The Official Photography Thread - Vol. 3

[jodeva89]

...in regards to present day digital and how people shoot with the "square" in mind because knowing Instagram will crop it's edges on the app (or used to). Before IG, I always shot assuming it would be a rectangle but that app literally has me shooting differently. It's even got me shooting vertical now. Haha.

I think the no crop thing goes back to how film was treated. I think in general, film was never cropped into crazy forms. You would take the photo you shot, develop it and there you have it. Obviously cropping creates a more dramatic feel at times but it should really be the photographer that shoots it that way and should not be done in post to make a photo more dramatic. So if someone saw that photo ArmenExchange just posted up, everyone right away would never believe you shot that out of the camera and would assume you did some crazy crop after the facts. It just sort of takes away from the original photo. I think for the most part, everything should be shot correctly with minimal cropping after the facts. If you have to do an extreme crop, I just don't think that is a good photo but these 50mp cameras will tell me otherwise.

For web you can practically do anything. Print......you should stick to basic cropping.

good dialogue about the cropping in post. i had no idea and really didn't know anything about this, appreciate yall sharing.

 

[tokes99]

^^^Wait.....what full frame did you get?

Untitled by gabrieldiaz, on Flickr


a7RII. I must admit, the tax return helped a little with this LOL. Gaffer tape for stealth

didn't you have an rx1?

^^^^No...I know 1:1 is a medium format thing but I am talking in regards to present day digital and how people shoot with the "square" in mind because knowing Instagram will crop it's edges on the app (or used to). Before IG, I always shot assuming it would be a rectangle but that app literally has me shooting differently. It's even got me shooting vertical now. Haha.

I think the no crop thing goes back to how film was treated. I think in general, film was never cropped into crazy forms. You would take the photo you shot, develop it and there you have it. Obviously cropping creates a more dramatic feel at times but it should really be the photographer that shoots it that way and should not be done in post to make a photo more dramatic. So if someone saw that photo ArmenExchange just posted up, everyone right away would never believe you shot that out of the camera and would assume you did some crazy crop after the facts. It just sort of takes away from the original photo. I think for the most part, everything should be shot correctly with minimal cropping after the facts. If you have to do an extreme crop, I just don't think that is a good photo but these 50mp cameras will tell me otherwise.

But this was with film so things could be different with digital. I would do crops like this in my mag class (if it was shot wide) and would have to fight for designing it this way. I guess it could depend on how your photo would be used. For web you can practically do anything. Print......you should stick to basic cropping.

with digital, cropping is less of an issue, even with printing - you just have to either do a custom frame or deal with extra border space - there are so many 'rules' in photography that are either anachronistic, rather arbitrary/subjective, or dictated by format (both camera & end use). the 'rules' for photojournalism, are different than for fashion, which is different for street photography, which would be different than event photography, etc., different folks, different strokes...the thing to keep in mind as stated above is the audience/client/end use, if printing large, cropping is losing pixels that could be used for detail, so while it may improve composition it is taking a bit away from resolution...

i think the main reason cropping became so frowned upon was that many photographers in the 35mm film days (in the beginning with larger formats the 'negative' was essentially the photograph, so maybe a leftover from this way of thinking) did not do their own printing and sometimes might never even see the negatives, therefore 'filling the frame' as an axiom was to emphasize want the photographer wanted maybe more faithfully; if you get it 'right in camera' there is less room for interpretation? with larger formats, there was not as much room for spontaneity, they as a function of their size were very deliberate/planned endeavors. 35mm and smaller formats changed that & allowed for much greater freedom but there also was a quality drop-off as well, so the framing correctly in camera probably is related to that as well.

speaking of instagram & the popularity of the 1:1 crop, one of the things i kinda wish instagram would do, now that you can post outside of square is to let users decide on the what part of the image will appear in the square in the feed

 

[djyoung08]

^^^Wait.....what full frame did you get?

Untitled by gabrieldiaz, on Flickr


a7RII. I must admit, the tax return helped a little with this LOL. Gaffer tape for stealth

didn't you have an rx1?

^^^^No...I know 1:1 is a medium format thing but I am talking in regards to present day digital and how people shoot with the "square" in mind because knowing Instagram will crop it's edges on the app (or used to). Before IG, I always shot assuming it would be a rectangle but that app literally has me shooting differently. It's even got me shooting vertical now. Haha.

