DSLRUsers.com

Gerry and I have been discussing this for a while now.

1. Shoot some pictures (subject to be decided)
2. Use your laptops to edit (one picture from each person)
3. Compare and contrast over coffee - Yes you can critique as well.

Ideas? Comments?

surenj wrote:over coffee

What is it with you guys?

Greg, you can have whatever beverage that you like. If you need alcoholic beverages at unusual times (IE early morning) then suggest you bring ya own...

surenj wrote:If you need alcoholic beverages at unusual times (IE early morning)

What's so unusual about that?

Seriously I am getting increasingly thin skinned about the assumption of coffee as the ONLY beverage out there. I have a "friend" who never fails to ask if I want a coffee every time I see him. I have never, in the thirty plus years I have known him, had a cup of coffee in his presence, or outside it for that matter. I have had coffee in the past (about 45years ago was the last time). It makes me ill. I have no wish to have another. So if asked for a coffee these days, I say NO increasingly emphatically.

There are perfectly valid terms that do NOT assume coffee. "Beverage", "drink", "cuppa" for example. Is it so difficult to use one of them?

Mr Darcy wrote:There are perfectly valid terms that do NOT assume coffee. "Beverage", "drink", "cuppa" for example. Is it so difficult to use one of them?

Or one could simply realise that "coffee" is often used as a euphemism for any beverage that a person wants to consume? Most people don't get offended when cafes serve more than just coffee.

Reschsmooth wrote:"coffee" is often used as a euphemism for any beverage that a person wants to consume?

Sorry. No. Coffee is a drink based (sometimes quite loosely - Pablo anyone?) on a quite specific plant extract.

Tea is somewhat more generic, referring to a variety of extracts/infusions of leaves, commonly of the camellia family, but including others such as peppermint. It is still more specific than "any beverage that a person wants to consume" as it does not include coffee which is not brewed from leaves.

As I said before. If you want to be generic, use one of the terms that are by definition generic.

Mr Darcy wrote:

Reschsmooth wrote:"coffee" is often used as a euphemism for any beverage that a person wants to consume?

Sorry. No. Coffee is a drink based (sometimes quite loosely - Pablo anyone?) on a quite specific plant extract.

Tea is somewhat more generic, referring to a variety of extracts/infusions of leaves, commonly of the camellia family, but including others such as peppermint. It is still more specific than "any beverage that a person wants to consume" as it does not include coffee which is not brewed from leaves.

As I said before. If you want to be generic, use one of the terms that are by definition generic.

Yep, this is getting painfully off topic. If someone asks if you want to "meet up for a coffee" do you either refuse because you do not see that drinking coffee is not a requirement and you could, actually, order any beverage you like, or do you painfully inform them that you will not drink coffee but will meet them regardless?

Or accept that "coffee" can actually be euphemistic and not something that should cause annoyance. But the choice is yours.

If I am asked to go out for a coffee. I simply say "No Thanks. I don't drink coffee."

So to turn it around:
If you ordered a coffee & were supplied "No Frills" chamomile tea, would you regard that as quite acceptable since "coffee" is simply a euphemism for "beverage"? I expect not. I suspect you would be up in arms. And rightly so.

No more from me on this topic. Please return to normal programming.

No coffee for me either (actually I've never drunk coffee in my entire life) - however that aside I'm still interested Sounds like a great plan - I'm presuming we all go to the same location (with our gear and laptops) and shoot the same thing and process a select? I'd be interested in seeing not just the different PP ideas but also how each of us tackles the same subject.

Well I'm interested in the photo stuff as well as a beverage of some description.

Mr Darcy wrote:If I am asked to go out for a coffee. I simply say "No Thanks. I don't drink coffee."

So to turn it around:
If you ordered a coffee & were supplied "No Frills" chamomile tea, would you regard that as quite acceptable since "coffee" is simply a euphemism for "beverage"? I expect not. I suspect you would be up in arms. And rightly so.

No more from me on this topic. Please return to normal programming.

Well, you aren't turning it around, you are creating a ridiculous situation that would not occur. But I am going to leave this alone now.

surenj wrote:Gerry and I have been discussing this for a while now.

1. Shoot some pictures (subject to be decided)
2. Use your laptops to edit (one picture from each person)
3. Compare and contrast over coffee - Yes you can critique as well.

Ideas? Comments?

I am all for this, however do have some reservations - since we will be using different editing software anything but the end result is going to be fairly meaningless. I guess the core of editing is fairly platform independent so it should be ok.

