[Photos are sorted into 3 flickr accounts]:
Main photo stream here (Best photos): www.flickr.com/photos/jaycider/
Secondary stream here (Alright photos): www.flickr.com/photos/123387259@N05
Second secondary stream here (Public access): www.flickr.com/photos/jaycyu/
Full resolution images are available across all accounts.
[Intro]:
Information regarding photography acquired through trial and error is written blow. These observations may or may not be relevant to you.
Guide Roadmap (for writer):
-Profile is under construction, restructuring, and review
-Profile plans: tutorial with images
-Transfer post-process tricks
-Rip guide tech from GameFaqs
-Open up new firefox bookmark folder
-Offer 1-2 PSD files (compressed (or not))
*********** TABLE OF CONTENTS ***********
[1.00] Gear I use
—— [1.01] Camera + Lenses
—— [1.02] Software + PC
—— [1.03] Accessories
—— [1.04] Lighting
—— [1.05] Loadouts
—— [1.06] EDC
[2.00] Styles I use
—— [2.01] Mindset
—— [2.02] Mid-photoshoot
—— [2.03] Post-processing
—— [2.04] My Social Media
[3.00] Random
—— [3.01] Random 1
—— [3.02] Random 2
—— [3.03] Random 3
[4.00] Links to others’ tutorials
[5.00] Mid-photoshoot Info
— [Panorama]— [Panorama tripod head setup]—
[6.00] Post-processing
—— [6.01] Pano Assembly
—— [6.02] Dodge and burn
—— [6.03] Color grading
—— [6.04]
[7.00] General Info
—— [7.01] Sensor size
—— [7.02] Infrared
—— [7.03] Canon Repair
—— [7.04] EDC
—— [7.05] Safety
—— [7.06] Not Art / Art
—— [7.07] Random Notes
—— [7.08] Advices
[8.00] Recommendations / Opinions
—— [8.01] Objectives
—— [8.02] Level comparison
—— [8.03] Progress speed
—— [8.04] Ethics
—— [8.05] Body
—— [8.06] Lenses
—— [8.07] Camera bag
—— [8.08] PC Build
—— [8.09] Mouse + pad
—— [8.10] Keyboard
—— [8.11] Monitor
— — [Wacom]— [Backup protocol]— []
—— [Software]
—— [Medium format]
—— [Stores]
[9.00] Gear Review
—— [9.01] 5D Mark II Canon
—— [9.02] 85mm f/1.2L II Canon
—— [9.03]
—— [9.04]
[10.00] Image spec
—— [10.01] Technical
—— [10.02] Non-technical
—— [10.03] Person
—— [10.04] Presentation
[11.00] Journal
—— [11.01] Road Map
—— [11.02] Journal
[12.00] Update Log
[13.00] Questions
—— [13.01] Gears
—— [13.02] Techniques
=== [1.00] Gear I Use ======================================
[1.01] Camera + Lenses
-5D mark II Canon with multispectral sensor filter modification
-85mm f/1.2L II Canon
-17-40mm f/4L Canon (temporary acquired for testing focal lengths for panos)
-50mm f/1.2 AI-S Nikkor (not really used nowadays)
-100mm f/2.8 macro Canon
-720nm (IR), 930nm (IR), 403nm (UV), UV/IR Blocker (for visible spectrum only), polarizer
[1.02] Software + PC
-Lightroom (for sorting and DNG’ing RAWs), Photoshop (mainly for pano stitching)
-APssistant, Irfanview (Win10 photo viewer compression is terrible)
-24GB memory, OS SSD, multiple HDD, GTX 790 GPU, Logitech G502 mouse, Wacom Bamboo tablet
[1.03] Accessories
-Tripod: Slik Sprint Pro
-Tripod: Manfrotto Carbon Fiber 055CXPRO3
-Spider holster
-Reflectors x2: 42in, Manfrotto ALU compact stands x2, Manfrotto ALU compact stands (extra-large) x1
-Field monitor: 7in
-Radio shutter remote
-Knee pads
-CF cards x3
-Alcohol swap x4 // zip bag // $30 // tickets // napkin // protein bar x2
-Bug repellent spray (Deet) // Water spray with 1ml of liquid soap //
[1.04] Lighting
-Strobe (CL-360)
-Flashes x2 (V850 + V860c)
-Flashlights (1200 OTF lumen white light, IR lights (720nm + 940nm), UV, etc)
[1.05] Loadouts
-Photowalk: Just camera bag
-Photowalk: camera bag + tripod
-Photowalk (nighttime): flashlights, field monitor, tripod
-Portrait shoot: single diffusor, lightstand
-Portrait shoot: diffusor, reflector, lightstand x2
-Portrait shoot: strobe, lightstand
-Portrait shoot: strobe, flash, lightstand
[1.06] EDC
==========================================================================
=== [2.00] Styles ======================================
==========================================================================
[Preferences]:
-Close up nature // Close up nature infrared // Close up nature // Close up nature infrared panorama
^from 0.5m to 5m
-Portrait // Portrait infrared // portrait panorama // portrait infrared panorama
^from 0.95m to 3m
-Portrait infrared panorama with object toss
-Portrait with modified natural light // portrait with two strobes // portrait with natural light?
-Free-lensing (technique is now self-forbidden)
-Screenshot screenshot
[Editing styles]:
-Black & white
-Fake film look
-Increase contrast
-Lifting the black end-point on a curve
-Hue play / bias temperature
-Vignetting
-Dodge and burn
-Black & white inversion
-Color inversion
-Solarization—mild or otherwise
-Red channel only
-Blue/yellow processing
-Blending mode
-Channel swap
-Quading
==========================================================================
=== [3.00] My Network ======================================
==========================================================================
Facebook | YouTube | deviantArt | Tumblr
==========================================================================
=== [5.00] Procedures and Online Resources =====================
==========================================================================
[[Online Resources]]:
[Dodge and burn]
Natalia Taffarels's tutorial page (tour her site):
nataliataffarel.tumblr.com/post/4551849530/dnb
DM tutorials (quality of info unknown):
www.dmd-digital-retouching.com/blog/dodge-burn-tutorial/
www.dmd-digital-retouching.com/blog/dodge-burn-tips/
Brush setting when D&B:
www.modelmayhem.com/po.php?thread_id=849144&page=1#po...
www.modelmayhem.com/po.php?thread_id=808677&page=1#po...
[Frequency Seperation]
HighPass Sucks (bashes High Pass method and promotes FS) (important):
www.modelmayhem.com/po.php?thread_id=439098&page=1
Michael C Pearson's Workflow using FS:
www.modelmayhem.com/po.php?thread_id=760984&page=1#po...
Natalia's take on FS benefit/usage:
nataliataffarel.tumblr.com/post/4366444728/split-frequenc...
[More FS tutorials]:
www.computerarts.co.uk/tutorials/retouch-images-frequency...
www.computerarts.co.uk/tutorials/video-tutorial-frequency...
