Difference between revisions of "Photography"

From Eugene Eric Kim
(Fireworks links)
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See also [[Digital Images]] for more on processing and organizing images. See my [[/Learning Journal]] for goals and progress.
See also [[Digital Images]] for more on processing and organizing images. See my [[/Learning Journal]] for goals and progress. Also see:


== Techniques ==
* [[/Techniques]]
* [[Burdenslanding:San Francisco/Photography]].


When you take pictures, there are basically three things you control:
= My Equipment =


* Composition: What's in the frame
My primary camera is an [[Olympus OM-D E-M5]]. I also have a [[Canon PowerShot S95]].
* Focus: What you're focused on
* Lighting: How much light reaches your camera


Today's cameras do 90% of the focusing and lighting work for you, which means you can focus on composition.
I have a Manfrotto 293A3-A0RC2 tripod with a ball head and QR plate. More on [http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3095070 tripods here]. I also have a Joby GorillaPod.


Focusing on story.
I have a Yongnuo 560 III and RF-602 wireless trigger. I may want to get some [http://www.thephoblographer.com/2013/08/15/essentials-the-location-shooter/ gels].


10% of the time, your camera does the wrong thing. This is where the quality of your camera comes into play, specifically:
Digital cameras have [http://photo.stackexchange.com/questions/14563/why-is-there-a-limit-restriction-to-the-1080p-film-video-recording-time-duration limitations on video length].
 
* Quality of your camera's lens
* Quality of your camera's sensor
* Ability to control manual settings ''easily''
 
[http://photography.bastardsbook.com/lessons/big-picture-of-exposure/ "The Big Picture About Exposure"] from the ''The Bastards Book of Photography'' offers a great, simple explanation for how to control the amount of light your camera receives using manual settings. You start with your camera's exposure setting, which essentially manipulates:
 
* [http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/iso-settings/ ISO]
* [http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/aperture/ Aperture]
* [http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/shutter-speed/ Shutter speed]
 
You can also manipulate these four settings manually.
 
[http://kelbytraining.com/ Kelby Training] a possible source for online courses.
 
=== Composition ===
 
Focus:
 
* Focal length and aperture
* [http://www.petapixel.com/2013/02/16/dont-zoom-move-a-video-on-treating-your-zoom-as-a-series-of-prime-lenses/ Don’t Zoom, Move: Treating Your Zoom Lens as a Series of Primes]
 
[http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/telephoto-lenses.htm Using telephoto lenses]
 
[http://regex.info/blog/2011-07-19/1824 The Kind Of Shot That Ultra Thin Depth Of Field Was Made For]
 
=== Lighting ===
 
* [http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/introduction-to-white-balance/ Introduction to White Balance]. Use an [http://lifehacker.com/5659324/use-an-18-gray-card-for-better-color-balance-in-your-photos 18% gray card] for better color balance.
* [http://www.ayton.id.au/wiki/doku.php?id=photo:light_values Light values]
* [http://regex.info/blog/2006-06-28/208 Digital Camera “White Balance”]
* [http://regex.info/blog/2007-12-01/649 Making the Best of Bright Light in Fall-Color Photography]
* [http://regex.info/blog/2009-02-08/1137 Spot On: Camera Metering Basics]
 
Filters:
 
* [http://www.jamesharold.com/blog/2013/3/hoya-variable-density-and-the-om-d Hoya Variable Density ND and the OM-D]
* [http://www.flickr.com/groups/om-d_user/discuss/72157632065016198/ Live Time / Live Bulb Lessons Learned]
* [http://regex.info/blog/2011-11-07/1880 Heading Out To Photograph The Fall Foliage? Don’t Forget The Polarizer Filter]
* [http://regex.info/blog/2008-06-30/852 A Few Polarization-Filter Examples]
 
=== Aperture ===
 
A nice [http://forums.steves-digicams.com/990799-post2.html explanation] of apertures and focal lengths, and why you can't get good depth-of-field in point-and-shoot cameras (like mine).
 
