Roberta - Photo chat

I have a Nikon D3000. I'd love to upgrade sometime soon. It's funny, people are either Cannon lovers or Nikon lovers. I get my photos printed through SmugMug; they are the best! They also have photo challenges that I entered religiously for a few years, but had to cut back recently. I am not that great at finding photo contests online or I'd enter more. I swore I'd never give up film but geez, once I did I realized how ridiculous that was!

Here's my website if you get tired of writing.

sandizphotos-seascapes.smugmug.com/

Yes, once you buy all the lenses, you don't want to switch brands. I had a bunch of Canon lenses, so went with a digital SLR made by Canon. I also swore I would not give up film but pretty soon, I had no choice. I like to print my pictures on Kodak machines. I always liked Kodak's color-- more red than Agfa or some of those other cool tone films. I love being able to select my own color and contrast, but with no negatives, I am afraid some day down the line, it won't be possible to access files. Someone will have to keep bringing the files forward on new media, and eventually, it won't be done.

I think too many online contests are done on viewers voting, and quite frankly, most people can't tell a good photo from a bad one. I liked contest put out by picture people like Canon. They knew what they were looking at. Plus, I think being able to digitally remove things from a picture makes people more careless in their photography.

Hey Sandi and Roberta,

Great that you started a photography related chat. I'm an avid photogrpaher as well (just amatour) and an owner of a Canon. I've been saving up for a Canon 5D and hopefully will get it one day! I've also always dreamt of a Leica 50mm photo-journalistic style smaller camera, which will make it easier to shoot street style photography.

I had a look at your website Sandi, wow the photos look great. What sort of style do you enjoy the most? Have you been taking much photos lately since you stopped working?

Here's my blog, if you need a break from the ITP related subjects.
fanaberje.blogspot.com.au/

Roberta - would love to see some of your photos too.

Ania

I'll write a bunch tomorrow, guys. My daughter had surgery today and I was up before the crack of dawn. I'm still going but my batteries just quit!

I take so many pictures, I've already killed off one camera and am working on another! My favorite shots are scenery types. And I am very family oriented, so I usually take my camera whenever we do family things. I took a fam photo last Mother's Day when we went to see my mom in the hospital.

Sandi, I hope your daughter's operation went well.

Family photos are great, create so many special memories. I love street and documentary style the most like the Magnum photographers. Btw, recently read the biographphy of Diana Arbus, highly recommended!!

Okay, finally back home!

I love portraits and candid shots, mostly black and whites. I am not a landscape or animal photographer, although I do like looking at others' work. I have a few on my site, but prefer people. I love street photography, but never have the nerve to take a shot of strangers when they don't know it. I was actually taking a shot of a lamp in town one evening and some guy walking down the street flew up to me and asked if I was taking his picture. I wasn't even pointing at the paranoid person and he was very upset.

"I think too many online contests are done on viewers voting, and quite frankly, most people can't tell a good photo from a bad one." I agree! That was one reason I stopped the photo challenges. The theme was 'Painting with Light'. One entry was a picture of a screen saver. Seriously? The straw that broke the camels back was when someone commented that it was 'enlightening'. I almost choked. I was mostly just doing it to challenge myself so that I could improve and stay creative. I have come a very long way since I began. The prize was also nice; winners would get money towards the yearly membership and I was getting enough wins to pay for that. It had its perks. I still do a few here and there when the theme interests me. There were some truly talented people there too who gave great constructive criticism. It amazes me what people come up with.

Yes, digital editing has changed photography, that's for sure. It is great though to remove facial imperfections and poles behind someones head. I have one really bad digital Photoshop in my set...the girl with the balloon. I know it's hilarious and really bad.

Ania - I love your people shots, especially the cigars. Nice!

Roberta and Cindy - I'd love to see some of your shots too!

how is your daughter? You said she'd had surgery. I hope it was not too hard on her.

I don't have a website. Have no idea how to make one. I guess i would have to email you some if you like. Or can they be put here?

I'm going to try something here. See if this shows up.

I'm going to try something here. See if this shows up.
It didn't.

Oh, it showed up, but it is blurry and too light. guess the file was too big or something.

Let's see if it works better making the file way smaller.

still blurry but maybe better.

Nice! I never go anywhere to take shots like that, so I'm limited. All I ever see are suburbs and stores. I consider myself geographically challenged.

