Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts
Friday, July 29, 2011
Deleting Photos
I've been avoiding a problem for a long time. I have tons of photos on my computer (over 250 GB) and haven't taken the time to delete many/any of them. My backup drive was starting to get full, so I figured it was time for me to start cleaning up my photo folders (after all, who needs 100 photos of the same sunset?). I also read this article about deleting ruthlessly. Fabulous article, and I think it will help me appear to be a better photographer, because instead of going through all my photos when I am showing someone my work, I will be going through the best 10% (or so). I have been deleting photos from the past year or so, and have reduced most folders from ~800 photos to less than 100. I feel like I'm doing a good job of still keeping the memories, but not taking over all my hard drive space.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Camera Resources
So, I had a friend ask me a lot of questions about DSLR cameras yesterday, so I put together some resources for him, and thought it would be worthwhile to share here...
Thought I'd throw together some information on SLR's and resources to learn about them that I have been using.
Here is the review of the T1i that I have. The guys at DPreview I really like.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos500d/
And here is the review of the T2i, which is a model newer, and compares itself with the T1i.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos550d/
You could obviously also look at the Nikon d5000 there as well.
I Chose canon for several reasons over the Nikon. First, I really didn't like how the Nikon felt. Second, Nikon uses different lenses for their 'consumer' line than for their 'professional' line of cameras. So if I were to step up later I would have to buy new lenses. Canon has two lines of lens and one line (the higher end line denoted EF (the other line is EF-S)) works on both their consumer and professional cameras. I also know some other people that have Canon cameras and lens, so I thought it would be better if we could share lenses, etc. I don't know anyone with a Nikon, but I know of a lot of professionals that shoot with them.
I don't use the camera to take movies, I've tried, but I've only really tried with a lens that doesn't have and zoom (prime lens of fixed) and so it was really hard to film the kids because they were always trying to get really close and I couldn't zoom out. Also the movie mode was a little cumbersome and hard to get to a point where I'd be happy with the video.
Anyway this is where I bought from. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/613613-REG/Canon_3818B002_EOS_Rebel_T1i_500D.html
And like I said the other night, you should get a good SDHC card to go with it, at least class 6, but I'd just go with class 10.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/524532-REG/SanDisk_SDSDRX3_8192_A21_8GB_Extreme_SDHC_Memory.html
or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220450&cm_re=patriot_sdhc_class_10-_-20-220-450-_-Product
I own the bottom link, I wish I could own the top link.
That''s enough about equipment for now,
These guys put on a 20minute show every week about cameras and camera gear. http://kelbytv.com/dtowntv/ I really like watching, In the beginning they talk almost exclusively about Nikons, but in the more recent episodes they talk about Canon's as well. Most anything they say or show (accessory wise) Canon makes as well as Nikon, so it still all applies. I would start by watching some of the early episodes, but the last two (58-59) have been about lenses for sports (mostly outdoor) and might be good to watch too, since that seems to be what you want it for the most.
http://www.digital-photography-school.com/exposure-triangle-not-just-about-moreless-light
This website has also been a great resource for me to learn about how to take better pictures. This article explains a lot about getting the lighting right, and at the bottom it has further articles to read to help understand more. It also has some 'rules' (which can be broken, but are generally good to follow) for taking good pictures (http://www.digital-photography-school.com/4-digital-photography-tips-for-the-year-ahead).
Thought I'd throw together some information on SLR's and resources to learn about them that I have been using.
Here is the review of the T1i that I have. The guys at DPreview I really like.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos500d/
And here is the review of the T2i, which is a model newer, and compares itself with the T1i.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos550d/
You could obviously also look at the Nikon d5000 there as well.
I Chose canon for several reasons over the Nikon. First, I really didn't like how the Nikon felt. Second, Nikon uses different lenses for their 'consumer' line than for their 'professional' line of cameras. So if I were to step up later I would have to buy new lenses. Canon has two lines of lens and one line (the higher end line denoted EF (the other line is EF-S)) works on both their consumer and professional cameras. I also know some other people that have Canon cameras and lens, so I thought it would be better if we could share lenses, etc. I don't know anyone with a Nikon, but I know of a lot of professionals that shoot with them.