I think the no crop thing goes back to how film was treated. I think in general, film was never cropped into crazy forms. You would take the photo you shot, develop it and there you have it. Obviously cropping creates a more dramatic feel at times but it should really be the photographer that shoots it that way and should not be done in post to make a photo more dramatic. So if someone saw that photo ArmenExchange just posted up, everyone right away would never believe you shot that out of the camera and would assume you did some crazy crop after the facts. It just sort of takes away from the original photo. I think for the most part, everything should be shot correctly with minimal cropping after the facts. If you have to do an extreme crop, I just don't think that is a good photo but these 50mp cameras will tell me otherwise.

But this was with film so things could be different with digital. I would do crops like this in my mag class (if it was shot wide) and would have to fight for designing it this way. I guess it could depend on how your photo would be used. For web you can practically do anything. Print......you should stick to basic cropping.

with digital, cropping is less of an issue, even with printing - you just have to either do a custom frame or deal with extra border space - there are so many 'rules' in photography that are either anachronistic, rather arbitrary/subjective, or dictated by format (both camera & end use). the 'rules' for photojournalism, are different than for fashion, which is different for street photography, which would be different than event photography, etc., different folks, different strokes...the thing to keep in mind as stated above is the audience/client/end use, if printing large, cropping is losing pixels that could be used for detail, so while it may improve composition it is taking a bit away from resolution...

i think the main reason cropping became so frowned upon was that many photographers in the 35mm film days (in the beginning with larger formats the 'negative' was essentially the photograph, so maybe a leftover from this way of thinking) did not do their own printing and sometimes might never even see the negatives, therefore 'filling the frame' as an axiom was to emphasize want the photographer wanted maybe more faithfully; if you get it 'right in camera' there is less room for interpretation? with larger formats, there was not as much room for spontaneity, they as a function of their size were very deliberate/planned endeavors. 35mm and smaller formats changed that & allowed for much greater freedom but there also was a quality drop-off as well, so the framing correctly in camera probably is related to that as well.

speaking of instagram & the popularity of the 1:1 crop, one of the things i kinda wish instagram would do, now that you can post outside of square is to let users decide on the what part of the image will appear in the square in the feed

I just want to point out that your vocabulary is incredible

 

[zk1mpls]

Any bag recommendations to make swapping lenses somewhat less of a nightmare?

Recommendations based on what you're using would be best.

Best case scenario... bring a second DSLR body. No need to swap.

Kidding aside, it really depends on how much gear you bring.

Currently, I use mostly Lowepro bags (Toploader Pro 75AW II for casual shooting and Protactic 450AW when I travel with a lot of gear) and lens cases. They are well-made, well thought-out products do the job well for me. Both have quick access panels to be able to take out your camera in a hurry.

Also have a Manfrotto Professional Series Shoulder Bag. https://www.manfrotto.com/products/bags/shoulder-bag/professional-shoulder-bag-40 Carries a lot of stuff, but all that weight on one shoulder gets really tiring real fast. The top access zipper helps gain quicker access to the main compartment so that you can switch out lenses quickly. Got this one for relatively cheap on Amazon. It's a rather big bag, but smaller versions are available.

Have used one of these in conjunction with the Spider Holster belt system: http://petapixel.com/2014/09/18/gowing-super-simple-mount-accessory-lets-swap-lenses-flash/ Helps keep a hand free for quickly switching out lenses carefully. Would recommend using this indoors more as the lens swapper isn't protected against the elements.

I'd recommend using a shoulder bag with a top access zipper. Should be the quickest way to access your gear in a hurry.

 

[jewseejay]

tripod number 2 is here. if the rain stops i might the boardwalk tonight and try some long exposure stuff

 

[dunksrnice]

I've been traveling (Just got back from Death Valley) so I haven't been able to upload my vlog and photos from Seattle until now.



--

Man... my trip from Death Valley was an unforgettable one. words from my Instagram.

"This past weekend I had a near death experience.

As you may know, I decided to disconnect myself to the social media world for the weekend while I was in Death Valley. While heading to the racetracks there, we almost fell off a cliff and it's exactly like a movie scene. Our Jeep was hanging off a cliff while two tires and in mid air and you have seconds to get out before you fall with your vehicle. Without even thinking, we hopped out before anyone really got injured in any way. While this was happening, it started to rain and the winds started to pick up.

