Ripley

I love that book, Understanding Exposure. I put his Mr Grean Jeans exposure method into practice when I took shots of a waterfall so the water didn't end up grey.

I've just loaded up every one of my photos from my CF card into Adobe and to view them I have chosen Adobe Bridge after kja mentioned it. Otherwise I can't view my RAW photos, just the jpeg ones. Some of the photos have 4 or 5 stars on them - does anyone know what this means? I've viewed those photos but haven't edited them. Very confusing.

rubiton, I buy Outdoor Photography magazine, the UK edition. It's a gorgeous looking mag full of amazing landscape and wildlife shots with articles on locations and wildlife in the UK. Comes out monthly. They aren't focused on digital imaging in PS and don't have a "must alter every image" approach. They also put up work from photographers who use slide film. I borrowed ruthless' film SLR on my trip as she was kind enough to loan it to me. I put slide film in it. I didn't use it as much as my 350D as I didn't want to lug around 2 cameras on some of the strenuous hikes we did, but I have shoot about 10 images with it. Usually just using the AV mode or P mode as I didn't understand the camera as much as my own. You get lovely shots in Outdoor Photography that are natural looking, none of this HDR processing that is on some landscape websites. The tutor I had at this weekend photography workshop I did was very much against that look and the rest of the students seemed to agree, both young and old. He was against taking a crap shot and then working on it so much that people gush what a great photographer you are. To me, some of his images looked a little flat, but then I realised I was so used to seeing over processed shots with a lot of PS work and that his photos were in fact, very good. He's a professional after all with 30 years experience. As for city zoos, well, I have strong opinions on certain species of mammals in captivity so I won't visit them - the free range ones I don't have a problem with. You just have to read the news lately to see the problems that happen with big cats in captivity in unnatural environments. That's another hate - people who take shots of captive animals and try and pass them off as wild - cloning out jessies on birds of prey is fine for your post imaging work IMO, but then trying to pass that bird off as being taken in the wild is deceiving if you plan on selling that shot. If the animal is shot in captivity and it's a good shot that's great for you but trying to pass it off or sell it as taken while on safari in Africa is another issue. Again, personal thing for me! Can of worms and all. Rant over.

She's been under that watefall and probably covered in leeches like I was, chezzyr! I wish I'd taken my little pocket digital to get a shot from UNDER the fall in the cave. No way was I risking the DSLR doing that.

I've read up on how to do it. I have about 6 other shots so I'll just bin this. I don't really like the composition on it anyway when I have a better angled one without a person in it.

Thanks for your help, kja and rubiton. This is my problem in my waterfall shot - a hooman. :D So I bin this one. Fortunately I have a few others, LOL. Damn my short sightedness.

We have just arrived home this afternoon from our trip. I've checked my camera and I've taken 199 shots and have used up 1.1 gig of memory - shooting in both RAW and jpeg. The battery was running low on the last day of our trip so I shot everything in jpeg that day. Just so happened it was of seascapes, a country town, a river and a lighthouse at sunset. Oh well. Anyway, back to PS. When I ran my shots through our wide screen tv at home, I noticed that there is a person in my landscape shot that I didn't notice when reviewing the photos on the small viewing screen that my 350D has (the 400D has a much larger playback screen). This person must have spotted me across the other side of the waterfall and is is ducking but she is there, spoiling my image. The shot itself I'm very happy with. What to do? This is a scenario where I think it's ok to clone something (or someone) out - but I haven't done this before so I'll have to google it. I'm sure there will be dust specs in some photos as well that need to be cloned out as I changed lenses a bit on this trip and only cleaned the sensor before we left. Now I know why some experienced photographers sling 2 cameras around your shoulders - I missed so many bird shots as I had the shorter lens on my camera. I also took some shots of a friend's toddler when we stayed with them and she wants them in b/w. So I'll have to find out how to do that. More time on the puter there, no doubt.

There seems to be a trend atm for chocolate box looking landscape images. HDR is a popular thing in the digital camera mags, which I think means taking 3 separate exposures of the same image and blending them together in PS to get a perfect exposure - one for the sky, one for the land etc. Personally I hate that over photoshopped look with unnatural looking skies. I saw a photo recently of a before and after shot of an urban scene at twilight and the after shot looked amazing but totally unnatural, whereas the before shot was underexposed and nothing you'd glance twice at. The guy was very good at post image work. I'm currently at the end of a 2 week road trip and have shot in both RAW and Jpg - but have a 2 gig CF card. I am using a 2 stop ND grad filter on landscape shots at sunrise and sunset to hold the sky and it's a pain in the butt to affix it and take it off but I'd rather do it this way than in photoshop - call me antiquated, old fashioned etc. It's a personal opinion and one which will get you into arguments - either heated or polite. Adjusting curves or levels is about all I hope to do with these photos if anything as I don't like sitting on the computer for ages and not very good at PS and if my photos suck, well they get left on the 'puter not to be printed and I learn and start again. I think the lens my OH bought me for Christmas has worked in my favour this trip - that and doing a short weekend workshop. Still so much to learn for this newbie though.

Nope, 400D doesn't have spot metering. I've got the 350D but I had a good look at the 400D a girl on my course had.

Thanks, kja. The lens is wrapped and under the tree. It's not half obvious that is what it is - it's the perfect box shape - but I'm not allowed to open it until Christmas Day. Going to use it up at Binna Burra Lodge in Qld and around that region. I'm a bit scared to show you my shots in case I don't like them, but hopefully the theory I have learned can be put into practise.