I don't use the camera to take movies, I've tried, but I've only really tried with a lens that doesn't have and zoom (prime lens of fixed) and so it was really hard to film the kids because they were always trying to get really close and I couldn't zoom out. Also the movie mode was a little cumbersome and hard to get to a point where I'd be happy with the video.
Anyway this is where I bought from. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/613613-REG/Canon_3818B002_EOS_Rebel_T1i_500D.html
And like I said the other night, you should get a good SDHC card to go with it, at least class 6, but I'd just go with class 10.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/524532-REG/SanDisk_SDSDRX3_8192_A21_8GB_Extreme_SDHC_Memory.html
or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220450&cm_re=patriot_sdhc_class_10-_-20-220-450-_-Product
I own the bottom link, I wish I could own the top link.
That''s enough about equipment for now,
These guys put on a 20minute show every week about cameras and camera gear. http://kelbytv.com/dtowntv/ I really like watching, In the beginning they talk almost exclusively about Nikons, but in the more recent episodes they talk about Canon's as well. Most anything they say or show (accessory wise) Canon makes as well as Nikon, so it still all applies. I would start by watching some of the early episodes, but the last two (58-59) have been about lenses for sports (mostly outdoor) and might be good to watch too, since that seems to be what you want it for the most.
http://www.digital-photography-school.com/exposure-triangle-not-just-about-moreless-light
This website has also been a great resource for me to learn about how to take better pictures. This article explains a lot about getting the lighting right, and at the bottom it has further articles to read to help understand more. It also has some 'rules' (which can be broken, but are generally good to follow) for taking good pictures (http://www.digital-photography-school.com/4-digital-photography-tips-for-the-year-ahead).
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Lighting Equipment
This weekend I got two stands and umbrellas from Amazon.com. Great purchase, we did our first newborn shoot this weekend with them and it was awesome and they worked so well. The far umbrella has a ringlight that I was borrowing from the UW, I have a flash coming soon, that should light up the whole umbrella better, I will post pictures taken with the set up in the coming days.
My main learning source was http://strobist.blogspot.com. They have a great website with all kinds of tips and ideas to get started with strobe lighting.
The amazon.com links in this post are to the equipment I bought. It's not the best stuff, but it is pretty sweet and does an awesome job, I've been very impressed so far with it. We also took some self portraits of ourselves last night, just messing around, I will try to get those photos up this week, so you can see some examples of our work. So we have 2 of the umbrella kits and 2 of the wireless triggers for the flashes. It works, it simply just works, it is so great, and easy to set up. I just need to get a bag to transport it. If you buy through these links, Amazon gives us a kickback, so that would be great, but obviously you don't have to. We also purchased a new flash from mpex, the flash comes highly recommended and I will have a separate post on that after we get it, it has adjustable flash power and as much power as Canon's 580 speedlite (which is like $500), but this one was much cheaper. Check it out here. http://www.mpex.com/browse.cfm/4,14648.html
Have a great day.
My main learning source was http://strobist.blogspot.com. They have a great website with all kinds of tips and ideas to get started with strobe lighting.
The amazon.com links in this post are to the equipment I bought. It's not the best stuff, but it is pretty sweet and does an awesome job, I've been very impressed so far with it. We also took some self portraits of ourselves last night, just messing around, I will try to get those photos up this week, so you can see some examples of our work. So we have 2 of the umbrella kits and 2 of the wireless triggers for the flashes. It works, it simply just works, it is so great, and easy to set up. I just need to get a bag to transport it. If you buy through these links, Amazon gives us a kickback, so that would be great, but obviously you don't have to. We also purchased a new flash from mpex, the flash comes highly recommended and I will have a separate post on that after we get it, it has adjustable flash power and as much power as Canon's 580 speedlite (which is like $500), but this one was much cheaper. Check it out here. http://www.mpex.com/browse.cfm/4,14648.html
Have a great day.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
TV in America
Here is an interesting piece about how cutting the TV can be good for you.
While I don't think this article is extremely well written, the points are hard to miss. The article claims that you can be healthier and wealthier by not having cable or satellite. Not only do people save money by not having a monthly bill, but also because they (and their kids) want less toys/items that they see during commercial. You have more time to do things you want and you can get more sleep (which is part of the healthier part).
