The Official Photography Thread - Vol. 3

[rhymesik]

Do I need to be connected to wifi, or can I be out in the woods doing my thing.

The Eye-Fi card is it's own hotspot. Once your phone's wi-fi is turned on, the pictures will transfer to your phone through the app. You can be in the middle of nowhere and you will still receive your pictures to your phone.

 

[djyoung08]

Current equipment: 
Nikon D3200
Nikon D3300
18-55mm kit lens
35mm Nikon Prime Lens
85mm Nikkor
Nikon Speed Light SB600

I want to shoot at a wider angel but I feel like my current 18-55mm lens does not do the job (quality wise). Is there a wide prime lens for the bodies I have. Im thinking like a 18mm or 20mm? Any input is great...

if you really want prime - 24mm 1.8

if you want a zooms - 14-24 2.8 or 24-70 2.8

 

[romcadoo]

1.8 will definitely do the job

Bokeh on the 1.4 is absolutely amazing but you definitely pay for it.

**** price of the 1.4 I'll just get the 1.8.

Like technically are the 1.4 really really worth it vs the 1.8?

 

[djyoung08]

1.8 will definitely do the job

Bokeh on the 1.4 is absolutely amazing but you definitely pay for it.

**** price of the 1.4 I'll just get the 1.8.

Like technically are the 1.4 really really worth it vs the 1.8?

Worth is very subjective.

Cons
Quite frankly, f/1.4 is very difficult to achieve critical focus for a portrait
Cost prohibitive

Pros
the bokeh is unique and very creamy @ 1.4 assuming you hit the focus correctly.

If money was no object, i'd get the 85mm f/1.2 from canon but its $2,000 and I got my 85mm 1.8 for like $270.

Once I get my second camera, I'll be saving up for the pricey lenses like the 85mm 1.2 L II, 8-15mm f/4 fisheye, 35mm 1.4L II, etc etc

I'm still at a point in my career where versatility wins... thats why I got my zooms on a super old full frame camera first.

Im only 8 months in w/ portraiture and weddings too... I cant wait to see what the future has for me.

 

[romcadoo]

Worth is very subjective.

Cons
Quite frankly, f/1.4 is very difficult to achieve critical focus for a portrait
Cost prohibitive

Pros
the bokeh is unique and very creamy @ 1.4 assuming you hit the focus correctly.

If money was no object, i'd get the 85mm f/1.2 from canon but its $2,000 and I got my 85mm 1.8 for like $270.

Once I get my second camera, I'll be saving up for the pricey lenses like the 85mm 1.2 L II, 8-15mm f/4 fisheye, 35mm 1.4L II, etc etc

I'm still at a point in my career where versatility wins... thats why I got my zooms on a super old full frame camera first.

Im only 8 months in w/ portraiture and weddings too... I cant wait to see what the future has for me.

My boy just got a 85mm 1.2 and he said it was difficult getting the focus 100% clear.
Like they can't move not even a pinch or it'll be off.

My other friend got the 24-724-70mm idk if she's not with it yet.
I wish they had locks for zoom lenses so you could stay at one focal length.
I was going to be a 2nd shooter for a wedding but me and my ex stopped talking SMH
I'm sure they'll be more opportunities

 

[yanky]

Those in the bay area do you guys know of any abandoned or railways that aren't being used in the San Jose area that I could get a car near?

Not a lot of abandoned places down here that I'm aware of

IMO, I think if you're upgrading to another cropped body, you should just invest in nicer glass.

Just my opinion tho.

Got some places I want to check out this summer ..

Bixby Bridge
Davenport Pier
Mt. Tam/Muir Woods/Marin area
Golden Gate (is it sad I've never seen the GG Bridge? )
HWY 1

Maybe make my first trip to Yosemite for 1 day, 1 night.

So much to do.

Maybe I shouldn't have said abandoned lol. Was thinking this spot where the rail ends but I'm not sure there's a gate to get in or not. Just don't wanna make the drive out there since it's 35min away lol

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.431...=203&h=100&yaw=69.7513&pitch=0!7i13312!8i6656

 

[Nawzlew]

Yeah, it looks like it's blocked off.

Unless you go through that cul de sac thing (E. Curtis).

 

[yanky]

True didn't even see that.

