desktop. It’s of a rhododendron that was given to my mother, from my older brother, as a Mothers’ Day gift. It’s a gorgeous dusty-rose color.  It is still in my (her) garden where she planted it. When I turn my computer on and see the image, it brings back many memories! Some sad, some happy! Both of them are gone, now.

Again, Eric, thanks!

If anyone would like to give me instructions about posting my photos to the Forum, I might work up enough courage to do so. Is there any written word about how to do it? I have looked all over the Forum site, but can’t find anything of help there. There is some recent information regarding re-sizing, but I mean about lay-out and captions, etc, to make a good (?) presentation

- Toby

[NightHawk]

If anyone would like to give me instructions about posting my photos to the Forum, I might work up enough courage to do so. Is there any written word about how to do it? I have looked all over the Forum site, but can’t find anything of help there. There is some recent information regarding re-sizing, but I mean about lay-out and captions, etc, to make a good (?) presentation

- Toby

I prepared an article on just that subject Toby back in February 2012.  Read about it here.

Laurie.

[Eric Hardy]

EricH:
You helped me make a decision, and I think that it is a good one. I’m going to stick with using my Kodak v570.

I am glad if my reply helped you come to a decision, Toby. If you are happy with your Kodak, why change? It is the person behind the viewfinder that creates the picture, the camera is only a means to the end. I have seen some beautiful photos taken with a Box Brownie.
I was going to suggest that Laurie could probably help you on your question about posting photos and I see that he has done so already.

Eric

[bossgard]

Laurie, EricH:

How did I miss that posting, Laurie? Just exactly what I wanted, now to see if I can do it!
That posting was quickly printed, and takes the first page position in my “How To –“ 3-ring loose-leaf binder.

George is right! Computers came very late into my life. When I was operating my retail business, I had computers, but hired employees to operate them. I just read the printed out reports. Everything I have learned about computers, George has taught me! What a guy!!

The first thing I did after I retired was convert an extra bedroom into an office and bought a new computer. After reading about Genie Software in the gardening section of my newspaper, I contacted the US representative that George had at that time, and the next thing I knew George was emailing me. Oh, what a time he has had with me since, but we’ve made it together this far. He hasn’t told me to ‘go home and stay home’ yet! Maybe this time?

So gentlemen, thank you for these words of wisdom about cameras and posting to the Forum. It has been very much appreciated.

-Toby

P.S. It has been raining quite a bit here, so I’ve been having fun at my computer. Today, I have discovered GA005 Garden Photos in the GeniePro software, and worked my self towards using the Co-ordinates with a Garden photo. I understand that is what was the ‘WOW’ thing at the Pacific Northwest. Flower Show when George displayed his software there, several years ago.  For those that haven’t used it yet, check it out!

[NightHawk]

How did I miss that posting, Laurie? Just exactly what I wanted, now to see if I can do it!

Glad to help Toby - that's what we're here to do.

Because we have so many different sections on the Forum, covering a wide variety of topics, it's not always easy to find the information you want.

Ask the right question (which is what you did Toby) and an answer pops right up 

Looking forward to seeing your photos.

Laurie.

P.S.  Thank you Eric for posting your expert knowledge on cameras to help out Toby 

[ideasguy]

I'm reading this with a big wide smile and a giggle here and there.
I'm very proud of your achievements Toby. Its easy to understand why. You don't shy away from a challenge and when you decide you want to do something, you do your research on the subject (with a little support here and there  ) and persist with great energy and determination until you succeed.
My biggest smile is something to do with satisfaction and admiration. It took a little encouragement - now its great to see you jumping the final hurdle and engaging in the very useful topics on the forum.
Once you get to posting photos (you'll soon manage that!) I look forward to you sharing your wide experience in gardening and your love of nature, and sharing our many behind the scenes and interesting communications with our forum members.

[bossgard]

George, Laurie, Eric and Others Watching this discussion:

With my Kodak camera I use Kodak Easyshare Software. From Easyshare’s instruction material, comes the following. Would I be better off using any or all of the following instructions from Kodak? Or should I discard these, and stick strictly to George’s procedure.

Rename and Save Picture
If you want to save a picture in a new way (new name, size, file format, or location)—and keep the original picture unchanged—use Save As.
1. In My Collection, right-click the picture and select Save As.
2. Do the following.
  From Save in, select the location on your hard disk where you want to save the picture.
  In Filename, type a filename (default—current filename).
  From Save as type, select a picture file format , or type an alternate file extension (JPEG—JPG and JPE; TIFF—TIF).
Selecting JPEG balances both picture file size and quality, resulting in a good picture quality.
  From Resize picture, select the size. Options are:
Percent of original size   75%, 50%, and 25%
Full Size   Saves the picture in its original size.
Best for Email   Reduces the longest dimension to 1024 pixels.
Best for Web   Reduces the longest dimension to 400 pixels.
Thumbnail   Reduces the longest dimension to 96 pixels.
 
3. Click Save.

Save Picture as New Size
1. In My Collection, right-click the picture and select Save As.
2. From Resize picture, select a size. Options are:
Percent of original size   75%, 50%, and 25%
Full Size   Saves the picture in its original size.
Best for Email   Reduces the longest dimension to 1024 pixels.
Best for Web   Reduces the longest dimension to 400 pixels.
Thumbnail   Reduces the longest dimension to 96 pixels.
 