I lived with out TV for 3 years while serving in a ministry house in Shoreline. And since getting married (and the national move to digital tv) left me with no broadcast signal, we have chosen to live with out cable (which both of us did all through growing up). We watch the occasional TV show (through hulu), but it is on our time frame, not the TV stations, and we have netflix for the night we want to watch a movie.
I will not claim to never let my kids watch TV, I have realized and heard of enough other parents trying that, but I was limited in my TV watching/computer playing as a kid and I turned out okay (I think so anyway).
I do think people should try to turn off the TV 1 week a month or something, just to try it and see how it effects their life. I think it ruined my life. I have a hard time sitting and watching most any sport (on TV) the whole way through with out feeling like I am wasting my time. (since the end of most games is either the only part necessary to watch (its a close game) or its a blow out and there is no point in watching the end). That being said, I enjoy having a game on if I am doing something like cooking or editing photos, it just hard to have it on and read at the same time.
I guess I just thought it pretty cool that there are people in society who try this. So, go do something with the people in your life today.
While I don't think this article is extremely well written, the points are hard to miss. The article claims that you can be healthier and wealthier by not having cable or satellite. Not only do people save money by not having a monthly bill, but also because they (and their kids) want less toys/items that they see during commercial. You have more time to do things you want and you can get more sleep (which is part of the healthier part).
I lived with out TV for 3 years while serving in a ministry house in Shoreline. And since getting married (and the national move to digital tv) left me with no broadcast signal, we have chosen to live with out cable (which both of us did all through growing up). We watch the occasional TV show (through hulu), but it is on our time frame, not the TV stations, and we have netflix for the night we want to watch a movie.
I will not claim to never let my kids watch TV, I have realized and heard of enough other parents trying that, but I was limited in my TV watching/computer playing as a kid and I turned out okay (I think so anyway).
I do think people should try to turn off the TV 1 week a month or something, just to try it and see how it effects their life. I think it ruined my life. I have a hard time sitting and watching most any sport (on TV) the whole way through with out feeling like I am wasting my time. (since the end of most games is either the only part necessary to watch (its a close game) or its a blow out and there is no point in watching the end). That being said, I enjoy having a game on if I am doing something like cooking or editing photos, it just hard to have it on and read at the same time.
I guess I just thought it pretty cool that there are people in society who try this. So, go do something with the people in your life today.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Fast Glass Pt. 2
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Dispatch/market-dispatches.aspx?post=1810864&_blg=1,1810864So, I decided to add pictures to my description of Fast glass to help showcase what I am talking about. I took all these pictures with a constant ISO (which was set to 200), I did this so I could show the affect changing the Aperture would have on the photos. I was set to Av mode on my camera (aperture priority), so the camera would take the ISO and Aperture value that I choose and then chose a shutter speed to properly expose the photo (Review the exposure triangle here).
Now I can hand hold my camera down to a shutter speed of about 1/60 with my 50mm lens on my camera. Any lower and there is a high likelyhood of blur. For this example however, I put my camera on a tripod and didn't use a flash or anything. I just had the lights on in my living room. A few things I want you to notice: 1 depth of field, notice how much is in focus in the first picture and how much is in focus on the last picture. The first picture has very little in focus compared to the last one (see how each picture gets more and more in focus). The lower the Aperture value (i.e. 1.8 vs 5.6) the less that will be in focus, the rest gets blurry. 2. notice how the shutter speeds change. The first shutter speed is 1/60, the final one is 1/2 seconds. There is no way on earth I could hold the camera still for half a second while the shutter is open. If I wanted to use a higher aperture (like in the last photo) I would have to raise the ISO which creates more noise in the photo. Anyway, here we go (these are all pictures of a quilt given to us for our wedding)...
Notice how every time I made the Aperture bigger the Shutter speed was cut in half. That is because I was making it so there was one "stop" of light less. So the shutter had to be cut in half to make one "stop" more light so we would get the same exposure.
If you want to see all the pictures larger in a one after another process click here. You can also pull up the EXIF (shutter speed, iso, f settings) on the right side of the page if you click more information. Hope this makes a little more sense.
