Post your photography skills! (self-gloss) - Page 213

I just scanned my first black and white negative (Ilford XP2 Super) with a Canoscan 8600f. A rather random pic of a windmill (there's of course always one one the horizon here).

Anyone's got any tips for me in regards to scanning? Is it better to sharpen, up the contrast, darken or lighten while scanning or in Lightroom? Matt perhaps?

I sharpened, 'blackened' upped the clarity etc in Lightroom. The result is horribly digital.

: ) I kind of like it, CDFS.

Just because you shot it in film means nothing. Negative scans are digital so of course it's going to be oh so digital looking. The only way to really do film is to use optical equipment just like the good old days. Unfortunately there aren't many labs left in the US that do this. I'm fortunate, one such lab isn't very far from me. The difference between a negative scan to print versus processing film traditionally is like the difference between night and day. To fully understand the difference you need to see the same image processed both ways and compare them side by side.

Very nice indeed. I find landscape/architecture photography pretty easy - the most difficult thing is capturing people well - especially in lighting conditions like this.

Thanks - I had to climb someone's roof to get that shot - I used their chimney as a makeshift tripod - I heard footsteps in the house so I ran like hell

I have an idea of what it would be like. I arrived in Oia 2 hours before sunset, so I knew I had to hustle to get all the shots I wanted from different angles. I probably went about halfway down the stairs to get some shots, then when I realized it was getting close to sundown I literally ran up the stairs - people looked at me like I was crazy. But in my experience the best way to get other shots people can't is to be willing to go to lengths other people won't.

Thank you, It's a rather desolate landscape.

I understand that. I have a local photo shop/labratoria in my street. I'm quite sure they print optically themselves. And there are lots of places like HEMA that develop and then print (a bit stripely). I think the latter one may use a scanner themselves, I'm not sure. They do develop and print 36 photos for the price of a couple of beers. I just like to have options. This scanner can be used as an alternative to a lightbox for viewing the negatives on screen, I can show the pics here and elsewhere online and when I make that 1 in 100(00) pic I can choose to have it printed professionally.

Thanks Fidel, your pictures are amazing as well. It seems like a great place to spend some time!

Autumn pics from the X10

^

Nice shots - the x10 is a hell of a camera.

No pics, but I went out to shoot some friends at an event yesterday, and took an old early '80s Nikon 200-600mm f/9.5 (yes, 9.5) superzoom for the purpose. There was decent light and old cannon performed flawlessly on my D200 -- on which it was a 900mm equivalent, which is crazy. I had so much fun. The 200-600 was one of Nikon's 'one-touch' zooms -- you moved the barrel in and out to change the focal length and turn it to focus. That worked out great as my subjects were going from near to far all the time.

 

I knew I would have to bike there, so I packed the 600mm, my Nikkor 300mm f/4.5 AI-S, and an 18-135mm kit lens in my wonderful Sadddleback messenger/backpack, with a decent sized Bogen Manfrotto strapped under the bag. It was a HEAVY pack, but that worked out great, too, because the Saddleback is so versatile -- I unclipped the shoulder strap from the bag and clipped one end to the d-ring on the Bogen, the other to my chair, so that if some kid knocked over my tripod, the lens wouldn't wind up in the drink. Then when I went off to get some food, I clipped the shoulder strap to the two D-rings on that massive 21" lens and carried it around since I wouldn't leave that puppy anywhere. It attracted a LOT of attention.

 

Just a great day shooting. My schedule of late has been pretty rough, so it was nice to know I still remember how.

NOBD i like the last mushroom shot, the bokeh is nice on the 2nd one too. Nice colors.

Thx, IC. Great shadows.

Thanks , the ole girl was trying to get a moment of rest at the petting zoo