Luckily we had two other groups with us. We all no cellular service in the middle of no where in the mountains in the dessert. In the moment of everything happening so fast, you start to panic and think of the worst and best possible things in you're current situation. I walked away with my heart beating so fast and breathing deeply. It took a few minutes to reclaim myself. The two other groups went ahead to get help while our group was stuck. We had a gps tracking location but since it took a few hours to get to our location, it would nearly take just as long to get to we were at.

After waiting two hours a random civilian came (named Tim, thank God) and Max (@maxe30is)and wedged our rental Jeep out. It was already 4 hours and finally getting out. In any situation, just be thankfully that everyone walked away with no injuries and a moment to always be thankfully and positive in any situation. This weekend in Death Valley has been wild and I'm greatly appreciated and blessed to have spent it with a group of people that were there to call my friends in @deathvalleynps".

I'm okay. Here is our rental Jeep literally dangling from the ground.


I didn't check any of my photos at all until I got home (Yesterday). NT Fam, you guys get to see it first before anyone else haha. Here's a preview of some of the images I got out in Death Valley. For those wanting to go, or plan to go, I went for a weekend and got a great amount of photos. A weekend will be good but a week will be even better.













Dantes view where the Instagram Meet was held at. Amazing spot.


Badlands. This was 200 below sea level and this is all salt.


We were also out there because of the new moon and the milky way. The first two days it rained and our last day, it finally cleared up. Wasn't the best because of the clouds were too thick but the stars tinkle out there and it's wild.




I'll post more once I get out all my other wedding, events, and lifestyle photos out the way. Currently 3-6 months behind photos but been getting a lot of opportunities to travel and be sponsored by these huge companies so it's tough to turn them down.

As always, more photos on the blog.

IG - @dunksrnice
http://www.dunksrnice.net/2016/04/seattle-day-one.html

PS - If you have IG and follow me and I haven't follow you back, please let me know. I will follow you back. I will always follow back NT Fam.

 

[jewseejay]

amazinggg shots as always man

Id send that pic to Jeep... thats a Rubi too, pathetic

they never perform like theyre supposed to

 

[tokes99]

I just want to point out that your vocabulary is incredible

haha! lots of schoolin'...i got to make it count somehow

Man... my trip from Death Valley was an unforgettable one. words from my Instagram.

"This past weekend I had a near death experience.

As you may know, I decided to disconnect myself to the social media world for the weekend while I was in Death Valley. While heading to the racetracks there, we almost fell off a cliff and it's exactly like a movie scene. Our Jeep was hanging off a cliff while two tires and in mid air and you have seconds to get out before you fall with your vehicle. Without even thinking, we hopped out before anyone really got injured in any way. While this was happening, it started to rain and the winds started to pick up.

Luckily we had two other groups with us. We all no cellular service in the middle of no where in the mountains in the dessert. In the moment of everything happening so fast, you start to panic and think of the worst and best possible things in you're current situation. I walked away with my heart beating so fast and breathing deeply. It took a few minutes to reclaim myself. The two other groups went ahead to get help while our group was stuck. We had a gps tracking location but since it took a few hours to get to our location, it would nearly take just as long to get to we were at.

After waiting two hours a random civilian came (named Tim, thank God) and Max (@maxe30is)and wedged our rental Jeep out. It was already 4 hours and finally getting out. In any situation, just be thankfully that everyone walked away with no injuries and a moment to always be thankfully and positive in any situation. This weekend in Death Valley has been wild and I'm greatly appreciated and blessed to have spent it with a group of people that were there to call my friends in @deathvalleynps".

I'm okay. Here is our rental Jeep literally dangling from the ground.

what! good you made it out ok, how did you end up off the side of a cliff though? poor visibility? gps send the driver off? thinking about taking a big solo cross country trip soon and this type of thing is terrifying...

 

[dunksrnice]

amazinggg shots as always man

Id send that pic to Jeep... thats a Rubi too, pathetic

they never perform like theyre supposed to

We did and we had insurance. Only damage was the front bumper being bent a little.

 

[dunksrnice]

tokes99 - It was a super sharp turn and our driver didn't think it through. I'm just glad no one got seriously injured. Basically we waited two maybe three ours until a civilian with a better jeep wedged us out.

