PROJECT 52 Bunty Plumchip

[Bunty Plumchip]

Thanks Geoff- my eyes were starting to really go by the time I finished on that one- I took a number of shots at the event, and our dioramas were placed such that there were few angles which did not contain a lot of busy and irrelevent background. I think I was a bit ambitious with the editing I tried on the second shot, but it is all practice. As I needed pictures for recording purposes, I did have to make the best of it, so have had a lot of practice with cloning since I did these ones. I see the soft edge on the hat, and tomorrow when I can see straight again I will have another go at it. Thanks for the tips...

[Bunty Plumchip]

As the message said when I logged in- I haven't posted for a while- truth be told, I have become a bit discouraged with myself and photograph opportunities, and lost a lot of confidence. I would like some better lenses (wouldn't we all) but have other financial priorities at the moment, and in anycase, I should be able to make a decent photo with what I have and the pp programmes I have- shouldn't really need the cat's whiskers. However, seeing as CiC asked so nicely, I took these yesterday. wasn't going to post them, because I know the focus, although the best I could do, is too soft and they are a few stops short of the terminus as far as quality wildlife photography is concerned, Apart from cropping out excess sky and house gables, and a bit of fill-light on some of them, I didn't do any significant PP. I am pleased with them despite these limitations though, but as ever, could be morer pleased if they were better.

[Geoff F]

Swallows are very difficult subjects, Carolyn. Particularly when shooting into the sky, as these shots.

Some interesting scenes here.

[oldgreygary]

Hello Carolyn, I can certainly empathise with your comments regarding equipment and financial resources. I have similar thoughts about what if I had that lens etc. As an example I enjoy sport and everything I read says that I need a particular lens/camera. But, hey I still go out there and try it with my camera. Ok, I don't get 'top drawer' results but with some creative cropping and a small amount of PP work I get something that I am happy with. So, I guess that's my message to you is don't worry about lack of resources just go take pictures. It all adds to your knowledge and experience and in a way you become a bit more resourceful. Something does 'click' and will set your creative juices flowing again!

Cheers for now

Gary

[FrankMi]

Hi Carolyn, Please don't be overly discouraged by the lack of fancy equipment or budget. As long as you have a working camera, you can produce increasingly better images by concentrating your efforts on composition. Just go out and have some fun! The rest will surely follow.

[Donald]

Carolyn - Like Frank has said, please don't feel that you cannot achieve great work with the equipment you have. One of the downsides of this hobby is that we all get hooked and feel that 'if only' ............. If only we could afford ...............!

I have been fortunate and recognise that the deal I made with my partner 3 years ago that money not spent on smoking could be spent on photography allowed me to buy things that previously I could only have dreamed about (especially because of the amount I smoked!).

But you can produce great images with what you've got. The only thing that being able to afford more gear allows you do is have a greater number of options as to what you might be able to do. For example, I'm never going to be a great wildlife photographer. It's not something that overly excites me, which is just as well because I couldn't afford the long, fast lens that I'd want if I did get into it.

So, for me it's about determining what I might be able to do very well with what I can have ....... and going for it.

[jprzybyla]

Hello Carolyn, I echo the comments by others above. So please do not become discouraged, I dare say all of us dream of... if I only had that. So in my case, I shoot what I can and pass up what I cannot. I believe that is the story of most of us here. Enjoyment is in making the images that our equipment allows and doing those well. In the images of the Swallows you posted I think the shutter speed was too slow. If you get another oppurtunity try increasing the shutter speed to 1/1600 or 1/2000. Keep shooting and enjoying.