taking pictures w/ effects

[lrall]

ive noticed there are many on here that have some photo taking skills, what do you guys do? exposure? white balance? photoshop it all? also i was wondering how to get the sunbeam in a picture? i can get it to show up on the screen but it never works out right :bash: thanks for any help guys epper: :banana:

 

[04sleeper]

Subscribing. op:

 

[MinGrey02Stg2]

I usually just shoot in good light (right after the sun sets or a very overcast day... light where shadows are at a minimum) and make sure the exposure is correct (obviously). I shoot in RAW format so I have the ability to change white balance, exposure, etc on the computer, but try to get the best shot possible in the camera. You want to give yourself the cleanest picture to work with in Photoshop if you're going to expect anything decent (that is if you plan to post process). The usual thing I do in Photoshop is just some curves adjustments, maybe bump the contrast to no more than +10, and unsharp mask. That's it really if I'm trying to go for a normal look and not something drastic.

Now, what do you mean by "sunbeam"? Lens flare? The little pentagons and circles the go diagonally through the photo with a bright light in the corner?

 

[lrall]

sort of like a lens flare but no, its like when the camera has the 'line' through it, like the reflection off a car or something where the sun causes a bright white beam through it, make any sense?? I was just wondering what cool things i could do, ive got a lil 5.1 megapix nikon L3, nothing fancy but id like to play around with photos(i have PS)

 

[66temp]

like mingrey said, pick ideal lighting situations, overcast, night time photos are always good given that you have a well lit spot and an interesting background, also concentrate on your exposures, I'm purchasing a polarizer for my camera soon to see if this helps at all and the only PS I usually do is a a tad bit of contrast adjust and change the tones around...cant wait till I get a nicer camera

 

[Badfish]

I'm trying to get into photography, so these tips help!

 

[1tufgt]

Subscribing also...

 

[MinGrey02Stg2]

If you all have any questions, there are forums out there that deal with all kinds of things. Check them out:

http://www.dpreview.com/
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/index.php
http://www.automotivephoto.com/bulletin/

 

[black_bullitt]

i just take the time for LOTS of practice and messing around with different settings...
I'm still in the "newb" phase as far as photography goes, but i like to think i have an eye for things at least!
trial and error are going to be your friends for a while. play with the white balance, ISO settings, and even the aperture values; all these things can make or break a great picture. I'd also highly suggest any of the links from MinGrey's post above! Lots of pros out there that are more than willing to help out and provide insight on everything from camera settings to composition arrangements, tons of help for newbs like us!

oh, and some skills in PhotoShop or an equivalent program don't hurt either, just for that last final touch! epper: