Tekforums
Chat => Photography => Topic started by: XEntity on April 26, 2010, 23:26:44 PM
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Can we start this again... I havent used mine for a while and need some ideas... Someone pick a subject.
Same rules apply as before?
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wanna refresh my memory on the rules?
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RULES
Please note: the aim of this is to get people out and to use their cameras in different ways to what they might normally do so, to achieve this the rules state that the photograph must be taken in the month of the competition and relate to the theme in some way.
Each month a different thread will be created and at the end of the month a poll will be added including all entries that are deemed valid. Non valid entries will be automatically excluded. The named winner then copies over the text of this post and replaces the theme with one of their choice.
Include a description of a few words as to why you feel your picture fills the theme.
Once the thread has been started peoples entries have to be posted in that thread. Each entrant is only allowed ONE POST in the thread to cover ONE IMAGE that he has entered. The last image posted is the one that will be used, all others will be removed when a Mod/admin has a spare moment ...
Deadline for all entries will be the 28th of the month before the deadline, leaving a few days then for Voting to take place and the winner to be declared by the last day of the month.
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Im in, or will certainly try and be.
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Binary Shadow - I think you have nominated yourself as first poster to chose a subject ;)
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I quite like the idea of birds, loads about now, if you have a feeder at home wont have to go far to get a shot.
Could be an action shot, or a really close shot with good detail or anything really.
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Ill try and take part too, well once I get off the crutches (hopefully a week on Monday) and get myself taking photos again havent been taking anywhere as near as many photos as I should have been in the last 18 months and this could be an excuse to start again.
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Birds it is then Deadline is the 28th, or shall we change that to 1 week before 25th? to allow a full week to vote, as seem to remember that voting often took longer?
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25th would be fine.
I have my camera with me in work today, might get a chance to wander round Canary Wharf and get some photos later, although birds are few and far between.
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if ur taking pics of birds, i want to see a pair of giant tits
like these#
http://petulantrumblings.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/bluetit.jpg
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Finally been out to take some pics at our local reservoir...
...Dont forget everyone, closing is on the 25th!
Have put a couple up, but as per rules the second will go in to the vote.. unless someone thinks I should choose the other!
Crow Bar
(http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/entityxenon/Crow-Bar-Copy.jpg)
Duck Face
(http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/entityxenon/Duck-face-Copy.jpg)
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I havent been anywhere yet am still getting used to walking about after getting rid of my crutches. Hopefully will be able to squeeze something in over the next week or so before the closing date fingers crossed!
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Love it. My shoot didnt go to plan the other day, predictably ended up in the pub instead.
Will try and get something done. Makes me think im going to need something longer than 70mm though!
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Off to the NF tomorrow so will see what I can do, though I doubt Ill be able to get close enough to anything!
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Will extend the date if we need to, as dont want to win by default!!
The first was at 300mm and the second at 280mm, so 70mm might not be enough ;) Glad you like it, cant wait to see some more pics.
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Great photos.
Doubt ill get anything near as good but will try to get some tomorrow if the weather is good.
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A couple of more photos I took yesterday, but not for the comp..
Not an Ugly Duckling
(http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/entityxenon/Swan.jpg)
Gull on Lookout
(http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/entityxenon/SeaGull.jpg)
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Love it. My shoot didnt go to plan the other day, predictably ended up in the pub instead.
Will try and get something done. Makes me think im going to need something longer than 70mm though!
70mm would be great for pets or tame birds, not so hot on wild ones though. something in the range 70/75 to 200/300 zoom should be reasonably cheap.
If thats still not enough then you could go for an x2 converter but, while it will double the focal length of a lens, it will also lower quality and the light getting to the sensor. This tactic wont work on some lens/camera combinations so check before you buy.
Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 Di LD Macro Lens is relatively cheap and very reasonable for its price.
If this isnt enough and you dont have £1,000s to spend consider either a mirror lens or an older prime, but avoid very cheap unknown name mirror lenses unless you can try it and understand the issues. The issue with mirror lenses is that they are SIMPLE, expect only manual focal control with no f/ alteration possible. Older primes will be manual only and will probably need an adaptor.
