**Photography Talk**

[farmerjon]

kinda random...

This is sort of random, but I'm in the process of getting a Facebook page up for my landscape photography, and I realized I needed a different version of my logo for watermarking...

So I messed around and applied it to one of my all time favorite 4Runner shots... Feedback appreciated!

 

[Hepar]

My only suggestions would be to make it smaller and make it slightly opaque. You want your watermark to be there, but you also don't want it to be a focal point. That's what your photos are for!

 

[farmerjon]

My only suggestions would be to make it smaller and make it slightly opaque. You want your watermark to be there, but you also don't want it to be a focal point. That's what your photos are for!

I should have mentioned that for other photos, I'm making the watermark smaller and in a less obtrusive location in the photo, like in the bottom corner or such. (see attached photo - though I'll probably make the watermark smaller yet in future stuff) I made this one larger, because it combines two of my favorite things in this photo (the outdoors/photography & my T4R)... The opaque idea I'll have to play with some, and see what it looks like...

Thanks for the suggestions Hepar!

 

[Hepar]

Oh and also have a light (with your style of mark, go white) version of your watermark for the potential dark photo where a dark watermark would be more invisible.

 

[rickashay]

A shot from the last weekend, on the lake:


Nothing beats a nice winter day on Kootenay Lake. by RickaShay24, on Flickr

 

[Outlander257]

It is a combination of proper settings of the camera and software. I use DXO Optics and Lightroom 4 It helps to take interesting pictures from interesting angles as well. A sharp boring picture is still boring If you are trying to figure out the mechanics of photography I recommend this book

What does DXO Optics do that Lightroom 4 doesn't and vice versa?

 

[Loud Al]

DXO will adjust your pics according to an algorithm they have developed by testing the lens/camera combo that took the picture, the results have to be seen to be believed. You can also do the same stuff that lightroom can, crop, adjust levels, and so on. You can download it and try it for a month, you can do the same with lightroom.

I use lightroom to catalog and do spot touch ups, if a photo needs major work I will run it into Photoshop or I will go to Photomatix for HDR, there is a ton of software out there for photo processing and most of it you can take for a test drive.

You may want to head over to Kelby training and sign up for a month of training they have a ton of videos on the adobe products.

 

[LTDSC]

Heres a few of my favorites, i used to really enjoy it but i lost interest somewhat fast. Probably because i tried to do too much. I have been getting back into it lately.

 

[LTDSC]

another one i ran across

 

[farmerjon]

Something in color...

 

[Loud Al]

I really like this one

 

[LTDSC]

I really like this one

thanks, i love that barn. Its in the town my grandma lives in. In the summer it overlooks the lake.

 

[Loud Al]

What does DXO Optics do that Lightroom 4 doesn't and vice versa?

Here is the same image processed in Lightroom and in DXO

Lightroom

DXO

DXO does a better job of correcting the distortion of the lens and I was able to pull more shadow detail out. I'm pretty impressed with DXO, I think I will be running all my photos through it first from now on and then only into Lightroom if I need to make localized adjustments.

 

[Hepar]

Those results look pretty good! Here are a few articles on DXO vs Lightroom. Read from them as you want.

Corros' Photo Blog: Adobe Lightroom 4 vs. DXO Optics Pro 7

DXO Optics Pro and Lightroom Comparison

A few pictures playing around with my macro lens.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jkusuiphotography/8433584350/" title="DSC_9838 by Hepar1977, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8509/8433584350_932b9b2aab_b.jpg" width="1024" height="681" alt="DSC_9838"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jkusuiphotography/8433579030/" title="DSC_9821 by Hepar1977, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8465/8433579030_41573f899d_b.jpg" width="1024" height="681" alt="DSC_9821"></a>

 

[GentryGoon]

A few pictures playing around with my macro lens.

These are insane, man. :jaw drop:

 

[DannyLlama]

These are insane, man. :jaw drop:

agreed, what is that a window?

 

[Hepar]

agreed, what is that a window?

It was shooting straight down through a glass table. I take zero credit for the idea. A friend of mine told me about it and I just wanted to see how it would turn out on my own.

 

[GentryGoon]

It was shooting straight down through a glass table. I take zero credit for the idea. A friend of mine told me about it and I just wanted to see how it would turn out on my own.

What kind of lens did you use?

 

[rickashay]

A few pictures playing around with my macro lens.

Like I mentioned on flickr.... SO COOL!!!

 

[Hepar]

What kind of lens did you use?

It was a Nikkor 105mm 2.8 macro lens.

I actually want to do a shoot like that again. At the time, only one of my standing lights were working, so I feel like the results would be better if I had more light.