Photography nerds!

[gymell]

I've seen a few references here and there on the forum, but I thought I'd start a thread specifically about it. I've always enjoyed photography, since I was a kid, but didn't really get into it hard until the digital era. One thing I really like about photography is that it can be combined with just about any other interest you have. And you can really get into the whole nerdy technical aspect of it, take that as far as you want, or not. Plus it's a hobby where the end result can be shared with others. Most people appreciate a good photo, even if they aren't a photographer.

For me, I really love birdwatching so I have combined those interests. I don't have as much time for it as I used to, but it's still something I enjoy. I've bought and sold a lot of camera gear over the years, but because I love bird photography, I have settled on just a few. My main camera is a Canon 1D Mark III, and I'm usually shooting with 500mm f/4 lens with either a 1.4x or 2x teleconverter (because most birds are tiny and fast.) My second body is a Canon 40D and I also have a 100-400mm zoom. For wide angle I use my Canon G10. I just went out to Nebraska a few weeks ago to spend two nights in a small blind, photographing sandhill cranes.

Here's my main rig (I don't usually have the flash extender on, but occasionally it comes in handy):

And a few shots from Nebraska:

Lots more photos in my online galleries. Mostly birds, of course.

[bigm141414]

Your setup makes me weep. Some very nice photos! I dabble in picture taking, mostly travel type and candid shots.

My current setup is a Nikon D300 and I rotate 3 lenses: Sigma 10-20, Nikon 35mm f1.8, and a Nikon 35-70mm f2.8 (currently my fav).

What do you use for post process? I use lightroom and gimp.

Current Link to flickr account

[gymell]

I shoot RAW, so I start first with Canon Digital Photo Professional to do the initial conversion and any adjustments that need to be made on the RAW file. Then I convert to TIFF and use Photoshop - was a long time Paint Shop Pro user until I finally dumped Windows and got a Mac. I have a few good plugins that I like for noise and sharpening. My skills are very limited to so my PP basically consists of cropping, noise reduction, resizing and sharpening.

[bigm141414]

Good photos don't need much PP

You are the first person I've heard of that used Paint Shop pro for post. Almost everyone falls into the photoshop/gimp category.

[scuddle]

Wow, those photos are gorgeous!

[gymell]

I started using Paint Shop Pro back when it was still shareware and would still be using it today if there was a version for Mac or Linux. I've played around with Gimp and can do some basic things, but I've never really cared for the interface. So I reluctantly bought Photoshop.

[Blueberries]

Those are lovely!

I'm a Nikon girl, myself. I shoot with a D700 and love it more than any of my other possessions. I would be LOST without my camera.

[bigm141414]

Those are lovely!

I'm a Nikon girl, myself. I shoot with a D700 and love it more than any of my other possessions. I would be LOST without my camera.

Evny! I would love to shoot with a a full frame, especially for night photos and concerts. But I can't justify the cost

[Hammlin]

I love the 3rd picture in the original post, with the birds looking like they are running on the water! Beautiful!

[AKLulu]

Beautiful photos, Gymell!

I have a Canon Rebel xsi, but don't really know much beyond randomly tinkering with the dials until I get close to what I want. I'd really like to take a photography class or something to learn more about how to use it. Basically all I've got going for me is an eye for perspective. I don't really have much up on my site... I never make the time for adjusting my photos to my satisfaction, so it's a bit lacking. Link to some of my photos: http://floundergirlphotography.smugmug.com/

[bigm141414]

Lulu, too many pictures of food! Now I'm hungry...

[jmbrunson]

Great shots! & that rig is amazing. It certainly makes my Nikon D5000 seem puny. Especially since the biggest lens I have is a 200mm, but mostly I shoot with a 18-55mm. I'm thinking of getting just a 50mm prime for those smaller f-stops. And I use my iPhone mostly for daily photos, because it's easier to carry everywhere. But I certainly consider it a hobby of mine. Here are a couple of my favorite shots:

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And at flickr & fb has more.

[AKLulu]

Lulu, too many pictures of food! Now I'm hungry...

Haha.... yeah... most of my albums on there currently are things that were easy to throw together and categorize

[Guest Snake McClain]

i like to look at pictures. but i don't take them.

