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Forum: Photographic Technique
07-16-2012, 02:27 PM
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
01-12-2012, 11:13 AM
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Hello folks,
I just finished my rev 1 of an article that describes how to find the optimal focus offset for lens\cameras WITHOUT the ruler/scale method.
The article describes a workflow were a 2D target's focus is evaluated by software. So no need to see how many millimeters your camera\lens combo is front focusing or back focusing. Have a look and let me know what you think...
The method is explained in details and may seem cumbersome but really is very simple and easy to perform. I got my offsets for each lens within 10 minutes.
URL is:
http://sites.google.com/site/vincenzomiceli/quantitative-micro-focus-adjustment-for-dslrs
Ciao,
Vincenzo
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Forum: Photographic Technique
12-27-2011, 02:27 AM
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I use PS just for few things - I am not very known with it. But I know what I need to know.
But before you start with PS your picture must be near to perfection of your skills and your idea what you want to achieve at the end.
So - best possible shot in RAW.
And then PP.
In PS I use:
layers, clone stamp, curves, color balance, photo filter, sharpening. Adding textures. Black and White conversion via Gradient Map.
That's all. I learned the masks last year, before that I used two layers and the eraser tool. :p
So, about layers and masks in short:
You open underexposed shot - great bokeh, well exposed sky, but skin is dark. So you need lighter version of the skin.
You can open new version with overexposed - but well exposed skin, or to duplicate layer of the darker and to choose Screen blending.
So - drag the lighter one over the darker, or blend the duplicated layer in Screen.
I will proceed with the second example.
When you choose Screen, the whole picture is much, much lighter. But you need only skin to be. So you need to reverse the results for the whole shot and to fix only a small area. That's why - step on the mask, press Ctrl + I, and the mask turns black. Again darker shot. Get the brush tool. Make it white. Choose Opacity 20. Soft brush you need. Paint over the skin. It gets lighter.
Then you can adjust the Opacity through the Layers Blending. For better results Choose Filter - Blur - Gaussian Blur and try the different % of blending.
Than Merge the Layers and you are ready.
Or - when you need to fix the bigger part of the picture, than the mask will be white - no Ctrl+ I, and you will paint with black brush on the areas you want.
For example:
Darker shot. You need much lightening for the whole picture, but you like the dark areas in some parts.
Duplicate Layer. Choose Screen. Choose Opacity on Layers. You get the result you need. But you want some parts to be darker as before. Make Mask. It's white. Choose black brush. Paint over the areas you want - they will be as they were before Screen.
It's harder to be explain than in fact the things are. Try and will understand. Also there are many video lessons in internet about masks. :)
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Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories
06-28-2011, 07:27 PM
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The set up:
Was looking for a bag that would allow me to combine my top two hobbies: Biking (and/or hiking) and taking pictures. It had to be a low profile, waistpack/sling pack that was breathable and held firmly to my body. I road bike mostly (short 20-30mile trips 2-3 times a week) but also have a mountain bike that does little for me in this flat state. I only needed it to hold my K-x and 2 lenses, so capacity was not a priority.
Bag History:
My first bag was a Tamrac Express 6. It was casual, nice looking, and held my original K-x two lens kit. The trouble was that I hated wearing it. The strap was uncomfortable, it was too casual so the bag was always flopping around everywhere, and it very quickly couldn't hold my kit as LBA kicked in.
My Second bag was a Lowepro Primus AW. I love this bag. I wanted a backpack with some extra room for snacks, a decent suspension/fit, and only back access for extra security. All things considered, this is one the most comfortable backpacks, including all my hiking gear, that I've ever worn. It can hold all the gear I'd need for a long trip/vacation or I can take it to campus just in case I see a moment to shoot. The downside here is that it's pretty heavy and not good for quick shoots. Even taking it out in the country, I'd just pull out the camera and leave the bag in the car. So it's really not doing much for me as far as when I'm actually shooting. I needed something with even greater practicality for quick walk arounds, like going to the zoo.
The Solution (?):
The Kata Lightri-312 DL. I think I've got something here. It just came today so I haven't had time to test it, but my initial feeling is that it's good. It is light, has a small footprint on my back and has breathable mesh on the pack and the sling strap. I thought about buying a waistpack, but many of them had bigger widths than this Kata and would have been like a sail when I was riding my bike. The close second was the Clik Elite Seeker. I still may eventually get one of those because they look great, but the Kata was cheaper and looked like it would be cool enough to wear in a number of contexts beyond biking.
The bag is lightweight, but that comes at the price of padding and extra gear space. My K-x fits fine with room for 3 lenses at least, more if you should more primes. (Wish I had a 70-200 f2.8 to test in there, but that's a future plan.) I don't think a camera with a grip would fit. As for the padding, I would maybe be worried more about it if I was doing more mountain biking. On the safety of the road bike trails around here, however, I don't think it'll be an issue (............really hoping I don't crash for the first time now that I've said this). The bag can be fit pretty snug and doesn't move around once it is buckled in, which is exactly the fit I was looking for. Also, it's comfy.
I'm going to test this out on a ride in the next couple of days and give more feedback then. Just thought I'd give a heads up because I hadn't seen any info on this pack. Amazon has a 20% off promotion on Kata bags going on also. |
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
04-02-2011, 12:46 PM
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I believe that spare lithium batteries must also be individually wrapped in plastic bags, or some other insulator. There is a small chance that the terminals of the battery could short circuit (possibly by bumping other metallic objects in your carryon) and overheat, causing a risk of fire.
I've never heard of this actually happening, but apparently, it is theoretically possible, so they're trying to guard against it.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
04-01-2011, 03:35 PM
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Lithium batteries aren't allowed in checked baggage (they must be carried on), although alkaline or rechargables are.
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