 

[jodeva89]

damn dunksrnice so good man. so when you get assignment work for these companies do they lend you gear or you use your own? i feel this has been asked or mentioned in the past before, but can't recall.

 

[djyoung08]

DRN takes photos of the most simple stuff and makes it look legendary... :x hate u

glad everything went well and even in the bad situation, things worked out.

 

[armenexchange]

thanks for the tips and discussion about cropping guys! really appreciate all the insight!

im shooting wiht an a7s so already limited to like 12 megapixels so good point on losing resolution quick. ive never actually printed anything bigger than an 8x10 so really curious how bad itd get with any type of crop. haha booked another kid's party in may based off those pics so excited to get some more practice!

dope pics dunksrnice and crazy close call and glad u guys came out unscratched! always a fan of ur pics, like djyoung said of simple things looking dope lol

 

[iamdef]

Anybody use any tripod tracks or dollies?

Looking to prepare for video and know I'll need to get some and these Neewers look good

 

[tokes99]

Anybody use any tripod tracks or dollies?
Looking to prepare for video and know I'll need to get some and these Neewers look good

what are you trying to do? it might be a whole lot easier/less costly to do shoot wider and/or handheld & fix in post...

 

[djyoung08]

I recently got two 16x20 prints with a metallic finish option from adorama px.

Really happy with the results.

The metallic finish is almost reminiscent of holographic pokemon cards

I wouldnt do the metallic finish on like tight, chest up portrait but for these images, it works and i love it!

 

[iamdef]

what are you trying to do? it might be a whole lot easier/less costly to do shoot wider and/or handheld & fix in post...

Trying to minimize shake when moving around a client. Like moving from their right to the left side. Also want to try to get into some video like the hairstylists have where the cameras circles em

 

[iamdef]

I recently got two 16x20 prints with a metallic finish option from adorama px.

Really happy with the results.

The metallic finish is almost reminiscent of holographic pokemon cards

I wouldnt do the metallic finish on like tight, chest up portrait but for these images, it works and i love it!

On that table they look so real like they were photoshopped on there. How much were they?

 

[djyoung08]

I recently got two 16x20 prints with a metallic finish option from adorama px.

Really happy with the results.

The metallic finish is almost reminiscent of holographic pokemon cards

I wouldnt do the metallic finish on like tight, chest up portrait but for these images, it works and i love it!

On that table they look so real like they were photoshopped on there. How much were they?

yeah they're crazy. on adorama px they were like 16 each shipped.

 

[jewseejay]

Those prints are clean AF

 

[dunksrnice]

damn dunksrnice so good man. so when you get assignment work for these companies do they lend you gear or you use your own? i feel this has been asked or mentioned in the past before, but can't recall.

Thanks man! Depending what you're assigned too, you usually use your equipment unless it's a product they're using to sell to the public world. Basically showcasing what it can do. For the most part, I use my own equipment.

DRN takes photos of the most simple stuff and makes it look legendary... :x hate u

glad everything went well and even in the bad situation, things worked out.

Thanks man and yeah everything worked out cool. I just shoot it the way I see it and try to do something different if I can haha. Nice prints!

thanks for the tips and discussion about cropping guys! really appreciate all the insight!

im shooting wiht an a7s so already limited to like 12 megapixels so good point on losing resolution quick. ive never actually printed anything bigger than an 8x10 so really curious how bad itd get with any type of crop. haha booked another kid's party in may based off those pics so excited to get some more practice!

dope pics dunksrnice and crazy close call and glad u guys came out unscratched! always a fan of ur pics, like djyoung said of simple things looking dope lol

Right on man!

 

[jodeva89]

sharing a few from the past few days. photo dump bc i have a lot of time on my hands right now. met up with some people from instagram for the first time ever. really positive experience as i've never been out with anyone before and tend to just creep and wander solo. tried to be more intentional about framing and not cropping as discussed recently.

 

[Y4BBZY]

Really itching to get the original Sony A7 for my vintage lenses. Really cheap for what they go for now.

 

[iamdef]

So do y'all blatantly take pics of other people or do you try to be sly about. I have to earn back my creepy photographer badge

 

[djyoung08]

So do y'all blatantly take pics of other people or do you try to be sly about. I have to earn back my creepy photographer badge

I've wondered that myself