Tips on taking better photos

[Worn Down Soul]

Old school dark room gear. Like I said, the chemistry meets art part has always captured my heart.

My understanding, is that the most expensive piece of equipment it for actually setting the pictures in place? That the chemicals themselves are not the primary cost.

So I mean, it seems like its sort of a vestigial art to most, with a few dedicated devotees. So is it like records where now new records and record players are being made, or is it more like... I have a thing for Civilization 4. It is one of the only computer games, that I can still let myself play. Because it is self contained. Its not like a RPG, where it keeps going and going. Plus Leonard Nimoy reads you famous quotes and it has some of the best gameplay of the franchise. So win-win-win But.... as time goes by, finding working, hard copies has gotten a lot harder. I mean, I've gotten 3x different copies, that didn't work in one way or another. So it seems like mint hard copies are increasingly mint, due to not working.

So being that this is a device, with working parts. How hard are those parts to source and the devices to diagnose and repair? I'm not asking for a shopping list. I'm more asking: is it even realistic, and as a generality, with a willingness to get creative, what would it cost to set one (an actual darkroom) up? Can you even still get film? I have a decent (I hope) camera somewhere, my mom gave me with lenses and the rest. I'm pretty sure anyways. Lots of moving under duress, but soon, that will be over, hence wondering "darkroom....?" Its a goal not a destination. I'm just trying to gauge viability.

 

[longball]

Sorry, WDS. I have no idea. I left that world in 1982 and didn't own a camera for the next 25 years! Slowly getting back into photography this century! Slowly. Digitally.

 

[longball]

Smokin’ some rocks...

Unfortunately, photo editing software can not fix out of focus pictures. Not even slightly out of focus pictures like this one. It can make it a slightly better looking out of focus picture but it would be best to start over.

Longball

 

[longball]

So being that this is a device, with working parts. How hard are those parts to source and the devices to diagnose and repair? I'm not asking for a shopping list. I'm more asking: is it even realistic, and as a generality, with a willingness to get creative, what would it cost to set one (an actual darkroom) up? Can you even still get film? I have a decent (I hope) camera somewhere, my mom gave me with lenses and the rest. I'm pretty sure anyways. Lots of moving under duress, but soon, that will be over, hence wondering "darkroom....?" Its a goal not a destination. I'm just trying to gauge viability.

Everything you could possibly need to take and develop 35mm film is readily available on Amazon. In stock. Now. Search for '35mm developing kit' will get you everything you need except for camera. I will guess that for about $400USD you could get everything that you could possibly need to take and develop your own picture.

I can say with absolute certainty that you get what you pay for. When you buy the absolutely cheapest shit that you can buy on Amazon, umm, yeah, you'll be able to take and develop your own pictures. If you still have the camera your mom gave you than you can be up and running for about $250USD and be fairly pleased with the results with a bit of practice.

Longball

 

[Paky One]

Unfortunately, photo editing software can not fix out of focus pictures. Not even slightly out of focus pictures like this one. It can make it a slightly better looking out of focus picture but it would be best to start over.

Longball

No editing software used for this pic...
Just a shot taken info the dark with a flash.
You should try.
And yeah I know, it is a bit out of focus...so what?
I m not a photographer just a grower.
Peace.

 

[longball]

I m not a photographer

I can see that.

Peace and Love.

 

[Paky One]

I can see that.

Peace and Love.

I must have hit a nerve...
I apologize.
Carry on as if I weren’t there.

 

[longball]

haha here I was thinking that you were thin skinned and overly sensitive. And I was right!
When you post a picture in a photographic thread then expect comments on why it is or is not a good picture. People are trying to learn about post-processing. They don't know that out of focus pictures can't be fixed. Now they know. It was not personal. But you took it that way and won't let it drop. Should of posted in Bud of the Day thread.

"I must have hit a nerve...
I apologize.
Carry on as if I weren’t there."

So passive-aggressive.



