Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Saw this list online and as I was reading it even though I know very little about photography some things didn't seem right to me.
Some of the tips that stood out as strange to me:
#10 People will always discredit your work if you tell them you “photoshop” your images. Rather, tell them that you process them in the “digital darkroom”. (Sounds a little silly)
#83 A noisy photo is better than a blurry one. (Is this always the case?)
#86 Never take photos on an empty stomach. (Why?)
What do you think of this list? What would you add to it?
Doesn't sound very "professional" to me. I would prefer a list that would include depth of field relation to f/stops, shutter speed the inverse of your focal length for less camera shake, shooting ½ hour before sunrise, after sunset, etc. Any creative endeavor should always have a rule on breaking rules.
Any list is going to have some silly stuff but in general there is some logic in there too.
I completely agree that "noisey beats blurry" in nearly every case. Of course it was just a few years ago that trying to use a sensor at any ISO equivlent over about 400 would result in so much noise that the image was worthless. Now cranking up the apparent light sensitivity 5 or 6 times means that you can generally use a shutter speed / aperture to capture quick motion in well focused planes with basically no noise in any kind of enlargement that is possible for other than billboard use...
Back in the days of film even the finest high speed (ISO over 800...) emulsions were pretty much were lousy compared to the stuff that captured great color at ISO 64. Too many people seem unaware the nature of digital sensors is totally different -- sharp focus / lack of movement during exposure means you can still enhance the chromo/ luminance values for color balance after the fact BUT it is stupid to run a low ISO and end up with blurry images. Even if you have an older camera that will have noise at higher speed the nature of much sensor noise is that Photoshop (or even the freebie alternatives...) can erase that noise and correctly blend away abhorent color data pixel by pixel from nearly every kind of image with otherwise good focus...
Some of the tips that stood out as strange to me:
#10 People will always discredit your work if you tell them you “photoshop” your images. Rather, tell them that you process them in the “digital darkroom”. (Sounds a little silly)
This is absolutely ridiculous because every single photographer worth anything uses photoshop and lightroom or Bridge.
Just like the other poster above said, a REAL professional would talk more about F stops, ISO and other things. This is a silly list created by what I think is an amateur photog.
As a professional photographer, this sounds exactly like half the dussin people that will tell me that "they too are photographers because they have a pretty nice camera and these are their opinions" whenever I introduce what I do for a living.
Photography is an art form. Yes, there is a very large technical aspect to it, but the execution is about "seeing" something and having a vision of what the end product should look like. (Also, a professional with any pride does not call what we do "photos". I create portraits and art, never photos unless it is with my cell phone and a quick snap shot of my cats or dog.)
There are no absolute rules when you treat it as art - grainy does not beat blurry if you are trying to portray the feeling of a hasty existence or whathaveyou. Grainy does beat blurry if you want to show the subject but you are working in very low light (noise is from higher ISO - blur is from a slower shutter speed- blurry then is completely out of the question.
Also to say that it is better to shoot lower is incorrect. Now, this is coming from a professional photographer that specializes in Fashion and Pageantry. I LOVE shooting from below - but ONLY if I am shooting full body or if I am trying to convey an emotion when shooting closer in. Headshots are most of the time more flattering (for women especially) if shot from either straight on or slightly above.
There are quite a few points in this list that I agree with. From the point of view of someone that knows the trade and profession already it is a conversational piece.
But if you are not a professional photographer, take this list extremely lightheartedly - it is way to simplyfied and most of it is the opinion of whoever compiled it.
These are tips not trade secrets. Quite a few of them made sense to me.
What WFW&P said!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
