Photographers' Union Thread

[Sicy]

something like this?

I actually don't like to much those type of pictures, this was basically my first test shot with the 5D II, and at first I just wanted it in b/w but I wanted to highlight the eye, I guess it could be done with layers, but there has to be other ways

I love that.

I am by no means a photographer, but I just want to say I LOVE all the pictures in this thread! The talent here is just incredible.

I have used photoshop to make only certain parts of the picture in color, or change certain colors. It does not look as clean as the pic above, but I usually just change it to b&w, then go back and change it to RGB color, then select the area that I want to change colors, and then go to image --> adjustments and adjust the color there.


I took these with a cheapo Canon Powershot and added the colors to the eyes in Photoshop.

 

[Jive Turkey]

Sicy, theres an easier way for you to do that. Do you know how to use layer masks?

 

[Sicy]

You mean like make a new layer first?

 

[Jive Turkey]

exactly, but instead of making a new layer of your image, you apply an adjustment layer above it.....so lets say you want to desaturate your picture and make it black and white. you go to Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Hue/Saturation and click ok (there are other ways to get there and other ways to make your image black and white, but this is the most straight forward for now). So now your Hue/Saturation window will pop up. Just slide the saturation slider all the way to the left and click ok. Your image will be in black and white now. But your original colour image still exists underneath the adjustment layer. Now you use a layer mask to bring the colour back in the eyes: If you look at the layers menu on the right, you'll notice you'll have two layers now: your image and the adjustment layer. with the adjustment layer selected (highlighted in blue), take a brush with black paint and paint in the area of your picture that you want the colour to come back to. You can think of it as making a hole through the adjustment layer using black paint. If you make the hole too big, just paint the layer back in with white paint....Make sense? If it sounds complicated, it really isnt. You'll see when you do it. There are shortcuts to add adjustment layers and better ways to convert to black and white (if you have CS3 or newer, just substitute the 'black and white' adjustment layer for 'hue/saturation') but if you're new to masks, this is the easiest way. and once you get the hang of adjustment layers and masks, you can do all sorts of fancy things ....or course, you might already know all of this

 

[Sicy]

Thanks for that info, sounds a bit confusing but I will try it. I have PS7.

 

[Jive Turkey]

Ive got CS3 and I think it contains Photoshop 10, but I could be wrong...So I dont think you'll have the Black and White adjustment layer, but the hue/saturation will be there.... Its really not complicated though, you see. Let me know if you run into any trouble (or maybe you are happy with the way you're doing it and thats cool too)

 

[Jive Turkey]

Thought I'd post some more photos from other photographers. (I work from home on my computer, so I have some time in between uploads and downloads and get kinda bored ) Todays theme will be celebrity portraiture. Theres a lot of really shitty celebrety portraiture out there, but there is some really great stuff too. Its the area of photography that I ultimately want to be involved in. I like the idea of being able to play off of peoples preconceived notions of a particular person. Shooting famous people also gives you a much wider audience. I dont buy into the idea that art is only done for the individual. Its a great communication medium and the more people I can share it with, the better. Anyway, these are some of my favourites. Though Corbijn is at the top of my list, I'm sure you're all familiar with his work, so I'll leave him out of this round

Kurt Iswarienko:

Patrick Hoelck

Chris Buck:

 

[Sicy]

 

[Jive Turkey]

lol Chris Buck is known for convincing his subjects to do things that they normally wouldnt (Though for some reason, I dont think it took much convincing to get Billy Bob to pee on the seamless). This is his portrait of James Gandolfini

 

[Sicy]

That's too funny.

I was going to say, that looks like Billy Bob, and I'm not surprised.

 

[stammer476]

Has anyone else had trouble getting their camera to auto-focus? I seem be having a lot of problems with that lately. Even in good lighting (outdoors in the shade), it will just cycle and cycle and never take the picture. I'm using a Nikon D40 with 18-200mm lens.

 

[BVS]

This is my fave. You've really come around as a photographer...

I remember when you first started you always had a great eye, but now you're really getting good technique as well...

This paticular shot reminds me of a Rolling Stone photographer, but I can't remember their name right now...

 

[Liesje]

How about everyone posts five of their favorite photos that they've taken. Doesn't have to be the most artistic, technically perfect, etc just five of your personal favorites and why.....

