Hi

[Susan]

I'm still around, in case someone wondered.  I think many of you can relate to getting your life interrupted by work and special projects. So part of my destress ritual involves photography. I love it, although I may not be that great at it, it's definately something I enjoy doing. And, when I save up some money I'm going to upgrade my camera. I love it, but it's nothing like an SLR with attachable lenses..lol  I don't use my old SLR anymore simply because it's not digital. So it sits in my closet collecting dust.

For anyone interested I've been putting my pics in an online Gallery  I wouldn't mind turning a buck or two but I don't see that happening. I considered the online stock photography but I think they look for more advertising friendly formats vs the stuff I like taking pics of.

It doesn't mean I haven't been watching movies. I saw "IRON MAN" last nite. Thought it was great! I was suprised I liked robert downey in it, but it worked. And after the credits, there is more.  Anyone seen anything in theaters worth checking out or anything good coming out? It's been a slow year.

I'm going to watch White Fang and Call of the wild 2 after a bit.  Also I recommend "THE MAN FROM EARTH". This is one of those talking films but with a sci-fi twist. I LOVED it!! And strangely I see no mention of it here. Check it out

[Mr. DS]

I knew there was a lack of Rick Rolling on the board.  Good to hear from you...um whats your name again?    Awesome photo work by the way.   

[Ed, Ego and Superego]

HI Susan, good to see you.  I Love the Gummy Bear picture.  But all are very nice.   
-Ed

[Susan]

I knew there was a lack of Rick Rolling on the board.  Good to hear from you...um whats your name again?    Awesome photo work by the way.   

lol thanks. ;-p  Sometimes i'm just a lurker around here but lately i've been diverting my attention elsewhere. There's always a place in my heart for here and i always come back in full force eventually.  Thanks for the comment.  If you like those you might like this

[Susan]

HI Susan, good to see you.  I Love the Gummy Bear picture.  But all are very nice.   
-Ed

thanks geez, i almost took a pic of the gummy's doing bad things but decided i didn't have time to stage that..lol Then again I have my CLUE game with all the weapons...

[Menard]

I'll make this quick as I got to go.


First




Secondly, I'll offer just a little criticism.

Do some reading and practice on the rule of thirds.

You have a tendency, like we all do (no matter how many photographs we have taken, we still do this) to put things in the center of the frame.

That being said, though, sometimes that works. It doesn't mean not to ever put things in the center, but some photographs can be improved by framing them differently.

Some of your nature shots could have been improved by this, but some are just fine as you have them.

Your sunrise shot, perhaps inadvertently, follows the rule of thirds, if you'll notice the horizon in it. The sun is almost dead center, but that doesn't matter as it looks good that way and the other elements work to frame it. A shot straight into the sun like that is difficult to get anyway; I hope you can still see after that.

Despite working on the rule of thirds, you have an eye for form and texture, and that works well toward your composition.

I think the shot of the girl sleeping is well framed while the shots of the necklace and the coffee cup show a eye for creativity. There are many more good shots, I am just using those for examples.

Good work.


You can check out my photography articles on my site An Instant in Time. Those are some articles I wrote primarily dealing with film photography, though there may be some use still in them. Despite what it says about new articles coming, there won't be.

[Menard]

...i almost took a pic of the gummy's doing bad things...

Gummy Porn!!!!

[Susan]

lol! Well, coulda been gummy zombies too ;-)

Most of my shots believe it or not don't have the main subject in the dead center. IThe other weekend I went bananas with the sunflower pics and most of them were off center or even at odd angles. I just thought those pics were too strong in the color contrast i didn't upload them. I always take the best family photos tho..heh  i find myself getting in all kinds of weird positions, lying on the ground even. And I absolutely HATE pictures of people that are posed, I love candid shots. Which is why I hate having my pic taken, it's always "ok, look at the camera and smile". ugh

Most didn't make the upload because those were older shots before i started taking higher resolution pics.  Right now i've been out of it for awhile, i do it off and on around the house but i'm trying to get out and see more with my camera and that can be challenging...especially in my town. If ONLY i had taken photography back in school, I never did and basically I just wing it as I go. In any case it's fun for me, it's an outlet, and maybe in 40 years or so i'll actually be good at it..lol  I appreciate the criticism, I always do. That's one reason i put my pics up, while I don't think any would actually sell I like to hear others comments. I also like those sites because you get a chance to see other photography in the rhelm of amateur, beginner and pro.

Right now i'm trying to get out of my blur phase. I tend to seek a blurred effect on my pics and I know that's not always appealing.  I'll check out your site

and maybe if i get more gummy bears..

