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03/22/2007 07:09:13 PM · #101
Originally posted by WriteHeart:


I feel so new to this all that I am lost. I am doing a ton of reading (but can't find my camera manual so only shooting on Auto). I have appreciated all the links for things to read here on this site. I have read them all and have been learning lots.


does anybody have a link or something to an online manual or something of the sort for a Pentax K100D?
03/22/2007 07:09:23 PM · #102
1)What do I want to achieve with my photography?
I'd like to get more efficient with finding that moment to capture. I feel like I'm constantly struggling. After I take an image, I have a feeling with it, and I see it later and am like, Great, I have to redo it because....(insert any number of problems here).

2) What reactions do you hope for in your viewers?
I prefer a thoughtful moment or a "Why didn't I think of that".

3) What challenges do you face in photography, and how do you overcome them?
I have no formal training, so I struggle with the basic notions of how to "do" photography, the rules, etc. And especially post-processing, and all on a budget with very few tools. (read here: no light kits, studios, models, multiple accessories, etc)
03/22/2007 07:09:44 PM · #103
Is it too late to join in? I have an average of 5.1 but I figure that won't hold long, LOL.
03/22/2007 07:12:31 PM · #104
Originally posted by Muppet:

Originally posted by WriteHeart:


I feel so new to this all that I am lost. I am doing a ton of reading (but can't find my camera manual so only shooting on Auto). I have appreciated all the links for things to read here on this site. I have read them all and have been learning lots.


does anybody have a link or something to an online manual or something of the sort for a Pentax K100D?


Here ya go...
www.pentaximaging.com/files/product/K100D%20Manual.pdf
03/22/2007 08:57:09 PM · #105
AU5 Assignment

1) What do you want to achieve in your photography?
I'd like to move from a snap shot orientation to better composed, more thoughtful images with an idea in mind - that flourishes from concept to final photo.

2) What reactions do you hope for in your viewers?
First & foremost, it's the reaction within me for a job well done - if I've learned to slow my pace and look at my composition from many aspects such as background clutter, noise, camera settings and lighting, the viewer might also experience an aesthetic moment from my efforts.

3) What challenges do you face in photography, and how do you overcome them?
My biggest challenge is me learning to get out of my own way and slow down, think about my idea and how to execute it. I need to implement what I read and how it applies to what I am doing. I need to keep my camera with me as much as possible and keep it CHARGED (lol). I will overcome my "deer caught in headlights" reaction to pro shots that ribbon and take my own baby steps applying bits of information toward MY learning needs.

...as an aside, those ribbon winners are extremely helpful in many ways, from forum replies, writing tutorials and the occasional pm to describe methods of improvement without public embarrassment in comments that are later posted after voting.

Oh! Writing this has been cathartic...:)
03/22/2007 11:48:05 PM · #106
Originally posted by dsterner:


Oh! Writing this has been cathartic...:)


Awesome :-D
03/22/2007 11:48:22 PM · #107
Originally posted by jackal9:

Is it too late to join in? I have an average of 5.1 but I figure that won't hold long, LOL.


Never too late!
03/22/2007 11:59:49 PM · #108
Originally posted by jackal9:

Originally posted by Muppet:

Originally posted by WriteHeart:


I feel so new to this all that I am lost. I am doing a ton of reading (but can't find my camera manual so only shooting on Auto). I have appreciated all the links for things to read here on this site. I have read them all and have been learning lots.


does anybody have a link or something to an online manual or something of the sort for a Pentax K100D?


Here ya go...
www.pentaximaging.com/files/product/K100D%20Manual.pdf


Thank you so much Muppet and Jackal9! I am sitting down now to officially take my camera off of automatic to that magic "m" setting.

I love DPChallenge!!! You guys are all so great!
03/23/2007 12:46:33 AM · #109
the M setting is magical, isn't it? it's also marvelous! can't wait to see what you can do with the magical M!
03/23/2007 01:02:06 AM · #110
--AU5 Assignment--

1) What do you want to achieve in your photography?

well... i hope to be able to make a living out of it, but that's only because i'll need to get a job someday and i should do what i enjoy doing. in order to do so, of course, i'm going to first have to get to the point where people would actually pay me for doing anything of the sort...

2) What reactions do you hope for in your viewers?

that tends to vary by picture. in a nut shell, i want people to feel what i shoot. i want them to realize that a picture is worth far more than just a thousand words; it's sometimes worth a tear, laughter, or even revered silence...

3) What challenges do you face in photography, and how do you overcome them?

that depends, what challenges can a photographer face? aside from a camera, the only equipment i have is two tripods. i am my model for basically everyshot. my bathroom is proving to be my studio. i've learned a lot about photography since joining DPC, but i've had no prior knowledge or real experiance. i'm really bad with deadlines, so i've already missed two out of seven challenges. the only thing i really have going for me is my overly vivid imagination.

hey though, i'm still having fun, and i'm getting great experiance. thanks to one and all - Muppet...