 

[mylesp]

So the Canon 70d introduced the camcorder like auto focus for video. The 80d came out and replaced it. Does canon make any other cameras with that technology or are these two the only ones? I want to upgrade to this for videos. I obviously want to upgrade for photography purposes as well, but I'm looking specifically at this for the video side since it has amazing video autofocus. I have a Canon t1i so it will be an obvious upgrade on both sides

 

[SadBoi]

New to the thread so I've always wondered this. I wonder if some, or not most, photographers have other careers that led them to be photographers so I am curious to see what is it that some of you guys do.

 

[mylesp]

New to the thread so I've always wondered this. I wonder if some, or not most, photographers have other careers that led them to be photographers so I am curious to see what is it that some of you guys do.

I am a hip hop musician. I got a camera to make videos and do photography for branding. Well I got a 50mm and learned how to use the camera. I thought nothing of it then fall of 2015 I took a film photography class since I do like photography. Then after taking the class I fell in love with photography as a whole and it's now a hobby I love to do. I dont do it as a job since I can't exactly take the pictures I do when I'm shooting for fun. I am down to do musician portaits/ branding though. Other then that it's for fun. I may sell prints in the future when I get better and see how that goes

 

[iamdef]

New to the thread so I've always wondered this. I wonder if some, or not most, photographers have other careers that led them to be photographers so I am curious to see what is it that some of you guys do.

Fashion designer for me. Got a cam so I could tell a photographer exactly what I wanted coming into a shoot. Took some pics of me and the wife and rekindled the old joy from taking pics when I was in grade school

 

[khankussionz]

My 50mm has been soooo good to me tho lol.
I was thinking about selling it and getting the 1.4
I've been getting offered to do family sessions and children. Not really my thing but might as well give it a shot and try to get some money from that it'll go to my equipment.

Being where I'm at the model scene isn't too high at all so I struggle at times finding them.
It also doesn't help that at this point everyone in Indy wants to be a photographer and it brings the market down a bit. Why paid my $100+ when your friend or family member will do it for less if not free? Smh

I forgot all about the 100mm marco I heard that is very nice.

At some point I want to use my D3200 for street shots and random shots.
And all my real work with my new body whenever I get it

Most of mine have been for trade as well.
I don't think they see what I see when I explain why they should take pictures with me vs "Joe Blow"
I still feel there's a lot to work on so when they don't bite it doesn't bother me because I know I can be better
Then I see them take pics with someone else and they are just terrible.

I'm 100% sure the 85mm will be my next pick up, but idk it'll be the 1.8 or 1.4
My mom says she'll go half with me for my gear so that helps a lot.

I feel like I have to chime in. I was reading some of the posts in here and I can speak on a few things...

Here is my setup:
Nikon D810
28mm f/1.8
50mm f/1.8
85mm f/1.8
105mm Macro f/2.8
24-70mm f/2.8
70-200mm f/2.8

Camera Vs. Glass...
I agree that you should get glass over a new body.You already know that you want to go FX, and you should build your kit to make for a smooth transition. I started off with a D5100, 18-55mm and 35mm f/1.8. Once I decided I wanted to go FX, I bought a 50mm f/1.8. Here is my advice on the 50mm... The Nikon 50mm f/1.8G is going to be probably the best bang for your buck you can get. It is clean, sharp and versatile. I love it. Hands down there should be no reason to not have one in your kit whether you shoot a D3000 or a D810. Period.

D810 w/ 50mm f/1.8

I then bought the Nikon 85mm f/1.8. I am a portrait photographer and this lens was my workhorse on my D5100. Example below.

There was a mention of shooting wide angle for portraits. I'd only suggest it if it's for environmental portraits...

D810 and 28mm f/1.8

What I'm getting at is the Nikon 1.8G series is amazing. I love them. My needs and style changed so I'm mostly using the 70-200 on shoots now. I highly suggest investing in your own glass. Glass gets updated far less frequently than bodies and you could always rent a body if needed. Also, I tend to pick up a lens every year when Nikon runs it's instant rebates around March. Only lens in my kit I paid full price for was my 50mm and it was worth every penny.

 

[blueribbon23]

New to the thread so I've always wondered this. I wonder if some, or not most, photographers have other careers that led them to be photographers so I am curious to see what is it that some of you guys do.

