kja

Harry isn't very patient so I pretty much got one frame - and I got pretty lucky

"bad" and "good" are going to be subjective. My take on it is if the vignette is something that you really really notice as an element all to itself, it's probably in the "not good" category. If it's something that you don't really take much notice of or that leads you to think, wow, I like the way that subject is brought out, then it's probably in the "good" category. LRs vignette is tough to work with if an image is cropped at all, for sure. On non-cropped images it's not too bad, imho. Other tools you can use in LR are the gradient filter on the edges - works a treat. I think LR3 has better vignettes, but I haven't downloaded it to play yet. Oval, white and completely solid "vignettes" do nothing for me either. BTW ash, nice OCF & pose!

It's the black or darkened area around the edge of the frame

Ok, here are four from me...I was tempted to cheat and choose three beach, three doggie, three kittie, three another category etc but I'm trying to be good MatildaLily channeling Elvis while we were on the beach. I have this as a big acrylic mounted canvas LOL A veteran putting his poppy on a little kid ANZAC Day Blade of grass encased in ice at my Dad's house Sunset at the same place, one day later #1 - Olympus SW720 point & shoot (I think, might have been a baby canon); #2 Canon 1DIII w/ 70-200L 2.8 IS; #3 & #4 Canon 40D w/ Canon 24L

When I use vignette I add it manually either in lightroom or photoshop. Few of my lens/body combos give it to me right in camera, but sometimes I will use combos that do. When I choose to do this usually I'll leave it in the image instead of "fixing" it as I pretty much went into shooting that image to get some. I guess mostly I prefer to do it in processing so I can control it precisely (and change my mind over and over LOL). I'm guessing almost everyone here does it in post for most images.

at least, I'm pretty sure that's what he's saying Anyone else's pets getting into the joy joy?

I HATE threads like this!! I can never get organized enough to think of three I've done that I like a lot LOL But I LOVE threads like this, too, coz I get to see all of the fabulous shots from so many different people. I'm loving all of these and can't wait to see more!!

I have to disagree on a big sum of insurance being too much. All it takes it one person to trip over something you've set up (lightstand etc) or something you've set on the ground (bag etc), break a hip or a leg or suffer whatever and they sue you ... costs add up fast. People can also sue even if your stuff isn't the direct cause of the accident but you are there and they link you to the accident. It isn't a pretty scenario and they might not win, but it might not stop them trying 20 mil might be too much, but 5 mil is pretty standard. Also remember that venues may require you to carry your own insurance and those sums can easily be 10+ mil. You carry it or you don't shoot there. Shop around as all policies are not equal and only you can choose the one that suits. AIPP is a good resource to check out.

You're actually asking a lot for a compact camera and you're going to have to accept that some of the things - instant capture and great in difficult lighting situations - are going to be a compromise unless you head to a full dslr set up. But all is not lost. I have the Canon SD1200 (Ixus 95 maybe?) and it can do the things you are asking pretty well once you get used to the camera. There are several little Canons that would do a pretty good job. Fuji also has a couple of contenders that should work for you. Personally, I'd stay away from the Nikon, Olympus and Sony's. You will need to experiment a little bit to make sure that you are getting the best from your camera. The half press prefocus technique is essential in capturing fast moving doggies, for instance. If you really want to head to dslr, check out some of the threads that have popped up recently as most of the options including some buying information are in those to get you started. Prepare to spend $1000+ on this route, though. Good luck!

I buy a ton of stuff from the US and have never had a problem. You may want to contact the company as some will require a photocopy of your credit card, though I haven't been asked for that in a long while. I don't have a lens baby so can't help there.

Adobe Lightroom -> www.adobe.com You'll also find Adobe Elements and the full Photoshop there.

Hiring one is a great idea. I just hired a couple of lenses to have a play...was great, but ended up costing me a bundle if you always shoot on the centre focus point and have no need to add the others, then the focus issues are moot really. Remember, you will be cropping MORE with the 5DII as you will lose a significant amount of reach. Will you get better results than you are getting now? you're really going to have to do some tests that reflect how YOU shoot to see. Reviews are great but each shooter is different and has different needs, goals, standards, expectations so figuring out what gear meets your personal needs is essential so you aren't just throwing money away with no real gain for yourself. Have you thought about getting longer glass? Is your 50D disappointing you in some way?

