[EyeDocPhotog]

Thanks a whole bunch. The article was very helpful.

You know, I re-read what I was saying about f-stops and shutter speed and I came to realize that I had KNOWN this information all along, but because of aperture priority and shutter priority modes, my mind doesn’t have to make that calculation any longer. Indeed, even through the viewfinder on Manual mode, there is an exposure meter which will let me know if I am over/underexposed, and I’ll just flip whichever dial to center it, and bingo! Properly exposed shots.

As with anything, it’s the fundamentals which must be reviewed time and again.

Thanks again for the help!! 🙂

[EyeDocPhotog]

Yes, I do agree that Adobe appears to be driving photogs to use LR more than Ps – in fact, with LR5, most “power-users” (like me) have started to refer to it as the photoshop killer because of the abundant features and native non-destructive editing. Couple the robust nature of the base program with Topaz or Nik plugins, and you have a photographer’s wonderland without even touching CS6, or Elements for that matter.

And, true, LR5 can be a memory / swap file hog and slow things down to a snail’s pace if your catalog swells beyond, say, 10,000 images – especially if your are AutoSync-ing Develop settings across hundreds or even thousands of images. I have a Mac Pro with 64gig RAM and dual SSDs so speed is not YET an issue for me, but that won’t last long I’m sure. 🙂

Still, I have CS6 and Elements 8 (with Elements Plus plug-in) for when I feel “artsy,” which is not very often.

[EyeDocPhotog]

CC, do you find Photo Mechanic is a more effective program for your needs than Lightroom? I’ve never used it… does it come with ACR, and can you perform basic edits as in the LR5 develop module? I prefer the LR5 all-in-one approach, but perhaps I;m looking at it the wrong way….?

My catalog contains roughly 71K images, and I’ve grown fond of the lightroom non-destructive editing process, but if there is a potentially more efficacious workflow out there, I’m willing to give it a go…

[EyeDocPhotog]

so, I guess the answer is … use what you want if it gets your job done. And also I spent probably $2,000 over the years on photo editing software that I have barely ever touched. LR5 and Pse8 with E+ are my mainstays.

[EyeDocPhotog]

If one is shooting weddings and other parties, portraits or sports professionally, why would they need anything other than Lightroom to process their RAW images? What specifically is a pro in those situations doing with Ps that they can’t do with Elements?

[EyeDocPhotog]

From the article on this site The DOs and DON’Ts of Editing:

“You can’t create professional images without professional software. If you are serious about your craft you need to invest in the right tools for your trade. Would you take your film to Walmart to get processed instead of a custom lab? I’d hope not. Get yourself Adobe Photoshop (not Photoshop Elements, not Picasa, not Windows Photo Editor, not Gimp, etc.) and learn how to use it. Some people also use Lightroom in addition. You can sign up for Adobe’s Creative Cloud for an inexpensive monthly fee, and you can get a Lynda.com membership for cheap to learn your program thoroughly.”

Well, I guess the author of that article believes that the only software worth its salt for a professional is full Ps.

 

[EyeDocPhotog]

I can’t speak intelligently to whether you should be charging people but most of your work appears the result of experimentation, ie., “let’s try this – I’m not quite sure how it’s going to look when I’m done. Oooh, that look OK, let’s post it!”

Instead, practice alot and post only your very BEST images. Focusing, lighting, post-processing, posing, color balance – all of these need some work. I wouldn’t be posting these photos for all to see, for as you get better, your older images will leave others thinking “what’s the deal here?! This shot is good, but this one looks like it needs work. No consistency, not professional.”

A rule of thumb I’ve used in the past – when I was able to shoot a scene, look at the downloaded image and KNOW RIGHT AWAY where I went wrong, I knoew I had moved to the next level. If you are still “surprised” bad a bad OR a good image you haven’t reached that level yet.

Consistency is KEY in any profession. What makes Tiger Woods a great golfer is his ability to UNIFORMLY REPRODUCE difficult shots time and again.

[EyeDocPhotog]

thanks for the feedback.

I also find that, since I’ve downloaded the trials, ReMask is the only one that holds any value for me, and that value is even marginal. Most of my PP is just as CameraClicker wrote “a couple of minutes of raw conversion and editing so I don’t think plug-ins would improve my work flow.”

LR5 brings so much to the table there is very little need for “something more.” I rarely need to wander from that program. I guess those programs are for a segment of the community who have not taken the time to explore all the lightroom

[EyeDocPhotog]

I don’t give anyone digital files. They’re always prints. All of my digital data stays in LR5 and my external drives.

