A few processing and misc. questions

[Sheiky]

Hey Nick! Welcome here, I'll try to answer some of your questions, but keep in mind I only started 1,5 years ago and am pure hobbiist.

1.) For many photos I have trouble producing rich colors -- a lot of my shots turn out dull. Here are a few shots in which I really like the colors in, but have been unable to produce in my own work:

To be honest, colors like that you should be able to get quite easily with your camera and lens combo. They don't seem very saturated so I guess you might want to take a try out at how you shoot yourself in regard to the lightsource you have. I mean, try out different shots whit for instance the sun as your mainlight and try how it interferes with your colors in different angles (sun in the back, sun from side etc etc) Most of the time the best results I get are with the sun from the back, but just in an angle. In clock terms: 4-5 and 7-8 o'clock.

2.) What kind of angles could have used to get shots like these?

Aerial no doubt. Or he should be some kind of daredevil and stands on the edge of a very high cliff [:P]

3.) I always feel sort of awkward getting good shots of strangers like this... any tips?

Can't help you out here. I've got the same problem [] Just ask is probably the best way to go, but you need some guts to do that.

4.) These seem to have some special processing that I also have no idea how to do.

Hmm can't help you a lot here either. The shot of the fishermen looks pretty real to me though and is just a result of the dynamic range boundaries the camera enjoys.

6.) Do any of these strike people as HDR shots?

No not really.

7.) Any ideas for what equipment he might be using besides his 350D and 24-105? I use a 400D and a 24-105 f4 so it's been very frustrating to not be able to get some similar results.

Nope but a polarizer is never a bad idea [H] You will really like the results and it can also bring out a lot of color and contrast in a composition.

I realize that it may be tedious to go through each picture and analyze the techniques used, but general tips or good reference sites would also be greatly appreciated.

Perhaps this is a place to try out:http://digital-photography-school.com/


Thanks for your questions Nick and and good luck with your learning path! [Y]