I'll think of mine and post over lunch break....

 

[Jive Turkey]

This is my fave.

I agree, I really like that one too. I also think the tones in this shot are very nice

 

[Justin24]

How about everyone posts five of their favorite photos that they've taken. Doesn't have to be the most artistic, technically perfect, etc just five of your personal favorites and why.....

I'll think of mine and post over lunch break....

5.

I love Bodie State Historical Park. Lot's of History makes me want to have lived during the Gold Rush Era and see the history, but alas its stuck in time here so I guess I get that feeling of the Gold Rush times.

4.

Taken by luck when I was on Vacation visiting my cousin in Colombia while on vacation. We went to The Zipaquira Salt Cathedral I was going to shoot just the illuminated cross but right before I did a young girl ran into the cross to pose for her mom. Of course mine turned out to a silhouette of her, it's a very striking picture.

3.

One of my favorites. Taken at the Moss Beach, CA Fitzgerald Marine Reserve I decided I wanted to take some night photography photos. Now I'm not supposed to be there at night and risked being cited by the Sheriffs dept. I was heading back to my car and took a long exposure of some trees reaching up to the heavens and the only light source where the bathroom lights 10yards away.

2.

My favorite portrait and most personal portrait. This was taken about four years ago when I visited Guatemala after a six year hiatus. I enjoyed my vacation and seeing my family again. The final night I was there my family and I went to have dinner in a restaurant in Antigua, Guatemala called "El Mono Loco (The Crazy monkey)" I took a picture of my Grandma who I was close to and did not realize that this would be the last time I saw her alive. The next day I catch my flight (Saturday) I get to work on Monday and receive a call from my brother telling my our Grandma passed away on Sunday night, I took her finale picture.

1.

The one that started me on the path to photography. This was also at the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, which is a very cool place to visit. A beach/tide pool below and a forest above the beach. I took this with my dads point and shoot Kodak camera in 2003 and was chosen as picture of the day by Kodak and displayed in NY Times Square.

 

[Jive Turkey]

Really great stuff, Justin! I particularly like 3 & 4

 

[Justin24]

5.

4.

3.

2.

1.

 

[RedRocksU2]

My little girl likes this one.

 

[Justin24]

That cat looks like pure EVIL

 

[RedRocksU2]

Need a hug Justin?

 

[Sicy]

exactly, but instead of making a new layer of your image, you apply an adjustment layer above it.....so lets say you want to desaturate your picture and make it black and white. you go to Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Hue/Saturation and click ok (there are other ways to get there and other ways to make your image black and white, but this is the most straight forward for now). So now your Hue/Saturation window will pop up. Just slide the saturation slider all the way to the left and click ok. Your image will be in black and white now. But your original colour image still exists underneath the adjustment layer. Now you use a layer mask to bring the colour back in the eyes: If you look at the layers menu on the right, you'll notice you'll have two layers now: your image and the adjustment layer. with the adjustment layer selected (highlighted in blue), take a brush with black paint and paint in the area of your picture that you want the colour to come back to. You can think of it as making a hole through the adjustment layer using black paint. If you make the hole too big, just paint the layer back in with white paint....Make sense? If it sounds complicated, it really isnt. You'll see when you do it. There are shortcuts to add adjustment layers and better ways to convert to black and white (if you have CS3 or newer, just substitute the 'black and white' adjustment layer for 'hue/saturation') but if you're new to masks, this is the easiest way. and once you get the hang of adjustment layers and masks, you can do all sorts of fancy things ....or course, you might already know all of this

Just tried this out... very cool cant wait to mess with it more..thank you.

 

[mad1]

holy sh*t Justin, the first and last images there are FANTASTIC!

 

[Liesje]

Thanks for sharing Justin!

Here are mine (no particular order)

This is from summer of 2007, taken with my first camera (Canon PowerShot S1-IS). I was at my aunt and uncle's cabin and they have this small stream flowing through the woods. It was sunny and humid, so the woods looked surreal and I went to take pics, stopped to dip my feet in the water. I love this pic because 1) on one vacation I took a pic of my feet in the sand which my mom thought was silly, so now to tease her I always take a pic of my bare feet on every vacation, 2) it reminds me of being up north at my favorite place, where my family has vacationed every year for over 65 years, and 3) I love everything about summer and being hot and humid, especially going barefoot.

