SuzukiSavage.com - Print Page

SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl
General Category >> The Cafe >> What else you do?
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1393807850

Message started by raydawg on 03/02/14 at 16:50:50

Title: What else you do?
Post by raydawg on 03/02/14 at 16:50:50

I got started by my wife in photography who thrust a digital camera into my hands with orders to learn.
She needed me to take product pictures of her creations (which can be seen here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/deniseannette?ref=em )
I do approx. 2 hours a day capturing her latest creations, which she makes each evening after her day gig, no two alike, so each one has to be taken and posted, often only lasting minutes until someone from around the world snags it!

Anyway....

It brought me to a place I had no idea that dwelled in me....

photography.

I do her products, but I love landscapes!

I have shot portraits/weddings, etc....HATE IT!!!!

Too hard >:(

Here is an example of my work, Lady Fisher.
Caught her from shore with my lens extended, as she is presenting her offering to the raising trout in a local lake where I live....

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm288/eddy-haskell/ladyangler-a.jpg (http://s299.photobucket.com/user/eddy-haskell/media/ladyangler-a.jpg.html)

And a guy in his yak w/ a live one fishing the fall as the colors begin to change....

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm288/eddy-haskell/fishatlone1-a.jpg (http://s299.photobucket.com/user/eddy-haskell/media/fishatlone1-a.jpg.html)

Here is one after the storm has passed, the sun is peaking out and shining through the storm generated waves that crash the shore down on the beach where I live....

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm288/eddy-haskell/stormwaves-1-a.jpg (http://s299.photobucket.com/user/eddy-haskell/media/stormwaves-1-a.jpg.html)

So....what else do you guys do?

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by engineer on 03/02/14 at 17:58:27

You are both talented, the pictures are great and so are the little glass creatures. Does she use an oxy-acetylene torch to melt the glass?

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by raydawg on 03/02/14 at 18:12:40

05070C070E070B11620 wrote:

You are both talented, the pictures are great and so are the little glass creatures. Does she use an oxy-acetylene torch to melt the glass?

Thank you.

She uses an oxygen generator w/ propane in a minor bench burner.

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by old_rider on 03/02/14 at 18:38:41

Neat stuff....

Three years ago I was getting interested in photog. after seeing a friends shots.
Bought a FinePix700 and just brought it out again this week after seeing some early morning and evening shots of a fella on facebook.
Funny how I keep seeing photo's and keep whipping out the camera and not going anywhere and taking pictures, thanks for reminding me to get off my butt and go do something.
I was getting good at micro/macro shots (or so I thought) and have a few good pictures.
I have asked the few folks on facebook if they would start an amateur help studio and give pointers, but alas...they are keeping their secrets, secret :(

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by raydawg on 03/02/14 at 19:41:31

74777F69727F7E691B0 wrote:

The secret is......keep shooting!
Unlike film where it took a tidy sum to develop a skill (pun intend) ....
Digital is almost free. Shoot, shoot, shoot, upload and see what you got, if its only 1 out a 100, who cares, delete, repeat ;D
Your eye and preference will come accordingly, and its fun to use all the different editing programs too. They can take a ho hummer and give it a special twist. Some turn their elitist noses at editing, but who cares about those buggy whip hypocrites anyhow ::)

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by old_rider on 03/02/14 at 20:20:13

Yes, was doing that.... recently the night shots have me really interested in doing some more shooting... I uploaded some of my older ones to photobucket, here is a slide show

http://s1047.photobucket.com/user/Orphistle/slideshow/Finepix%20700

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by arteacher on 03/03/14 at 04:12:01

I spent the last two years of my studies at the Ontario College of Art studying photography- figure, portrait, and street. After that I worked as a commercial photographer for a dept store chain (Simpson's) for 2 years doing product photography in their advertising dept. I hated it with a passion, although I enjoyed working with my off the wall co-workers a lot.
After that, while at U. of Guelph getting a degree, I free-lanced, doing weddings, portraits, and general work. I hated doing weddings.
Now I do photography as a hobby.

