[Geoff Ince]

The time has come for us to offer the final prize from our Holiday Giveaway! Enter in this thread for a shot at winning a brand new HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm lens



How to enter:

As a reply to this thread, post a photography-related tip or suggestion for fellow users. It can focus on cameras, lenses, technique, accessories, post-processing, or other related topics you think would be helpful.

Limit your submission to no more than 5 sentences and no more than 1 image/link.

Winner selection:

The top 15 replies with the most Likes in this thread will be voted upon by forum members in a separate thread, similar to how we pick our monthly contest winners. Submissions will be accepted through January 31st, and voting will be between February 1st and 8th.

Submissions may be compiled into a reference article to serve as a community resource.

Good luck!

As many people do, I would travel by plane to different parts of the global seeing fantastic views from a passenger plane window, but not able to take a reasonable photo that represents what I was seeing. So overtime I started experimenting with different techniques. The attached photo was taken of Mt Everest on a flight from Shanghai to Xinjiang in China at 34,000 ft along the Tibetan boarder in China.

The technique used:
1. Equipment HD PENTAX-DA 1:2.8 35mm Macro Ltd with K3
2. Check the flight path of the plane and decide whether you sit on the LEFT or RIGHT side of the plane
3. Sit forward to the wing as much as you can otherwise you have limited view and the wing will obstruct your photos
4. Set focus to manual at infinity
5. ISO 100 with f/11 1/160
6. Use Live View for framing shot
7. Cup hand around lens to stop reflecting light in photo
8. Camera set to an angle at the top of the planes window to get maximum view without getting wing, engine or window frame. If you do, then this can be cropped.
9. Try both landscape and portrait mode

Happy shutting, I hope this is of use to some of you.

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[dis1960]

Always remember A Pentax is tough but a solid stone floor is tougher.

After a chilli fest we had a coffee stop in a cafe converted from a 15th Century barn. Camera placed on table and when the coffee pot was put on the table it tilted and the camera with lens fell 3 ft onto a Tudor floor. The sigma lens was a write off and the K10D went back for serious repairs

[j0n4hpk]

Pop music concert photography in large venues

The next time you get a ticket for a music concert in a large venue like an Arena or Stadium, check it for warnings about photography. If they allow you to take a camera with a lens no longer that an “X” amount of inches long, consider getting or asking for a loaner medium to long zoom lens that can retract to the same or less amount of inches that the warning states without lens hood, such as a HD Pentax-DA 55-300 mm lens or the Tamron AF28-300 mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di shown here. Be sure to practice beforehand using the highest fixed ISO that you are willing to shoot with and try both SR on and off. Carry the lens hood in a pocket and install it in the venue when you are ready to take photos.

[Snowman46]

This picture was taken in Beautiful Cape Breton N.S. Canada

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[bdcbean]

Well as I am new to photography I don't have any real tips. Bought my gf a Pentax K-50 and a tip I would give anyone, don't try and borrow the camera... unless you like being attacked

[JETninja]

If you like to Travel as I do and take your Pentax everywhere as I do, do not invest in a Camera Bag, instead get something like a KATA or Lowepro Camera Backpack. They look on the outside just like a good quality large backpack with sturdy thick comfortable straps, but inside they have room for bodies, lenses, flash, filters, SD cards, munchies, water, Mono or Tripod, Laptop, extra Shirts etc. I have used mine all over Europe and take it to Laguna Seca for Road Racing every year, plus all my Son's sports etc. Mine is at least 8 years old and still looks new. Got my oldest Son one last year. Amazon is a great place to get them from. Kata's are bright yellow inside, Lowpro light Blue, makes it a lot easier to find your stuff in low light. I own the Kata 467...and love it.

Also, if your a intimidated by the tons of Software tools out there for messing with your photos, try Picasa from Google, does a great job covering and correcting all the little blemishes we get in our shots at times. Plus Google Photo Tool gives unlimited storage for you pics if they are under 16Mbs each. I have thousands of pics backup on it.

Keep on shooting!

[lukulele]

1. Volunteer doing imagery for one NPO or organization you feel strongly about. Producing images that will be used to present a viewpoint and better understanding of local needs teaches lighting, angles, advertising, product/message placement, graphic arts and measurably improve your skills.
2. Students of photography need to search Library of Congress (US) website and review Lewis Hine and Dorothea Lange's work during the early 20th century to see what point of view and composition can do for social justice.

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[White Dog]

Always remove the lens cap before taking your picture!

[Hazcat]

Stop reading the forums and watching 'how to' vids. You have the knowledge, put it to use. Go shoot! The more you shoot and study your own photos the better you will become.

[piledon]

I shoot street. Sometimes it's easier, less visible and intrusive to shoot from the hip than with the camera in front of your eye. Use a wide angle lens - I like a 28mm on an APS-C camera like my K-3 (or even wider - this shot is at 10mm), let ISO float, and set aperture priority to a fairly good depth of field. Furthermore, separate focus from the shutter control; the K-3 lets you assign focus to a back button. This makes it easy to focus quickly, or constantly be focusing, then shoot when necessary. A strap for the camera that goes around your right wrist enables you to hold it low so it's less visible to your subjects.

[bass3587]

Don't let anyone tell you you've wasted your time and money buying a Pentax. Just go out, take a few portraits and show it to them. Nuff said!

[Pentaxian 1]

If you have you ever had a filter stuck on a lens, here is how you can remove it . Place a piece of rubber on a flat surface (if noting else is available a dishwasher glove will do). place the lens on it, filter side down ; press down a little, the rubber will grip the filter and just rotate the lens by hand to remove the filter.

[jbarry]

1 Make sure it is a PENTAX
2 Battery check, SD card check
3 Front cap off, lens hood on
4 Make the base of the shot with M manual focus

5 Add toppings - filters, tubes
6 Use tripod or MONOpod
7 Use PP to create a mouth watering and different concoction
8 Slice a portion [see photo below]

9 Yum
10 Happiness - enjoy

[Jessesdad]

Be prepared, be persistent, be patient, be polite - be there.
One Christmas I decided I wanted to take portrait photos of my extended family. They weren't initially keen but by making the process voluntary, fun and allowing them to see the results early made for 100% buy-in.
I am so glad I persevered as I have a set of photos I treasure. They not professional but they're very special to me.

[Big T]

Living near the ocean, I take a lot of seascape pics, which I occasionally find pretty monotonous. For a different perspective, I try focusing on the foreground as the subject and use the seascape as the background. I try to leave the background focused just enough so the viewer can make it out. I find this can make an interesting shot.