Get a good one and it will do as a short range astronomical lens, especially for moon pics.
Using a spotting scope or telescope with adaptor is also possible, but in this case its probably adviseable to only use in bright sun.
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Love it. My shoot didnt go to plan the other day, predictably ended up in the pub instead.
Will try and get something done. Makes me think im going to need something longer than 70mm though!
Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 Di LD Macro Lens is relatively cheap and very reasonable for its price.
+1 for the Tamron, very good value lens although it suffers a little from Chromatic Aberation, but that can usually be fixed in software if it is annoying.
The Sigma 70-300 APO is also pretty good, the Tamron is usually reckoned to be slightly sharper but the Sigma has less CA. The Sigma is more expensive though. Personally Id take the Tamron.
Its worth checking your camera makers lenses in this range though. You will pay a bit for the name, but it can be worth it if the quality increase is also there, eg for my camera you can get the Tamron at ~£100 (less if youre lucky), Sigma ~£160 or the Pentax DA55-300 for about £200. The Pentax is more expensive, but worth the extra for being reasonably sharp even wide open at 300mm.
~70-~300 is a popular second lens so most manufacturers make at least one, its just a case of which one offers the best value for your camera body.
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Ive got a Nikon D70, currently with the stock 25-70mm and a f1.8 50mm prime which i love for indoor/low light portraits although its a little long on the crop sensor.
Sadly I dont have the funds for another lens at the moment but Im seriously considering getting rid of my Canon G10 and underwater housing if I can get a decent price for it. That might free up some funds to get a new lens, mono/tripod and decent bag.
Ill try and sneak up on something in my garden at some point, statistically likely to be a pigeon but it will just mean I have to be more creative.
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Ill try and sneak up on something in my garden at some point, statistically likely to be a pigeon but it will just mean I have to be more creative.
Sounds a plan.
Im going to have to go with the, long lens, seat in the garden and camo jacket pulled over my head
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Tip:
Robins and black birds love waxworms, available for ~£3-4 off tinterweb. Seriously, its like crack to them. With a bit of training you could easily get a robin to eat them from your hand. I got them to eat them off my knee with only a few tries.
I saw a heron today but didnt have any form of camera other than my olympus tough and phone, neither of which are particularly good at tele stuff. Mind you, the fieldwork season starts tomorrow for me so you never know what you might find. If whoever wins wants to suggest insects...:D
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Ill try and sneak up on something in my garden at some point, statistically likely to be a pigeon but it will just mean I have to be more creative.
Remember 6" nail, hammer and photoshop are your friends here :w00t: :heehaw:
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Ive got a Nikon D70, currently with the stock 25-70mm and a f1.8 50mm prime which i love for indoor/low light portraits although its a little long on the crop sensor.
Sadly I dont have the funds for another lens at the moment but Im seriously considering getting rid of my Canon G10 and underwater housing if I can get a decent price for it. That might free up some funds to get a new lens, mono/tripod and decent bag.
Ill try and sneak up on something in my garden at some point, statistically likely to be a pigeon but it will just mean I have to be more creative.
When you have the funds, go for the 300mm if you are spending the money, and often the Tamrons etc can be as good as the brand make, in the case of some lenses they have actually performed better (obviously in some cases not!).
Also If you are looking for a bag, the lowepro sligshots are quite good if you are only carrying a little kit.
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Tip:
Robins and black birds love waxworms, available for ~£3-4 off tinterweb. Seriously, its like crack to them. With a bit of training you could easily get a robin to eat them from your hand. I got them to eat them off my knee with only a few tries.
Was thinking of similar myself, before last weekend, although got a rubbish pic of a couple of Robins together in my garden, which surprised me a bit as I thought they were territorial?!
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They are, but could have been a male/female pair?
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Both were red breast, which I think means that they are male? Females are brown?
Unless what I previously thought was wrong?
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I used to think that, but it turns out that males and females are very similar, to the point of being identical. Some sources say females have an orange/lighter breast, whilst others say theyre basically the same! The brown ones are juveniles though.
