Magic Kingdom Pics

[Sammie]

I will add more later.....



http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/th__MG_1976.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/_MG_1976.jpg?t=1171428551


http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/th__MG_2061.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/gfx/_MG_2061boardercopy.jpg?t=1171489362



http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/th__MG_2071.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/_MG_2071.jpg?t=1171428607





http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/th__MG_2074.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/_MG_2074.jpg?t=1171428635





http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/th__MG_2063.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/_MG_2063.jpg?t=1171428666

[Sammie]

more magic kingdom (I'll make seperate threads for Epcot and the Grand Floridian)


http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/th__MG_2062copy.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/_MG_2062copy.jpg?t=1171432286



http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/th__MG_2112.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/_MG_2112.jpg?t=1171432329


http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/th__MG_2210.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/_MG_2210.jpg?t=1171432377


http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/th__MG_2207.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/_MG_2207.jpg?t=1171432416


http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/th__MG_2123.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/_MG_2123.jpg?t=1171432461

[Nebula]

wow.. excellent pictures again sammie... the colors are very vibrant. Did you photoshop these at all after taking the originals?

very nice...

[Sammie]

thanks

yes, i did use lightroom for exposure, tones and cropping

I used photoshop to sharpen

[L1veUndead]

Did you get any pics from Epcot. Thats an awesome place to takes pictures with all the buildings and etc.

Nice shots from Magic Kingdom though. Im jealous. I plan on making a trip this summer.

[sylverarrow]

very nice sammie...

[Sammie]

Did you get any pics from Epcot. Thats an awesome place to takes pictures with all the buildings and etc.

Nice shots from Magic Kingdom though. Im jealous. I plan on making a trip this summer.

yea I got a bunch of cool shots from Epcot. I'll post them up in a seperate thread. The pics from the Grand Floridian were nice too.


Neb, many of the photos already had that striking color contrast but a few needed adjustments (such as the ballons).

I shot everything in RAW format so I was able to really save something photos that would have been trashed (like the planet pic).
I like RAW specifically for that reason. I dont think I will go back to jpeg even if it does require less PP.

Thanks Sylver :D

[Hae-Yu]

The color is fanatastic, esp in the Lilo and the Planets pics.

"I shot everything in RAW format so I was able to really save something photos that would have been trashed (like the planet pic)."

What does that mean? How were you able to save it and why would you have trashed it before? I still shoot jpeg, but I've been leaning toward RAW more too.

[HHBizzle]

Yes
Wut Is This Raw U Speak Of? My Curiosity Has Been Peaked

[Sammie]

The day I went to the Magic Kingdom I actually shot Raw + JPEG

As an example here are some JPEG pics before any editing.


They are not cropped or edited but I would have never been able to get the same results editing the JPEG as I did with the RAW simply due to the nature of a jpeg file. A RAW file, which you are probably aware, contains all the information captured by the image and is not manipulated or compressed in any manner (hence the larger file size). The JPEGs, on the other hand, contain much less data due to compression and are "enhanced" automatically when you take the picture via the camera itself.

If I had edited the JPEGs instead of the raw images I would have lost a lot of details in the pics and I would have degraded the already inferior image file everytime I made a change to it.

Anyway here are the unedited JPEGs.


http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/GNG/th__MG_2062.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/GNG/_MG_2062.jpg?t=1171487871


http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/GNG/th__MG_1976.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/GNG/_MG_1976.jpg?t=1171488352



This next one is an extreme example of a JPEG image that would have never been able to be salvaged without the RAW data:

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/GNG/th__MG_1997.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/GNG/_MG_1997.jpg?t=1171488459


The edited version isnt a winner by any means but it saved the image because of all extra data (details) that it contained and I was able to extract in post processing.

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/GNG/th__MG_1997-1.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/GNG/_MG_1997-1.jpg?t=1171488552




Stich wasnt a bad JPEG in general so some post processing probably wou;d have created a decent image but it wouldnt have had the same quality as the RAW editing

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/GNG/th__MG_2061.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/GNG/_MG_2061.jpg?t=1171488663




Shooting RAW + JPEGS ended up taking up too much memory. I ran through 6 gigs in less than 3 hours of shooting. So the next day I just switched to RAW only.


Raw has it draw backs and if you shoot perfectly all the time and never want to post process then jpeg is really the way to go. But if you dont always get your exposure,white balance or color temps accurate then there is no better way to save your butt than a RAW file.

I dont think I will go back to JPEG. I have seen the light (pun intended).

[Hae-Yu]

You don't think playing with the levels and saturation could have popped out the planets pic (being a jpg)?