"The secret is......keep shooting!
Unlike film where it took a tidy sum to develop a skill (pun intend) ....
Digital is almost free. Shoot, shoot, shoot, upload and see what you got, if its only 1 out a 100, who cares, delete, repeat Grin
Your eye and preference will come accordingly, and its fun to use all the different editing programs too. They can take a ho hummer and give it a special twist. Some turn their elitist noses at editing, but who cares about those buggy whip hypocrites anyhow "
Raydawg, I agree with what you say, although I will add that shooting film hones your skills far faster than digital because of the expense. When I was at O.C.A. one of the teachers had us shoot transparencies only, so that you HAD to think about what you were doing while taking the shot because you couldn't edit it at all after the click. Talk about your ratio of keepers going up!! For my final graduating critique I hired a figure model for 2 hours and shot 4 rolls of 120- 2 slide and 2 B&W. About 1/3 of them found their way into the critique, and I got an A.
I guess I am an "elitist" "buggy whip hypocrite" because I dislike the attitude that ".. that's OK, I'll take 30 shots, one will be close, and I'll fix it in Photoshop". That gives all your photos a similar look. For example, if you had processed your seascape for accurate colour, it would loose a lot of impact. That yellowish tint makes me feel the sun on my face as I look at it.
Incidentally, when newspaper photographers began changing to digital, they would delete everything that wasn't printed, eliminating the possibility of going back to the shots they took for additional publication. They don't do that anymore.
If you want to learn about lighting, shoot everything in B&W for a while (even flowers) and process it for as many tones as you can. Anyone can impress with colour, but it is harder to impress with B&W.
Just my 2c. ;)
BTW, I really like your seascape.

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by old_rider on 03/03/14 at 07:47:52

Going to have to try a couple editing programs.... your second and third pics actually look like paintings to me....very soft...

Any programs you prefer over others?

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by raydawg on 03/03/14 at 08:17:17

Teach, let me extend my remark.....
Not for a second do I think digital usurps film or the knowledge and talent it takes to be good at it, film stands on its own ground, as does digital, apple and oranges in my opine. Some of the rules and techniques apply to both, but all in all two distinct medias I feel.
My remark was based upon personal observation from those who shoot film and look at digital as the lessor of two arts. Nary do I see one who shoots digital discount the merit of the results and product of film.
Nor is this attitude solely unique to this endeavor..... I see it in other pursuits as well, fishing comes to mind.... a "true angler" will tie his own flies and only fish natural water for native fish, a hook with a glob of red worms is so sacrilegious to the sport he has to bath and change his apparel if one of these neanderthals pass him along the stream :P

Now....back to lighting :-*
Shooting glass is a real bugger...trying to capture the colors without compromising a lessor shade/tone gives me fits. The reflective nature of my product only adds additional elements to my problem. You any tricks or advice for me?
I was thinking of trying to move my lens further away so it gathers more light and I can tone down the lights and adjust my settings, but then I am thinking I was loose the contours, or sculpturing of my wife's work as it will appear flatter, yes?
Appreciate any adivce you can lend ;D

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by raydawg on 03/03/14 at 08:29:20

0D0E06100B060710620 wrote:

Going to have to try a couple editing programs.... your second and third pics actually look like paintings to me....very soft...

Any programs you prefer over others?

Lots of free stuff out there if you don't mind the ads, etc.
I myself use 2, Adobe PS Elements (12) as I am doing 100's of edits a day. My wife's beads are pretty consistent products, so the program remembers what I do and then incorporates that knowledge into a preset hit one button fix....saves me a great deal of time.
Of course I cam override that and go as far as I want, and that is way further than I know where to go :-?
The other is from Topaz Labs. They make a lot of different filters you plug into your primary editing software, now this one is really easy to use with its presets and sliders, but you can take this program to points of unimaginable results with masking and stuff.
Some of the people who share their works their take the art to a new dimension, its awesome!!!!

