Lifestyle Any photographers here?

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MMAPlaywright

First 100
First 100
Jan 18, 2015
6,030
10,714
Camera is a Sony a6000 with a 16-50mm kit lens. I also have two Sigma lenses, a 16mm and 30mm, both f1.4.

Technique is a lot to get into...There's an app you can buy from in-camera called "smooth reflections", which automatically takes 125 pictures of things like waterfalls, sandwiches them together in camera, and spits out a pic with that silky water look that you see in the waterfall pic. It's basically the same as using a filter with long exposure.

A lot of the night time ones posted here are long exposure shots. The wide f1.4 aperture on the Sigma lenses is excellent for low light stuff, like the cityscape pictures.

The macro pics of the insects were done with some cheap extension tubes that help magnify the lens.

90-95% of the editing is done in Adobe Lightroom, with a little Photoshop to get rid of undesirable crap. I take all pictures in RAW format, and the editing is what really makes things pop.

Any other questions, just ask. I've only been doing this since last summer so I'm no expert!
If I wanted to start as a beginner and focus on outdoor pictures, what would your advice be?
 

Enock-O-Lypse Now!

Underneath Denver International Airport
Jun 19, 2016
11,737
19,619
Camera is a Sony a6000 with a 16-50mm kit lens. I also have two Sigma lenses, a 16mm and 30mm, both f1.4.

Technique is a lot to get into...There's an app you can buy from in-camera called "smooth reflections", which automatically takes 125 pictures of things like waterfalls, sandwiches them together in camera, and spits out a pic with that silky water look that you see in the waterfall pic. It's basically the same as using a filter with long exposure.

A lot of the night time ones posted here are long exposure shots. The wide f1.4 aperture on the Sigma lenses is excellent for low light stuff, like the cityscape pictures.

The macro pics of the insects were done with some cheap extension tubes that help magnify the lens.

90-95% of the editing is done in Adobe Lightroom, with a little Photoshop to get rid of undesirable crap. I take all pictures in RAW format, and the editing is what really makes things pop.

Any other questions, just ask. I've only been doing this since last summer so I'm no expert!

Awesome post - always wondered how to create those awesome night shots! love it!
 

SickEye

"Sim sala bim bamba sala do saladim"
First 100
Jan 15, 2015
1,424
2,176
If I wanted to start as a beginner and focus on outdoor pictures, what would your advice be?
The Sony a6000 is the only camera I have any experience with, but it's an excellent, highly regarded camera that's great for beginners. The lens that comes with it is a great all around lens. That's mostly all I did last summer was outdoor stuff at state parks.

You can get the Adobe Lightroom/Photoshop package for I think $10 a month, but there's also a lot of free programs out there. Lightroom has a bit of a learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, it's second nature. YouTube videos can help get started on learning how the file system organization works. The rest is really just playing around with sliders and the few tools in there. Photoshop is a very steep learning curve, but things like removing objects from your pictures are pretty easy once you get the steps down.

I don't know how much you wanna spend, if anything. I found out quickly that it's an expensive hobby with a lot to learn. You can take great pictures with just a smart phone, you just can't do a lot of the deeper stuff like long exposure shots and you can't shoot in RAW format, which gives you MANY more options in editing because the camera takes in much more information.
 

Rambo John J

Eats things that would make a Billy Goat Puke
First 100
Jan 17, 2015
71,542
71,465
I like that one a lot.
That is a festival I go to every year
Summers here in oregon have great sunsets cause we always have some high clouds
Party starts when the sun goes down so this is right after I woke up from a nap and was getting ready have a fun night
I see a ton of great stuff but only take a few pictures a year...I hope to be motivated to take and share more thanks to stuff like this thread
 

Rambo John J

Eats things that would make a Billy Goat Puke
First 100
Jan 17, 2015
71,542
71,465
are we allowed to post pics we've taken with crappy phones? Or is this just a thread for REAL photographers?
great stuff
mine are all phone or iPad...even flip phone
an image is an image IMO
 

Enock-O-Lypse Now!

Underneath Denver International Airport
Jun 19, 2016
11,737
19,619
The Sony a6000 is the only camera I have any experience with, but it's an excellent, highly regarded camera that's great for beginners. The lens that comes with it is a great all around lens. That's mostly all I did last summer was outdoor stuff at state parks.

You can get the Adobe Lightroom/Photoshop package for I think $10 a month, but there's also a lot of free programs out there. Lightroom has a bit of a learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, it's second nature. YouTube videos can help get started on learning how the file system organization works. The rest is really just playing around with sliders and the few tools in there. Photoshop is a very steep learning curve, but things like removing objects from your pictures are pretty easy once you get the steps down.

I don't know how much you wanna spend, if anything. I found out quickly that it's an expensive hobby with a lot to learn. You can take great pictures with just a smart phone, you just can't do a lot of the deeper stuff like long exposure shots and you can't shoot in RAW format, which gives you MANY more options in editing because the camera takes in much more information.
Great info, I've always been torn on using Lightroom/Photoshop on pictures taken - I have that old school mentality of just enjoying the beauty that comes with the natural shot - yet Lightroom/Photoshop adds so much more ....so i have mixed feelings on that.

I'll have to look into the Sony a6000 - looking for a great beginner cam as well to take pics this summer at state parks as well!