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Ahhh mystery solved then! :D Cheers I had wondered!
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Both were red breast, which I think means that they are male? Females are brown?
Unless what I previously thought was wrong?
I used to think that too, seems to have been a widely held misconception!
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In almost all species of birds when one is brightly coloured its the male is much brighter coloured than the female, people assume the European Robin must be the same but it isnt.
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Enough about Robins now! Wheres every ones pictures for the comp!! :D
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I dont get close enough to the birds in the field :( If whoever wins wants to do insects next though... :D
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Im having no luck at all with this so far.
Had some birds just feet from me but no camera to hand :(
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Took a few today ... not very pleased with them, will upload one later.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3405/4630109410_bf7d30e276.jpg)
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Good work mate, I like it
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Ill get one posted this evening...
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Im busy wondering whether the IR remote I have for my Canon will trigger if I have the camera set up outside and Im inside the house for an extreme closeup :D
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Im busy wondering whether the IR remote I have for my Canon will trigger if I have the camera set up outside and Im inside the house for an extreme closeup :D
Doubt it, iv used mine outside (have to be pointing it at the front of the cam anyway as you probably know) and the range wasnt great at all.
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Yeah, 3-6m depending on light and angle :(
Mind you thats enough to get the Robin, shame it seems to be hiding today.
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Im just putting the finishing touches to something I took at the weekend, might just manage to sneak it in, after all no one said they had to be real birds....
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Not quite exactly what youd expect but everywhere I went didnt seem to have any birds at all! Got this in my Grandmas back garden when I was there for Sunday lunch, she always has some sort of birds in but there was nothing so got this instead.
Ok here we go:
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3362/4638321493_925f2603eb.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/russellcram/4638321493/)
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Not quite exactly what youd expect but everywhere I went didnt seem to have any birds at all! Got this in my Grandmas back garden when I was there for Sunday lunch, she always has some sort of birds in but there was nothing so got this instead.
Ok here we go:
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3362/4638321493_925f2603eb.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/russellcram/4638321493/)
Fits the theme birds in my opinion! Good resourcefulness.
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Following several attempts to get any worthwhile bird picture this is about it from me.
So far its been too far, too late or something got in the road.
Guess I actually set up a flickr account sometime
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(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3348/4641353742_006df93df0_b.jpg)
Best i could do, been really busy, wanted to get something better but just didnt have the time.
If your wondering what the blobs are to the right its seed the bird has just thrown out of the feeder.
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Best i could do, been really busy, wanted to get something better but just didnt have the time.
Its a better picture than you think, try shoving it through a photo enhancement package.
2 mins with FastStone image viewer:
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And heres 10 mins with photoshop, little bit of levels, dodge/burn, contrast and then unsharpen mask.
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Ive had a bit of success at last, but not with the Robins, instead a female blackbird. Just downloading the pics now!
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I dont know if this is in the rules, considering its several images, I felt like trying something different though...imagine the sequence in the style of ninja cat.
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4065/4642233178_607663ceb8_b.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/4642233178/)
If the multi image isnt allowed:
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/4642212360_9ab1f7ae3f_b.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/4642212360/)
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I think as a photo i might prefer the last one in the sequence. Has more depth and balance to it with the flowers in the background.
Great shots tho, nice work.
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i missed a cracker today...
driving over the beacons there was a dead sheep on the road & a bird of praying feasting on it.. obviously I scared it off (well my van)
& it soared off... only camera I had was my iphone one, so couldnt be bothered to stop & ask it to say cheese.
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Past the deadline and all, but thought Id share them anyways..
(http://www.damani.co.uk/images/bird1.jpg)
(http://www.damani.co.uk/images/bird2.jpg)
(http://www.damani.co.uk/images/bird3.jpg)
(http://www.damani.co.uk/images/bird4.jpg)
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Youd have won if you posted any of those before the deadline tbh!
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Nice pics mate, what lens did you use for those?
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EF 70-200 F4L. The one you were tempted by ;-)
Pics taken on 40D, all at:
ISO 400
f/4
200mm hand tracked at high speed with it swooping past a balcony at range of 100-200m.