[jmbrunson]

I started using Paint Shop Pro back when it was still shareware and would still be using it today if there was a version for Mac or Linux. I've played around with Gimp and can do some basic things, but I've never really cared for the interface. So I reluctantly bought Photoshop.

Gimp is simply terrible! I use Photoshop CS3 & Aperture. I have to use ps for work so I'm familiar with it's interface. What version of PS are you using?

[Rosie]

Wow those photos are amazing!

I shoot nikon on a lowly D40 but have invested some money on a few really nice lenses. Currently I'm saving up the £1000 or so to get a new camera body. I really want one that does HD movies on!

Heres my Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosey_emily/ I mainly like to shoot candid photos or just random things I see. Not updated in ages because I signed up back when you needed a yahoo account and lost my log on details ages ago when my computer was installed with windows 7.

[jmbrunson]

Wow those photos are amazing!

I shoot nikon on a lowly D40 but have invested some money on a few really nice lenses. Currently I'm saving up the £1000 or so to get a new camera body. I really want one that does HD movies on!

Heres my Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosey_emily/ Not updated in ages because I signed up back when you needed a yahoo account and lost my log on details ages ago when my computer was installed with windows 7.

I like the shots of Juno, I enjoy cat photography myself.

[bigm141414]

I have to say, for a budget camera, the D40 is an amazing piece of photo engineering. Much better than the supposedly better D60. The D40 can go a far way and even compares well with the big boys (D90, D7000, etc) in terms of image quality. Really, one of the finest cameras Nikon made.

[bigm141414]

Gimp is simply terrible! I use Photoshop CS3 & Aperture. I have to use ps for work so I'm familiar with it's interface. What version of PS are you using?

Having never used photoshop, Gimp is pretty good given that it is free. The interface is completely clunky, but it gets the job done for those of us on a budget.

Now Lightroom, I am so glad I spent the money on that puppy as my RAW processor. I can't live without it.

[jmbrunson]

Having never used photoshop, Gimp is pretty good given that it is free. The interface is completely clunky, but it gets the job done for those of us on a budget.

Now Lightroom, I am so glad I spent the money on that puppy as my RAW processor. I can't live without it.

I didn't mean to offend Gimp users, my company tried to get away with us using only gimp to make graphics with and it turned out terribly, so I have a personal dislike for it. I've heard nothing but good things about Lightroom.

[bigm141414]

I didn't mean to offend Gimp users, my company tried to get away with us using only gimp to make graphics with and it turned out terribly, so I have a personal dislike for it. I've heard nothing but good things about Lightroom.

No worries, it is by no means a product for the professional space. I use it mainly for selective coloring and a few different effects.

Lightroom does everything else I need since I try to keep my images as natural as possible. (only light edits to crop, straighten, mess with WB etc.

[jmbrunson]

No worries, it is by no means a product for the professional space. I use it mainly for selective coloring and a few different effects.

Lightroom does everything else I need since I try to keep my images as natural as possible. (only light edits to crop, straighten, mess with WB etc.

I wish I would've looked at your photos before going into this conversation, because I would've realized I was talking to someone who was a much better photographer. Your city-scapes are A-mazing! You've got a great eye for composition.

[bigm141414]

I wish I would've looked at your photos before going into this conversation, because I would've realized I was talking to someone who was a much better photographer. Your city-scapes are A-mazing! You've got a great eye for composition.

D'awwwwwww thanks.

[Rosie]

I have to say, for a budget camera, the D40 is an amazing piece of photo engineering. Much better than the supposedly better D60. The D40 can go a far way and even compares well with the big boys (D90, D7000, etc) in terms of image quality. Really, one of the finest cameras Nikon made.

True, I do love my little D40 and the pictures I've gotten on it are amazing, especially with my vintage 50mm prime lens but I'm saving up for one of the big brothers now!

[Sundae]

Well, I use a cannon PowerShot.... anyway Nice photos gymell, I have been interested in photograph but have never found the time to figure out any of the post processing stuff, also in college and I don't have money to spend on cameras. Though i have had many complements on my pictures ex: (used paint to make it smaller.)

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