New member posts: April 2014 to June 2020

[MitchellKrog]

Thank you Dave for a most warm welcome

[Jim Weber]

Hi, I'm Jim from Zephyrhills, Florida USA. I am a sports photographer / writer for several local newspapers along with an online publication and my own sports photography website. I have 2 other photographers working with me in my endeavors and find it very rewarding passing on knowledge to improve others talents. I also teach basic photography to journalist students at two nearby high schools.
My website requires me to shoot at 20 different schools encompassing every sport played. If one learns by repetition my staff and I are on information overload.
I find this forum to be a bit more advanced than most and therefore very well worthwhile and informative.
EQUIPMENT: Nikon D3s, (2) D7000.
Nikon 300mm AFS f/2.8, Nikon 70-200mm AFS 2.8, Sigma 24-70 F/2.8 Nikon 50mm f/1.4
Godox Ving 860N Speed lights

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Jim,

First off; a warm welcome to the CiC forums from me.

Sounds like you keep busy!

Looking forward to seeing some of your images.

All the best, Dave

[eugenebalun]

Hello, everyone!

Thanks for allowing me to be part of the Cambridge in Colour Community. As a student of the art of photography I am excited to be part of a community with a common interest and dedication to the advancement of photography as art. I was first attracted to Cambridge after reading “Color Management and Printing”. The article led to the wealth of invaluable information within Cambridge in Colour, the information every serious photographer is thirsty for.

My personal style is fluid, living and growing with each passing day. I have adopted the Zone System as a means to expose both digital and film media. All post processing begins in Lightroom, adjusting each image globally and into Photoshop CC for specific local adjustments. This is where the Zone System reveals its true strength and value.

A photographic background that began a number of years ago (We are trying to forget exactly how many.) exposing black and white film and many hours in the campus darkroom sparked my love for all things photographic. Fond memories of entering the darkroom late in the evening and losing track of time only to exit with the rising sun have turned to an equally enjoyable time in the digital darkroom. Adobe Photoshop CC has become my go-to app. While not professing to be an expert in PSCC, six years of classes, seminars and reading everything I could get my hands on, have helped me become a little more proficient than the average bear.
As part of the Cambridge in Colour community I am seeking informed, knowledgable and constructive criticism regarding my work. I am willing to offer the same to anyone with a desire to improve their photographic skills.

Thank you again. I am looking forward to the journey.

Gene Balun

[JBW]

Not sure I'm doing this correctly, but here it goes.

Hello, everyone!

Thanks for allowing me to be part of the Cambridge in Colour Community. As a student of the art of photography I am excited to be part of a community with a common interest and dedication to the advancement of photography as art. I was first attracted to Cambridge after reading “Color Management and Printing”. The article led to the wealth of invaluable information within Cambridge in Colour, the information every serious photographer is thirsty for.

My personal style is fluid, living and growing with each passing day. I have adopted the Zone System as a means to expose both digital and film media. All post processing begins in Lightroom, adjusting each image globally and into Photoshop CC for specific local adjustments. This is where the Zone System reveals its true strength and value.

A photographic background that began a number of years ago (We are trying to forget exactly how many.) exposing black and white film and many hours in the campus darkroom sparked my love for all things photographic. Fond memories of entering the darkroom late in the evening and losing track of time only to exit with the rising sun have turned to an equally enjoyable time in the digital darkroom. Adobe Photoshop CC has become my go-to app. While not professing to be an expert in PSCC, six years of classes, seminars and reading everything I could get my hands on, have helped me become a little more proficient than the average bear.
As part of the Cambridge in Colour community I am seeking informed, knowledgable and constructive criticism regarding my work. I am willing to offer the same to anyone with a desire to improve their photographic skills.

Thank you again. I am looking forward to the journey.

Gene Balun

Hi Balun, here's your chance to jump right in. Now and again I have come across the term 'zone system' but have never really understood it. What does it mean to you?
brian.
PS welcome to the club

[Minerva]

Hello Dave et al, so glad to be here.

[MilosVukmirovic]

Hello everyone,
I'm Milos, student of economics from Belgrade, Serbia. My interests are mainly in colo(u)r management, but I am also a hobby photographer.