In general, to [get shallow depth-of field], especially w/ point-and-shoot cameras:
 
* Lower F-stop numbers (larger apertures)
* Longer focal lengths (zoom in)
* Get closer to the subject
 
[http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html Online Depth of Field Calculator]
 
=== Fireworks ===
 
* http://www.mu-43.com/f42/fireworks-photography-hints-tips-needed-omd-e-m5-48771/
* http://www.flickr.com/groups/om-d_user/discuss/72157634447793078/
* http://www.flickr.com/groups/om-d_user/discuss/72157632065016198/
 
=== Dynamic Range ===
 
* [http://www.ayton.id.au/wiki/doku.php?id=photo:dynamic_range Dynamic range]
* [http://www.flickr.com/groups/l4/discuss/72157594241560739/ The Definitive Guide to Realistic High Dynamic Range Images]
* [http://www.flickr.com/groups/gimpusers/discuss/72057594090329325/ HDR in Gimp]
 
=== Panoramic ===
 
* [http://gigapan.org/ GigaPan]
* [http://digital-photography-school.com/8-guidelines-to-taking-panoramic-photos-with-any-camera 8 Guidelines to Taking Panoramic Photos with any Camera.]
 
== My Equipment ==
 
My primary camera is an [[Olympus OM-D E-M5]]. I also have a [[Canon PowerShot S95]].


Digital cameras have [http://photo.stackexchange.com/questions/14563/why-is-there-a-limit-restriction-to-the-1080p-film-video-recording-time-duration limitations on video length].
Film cameras:
* My Mom's old [[Olympus Pen D3]]
* My parents' old [[Canon EXEE]]
* My parents' old [[Nikon N2020]]


Old cameras:
Old cameras:


* [[Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3]]
* [[Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3]]
* [[Canon PowerShot SD450]].  
* [[Canon PowerShot SD450]].
= Manual Lenses =
 
I have a [[Canon FD 80-200mm f4L]]. I'm using a [https://fotodioxpro.com/collections/micro-four-thirds-adapters/products/fd-mft-p Fotodiox Pro Lens Mount Adapter] to get it working on my Olympus.


I have a Manfrotto 293A3-A0RC2 tripod with a ball head and QR plate. More on [http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3095070 tripods here]. I also have a Joby GorillaPod.
* [https://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/technique/camera_skills/using-classic-lenses-109609 Using Classic Lenses]. Tips and tricks on getting FD lenses working on my camera.
* [https://admiringlight.com/blog/using-old-manual-focus-lenses-on-mirrorless-cameras/3/ Using Manual Focus Lenses on Mirrorless Cameras.] Look out for Chromatic Aberration.
* [https://www.flickr.com/groups/24098559@N00/discuss/72157633847899170/ Pros and cons of the various Canon 200mm FD primes]. I think if I were to get one of these, I'd get the nFD 200mm f4 macro.
* [http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/canon/fdresources/fdlenses/extenders.htm Canon FD Extenders]. Looks like the 2x-B teleconverter is what I would need for my lens, which would also effectively make it an f8.


== Managing Photos ==
= Managing Photos =


Most of my public pictures are on [http://www.flickr.com/photos/eekim/ Flickr]. View analytics via [http://stats.vispillo.org/ flickrstats]. One day, I'll [http://faenwp.blogspot.com/2011/06/mass-uploading-your-flickr-photos-to.html upload some of these to Wikimedia Commons]. I'm intrigued by [[ThisLife]] and [[Everpix]].
Most of my public pictures are on [http://www.flickr.com/photos/eekim/ Flickr]. View analytics via [http://stats.vispillo.org/ flickrstats]. One day, I'll [http://faenwp.blogspot.com/2011/06/mass-uploading-your-flickr-photos-to.html upload some of these to Wikimedia Commons]. I'm intrigued by [[ThisLife]] and [[Everpix]].