2. A good example of a picture that is in no way artistic or technically correct! These are my "men", Phil, Coke, and Nikon. Phil loves to get crazy with the dogs, Coke is just a big goofball, and Nikon is the one that always *has* to out-do everyone else. This picture makes me laugh every time I see it and also shows their personalities.

3. I love taking pics of water drops. I have a lot I like so I'll just use these two (Panasonic Lumix FZ50). My neighbors must think I'm insane because if it rains or is humid, I'm stumbling around the yard with my face down, looking for the *perfect* water drop.

4. This is my dog, Kenya. I know you can only see her ears, but if you knew her you'd understand that this picture is "her". She is a very mellow, aloof, discerning, perceptive dog. She sort of hangs back in the shadow but watches your every move. The colors sort of give off that melancholy vibe she gives off but it also looks a bit surreal, which is how you feel looking at her, like she is so smart she really can read your mind. From a dog fancier standpoint, it also highlights the rich tones and sable pattern in her coat. The second pic shows more of her head just so you can see her, but the top one is my favorite.

5. Again, not technically perfect, but I love this one anyway and included it because it's proof you don't need to spend thousands to take a neat picture. I took this with a $99 point-and-shoot. Also I like to do the dorky stuff like plant and flower macros. Not very unique, I know, but that's what I enjoy shooting b/c that's what I enjoy looking at. I'm not one to "stage" a photo, I just like to wander and shoot whatever I see.

 

[ntalwar]

Nice photos everyone. I got my first DSLR 2-3 years ago (Canon Rebel XT), before upgrading to the 5D Mark II for some features that were lacking on the XT. I haven't shot a ton of photos, and have gone for months at a time without shooting anything at all. It's time consuming, but I want to diversify my photography and practice it more. My 5 favorite photos are probably portraits of family members, which I'd rather not post on the interwebs. So these are probably my favorites of the rest (all from Rebel XT).

Probably my first landscape attempt:

Win Butler:

Bruce Springsteen:

 

[Liesje]

Nice variety!

I feel sick if I go 2 days without taking any pics, lol! Tonight I was panicking b/c I used my camera all day Sunday for THIS and apparently left it on so the battery was totally dead, but with the evening light and all our trees blooming there were pics that HAD to be taken. Luckily the D40 was charged so I used that. My "problem" with photography is that like a lot of things I get into, I get almost obsessive-compulsive about it. I'm not taking any cameras to U2 shows this time around because I miss so much being behind the lens. At dog events it's more of a release and way for me to relax after we've competed.

 

[angelordevil]

Great pics. Otherworldly, and amazingly beautiful!

I have an appreciation for photography, but I really have no clue on the technical side of the process. I'd love to take a course or something to get a handle on it.

These are a few I've taken on hikes over past few months near my place with my Canon PowerShot:

For some reason, I especially love this one...I think it has to do with my absolute appreciation for the location: Gros Morne National Park, in Newfoundland. It was taken about five years ago, with a whopping 2 megapixels.

 

[Liesje]

^ It looks like a hole into another world!

 

[ntalwar]

These are a few I've taken on hikes over past few months near my place with my Canon PowerShot:

Wow - looks amazing there. Nice captures. Hopefully I'll go somewhere with nice landscapes and scenery soon and practice my landscape shooting. DC has pretty limited scenery, and shooting buildings gets to be a bit boring after a while.

 

[Justin24]

Angelordevil great pics especially the one with the statues.

I have another model shoot this Friday. A friend of mine wants to model for me. Mind if I post the results here and get some critiqe?

Also the site I worked at before I made friends with a Wall Street Journal office manager. He gave me his business card and said continue with the great work and we may ask you to go on assignment for us.

 

[Diemen]

Man it is really, really tough for me to narrow down my favorites to just 5 photos.

I could separate it out into top 5 landscapes, top five people pics, etc... eh, I'll go for variety.

One of my first photos from my first photo trip with my Canon 20D back in 2005

Tulips at Filoli Gardens

Vernal Falls in Yosemite National Park

From my very first wedding shoot - which just happened to be that of our very own Mrs. Edge and Cydewaze.

From the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center Air Museum