Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with digitalPhotography

Point, manually adjust thingometer, click

showbiz_liz — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:09:30 -0800

I would like to teach myself photography, ideally from a book (a good website would work too.) I'm at the point-and-shoot level, but my camera has so many neat settings I want to try... I have a Canon PowerShot A590 and a desire to learn more about photography. I love taking pictures, but I know nothing about how my camera actually 'works'. I just leave it set on easy mode and point it at things. I, um, know how to zoom in. Maybe if I'm feeling really crazy I will hit the little 'macro' button.

What I'm after is a book or website that will, step by step and beginning with the easiest stuff, tell me how to use the manual settings on my camera. Ideally it would include 'assignments' for me to do.

Every website I've found on my own either tries to teach me the goddamn Rule of Thirds again, or it assumes I know what 'f-stop' means.

(I've taken a ton of art classes, so I'm set with regards to composition, although I don't mind if it's included.)

Camera reviews are taking over my sanity

TravellingCari — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 20:10:49 -0800

Following my previous question, I've narrowed down my camera options and done a lot of reading, but I'd love some Hivemind input. My Previous Question

Since asking, I've been reading reviews online and went to B&H to play with some of the models I thought I liked. End result, I walked out with two different ideas than when I walked in. Below are the ones I'm considering most and why, but I'm having issues with the reviews I read online because I know every product will irk someone and it's a question of cutting through that to get to what matters.

I'm also trying to keep in mind that a) I'm upgrading a 4 year old camera and b) I don't need perfection on every shot. I'm not ready to make the jump to DSLR because I don't take pictures nearly enough anymore, but I want a camera that can take good landscape shots, a good zoom to take pics at sporting events from bad seats and ability to shoot close up (i.e. Macro). I have pros and cons below. Do you have any experience with these cameras? Anything I'm missing? As I've said, I'm familiar with the review sites and have read extensively. If those are all to be believed, there's no decent camera out there.

*Sony HX 1 - Pros: good zoom, I have media for the camera, familiarity w Sony cameras, good battery life, feels good in my hand, without a doubt the best video capabilities. Cons: 9.1mp, Price, video stuff I don't need (I don't know what 1080i/p means, and I rarely shoot video)

*Nikon P90 - Pros: 24 optical zoom, known for good sports photography, good macro, price. Cons: hate the look and feel of camera, reported poor battery life, no zoom while shooting video.

*Olympus SP-590 - Pros: Price, 26x zoom, good response time with fast photos (sports).Cons: AA battery (although I don't mind this too much, means you're never caight without batteries), dial seems weak

*Canon SX 1 - Pros: 20x zoom, known brand, RAW support, Cons: AA battery (see above), hate hate the fold-out LCD, least zoom (although I'm upgrading from 12x so it's still big jump

So, I'm still torn. At the moment, I'm leaning Olympus but I don't know enough about the brand. I covet the Sony but at 399 even on Amazon (have $65 credit so likely to buy there) it's steep. I came out of B&H really not liking the Canon at all but I feel like I should because it's such a known brand that people love. Nikon was my first choice walking in, but I really don't like the body of this camera.

Anyone have any input or am I destined to eenie meenie miney mo? Thanks in advance!

Oversized digital prints

bonobothegreat — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:07:01 -0800

Need clarification on getting oversized prints from digital photos. My wife has taken some great photos on a 5MB Canon Powershot SD500 and she'd like to blow them up for framing. Some are quite sharp, taken in bright sunlight but others were taken at ASA 400 in low natural light (and showing sort of a multi-coloured granularity). I've read a few previous AskMes with talk about different home printers, good quality (regular sized) prints and the term "giclee" but I was hoping someone here could help us avoid a lot of expensived trial-and-error.

We'd like to know:
1) the largest size they could feasibly blown up to (we're hoping 18"x12"-ish?)
2) which paper and inks we should be asking for
3) and if anyone can recommend a printer in the Toronto area where we might get the best results with the minimum amount of trial and error.

