Team-BHP - The Official non-auto Image thread

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Originally Posted by HellwratH (Post 3025632)

Not a guru, but let me try. You've done well trying to capture their surrounding and mood but you need to give more space around the frame. Include a bit more of their environment. That cheapy lens is an awesome lens, learn to use it well and it'll reward you with great pleasures. I think f1.8 is a bit soft, but it should do well by f2.8 and f4 is fantastic. Not sure how good high ISO shots are with 600D, but stop down a bit and increase the ISO. Also, the WB is off in the last photograph.

Thanks Hellwrath for the comments. I am sure the softness is because of the low DOF, I can see in some other closeups the hair going blur when I focussed on her nose. I was trying to move around as much as I could in the room which was a bit difficult, I wanted to test this lens rather than use the 18-55 kit lens I have. I still have a lot to learn about composition. Thanks for pointing out the WB error, a closer look and I realised my mistake!

And of course your shots are truly magnificent, keep them coming!

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Originally Posted by Soumyajit9 (Post 3026932)

OMG !! That's TEMPTING and PATRIOTIC :D !!! Thanks goodness my wife is not a member here. Else, I would have been tortured till I took her to this restaurant !! :deadhorse

EDIT: BTW, where is this ?

That's New Kadai on Kamanahalli main road, about 100mts left of Sena Vihar.

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Originally Posted by anekho (Post 3026999)

Found these lying around on my camera from fall!

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Originally Posted by rajeev k (Post 3027122)

Found from my old collections: from the last scanty rainy season

Guys, what is the point of posting these shots?

A good photograph should have proper composition, technical merit and then oomph factor. I mean all three of them. But these pics of none of the three. Please post pics that you are proud to show off, and not something that was just lying around the camera or hard disk.

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Originally Posted by nilanjanray (Post 3026651)

I am planning to take my first formal photography class - one on post processing -with Toehold. Can anyone provide feedback? I am teaching myself GIMP, and want to make sure that the class will be useful e.g. if a class focused on specific Photoshop techniques and not generic techniques useful across various SW, then that doesn't add that much value.
Edit: Edited comment just to tell IronH4WK that his photo made me hungry.

You said learning Photoshop techniques and not-generic techniques doesn't add value. I am interested to know how GIMP learning can actually overcome that.

I have used GIMP and Photoshop over the years. To me, GIMP is not even half as usable as Photoshop. The so called Photoshop techniques aren't just specific to that application as well. May be it's just me.

At first I learned Photoshop, all I knew about GIMP was that there exists something called GIMP. Later, when I started using GIMP, I could pick up things so fast because I had the idea about each and every feature through my Photoshop experience.

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Originally Posted by clevermax (Post 3027223)

You said learning Photoshop techniques and not-generic techniques doesn't add value. I am interested to know how GIMP learning can actually overcome that.

I have used GIMP and Photoshop over the years. To me, GIMP is not even half as usable as Photoshop. The so called Photoshop techniques aren't just specific to that application as well. May be it's just me.

At first I learned Photoshop, no even knowing that there is GIMP. Later, when I started using GIMP, I could pick up things so fast because I had the idea about each and every feature through my Photoshop experience.

When you start with something like photoshop, migrating to GIMP is very very difficult. However, if your starting point it GIMP, then its very good, unless you want to dabble in print, which is a task in GIMP

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Originally Posted by tsk1979 (Post 3027230)

May be true, tsk. My main point was that we cannot say Photoshop techniques aren't generic enough.

To me, Photoshop offers usability, features and performance in one package, all of these are not found as a fine blend in GIMP. It is somewhat like MS Office Vs. Open Office :D We can always say that PS isn't free, but you get what you pay for..

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Originally Posted by clevermax (Post 3027223)

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Originally Posted by tsk1979 (Post 3027230)

I know that Photoshop is more user friendly:). Most of the time I am Googling to find out how to do something in GIMP.

However, I don't have Photoshop but have GIMP. Any Photoshop specific technique - that can't be replicated so easily - will add less value - unless that can be applied to GIMP as well. But it is good to know that most can be replicated.

So, question: does it make sense to move to Photoshop from GIMP? And why would someone who has Photoshop also use GIMP? For some of the scripts or plug-ins?

For folks who have attended a Toehold workshop: any feedback? Is one day enough for post processing?

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Originally Posted by nilanjanray (Post 3027245)

Any feedback regarding the workshops? Is one day ok for post processing?

I am not in favor of photography workshops. Most of those workshops are expensive and your take-away from such a workshop won't worth the price you pay. I'd say, attend if its free :D

Some of those workshops will leave noobs more confused than they were before. They'll let the rules take over their own reasoning & creativity and spoil the pictures. Some may start giving undue importance to trivial factors as well.

A workshop alone can't get you anywhere w.r.t. post processing. IMO, it comes with constant usage and self-learning of features and new possibilities. It needs creative thinking, patience and an interest in PP.

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Originally Posted by tsk1979 (Post 2974109)

Nope. I use the inbuilt noise reduction of the tool I use. Either its Lightroom Release candidate, or its Rawtherapee.
In this particular image. I used wavelet noise reduction plugin in GIMP.
I did very little reduction though. Wavelet allows much stronger reduction.

For TSK and other GIMP users: So among plug-ins such as Wavelet Denoise or GMIC, and a free standalone such as Neat Image, which one do you prefer? Or is it horses for courses?

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Originally Posted by clevermax (Post 3027253)

I am not exactly a total noob w.r.t post processing, especially as of the 1.5 months when I got some time to read up and work at it when I was down with a busted ankle :-)

I have been teaching myself through experimentation and reading. But if a workshop can throw up some useful concepts, and I get to meet like-minded people, then it would be good. I can also talk to the Toehold folks and see if it makes sense to do some wildlife tours with them.