Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
04-01-2014, 02:03 PM
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I used to have images with Alamy, but no longer. Stock agencies are in the business of selling your photos for as cheap as possible just to make sales, leaving you with peanuts for your work. When you decline to sell royalty free (a.k.a for just a dollar), they get around that by doing other things, such as using local third parties to sell for cheaper (and multiply commissions), or giving bulk deals to clients, meaning giving them months to pay so they can package everything and give them a discount. Of course they are not buying in bulk from *you*, but *you* are giving the bulk discount. All in all, if the rights to a photo are $800-$1000 for a certain usage (say a book cover up to 250000 copies), you as the photographer will end up with $80 in your pocket (this happened on my latest sale). And you'll wait 6 months to get those 80 bucks. I have actually lost a lot of potential money by directing people to my photos at the stock agency so they could take care of the contract instead of doing that myself. That business model might suit the less artistic, more commercially oriented photographers who can snap and produce thousands of bad to average photos.
In my opinion, photography as a business for the the talented photographer would do much better if all the stock agencies went under and closed shop. People just stop sending your work to those companies. There's nothing to be made from it in this day and age and it just cheapens the whole thing. Everything they do is detrimental to the photographer.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-31-2014, 03:01 PM
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I have no idea about the 120-300 but I emailed Sigma specifically about the USB Dock and the 18-35 and they responded that they are expecting early May as shipping date for both, so this is not just off a website. But only time will tell. Personally, I chose the 30mm F1.4 so at this point it is only the dock I'm hoping to get.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-31-2014, 02:01 PM
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Hmmm, well, for me the cup is half full here, the good news is that those things *are* coming for Pentax.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-31-2014, 11:04 AM
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That's what Sigma told me as well, but another interesting thing is that they also say the same for the USB dock, which will be very interesting to have.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-26-2014, 04:25 PM
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Adorama has it listed under the Rokinon brand. It always seems like the Rokinon versions are more available here in the US. I don't know if it is *really* available though. As for the Samyang at B&H, it is still vaporware for now, since the 25th availability date has come and gone and there's nothing (I have it on pre-order myself).
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-22-2014, 08:36 AM
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Wide angle and ultra wide on Pentax is a pretty sad affair. Very difficult to find a lens that performs properly and is sharp.
Personally I owned both the 15mm and the 12-24 and returned them. The 15mm was sharp in the center but terrible on the sides (not just the corners), bad for landscapes. I know a lot of people love it, but it's an overrated and overpriced lens in my opinion. On a crop camera, it is wide but doesn't get into the ultra wide realm. Advantage is compact-ness.
The 12-24 has an old form factor with a huge front element and hood that barely fits in an average bag, it is also overpriced especially if you compare it to its Tokina twin. Mine was pretty sharp across the frame but its CA was absolutely horrible, beyond the ability of Lightroom to automatically correct for it, and resulting in a lot of artifacts when further corrected by hand.The highest, thickest CA I have seen on any lens that I've owned.
The Sigma 10-20....I owned 3 copies of this lens. My first one worked fine, as in it didn't have manufacturing defects, but sharpness was only average, mostly good at widest position. The other 2 copies were both decentered. It's an ok lens, if you are lucky enough to get a good one.
The Sigma 8-16 basically doesn't exist anymore.
Wish the Tokina 11-16 were available on K mount.
I am loving the Rokinon fisheye that I have (and the fisheye projection can be corrected if needed) and really interested in the new Samyang/Rokinon 10mm. The 14mm Samyang seems excellent, worth looking into. Of course, this is all with manual focus.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
03-22-2014, 07:25 AM
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Thanks for checking this out!
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
03-20-2014, 04:15 PM
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Hi folks,
Haven't posted here in a while but here are 2 panoramas. Follow the links to my site and click on each pic to see the actual 360 VR panos (some can take a bit of time before they start displaying).
A view from high up on Mount Lemmon.
Link to VR: www.pichevinphoto.com/gallery/0889
At the dam in Sabino Canyon.