Longball

 

[Worn Down Soul]

I must have hit a nerve...
I apologize.
Carry on as if I weren’t there.

In fairness the thread is about photography.

Your bud looks killer though. I think Longball would have responded better to something along the lines of "how could I then improve this?" (Longball, please don't hit me for speaking on your behalf)

Should of posted in Bud of the Day thread.

You certainly couldn't do worse than my shitty pictures.

 

[Paky One]

haha here I was thinking that you were thin skinned and overly sensitive. And I was right!
When you post a picture in a photographic thread then expect comments on why it is or is not a good picture. People are trying to learn about post-processing. They don't know that out of focus pictures can't be fixed. Now they know. It was not personal. But you took it that way and won't let it drop. Should of posted in Bud of the Day thread.

"I must have hit a nerve...
I apologize.
Carry on as if I weren’t there."

So passive-aggressive.

View attachment 87110

Longball

Has MrNice platform become such a rigorist place?
Photo extremists have taken control...lol
Have a good time.

 

[Worn Down Soul]

Photo extremists have taken control...lol

Only in the photography thread.

Have a good time.

You too. That bud did look like some straight fire.

 

[Paky One]

Only in the photography thread.



You too. That bud did look like some straight fire.

P&K The Rocks aka MNS The Stones...
Peace.

 

[Worn Down Soul]

Nice! Have you had Master Kaze too? I'm trying to get a fix on the relative differences. That one is high up on the list. When you are from the A Town. "Rocks" bring something a little different to mind... lol...

 

[Paky One]

Nice! Have you had Master Kaze too? I'm trying to get a fix on the relative differences. That one is high up on the list. When you are from the A Town. "Rocks" bring something a little different to mind... lol...

I’ve been hooked on rocks for a few years...
Give me 1 or 2 more years and I might be able to give you some intel.
That said considering its lineage it should be dope...

 

[Worn Down Soul]

That said considering its lineage it should be dope...

The betting odds are good.

 

[lozac123]

I asked my photography teacher the same question. He started laughing and said that would take him too long! His main game is practice, practice, practice. For close up of plants, buds, people,etc, a shallower depth of field and nice background bokeh makes things pop.

View attachment 90240

@longball gonna bring the thread back here. So I finally have getting things into focus, but the shallower depth of field is something I havent played around with much, that's what gives the blurry background right? Gonna have to bring out some crystals now

 

[Mr. Brown]

I got some pretty good tips from the following site

How to do black background photography - Adobe

Capture mood and emotion in your next photoshoot by learning how to do black background photography or how to use a black background in photo editing.

www.adobe.com

I got lucky with this shot on my first try

But like @longball photography teacher said it's all about practice

MB

 

[Skuncle Lenny]

@longball gonna bring the thread back here. So I finally have getting things into focus, but the shallower depth of field is something I havent played around with much, that's what gives the blurry background right? Gonna have to bring out some crystals now

Portrait mode, if you have it.

 

[longball]

@longball gonna bring the thread back here. So I finally have getting things into focus, but the shallower depth of field is something I havent played around with much, that's what gives the blurry background right? Gonna have to bring out some crystals now

Hi lozac123!

It would be great to have a thread where newbies to DSLR photography could get accurate information on getting up and running and to learn some of the more common and easy tricks all photographers know and use. Perhaps at some point get all the info in a orderly way to easily search for what you would like to know. @acrid posted up an informative post for taking pics under HPS. Very handy for those who use HPS as it distorts colors in photos.

While I suppose it would make more sense to answer your questions in your original post, and I will, today I'll quickly touch upon the post I replied to. It will be easier to learn if we just cover one thing at a time. We had been discussing bokeh and how a shallow depth of field(wide aperture) is one of the things used to achieve nice bokeh. Your question above refers to a blurry background. We had been talking about bokeh. Let's just stick to one thing at a time as bokeh and blurred background are two different things. In a blurred background everything is equally blurred and you have no idea what the background really is. With bokeh things in the background a different distance from the lens will have a different and softer out-of-focusness. For example, you take a picture of a family member in the yard, They are in focus. 20 feet behind them a rosebush slightly out of focus, at a different distance is a apple tree, and the end of the yard a children's playset. All of out focus to different degrees makes a nice pleasing bokeh.