Thirdly echo that It's the one where it all clicked for me like a lightbulb going off in my head. He explains it in layman's terms but uses humour such as in the metering chapter - 'Brother Blue Sky' and 'Mr Green Jeans' I bought my copy off Amazon. I also bought 'Exposure and Lighting for Digital Photographers' which concentrates more on people photography so therefore isn't that interesting to me.

Thanks, chezzyr. I've decided to be boring and go with my first choice. After googling I found the best price right here in the building I work in. Imagine that! Didn't even know they sold lenses! I've just put a deposit on the last sigma 17-70 they had and husband can pay the balance later this week. Lens is $425, Christmas special. If it doesn't suit my needs, I'll sell it and buy a 10-20mm when I'm more financial.

PC, that store I mentioned in WA has the Sigma 10-20 for $687.50. http://www.qualitycamera.com.au/product_in...roducts_id=3308 The 17-70mm I want is $450.00. Cheaper than what I've seen in Sydney.

What is your ISO setting on? Try it on 400 for action shots on overcast days. If the light was low and you were shooting P mode, maybe the camera chose a slower shutter speed because of the lower light levels. I'm not an expert so I'm only guessing. With a Canon, I've found IS 400 ok and no noise that I can see either. Also try AI Servo mode.

There is something on digital cameras called shutter lag too. On this 2 day course I did, they showed us how to 'pan' in action shots to show movement. So, your dog would remain sharp but the background would be blurry, emphasising movement - not that frozen look. I think I have instructions on it somewhere. I haven't tried it but if I can dig out those instructions, I will send them to you. With a lens such as your's, it will be a better result as it has IS. Apparently it's not that easy though and takes a lot of practise! Here is what I mean - it's a different look and you either like it or not. I think it looks amazing. http://digital-photography-school.com/blog...oving-subjects/

Try shutter priority mode? Or if you want the background blurred, use the AV setting but the general rule I learned is you cannot hand hold a lens with a shutter speed less than that lens' focal length. I'd buy myself a tripod and set it up if you can, ruthless. In a park, that shouldn't be too hard. Yeah, I know, it's a real pain. I've only used tripods for landscapes and shooting at dusk and even then, only a couple of times.

Forgot to mention, I now have that Canon 1.8 50mm that others here have bought. Tried it out the other day outside but needed to fit my ND filter to it when using its widest aperture to get better results.

My darling husband has said that he will buy me a better lens for my 350D to replace the kit lens it came with. Lord knows, I've worn the poor bugga down with my crapping on about how the kit lens is not suiting my needs (stamps foot). I've got his credit card in my hand (woo hoo!) and I'm on line with a store that has given me good service before (plug: Quality Camera sales in Perth which also has it cheaper than what I've seen in Sydney). I bought a 2 stop grad ND filter from them last week, it arrived in 2 days, owner chatted to me at length about them on the phone too, but haven't tried it out yet. I was thinking of the Sigma 17-70mm as it says it functions well in low light conditions - something that the kit lens doesn't do. Am I wrong in thinking that this means a 17mm is really a 28mm on a Canon 350D DLSR? Not sure with this. Then there is the Canon 24-85mm which is slightly more expensive. Have no idea about Tamron. I want it for landscapes as I've booked us in to Binna Burra Mt Lodge in the Lamington Nat Park, Qld, where there is a wealth of scenic photographic opps.

Read the manual then buy a few photography mags. They helped me, I like the UK ones the best. But the best thing you can do is enrol in one of your local community colleges run by your local council. I did this last month. I enrolled in the Advanced course as I already new basic operation. It taught me so much, including exposure compensation, all about f stops and manual exposure. It was only $132 and that was for 2 Saturday tutorials of 7 hours each (of course, breaking for morninng tea, lunch and afternoon tea). BYO lunch.

ashanali is a Pentax fan and could help you with your question. wagsalot, I notice the birds of prey you photographed have tassells on their feet. Did you take them at a special birds of prey centre? They have these places in the UK where you can book an hour with the facolner and his birds and photograph them and there are no other people around, but you only have the hour to do it. I don't think we have them in Australia? ETA: I have just purchased a Canon 1.8 50m lens.

Your shots are amazing, chezzyr. I love the bird ones as you know, but the landscape ones are beautiful - my fave is Promise of Rain. It's very Australian. Are they snowgums?

Someone at work is selling their Canon 350D at present. Details: ** As new Canon 350D with genuine vertical battery grip for sale for $500, package includes: - EOS 350D in black - Canon 18-55mm lens (with Hoya filter) - Battery grip BG-E3 - SanDisk Ultra II 1 Gb CF card (very fast) - Battery - Hand stripe

I didn't win it. Some sniper outbid me during the last seconds. It went for $136. Pretty good buy.

midol, you are looking at a lot of $$ if you want underwater housing for a DLSR. The underater housing will be as much, no make that more, than the DLSR body. I found one on the net recently when browsing to fit the 350D and it was $USD1400. Add to that a strobe unit you will need and attachment arm to the camera which is more $ and the ports, which cost more $. You cannot take photos at depth without a strobe to bring out the colour as the deeper you dive, the more colour you lose - red at depth looks green for one thing, trust me, I've cut myself on coral at depth and had greenish looking blood. So you need a good strobe unit. We borrowed my BIL's Nikon Coolpix which I think is like the Canon 300D and its underwater housing unit and attached flash unit and that was about $10k worth of camera back in 2005.

nobody then? Ah well, I have a bid on one on ebay atm, I'm curious to see what it goes for and what I can get it for.