What first brought me to this excellent website was the tutorial section, which I am grateful for. They helped me in building my knowledge and pointing me to the right direction of further knowledge

I'm looking forward to seeing some of your great images, possibly finding new inspirations, sharing mine and also learning new things.

Here is one picture for the beginning, captured with old beauty of a lens, the Nikon Ais 200mm f4, and Nikon d3200:



See you in other threads

With regards,
Milos

[davidedric]

Hello Dave et al, so glad to be here.

Hello, Carol, you are very welcome here. What kind of photography interests you?

Dave

[davidedric]

I'm Milos, student of economics from Belgrade, Serbia.

Hello Milos, and a very warm welcome.

There is a lot of interest in colour management around here, and it can usually lead to some heated (but still good rumoured) discussions.

Nice shot of a collared dove. They only arrived in the UK about sixty years ago, and now they are absolutely everywhere.

Look forward to seeing and hearing more from you,

Dave

[Minerva]

Please see my profile Dave. Thank you.

[davidedric]

I just looked at your album. That's a rather eclectic, but very good, set of images.

Is "Minerva" the goddess or the owl?

Dave

[eugenebalun]

Hi, Brian and thanks!
The Zone System was initially developed by Ansel Adams for use with black and white exposures. The system divides the lightness values in a photograph into 11 Zones ranging from Zone 0 to Zone 10. Zone 0 being totally black with no detail and Zone 10 is totally white with no detail. Zone 5 is designated neutral gray. Each Zone is 1 stop of light. When viewed on a Histogram displaying a total of 256 shades of gray, 0 on the far left and 255 on the extreme right, Zone 0 would be to the far left of the histogram and Zone 10 on the extreme right. To be most effective the use of a spot meter is critical. Since all meters are designed to measure neutral gray, Zone 5, no matter where you meter, will always be Zone 5. Example; Say you want to put the sky in Zone 8 since Zone 8 will still contain detail. Meter on the brightest part of the sky, the meter will register this section of the composition as Zone 5 (Because that's what light meters do.) but you already know you want the sky in Zone 8. 8 minus 5 equaling 3 tells you, you need to add 3 stops of light to get the sky to the desired Zone and expose the capture as you envision it. Going the opposite direction, If you are interested in the darker shades, say Zone 3, you can meter in the desired section. Again the light meter will measure this as Zone 5 so to get it into Zone 3 you would need to subtract 3 stops of light. If you are considering your final output as a print, my experience has been to stay away from too much Zone 1, 2 and 10. Excessive Zone 1 and 2 yields no detail and can cause a print to appear darker than you may want. Zone 10 is pure white with no detail. Just personal observations. That's the Cliff notes version of the Zone System. I find it helpful in metering and even more helpful when post processing. If I have made this clear as mud, you can find a lot of information on the subject if you Google The zone System or Ansel Adams and zone system. If I didn't confuse you too much but you have questions, feel free...

Best Wishes,
Gene

[JBW]

Hi, Brian and thanks!
The Zone System was initially developed by Ansel Adams for use with black and white exposures. The system divides the lightness values in a photograph into 11 Zones ranging from Zone 0 to Zone 10. Zone 0 being totally black with no detail and Zone 10 is totally white with no detail. Zone 5 is designated neutral gray. Each Zone is 1 stop of light. When viewed on a Histogram displaying a total of 256 shades of gray, 0 on the far left and 255 on the extreme right, Zone 0 would be to the far left of the histogram and Zone 10 on the extreme right. To be most effective the use of a spot meter is critical. Since all meters are designed to measure neutral gray, Zone 5, no matter where you meter, will always be Zone 5. Example; Say you want to put the sky in Zone 8 since Zone 8 will still contain detail. Meter on the brightest part of the sky, the meter will register this section of the composition as Zone 5 (Because that's what light meters do.) but you already know you want the sky in Zone 8. 8 minus 5 equaling 3 tells you, you need to add 3 stops of light to get the sky to the desired Zone and expose the capture as you envision it. Going the opposite direction, If you are interested in the darker shades, say Zone 3, you can meter in the desired section. Again the light meter will measure this as Zone 5 so to get it into Zone 3 you would need to subtract 3 stops of light. If you are considering your final output as a print, my experience has been to stay away from too much Zone 1, 2 and 10. Excessive Zone 1 and 2 yields no detail and can cause a print to appear darker than you may want. Zone 10 is pure white with no detail. Just personal observations. That's the Cliff notes version of the Zone System. I find it helpful in metering and even more helpful when post processing. If I have made this clear as mud, you can find a lot of information on the subject if you Google The zone System or Ansel Adams and zone system. If I didn't confuse you too much but you have questions, feel free...

