A little introduction

J

Jason Scott

Senior Member
Maybe a little late, but here he go. Youl will have to bear with me, as actualy being me on a forum feels a little odd.
My name is Jason, I live in the East Kootenays.

I run a S80 power shot and a d5100 with a Tameron lens. I have 2 daughters, a 6 month old, and a 3 year old. as well as a 4 year old cocker spaniel.
I primarly Bike, camp and climb, although 2 new children have limited these activities for a shot time.

I am far from a profesional photographer, I take roughly 200-500 pictures a month, of them if I keep 10 I am doing very well.

As stated in the other post, I have recently started to question the functionality of the camera I am using, as well as the need to send it in.

I have not ruled out the Idea that it could be me.

Here are my favourite pictures from the last 6 months use of the camera

http://sdrv.ms/PCE5ZG

And for the people I started out on the wrong foot, I am sorry.
 
Marcel

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
Hi Jason and welcome to the forum.

One thing that is easy to overlook is the fact that your S80 lens was certainly a shorter focal length. This means that the amount of Depth of Field was a lot large with your point and shoot. Second, point and shoot cameras usually apply a lot of sharpening to the pictures you take. Where the DSLRs are more neutral as far as saturation and sharpening. There is in the camera's menu settings that you should try to adapt to your taste if you are using jpegs. If you are using the raw settings, thinking that this will get you the best images out of the camera, you are wrong. Raw settings need to be post processed before they actually look like a picture. Many different softwares can do that for you, but you always have to decide what you want and, do the actual improving to the raw images.

I have no idea of what your skills in post processing or photography are and I don't want to judge you, but maybe you didn't get the right camera for your needs. I tried to post process some of the shots on your "sky drive" and was able to get very nice images out of them. So, before you throw the camera away, try to learn a little more about how you can improve the results you don't like for now.

Best of luck and enjoy your Nikon!
 
J

Jason Scott

Senior Member
I have CS5 I am not exactly a pro with it, but I like the word competant.
Competant enough that I have been frustrated editing pictures, and then having the lab fail to reproduce the same results.

the dog being the primary example.
I have created and recreated that image, 30+ times, and always, either the bear is wash, or the dog is black.
even when using masks, and exposure on each element seperatly. I have done some basic sharpening, and saturation, (especialy rock climbing pictures)

I would be very interested in seing what you have done to some of the pictures as well as an Idea of what you did to them.

I have added edited pictures to the mix, including one of rock, the one of the dog and bear has had significant work done on it.
 
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Marcel

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
I took the liberty of opening one of your photo and worked on it a little bit. Sharpening and a little color saturation is all I added.
This is a 100% crop of the picture and I have to say it is sharp and you do have a lovely daughter.

I hope you won't mind my working with one of your photos.

455 copy.jpg
 
J

Jason Scott

Senior Member
pedroj said:
View attachment 18375View attachment 18376
Click to expand...


Now I am sure I am going to sound like dick, but I asure you it is not the intention. Pedroj did some extreemly heavy handed editing of the image. Not saying it is good or bad, my style or not, just simply stating it is extreemly heavy handed. For an image that has been edited that heavily, I still take note, that the lines in and around the mouth specificaly the teath, are still extreemly soft. on the other hand. The work that Marcel did is IMHO only a little "heavy handed" as seen around the edge of the teath, and looks absolutly stunning. I would love to know the numbers you used for it as well as the changes made. everyone has different taste, and I like to be a little less heavy handed.

as the picture of the rock shown is as well a little heavy handed for my tates, but I was just playing.

Thank you both for the time put into it. and it is interesting to see what can be done.
 
Marcel

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
Jason Scott said:
Now I am sure I am going to sound like dick, but I asure you it is not the intention. Pedroj did some extreemly heavy handed editing of the image. Not saying it is good or bad, my style or not, just simply stating it is extreemly heavy handed. For an image that has been edited that heavily, I still take note, that the lines in and around the mouth specificaly the teath, are still extreemly soft. on the other hand. The work that Marcel did is IMHO only a little "heavy handed" as seen around the edge of the teath, and looks absolutly stunning. I would love to know the numbers you used for it as well as the changes made. everyone has different taste, and I like to be a little less heavy handed.

as the picture of the rock shown is as well a little heavy handed for my tates, but I was just playing.

Thank you both for the time put into it. and it is interesting to see what can be done.
Click to expand...

There are no magic numbers to post processing. You have to go where your eyes bring you. But, this said, these hight resolution sensors are extremely sensitive to camera motion, mirror slap and focus. When you look at pictures at 100% on the screen, it's really easy to complain. You have to look at a picture in a normal size. So, give yourself time and play around with your camera, it's a learning curve compared to point and shoot, but the eventual outcome will sure be worth it.
 
J

Jason Scott

Senior Member
you are extreemly heavy handed. as is your style and taste.

if I wanted to be that heavy handed, I would spend the time on indevidual things start with what marcell did, then work the eyes, remove the reflection, brighten the eyes, remove the 1 overly bright hair next to the nose, stuff like that, maybe soften some blemishes (not many to begin with)

I understand you are trying to show the sharpening, but this leavs little to the imagination.
 
P

pedroj

Senior Member
You are the one talking about soft images not I...I believe you need to look at your technique and not "blame" it all on the camera...Buddy...
 
E

Eye-level

Banned
I do like the eye-level stuff...I'm always getting that wrong. They say it is best to get alittle below eye-level for children but that is just what they say. That girl is a natural for pictures too...she likes the camera and the camera likes her.
 
S

Sandpatch

Senior Member
I'm an amateur all the way. I wonder if the flash fired on the unedited shot, as her face is in shadow. When this sort of situation arises, I try to force the camera to fire the flash so as to put better light on the subject. By the way, the subject matter is great -- you are blessed. :)
 
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