What's the best way to work with iPhoto 8.1 and Flickr?

2oh1 — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:43:59 -0800

What's the best way to work with iPhoto 8.1 and Flickr? Strategies and tips, please!!! I realize iPhoto can export to flickr, but it seems cumbersome to have to then use flickr to add titles, descriptions and tags. Is there a way to do this in iPhoto? Is there a better way? I used to use Flickr Exporter, but that thing is so buggy! I'd prefer to do all of this in iPhoto, if at all possible.

I'm using iPhoto 8.1 (in other words, the latest version of iPhoto, the one that came with iLife 09).

“There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs.”

TravellingCari — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 10:37:45 -0800

My beloved digital camera just died, and I'm trying to match features. Any suggestions? I don't want it to fit in my pocket. Well regardless of saying here that I wasn't in the market for a new camera, I am now because my trusty Sony just died. First the LCD screen went, which was not a huge issue, but then the view finder followed, rendering it a paperweight.

The camera I'm replacing is the Song DSC-HI, which had a fabulous zoom, and that's what I'm eager to find again. For example, I spend a good amount of time at sports events in less-than-great seats and I loved the zoom on this to get good pictures. I still have the DSC-S650 which filled in well on this trip, but it's great for snapshots, not action shots where I need a zoom. I've also found the up-close macro is better with the larger lens. I'm the oddball, I don't want a pocket cam. The only reason I have the little Sony was for a wedding.

I would like to keep with SONY so as not to deal with all new memory formats, but I've heard good things about some new model Canons. I love the manual options on the H1 as well as the scenes, and the large-ish LCD screen. I also love that it used AA batteries, which made things easy if I'm caught without batteries. I don't think I need or want a DSLR despite lens capabilities, because when I travel I don't want that much stuff to juggle and don't take photos as often as I used to to warrant that investment. My previous camera before the Sony was a Nikon-forget the Coolpix model but it was another with a good zoom. It died in the Australian sand and heat. Both lasted me 3+ years and owe me nothing, but I like the bigger models - I feel I can take a better picture with them.

I'm familiar with DPReview and some of the other sites, but I'm also curious for personal experience - what models have you found that do the trick. Which would you avoid? Any specific review sites I should make sure to check out? I'm in NYC so I'll certainly be making a trip to B&H to play with the models as I can't buy it on specs alone, but am not sure where to start as I haven't been camera shopping in some time.

As I said, I have a backup camera so this isn't an immediate purchase. I'm willing to save up for a good camera so there's no set budget. As always, thanks all!

What software should I organize my pictures with, when I need seperation into 3 topics?

jakobmunster — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:45:41 -0800

Can anyone recommend me software for a mac, that can help improving my workflow and organization of images, while I keep the images separated into 3 topics? It's possible to categorize my photography this way: 50% hobby photography (or you could call it experimenting and improving my skills), 40% pro photography for costumers while the last 10% goes to "niche photography".

I'd like a piece (or pieces) of software for a mac, that would help me keep my images organized. I've tried programs like Lightroom and Aperture, but it ends up beeing a mess, as I'd like to keep the 3 topics of my photography seperated.

My workflow:
- Import RAW images
- Convert to DNG
- Sort the pictures in keepers and delete the rest
- Rate the pictures. I prefer to use a star rating
- Process the pictures with photo-editing software
- Archive all the pictures and export the ones I would like to display immediately

Suggestions to improving my workflow, is also very welcome.

Can anyone recommend me a combination of software, that will let me do my workflow and still keep my images organized and seperated into the 3 main topics?

How to I remove metadata from a photo?

Damn That Television — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 13:04:22 -0800

How do I strip absolutely all information (metadata, file created on, etc) data from a digital picture? I have some digital pictures. I need to make it so that absolutely no information can be gleamed from them -- what camera took them, when they were taken, etc. Is there an industry standard/government standard for removing this information?

Photo Workflow Tips?