I have tossed back and forth and back and forth. I do not have one and right now probably won't be looking to add one in the near future. Do your images suck now? Are you unhappy with what you are getting? If so, WHAT are you unhappy with? Although I see people point out the pros like Ash did above, so far none of them have convinced me that what I'm producing for my clients or for myself is so inferior that moving to this body will be worth the cash outlay. I've compared personally and any benefits are not great enough for me personally to add this particular camera ... and the autofocus thing is really unacceptable on a high end body imho (and it would drive me mental having to have a workaround on a camera I'm using professionally.) It is a lovely camera that can produce lovely files. Only you can decide if the change is worth it. Are you happy to move to full frame and lose the "extra" reach a crop gives you? Are you willing to sacrifice accurate focus on all of your focus points? It's a tough choice and one I actually revisit every few months LOL Sigh, if I could just win lotto I'd add a 1DsIV body when it comes out and not have to think about things LOL

I know it's a month late LOL but here's a shot from my childhood home from the other day...before the snow & wind and crappy weather set in! We were sitting in the house chatting when I saw the sky change out of the corner of my eye and bolted out the basement door to try to capture it. Amazing, stunning light & colours. No where gets sunsets like at the Lake House, imho.

If you saw the Canon 50 1.4 for $149 buy 20 of them right NOW!! I'm guessing that was the 1.8 version "the plastic fantastic" or "nifty fifty". It's a great lens for the cash...the 1.4 version is worth the extra if you have it, but the 1.8 does a mighty fine job at a fraction of the price.

+1 for the Sigma option, for sure. I have their 50-150 2.8 and it rocks, too. I have a couple of friends who adore their 70-200s by Sigma to bits. Sigma does some lenses extremely well and they are usually priced well, too. You're probably going to want something longer for surfing and stuff - our surf is very close to the beach and I often find I want even more reach than my 100-400 gives me on a 1.6 crop. Have fun!!

Everyone has to make their own choices but something some may not have considered is that copyright laws apply. If someone paints or draws from your photograph they may be infringing on your copyright. Check out the Obama campaign poster infringement - it applies to normal people, too Agreed it is totally rude not to ask first - same as downloading an image for use as wallpaper or screen savers or whatever...it's just good manners, regardless of the laws that apply.

DMA is right - and there is also Sony. All make reputable cameras and all make cameras that work. Canon and Nikon have far more support & options and still lead the game, though

yes, you can buy all those bits separately. Display models may have been mistreated so just be sure to get a good warranty/return policy - at least 30 days. And if it doesn't come with the disk etc I'd be wanting a very good deal coz there is no reason that a display model shouldn't still have all that stuff. I've never actually used any of the cords (except for the charger) that come in the boxes and I don't load the software either LOL

Have a look through some of the recent what to buy threads here - you might have to pop to page two maybe - but there have been quite a few discussions including where people have found good deals and the like. Pretty much any of Canon's line up from the 400D (and the 350D is still good but the 400 and newer are THAT much better) will work - you'll have to look for prices. And pretty much any of Nikon's newer models IF high ISO is important - otherwise, even some of their slightly older models are still good. Both systems have a lot of support. lots of lenses to choose from and lots of room to grow, experiment and have FUN!

Or do like me and just start pushing buttons But, since I am really a PS Gumby, Luke's is probably a better idea. I still haven't found time to learn how to make PS do more than some pretty basic stuff LOL

Oh and know thy ceremony. One of the celebrants here does the whole ceremony start to finish in about 3 minutes 15 seconds. No, I'm not kidding. Trying to get as many of those things that Ash mentioned and anything unique to the day in three minutes is a bit of a challenge no matter how much you pysch yourself up :D becandcharch -> I'm interested in doing a Bali wedding

Great advice from Ash, of course. Good luck - it ain't easy. nothing ever goes as planned. people don't cooperate no matter what they say they will do. Have some sort of backup camera - if yours dies, plays up or gets broken or whatever and you can't continue shooting with it, what are you going to do? And likely expectations for the results will be high even though you are doing it for free. You will not be enjoying this wedding - you'll be working your ass off

I can't help with prices but one thing you may want to think about is how well your camera handles noise at higher ISOs. If you are going to be shooting stuff indoors or for evening family get togethers, high ISO shooting is likely going to be on your list. And Nikon's range doesn't come into its own re high ISO shooting until the most recent models of Nikons, which are very very good. The older models, not so much past about 400. Canon led the race in high ISO shooting until very recently and so going with one of the previous models of Canons may give you that little edge. Both Canon and Nikon make great camera bodies and lenses so you can't go too wrong. Just tossing some information that a lot of newcomers and those considering second hand gear might not think of

Check out the links and the various Lightroom blogs - there are about a zillion Here's Lightroom Queen and she's got tons of info on the new version. Grain and better vignette control are two things that very much intrigue me.