[Sammie]

it could have but it would have degraded the image (jpegs are degraded everytime your alter them) and i doubt i would have kept the details as well

i have found that post processing raws is nothing like post processing jpegs. jpegs just dont have enough data to handle heavy processing very well. I'm not sure how much of an impact it would have on small images for internet postings but would be more relevant to prints

[HHBizzle]

i had no idea about these differences
ive learned something new during my morning bagel
thank you

[Sammie]

lol

anytime.


there is so much to learn. im a photo newbie but i'm learning

[Sammie]

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/th__MG_2057.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/_MG_2057.jpg?t=1171907660


http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/th__MG_2076.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/_MG_2076.jpg?t=1171907702


http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/th__MG_2077.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/_MG_2077.jpg?t=1171909395



http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/th__MG_2193.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/_MG_2193.jpg?t=1171909458


http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/th__MG_2128.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/_MG_2128.jpg?t=1171909501



http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/th__MG_2106.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/_MG_2106.jpg?t=1171909572


http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/th__MG_2145.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/_MG_2145.jpg?t=1171909628






http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/th__MG_2138.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/_MG_2138.jpg?t=1171907745



http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/th__MG_2139.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/_MG_2139.jpg?t=1171907792



http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/th__MG_2181.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/_MG_2181.jpg?t=1171907829

[Sammie]

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/th__MG_2208.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/_MG_2208.jpg?t=1171911606




http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/th__MG_2214.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/_MG_2214.jpg?t=1171911646





http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/th__MG_2221.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/_MG_2221.jpg?t=1171911677





http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/th__MG_2055.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/_MG_2055.jpg?t=1171911702




http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/th__MG_2037.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/sammysmithazt/art%20posts/_MG_2037.jpg?t=1171911728

[Hae-Yu]

I like this batch better than the first, esp Sleeping Beauty's Castle. Very colorful and clear.

[Hae-Yu]

You really do a good job of incorporating a lot of color in your compositions. These pics have really made me think about how to get color in my photos. I'm still working on the basic composition though.

[Sammie]

Thanks Ultra.

I contribute a lot of the "pop" from post processing my raws through lightroom.

have you downloaded Adobe Lightroom beta?

I love this program. Color management is so user friendly.

The beta ends 2-28-07

The retail version shipped on 2-17-07 but the beta is still available to download for a limited time.

I will probably buy the full version. Its a truly remarkable program.



http://www.thegng.org/forums/showthread.php?t=4226

[Hae-Yu]

I know you "pop" the pictures out, but you have to capture it first. You can't process nothing.

I didn't dl Lightroom and haven't had a chance to play with it - no time. I have read a million reviews and tutorials though and I'm pretty certain that I will be buying it in the future, but for now it's furniture.

I use iView mediapro and the more I play with it, the more I like it. I know it isn't Lightroom, but it's capable enough for now. MS bought them out and are making it part of a larger package called Expression.
http://www.microsoft.com/products/expression/en/default.mspx

Over the last year I have some great shots which I haven't had a chance to process or post. All I have time for now is to take 'em, and do some basic sorting and discarding.

[Sammie]

another thing to check into is filters

http://www.leefiltersusa.com/

GND filters can add a lot to a photo

I have not invested in any yet but I plan to.

Here is a thread in the canon forum regarding them with examples


http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=224448

[Hae-Yu]

I bought a few filters from Cokin: a UV, a light and a medium ND and a GND. They really punch up the photos too. This weekend my wife & I are going to the Grand Canyon & Sedona and I'll try to get some with/ without pics and label them.

2 weekends ago we went to Kelso Dunes and I didn't have a system. I just took a bunch of pictures without it. Then I put the filter holder on and took a bunch of pictures. Then I got tired of carrying it and put it away. Throughout the whole time I was switching filters.

They are very affordable at Adorama.com and Cokin are the most common ones I've seen.

[Sammie]

alot of people have cokins and i've seen some great results. I've been a little reluctant to go the cokin route b/c they are not true neutrals. Thus they have a tendency to add hues such as reds and blues.
I've also heard that cokin can produce vingetting on wide angle lens, esp. if your camera is a FF such as mine.
I think for my set up it might be the best way to go.
What lens are you using for your landscapes?



I think i might start off with just one or two filters and then branch out from there.

Post your pics when you get them. I'd be very interested to see the results.

Also have you read anything about the reverse GND's?

The sample pics I've seen look amazing.

[Hae-Yu]

Vignetting - buy the filter holder for wide angle lenses :) They have filter holders for different lens types.

I bought the 52 (?)mm threaded wide angle holder which also works on my wife's Canon EOS kit lens. It doesn't hold 2 filters like a regular holder, but it is closer to the lens and wider. It doesn't cause vignetting.

My lenses are a 14-45mm (28-90mm) and a 40-150mm (90-300mm).

What is FF?

[Sammie]

FF= full frame, not cropped.

The longer the lens and the more the crop factor the less the chance for vingetting.

My 16-35 is the equivilent of A 10mm on a FF vs 1.6 crop factor.

I've had some feedback that even the wide angle adapter from cokin caused some vingetting. Of course this is just one user and many times it can either be cropped out or healed out but I'd rather not do the post processing if I dont have to.

I'm going to keep researching for a bit before I decide. A guy has 2 Singh-Ray filters on ebay. I'm watching it but not sure if I will bid or not.
There are some active bidders participating and sometimes I think its better to go new (never know how these things have been handled).

[Hae-Yu]

I can see vignetting on some very wide angle lenses, but you can go to a Ritz Camera store or Samy's Camera or some other retailer and check exactly what works with your camera.

[Sammie]

Seems like everytime I go to the camera store they dont carry what im looking for. "But they would be happy to order it for me".

I'll check them out the next time I go in for paper or to look around but to be honest I've been really disappointed in inventory, even at our local "pro" shop.