Now I can hand hold my camera down to a shutter speed of about 1/60 with my 50mm lens on my camera. Any lower and there is a high likelyhood of blur. For this example however, I put my camera on a tripod and didn't use a flash or anything. I just had the lights on in my living room. A few things I want you to notice: 1 depth of field, notice how much is in focus in the first picture and how much is in focus on the last picture. The first picture has very little in focus compared to the last one (see how each picture gets more and more in focus). The lower the Aperture value (i.e. 1.8 vs 5.6) the less that will be in focus, the rest gets blurry. 2. notice how the shutter speeds change. The first shutter speed is 1/60, the final one is 1/2 seconds. There is no way on earth I could hold the camera still for half a second while the shutter is open. If I wanted to use a higher aperture (like in the last photo) I would have to raise the ISO which creates more noise in the photo. Anyway, here we go (these are all pictures of a quilt given to us for our wedding)...
 | |||
| F 1.8 shutter speed 1/60. Only picture I would have been able to hand hold the | camera. |
 |
| F2.8 Shutter Speed 1/30 Notice the Second diamond from bottom is starting to be in focus |
 |
| F4.0 Shutter 1/15 More is in focus |
 |
| F5.6 Shutter 1/8 |
 |
| F8.0 Shutter 1/4 |
 | |
| F11 Shutter 1/2 Notice, pretty much everything is in focus (Depth of field) but only because nothing was moving. |
If you want to see all the pictures larger in a one after another process click here. You can also pull up the EXIF (shutter speed, iso, f settings) on the right side of the page if you click more information. Hope this makes a little more sense.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Fast Glass
So, I don't think I have any pictures to include in this post. But I will find a time to take some pictures to demonstrate this.
I think I have spoiled myself by buying the Canon EF 50mm F1.8 mk2. It is such a great lens that it has spoiled me. Because the aperture is so large it allows me to take great indoor pictures without using the flash (in a moderately lit room. This week, I took my kit lens (18-55mm F3.5-5.6) to work, because we were going to the farm and I wanted to be able to take some wide angle pictures. However, it turned out to be a fairly dark overcast day, and when we took a hay ride with the kids, we sat in a covered wagon (it was sprinkling rain) this made it harder to take pictures with my kit lens, because I had to use a higher iso setting (which caused some noise to appear in my photos). I even have some pictures from the day, were I took a picture at f4, and then zoomed in (so my F value went to 5.6) and the amount of light in the pictures is drastically different. I like to shoot at a constant shutter speed, so I know that the photos won't be blurry (normally 1/100 or 1/80s). So, basically I wish I would have taken my 50mm, so that I would have been able to take sharper pictures all morning.
Now here is the spoiled part, after seeing how drastically different they are, I want to always have fast glass (lowest f value where 1.8>2.8>4>5.6). However, the faster glass is always more expensive, so that sucks, because it will mean more money out of my pocket when I buy a telephoto zoom lens (hopefully someday I will get it).
I think I have spoiled myself by buying the Canon EF 50mm F1.8 mk2. It is such a great lens that it has spoiled me. Because the aperture is so large it allows me to take great indoor pictures without using the flash (in a moderately lit room. This week, I took my kit lens (18-55mm F3.5-5.6) to work, because we were going to the farm and I wanted to be able to take some wide angle pictures. However, it turned out to be a fairly dark overcast day, and when we took a hay ride with the kids, we sat in a covered wagon (it was sprinkling rain) this made it harder to take pictures with my kit lens, because I had to use a higher iso setting (which caused some noise to appear in my photos). I even have some pictures from the day, were I took a picture at f4, and then zoomed in (so my F value went to 5.6) and the amount of light in the pictures is drastically different. I like to shoot at a constant shutter speed, so I know that the photos won't be blurry (normally 1/100 or 1/80s). So, basically I wish I would have taken my 50mm, so that I would have been able to take sharper pictures all morning.
Now here is the spoiled part, after seeing how drastically different they are, I want to always have fast glass (lowest f value where 1.8>2.8>4>5.6). However, the faster glass is always more expensive, so that sucks, because it will mean more money out of my pocket when I buy a telephoto zoom lens (hopefully someday I will get it).
Saturday, July 10, 2010
4th of July
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