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by arteacher on 03/03/14 at 13:17:55

"Shooting glass is a real bugger...trying to capture the colors without compromising a lessor shade/tone gives me fits. The reflective nature of my product only adds additional elements to my problem. You any tricks or advice for me?
I was thinking of trying to move my lens further away so it gathers more light and I can tone down the lights and adjust my settings, but then I am thinking I was loose the contours, or sculpturing of my wife's work as it will appear flatter, yes?
Appreciate any adivce you can lend "
Have you tried a light tent? I looked closely at the pics of your wife's work (Nice stuff BTW) and it appears to me that you are using diffusers on overhead lights, with maybe a reflector or two. With a light tent you can get perfectly even lighting with no reflections on the glass. you need a minimum of three lights- four is better, and you vary the intensity from side to side or front to top (if you have four) in a ratio of 4-3 or 3-2 by moving the lights further or closer to the tent. I also had a small light in the corner to supply a specular highlight to the pieces. I used to use one to shoot silverware and glassware when I worked at Simpson's.
Hope this helps.
My wife used to make dolls with hand embroidered faces, and all the clothes as well, which she sold at craft shows. She did two or three life sized dolls for an art show that were 5' tall. I figured out her hourly wage and it was less than a buck an hour. An unscrupulous dealer bought five of them, copied them with printed faces, had them made piecework by the dozen and pretty much put her out of business. This was before the copy write laws tightened up.

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by Jerry Eichenberger on 03/03/14 at 14:48:47

I don't even own a digital camera, but I guess I'll have to eventually for recreational and personal photography.
I'll still hang onto my Nikon 35 mm film cameras for as long as I can buy film, and get it processed.
At one time, with an Omega enlarger, I did lots of B&W, but those days are far behind me now. I wouldn't even know where to buy the lab chemicals anymore, let alone the quality B&W films of 50 years ago from the likes of Agfa and Kodak. Remember Plus X? Is it even made these days?

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by arteacher on 03/03/14 at 15:52:06

Plus x is no more. What I really miss is Kodachrome 25 120. You could project a life size figure on a white wall from a 6 by 6 slide and swear she was in the room.
My plan is to dig out my 2 1/4 camera, shoot B&W negs, process them and scan them into the computer to print.
I have three digital cameras, an Olympus E30, a Leica Digilux 3, and a Panasonic Lumix L1. The Leica has the best flesh tones, the L1 is almost identical to the Leica, but the colours pop a bit more. The E30 has a bit more resolution. I have a bunch of lenses covering 9-500mm including the Leica 25mm portrait lens and a 50 mm macro.

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by Jerry Eichenberger on 03/03/14 at 18:56:00

Kodachrome 25 was the best film ever. I still look at my slides that I took in the 1960s every now and then, and they are as fresh as ever. The scenes jump out at me just like they did 50 years ago. Ektachrome wasn't even a close second. Is it still available? Are slide projectors even still available? What about the bulbs - where would you buy a replacement?
Why did we let ease and convenience destroy the art of those films and those years? Maybe like we did the motorcycles of that era.

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by Trippah on 03/03/14 at 19:05:52

I think that Jerry has hit a key point; we seem to go for ease over quality. And yet, when I look at modern TV's and computers etc, and cars of course, wow it is a golden age.

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by Jerry Eichenberger on 03/03/14 at 19:16:33

Trippah -

Modern cars suck. Give me a Jag XKE over any modern "sports car". Give me my old TR-3 over a Mazda Miata any day.

Modern ease and convenience - for a housewife who wants a Lexus instead of a real car, because she can't drive the real one. That's why, in 2011, I bought the last Mercedes C300 with a manual transmission that was still imported into the U.S. I prefer to control the car, rather than having it control my driving. Had BMW not gone to those stupid run flat tires, I'd still be driving 3 series.

