Please Be Gentle!

[Pete E]

I took the 30D out for the first time to day and spent some time trying to learn it. I waited till late afternoon but the light still seemed very harsh...

The following are a few of the results...I shot in RAW plus JPEG and have resized the pictures using the "Resize for web" function of CS Elements 2.
I've kept the quality to a maxium and then resized...The file sizes are running about 250 to 300K which i hope is ok for the site.. I think I've probably lost the Exif info while doing this, so if anybody can explain an alternative method which retains this, I'd be very interested.

Other than resizing, I've not applied any corrections (I don't know how as yet!) so please feel free to do what you will....

The first couple of images were taken as I left the house...The lens was a Canon 28-105mm UMC 11 and although it has a macro setting, I couldn't fill the frame with the flowers...If I moved closer, I was unable to fucus properly..

With this last one, I think I could have done with more DOF....I didn't spot that on the camera's LCD display at the time

The next is a view of the railway that runs around Bala lake.

A couple of things struck me when i got home; the major one being that I should have waited for a train!

I also noticed the black "spot" in the sky...not sure what that is; maybe something on the lens??? What ever it was, it didn't show up on other photos.

I would also be interested in comments about the focus on this one....

The next is a general view from by the lake side..

And lastly an old farm building...

This happens to be my favourite..I took a few different versions with different crops, but this is the one I prefer...

Any comments about the pictures or the uploading process would be much appreciated...

Regards,

Pete

 

[mfwild13]

Hi Pete,
some nice shots there. I like the one with the train track best but the farm building processed in B&W would probably be better.

I've kept the quality to a maxium and then resized...The file sizes are running about 250 to 300K which i hope is ok for the site.. I think I've probably lost the Exif info while doing this, so if anybody can explain an alternative method which retains this, I'd be very interested.

You have to use the normal 'Save As' and select JPG to keep the exif. You do get a slider to adjust the quality/filesize.

I also noticed the black "spot" in the sky...not sure what that is; maybe something on the lens??? What ever it was, it didn't show up on other photos.

I would also be interested in comments about the focus on this one....

The spot is dust on the CCD. Use a blower to remove it. Dont forget to turn the camera off between lens changes to minimise ingress of dust.
Difficult to comment of the focus due to the nature of the shot and the size shown here. You can post up to 800px on the longest edge here.

And lastly an old farm building...
This happens to be my favourite..I took a few different versions with different crops, but this is the one I prefer...

Definately worth playing with this one in B&W. Not got CS2 on this PC or I would give it a go.

 

[RSMedia]

Yes some nice pictures - but
Looking at the old farm building, a lovely rural pictre, spoilt for me by the very modern "plastic" sailing boat peepng out of the barn. I tried creating an old sepia with the boat cloned out. Unfortunately can't see how to upload it!*
Love the evening light in the two landscapes but I am not too sure about the focus on the flower shots.

*(perhaps someone will tell me how, or do I have to load it into my gallery first?)

 

[CT]

Unfortunately can't see how to upload it!*

*(perhaps someone will tell me how, or do I have to load it into my gallery first?)

You can't link to a picture stored on your computer. The picture has to be hosted remotely elsewhere... Gallery here for instance, or any web space you have access to which supports direct (hot) linking.

You need to post the address (url) of the image between the tags

with no spaces. Hope that helps? Sing out if not.

 

[RSMedia]

OLD FARM BUILDINGS

Yes I do have to put into my gallery first. Many thanks CT
Anyway Here it is, about 5 mins in PS (I made up the name BTW)

 

[CT]

Good clone job! Nice conversion, although perhaps a tad red?

 

[Pete E]

Thanks for the feed back folks, especially the tip about turning off the camera when changing the lens....

With regards the issue of the boat, I have mixed feelings...The presence of the boat does link to the area, as sailing and fishing boats are a common and important theme around the lake...In an ideal world it would have been an old clinker wooden built boat, but I think that would be taking the Photoshop thing too far if I replaced it now!

As I said in my earlier post it was one of several shots...those taken from more to the left allowed you to see more of the boat including a really ugly trailer and lighting board, and that looked even worse. Those taken from more to the right tended to minimise that part of the building and make the whole scene a bit 2D or "flat"...

I'm starting a Photoshop course at night school shortly and they've asked I bring in some shots to work on, including to convert to B&W, so I think this will be one of them...

 

[Ally]

Nice first shots, I really like the colours in all of them. Its a shame that the light just has the top of the house IMO it would have been nicer with or without. The lake side shot is excellant . Its a shame that there was no train and that theres some darkness coming in from the left. I'm sure thats just a fly or the like thats got to close or is on your lens, a well takin shot with out these things. I'll be honest I'm not a fan of flower shots. Great first run with you new 30D I wish my first pics were as clear, sharp and colourful as those, it took me at least a month to find out how the AF worked