03/23/2007 01:26:50 AM · #111
Originally posted by Muppet:


aside from a camera, the only equipment i have is two tripods. i am my model for basically everyshot. my bathroom is proving to be my studio. i've learned a lot about photography since joining DPC, but i've had no prior knowledge or real experiance. i'm really bad with deadlines, so i've already missed two out of seven challenges. the only thing i really have going for me is my overly vivid imagination.


This is almost EXACTLY me. I don't have any tripods, and I'm okay with deadlines, but everything else...

Of course it isn't everyone who has the fancy studios and the real-world experience, but sometimes looking at challenge results it can feel like that's pretty much everywhere around us here. And it can be daunting - and inspiring sometimes too.

It would be nice to have the fancy equipment, but if I had to choose, I'd take my vivid imagination over the equipment any day.

:-) :-)
03/23/2007 02:37:54 AM · #112
yeah, the fanciest thing i own is a 4-inch tripod. i used in my grain 2 entry. it cost me 10 bucks, but it's nice to have :)
03/23/2007 10:59:47 AM · #113
I have a cheapy tripod made of aluminum, made by Samsonite, that cost about $25/Cdn at Walmart. Thought of getting one of those eensy little tripods too.

Instructions for building a lightbox can easily be found via google, if anyone's in a 'handy' mood.
03/23/2007 05:49:49 PM · #114
I live out here in the windswept plains and the wind blows all the time many days to the tune 30-40 mph So I sucked it up and bought a heavy tripod on ebay it's Bogen with a Bogen quick release head. I love it, it will extend to over 7 feet high and can be reversed to take close up macro shots like mm's away from the ground. Retail is probably around 160$ to 175$ I picked up for I think 70$ plus shipping so not too bad. I love ebay..

1) What do you want to achieve in your photography?

I want to go pro at some point, and actually love what I do for a living. That will be so sweet!

2) What reactions do you hope for in your viewers?

Evoke some sort of emotional response, make the viewer feel something.

3) What challenges do you face in photography, and how do you overcome them?

Where to start...lol. I need to get better at "seeing" the shot in my head before I press the shutter release rather than shooting a ton of frames and hopeing something good will result. Also, post processing, I suck at photoshop but I am learning. as for how I am going to overcome these challenges, this site is really helpful to me and the challenges are great!! Love the tutorials!!

Thanks everybody!!

03/23/2007 06:02:34 PM · #115
1) What do you want to achieve in your photography?

I want to enjoy taking photos first and foremost. I want to capture things that stir memories and make me smile. I would like to become more competent with my camera and take pictures that are as I see them.

2) What reactions do you hope for in your viewers?

Amusement, a smile is better than any medicine. Interest, I want viewers to be interested in what the photo is about and make them want to visit the same place and have the same experiences.

3) What challenges do you face in photography, and how do you overcome them?

I face Everest in my challenges in photography, as I get older, technology gets better and I can't always keep up. I know what I see and what I want, now I have to translate this to my photos. In the past six months, since I moved house, my camera hasn't been outside the four walls. But, summer is coming and there is so much to do. I will try harder.

Message edited by author 2007-03-23 18:03:12.
03/24/2007 12:23:32 AM · #116
Originally posted by jackal9:

Where to start...lol. I need to get better at "seeing" the shot in my head before I press the shutter release rather than shooting a ton of frames and hopeing something good will result.


One thing I would recommend is - go outside and walk, or wherever you like to shoot photos. Have this be a just-for-you session; leave DPC out of it, and go in with no expectations to get a perfect shot. If you see something you want to take a photo of, limit yourself to ONE frame. And go nice and slow: turn and tilt your camera before you take the shot, fiddle with settings, decide if you want flash, etc. And then do it. You'll have a hard time at first but if you tell yourself that it's just for practice, it'll be easier because you're not under pressure to take a lot of photos in the hopes that one will be just right. I think it does get easier if you practice.
03/24/2007 06:56:14 AM · #117
--AU5 Assignment!--

1) What do you want to achieve in your photography?
I need to back this up to when I got to DPC.

I wanted to learn how to be a better photographer and learn how to post process.

What I really learned was that this place has fantastic people who are talented, knowledgeable, and helpful.....I acquired a mentor who helped me understand my camera and how to use it to effectively use it to capture what I wanted in my imagery.

The bonus was that I now have confidence in my ability to actually capture what I see in my mind's eye with my camera.

2) What reactions do you hope for in your viewers?

I want the "Oh, WOW!!!" obviously, but I also want to make the viewer laugh, cry, and see something in my work that moves them in a way that is only possible because oof the image I've presented.

3) What challenges do you face in photography, and how do you overcome them?

My own limitations, the price of newer and better equipment, the fact that National Geographic has *NOT* called yet......8>)

Seriously, I'm at a place now where I've never been in the thirty years I've been doing this, and that's in a comfortable, peaceful place that I know that I'm good enough to do most anything, and get what I want in the way of capturing the moment, the scene, or just having the experience and knowledge to take the shot and have it turn out well.

For example, I had a friend call the other evening about two hours before dark......she needed someone to go take shots of four houses for realty listings. It took me about an hour and a half, mostly because of the driving, but I got 'em all before it got dark, and they were competent and professional.