Link to VR: www.pichevinphoto.com/gallery/0891 |
Forum: Photographic Technique
03-20-2014, 03:24 PM
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I think that people who are passionate about what they do can often go through this kind of philosophical questions or moments.
Personally, and this is only my opinion, I think that most of photography (as I do it myself) is futile. When you think about it, in general not too many people care about your photos and even yourself (myself) will get bored with them a few minutes after you've taken the time to develop them, and process them into your best photos ever. Post them on a forum once or twice, have a few people check them out, and it's already old news. So I guess most of the pleasure is in the making, the expectation of a good result, doing something hard, and then when it's done....it's gone in an instant (and really no one gives a damn), and you're looking forward to the next best photo you will make. It's a bit like waiting to receive that new cool thing you ordered. It always seems much more cool before it arrives, right? :)
Sometimes you get bored and a new idea, or a new piece of equipment can relaunch some interest.
It's good to have some other hobbies, some other things to put your energy into, ways to distance yourself from a single thing for a while. My own other hobby is woodworking and it is there where I feel I can actually create things that matter, somewhat. I make things for others as gifts, and I make things for myself that will be useful to me for much longer than new photos. And it doesn't rely on pre-existing scenes. Sometimes I get really into car work as well and forget about everything else.
Then sometimes I start obsessing over photography again, renew the interest a little...ups and downs.
I'd say that the photos I make of my kids have way more value in the end than my best landscapes or panoramas, even to others, even though they are not as sophisticated, hard to make, and don't require nearly the same amount of work and processing. They are important to me, important to other family members, and will be important to them as they grow up. My other types of photos might get a few ooohs and aaahs from a few people for a few minutes and will never be looked at again.
In the end, in this time and age, I think that the photography that we do as amateurs, no matter how good or experienced, is mostly useless and pointless (I really don't put family photos in that basket though), at least to others. What matters is the process and how you enjoy that. Maybe photography is also what can motivate someone to go out there and enjoy nature, or maybe a good reason to join a group, meet people and make friends or whatever. Why do people enjoy playing a sport, and even train hard, even when they know they'll never be a world champ?
Photography is also a hobby that doesn't really isolate you. You won't disappear into a workshop for hours on end. You can enjoy it while being out there with your kids, family, or friends.
I don't know if this sounds a bit bleak, but I don't think so. I just feel I'm aware of the importance (or lack thereof) of what I do and do not feel trapped by it. If it bores me, I won't do it for a while and will do something else. We do tend to obsess over things that don't matter that much, if at all. It's a bit comical to see all of the arguments over hardware and minute details in photo forums. Just don't get frustrated with yourself. If you don't feel it, you don't *have* to take photos.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
06-25-2013, 08:11 AM
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Patagonia, Arizona that is :)
From a very hot hike recently near Patagonia, AZ, south of Tucson. Really gorgeous landscape all around, but at this period of the year, it is way too hot outside to last very long while hiking in the desert...
Also on my site to view larger and on darker background (flickr doesn't seem to let me link to the original size even though it's publicly available, which is a bit larger than this): www.pichevinphoto.com/gallery/0887 |
Forum: Post Your Photos!
06-18-2013, 06:46 PM
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And my website seems to be down at the moment...of course...try again later! :)
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
06-18-2013, 06:34 PM
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It's very beautiful and the perfect escape in the summer. Doesn't lack for hiking trails...
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
06-18-2013, 01:21 PM
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Hi folks,
Sharing a couple recent 360 VR panoramas, from some hikes on Mt Lemmon, in Tucson.
First one is a view from high up, about an hour before sunset, and second one is from a trail in the woods, very pretty and peaceful area.
Photos are small but click on each photo or link to get to each VR. Thanks for looking!
Link to VR: www.pichevinphoto.com/gallery/0881
Link to VR: www.pichevinphoto.com/gallery/0885 |
Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
06-13-2013, 09:21 AM
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Sigma 8-16 is not a very useful range for me, and Rokinon 14mm on APSC for me is borderline wide, but not wide enough. It is probably the lens I'm going to go for next, though, after trying several other alternatives (including the Pentax DA 15mm). I'm looking for as much sharpness corner to corner as I can have, as little CA as I can, and a good usable range.
