Hey peeps!

I'm just back from a wonderful night of mingling with fellow Pentaxians at the official 100th birthday bash event. I wanted to create a single thread where we could all add our images and share some footage from the meet up as well share our experiences and what we thought about it all. I haven't processed any images myself yet, but please feel free to add some images and comments to this thread here.

I just wanted to say I thoroughly enjoyed myself and loved talking to new and familiar faces


Cheers!

BB (Eddy Summers)

[robgski]

Thanks for sharing the great shots.

[wstruth]

Thanks for posting and sharing all those photos. It's good to see, and looks like a fun time for all of you

[beachgardener]

Bruce B, that lens makes me look way too fat, as a group portrait shot that 12-24mm lens at 19mm has too much distortion, yes I have a small belly, but not that much. for a group portrait assignment I think that is a fail. Really a different lens was needed, maybe 35mm.
Some use distortion on buildings as some sort of look or gimmick for an image (acceptable in some circumstances), but really not for people.

[BruceBanner]

Bruce B, that lens makes me look way too fat, as a group portrait shot that 12-24mm lens at 19mm has too much distortion, yes I have a small belly, but not that much. for a group portrait assignment I think that is a fail. Really a different lens was needed, maybe 35mm.
Some use distortion on buildings as some sort of look or gimmick for an image (acceptable in some circumstances), but really not for people.

Haha, I knew this was coming, I too saw the shot and thought... poor Kosh and beach But did you also notice I was up against the table, I couldn't be bothered to shift the table back further etc, so I just thought 'what the heck'... I don't care... beach won't mind

Hehehe, skinny ol' me and Alan should have sat at the front! Embrace the distortion is what I say, be proud of the lens gut.

As for fail... I dunno... would you have known this was a composite of 3 separate frames to get everyone smiling and looking their best?

I'm glad you chose to focus on the one image I uploaded from the shots provided and dwell on it! ahahah

[hal55]

Several of my shots from the night, still can't believe how much fun it was.

[BruceBanner]

Several of my shots from the night, still can't believe how much fun it was.

Nice one hal, did you have a nice night?

[beachgardener]

I'm glad you chose to focus on the one image I uploaded from the shots provided and dwell on it! ahahah

not dwelling on it, just pointing out some of the finer information a portrait photographer can have, it is up to the photographer to direct the shoot and have suitable lenses, a posed group portrait does need some work.

[BruceBanner]

not dwelling on it, just pointing out some of the finer information a portrait photographer can have, it is up to the photographer to direct the shoot and have suitable lenses, a posed group portrait does need some work.

Yeh, I've not had this lens that long, I'm still playing with what I can and cannot get away with. Even a 28mm (ff) and people distort at the edges I've noticed. As you say 35mm would be better. But then you're looking at me getting way further back for the shot, and yeh I just wanted to get back to that beer on the table!

This shot was 28mm at last Pentax meetup, where my tripod was out in people traffic, I didn't really want to put it further back for fear of getting it knocked over. I'm looking rather large here also, as is Rod's lad;



Still... do we really care that much? I know I don't, I concentrate on the faces and the scene in shots like this rather than perfectly distortion free people. If it was paid work however, different story, time to get things really right even if it means moving tables and obstacles out of the way;



Honestly tho, with fun stuff like a Pentaxian meet up, I just care so much less, I kinda want some weirdness sometimes, because I have to behave when paid
Have a look at a lot of street photography and other messing around stuff, cool people stretchy shots galore, it's just a bit of fun sometimes.

[beachgardener]

If it was paid work however, different story, time to get things really right even if it means moving tables and obstacles out of the way;

up to you but bring in the professional approach to fun photography and you got the best of both worlds

only look at faces, forget the rest, nah, the whole image matters.
care? yes distortion in portraits does matter.

[BruceBanner]

up to you but bring in the professional approach to fun photography and you got the best of both worlds

only look at faces, forget the rest, nah, the whole image matters.
care? yes distortion in portraits does matter.

Yeh it can, sometimes it's deliberate. Not everything has to be true to life, and certainly when taking unpaid shots where I am testing gear or actually interested to seeing how good/bad the distortion can be, can be rewarding. You might as well say fisheye lenses are no good and should not exist, or lensbaby lenses, where's your threshold for what's acceptable and not for distortion or non normal human eye vision? That's why with paid work I would be far more careful, the intent is different, these are formal group portrait shots, we want people looking prim and proper. However I might not play safe the whole way through, there are formal portrait wedding shots, and then there are evening dance floor shots where interesting unflattering shots are even welcomed and enjoyed! I guess you were perhaps hoping for a safer portrait shot than distortion city, sorry... you got me taking a group selfie

[hal55]

Nice one hal, did you have a nice night?

Huge understatement, had a brilliant time, loved doing stuff out of my usual Cosplay, met a great stack of people and would love to attend something like this again.
Some street photography the next day around Angel Place before heading home to Forster, couldn't be happier. Now if only a Pentax mug and strap had been in the gift goodies.....

[BruceBanner]

Huge understatement, had a brilliant time, loved doing stuff out of my usual Cosplay, met a great stack of people and would love to attend something like this again.
Some street photography the next day around Angel Place before heading home to Forster, couldn't be happier. Now if only a Pentax mug and strap had been in the gift goodies.....

That's fantastic, we're scheduled to do another Pentaxian meetup sometime next year, typically a thing can happen for Vivid though I think a few of us are a little over doing that, but whenever and whatever we decide to meet up and shoot (and drink) I'll be sure to let you know.

[beachgardener]

You might as well say fisheye lenses are no good and should not exist, or lensbaby lenses, where's your threshold for what's acceptable

Lets not get out of context. There are all sorts of lenses for various uses and situations, that is fine, the point I'm making is that distortion to that degree in group portrait is not acceptable, test all you like before going live could be a plan, then you know what lenses to use and what not to use for a given subject

I for one will run the other way when I see you with a camera

[RobG]

Yeh, I've not had this lens that long, I'm still playing with what I can and cannot get away with. Even a 28mm (ff) and people distort at the edges I've noticed.

Couldn't you just crop the sides in this case? That would eliminate the distortion in the corners. In my case I was just taking a few photos to have a record of the event, but I wasn't worrying too much about them.

[hal55]

That's fantastic, we're scheduled to do another Pentaxian meetup sometime next year, typically a thing can happen for Vivid though I think a few of us are a little over doing that, but whenever and whatever we decide to meet up and shoot (and drink) I'll be sure to let you know.

Thanks, much appreciated and will look forward to whatever is arranged.