Best Wishes,
Gene

I'll be looking into this

[lookmore]

Hi everybody
I'm from Belgium and I just joined. I'm a hobbyist photographer since longer than the Internet existed but new to this forum. I shoot in the streets (urban, streetphoto) and in nature (landscapes, close-ups). Will be happy reading and writing you here.
Luc

[davidedric]

I'm from Belgium and I just joined

Hi there, Luc, and very glad that you decided to join up. I look forward to seeing some of your photos, and I hope you will feel comfortable joining in the forums. We are a helpful and friendly bunch.

Would you mind updating your profile so that every time you post we can you you are from Belgium, and that you are Luc. As well as being interesting, knowing where someone is can be helpful when offering ideas.

Best regards, Dave

[dmtvaroha]

Hi. I'm Dave, and I've always been interested in art. I tried drawing and painting for a bunch of years, but have lost motivation with age -- Not really old at 54 I guess, but some days it sure feels like it -- My wife got interested in photography a few years ago, and when she upgraded her camera I inherited her original Nikon P90. Seems like a good starting place, and we can go on shoots together, so I'm looking forward to learning this artform.

We live in Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA and she belongs to a local photography club. I was originally drawn to Cambridge in Color by the tutorials -- I have a lot to learn

[davidedric]

Hello Dave, and welcome. There seem to be a lot of us around here (maybe it's an age thing, but I'm afraid I have a good few years on you!).

The tutorials are a great start, but I think that getting out and taking pictures, looking and thinking about what you have, sharing and asking for feedback - those are key.

That's what CiC is all about - learning and sharing. A lot of us, myself included, struggle with the artistic side - maybe that's an area you can help with.

Hope to see you around the forums,

Dave

[Ina]

Warm welcome Dave!!

[Minerva]

I am a Roman Goddess!! Thank you Dave.

I just looked at your album. That's a rather eclectic, but very good, set of images.

Is "Minerva" the goddess or the owl?

Dave

[Kand]

Hi all, I am new here. I have been in photography for several years. I came upon this site because I am in NEED of HELP!!!! Quickly. I am in my Senior Portrait season and getting ready to fly South to shoot a wedding in a month. I have been shooting with a Canon 7D for a few years and LOVED it. I recently purchased an upgrade- Canon 7D Mark ii. I am having issues with SOFT focus across the whole frame. I at first was having this with just my new Mark ii- I actually thought it might be the lens (Canon 24X105) which I use on both cameras. NOW- I am ready to pull my hair out and scream, because I am getting soft focus on both cameras and all lenses. I have put them on a tripod and still issues. I am unsure of what setting I may have changed that could have done this, but I NEED HELP- ASAP. I don't know what to do. I can fix some in post production (lightroom 5.7), but some are just way too gone. My other lenses are Canon 50mm, Canon 18X135, Canon 70X200, Sigma 17X50. Many pictures are okay if viewed 1:1 (100%), but 2:1 (200%) is aweful. I can't send work out like this. I also have two new Altura Professional Series APC-958X Speedlite Flashes- Could they be the issue?? I have them on ETTL so they should work in sync with the camera or maybe I need to do something to sync them? They aren't working the best not giving enough fill light or way over exposed at times.

My photos previous to this were tack sharp all the way through the lenses- except- not sure about the Sigma as I just bought that when I thought my 24X105 was the issue. I don't know what to do, I can't do the many many shoots I have to do with not knowing if I am going to get anything worth saving- never mind the Wedding issue!!!

Someone PLEASE HELP!!!!

MOD COMMENT: above query copied to new post and thread in more appropriate place.