I'm migrating over to [[Adobe Lightroom]] for editing and photo management.
I use [[Adobe Lightroom]] for editing and photo management. There have been some suggestions that Olympus Viewer will render the RAW files more effectively than Lightroom, and that you should process RAW in Olympus Viewer, generate 16-bit TIFFs, then import those into Lightroom for processing and management. I've compared the two, and I haven't seen any differences in the rendering. [http://www.flickr.com/groups/om-d_user/discuss/72157635102724632/ Others] have questioned this as well and have [http://www.mu-43.com/f42/om-d-raw-vs-jpeg-files-how-does-olympus-do-what-do-you-prefer-51023/ pointed out other tradeoffs].
 
== Old ==


I wrote some of my own tools for cataloging my digital prints, which are now heavily outdated.  They were inspired and based heavily on [http://impressive.net/people/gerald/ Gerald Oskoboiny]'s [http://impressive.net/software/photo/ digital photo publishing software].
I wrote some of my own tools for cataloging my digital prints, which are now heavily outdated.  They were inspired and based heavily on [http://impressive.net/people/gerald/ Gerald Oskoboiny]'s [http://impressive.net/software/photo/ digital photo publishing software].
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* [http://photofocus.com/2013/03/03/lazy-scanning-photoshops-crop-and-straighten-command/ Lazy Scanning — Photoshop’s Crop and Straighten Command]
* [http://photofocus.com/2013/03/03/lazy-scanning-photoshops-crop-and-straighten-command/ Lazy Scanning — Photoshop’s Crop and Straighten Command]


=== Notes ===
== Notes ==


Tags + types.  Tags can have types.  If I want to get really funky, types can have relationships -- an ontology!  For example, the "Eugene Eric Kim" tag could be of type "People."  This would allow me to do faceted classification.
Tags + types.  Tags can have types.  If I want to get really funky, types can have relationships -- an ontology!  For example, the "Eugene Eric Kim" tag could be of type "People."  This would allow me to do faceted classification.
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I'd love to integrate [http://duhblog.com/ Greg Elin]'s [http://www.fotonotes.net/ Fotonotes] for granular annotations.
I'd love to integrate [http://duhblog.com/ Greg Elin]'s [http://www.fotonotes.net/ Fotonotes] for granular annotations.


== Favorites from Eugene Chan ==
= Developing and Printing =
 
I use [[Dickerman Prints]] in SOMA. They're really great, but probably better for specialty printing.
 
I'm trying [https://www.nationsphotolab.com/ Nations Photo Lab] (a [http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-online-print-service/ Wirecutter recommendation]) for standard printing. You have to pay for ground shipping unless the order is over $50, so only makes sense for but bulk orders.
 
I've been using [https://www.photoworkssf.com/ Photoworks San Francisco] to develop and scan film.
 
For ancient film, I've been using [https://www.yelp.com/biz/photo-plus-1-hour-film-processing-san-francisco Photo Plus 1-hour film processing] on Nob Hill.
 
= Film =
 
* [http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/how-to-shoot-film.htm How to shoot film]
* [http://www.popphoto.com/gear/2013/07/12-films-worth-shooting-theyre-gone 12 films worth shooting with before they're gone]
 
I've experimented with Kodak TMax 400 (black and white), Kodak TriX (black and white), Fujifilm Pro 400H (color), and Kodak Portra 400 (color).
 
For color film, both Koda Portra and Fujifilm Pro 400H are slightly desaturated. Portra is slightly warmer than Pro 400H, but not exceedingly so. I probably prefer the warmth. However, Pro 400H seems to have better dynamic range and an interesting graininess. I'll test more, but right now, I prefer the Pro 400H.
 