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by Yonuh Adisi FSO on 03/04/14 at 15:47:46

I so wish I still had my Sony Handicam. I really could have used it this past weekend when I was in Oklahoma visiting my middle brother. I was hoping to get some could landscape shots to use on my book covers but the little twenty dollar wal-mart digital cam I now how sucks and all the pics are blurry.

But alas, the sony met up with a horrible accident while in Nevada. (wind blew over my tripod and broke the camera)

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by ToesNose on 03/04/14 at 18:03:05

I tinker... be it bikes, electronics, wood working, stuff around the house or what ever I just love to fix things. I've had a lot of hobbies over the years but only three make me happy....Surfing, fixing things and riding motorcycles :)

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by OldSport on 03/05/14 at 05:57:50

Photoshop gives you lots of options. The original photo below.

http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz57/Execpriv/Art%20Photos/EasternblockCafe6401_zpse0fa23b7.jpg

Black and white works well here. Look kind of Eastern Block.

http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz57/Execpriv/Art%20Photos/EasternblockCafe6402_zps1d326137.jpg

Then color enhancement changes it completely. We took this one and had it printed at a local shop on canvas in a 36" X 24" format. looks really great on the wall.

http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz57/Execpriv/Art%20Photos/EasternblockCafe6403_zps09322fe5.jpg

And like they said above with digital just take photos until you find one you like. Or make it on you like.

some photos have potential but.....

http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz57/Execpriv/Art%20Photos/FallTour2010003_zps24a941ab.jpg

Clean up a photo.

http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz57/Execpriv/Art%20Photos/FallTour2010test_zps28315c1f.jpg

Or just make it fun.

http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz57/Execpriv/Art%20Photos/FallTour2010hitchhiker1_zps9f0ebcf8.jpg

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by Yonuh Adisi FSO on 03/06/14 at 09:24:54

I use photoshop quite a bit myself. I use it for rotoscoping lightsabre blades and most recently for making the book covers for my books.

http://https://scontent-a-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1/1424472_10201521086493432_1795023547_n.jpg

http://https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1/1549554_10201521076213175_844104996_n.jpg

http://https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/t1/305694_2992915346306_1972459302_n.jpg

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by S-P on 03/09/14 at 15:00:57

7C737F757E7378747364717364160 wrote:

Wow. I still have some Kodachrome 25 slides I took in the 60's/70's. I still have my old Canon manual 35mm that I took them with. I need to digitize my old slides some day. I like digital but can't afford a good digital camera yet. I've used GIMP and Adobe Photoshop Elements for digital editing. Both are good for different levels of editing.

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by Yonuh Adisi FSO on 03/10/14 at 17:10:25

484F5E4D5E554B5A4E573B0 wrote:

I've used GIMP and Adobe Photoshop Elements for digital editing. Both are good for different levels of editing.

I just downloaded GIMP the other day. I haven't tried it out yet however. I would just stay with photoshop but my install disk is in Nevada and I am in New Mexico at the moment. Besides, I thought I'ld see if its as easy to use as I have heard and if I could get the same quality of book covers as I do with photoshop.

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 03/10/14 at 20:39:25

Ive never intentionally downloaded GIMP. I HAVE, however, loaded myself Up with a dose of it on multiple occasions, each time, quite by accident.
I have dents & lumps & bits missing, & scars,, Ohh,, several scars.. Ive even had to pull my pants UP, out of a pressure( hayull,, lets not BS around,, pressure my achin Ayuss,, we talkin CRUSHED,, I heard my thigh bone crack) wound. I was wearin 3 pairs O pants, cuz it was COLD,, ( would that be Cold + or Cold Minus? Do ya turn the AC Up or Down to make it colder? I just get SO confused sometimes).. Anyway,, the pressure the 1/4" plate the machine was built on when it crashed into my thigh was so high it pressed the pants into the skin. They looked like there was wax dripped on them, but it was my skin, pressed thru the weave of the cloth...That bruise met in the back of my leg..

& no, I didnt go to the doctor,, what was he gonna DO? Uncrush it? Took a few days, I was back to work,, darn, I miss being tough as a boot..