I have a laptop, however it is certainly not somethign I would use to seriously edit any photos, nontheless for all intensive purposes I could well use it.

If it means getting out and taking some shots, i am happy to forego teh above and make it work.

1) location - i always assumed a seascape session, however i think other options could be good too, maybe the botanical gardens maybe, this means you could alo do the processng there and get takeways of whatever kind at the cafe.

2) yeah I like the one image idea, maybe make it two, that way there is some variation and room to play. I always work on a couple of processing methods from a single shoot, so that would suit me.

3) chew the fat and drink whatever shit you want.

Greg
Bonnox?

Well Matt, Gerry did say you can drink whatever shit you want

Ow that the beverage debate has died down, I am interested in this, but as usual timing and location are critical to my attendance.
If I make it, I can bring a lappie with LR3, LR4 and possibly CS5, Aperture and NX2 on it
I have been using LR4 for all my recent 366 photos & I must say I am impressed. That reminds me. I haven't taken my photo for the day yet. Only 90 minutes left. Ceeya!

how about a architectural session at Sydney Uni? plenty of old buildings and there is that new geology building, all glass and angles and shit that I have been meaning to take a picture of for yonks.

Could be a good location since we could always double as students and rock up to teh library and use their conference rooms for free or just sit in teh speccy gardens...

I think Sydney Uni is fairly central location which will be promising. I reckon we should lock that in.

biggerry wrote:rock up to teh library and use their conference rooms for free or just sit in teh speccy gardens

How about this Sunday? morning??

surenj wrote:I think Sydney Uni is fairly central location which will be promising. I reckon we should lock that in.

biggerry wrote:rock up to teh library and use their conference rooms for free or just sit in teh speccy gardens

How about this Sunday? morning??

standby on that one, i may actually be in sydney this weekend if things do not go according to plan...

I'm not sure I can make Sun either (because I'm out shooting in the CBD - whirlpool meetup if others are interested - most of Sat - and she who must be obeyed is already barely begrudgingly allowing that).

If I do come (whenever it ends up on) I can also bring my laptop (new 17" MBP) with LR3, LR4, etc.

I am out for Sunday. My best friend is having a baby shower (although I get to be the photographer for that!)

Have fun guys.

How about the 19th Feb then?

surenj wrote:How about the 19th Feb then?

I definitely have something else on the afternoon/evening of the 19th but the morning might be possible

can and will do something this sunday morning - but don't change/plan for me.

biggerry wrote:can and will do something this sunday morning - but don't change/plan for me.

I will call you. Perhaps a seascape? Sunrise times are favourable at the moment.

We will lock this one on the 19th.

surenj wrote:

biggerry wrote:can and will do something this sunday morning - but don't change/plan for me.

I will call you. Perhaps a seascape? Sunrise times are favourable at the moment.

i am easy as a cheap slut in paddington at the moment.... i shall await

surenj wrote:We will lock this one on the 19th.

Hi Suren - are we still a go for this Sunday (morning?) at Sydney Uni?

Remorhaz wrote:

surenj wrote:We will lock this one on the 19th.

Hi Suren - are we still a go for this Sunday (morning?) at Sydney Uni?

pretty sure, I will be there early but have to leave early also, i am committed elsewhere

Do we have a specific time and place for this. My vague memory is that Sydney Uni is a pretty big place. Also "Sunday morning" is a pretty long time. Not much good to me if I rock up at the hospital on Missendon Rd at 11:00 if you are all at the geology building (wherever that is!) at 09:00

Agreed - I also have to be somewhere else by soon after midday (and home before that) so I too prefer an earlier session.

I don't know Sydney Uni that well - anyone suggest a suitable meeting place thats relatively easy to find? and a good start time?

I need to be gone by 9:15, hence I plan to be there at 7.

Parking is available at Vic park, city rd just up from parramatta rd. It's a little free carpark.

I suggest a good meeting spot is

University of Sydney, Eastern Ave, Camperdown NSW 2050
http://m.google.com.au/u/m/z2u6cc

biggerry wrote:hence I plan to be there at 7.

That would mean a 05:00 start for me. And even then I would have to skip breakfast. So I think the start time counts me out. Sorry.

Mr Darcy wrote:

biggerry wrote:hence I plan to be there at 7.

That would mean a 05:00 start for me. And even then I would have to skip breakfast. So I think the start time counts me out. Sorry.