Sneak peak/tutorial of a high-end retoucher (creating a site account required):
framednetwork.com/episodes/framed3-8/
[Hair retouching]
Natalia's Hair retouching technique via cloning in double darken modes:
[Natural-light portrait guides]
fstoppers.com/portraits/ultimate-guide-bokeh-7948
[Lens & Body Reviews]
Slrgear.com
Lens sharpness tests/reviews
www.slrgear.com/reviews/index.php
Digital picture.com
Canon gear reviews
www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/
Canon Rumors
Next-gen canon gear release predictions
DXO Mark
Camera sensor reviews/tests
[DNG Viewer]
Ardfry DNG Codec
Enables DNG/CR2 previews in Windows folders (requires payment)
[Misc]
Apssistant (non-essential but important)
Run in the background to get right of PS’s annoying pinging when using alt frequently
Magic Lantern (important)
3rd party DSLR video software upgrade/hack
magiclantern.wikia.com/wiki/Magic_Lantern_Firmware_Wiki
Wiki
Near the bottom of the page there is a bar “Canon EOS Digital SLR timeline”. Click on “Show” and you can view Canon’s release dates. With this, you can time your purchases (in conjunction with CanonRumors.com)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_EOS_600D
Adapter for AIS-S Nikkor lens on Canon body
(Warning: clip off the metal piece or else it hits and breaks the reflex mirror)
Adapter can range at $5 to $100. Try Ebay. Image samples:
www.flickr.com/photos/fox-orian/2626443224/
www.dealextreme.com/p/ai-eos-lens-adapter-ring-for-wide-a...
[[Vertical/mult-layer panorama Technique]]:
[Benefits for Panos]:
-Increase sensor size that can compete with more expensive cameras (medium format), since different snap-shots are put together to form a larger image. 2-4 row panorama can surpass the sensor size of a single MF shot.
-Increase apparent out-of-focus area around the borders
-Increase apparent sharpness since the large dimension image can be zoomed in to a further extend
-Increase the percentage the sharp area possesses as only the center part of each image is used, while the border of each is masked away.
-Control/increase angle of view
-Create a more content rich image
[Drawbacks for Panos]:
-Requires 6-12 times the hard-drive storage space
-Might require more memory cards
-Consumes more physical energy holding the camera up for an extended period
-Consumes time during the shoot to hold-up/set-up a pano
-Requires a longish sewing process before being able to view the final result
-Possible unsewablity
-Possible mismatching hair and powerline
-Mostly inappropriate for moving subjects (unless the frame contains the person’s extremities)
-Incompatible with free-lensing
-Maybe incompatible with flashlight long exposures
-Difficult to do self-portraits with. Almost impossible to do so shooting up close
-Bokeh at f/1.2 changes despite how accurate the camera is mounted on the nodal point. Nothing you can’t handle manually, but sometimes PS can’t match shifting bokeh shapes.
-When the angle is above 45°, the assembled result looks like an arch, wasting a considerable percent of pixels.
[Steps On-location for Panos]:
-When buying your camera, choose one with the largest sensor size possible that’s within your budget
-Acquire a program that can stitch together panorama pieces together. I use and recommend Photoshop CS3 and above, but others like AutoPano and Microsoft ICE are available.
-When shooting there are three ways to mount a camera to its nodal point. One is free-handing, when it’s inconvenient to bring and deploy a tripod, but random body movement may result in images that cannot be assembled. Second is with a standard tripod, where all images will suffer from parallax, but only slightly without catastrophic mismatch (when the focus is 2m away). Third is with a tripod plus a specialized panorama tripod-head, which admits no parallax flaws at the price of massive increase in weight and cost.
-Choose your focus plane then set auto-focus to off
-Use Av mode to determine exposure, then set enter M mode and enter the data
-Rotate the camera to its portrait position (vertical)
-Scan the scene to assess whether you want a pano of 4 shots, 8 shots, or a multi-layer panorama
-Shoot starting from the far left
-Move the camera to the right with 33%-50% overlay compared to the first picture. Photoshop requires a 30% overlay between images to know what goes where. If it can’t match it with another of the other photos in the batch, then that image will be left out for the user to manually place and resize it to match with the big picture. When shooting portraiture, capture the center image first in case he or she moves, before starting from the far left. Wind-blown hair may cause a match problem. Bokeh that changes when lens moves with little texture for PS to match up with may also be rejected automatically.
-If you’re shooting multi-layer panorama, start from the top left hand side and systematically capture the scene. The camera’s rotational position doesn’t really matter in this case. After familiarizing with a single-layer panorama, I recommend 3 layer panos for a suitable scene, since the barrel distortion and cumulative errors may confuse Photoshop, and therefore require tedious manual intervention.
[Note]:
-Alternative to snapping the camera on the tripod normally, one can lay the lens on the upmost tip of the tripod. (Mine is a 2-way pan, so the rubberize handle can be the highest point (unlike a ballhead)). This way, even at 60° while shooting foliage, the camera can pano in a straight line. This way, the legs don’t have to compensate for uneven grounds, allowing a fast setup. There are 2 drawbacks though: it still difficult to move the camera side by side with the aid of an anchor point, and the up-down tilting will still suffer from parallax, though if the subject is more than 0.5m away, its effect will not matter.
[Steps Post-process for Panos]:
-If you shoot in raw (which is recommended), import them in Lightroom. Apply your preferred color processing, then export the images as 8-bit Jpeg’s, as oppose to 16-bit Tiff’s unless you have a monstrous desktop rig.
-Run Photoshop & APssistant
-File > Scripts > Load Files into Stack…
-Browse
-Use the Shift or/and Ctrl key to select multiple images. Now the images become layers in one active window.
-Select all the layers, by clicking on the first layer, then click the last layer while holding down the shift key
-Edit > Auto-Align Layers… > Auto > OK (leave the check boxes blank)
-Now PS should have moved and resized the images to fit everything together.
-If there are image that PS cannot recognize like heavy OoF areas, then it will leave them in the middle of the picture unadjusted. You have to piece them together manually. The steps are these: Image > Canvas Size…, check the “Relative” box, and increase the image border by x percent. Select a layer. Decrease its Opacity to 50%. Move it to where it belongs. Use the transformation tool (Ctrl T) to resize it. Hold Ctrl and drag one of its corners to stretch it if necessary. Restore image to 100% opacity.
-An image’s center is the sharpest, while the borders, especially the corners, are less sharp and darker. This is an optional step. You can create a mask for each layer, then using a 100% hard black brush paint on the mask layers to hide any border you can do away with, without shrinking the image or leaving holes. Since the PS has already matched up the shots, the overlaying areas are no longer necessary. For portraits, find the best path to avoid shredding up hair, and retain all in-focus textures and block out out-of-focus ones (this is quite time consuming).
-Select all layers
-Edit > Auto-Blend Layers… > Panorama + check “Seamless Tones and Colors” > OK
-You will see PS found its own seam path. The white gaps you see are only visual aids and have no impact on the final image. Eyeball the path to find breakage in powerline/hair. If there is, you have to undo the Blending step and use mask/brush to deny and re-open up new paths for PS.
-If you like, make a new layer and paint-bucket it with red. Move this layer beneath the others. Merge the non-red layers together (select them and right click and choose “Merge Layers”. This makes it easier for you to spot any holes you might miss in the Fill step. If the merged layer is auto-named to “Background,” you’ll have to rename it to unlock it.
-Use the crop tool to cut out the nether spaces, but leave small corners with them. Uncheck “Delete Cropped Pixels” so it’s easier to tweak the crop (CS6 and above only).
-Right click on the Lasso Tool, and choose Polygonal Lasso Tool. Box in one of the corner by involving minimum number of real pixel as convenient. Right click on the image > Content-Aware > OK. Usually it does a reasonably good job (for out of focus areas). You might use a combination of Healing Brush Tool and Clone Stamp tool to look after it. If your attempts fail, you might have to crop the blank space away. The whole point of a panorama is to obtain the maximum number of pixels, so unnecessary cropping is counter-productive.
-At this point I would save a base copy and come back later for retouching if the image is a portrait.
-If you have questions, ask google or pm me. The Brenizer Method flickr group also provides information and examples regarding panoramas:
www.flickr.com/groups/brenizermethod/
Sensor sizes are these:
-Medium format found in twin-lens reflex film cameras and studio Hasselblad [Surface area: 2700mm2][Price range: 10K]
-Full frame found as standard roll of film, Canon 5D/6D, Nikon D700/D800, etc [Surface area: 864mm2][Price range: 1K to 3K]
-Cropped sensor found in low/med end DSLRs [Surface area: 329mm2][Price range: $400 to 1K]
-Four Thirds found in new compact mirrorless, inter-changeable lens compacts [Surface area: 225mm2][Price range: $400 to $750]
-Point-and-shoot compacts [Surface area: 80mm2][Price range: $120 to $700]
-Phone camera [Surface area: 50mm2][Price range: $200 to $900]
-If you own a cropped sensor camera, doing a 3-shot panorama with 33% overlay, you can match the 5D’s full frame sensor. A full frame needs to do a 5-shot panorama to match a single shot from a medium format. That’s 3-4x the work, but it is physically possible to increase the value of the sensor with minimum monetary cost.
Full Frame vs Medium format
-FF has f/1.2 while MF doesn’t
-MF can do panos too with a telephoto lens and the resulting sensor surface area would be enormous
-MF is really expensive, unless it’s film, which is less so.
[Tripod setup for Panos]:
[] Issue: When you point your mounted camera 60° up at a tree to compose a panorama, the sweeping motion follows a "U" shape, not a straight line. As a result, a lot of pixels must be cropped away for a rectangular format.
[] Solution 0: The base of the tripod head which rotates mustn't be parallel to the ground, but must be tilted up towards the branches, at 60 degree for example.
[] Solution 1 ($0): Handheld.
[] Solution 2 ($0): Set up your tripod normally without including your DLSR, and use tripod’s apex as a resting place for the nodal point. You only rest the lens there softly where it’s only a reference point. Then you use your spatial skills to pan the camera. The advantage is the camera is much closer to the tree branch compared to the next solution, and you don’t have to waste time setting up, but human error during systemic capture becomes more of a reliability.
[] Solution 3 ($0): Usually the tripod head is not leveled and you take pain looking at the bubble to balance it, but in this case, the goal is to make the tripod as tilted as possible without the setup tipping over. To do this, extend 2 of the legs to their maximum and point them at the general direction of your target. The 3rd leg is collapsed, while being the closest to you. If your tripod supports legs that can spread beyond their normal angle, then use it for the third leg to create a more stable 3-point balance. Now your tripod head's base should be at least 45°, as is your central column. There is a few issues with this method. First being that the camera is only 2' above the ground, and you really have to bend down to see the LCD (lucky exceptions for those with an articulating back screen, or those who set up their field monitor). The two spread out tripod legs cause the second problem as it blocks other pedestrians. The upside is that no special equipment is prerequisite.
[] Solution 4($40): Mount a 2nd tripod head on the first tripod head. The bottom one will act as the angled platform, while the top one focuses on verticalizing the camera as it pans left to right. The downside is that the off-center mass puts a lot of torque on the first head's screw, and the whole setup must look Frankenstein-ish. The upside is that it's still light and cheap.
[] Solution 5 ($500): Have the original tripod head as the tilting platform, then mount a panoramic plate on it, then mount a L-bracket on top, then mount a second panoramic plate on the vertical face of the L-bracket, then install a quick release system on the second turning disc. Both pano plates must be of the type that can lock up. Each plate and bracket is $150 minimum, so the price stacks up fast. If the plates from both quick release system are long, you can get the camera to rotate round its nodal point. Or alternatively, mount a complete panoramic system on a basic tripod head that can take the weight and torque.
==========================================================================
=== [6.00] Post-processing ===============================
==========================================================================
[6.01] Pano Assembly
[6.02] Dodge and Burn
[6.03] Color Grading
[6.04]
[6.05]
[[Portrait Retouching Procedure]]:
[Prepping Layers]:
(as seen on the layer panel)
-Vignetting
-Color grading (one curve)
-D & B folder (dodge and burn)
-Flaw finder folder (can turn off/on both sub layers at once) (this layer is turned off by default)
-Flaw finder (curve with the mid-point dragged down)
-Flaw finder (same thing, because sometimes flaws in a high key image don’t show themselves)
-D & B Global (filled with grey and blended as Soft Light) (for light contouring or highlighting)
-D & B Blem (same as above) (micro D&B)
-Clone-out
-Original image
[Sample of final layers]:
-Vignetting
-Color grading
-Color grading
-Color grading
-Splitted frequence: High only (for sharpening) (masked in only parts needed)
-D & B folder
-Flaw finder folder
-Desaturation
-Flaw finder
-Flaw finder
-D & B Global
-D & B Blem
-Clone-out
-Local liquefied patches
-Original image
[Summary]:
-Liquefying (maybe)
-Clone out flying hair and particles on the face
-Split Frequency technique to more easily identify dark tissue under the skin (optional)
-Dodge and burn to even out skin tone zoomed out
-Dodge and burn to even out skin tone zoomed in (probably to 200-400%)
-Dodge and burn to increase depth
-Color rendition using curves
-Vignetting (optional)
-Sharpening using Split Frequency technique
[Detailed]:
-Lightroom Tiff export with correct temperature, exposure/contrast, and no sharpening
-Import to Photoshop
-Create a Clone-out layer to remove strains of flying hair and irregular blemishes with a Healing Brush Tool, and to sharpen eyelashes with a Clone Stamp Tool
-On a Soft Light layer, Dodge & Burn to remove and even-out blotchy skins
-On another Soft Light layer, Dodge & Burn to enhance depth (optional)
-Liquefy distortions caused by a short focal length lens up close
{}Globally or/and locally adjust contrast/color via Curve
{}Local sharpening using the Frequency Separation technique (from Natalia’s tutorial DVD)
-Create a new layer at the top
-Press Ctrl + Alt + Shift + E to duplicate what you see onto that layer
-Make a copy of that layer (by dragging the first layer onto the New Layer icon)
-Go to the second top layer
-Go to Filter > Other > High Pass…
-With the mouse, click on an eye and the dialog box will zoom in there.
-Set the Radius to a number that lets you see the outlines in the detail without creating halos that appear when over-sharpening. (The Radius of my 5DII + 85mm f/1.2 is around 1.8 pixels. Sometimes 1.4 and 0.8). (This step is only for visualizing purposes.)
-Memorize the number and Cancel out
-Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur…
-Dial in the memorized number and click OK
-Click on the first layer and rename it to B 1.4 (or whatever number you used, so in the future if you have to delete this layer (to work on the stuff below) and redo the sharpening, you would know exactly what setting to reuse).
-Still on the first layer, go to Image > Apply Image…
-If you’re editing a 16-bit image, in the Layer box, select the name of the second layer (which was blurred)
-Activate the Invert box
-Set Blending to Add
-Set Scale to 2 (the image should turn greyish now)
-If you’re editing a 8-bit image, …
-Click OK
-Set the layer’s blending mode to Linear Light
-Create a mask, then invert it (Ctrl + I)
-Delete the second layer
-On the first layer, use a brush set to 0% hardness and 100% opacity/flow
-On the mask, paint in places that need sharpening.
-If edges look over-sharpened, you’ll have to undo back before blurring, and retry
{}On a Soft Light layer, Dodge & Burn to create vignetting
[]Save as Jpeg
[]Save as PSD if possible. If not, Tiff
==========================================================================
=== [7.00] General Information ===============================
==========================================================================
[Infrared Portrait Advantages]:
-blond hair may look like bleached hair
-Increased sub-surface scattering
-Blemishes are much more subtle and thus save retouching time
-Leaves in the background become white
-Film doesn’t fare so well with infrared (hearsay), so film users cannot compete in this region. Unfortunately, digital infrared still looks digital.
-Asian’s dark eye color often lightens considerably. I don’t know if this’s a good thing or not; it could go either way depending on preference? Dunno.
-Makeup might be partly, completely, or not at all negated depending on brand and product lineup. One thing is for certain: even without makeup, infrared will still look like infrared.
-930nm can survive in direct sunlight
[Infrared Portrait Disadvantages]:
-Overcast is disastrous because IR lacks contrast in the first place
-Often in 720nm, skin is de-saturated which looks like crappy post work
-It’s hard to find dark background (it needs to be in shadows)
-It doesn’t look like reality and thus often not suitable for documentary
-Mono-color for 930nm (though process is thus easier)
-Many portraits don’t survive B&W conversion, though there were some good ones what were in direct sunlight after forceful curve adjustment + noise
-Negates beautiful eye colors where applicable
-No vividity
-Blood does not lighten with skin so vessels may become more apparent, though it’s nothing a retoucher can’t fix with dodge and burn.
-Needs a modified camera which equals to expense.
-Lens may or may not be compatiable for infrared (some create a reddish hotspot in the center)
-Shifting from mono-red to mono-blue stresses the bit-depth, sometimes inducing color banding.
-High key blue infrared portrait doesn’t fare so well after a black & white conversion, leaving white and grey that look washed out. An initially dark IR portrait might survive, since (with the help of curves) it’ll end up with grey/black or white/black. (general experience)
-With an infrared filter on the lens, the viewfinder completely dark. One has to rely on Live-view.
-Requires good contrast
-Mid-tones and shadows get saturated with blue and look bad
[General Thoughts]:
-I believe that if I share an image, the viewers should get the maximum resolution, because what would be the point of sharing….
[Random Notes]:
-Set Silent Mode to off in order to use a flash trigger on a Canon while in Live View
-Modding sensor filter of 5Dii means sacrificing USM sensor cleaning ability. This means expensive, tedious and dangerous peripheral dust maintenance gears.
-IR/UV cut filter on a full spectrum converted camera may or may not be able to restore proper true visual light colors in Jpeg. I need to do some test to confirm this.
-Most filters are double thread, meaning it can mount on a lens, and a second filter can mount on this filter (I didn't notice this though I had double threaded filters for years. I did hours but no one really talk about this basic knowledge > Hoya metal (I don't discern any difference in glass quality)
-UV filter (403nm)'s images look like IR's images. Leaves are white (in B&W) except they ain't as glowy as IR's. UV (like standard 720nm) has two colors: clear sky is purplish while leaves are orangeish on original.
-On IR modded camera, the incoming light intensity is comparable to an unmodded one. For me, 720nm at ISO160, f1.2, shutter speed on cloudy days is around 1/6400. I use polarizers as ND filters if shutter speed max out at 1/8000.
-In a forest, trees will impede wind that otherwise knock light modifiers to the ground.
-Shooting in infrared on a cloudless day with reflector/scrim setup, the ambient light from the sky will decrease the contract created by the sun.
-Reference this data base for infrared suitable lenses:
www.flickr.com/groups/lifepixel/discuss/72157600015568344/
-Camera will see a few stops (2-3x?) less light with a 930nm than 720nm
-For 5DII, iso160, iso320, iso640, etc are native ISO ranges and will produce minimum noise (this is hearsay from 5D forum (cinerma).)
-Choosing the film skill tree, the photographer must develop the negative himself to preserve privacy. To do so requires a darkroom, chemicals, time, and film scanner. Say he spends equal amount of money on film as a 5D ($3000 upgrade once every 6 years), and a roll of film (36) is $3 with self-development another $2, then 21,600 shots will be available in total, allowing 70 shots per week (compared to 480 shots/week from a 5D). Obviously, experimenting spammingly on a digital camera before switching to film is advantageous. 70 film shots per week should be adequate, even when shooting panoramas. Creating six lvl2 two-layer panoramas every week is nothing to laugh about.
-Photo contests are about office politics. I saw judges pick images with no regards to the qualities of the images.
-Lithium batteries are dangerous. Please show some respect.
www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?107-Smoke-a...
-While using Magic Lantern to boost video bit rate to 300%, a faster card than 30MB/s is required for continuous shooting.
[Advices]:
-Do not buy many lenses. Remember why you’re doing photography and specialize yourself. The more you buy, the less they all get used.
-Don’t free-lens with a lens that’s too heavy or/and without a grip
-When starting out, don’t get corrupted by lvl1 togs
-Do not gaussian blur skin using Photoshop or Portraiture Pro. Doing so will get you fired on the first day from any agency. All professionals use dodge and burn instead of blurring.
-Browsing camera gears can become addictive due to the searcher calculating, planning, and possessing. You must research before purchasing, and you mustn’t get addicted.
-If you’re buying a reflector, buy the standard size: 42”. If it’s too big, it becomes a hindrance to balance, especially in the wind even with water bottles. If it’s too small, its diffusion capability may be crippled.
-All hard drives die. Expected lifespan is between 3 to 10 years, may be more, probably less. If you expect your shots to survive, you need another copy, ideally off-site in case your region floods. If your computer doesn’t start, do not activate your warranty yet, because those guys often format your computer even if it’s not a software/hard-drive issue. Usually hooking your dying hard-drive to another function desktop lets your extract your files.
-Flashlight gears are addictive (like watches); please research those carefully, lol.
[Post Process]:
-Lightroom is very good with ridding color noise without blurring the image too much.
==========================================================================
=== [8.00] Observations / Exp ===============================
==========================================================================
[Scrim Characteristic]
-Diffusing fabric from different manufacturers is different
-For example with Interfit’s, a point light source looks like a 4-point star when seen through any region of the scrim.
-A scrim cuts a few stops of light.
-At the beach, the reflection from water improves directional light, aiding in the combat of ambient from the atmosphere.
-Foliage subdues cloud light, while a clearing permits direct sunlight. A location like this in Vancouver that’s near public transport is hard to find.
-Despite being flat, a 42” scrim/reflector catches wind and tests the screw knobs on the stand and reflector arm.
[720nm Tendencies]
-Works with dyed/blond hair
[Color Pano Tendencies]
[930nm Bokeh Pano Tendencies]
[930nm Direct Sunlight]
farm3.staticflickr.com/2842/9361227720_d8207e166d_z.jpg
-Looks like ordinary sunlight.
-Can survive sunlight behind the camera
[930nm Cloudy]
farm8.staticflickr.com/7445/9547518577_9830083a6a_z.jpg
Same day normal color:
-(note the lace in IR is white, normal color black.)
-In infrared while overcast, skin loses even more contrast, and usually IR in that condition is inferior—if not on par— to a normal image.
==========================================================================
=== [8.00] Recommendations / Opinions ==========================
==========================================================================
[8.01] Objectives
-Set clear purpose(s) / objective(s) so we know what setup to purchase. And even half a decade later, distractions should not muddle our goals.
-Examples: family, self, selfie, wedding, portrait,
-Examples:
[8.02] Level comparison
-A photo can be better than another photo.
-Objective judgement of our own photos is important, so that we may self-improve.
-Objective judgement of others’ photos is important, so that we can learn.
-I divide photographs into 3 categories:
—level 1: quality expected from a beginner
—level 2: higher quality that other beginners can’t reach easily, but not so good as to be level 3
—level 3: high-tier magazine/advertisement level. Fairy-tale-like images on flickr are another branch of level 3
-We must improve at a reasonable pace. An older man who says he’s been shooting for 40 years but with photos no better than the fledgling beside him is an example why we must need to evaluate our current skills, work towards improvement, and do so in a timely manner.
[8.03] Level comparison
[8.04] Morals
[8.05] Body
[8.06] Lenses
[8.07] Camera Messenger Bag
-Sought-after functionalities: backpack-mode option, impermeable bottom surface, deployable raincoat, metal joints at the ends of the shoulder strap, quick access,
-Carrying heavy gear over only one shoulder over half a decade can cause chronic discomfort
-We can buy better shoulder strap if necessary.
[8.08] PC Build
-Build a PC for Photoshop retouching.
-CPU: PS computing heavily relies on the CPU. Get one around $200-300 range.
-CPU fan: Get one if you want quieter operation, though the stock fan often comes bundled with the CPU. (Necessary for overclocking).
-GPU: PS can make use of the GPU, so have one: probably a gaming GPU around the $200 range (as opposed to a workstation GPU).
-Memory: 16GB minimum, 32GB+ if possible. An extracted PSD with high resolution (ex: pano) or with many pixel layers, needs a lot of memory.
-Input: look below
-Hard drives: 500GB SSD for the operation system plus 3TB of normal hard-drive for media. Depending on your keep/delete policy, you may need multiples of 3TB+ HD’s.
-A limited-budget PC costs around $800. At $1500 range we distances ourselves a bit from budget parts. At $2000, we can freely choose parts and special extras we need. I’ll put this in perspective with a semi-serious gaming rig, which is $2000 + $1500 for the top-of-the-line GPU and 144Hz monitor.
-Blu-ray optic drive:
[8.09] Mouse + pad
-Some gaming mouse have more keys that you can set PS keystroke shortcuts to, or set a string of keys into a single press.
[8.10] Keyboard
-Some gaming keyboards have macro keys that can chain different keystrokes into a single press.
-If for some reason you’re looking for keyboard that makes audible, tactile presses, the keywords are “mechanical keyboard, blue switch)
-Normally, keyboard key caps can be removed with an inexpensive “key cap puller” to clean the dirt cumulating underneath. You may want to do so annually or more frequently or never, depending on your tolerance.
[8.11] Monitor
-IPS type > TN type
-There are specialized retouching monitors out there— just something to be aware of.
[8.03] Progress speed
-
[8.04] Ethics
-Do not harm another person =
-Do not do something you know others do not want to you do = no unwelcomed candid shots,
-Do not compromise the ethics of another person =
-Keep our words as far as possible = don’t flake, be at agreed location with time to spare in case of transit delay,
-
[Gear Choice: Lens]:
-Buy a prime lens. The aperture will always be larger than a zoom lens, and will always be less expensive.
^exception applies to super wide angle for landscape since you’ll probably shooting at f/8, so max aperture doesn’t come into effect, unless shooting handheld after sunset.
-If you use live-view exclusively, then a manual focus lens is almost as good as an auto-focus.
-The cheap, manual-only Nikkor Ai-s is a realistic option as the adapter for the Canon body costs only $12 on Ebay.
[>]
Here is the application breakdown:
[] For those travelling a lot with numerously varying sceneries: a wide angle lens
-17-40mm f/4L ($840)
-14mm f/2.8L II ($2250)
[] For generalists: 50mm prime
-50mm f/1.8 Canon ($125, new) (first hand, cheap, reportedly poor durability, good performance after f/2.8)
-50mm f/1.4 Nikkor Ai-s manual only ($200, used) (metal construction)
-50mm f/1.4 Sigma Art ($950) (Sharper and less expensive than the Canon f/1.2L)
[] For portrait: 85mm prime
-something at f/1.2-1.4 with min focus of ~75cm
[] For sport: telephoto prime
-200mm f/2.8L II Canon ($780) (1.5m minimum focus with narrow angle of view is at (or even over) the limit of general photography; an IS version may be coming soon)
-300mm f/4 non-IS Canon ($750, used) (the last lens before a huge price leap to the next spec up)
[<]
-Photographers often say that spending on a good lens takes priority over the body, and I generally agree, but I would be hard press to choose between a 50mm f/1.2 sigma art with a rebel body, or 50mm f/1.8 Canon with 6D full-frame. (I would probably go with the second choice, since upgrading means retiring a battered, dying lens that cost $120, while phasing-out the rebel would be abandoning a $600 component).
[Gear Choice: Body]:
-Buy a USED basic DSLR + one prime lens to save a few hundred dollars.
I usually recommend Nikkor's Ai-s manual lens line up. Buy a Canon, probably the 600D with its articulating screen. Magic Lantern (a camera software modding community) is a free software upgrade to only the Canon lineup that provides peaking focus, essential for a manual lens user.
-I would say the used 600D DSLR will be around $350, and the Nikkor manual lens can range from $100 to $250. (really rough estimates). If you buy from a large shop like B&H, a new 600D will be $600, and lens the $500.
[Radio Shutter Remote]:
[Ebay radio shutter remote advantage vs Canon’s infrared remote]:
-Same price $20
-Can use rechargeable AAA (x4) batteries. I recommend Eneloop it loses only 10% charge every 1 year. This brand rarely leaks.
-Have half press
-Does need to switch shutter mode in camera; just plug-and-play
-As reasonably built
-Radio signals go through solid object; therefore, it doesn’t need line-of-sight
-Radio signal has a 100m range
[Radio remote disadvantage]:
-Bulkier when mounted to the camera’s hotshoe (no actual electric connection, just a physical mounting location). It is susceptible to impact damage.
-Larger remote, taking up more real-estate in the camera bag
-Heavier
-Requires 3 pieces of gear: receiver, remote, and cable; absent of any one piece will disable remote capability.
-Going from the receiver to the camera, the shutter cable is susceptible to impact damage and snagging. Other unused ports are exposed.
-Receiver requires turn-on, complicating shooting a little more
-Transmitter requires turn-off, though it lasts for 14 days straight.
-No brand
[Magic Lantern Advantage (Canon only)]:
[Gear Choice: Tripod]:
-Buy a 3-section tripod legs instead of 4-sections to decrease deploying and withdrawing time.
-Buy a flip-lever leg-lock type instead of a twist leg-lock type to decrease deploying and withdrawing time.
-Having a taller tripod brings the camera closer the leaves on a tree when shooting bokeh panorama. Low-ish = 163cm Med-ish = 173cm Hi-ish = 187cm (note the 25cm difference).
-Thin tripod legs might lead to wabble/vibration that visibly last for 8 seconds after tuning setting and before remotely pressing the shutter at night. Thicker legs may help decrease time-to-stability. Carbonfiber legs may help decrease time-to-stability. Manfrotto test video here (warning: this video increases product sales):
-When doing portrait panoramas, having a normal tripod head has its advantage as parts come into focus and others fade out of it, I can use Photoshop mark to manually select the sharpest regions.
[Gear Choice: Wacom Tablet]:
-When picking a Wacom Tablet for portrait retouching, I recommend the medium size, because the tip of the nib wears down fast on new releases because of the textured active area. The bigger the tablet, the more movement is required, thus depleting the tip of the pen faster. The nibs were $1 each (price may vary). Wacom customer service suggests laying a thin plastic sheet on top of the drawing surface. With the default surface, my first nib worn down in a month or two. With a hard plastic sheet from some random packaging, the second nib will last the next thousand years. If you only have the mouse, set your brush to 1% flow and 20% opacity. This way without lifting the left clicker up, you can progressively darken an area by going over it repeatedly.
-Very small movements are needed with a small tablet that tires the wrist. Very large movements are needed with a large tablet that tires the shoulder. The medium tablet is the right size.
[Gear Choice: Phone Camera]:
-If you can choose your phone, then consider these specifications: being able to shoot raw, large sensor, large aperture, pixel count, tested IQ from sample images, LED display type and ppi (IPS is more visible in sunlight, while Amoled has deeper black with vibrant colors), being able to shoot at 4:3 to use all sensor sites and not being limited to the cropped 16:9.
-As for the app, you want control over these: being able to shoot raw (may depends on the camera’s default ability), ISO, shutter speed, manual focus, aperture (if it’s not fixed), image file type (.png > .jpeg), color balance, exposure slider
^Having said that, FV-5 (android OS) has these control, but it bugs out long-exposure .dng as of this time.
-If you’re buying a point & shoot, these quality should likewise be sought.
-Here are spec sheets for phone camera: www.phonearena.com/phones/compare/OnePlus-One,Nokia-Lumia...
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
///[[Part 9]: Gear review] ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
[[50mm f/1.2 Ai-s Nikkor]]
[Pro]
-f/2 is quite sharp
-f/1.4 is noticeably sharper than f/1.2
-Smooth soundless focus
-Metal shell
-Small
-Light
-The iris disappears at f/1.2, so the round barrel acts as the aperture. (Whether the aperture is rounded or not is irrelevant.)
-Nice vignetting at f/1.2-f/1.6
-The black metal lens hood makes a beautiful sound when ringing it
[Con]
-Effective range is about 1m, f/1.2 is too soft beyond that distance
-Barrel distortion
-No auto focus (a manual lens)
-Lightroom doesn’t support this exact model during lens correction
-No computer chip embed the setting for each shot
-Not-so-nice vignetting with 2 filters. The lens hood doesn’t help being stacked on them.
-The small lens doesn’t look aesthetically pleasing with the large 5DII
[[85mm f/1.2L II Canon]]
[Pro]
-Effective range with good OoF is about 4.5m
-Strong OoF that erases undesirable background
-Sharper
-Dreamy OoF at f/1.2 – f/1.4
-Better bokeh quality
-Telephoto gives reach
-Metal core + front element
-Rear element is virtually weather sealed
-Electrically powered focus ring doesn't work with the lens detracted, so this benefits freelensing operation
-Iconic Canon design
-Red ring from the L series
-Large and black with a huge, deep frontal glass element
-Embeds focus distance information in the Jpeg/CR2
-The large lens + reversed lens hood have nice curves
[Con]
-Narrow angle of view is too narrow; lacks multiple elements
-Sacrificed dramatic perspective
-95cm minimal distance isn't enough (maybe if it's at 75cm, I'll love this lens to death. Atm, plz go die)
-Objects in front of a focus plane at mid distance still look like bad blur
-Overpriced at $2000
-Heavy color fringing (chromatic abbreviation) at f/1.2 range
-Heavy at 1kg. It may cause damage to itself and things around it.
-Lacks grip when detached
-Plastic shell
-Plastic focus distance window
-Expensive poor-quality bendy plastic lens hood
-Rear lens element is way too close to the bottom
-AF/MF switch is stupid
-No minimum distance limiter switch
-Front element doesn't look weather sealed
-Though the rear of the lens is sealed, the lack of o-ring in the rear means the sensor will not be weather sealed, despite its price.
-Electrically powered focus ring doesn't work when the camera is "off," so one needs to turn it back on to retract the front focus element.
-Protruding front element when focusing; it’s not internally focusing.
-Slowish auto-focusing speed
-Finite focus distances (steps)
-In non-live view, user cannot manual focus while in auto-focus mode
-Takes 6 twists to get from minimum focus to infinite
-Finite digital increments with focusing ring
-Hard to access polarizer with hood on
-The hood is mounted on the focus ring; bumping the hood may change focus
-The hood is designed for 80mm, which doesn’t completely protect against flaring
-Most of the skin is out of focus at large apertures, hindering high-end retouching
[[Bare-bulb wielress strobe CL 360]]
[Pro]
-Bare bulb fills an umbrella evenly.
-Nice belt clip on the battery. It looks nice on the belt. It's light, and lighter than the head. The capacity indicator is an appealing design.
-Compact enough to fit the flash head + cable with my grape-fruit lens and 5DII in a Nova 180 AW Lowpro bag
-Side threads
-Non-hotshoe bottom
-Small battery-less receiver
-Love hearing that capacitor charge during power-up
-Durable, thick cables
-I like the dial, much like Canon's prosumer goods
-The top halve tilts below the 90°, though it does not make contact with the bottom except at its joint. Taping 0.5cm objects between the gap can redirect the weight evenly.
-I like how it looks like a Pocket-Wizard ii. With a nice large hotshoe locking ring, the Cells II doesn't have the PW logo, but it's good enough for me.
-Has HSS
-Simple operation. In HSS, light control is intuitive, even for a newby like myself. Already at the minimum power of 1/8, I stacked paper on bulb to balance the light on the model with the light in the leaf background (with the BG a few stops darker). Then I use the shutter speed (between 1/800 and 1/3000) to properly expose, just like without flash.
-Fast email communication/support
-Powerful, though I haven't drawn upon the unit's full potential yet
-Strobes' reviews cover many positives. My points are the impressions fortified after use.
[Con]
-The fat CL-360 loses the slick curves of its CL-180 form.
-There is only one expensive international shipping option, though it arrived in 5 work days. Surprisingly, the gear I ordered at the same time from eBay/Asia arrived with Cheetah's stuff at the same time.
-In HSS, 1/8 power takes equally long to charge as 1/1 (two seconds which cripples my speed)
-HSS can't set below 1/8 power. The CL-360 is too powerful for me atm. I had to use 5 layers of paper as a ND filter. The paper is an insulator, and is unhealthy for the bulb. If it isn't a plain paper, the ink will liquify at 1/1 power, on top of a depressing burning smell.
-The protruding dialing wheel and the dials on the transmitters/receiver are vulnerable to bumps.
-The USB receiver is vulnerable.
-The test button on the Cells II is large and shallow, resulting in a lot of misfires when dismounting from the hotshoe.
-The hotshoe mounting-plate screws need an exactly matching screw driver. I was lucky my old man had an appropriate Philip set on the night before the shoot.
-The locking mechanism on the batt is plastic-ish, and may eventually wear down.
-As a flashaholic, the 2x red 5mm LED's err me. A red (or even a warm-white) Cree XP-E driven at 4W with low-high levels would be a proud addition.
-The Cells II test button is too large and shallow; there were at least 5 accidental triggers during my last shoot. Like many said, I hope power-remote + HSS get combined in the next transmitter design.
-A bit expensive at around 1 grand, though the halved weight compared to a Alien Bees/VML setup is the correct choice for me, as I plan to secure a second unit and have to carry everything during transit.
-The bulb slot is black. A white surface would reclaim light, and resist heat build-up.
-The battery pack feels a little hollow, meaning it can be made smaller or can be filled with more lithium + components.
[Note]
-On the CL site, the initial stated shipping cost was $130 to Canada, but the actual cost was only $67 after placing the order. The price does not include pre-paid taxes and duties.
-Addicted to torches through flashlight photography, and bought a few Li-on cells, the chemistry has its risks, namingly fire and its toxic smoke. Even 2 tiny CR123's after exploding have enough hazardous gaseous material to hospitalize someone with lung and kidney damage, subsequent to breathing that stuff in for 30 minutes. I can't tell if the Cheetah lithium uses 4x 18650's or a single RC battery pack, but 11V 4500mah is good energy density; in either case, the increased size (by comparison to a 6P torch) improves the capacity, current draw, and safety.
[Setup]
-Swivel mount hadn't arrived. With its side screw centering it to the umbrella, the CL-360 directly mounted the lightstand at 90°.
-43" silver umbrella with built in diffuser. I stuffed 3 sheets of white paper behind the ribs to diffuse the light more. It still collapsed well. The shaft was really in the model's face. The detachable rod of a Softlighter II is in my next purchase list. The light source size from the 43" was effectively less than of a 42" diffuser + sunlight— maybe it was the rod that distanced the umbrella. The 43" produced a pretty creamy light, though I was unknowingly overexposing during the shoot. A 42" white reflector was inadequate to balance the light. I'll try the silver next, hoping a mirroring of soft light is still soft light.
-The umbrella was mounted via one reusable ziptie.
-The umbrella light was much more solid without looking like it's coming from a bare-bulb. Sometimes sunlight through a diffuser makes the skin too translucent to be acceptable.
-A 60" Softligher will better use the flash's abundant power.
[[Manfrotto Carbon Fiber Tripod 055CXPRO3]]
[Pro]
-$240 (sale reduction from $400)
-Tall enough
-I can carry and travel with it over one shoulder with the center column and one of the sections extended.
-Well built and well design with few flaws
-The prestige of owning a pound of carbon fiber
[Con]
-Still twice as heavy (~2kg) and as big as my old Silk AL tripod
-The bottom plate is so large that it blocks the old Silk head’s handle at 70°.
-Bigger and clumsier
==========================================================================
=== [10.00] Image spec =======================================
==========================================================================
[[SPEC]]
[[Technical]]
[Bokeh]
[Sharpness]
[Resolution]
[Wide angle dramaticism]
[Wide angle rich content]
[Composition]
[Pattern]
[Association]
[Photographer] — admirability
[Photographer’s distribution policy] — the generosity and the absence of cynical notions
[Photographer/subject relation]
[Lighting]
[Location]
[Atmospheric]
[Full frame spec (sensor size)]
[Isolation] or/and [Club?]
[[Non-technical]]
[Magic] — the impossibility
[Purpose]
[Intent] — with intended message (ex: human-right posters),
[Pre-planning effort]
[Spontaneous realism]
[Expense] — the apparent cost spent in the making adds to the value of the image
[Allusion] — an indirect reference meant to subtly add meaning and connect with a specific set of the audience
[Creativity/Wit]
[Sacrifice]
[Apparent effort]
[Heavily processed] or/and [untouched original]
[Dramatic illusion] —
[Uniqueness]
[Story]
[Life style]
[Detail] — the number of details, the apparent effort spent on detail
[[Person]]
[Solo]
[Real person]
[Hair]
[Hair styling]
[Makeup]
[Wardrobe]
[Skin]
[Youth]
[Eye]
[Visage composition]
[Profile/back-story]
[Emote]
[Dual] [Team]
[Subject/shooter relationship]
[Team competence]
[[Post Process]]
[Flawlessness] or/and [Raw]
[Dodge & burn]
[Color grading]
[Dust & scratch]
[Photoshop impossibility]
[Graphic]
[[Display]]
[Portfolio quality density]
[Portfolio style]
[Harmony with adjacent pictures]
[Viewer’s condition]
[Viewer’s values]
[Monitor/print display]
[[Photographer’s skillset]]
Having listed some of the components of photos, here is a list of photographers’ skillsets.