Admiral Haddock — Mon, 04 May 2009 10:21:01 -0800

Any good tips on digital workflows in Lightroom for large groups of images? Really, any input on the photo editorial process (whether it be film or other software) would be much appreciated. I take a lot of pictures when I go out shooting, and even more so when I go on vacation. (I realize my "a lot" is nowhere near what a pro might shoot.) I really like processing and cataloging my images in Lightroom, but I find the process entirely overwhelming when faced with 3000 new photos.

Does anyone have any tips on making that process manageable? For instance, the other day I shot a concert and took, say 150 images in a fifteen-minute set. I wanted only a few selects of different setups, but I might have 20 images of the guitarist and bass player scattered throughout the set, and I found it maddening to search around for comparisons of image 12 vs 34 vs 45 vs 54 etc. And, of course, it is easy to crop down to just the guitarist or the bass player, so you may end up comparing with those sets, too.

My current workflow is to import and tag with the highest-level common keywords. I then advance image by image flagging picks. I then go through the picks several times while refining the images. Along the way, bad shots get unflagged, and shots that I like but that don't quite make the cut are labeled with a color (usually yellow, as the shortcut for yellow is right above unflag shortcut) and then unflagged--just in case I want to revisit images that were good, but not great. The end result is a pile of flagged (but without a color label) images that I export for the web or printing.

What do you do?

Keeping it real with post-production.

Gordion Knott — Fri, 01 May 2009 03:15:43 -0800

What sliders should I focus on when doing basic touch-up with programs like iPhoto? As a follow-up to this previous question of mine, I'd like to explore the optimal, most efficient was to enhance RAW digital photos with programs like iPhoto, Aperture and Photoshop.

I'm not looking for complex post-production or fancy-pants special effects such as HDR. I'd simply like to make basic adjustments to exposure and saturation to make the photos more appealing and attractive. Yet I find that once I begin to adjust sliders, I fall into a "slider K-hole," in which I become obsessed with achieving perfect results. Inevitably, I go overboard, and the photos are overprocessed and unnaturalistic.

1. How can I upgrade the efficiency of post-production to achieve great results on the quick?
2. When I launch iPhoto or Aperture, what's the optimal order for making adjustments? Which should be first, which should be next? Which should I ignore altogether?
3. Given that I'm only interested in basic touch-up and enhancement, is there value in springing for an (expensive) copy of Photoshop? Can professionals with needs like mine get by with iPhoto or Aperture?

Need Mac Pro Advice

Admiral Haddock — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 21:08:05 -0800

I'd like to get one of the new Mac Pros, mostly for use in digital photography. But which one? I am currently using a first-generation 2006 MacBook (2 GHz, 2 gigs RAM) to organize my photos and post-process using Lightroom. I'd like to get back into using Photoshop, but it (and Lightroom) pretty much choke on the RAW files my camera generates. I don't want to sink any more money into the MacBook, given its vintage. And I think I'd like to have a desktop again that I can monkey with, and install multiple drives in, etc.

I haven't bought a computer based on its power in about a decade (always laptops for portability). What's overkill at this point? Is it worth the $800 to get the extra 4 cores and twice as much RAM (I know that Apple jacks you on the RAM; I'd happily source it elsewhere and install it myself). Do the Adobe programs even take advantage of the second processor?

Digital Photoshoot For E-Commerce Site

yom3ts — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 06:05:58 -0800

Taking digital photos of entire product inventory for display on our company website. Tips? About to get started, I feel like we're in decent shape but may as well see if anyone has any tips before I start this massive project and realize halfway through that my amateurishness has yielded an inferior result.

Tools: Nice digital camera, cheap do-it-yourself fold-up photo "studio" which includes a three-sided white backdrop and two lights.

Any tips? Simple pitfalls to avoid? I will be photographing hundreds of items, from beverages to snack items to bags of coffee. Individual units and boxes.