I also have to say I used to own a Sigma 10-20 on my K5. It worked fine but would not be sharp enough for my wish to make larger prints. I recently tried 2 Sigma10-20s and they were both horribly decentered, and I gave up, not willing to try another Sigma zoom. I then tried a Pentax 12-24. Terrible form factor, too expensive, just not quite wide enough, and terrible CA all over the place, as well as purple fringing (my fisheye does better even in the most deformed areas), then the DA 15mm (don't get me started on that). Left is the Samyang/Rokinon 14mm, which I can probably use, especially for stitching, but for me at this point it would be a full frame that would suit my needs/wishes.
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
06-13-2013, 09:13 AM
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This is really about knowing your needs. The D800 is a very expensive camera and you really gotta need what it offers. If you don't, why lug something like that around when a K5 could offer all you need, plus a compact yet high quality body. Personally, I absolutely love my K5 IIs as I loved the K5 I owned before, as much as I hated the Olympus OM-D I owned in between, and I favor a lighter kit. It simply had terrible ergonomics and the lightness didn't make it up for that, and picture quality didn't either.
Now as mostly a landscape shooter looking for quality and living in the wide angle to ultra-wide domain, as much as I like my Pentax camera, I think that wide angle on a Pentax APS-C camera is the Pitts. For my needs that is, and I am disappointed that a full frame camera was not announced as that would have given me a clear upgrade path (hoping that lenses would come too). As it is, I haven't been able to find a suitable wide angle and ultra wide angle solution and might have to look elsewhere when I can afford it. Currently, elsewhere is the D600, and I would be sad to not have the K5's form factor and build quality, but in the end it's about needs, usage, picture quality and especially lens choice.
If you don't have this type of concern, then no hesitation. It's never that clear cut. Changing cameras bring in other issues, will I find the lenses that will be satisfying for my needs, will it still fit my tripod (the other way around, having a smaller camera will let you downsize other things as well), will I solve issues but at the same time lose out in some other ways (I am very happy with my K5 IIs and Rokinon fisheye for my virtual panoramas for example).
Not easy, but in your case, I'd probably make the switch.
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
06-12-2013, 01:24 PM
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If it was a D600, I'd want to trade with you :)
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
06-07-2013, 02:41 PM
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Thanks again for the comments. Someone asked offline which lens was used, so in case anyone is interested, it's a Rokinon 8mm Fisheye.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
06-02-2013, 12:20 PM
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Thanks for the comments. Susan, yes, it is natural. I did not add or remove any specific color.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
06-02-2013, 08:22 AM
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A nice Sunday evening at Windy Point, on the way to Mount Lemmon, in Tucson. |
Forum: Post Your Photos!
05-20-2013, 01:19 PM
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A cottonwood tree in Sabino Canyon, Tucson AZ. Waiting for the monsoon rains :)
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
05-20-2013, 12:07 PM
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Very cool shots and great colors!
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
05-20-2013, 12:05 PM
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Cute family portrait and nice lighting although your boyfriend looks a bit stressed out :)
If your image appears flatter it could be because you worked in an extended color environment (like AdobeRGB) and you did not convert to sRGB before exporting your image as jpeg for the web.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
05-07-2013, 06:44 PM
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
05-06-2013, 10:30 AM
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Sharing a few kid pictures from this weekend, a fun time, and a change to use my new (to me) 28mm prime, which gives me a length that I love for outdoor portraits. |
Forum: Photographic Technique
05-03-2013, 07:07 AM
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It's important for all the images of your panorama to have the same depth of field.
On your first photo, set your aperture properly and focus where you need to, then switch to manual focus for the other shots, unless you are confident that the AF will pick the right distance each time. That depends on your scene and what objects are in it near of far.
Also, it's important to keep the exposure identical between shots. For that, use manual exposure as well.
For exposure and focus, it's better to first take a test shot to get your settings right, then start the panorama in the same spot after that.
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