That's not really my point though......on the way to the last house, I got a shot that I'm waffling over.....I don't know whether to enter it in Still, or the Free Study.

I was hired as a professional......and I got *PAID* to take a shot for DP Challenge!

It doesn't get any better than that!

Oh......4.9638 still even after my 6.667/7th place in Grain! LOL!!!

03/24/2007 07:23:11 AM · #118
Originally posted by jackal9:

Where to start...lol. I need to get better at "seeing" the shot in my head before I press the shutter release rather than shooting a ton of frames and hopeing something good will result.

Originally posted by klstover:

One thing I would recommend is - go outside and walk, or wherever you like to shoot photos. Have this be a just-for-you session; leave DPC out of it, and go in with no expectations to get a perfect shot. If you see something you want to take a photo of, limit yourself to ONE frame. And go nice and slow: turn and tilt your camera before you take the shot, fiddle with settings, decide if you want flash, etc. And then do it. You'll have a hard time at first but if you tell yourself that it's just for practice, it'll be easier because you're not under pressure to take a lot of photos in the hopes that one will be just right. I think it does get easier if you practice.


I'd like to second that "just-for-you" thing.

If you shoot for the voters, you will be in a perpetual place of self-criticism and disappointment 'cause the only way you get better is to make mistakes, learn from them, and along the way, develop the skills that make *YOU* the better version of the photographer you are now.

Nothing and nobody will ever be able to see the world the same way you do in your mind's eye and camera lens.

What you want is to develop your technique and to do that you need to master the camera and understand the composition of the shot, both in technical skills and the subject matter.

One thing that I suggest is to vote every single challenge you can for a while.....look at the shots, and comment. What you'll find by default just by looking at copious quantities of shots is that you'll notice what you do and don't like in photography, how the shots missed the mark for you, and what you'll do to make your work more closely mirror what you want it to.

Then after you vote, look and see how the entries you really like fared. I think you'll be surprised at the disparity in the placement.

You may decide that you saw three shots in particular challenge that you thought were far and away the best.......only to find that while two of them were in the top 25, the third got 187th place.

It just means that the 187th place shot, the one you actually liked second best, didn't speak to as many people the same way that it did to the photographer, and you, or that the style and technique was different enough that it didn't appeal to everyone. You'll appreciate much more how the scoring desn't necessarily indicate the measure of a shot as much as the likes of the viewer.

Finally, decide what you want to learn, and start asking around. There are tons of really good photographers and computer users here that can help you with tips and techniques for things you don't even know exist yet......and when you discover that you can master them as well, it's an awesone feeling.

This place has certainly brought miraculous changes in my photography, but more importantly, I have much more time to have the delight and awe in the world around me now that the mechanics of photography, composition, and post processing have become more second nature.

And I have sooooooooooo much to learn yet!

Edited for typos and poor grammar....the deluge of verbosity is obligatory.....8>)

Message edited by author 2007-03-24 07:28:02.
03/25/2007 03:48:50 AM · #119
I just processed a picture by idreamoftryptamines and did a writeup for the DPC Mentorship - Post Processing II thread. I changed

into


It kind of made me step back and look at how far I have come. I have learned so so much from this site. I want to encourage everyone - if you stick with it and have the desire to learn, you definitely will. At times I have gotten so discouraged. But I want to know everything now instead of being patient. When I am patient, I get less frustrated and discouraged. The learning does happen. Practice practice practice. Reading threads and tutorials definitely helps, but go through the steps yourself! See if you can duplicate someone's edits and then tweak things to see what you come up with.

Anyone who is discouraged right now, I'm talking to you: You can do it!!

Message edited by author 2007-03-25 03:55:15.
03/25/2007 12:14:31 PM · #120
I want to join. :)

I need to make an effort to get out after work, since I work tech support in an industrial plant where cameras are strictly prohibited.

I look forward to the longer days and later evenings with enough light to go out and shoot. :D
03/25/2007 12:23:19 PM · #121
How do I get the Au5____ symbol onto my preferences page(like in my signature). I don't see an add image anywhere. I tried doing what the code page says, but I can't seem to get it. Could someone help me please?
03/25/2007 12:58:23 PM · #122
I couldn't get it either. In fact, it showed up like the image was gone (a little red squared-x thing with the image number). So I just put "au5" in my signature. Still proud!
03/25/2007 06:16:41 PM · #123
Regarding the AU5___ graphic:

I kinda screwed it up, so even if you put in the correct code it might be messed up. I've been going with the AU5 in my signature as well.

Maybe someone would like to make us a graphic that works?
There have been ideas floating around like something based off the unworking graphic or a gold (Au = gold) ribbon that glitters.
03/25/2007 06:30:51 PM · #124
I love it! But with my poor skills at photography ; ) I can't dare try a graphic...Sorry.
03/25/2007 06:48:42 PM · #125
Anyone from the AU5 club want to create a team for the WPL contest? I don't know anything about the contest since I just started here, but it seems like teams such as Team Suck are having way too much fun and I would like to be a part of it. Anyone game?

What does it take to start a team anyway, is it possible to start a new one?

Message edited by author 2007-03-25 18:50:30.
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