Pick a camera for me

cccorlew — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 10:18:19 -0800

I'm looking for a digital camera to copy books and such for onscreen presentations. Not spending a lot would be nice. I know I could get a Nikon D-40 and a macro, but there must be a miore cost-effective alternative.
Needs a macro lens of reasonable quality . Resolution doesn't need to be very high. Manual white balance a must.

Where can I find drivers for my ancient digital camera?

chinese_fashion — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 09:09:33 -0800

Where can I find software to connect my computer to my camera? I have a Dell running Windows XP and an old Canon Powershot G2 from 2001. I bought my camera in 2001, and have subsequently lost the cd that lets me install driver software. I've been to the Canon site and tried to download drivers that will connect to the camera and download, to no avail. On my Mac at home, I just connect with iPhoto. On this work PC, I have no idea ... any suggestions?

Thanks, your help is greatly appreciated.

Best lens for low-light photography with a Nikon D50?

inatizzy — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 09:54:46 -0800

What is the best lens to use with a Nikon D50 for low-light situations where the subjects are moving? I would like to photograph people at swing dances, which are usually low-light settings and the people tend to move fast.

A friend has gotten some really amazing shots using a Canon EOS 30D with a fixed 28mm lens. (exposures were typically lasting .005-.01 seconds, f 1.8 or 2.) No blurring, beautiful colors. Really just gorgeous portraits of people having a good time, like a freeze-frame in the middle of their dance, and just enough blurring in the background to bring the viewer's focus to the subject.

I have a Nikon D50 and this friend has told me Nikons are not as good as Canons in low-light situations. But I don't really want to invest a lot of money in a whole new body *and* lens.

Is there a lens for the D50 that could accomplish this? (And that would be not-too-expensive? I'm happy to buy used.) In case it matters, right now I have the Nikon 18-200mm lens, which has been fine for everyday shooting but doesn't do as well in really low light. I might be willing to sell this lens to put the money towards the low-light one. (esp if the low-light one could also be used for more general settings like outdoors in the afternoon.)

thanks for your advice! :)

what we talk about when we talk about color

shothotbot — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:20:16 -0800

When I manipulate my digital photos what exactly am I doing? I am using adobe lightroom to "develop" my digital photographs. While I have a good intuitive grasp of how to change photographs the way I want to but I would like a bit of a theoretical foundation. Specifically, I want to know what is happening numerically when I use the "exposure" or "fill light" sliders and also what happens when I use the color-specific hue, saturation and luminance buttons. As detailed as possible please. A standard computer science reference would be a fine answer.

Kill my orbs! Please!!!

dpcoffin — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 08:38:15 -0800

Digital photo filter (-orbs, please!): What's with the light blotches that have suddenly started appearing in my pix of very dark things? You can see that they appear in the same place on subsequent pix (examples 1,2, 4), but then in another session (3), they'll be in different positions, sometimes circular, sometimes not. No flash is involved; tripod and long exposures w/high f-stops. Canon 10D. Sensor dying? Lenses dirty? Sensor dust makes dark spots, not pale blotches, right? Bonus points for a good Photoshop fix (can't send camera out before finishing current project!); simple dodge/burn tool use not quite cutting it... Thanks!

I don't want my mother to see these photos, and I don't want strangers seeing them, either.

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:03:11 -0800

As a gift for my husband, I took some saucy pictures. The pictures are nothing by the standards of the internet, but not the type of thing I'd be comfortable sending to Target or Wal-Mart to print out. Are there any discrete online digital photo printing services you'd recommend? Or should I just buy a photo printer? Which one? I have nightmares about people saving copies for themselves or, worse yet, posting them in the internet. Seriously, I needed a few drinks to do this in the first place, so I don't want anyone looking at me unless it's my husband. I've found a few online services that claim to be confidential, but I'm not 100% convinced. I would like to hear from the AskMetafilter community before making up my mind.

And, while it's besides the point, yes, I trust my husband with these completely.

I'm in the United States and the pictures are a surprise.

