[CobusBasson]

LeRolls, I would like to know if you did those pictures with in-camera effects or did you do some post processing? I am still discovering all the special effects and filters of the Q and even though I have a fair idea of what most of them do, I end up sticking with very basic Bright setting and using it in Av mode most of the time. At the moment I find it difficult when I look at a scene to imagine what it would look like with a certain filter of effect before I take the picture. Hence my pictures are slightly boring, not as exciting as yours.

[LeRolls]

LeRolls, I would like to know if you did those pictures with in-camera effects or did you do some post processing? I am still discovering all the special effects and filters of the Q and even though I have a fair idea of what most of them do, I end up sticking with very basic Bright setting and using it in Av mode most of the time. At the moment I find it difficult when I look at a scene to imagine what it would look like with a certain filter of effect before I take the picture. Hence my pictures are slightly boring, not as exciting as yours.

A lot of the effects and filters that I make use of can be achieved in-camera as I have played around and done a few that way (mostly B&W and high contrast stuff) but I prefer doing it on the computer afterwards as I have more precise control. Just easier to layer effects with a mouse and large monitor. I am impressed with the customization that can be done from the camera though (compared to all the point and shoots currently on the market it is quite robust/customizable) and some neat results can be obtained if you're working with just JPEG and now RAW.

My standard workflow is to take a fairly large amount of photos and once I'm home I do a great deal of culling/sifting to find the shots that have the most potential (on average maybe 1 out of 10-15 will actually pass muster) then PP begins or as my brother likes to put it "The Magic". All in all I'd say PP is at least 30% if not slightly more of the process for me personally. I hope I'm not coming across as pretentious or artsy fartsy because PP for me is just a ton of fun and I really love unlocking/transforming the potential that is locked away in original image. The Q gives me plenty quality to work with all in a very compact/convenient package and I hope it will do the same for you as well.

[bjorsa]

A bluetit with pentax q and kiwi pentax q adapter with smc-dfa 100/2,8 macro uncropped
f4
1/250 s
iso 400
Kindly bjorsa

[CobusBasson]

Thanks for that detailed response LeRolls. It helps to know what other do as that is a way for me to improve my own photography. I have done very little in terms of PP up to now, but I am starting to do more of it since I bought Paintshop Pro X4 with Nik Effects. I had a trial version of Lightroom 4 which has now expired, but the price is not so high in fact so I might buy that as well. By the way you don't come across as artsy fartsy, I used to have this rigid view that a good photographer should only rely on the camera and his own ability to take good pictures and that PP was "cheating", but in fact I have changed my view completely.

If all pictures have to look like real life, what's the point? The art is in applying one's own touches to something isn't it?

[mikemock]

Beautiful bird with great detail. I think an adapter for my k mount lenses may be my next purchase.

[VisualDarkness]

Great looking birdshot! The only thing is that it looks a bit blueish to me.

[Riv]

and the nice images keep rolling in! Nice work everyone.

So, yesterday I got my Pentax Q2K adapter. This morning we had frost, so I grabbed the Q/Adapter and DFA/WR 100mm macro and tried to get a few test shots at the minimum distance without the aid of a focus rail. It didn't take long to realize I'm not having a good camera day. The first two are at min distance, an hour or so apart if that tells you anything. Then after getting throughly fustrated and cold, I backed off a biit and manually focused. All 3 three are shot with the adapter aperture set at 2. The DFA 100mm isn't at it's best wide open and the Q isn't at it's best closed down alot (as we know), so with this lens you kinda feel caught in the middle. Frost does look kinda cool (no pun intended) close up.




The 2nd one and this 3rd one the frost was just starting to melt a little.

[LeRolls]

Thanks for that detailed response LeRolls. It helps to know what other do as that is a way for me to improve my own photography.

No problem! I enjoy lengthy discourse when it comes to the things that I'm passionate about especially if it's all in the name of aiding/informing a fellow Pentaxion.

I have done very little in terms of PP up to now, but I am starting to do more of it since I bought Paintshop Pro X4 with Nik Effects. I had a trial version of Lightroom 4 which has now expired, but the price is not so high in fact so I might buy that as well. By the way you don't come across as artsy fartsy, I used to have this rigid view that a good photographer should only rely on the camera and his own ability to take good pictures and that PP was "cheating", but in fact I have changed my view completely.

Lightroom 4 is the best IMO! Love that program, especially when it comes to working with RAW files. Definitely recommend it to everyone. I use to have a similar view about photography back in the late 90's and early 2000's. Then I realized that I consider myself to be under a wider umbrella than just simply an amateur hobbyist photographer and more of a blooming Practitioner of Creative Imagery. The camera is a tool and what I do with the photo from the point that it's taken to the finished work is my own personal journey and I will explore all creative avenues that are open to me in order to complete the process.

If all pictures have to look like real life, what's the point? The art is in applying one's own touches to something isn't it?

Totally agree! Sometimes you capture a special moment in time and space that holds all the emotional resonance that is necessary to make it compelling and it truly requires little to no tinkering but often for me that is not the case.

[LeRolls]

Hey bjorsa, the color and detail on the bird really shines in your pic. Very nice!

[LeRolls]

Got to get me an adapter for the Q one of these days. Those ice/frost shots are really good and I've always liked macro-photography even though my experience has been very limited but I guess it's up to me to change that.

[NickLarsson]

Kind of a muggy day but thought I'd go ahead and chance the rain. Fairly happy with the shots.

Great series, very nice colors

[LeRolls]

Great series, very nice colors

Thanks! I do what I can.

[fakuryu]

Just sharing

[Riv]

Got to get me an adapter for the Q one of these days. Those ice/frost shots are really good and I've always liked macro-photography even though my experience has been very limited but I guess it's up to me to change that.

At minimum distance my experience is also limited, I rarely shoot that close. Just from today's experience with the DFA macro and adapter: either the Q needs a native macro lens, or the DFA 100mm is not the right choice for the Q, or I need more practice with the combo. With adapter aperture set to anything higher than f4, the images where unusable. Might have been me, need test a bit more. The DoF is just too shallow and you can't stop down much. So it's alternate methods, or leave macro to the K5. I couldn't use an off camera flash today, got spoiled shooting wirelessly with the K5 and stored my flash cable someplace in deep storage it seems. It's hiding somewhere...

[NickLarsson]

Just sharing

Very nice, where is it ?

BTW, tried some long exposure shots with the fisheye tonight and I wasn't able to go past 2 seconds, is it normal ?