Just graduated at the tender age of 23 with a Bachelors and Teaching Credentials; Will have my own third grade classroom. Picked up a camera as a hobby.

 

[romcadoo]

khankussionz djyoung08

Thank you two I appreciate the input a lot.
Definitely gonna save up for my glass 1st. Might as well make a smooth transition rather jump the gun and be limited I know those lenses will be nothing but amazing on the body I have now.

Now this is one thing I can't understand what is the difference between the 35mm 1.8g vs 50mm 1.8g and why does the 35mm show vignette on FX bodies

 

[khankussionz]

khankussionz djyoung08

Thank you two I appreciate the input a lot.
Definitely gonna save up for my glass 1st. Might as well make a smooth transition rather jump the gun and be limited I know those lenses will be nothing but amazing on the body I have now.

Now this is one thing I can't understand what is the difference between the 35mm 1.8g vs 50mm 1.8g and why does the 35mm show vignette on FX bodies

The 35mm is a crop sensor lens and the 50mm is a full frame lens. The 35 will not cover the full sensor of the full frame so it tails off in the corner because light isn't reaching those corners.

 

[romcadoo]

The 35mm is a crop sensor lens and the 50mm is a full frame lens. The 35 will not cover the full sensor of the full frame so it tails off in the corner because light isn't reaching those corners.

So do they make 35mm for FX? Might sound dumb but I was always confused with that

 

[khankussionz]

So do they make 35mm for FX? Might sound dumb but I was always confused with that

They do. The 35mm f/1.8G ED is the FX version http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1023361-USA/nikon_2215_af_s_nikkor_35mm_f_1_8g.html

 

[khankussionz]

There is also the Sigma 35mm 1.4 Art Lens. Contrary to what has been said in this thread lately about this lens... My wedding was shot with one and it was pretty damn good.

 

[romcadoo]

They do. The 35mm f/1.8G ED is the FX version http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1023361-USA/nikon_2215_af_s_nikkor_35mm_f_1_8g.html

There is also the Sigma 35mm 1.4 Art Lens. Contrary to what has been said in this thread lately about this lens... My wedding was shot with one and it was pretty damn good.

I've seen that before but I thought ED was like VR so I just skipped over it. I love the 35mm that was my 1st lens

I really love portrait photography, that's what major of my images consist of but I'm having an issue with focusing on environmental portraits. Seems like the face isn't as clear when I'm editing. I mean zooming 1:1 isn't going to be crystal clear I know but my head shots look good when I zoom 1:1

Idk if it's camera shake on my end or maybe the wrong aperture for the distance I'm at

 

[sonunox34]

New to the thread so I've always wondered this. I wonder if some, or not most, photographers have other careers that led them to be photographers so I am curious to see what is it that some of you guys do.

New to the thread too, definitely not new to NT

I had just started a job as communication manager of a college, 2014. My boss asked me if I knew how to take photos, because she was about to use dept. money to buy a Canon 6D. I said yeah, how hard could it be?

Right away she wanted me to shoot manual, and I was in way over my head. So I took some National Camera classes.

12 months later, budget cuts led to me getting laid off. But I had saved up to buy a Canon 70D and was getting gigs in basketball and senior photos.

Since the lay off, I went back to grad school for graphic design, took a job in the media center at a high school and focused on growing my photography business. You can check out my portfolio here. I'd be interested in seeing portfolio of other people in the thread, like DJYoung08.


Things I've learned:

- Cameras are so good that it's fairly easy to take photos that are worth $$$. What will separate you from the rest is reliability, people skills, etc.

- Mirrorless cameras are dope and good for basically everything besides sports. If you're doing sports, you still need the clunky DSLR with the long lens. But mirrorless absolutely slay concerts and everything else low-light.

- Find a place that rents lenses. I used to grab a 70-200 2.8 for the weekend for just $40. Totally worth it.

- You can shoot a lot of events with a good DSLR body and a 50mm. You can also have a lot of fun with the 50; just go grab one, they're relatively cheap.

- Take any job that pays when you're starting out. Be careful of doing things for free, unless they're for high-profile clients or big events that will help you boost your portfolio.

- Put your stuff on Instagram, but don't get upset if your best photos don't get a whole ton of likes. Instagram is extremely superficial and it's hardly the best shots getting the most love.

