Question on the weekly photo challenge

[TxCowboy]

Quick question about the photo challenge, are these photos supposed to be taken during the week of the challenge? Or am I wrong in assuming that and any photo we've ever taken will work? Just curious before I go out and try to chase down a sunset this week.lol

 

[ToddP]

I would think.... maybe I shouldn't think.

 

[karstic]

Cowboy

Post what you got. Who's gonna know the difference,

 

[Eric Mayer]

We could hope for something taken that particular week, but since there are not many of us and we all don't really have the time to get out and shoot (photo) everyday, I say use what you've got. This is something to have fun with and maybe learn a bit from other people's perspectives, so run with whatever you want.

Thanks,

Eric A. Mayer

 

[TxCowboy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

Post what you got. Who's gonna know the difference[/b]

I just wanted to be honest and make sure I understood the rules. If the name of the game was "go take a picture of X this week" then I wanted to do that. If the rules are "post a picture of X, that you took at some point", then I can dig around in my files and see what I can come up with.

Eric, thanks for the info! Not trying to cause an issue, just trying to figure out what I needed to do. Thanks again!

 

[spectr17]

How about some tips for us newbies who are venturing out on our first time on how to take a good sunset or sunrise pic?

Also, how does everyone feel about critiquing our pics in the essays? I'm a newbie myself and since we have some talented people here like Eric, AnnieAK, Wildbird, Canuck2 etc. I would think it would help me by having them and anyone else point out the good and bad in the pics.

The only downside is some people may take it the wrong way.

Todd,

fire away, don't let our debate in the mod forum hold you back here.

 

[Jim Thompson]

As long as the critique stays constructive, I enjoy it. Anyone who spends time at some of the photo sites can tell you that some folks take it the wrong way and some dish it out the wrong way.

I am all for good tips.

Jim

 

[Jim Thompson]

Oh yeah, tips for sunrises.

First is always be ready, cannot count how many times I have seen a good rise get started and have to stand on the gas to get to a good spot only to remember I did not have my tripod with me

If at all possible, always have a tripod or mono pod ready and know how to use it. This is a life saver for me to get quality shots especially when I use any zoom to get tight on something.

Take a lot of shots of each rise, as we all know not all photos will be worth keeping.

Find and learn a great location in your area that is close to home. This way you can be there in a matter of minutes and get set up w/o having to decide where to stand how high the tripod needs to be, etc.

I am not a technical buff on cameras or settings, I use what has worked for me and when I have time I will play with my cams setting a bit. I keep my cam on SHQ or TIFF and 100 ISO 99.9% of the time. Normally will let the cam decide what else is needed. Although I will change my white balance to a cloudy setting a lot. Seem to get more quality and less throw aways that way.

Here is my favorite spot to take sunrises (actually second favorite, treestand is first)...Lake Allatoona in Acworth GA about 10 minutes from the house.

The first was taken in dead of winter and the second in dead of summer. So I can cover all sunrises right here.

Ya'll remember I am a serious amateur and have no idea what I am doing!!

Jim

 

[leod]

I am for sure a "newby" in taking pics...It took me a year to move off "auto" on my camera.

As far as my attempts go..... critque away...I want to learn...and even I usually know if the person offering me advice knows what they are talking about.

In the last year I have taken..IMO.. some great shots, and all of the credit goes to my camera and being in the right place at the right time

Thats one reason I'm here on this forum, to learn :JHP rocks:

The only advice I am qualified to give at this point, is "face west for sunsets, and east for sunrises":roll-wink-green:

thanks all

leo

 

[Jim Thompson]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

The only advice I am qualified to give at this point, is "face west for sunsets, and east for sunrises"[/b]

I knew I was doing something wrong Leo!!!

Jim

 

[wildebeast]

I look forward to any help I can get to make my photos better, although I don't own a tripod or have a zoom camera with a little help maybe those will come along.

I do like my three D-380's though.

Game camera thing.

cliff

 

[WildBird]

Some things I have found helpful for good sunrise and sunset pics are - A tripod. A light weight model will work just fine for a small camera. Walmart has one I just saw for $18.88 and I would buy it if I didn't already have one. Keep the horizon line below or above the center for composition. Use a remote release for the exposure if your camera has one; if not, use the "self timer" feature. This combined with the tripod will give you very sharp pics. Try using a polarizer filter for effect. It will require longer exposures but can give some nice effects. Also, with a digital camera you can view the pics right away. Do it. I play around with changing the exposures until I get one that looks good, then I keep those settings and take more pics as the light changes, adjusting by changing shutter speed to compensate for more or less light. I like to use Aperature priority and then change shutter speeds. If you use software to edit your pics they can be underexposed quite a bit and still be made to look good, while if overexposed the bright areas will be burned out and beyond repair. Now I need to follow my own advice.