My daughter is doing ok. She had robotic thyroid removal....they take it out through the arm pit. She had some low blood pressure problems after the surgery and they almost didn't let her go home. It did go up and she got home last evening. Her fiance was a nervous wreck so I stayed over at their house. We took turns checking on her during the night.

She's doing okay today, so I let them go solo tonight. I am still worried about complications, but I told him what to watch for and keep talking to her as much as I can. She doesn't want to get out of bed much, but HAS to to avoid pneumonia, clots and keep from getting stiff. Doctors orders, but she gives us a hard time.

Roberta - I use this site to post pics here:

www.tinypic.com

Since we are both retired-- or my husband mostly is-- we have traveled a great deal. I'm glad I did that now that I'm not sure what is going to happen with me and travel now.

I used to live in Geauga Co, Ohio, which is headquarters for a huge group of Amish. I used to love taking pictures of the stooks and Amish children, etc. I still miss that area in the maple syrup days and in the fall. Loved the big wagons full of cornstalks and the kids playing ring around the rosy in the schoolyards. Lots of photo ops.

Really enjoyed your pics, especially some of those taken in New Zealand. Do you live there? Also the ones of Cuba are really, really good. It helps to have a good subject, right? Love the cigars.

The lighthouse on my profile pic is one of mine. Of course, I had to make it smaller so it would fit. I have some of my shots on my fb page. I don't have a site I post to either. I'll find a couple and post them here.

Seems to me, I think a long time ago, there was a thread started with some of us posting some of our pictures. It's been a long time and I don't remember what the thread was titled. Wait, someone posted pictures of snakes and removed them so it wouldn't offend some of us. Sandi, do you remember the thread?

Oh yeah! I posted the snakes. They were zoo shots. I don't remember the name of the thread either. Maybe I can dig it up later.

I love it when seniors tell me how much they love their pictures. I had a girl last year who never had any confidence in herself. She never thought she was pretty. She saw her pictures and got so many compliments that she saw herself in a different light after that. Her mother told me it totally changed her perspective. That made me cry. It's not often that you get to make a difference in someones life like that. I was glad to be a part of it.

I have to buy frames for my gallery entries and then I'm good to go! First time ever. It's the Fred Rogers Art Exhibit. We live near his home town.

You did a good thing!

Thank you Roberta and Sandi, it definitely does help to have a good subject. Sandi - like you, I really enjoy taking photos of people, preferably candid shot but I have got better at asking people if I could take their photos with some practice during travels - after all the worst thing that can happen is that they will say no - and from experience most of them say yes, especially if I promise to send them that photo to them later and explain why you find them interesting.

Sandi, I loved your 'challenges' photo, very creative. That's fantastic you'll be having an exhibition, when is it?

Roberta, you photo in Egypt is striking! I'd be great if you could share some more somehow, especially of the Amish. I live in Australia but love New Zealand and been there on holiday just recently. I am hoping to move there some day.

If you have a chance, do see the BBC series "The Genius of photography" - can't count how many times I've watched it! www.bbcshop.com/drama+arts/the-genius-of-photography-dvd/invt/bbcdvd3014/

My Amish photos were taken pre-digital and framed. But I scanned this one. I suppose it will come out blurry again. Don't know why that happens on this site.

Oh I love that! We are not far from the Amish and I'd love to go and take pictures, but I don't think they like that. They don't like pictures of themselves due to their beliefs and I wouldn't want to offend anyone.

Guess that's what makes me a not so great photographer. I prefer a willing participant. Looks like a bit of Orton in that photo.

Ania - the Exhibit is in July. I have the pictures I want to enter, just need to get them framed. I might get started on that this week.

that's why all my Amish pics are from the back. Where do you live, Sandi? I finally found out how to post the attachment-- don't click insert! Here is a picture I took in Seville, Spain, a few years ago, sitting under a window ledge to avoid the rain.

My favorite subjects are people. Here is a guy I photographed in Vietnam March 2012.

This is the blue jay I had posted on another site.

This was taken the day before the blue jay at the same park.

Cindy & Roberta - I enjoyed your photos very much. The man in Vietnam looks very happy to be photographed and what an unusual headpiece!

Sandi - that must be a dream come true to have your own exhibition!

Cindy, that's gorgeous!

Sandi, how did your exhibition come to be? Will it be on line?