Black and white:
 
* [http://www.guidetofilmphotography.com/black-and-white-film.html Black and white film types for film photography]
* [https://fstoppers.com/film/what-black-and-white-film-should-you-start-out-five-popular-stocks-compared-161670 What black and white film should you start out with? Five popular stocks compared]
* [https://petapixel.com/2016/04/04/kodak-tri-x-best-black-white-film-ever-made/ Kodak Tri-X: The best black-and-white film ever made?]
* [http://www.digitalrev.com/article/the-basics-of-shooting-with-black-and-white-film The basics of shooting with black and white film]
 
[http://www.flickr.com/groups/expired/discuss/72157634773638343/ Notes on using expired film.] Quick summary:
 
* The freshness of the film depends on how it was stored (e.g. cool, dry temperatures are optimal)
* Some people advocate for stopping down the film one-stop per ten years, especially higher ISO (400+). Others suggest simply using the box ISO. Experiment to see!
 
= Favorites from Eugene Chan =


* [http://flickr.com/photos/eugevon/3088932284/ lobsters]
* [http://flickr.com/photos/eugevon/3088932284/ lobsters]
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* [http://flickr.com/photos/eugevon/2363591914/ bus]
* [http://flickr.com/photos/eugevon/2363591914/ bus]


== Photo Mosaics ==
= Photo Mosaics =


The best tool for doing these on Linux seems to be [http://www.complang.tuwien.ac.at/schani/metapixel/ metapixel]:
The best tool for doing these on Linux seems to be [http://www.complang.tuwien.ac.at/schani/metapixel/ metapixel]:
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* [http://www.linux.com/feature/125624 Three photo mosaic apps compared]
* [http://www.linux.com/feature/125624 Three photo mosaic apps compared]


== See Also ==
= Photographers =
 
* [http://photography.bastardsbook.com/toc/ The Bastards Book of Photography: An open-source guide to working with light]
* The Ideal Digital Photographer's Workflow, [http://www.oreillynet.com/lpt/a/4439 Part 1], [http://www.oreillynet.com/lpt/a/4536 Part 2]
* [http://www.macdevcenter.com/lpt/a/2849 Top Ten Digital Photography Tips]
* [http://betterdigitalphotography.blogspot.com/2010/11/top-10-misconceptions-about-photography.html Legal Misconceptions]
* [http://curbly.com/bruno/posts/9304-how-to-set-up-a-diy-photo-booth-using-your-computer-free-software-download-included DIY Photo Booth] (on Mac)
* [http://www.brokencitylab.org/blog/how-to-make-a-time-lapse-video-from-stills/ How to make a time-lapse video from stills] (using iPhoto and QuickTime)
 
== Photographers ==


* [http://www.tomrobinsonphotography.com/ Tom Robinson Photography]. Love this guy's photos.
* [http://www.tomrobinsonphotography.com/ Tom Robinson Photography]. Love this guy's photos.
* [http://www.neilta.ca/ Neil Ta]
* [http://www.neilta.ca/ Neil Ta]
* [http://elainemayesphoto.com/ Elaine Mayes]


Mentions from my photography class (April-May 2013):
Mentions from my photography class (April-May 2013):
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* [http://www.macfound.org/fellows/859/ Uta Barth]
* [http://www.macfound.org/fellows/859/ Uta Barth]
* [http://www.dougrickard.com/ Doug Rickard]
* [http://www.dougrickard.com/ Doug Rickard]
= See Also =
* [[Solar eclipse]]
* [http://photography.bastardsbook.com/toc/ The Bastards Book of Photography: An open-source guide to working with light]
* The Ideal Digital Photographer's Workflow, [http://www.oreillynet.com/lpt/a/4439 Part 1], [http://www.oreillynet.com/lpt/a/4536 Part 2]
* [http://www.macdevcenter.com/lpt/a/2849 Top Ten Digital Photography Tips]
* [http://betterdigitalphotography.blogspot.com/2010/11/top-10-misconceptions-about-photography.html Legal Misconceptions]
* [http://curbly.com/bruno/posts/9304-how-to-set-up-a-diy-photo-booth-using-your-computer-free-software-download-included DIY Photo Booth] (on Mac)
* [http://www.brokencitylab.org/blog/how-to-make-a-time-lapse-video-from-stills/ How to make a time-lapse video from stills] (using iPhoto and QuickTime)

Latest revision as of 19:32, 13 September 2021

See also Digital Images for more on processing and organizing images. See my /Learning Journal for goals and progress. Also see:

My Equipment

My primary camera is an Olympus OM-D E-M5. I also have a Canon PowerShot S95.