If the other guys turn up I reckon they would stay later, I am starting then cause u have no other time.

Sorry Greg, Maybe we will have an evening event for you at some stage.... There is nothing stopping us from doing this again.

Thanks Suren and Rodney, apologies for having to leave early - i reckon his place was teh best a this time, no crowds and relatively nice light.

since it was a PP session, here is that HDR shot of the tree, there is some chroma abberations, but all in all not badly handled give the leaves on teh jacaranda tree.

haha fish coffee...

Thanks Gerry, I can't see any halos on that one! You've got your photomatix on.

Thanks guys... can't believe you got your stuff processed so quickly... just doing mine now...

OK here is my 9 Shot HDR processed of that tree - sunglasses at the ready

...



notice the absolutely realistic sky and complete absence of any haloing or chroma - I bet you'll be clamoring for my HDR processing techniques now...




...

seriously - here's the smooth sky version... and I think you're probably right Gerry - having more brackets available with the mostly 1 stop steps rather than my normal -2, 0 and +2 probably has made it easier to get a smoother more realistic end result with less effort to do so.



and 100% crop

Remorhaz wrote:Thanks guys... can't believe you got your stuff processed so quickly... just doing mine now...

lol, did not take that many shots so i had a quick look thru them

Remorhaz wrote:seriously - here's the smooth sky version... and I think you're probably right Gerry - having more brackets available with the mostly 1 stop steps rather than my normal -2, 0 and +2 probably has made it easier to get a smoother more realistic end result with less effort to do so.

I think bracketing is just anotehr technique that needs to be used, modified and applied under certain circumstances, sometimes the cameras -2 0 +2 bracket works fine and dandy other times it looks like a technicoloured morning after cocktail spew. I have found that with certain scenes have a large number of brackets more finely spaced can help smooth the scene, the only problem being is you end up with a crap load images - that said do you guys delete your raws after HDR merging?

biggerry wrote:...the only problem being is you end up with a crap load images - that said do you guys delete your raws after HDR merging?

Suren and I actually discussed the whole keep/delete/etc image thing

I basically keep everything - after a shoot I do go through and make my Rejects (really bad - oof, accidents, black, etc) and initial selects (ones I might look at doing further PP on) - I'd say roughly 5-10% of each would be normalish
I backup everything (including Rejects) via Time Machine and then I delete the Rejects but then I keep everything else. I then go through the selects and choose which ones I'll actually PP - which I'll do and then I'll rate them (using all of 1 to 5*)

From memory Suren on the other hand makes his most selects and then PP's them - I believe he then basically only has a few 4/5* images and everything else and he deletes the everything else and only keeps his few best images

So I guess Suren and I represent the most extreme ends of the keep or delete debate

I keep the raw files for a successful HDR, a failed HDR/Pano will get dumped.

Remorhaz wrote:

biggerry wrote:...the only problem being is you end up with a crap load images - that said do you guys delete your raws after HDR merging?

Suren and I actually discussed the whole keep/delete/etc image thing

I basically keep everything - after a shoot I do go through and make my Rejects (really bad - oof, accidents, black, etc) and initial selects (ones I might look at doing further PP on) - I'd say roughly 5-10% of each would be normalish
I backup everything (including Rejects) via Time Machine and then I delete the Rejects but then I keep everything else. I then go through the selects and choose which ones I'll actually PP - which I'll do and then I'll rate them (using all of 1 to 5*)

From memory Suren on the other hand makes his most selects and then PP's them - I believe he then basically only has a few 4/5* images and everything else and he deletes the everything else and only keeps his few best images

So I guess Suren and I represent the most extreme ends of the keep or delete debate

haha, yeah suren is a nazi when it comes to culling - i wish I could do that.

man, your backup drive must be fing huge!

aim54x wrote:I keep the raw files for a successful HDR, a failed HDR/Pano will get dumped.

are you saying a failed pano HDR you dump all files? what about using a single bracket?

biggerry wrote:man, your backup drive must be fing huge!

Actually my current time machine backup drive is only 750G but thats effectively a couple years worth of images. I'll probably have to upgrade it soon - but then I'd get something like a 2 or 3G one and by the time it fills in another couple years time there will be 20G drives out

NB: I also have a copy of all my (except deleted Reject) images on a portable hard drive as well (two actually - one in the office and another which is my main image store for images which move off my internal drive on the laptop (I can only really keep the most recent 1 to 2 months on my laptop)