-Effective selection of gear, budgeting
-Pre-planning, imagination, creativity, intelligence, color theory (during pre-planning)
-Inconspicuousness, knowledge of local laws that affect photography
-Connectivity with other collaborators (if not soloing)
-Set design, makeup/hair/wardrobe knowledge/design, scouting, acquiring location access
-Endurance, strength
-Adaptability, having master of photographer’s eyes, composition
-Bravery and audacity (within reasonable limits), speed
-Humor (for goofy shoots), fashion sense
-Technical handling of settings without being distracted
-Posing, emoting
-Light setup, color theory (on location)
-Panorama’ing, filter usage
-Diplomacy with collaborators and third party interferences, manners, dress code
-Flight and fight abilities if things turn bad
-Retouching skill. Including problem solving in post.
-Creative retouching skill, photo manipulation, poetry & rhetoric when incorporating text
-Color grading, enhancements, replacing background, adding in other pieces of photos,
-Efficient post-process workflow, efficient backup process, time management,
-Artistic drawing, 3D rendering,
-Creating texture/still-life/background library for self,
==========================================================================
=== [11.00] Road map / Journal ===================================
==========================================================================
[2004— Point and shoot, a humble beginning]:
-Panasonic DMC-FX7, with no manual control
[2008— DSLR Rebel 400D + 100mm f/2.8 + Kit lens]:
-Not aware of CanonRumors.com at the time, I bought a 400D Canon rebel a few weeks before the release of the next model: 450D.
-After I bought it, the lack of LCD live-view that I enjoy so much with my P&S was very disappointing and limiting. The buttons are on both sides, and I can’t operate it with a single hand.
-The salesman pressing the kit lens was uncalled for.
[2010— 50mm f/1.2 Ai-s manual Nikkor]:
-(Other consideration 1): 50mm f/1.4 Canon. It suffered quite a number of problems like non-true USM focus mechanic, and weak open aperture spec. I waited and waited for Canon to release an improved 50mm f/1.4 II, but even now—4 years from then— it is in vain.
-(Other consideration 2): 50mm f/1.4 Sigma.
-(Other consideration 3): 50mm f/1.2L Canon
[2010— Full Frame Camera]: Canon 5D Mark II
-1 month turnaround time
[2010— Full Spectrum Sensor Mod]: Sent the 5DII to Lifepixel.com
-$650 (it’s $150 cheaper now)
-~$100 per filter: 720nm, 930nm, IR/UV block at B&H
-1 month turnaround time
[2011— Portrait in Direct Sunlight]:
-First shoot (TF)
-The 1st model took chances with spouting, unknown photographers, so I think I owe her one. She brought a 2nd models, who had P&S snapshots on Facebook better than ones from my FF camera. It showed having a life is superior to having good gear.
-Got owned by direct sunlight. The acceptable shots are taken in the shade.
[2011— Portrait Under Shade]:
-Did 5 shoots under the shade of plants
-Infrared does poorly in the shade. I was unable to salvage the flat contrast in post-process.
-On the 4th shoot, I felt dreadful for IR’s prospect.
-The tight-pressing leaves and branches do contribute to better panoramas.
[2011— Portrait with Diffusor + Reflector + Sun]:
[2012— Portrait Panorama on a Cloudy Day]:
[2013— Strobe]: Bought a Cheetah CL 360 set
[2013 Sept— 60” Umbrellas with Diffusor]: 1 white + 1 silver
[2013 Sept— Beauty Dish]: Bought a standard white 28” beauty dish with 50° grid.
-(My hope was): the precision of a hard reflector will produce a more perfect light source.
-(Price): Affordable at $120 with the $60 grid. It was 20% cheaper on American Amazon, but there was $150 for the BD plus umbrellas. I bought directly from Fotodiox, whose base price was more but cheaper shipping at $70 via UPS. Shipping was 7 working days, and the grid arrived with indentations.
-(Other consideration 1): A larger 33” beauty umbrella, with larger, harder fiberglass ribs that curved the rim forward more than a usual umbrella.
-( Other consideration 2): Mola Setti. It was a 28” beauty dish, which I considered to the professional standard. It was twice as deep with the wavy curvies, catching more light and reflecting it forward. Apparent in her behind-the-scene videos, Emily Soto used it a lot, and I was sure it swayed a number of togs to get this dish. Needing the dish high up while balanced on uneven ground, she often had an assistant handholding the beast and subbing in as sandbags, and in my option that diluted the credit. The large dish with an Alien Bee strobe head was pretty heavy I was sure. For me, the 2x volume meant I can’t bring it on a bus and expect to sit between two passengers. And for the price ($600 + $200), I overrode my philosophy of “best gear now > upgrade cost.”
-Brought to a mult-tog shoot, the BD needs to be very close to the subject at 1-2 feet. I couldn’t approach with 3 others around me who shot half length. When relocating, I collapsed the height of the stand with the legs still open, with the dish and strobe head on one end, and the battery, legs and water bottle on the other. I was able to walk naturally and at normal speed. I mirrored standard BD formation— the reflector pointing down at ~45° with the camera directly below it. The resulting photos looked like on-camera flash though I was convinced I was better off. That meant the obvious presence of a photographer with an on-camera flash shredded the dreamy look, as it needed to have an unidentifiable light origin. There was an inkling of a magazine look for a very few number of the shots. Unfortunately, I shot at f/1.2 instead of f/8, out-of-focusing 95% of the skin preventing me from applying the high-retouched look to them.
-Test shoot with grid pends till tomorrow.
[2013 Oct— revisit technique]: multi-object— hair and scarf
-The lack of scrim—using a flash instead— allowed the object to locate itself far from the center without contacting direct sunlight
-Though no lvl 2.5 quality (probably because they were not panos), there is huge potential
-Link?
[2013 Dec— first 2-flash shoot]:
-Light is a little flat, but not as flat as on a modifier-less cloudy day
-Multi-object pano of a wool scarf showed potential. Spec was greater than of the last shoot.
-Link?
[2014 Jan— 2-flash + multi-object + pano]:
-I can see where technique stacking peaked.
-2-flash rendered rather flat contrast; I didn’t have time to mess about during the shoot, and different modifiers may be needed.
-Multi-object: hair was specially of note.
-Still PSing atm
-With 20 images in one PS file, the operating-system still lagged even 8 bit-depth and 12gb of RAM.
-Stacking objects in panos took a bit of time; therefore, fewer but less boring, better quality shots resulted.
- Tossed hair and scarf with their open-end cut off by the frame were more-or-less useless. Ones with the ends attached to the person cropped were useable, though both ends braced by the frame with some room to spare would be easiler to work with. This was to say the camera needed some back off.
-For pure levitation, it was probably to take a subjectless shot first or after the various jumps.
-Pre-planning and preparation may better serve a more complex image, instead of just winging during the shoot. This was not necessary during the first few experimentations.
[2014 Feb— 720nm infrared color debugged]:
-For 3 years, I was unable to get the clear white look I see in infrared landscapes, but I finally solved it during this shoot. Before exporting the file to PS for channel-swapping, I changed the Camera Calibration setting in lightroo
- JoinedApril 2007
- Occupation"He who goes unpunished never learns." ——Cruel Tutor
- Current cityVancouver BC
- CountryCanada
- Emaildemongix@hotmail.com
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