What should I buy if I end up going the photo printer route? I'd prefer to spend under $130.

Replacing a D100 with another pro-sumer digital SLR

stewiethegreat — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:01:37 -0800

Looking for a new digital SLR to replace my girlfriend's Nikon D100. She loved her D100 but is ready for a new one, price range up to $2000 new/refurb/used. Any advice? So following up on my most recent question, my girlfriend's D100 is on its last legs. She's had it since 2003 and really put it through its paces, time for a new digital SLR. She has only one Nikon lens so could stay with the brand or hop to a new one, we've been reading steves digicams reviews for weeks, but as amateurs who like taking pretty pictures, it is hard to really compare and contrast.

She has a budget of up to $2000 for new/refurb/used.

She's looking for 6 mp or more and perhaps a slightly smaller footprint/body weight than the D100 (it typically takes up 1/5 of her suitcase and she takes it everywhere). Ideally it would have an LCD or waist-level viewfinder so she could shoot from the hip, but my previous question suggested that a camera like that doesn't exist in her price range.

Thanks for your advice!

Help me delete group photo names from this damnable program!

tr33hggr — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:36:52 -0800

How can I delete picture group names from MS Scanner and Camera Wizard? I use MS Scanner and Camera Wizard to move photos from my digital camera to my hard drive (thusly). (Windows XP). At the bottom of that page I've linked to, there is a screen shot of the dialog box where you enter a name for the group of pictures, select a destination, etc.

Here's the thing - how can I get rid of some of the group names I've used in the past from that first drop down box? Say I once used "Grapefruit" and don't want that to show up anymore in the drop down - how can I get rid of it? Can I get rid of it??

New digital camera..not such good photos.

mbarryf — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 05:51:01 -0800

Digital camera question...or am I nuts? I have an ancient Canon S10 (2.1 megapixels, slow as molasses). I recently bought a new Canon SD1000 (digital elf 7.1 megapixels). The S10 pictures look better. I even contacted Canon and sent an image file of both cameras for their analysis. They said that the SD1000 was working fine.

Are these new digital cameras not as good as the ancient ones? (I realize that the SD1000 uses an CCD of 1/2.5 inch, while the S10 uses one that is 1/ inch.) Should I just be content with the tiny portability and speed of the SD1000?

Is there any way I can improve the images I take on the SD1000?

'Prosumer' digital camera recommendations?

Kreiger — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 05:35:50 -0800

Greetings Photo-Hive. It's finally time to retire my DSC-V1, but I've ignored the camera scene since I bought it in 2003. Help me pick a new camera! If I could buy the 'DSC-V1 2008 Edition', I would. It's been a great camera.

I liked:
- the level of manual control. You can fiddle with just about everything. I might only use this for 15 - 20% of the shots I take, but it really comes in handy.
- the lens, which was great for the time.
- the Nightshot.

I hated (or now hate):
- the start-up time. Not to mention the wait between shots.
- the lack of image stabilisation.
- the incredibly short battery life.
- the low-res video, even though it was great at the time I bought it.

I've got a K800i for a pocket camera now, so I'm not too worried about the size of this potential new one. I'll be using it mainly when I travel, rather than at the bar. I'm a bit leary of buying a full on DSLR, partly for budgetary reasons, partly b/c I don't think I'd really use it enough, or use enough of its features to justify one. I like the speed of some of the new cameras that I've used in the last year or so. I like some of the photo-stitching/continuous shooting/face-recognising craziness as well, although that sort of thing would be a secondary concern.

I'll probably spend about £600 ($1200, for those of you in the States and Canada), but I'm not wedded to that figure. If there's an awesome camera for a couple hundred more, I'd buy it.

Speaking of travelling, I'm flying out for a five week vacation on the 25th, so if it's coming out in March, no matter how cool it is, I'm not going to buy it.