In this picture, Laura and Johnny are in focus. Behind them the bike is slightly out of focus, As you go back, things are recognizable but getting more out of focus. Eventually things are unrecognizable. Nice bokeh. Mode: Shutter Priority, Aperture - f/2.5, Lens(focal length) - 'nifty-fifty'.




In this picture we are getting close to the fine line between bokeh and a blurred background. We can see grass at different distances so we can consider it bokeh. Mode: Manual, Aperture - f/2.8, focal length - 105mm.




This picture is simply a blurred background. We have no idea what it is or how far away it is. Helps the subject matter to pop though! I did call it bokeh in a thread recently but have since learned - nope. Recently completed a 16 week DSLR Photography Course. Stay in contact with teacher and we have some outings planned. Sent him this picture. He basically said - "Love the picture. Not bokeh, blurred background!". Dammit! Mode: Aperture, Aperture - f/4.5, focal length 105mm.



https://thelenslounge.com/background-blur-bokeh-difference/

If you read enough articles and talk to enough people you will notice they will all say something a little different about bokeh and blur, just like I did. They may all be right for all I know. Learn all you can, practice as much as you can, over time you will develop your own style that pleases you very much.

Longball

 

[longball]

Old school dark room gear. Like I said, the chemistry meets art part has always captured my heart.

My understanding, is that the most expensive piece of equipment it for actually setting the pictures in place? That the chemicals themselves are not the primary cost.

So I mean, it seems like its sort of a vestigial art to most, with a few dedicated devotees. So is it like records where now new records and record players are being made, or is it more like... I have a thing for Civilization 4. It is one of the only computer games, that I can still let myself play. Because it is self contained. Its not like a RPG, where it keeps going and going. Plus Leonard Nimoy reads you famous quotes and it has some of the best gameplay of the franchise. So win-win-win But.... as time goes by, finding working, hard copies has gotten a lot harder. I mean, I've gotten 3x different copies, that didn't work in one way or another. So it seems like mint hard copies are increasingly mint, due to not working.

So being that this is a device, with working parts. How hard are those parts to source and the devices to diagnose and repair? I'm not asking for a shopping list. I'm more asking: is it even realistic, and as a generality, with a willingness to get creative, what would it cost to set one (an actual darkroom) up? Can you even still get film? I have a decent (I hope) camera somewhere, my mom gave me with lenses and the rest. I'm pretty sure anyways. Lots of moving under duress, but soon, that will be over, hence wondering "darkroom....?" Its a goal not a destination. I'm just trying to gauge viability.

Sorry, WDS. I have no idea. I left that world in 1982 and didn't own a camera for the next 25 years! Slowly getting back into photography this century! Slowly. Digitally.

A little update for you, WDS. Pentax NEVER EVER stopped making SLR 35mm film cameras. They are expected to release a new model right about now. Film is available 'most everywhere'. The is no shortage of any type of film equipment. In a pinch you can drop off your film to get developed at any Walmart. They actually send it out to get developed. But hey, everyone lives near a Wallyworld. Choice of pictures, Cd's, or both. Start with B&H Photo or Amazon. They have every possible piece of film and darkroom equipment you ever imagine existed. And for a phenominal fee, it could all be yours. That's all I got for you, kid! Happy Hunting!

The Pentax Film Camera Project: What We Know So Far

The first time I started to take the Pentax Film Project seriously was August 2023 after a call with Ricoh's marketing team. As we now build towards the expected launch of a brand new Pentax film camera (!) let's summarise what we know so far - and what it means for the global film community.

analoguewonderland.co.uk