TAKING GREAT SHOTS with lower-budget gear...

I'm opening this thread because I'm interested in suggestions for techniques, lighting, post-processing, etc... rather than cameras and lenses. I recently saw on f/stoppers a fashion shoot done with an iPhone 3GS. Now, I know the images were retouched greatly, but nonetheless, the point was that lighting and post-processing is key.


I have middle-of-the-line equipment... nothing uber-expensive, but definitely not starter stuff. I want to upgrade the equipment, but before I do, I want to be WOWED by my photos with my existing equipment, and I am just not wowed yet. I see videos online of amazing photos being shot with Rebels and $400 lenses and so that is what inspired me to open this thread. My gear is listed on my profile here, though this isn't essentially about ME. I want the advice for myself, but I want this knowledge to be shared with everyone, so I figured I wouldn't list my gear in this post as it's not really important.


So... what do you all think? Did I phrase this all okay?


- Jordan


www.freshphotohawaii.com

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jordan

I see videos online of amazing photos being shot with Rebels and $400 lenses

---

I have a Rebel XTi and only have $400 of manual focus gear. Heck, mabye shouldn't upgrade my gear....[:)]


John.

Your gear list looks very nice to me.


What don't you like about your pictures? Looking at your webpage, those look good too.

The camera helps, but its the photographer who makes the shot. Below are some examples taken with a 6 year old nikon low end point and shoot. Aside from some minor cropping and adjustment in photoshop, everything is straight out of the camera.



http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4100/...76ae711a_z.jpg




http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/...0fbfb58c_z.jpg




http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4134/...ce93967aea.jpg

Right out of the camera? That first shot looks HEAVILY HDR'd! Yes, it definitely is the photographer, but we're all photographers here and that's not really the point. The point is, as a photographer, what are the tricks or tools I can employ to get better results with existing gear?

Topaz Adjust spicify on the original.

That looked like Topaz Adjust... I use it too and I LOVE it :) But it does produce a lot of noise as I can see in the image and so needs reduction (NoiseWare Pro is what I use and it's great). I have to say though, I'm not complaining. In fact I really like that photo. Only mentioned that because I wanted to note that it was edited heavily. It's a great image in my opinion! :)

It was also shot at like 640 ISO or something of the sort...

lighting lighting lighting lighting lighting tripod lighting lighting lighting lighting lighting tripod lighting lighting lighting lighting lighting tripod lighting lighting lighting lighting lighting tripod lighting lighting lighting lighting lighting tripod lighting lighting lighting lighting lighting tripod

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by iso79

lighting lighting lighting lighting lighting tripod lighting lighting lighting lighting lighting tripod lighting lighting lighting lighting lighting tripod lighting lighting lighting lighting lighting tripod lighting lighting lighting lighting lighting tripod lighting lighting lighting lighting lighting tripod
<div style="clear: both;"]</div>

---

I completely agree with this statement. There was a famous photographer (cannot remember who) that said the same, with different words. He never took pictures of "objects", being it landscapes or buildings or people. He tried to capture the light. I often try to follow this philosophy when I shoot landscapes. If the light is dull, I will probably end up deleting the image when I get home, so why bother. If the light is perfect, the images will most likely be good as well.


A second thing I try to remember is to look twice before pushing the button. In the old days when I shot with film and manual focusing (and only primes), I had to be careful not shooting pictures I didn't want. Developing cost money, and money has always been a limiting factor. Secondly, I had to check that the focus was set properly. This took me perhaps a few seconds, which usually made me adjust the composition or camera settings and the result was probably better.


To wrap it up, lighting and think twice. That is what I try to think at when trying to produce WOW shots.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lars

lighting lighting lighting lighting lighting tripod lighting lighting lighting lighting lighting tripod lighting lighting lighting lighting lighting tripod lighting lighting lighting lighting lighting tripod lighting lighting lighting lighting lighting tripod lighting lighting lighting lighting lighting tripod

---

1. Ditto to above.


2. Additionally, Plan the shot, Work the shotand don't ignore white balance.If you simply snap and go than that is probably what you will get and snap-shot.


3. Double check your exposure and focus on every shot when possible


4. If you can, seperate your autofocus and metering buttons and learn to use them individually---tricky at first, butyou will soon learn the benfits.


5. Practice with manual exposure settings----Its quicker and easier to adjust once you get the hang of it. When using creative modes or full auto, I often forget what settings I am using and end up blowing the shot. It is also more difficult to set exposure compensation, than it is to adjust on the fly when using manual.--For me any way.


6. Practice. If there is a particular kind of shot that you want, simulate it in your house or back yard and work it until you get the results that you arelooking for. I have gone as far as to put a stuffed animals on by back fence and take shots with different settings and different lighting until I basically got and idea of what I wanted and how to do it.


7. Don't get so involved with the technical that you forget the artistic---Compositionis key. A well composed shot that has some technical imperfections is vastly superior to a technically perfect, poorly composed shot


8. Work with things like Live view if available, mirror lock up, Exposure bracketing, exposure modes, focus modes, etc---Basically, learn your equipment.


9. Read about your craft.


I have some pretty good equipment, but if but if I don't follow some or all of these rules, my shots look like I took them with a $3 disposablecamera and I have thousands of these shots to prove it.


Just my 2 Cents worth.


Bob