Granted I’m not in this for profit but I won’t provide an easy path for any person to take my work and plaster it on the internet. If they want to scan the image and change it, be my guest. No one has though, I suspect it’s too much work for most.

When patients ask me to rx a certain drug for an ocular ailment, I ask them how they’ve heard of that drug. That catches most folks by surprise, and when I drill down with just 2 or 3 more questions, it usually becomes “Uncle Bob told me at a barbeque to ask for it.” I ask what med school Bob attended, and most people smile and nod and start listening.

[EyeDocPhotog]

spam is right! Makes me want to deliver the electronic coffee bag to all the marbles this day and for all times futuristic!

[EyeDocPhotog]

plausible concept. However, since jpeg files deteriorate with each successive write to the disk, it’s impractical. If you are not extremely careful, the final image could look “over-processed” compared to the original.

Attempting to successfully edit a poor jpeg is akin to RECOOKING an overdone turkey dinner with more gravy and spices – you’ll taste the spice and sauces, but in the end, the meat will still be way overdone.

Ask for the RAW image, pull it into LR5 and turn out a masterpiece (assuming you started an image that is halfway decent). 🙂

 

[EyeDocPhotog]

DON’T give away your services – it just tells everyone “My services have no value at all.” If you agree that your photography is NOT up to the pro level, don’t advertise this. This is like a new doctor saying “My residency just ended and I’ve got much more to learn, so I’m waiving me private practice fees until I get to the next level.” No one will EVER go to that doc, even if that advert is legal (which it isn’t).

Learn FIRST, advertise LATER when you’re confident in you skills, and NEVER give away your services. EVER.

[EyeDocPhotog]

I don’t shoot professionally, but I use an LED bracelet with a rubberized band that stretches around my lens for those times I do shoot the under 2 set. I got a pack of 12 from Oriental Trading for I think it was $9.

[EyeDocPhotog]

I had some time to look through I guess it was an engagement shoot.

In general not bad. One thing that jumped out at me however is none of the images were closeups, and not entirely tack sharp. Have you thought of investing in some good glass? You’d be amazed how far a premium lens will bring your shots in terms of clarity.

Also, remember your exposure triangle – ISO, shutter and aperture – and how it affects each shot you take. You need to use this to your advantage. Most of your shots in the gallery of the engagement are not uniformly exposed, or have very large DOF.

Plus, are you shooting in RAW or jpeg? The RAW format allows for significantly more pleasing post-processing of your image and takes control away from the camera and what it THINKS you want. Your options become become boundless in Lightroom or Photoshop with a RAW image – in jpeg, you can change very, very little of your shot if it is not pleasing to you.

Remember, too, that Ps and LR cannot fix a bad composition, pose, focusing, or even camera shake. Work hard to practice these – there are many, many good videos on youtube on how to work on these concepts.

 

[EyeDocPhotog]

an interesting tangent here…

So, my daughter for years enjoyed Sesame Place in PA for weekend trips during the summer months, and especially the VIP lunch with many Sesame Street characters. In the dining room they have a small 15′ x 15′ area dedicated for a “studio setup” featuring photos of your kids (and you!) with Elmo. It is cordoned off with cones, drapes, even a sesame place employee guarding the area for unauthorized entrance until the employees have officially opened it for shots.

When Elmo appears, the studio swings into operation and everyone lines up akin to a department store Santa. I’ve taken note on more than one occasion that the camera is affixed to a tripod with a wireless trigger for 2 soft-boxes to the left and right of the backdrop and some other continuous lights strewn about – it’s apparent a knowledgeable photog carefully thought it out for reasonably good images. You can take photos yourself, but they designed it so your only view is like 45 degrees or more away from the scene.

BUT, the weak link is in the pictures printed out for the parents. Over the years, the printer was replaced at least twice and the last time we went a few years back the unit was not correctly calibrated and the colors were all “off.” Yellows over-saturated, blues under, and the whole portrait had a pink cast.  On the back of the camera, the image looked much better.

Each photo set (8×10, 4×7 and 10 or so smaller wallets) is $25 which you learn after they take the photo and come around to your table for the sale, and no CD is offered or available. Most everyone buys the photos, but I heard folks last time chattering about the off colors of the prints. But still bought them.

I guess the photog who setup the whole scene is hands off now, and I wonder if he knows the quality of his prints are compromised…

[Author]

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