3. To save a new version of the picture, click Save. The original picture is not replaced.


Copy Pictures from EasyShare Software
Copy pictures/videos from EasyShare software to removable media (a memory card or USB device that's connected to your computer), or to any location on your hard disk. Just click the Copy To icon in the taskbar.
1. In My Collection, add the pictures to the Picture tray .
2. Click the Copy To icon in the taskbar. Or, choose File  Copy To.
3. Click the tab for the destination you're copying to:
Removable Media (click for steps 4 - 6)
My Computer (click for steps 4 - 6)

(TOBY--If I click on ‘My Computer’ for steps 4 – 6, I get this
My Computer—copy to any location on your hard disk.
4. Navigate to the location your’re copyng to.
5. Optionally, click ‘Make New Folder‘ to create a new folder for your copied pictures.
6. Click OK.

Thanks!
-Toby

[ideasguy]

Do whatever you find easiest to begin with Toby.
In those Kodak instructions, the Best for Web sizes would be perfect for posting on the forum.

[Eric Hardy]

I am sure there are several possible ways of uploading your pictures to the forum, Toby. I post many of my photos on Flickr and there you have a label "Share" next to each photo. When I click on that I can copy the information you put between img [in square brackets] and /img [in square brackets] at the size I choose and paste it into the draft of the message. Hey Presto  the image appears. It isn't difficult because they give the information between img [in square brackets] and /img [in square brackets]. I have discovered that if I retitle the image in Flickr afterwards the photo disappears from the forum so I have to be careful. You  may wonder why I typed it like this, but when I typed img [in square brackets] and /img [in square brackets] in its proper format it just didn't appear in the message because there was no code for a picture in between. This is the only method I have used to post pictures so I am not much help in advising on other methods.

Eric

[bossgard]

George, what’s this about a ‘big wide smile and a giggle here and there’?
Especially the ‘giggle’ part. Did I say something funny? I don’t ever recollect doing that to you! Funny, never! I’m a serious guy!

While I appreciate your invitation to share my wide experience (that’s certainly debatable) about gardening and love of nature, I’ll have to deny your request at this time. As the lonesome gardener at my house, I have to take advantage of all the sunshine I can get

If I can take a rain-check (pun intended) on this invitation until my down-time during November, December, January of the year, I would be happy to see what I could do with the challenge. You are right when you say there are many useful topics on the forum. But we can talk about all of this via private correspondence, and maybe make up a plan of some kind to accomplish some goals.

Back to the subject of “Posting Photos to the Forum”.

Yesterday we had the most beautiful weather so far for this year! Guess, where I was at? In front of my computer trying to do the procedure to copy a photo from Kodak EasyShare to my computer, resize it, and follow Laurie’s article on posting a photo to the Forum. I think I’m doing it correctly. I know where the resized photo is on my computer. I can open it, and it looks okay. It is 400 x 300, jpeg, 69.2 KB. I am able to BROWSE, locate the folder on my computer and the path fills the ATTACH area.

Three times I did the procedure, but every time I get to the point of PREVIEW, and click on it, nothing happens.

I certainly appreciate Laurie’s article, but if he doesn’t mind, I need some help as to what happens after clicking on PREVIEW. The text area’s border blinks red, and the text that I entered remains. Am I to see the photo and the entire posting for a final check, before I click on POST?

I also realize I’m a ‘johnny-come-lately’ to the computer world, and any 6-year old child can do this now-a-days. I’m afraid my ignorance is showing. By ignorance, I mean that I have never been exposed to this material before.

-Toby

[NightHawk]

I certainly appreciate Laurie’s article, but if he doesn’t mind, I need some help as to what happens after clicking on PREVIEW. The text area’s border blinks red, and the text that I entered remains. Am I to see the photo and the entire posting for a final check, before I click on POST?
-Toby

To be perfectly honest Toby, I don't use the 'attachments' option for uploading photos.  The method I described was taken from what George mentioned in a different topic to someone else who had posed this question a while ago.

To actually test this method I did a test posting and 'attached' one of my photos.  Using the Preview button DOES NOT show the photo prior to posting.  It only appears once you've pressed the POST button.

I was surprised at first, but then thinking about it it appeared to make sense.  Until you press the POST button your photo is not sent up to George's server space so it's not visible on your draft posting until then.   So all you get is a blank space where your photo will eventually appear.

However, it does make formatting your text around a photo a bit more difficult when you can't see the full layout in 'preview' mode.

Don't let this put you off though Toby.  Maybe George will look in on this and clarify the process, or any other members who use the 'attachments' method of uploading their photos in their postings.

I may have to amend the mini-tutorial for doing this if that's the case 

Laurie.

[bossgard]

Laurie:

Now I can stop thinking I’m going loony and turning into a basket-case.

As you say, if I haven’t posted to the Forum yet, the photo is not going to show up in PREVIEW.
But, I do not want to post to the Forum, until I can see the whole posting.  To me, if would be terribly embarrassing to link the wrong PHOTO to the wrong TOPIC.

If you should make a change to your original article, may I suggest that when you do that, you mention the fact that George has a wonderful ‘How To’ on the Genie Website complete with Screenshots about working with Files and Folders. I’ll let you check out the location, and advise the viewers. It has helped me tremendously; it seems I refer to it constantly, especially when I’m doing those necessary Genie BACKUPS.

We’ll let George take over from here, when he can get to it! He’s a busy gentleman!

Thank you,

- Toby

[NightHawk]

I've amended the instructions for uploading photos to the Forum, and added the link to George's How to's section at the suggestion of Toby.

The link is in my original posting, but here it is for quickness - George's How to's.

Laurie.

[ideasguy]

Apologies for not responding folk. My ex-dayjob colleagues meet up once a month in a pub in Belfast for a chinwag - last night was the June meeting.

I use the Spellchecker, but never the Preview Toby.
My recommendations are to go ahead and post. Then, View what you've posted.
If it isn't quite right, then click the Modify button and make corrections.
Hack away until its OK. If you still cant get the correct photo to show, edit and ask us to have a look.
We've all made mistakes posting photos  so don't get up tight about it. You are among friends here