I have a Manfrotto 293A3-A0RC2 tripod with a ball head and QR plate. More on tripods here. I also have a Joby GorillaPod.

I have a Yongnuo 560 III and RF-602 wireless trigger. I may want to get some gels.

Digital cameras have limitations on video length.

Film cameras:

Old cameras:

Manual Lenses

I have a Canon FD 80-200mm f4L. I'm using a Fotodiox Pro Lens Mount Adapter to get it working on my Olympus.

Managing Photos

Most of my public pictures are on Flickr. View analytics via flickrstats. One day, I'll upload some of these to Wikimedia Commons. I'm intrigued by ThisLife and Everpix.

I use Adobe Lightroom for editing and photo management. There have been some suggestions that Olympus Viewer will render the RAW files more effectively than Lightroom, and that you should process RAW in Olympus Viewer, generate 16-bit TIFFs, then import those into Lightroom for processing and management. I've compared the two, and I haven't seen any differences in the rendering. Others have questioned this as well and have pointed out other tradeoffs.

Old

I wrote some of my own tools for cataloging my digital prints, which are now heavily outdated. They were inspired and based heavily on Gerald Oskoboiny's digital photo publishing software.

I'm experimenting with exiflow for managing my digital photography workflow (renaming files, metadata, etc.). F-Spot has an extension that supports an exiflow workflow.

I'm constantly disgruntled by F-Spot, but I keep returning to it, because it keeps getting better. I'm not crazy about F-Spot for importing images off of my digital camera, so I'm thinking about switching the default to gThumb.

I pondered a move to Google Picasa, but decided against it due to lack of development of its Linux client. If I ever do make the move, I'll need to import my F-Spot albums.

And now I've moved to Shotwell, because that's now the default in Ubuntu. I'm thinking about Lyn on my Mac.

Other tools of interest:

Services for scanning old photos:

Notes

Tags + types. Tags can have types. If I want to get really funky, types can have relationships -- an ontology! For example, the "Eugene Eric Kim" tag could be of type "People." This would allow me to do faceted classification.

Collections (or albums) cannot be tags, because you want to be able to do special things, like define cardinality and other metadata within a collection. However, you ought to be able to assign a photo to multiple collections.

I'd love to integrate Greg Elin's Fotonotes for granular annotations.

Developing and Printing

I use Dickerman Prints in SOMA. They're really great, but probably better for specialty printing.

I'm trying Nations Photo Lab (a Wirecutter recommendation) for standard printing. You have to pay for ground shipping unless the order is over $50, so only makes sense for but bulk orders.

I've been using Photoworks San Francisco to develop and scan film.

For ancient film, I've been using Photo Plus 1-hour film processing on Nob Hill.

Film

I've experimented with Kodak TMax 400 (black and white), Kodak TriX (black and white), Fujifilm Pro 400H (color), and Kodak Portra 400 (color).

For color film, both Koda Portra and Fujifilm Pro 400H are slightly desaturated. Portra is slightly warmer than Pro 400H, but not exceedingly so. I probably prefer the warmth. However, Pro 400H seems to have better dynamic range and an interesting graininess. I'll test more, but right now, I prefer the Pro 400H.

Black and white:

Notes on using expired film. Quick summary:

  • The freshness of the film depends on how it was stored (e.g. cool, dry temperatures are optimal)
  • Some people advocate for stopping down the film one-stop per ten years, especially higher ISO (400+). Others suggest simply using the box ISO. Experiment to see!

Favorites from Eugene Chan

Photo Mosaics

The best tool for doing these on Linux seems to be metapixel:

Photographers

Mentions from my photography class (April-May 2013):

See Also