[Rev. Powell]

1. Hi!

2. The pictures look professional quality to me

3. I'd be careful taking advice from Menard.  I halfway suspect he goes around telling every photographer he meets to put their subjects off center, then advertises his own photos with the phrase, "Have you ever noticed how annoying it is when so-called 'professional' photographers can't even center their photos?  Buy from Menard's, where the pictures are perfectly centered every time!"

4. I second the vote naughty pictures of gummi bears.  That could be your niche...

[Susan]

lolol

Aren't rules meant to be broken? ;-)

Hmm, i'll have to give the gummi bear idea more thought when I go buy some Habiro. might be funny to stage a murder scene

[Andrew]

Photography is a great hobby.  My old SLR suffered what yours seems to be dying of: digital fawning.  I had a very trusty Nikon with a Tamron 28-200 lens that went everywhere until digital matured.  Once I noticed that it was just collecting dust, because I always reached for the less capable buy easy to use and free to snap alot digital the SLR went on Ebay.

What you can do with a few good lenses and a solid tripod is pretty impressive.  Your pictures look great, even if you feel like you are "working with what you have."

[Susan]

Photography is a great hobby.  My old SLR suffered what yours seems to be dying of: digital fawning.  I had a very trusty Nikon with a Tamron 28-200 lens that went everywhere until digital matured.  Once I noticed that it was just collecting dust, because I always reached for the less capable buy easy to use and free to snap alot digital the SLR went on Ebay.

What you can do with a few good lenses and a solid tripod is pretty impressive.  Your pictures look great, even if you feel like you are "working with what you have."

It's sad, but then digital brings something wonderful: Instant results. No running out of film, no developing issues or the COST..my god the cost. Whether you had them developed or your own lab it wasn't cheap. I still love my old SLR, i hate to get rid of it, but i've been thinking of selling it. I don't know where. I am going to hold on to it, it's a canon rebel G. I plan to get a digital canon and maybe i can fit the lens without an adaptor. Wouldn't that be great!

I have an unused tripod in the closet someone gave me that smells like cigarettes and looks to be 40 years old. So when i got my camera stuck on it I decided if i use a tripod I better buy one myself. The camera i have, while fun and pocket sized, needs a bigger and more mature companion. plus it has a small chip on the lens, another crappy aspect of these automatical/manual digital cameras where the lens goes back into the camera is when the lens is out it's completely exposed - no filter! Now I probably could have bought an attached lens for it but I never did. Until i can shell out the money for a new cam i'll have to make due with this canon a620. I've seen fantastic pics taken with a brownie cam so I can't be picky

[Menard]

3. I'd be careful taking advice from Menard.  I halfway suspect he goes around telling every photographer he meets to put their subjects off center, then advertises his own photos with the phrase, "Have you ever noticed how annoying it is when so-called 'professional' photographers can't even center their photos?  Buy from Menard's, where the pictures are perfectly centered every time!"

[Trevor]

3. I'd be careful taking advice from Menard.  I halfway suspect he goes around telling every photographer he meets to put their subjects off center, then advertises his own photos with the phrase, "Have you ever noticed how annoying it is when so-called 'professional' photographers can't even center their photos?  Buy from Menard's, where the pictures are perfectly centered every time!"

Karma to Rev Powell for that. 

Lovely pictures, Susan: that picture of Buddah with the candle is my favourite.

[Menard]

What you can do with a few good lenses and a solid tripod is pretty impressive.

I've seen fantastic pics taken with a brownie cam so I can't be picky

One thing I always stress to anybody interested in photography is that the equipment you have is meaningless. A photograph is only as good as the photographer taking it.

Keep in mind that a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph was taken with a disposable film camera that cost less than $10.

My regular wedding lens cost a total of $25. Of course, that's largely because it is a common 50mm lens (for 35mm photography) which has been made in such abundance that it is easily available, cheap, and it has the lowest distortion and highest resolution due to its focal length.

Going onto photography forums can leave a bad taste in a would be photographer's mouth. On many of them, though they will deny measuring a photographer by the equipment they use; they do exactly that. I simply like to beat down such so-called photographers who will look down on others who can't afford the Nikons and Hasselblads they use; not to mention that reminding them that according to the IRS, in this country, the only distinction between an amateur and professional photographer is what percentage of one's income comes from photography, and not what camera they use, their schooling, or anything else.

Perhaps an interesting footnote: I've run into more snobbery in photography from so-called amateur photographers than professional photographers. Myself and other professional photographers with whom I have worked don't make a distinction between amateur and professional; you are simply a photographer.