Today I wanted to talk just a bit about my camera. Lately I've gotten quite a few emails asking about my photographs and what kind of camera I have/ camera recommendations/ my Photoshop Actions and so on so I wanted to get it all down here for easy reference and to perhaps answer any other questions you might have for me.
But first let me add this disclaimer - I AM NOT A TRAINED PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER so please don't take the things I say as gospel. It's just a compilation of what I have used and what has worked/not worked for me. It's not intended to influence you one way or another. Amen.
With that out of the way let's get to the most FAQ's:
1. My Camera - I have a Canon Digital Rebel XT.
It's the older model (I think now two models back?) but it has really served me well. I've been incredibly happy with it and have had no issues with it's functioning other than what my boys have done to it (don't ask!). I purchased it with a kit lens (the 18-55mm) which I will talk about more later. It was reasonable in cost when I got it as far as DSLR cameras go but if I'm not mistaken you can get the newer models for a reasonable price as well. I am a loyal Canon girl as my first "good camera" was the film version of the same camera and I absolutely LOVED it. LOVED.
2. My lenses
I currently have three (though I want more - badly!). I have the 18-55mm kit lens I mentioned before, the 75-300mm zoom lens I got soon after, and my newest, the 50mm f1.8. There are distinct advantages/disadvantages to each of them and I'll try and list them here along with some examples.
18-55mm - this is a great general purpose lens. It came with the camera when I bought it an was wonderful for everyday, outdoor shots - from close up to mid-range. It's downside lies in the fact that it's not very good in low light situations and I have found it lags just a little with quick motion. It doesn't give the greatest depth of field (you have to work to get it) but it has beautiful crisp focus. I've turned out some of my favorite shots with this lens like these:
75-300mm - This is my zoom lens and my go-to lens for most any event, especially sporting ones when I'm on the sidelines or in the stands. I love that it gets so close and the huge focal distance give great depth of field. It is sadly slower than my kit lens for focusing so sometimes I miss the shot I was really trying to get, but when I get it? It's so worth it! I love love love this lens. The biggest drawback to it for me is it's size and that if I ever *do* want or need to get closer to a subject, I have to stand waaaaaaaaay back or change lenses! It was interesting to get shots of my kids at the zoo but fab for the animal shots below. Here are a few fave shots taken with my zoom...
and finally my newest lens..
50mm f1.8 - I am just now beginning to get comfortable with this lens and see what it can do/can't do, but let me tell you why I got it. I wanted a lens that had clear, super-sharp focus and great depth of field to get portrait shots. I was frustrated that a lot of my portraits seemed much "flatter" than I wanted. This lens is a very inexpensive lens as far as lenses go (around $95-105ish) and had the most amazing field depth. I can take a photo of a subject and things just a few inches from that subject will be blurred just the way I like. It's absolutely incredible, even in low light situations. I see a love affair coming on for sure, but the thing I'm having the hardest time getting used to is the fixed focus. A fixed focus lens means the lens doesn't adjust for me, *I* have to back up or zoom in to get the distance that I want. And you can't get any closer than the 50mm where as when the 18-55mm, I could get very close. I haven't had much time to play with it, but what I have used it for, I've loved. Here are a couple shots. Check out the bokeh (the light "dots") on the Iris image! Love that!
3. My Photo Editing - I use Adobe Photoshop 6.0 and sadly do it on a PC. I used to do some photo editing for a portait studio and had a Mac that I loved but still used 6.0 on that as well (thought they have since upgraded to CS and beyond! Darn it!) I also know that I can have a tendency to "over process" my photos (I'm actually working on getting better with that!) but what I do like that I always want to keep is popping the color of my images in photoshop. I love getting a real vibrancy with an image - if that image calls for it (and with three boys, I have a lot of images that call for it)! For those of you that like the "popped" color like I do, there are a few easy steps that you can do. I got some of this from trial and error, some from Amy Howe, and still others from other photographers I've worked with. For quick editing, here is what I do:
Color "Popping:
- You can either adjust your image for contrast in curves or levels (or both) or you can take the easy way out and "auto contrast." (Auto contrast might not always give you what you're looking for but 8 times out of 10 it does a pretty good job for those "quickie" edits.
- Then I always add a layer in PS and then use "Screen" to brighten up my image if it's too dark. (If not, then I skip this step.) Once I have the desired brightness that I change using a percentage of opacity, I flatten the image again and add one more layer.
- With this new layer, I use "Soft Light". Soft Light enhances the over all color and makes it more dramatic. The colors glow more and becomes more vibrant. I usually only put this no more than a 40% opacity or else I find it getting a bit too "overdone".
- My final step is an unsharp mask. I do it to the entire image first and then if the image is a portrait (any picture of a person), I'll do the mask again to just the eyes to make them sparkle.
So there you have it! I hope I've answered some of the basics but if there's anything more specific you want to know, feel free to ask. I'll try and answer any others within the comment section as they are asked!
Have a wonderful Friday!
xoxo,
k.