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by S-P on 03/10/14 at 20:59:21

3E2127203D3A0B3B0B33212D66540 wrote:

Ive never intentionally downloaded GIMP. I HAVE, however, loaded myself Up with a dose of it on multiple occasions, each time, quite by accident.
& no, I didnt go to the doctor,, what was he gonna DO? Uncrush it? Took a few days, I was back to work,, darn, I miss being tough as a boot..

JOG, a man after my own heart. I once was painting a metal roof on a vintage house in August in Phoenix. The pitch was so steep my tennis shoes were sliding so I took them off and went barefoot. As long as I kept moving I could take the heat. I sliced my foot open on a piece of the roof, about 5 inches and about an inch deep. It was about 11:00am and I decided that it would take me longer to roll up my spray rig than to finish the job, so I wrapped my foot in paper towels and duct tape and finished the job. I went to the urgent care for a tetanus shot and the doc said, I can't let you out of here without stitches and I told him I couldn't afford stitches, and the job was a "charity job" for a church anyway. He stitched me up and when I went to check out the receptionist told me the doc donated his stitches to the church.

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 03/11/14 at 06:06:56

If I knew how to do a Thumbs Up Id do it there..

How do you know when youre REALLY Hurt? Man, when you whup out the Duct tape for first aid,, youre HURT!

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by arteacher on 03/11/14 at 17:22:08

Cut my fingertip to the bone while on camping trip as a cub leader. I couldn't be bothered to drive to the nearest emerg to have it sewn up (an hour each way) so I put 2 stitches in it myself. I used ice to "freeze" it and boiled needle and thread. Took me 1/2 hr. It didn't get infected or anything.
I used to heal very quickly until I became diabetic- now it takes a while.

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 03/11/14 at 18:12:47

AttaBOY Teach! I have a coupla genuine suture kits in the 1st aid box, so far, Ive not needed them,,, AND, Should the moment present itself, I DO have duct tape in the shop! BOY I dont wanna need a hillbilly first aid need that requires it!

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by Yonuh Adisi FSO on 03/12/14 at 21:53:43

Possible new book cover for my book Flight of Destiny. I did this one with GIMP. First time ever using that particular program.

http://https://scontent-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/t1.0-9/1902973_10201875860482560_1764112238_n.jpg

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by old_rider on 03/13/14 at 06:25:44

Bee's were collectin' pollen off my bush yesterday.... tried to get a couple good shots....but i'm allergic to bee stings... so it was a quick focus get in and out thing.... besides they kept moving from flower to flower dang bee's! hold still a sec! I cropped a couple to get a zoomed in effect...

http://i1047.photobucket.com/albums/b471/Orphistle/Mar2014/03122014i3.jpg

http://i1047.photobucket.com/albums/b471/Orphistle/Mar2014/03122014g.jpg

http://i1047.photobucket.com/albums/b471/Orphistle/Mar2014/03122014i.jpg

http://i1047.photobucket.com/albums/b471/Orphistle/Mar2014/03122014w.jpg

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by Yonuh Adisi FSO on 03/13/14 at 09:56:40

Very nice shots OR.

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by Steve H on 03/13/14 at 15:23:59

Nice shots. Hey, at least you've got bees. All I saw around here last year were a few bumble bees and yellow jackets (more of a hornet than a bee). I saw very few actual real bees.

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 03/16/14 at 09:23:02

Ive seen some very good macro shots made with home built lenses strapped onto cheapo cameras.

Title: Re: What else you do?
Post by old_rider on 03/16/14 at 17:22:30

My main problem is the focus of the camera and getting the true "macro" shot with the lens literally a quarter inch from the subject.
My camera focuses with a distance sensor, I cannot focus manually. The sensor is outside of the lens so it tends to focus on other things than what I want to photograph.
I would really like to get some input from local photographers as to an insight to deal with my particular camera as I cannot afford a "professional" rig at the moment.