 

[jordan novice]

The Eye-Fi card is it's own hotspot. Once your phone's wi-fi is turned on, the pictures will transfer to your phone through the app. You can be in the middle of nowhere and you will still receive your pictures to your phone.

Anyone use one of these and can speak on this?

Also, curious to know what size SD card and class everyone is running?

I remember when shooting with my 32gb class 10/uhs 1 and with the storage filling up it started to lag?

The camera wasn't as quick anymore with loading and writing data onto the card. Faulty card/camera or is this normal?

 

[Fong$tarr]

^^^^I use it all the time. Your camera has to have the eyefi feature on the camera within its menu but most have it at this point. You just switch on the signal, switch on your wifi on your phone to read the signal and it transfers right away. There is some serious downsides to it though. It hardly grabs a signal correctly. It takes many tries to upload even just a couple at one time before it kicks back off. There is feature that allows you to upload specific photos by giving it a rating or lock on a photo, but I am not sure if that works for every camera but it works for Canon. I think built in wifi is better but only the newer cameras have that.

Get a fast card if you are working with higher megapixel cameras. It is a total pain to see your camera just buffer after shooting a couple of shots at one time. You can totally miss a shot sometimes. I was out in the woods this weekend and saw a deer and had a 100-400mm that I rented and totally missed out on some good shots.

 

[djyoung08]

New to the thread so I've always wondered this. I wonder if some, or not most, photographers have other careers that led them to be photographers so I am curious to see what is it that some of you guys do.

New to the thread too, definitely not new to NT

I had just started a job as communication manager of a college, 2014. My boss asked me if I knew how to take photos, because she was about to use dept. money to buy a Canon 6D. I said yeah, how hard could it be?

Right away she wanted me to shoot manual, and I was in way over my head. So I took some National Camera classes.

12 months later, budget cuts led to me getting laid off. But I had saved up to buy a Canon 70D and was getting gigs in basketball and senior photos.

Since the lay off, I went back to grad school for graphic design, took a job in the media center at a high school and focused on growing my photography business. You can check out my portfolio here. I'd be interested in seeing portfolio of other people in the thread, like DJYoung08.


Things I've learned:

- Cameras are so good that it's fairly easy to take photos that are worth $$$. What will separate you from the rest is reliability, people skills, etc.

- Mirrorless cameras are dope and good for basically everything besides sports. If you're doing sports, you still need the clunky DSLR with the long lens. But mirrorless absolutely slay concerts and everything else low-light.

- Find a place that rents lenses. I used to grab a 70-200 2.8 for the weekend for just $40. Totally worth it.

- You can shoot a lot of events with a good DSLR body and a 50mm. You can also have a lot of fun with the 50; just go grab one, they're relatively cheap.

- Take any job that pays when you're starting out. Be careful of doing things for free, unless they're for high-profile clients or big events that will help you boost your portfolio.

- Put your stuff on Instagram, but don't get upset if your best photos don't get a whole ton of likes. Instagram is extremely superficial and it's hardly the best shots getting the most love.

Your website is clean and the work you have on there is overall very good.

You can check out my website at: www.jamesyoungphotography.com

My instagram at: instagram.com/james.young.photos/

Whats your IG? I'm definitely down to follow you

With the things you've noted on learning, it seems you have a very good understanding of business side of photography and the practical aspects of it.

Its dope that you went to school and got some formal education on photography... I admire that you chose to do that.

-

The being careful about doing things for free is a hit and miss for me.... There is a lot to be gained even in a photoshoot that does not involve the photographer receiving money.

I think there are FAR TOO MANY people who know how to put their camera in aperture priority mode with their 50mm, move it to f/1.8 and shoot a bunch of under exposed (evaluative camera chosen metering versus exposing for skin) portraits with no critical focus.

I have no problem saying that those "photographers" deserve $0 in compensation and need to be a master at their craft before going around saying they're booking and demand $100-$200 for a portrait sessions.

Its sad that a little bit of bokeh makes picture takers think they deserve hundreds of dollars per soft portrait

/rant

 

[yanky]

Tried some sunrise shots this morning. I've never done these before so its totally new to me. Iso was at 100 the entire time with no tripod so they're noisy. Any tips?

1st three are out of the camera

Random but how come @ksteezy isn't around here no more?