I haven't looked at still cameras since about 2003, so I don't even know what to look for these days. Who's making good cameras? Who's fallen off? What about these 'semi-DSLR' things like the Sony DSC-H9? What sort (and size) of sensor should I look for?

Specific model recommendations, manufacturer recommendations, or suggestions of particular technologies to look for are all welcome.

starting a career in digital post-production / photo retouching

Anonymous — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 12:44:36 -0800

I would like to do digital post-production / photo retouching as a career. Is this realistic, i.e. something I can actually make a living at? And, if so, where do I start? I graduated college a few years ago with a degree in a completely unrelated field. Since then, I've worked at a few customer service and clerical / research type jobs. (Yeah, I didn't really know what I wanted to do.) An acquantaince of mine made her living retouching glamour portraits for a photography studio. I tried it out myself and discovered that it was a lot of fun and something I had a bit of a knack for myself. Since then, I've been working hard to improve my skills by taking classes at a local community college and studying Photoshop books on my own (not just glamour portraits, but Photoshop and photo retouching in general).

I've gotten pretty obsessed and it's getting to the point where I'd love nothing more than to make photo retouching my full-time career. However, I've been researching the field and the information I've found has been confusing and discouraging. It seems like the sweet little glamour portrait retouching job my acquaintance had is the exception rather than the rule. (Unfortunately, I can't turn to her for further guidance on the photo retouching field in general since this is just a job she stumbled into while pursuing other goals.)

So, aside from browsing Craigslist, which I suspect provides a limited picture, where do I turn to find get a realistic idea of the opportunities available? Am I being hopelessly naïve in imagining that I could turn this into a career at this relatively early stage? If it's possible, where should I be looking, aside from Craigslist? Is a bad-ass portfolio (which I don't have yet, but am working on) going to be enough to get my foot in the door?

Also: if photo retouching and Photoshop skills alone aren't a strong enough basis for a viable career, what other complementary skills should I be cultivating?

Other relevant particulars:

I'm currently living in Southern California, but I would be willing to move for the chance to do what I love.

Although I am going to school, I don't have any sort of graphic design credentials. My current course of study has been tailored to my interests and strengths rather than the attainment of a credential. Undoubtedly not a smart move on my part, but there it is. I'm already up to my ears in student loan debt and am barely scraping by as it is, but I'd consider going back to school for a graphic arts degree if it's impossible to get work without one.

I'm an enthusiastic amateur photographer. I don't have any plans at this point of trying to become a professional photographer, but I am intrigued by the idea of working for one.

My skills are past basic at this point but still light-years from advanced, although I am pushing hard to keep improving.

Thanks in advance for your perspective, and for being patient with my newbie-ness.

Anonymous because of my current job.
email: iknowimcluelessbut@gmail dot com.

Shake It Like a Polaroid Pictcha

spicynuts — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 09:13:22 -0800

Recommendations for shops in Manhattan that can scan a large quantity of polaroids. I've been doing a lot of shooting with Polaroid film lately. Many of my subjects have been asking for copies or jpgs of the shots. I only have a negative scanner. Does anyone know a quality, professional shop in Manhattan that I can take about 200 of these for scanning to a CD?

Alternatively, if anyone has had any success using a basic desktop scanner to do this, tips would be appreciated - I might be able to go buy a cheap one.

Need a good digital camera, pref with swivel LCD

dobbs — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 06:13:20 -0800

Time to update my Canon G2... but I really like the swivel LCD. Does anyone make a high-end digital camera (pref with exchangeable lenses) that has a swivel LCD? If not, why not? Is there some negative to it that I should be aware of?

How would you "PhotoShop" this?

Shane — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 12:30:45 -0800

Challenge/Question for PhotoShop Gurus: Here is a before (raw) and after (retouched) publicity photo for the film King Arthur. Take the 1st photo, retouch it into something close to the 2nd, and tell us how you did it (or how you would do it, if you don't have time.) I'm particularly interested in the intense vibrance of the colors of her hair, skin, clothes, cape and bow.