[Jacchini]

Spend time on pentaxforums.com. Then go out and try out what you have learned.

[TwoUptons]

Do something "wrong"

Take pictures with the $10 lens you bought at a flea market that turned out to be full of fungus, just to see what you can get out of it (after removing the Ricoh pin, we don't want it stuck on there forever).

Skew the color/white balance/saturation settings and see how it skews your results; shoot high ISO on a bright, sunny day; or make a pinhole from an old body cap.

A little play is healthy...

Just don't forget how to put everything back again

[OhioAngie]

My mom was a good self-taught event and wedding photographer. A few years ago she passed away unexpectedly. Unfortunately, my dad didn't understand about proper care of her equipment and stored it in a damp closet. By the time he passed it along to my daughter, everything was full of fungus. When I had all of it evaluated, they placed a mere $45 value on it. This has made me vigilant about moisture. Lately, I use one of those small, portable dehumidifiers for wall safes that you can plug in to dry back out. You can put it in a drawer, a camera bag, or anywhere you store your lenses. If you can't afford an expensive environmental regulating cabinet, this $15-20 investment could help preserve your precious equipment.

[vagrown]

Get out of your comfort zone by playing the forum "challenges". Each month, try something different, such as photographing rectangles or circles. One thread I joined was the Traveling Nifty Fifty. The 50mm lens has been in circulation since 2008. I had a go at it and it was really refreshing to use the lens in ways that only a 50 could capture. The lens is currently in Australia and is looking for new hands to send it to.

[skcrocker1962]

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!

My tip is a photoshop technique I came up with to soften skin tones. I used to apply plug ins to soften skin tones but i found them softening the whole image which i usually don't want and find masking tedious and time consuming so I came up with this softening technique I really love through trial and error. First take the lasso tool and select areas on the face you want to soften. Next copy and paste creating a new top layer with the selected areas. Next use gaussian blur on the layer and adjust to the softness level you are going for. Then I fade in the softened layer to original to get just the facial blend just right. The last step is adding some noise to the softened layer to match the grain structure of the photograph. When you're satisfied with the results, simply flatten the image. I know it's not reinventing the wheel but I have found this technique the best way to soften faces.

Here is a link to an example: http://stephencrocker.zenfolio.com/p1000884190/e53e84d1d[/IMG]

[micromacro]

There is no such thing as "I have no subject to shot".
It can be anything anywhere. Your kitchen countertop, office desk, bathroom... any place around the house, any subject. Play with all available light, flash, settings just for fun. It can be educational as well since the photography is endless process to learn.

[france]

This photo was taken wit a Pentax K7 with a Sigma 17-500mm 5.6 and edited in Photoshop. The setting: ISO800 - F 6.7 - 1/30 sec - 400mm.
This was the only long lens on my possession and a 55-300 would have give me a better shot.

Attached Images

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[HazyJ]

When framing any shot, check the background and the corners of the frame for distractions. Avoid getting the main subject central and make sure the camera is either level or creatively twisted.

[beachgardener]

There are so many great tips and suggestions here, I'd like to add "photographers books", not how to books (join Pentax Forums for that), but books of photographers work. It is great reading about them and viewing their work, very inspirational looking at their images for interesting ideas, framing, lighting and timing etc. altogether a very rewarding thing to do on an inclement weather days, and fun scouring garage sales, op shops and second hand book shops to find books.
The other suggestion I'd like to make is old "black and white movies" just so good for looking at the lighting that was used to create studio images, also framing of the images and on location choices. So good for inspiration on black and white photography.

[fuzzyphotos]

It's been said before, get out there, you won't see anything setting on the couch!

However, remember the bug spray and sunscreen. I've come back from a hike in the sand prairies and picked ticks off me for an hour. Thankfully none embedded yet.

Another good tip, be patient, sit in one spot for a while and see what shows up, you'd be amazed how stuff starts to move again after you stop moving for a while.

Tim

[osarafian]

Ancient burial grounds or storm battered windmills are nice, but I like a less detailed background, maybe, a pond, against which to frame my models.... Make sure they can float!

[geminiphoto]

When I go on vacation I like to try to capture sunrise, sunset and moonrise photos along with some of the local iconic landmarks in the shot as well. There are some excellent smartphone applications that show sunrise and sunset angles for any given date and time (imposed on a map of the local area) so you can pre-plan where you need to be to capture the perfect shot. On a recent trip to Newfoundland I was able to preplan where I needed to be located in order to capture sunset shots of local lighthouses, fishing villages, etc. without having to guess.

[Weevil]

If you use the Tav Mode, always set the max ISO setting to the lower value as possible (a value that you dont want to go more than that), otherwise you may always be in the high ISO... then adjust the other parameters (aperture + shutter speed) versus the results you are having...
for example, I often use auto ISO from 100 to 400, or max 800 for shooting wildlife...

[amrocha]

Never, never, but never forget to bring a memory card!
After I missed the opportunity to shoot my wife's dance performance, I will never forget that again!

[noelpolar]

....just slow down, be in the moment and beauty will find you......


Childs play at Goolwa Beach.jpg by Noel Leahy, on Flickr