Speaking of exposure...
Beach photos can also be tricky if one is just shooting in Auto mode. But even JPEGs can be saved in post processing. Here are some photos I took in Cuba showing original and processed. I was just using a small waterproof point and shoot (Sony TX5).
Original out of camera:
Processed:
Original out of camera:
Processed:
Another couple of examples...
Orig
Processed
Orig
Processed
Ken the idea with ETTR is that while taking the picture you over expose it but not to the point you clip the highlights. Then in post processing you correct to the proper exposure. Doing this allows the camera to capture more information that can be used in the final image.
Ken the idea with ETTR is that while taking the picture you over expose it but not to the point you clip the highlights. Then in post processing you correct to the proper exposure. Doing this allows the camera to capture more information that can be used in the final image.
I definitely could have/should have used this for the beach photos I was taking. As you can see, the originals were completely underexposed. I didn't even think to adjust the exposure up. I also really need to pick up a polarizer. Would have been perfect on the beach too.
Okay, now I need to go back to a beach! 
yes it would have using ettr reduces noise and results in a much sharper image. the houses I shot was taken at f1.8 but everything is still in sharp focus.
yes it would have using ettr reduces noise and results in a much sharper image. the houses I shot was taken at f1.8 but everything is still in sharp focus.
That was f1.8? Amazing!
shoot anything lately Ken?
shoot anything lately Ken?
Hmmm... not much to be honest. This winter's cold temps and weather in general has me inside most of the time. I can't wait until spring! I'm really looking forward to trying out a polarizer filter. I still haven't picked one up. Do you have a particular brand you'd recommend?
Well, I did take a pic of my cat. LOL...
How about yourself? Oh, btw, I REALLY like that shot of the aircraft carrier you posted in another thread. Very well done.
Hello everyone,
I have been reading this thread and learning quite a bit. I took some photography classes in High School using a Pentax K-1000, shooting black and white film and learning about processing all the way through the darkroom. The digital world is a bit foreign to me but have decided to get my feet wet.
I Purchased a Nikon D3000 and have been using it since Christmas, and based on suggestions here started saving files in raw format along with jpg. There was a software recommendation posted in one of the posts here but I wanted to get your opinions on a free software option that appears to perform the same tasks as the software mentioned. I have been using GIMP for quite a while for graphics manipulation and was disappointed to find that GIMP does not import *.raw files however there is a standalone option called UFRAW that seems to do the trick and automatically associates raw files from the various camera manufacturers so it makes the process pretty easy. If needed I can supply a link for the download. Just wanted to hear from some others about your thoughts on GIMP or UFRAW.
25th Anniversary Trip, Beware the Dreaded ES
I started with gimp and UFRAW but I have moved on to lightroom. I have photoshop but I don't use it much at all. LR isn't that expensive and I think it would make your shooting much more enjoyable as it greatly reduces editing times once you get used to it.
Ken I am in the same boat its just to cold out right now that and work is kinda hectic. I might go out to a boat graveyard tomorrow and shoot it.
Ken I am in the same boat its just to cold out right now that and work is kinda hectic. I might go out to a boat graveyard tomorrow and shoot it.
Sounds interesting!
just a note on contrast and adjustment sliders when doing a black and white image don't be afraid to go crazy and see how it turns out. This is one of my favorite Disney shots from Animal Kingdom and I used setting I never would have used for a color photo.
Very nice! Black and white can be make a photo look so dramatic and interesting. Would the same treatment also be true for sepia tone photos?
sure Ken hows this?
its the same for any monochrome color.
Early Birthday present from my DW
Now i only have 426 days to become awesome with it 
. Previously had a 350d but find it too large and bulky.
I have a couple of questions for you camera guys (or Girls).
1.Is a pancake lens a worthwhile addition ?
2.Recommendations for a small tripod.
2.I am currently using Picassa and wondered what other photo editing software you would recomend (bear in mind all this is being done on an ASUS netbook so don't have a disc drive to use to install and don't want to pay the earth.
Howdy Y'all
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May/June 2016 Magic cruise to Norway
2017 Prtugal wedding adventures
2018 Alskan disney cruise ??
2019 Florida
I would recommend lightroom for photo processing. The pancake lens looks like it would reduce a lot of weight. I would look at reviews of the normal lenses in the same focal length.
Tripods look at manfrotto I have two manfrotto tripods and love them.
Lightroom if you are interested in categorizing and cataloging pictures. Photoshop Elements if you are just more interested in photo editing.
I love my Bower tri-pod for carrying. No, it's not as compact as some, but very lightweight but yet substantial enough. I had one of those cheap ones that folded up to like 6" and although portable, wasn't very sturdy. I worried the entire time about putting my expensive camera on it afraid it would topple.
And congrats on the camera! DH got me a new Nikon for Christmas and I am having a blast.
I prefer the cat! 
As already mentioned, Lightroom is really good from what I've read/heard. I haven't used it myself though.
If you happen to have a Mac, I'd highly recommend Apple Aperture. That's what I use and I think it's great. I also have Photoshop Elements if I want to do any photo editing.
Congrats on the EOS-M! That looks like a really nice camera!
If you want a REALLY small tripod, I carry this one around in my camera bag. It's a table-top Manfrotto. Great quality and very handy to have. Especially for night photography.
Wow, KenJ, you take amazing photos! My guess is that you don't use the camera on your phone? lol
Former Annual Pass Holder - my happy place
Wow, KenJ, you take amazing photos! My guess is that you don't use the camera on your phone? lol
Thanks kiddinpark! And welcome to the forum!
Well, I do take some photos with my iPhone since it's always with me, but I definitely prefer to use my dedicated camera whenever possible.
I would recommend lightroom for photo processing. The pancake lens looks like it would reduce a lot of weight. I would look at reviews of the normal lenses in the same focal length.
Tripods look at manfrotto I have two manfrotto tripods and love them.
Lightroom if you are interested in categorizing and cataloging pictures. Photoshop Elements if you are just more interested in photo editing.
I love my Bower tri-pod for carrying. No, it's not as compact as some, but very lightweight but yet substantial enough. I had one of those cheap ones that folded up to like 6" and although portable, wasn't very sturdy. I worried the entire time about putting my expensive camera on it afraid it would topple.
And congrats on the camera! DH got me a new Nikon for Christmas and I am having a blast.
As already mentioned, Lightroom is really good from what I've read/heard. I haven't used it myself though.
If you happen to have a Mac, I'd highly recommend Apple Aperture. That's what I use and I think it's great. I also have Photoshop Elements if I want to do any photo editing.
Congrats on the EOS-M! That looks like a really nice camera!
If you want a REALLY small tripod, I carry this one around in my camera bag. It's a table-top Manfrotto. Great quality and very handy to have. Especially for night photography.
Slowly getting to grips with the new toy 
Will definatley look into a manfroto mini tripod as that looks just what i am after.
Think i will continue with Picassa for the moment until i get something more substantial than the netbook i am currently using.
Howdy Y'all
https://www.facebook.com/matthew.tucker1
Caution Content May be inappropriate
May/June 2016 Magic cruise to Norway
2017 Prtugal wedding adventures
2018 Alskan disney cruise ??
2019 Florida
Rather than start a new thread i thought i would ask here.
What sort of filter would anyone recomend ?
Howdy Y'all
https://www.facebook.com/matthew.tucker1
Caution Content May be inappropriate
May/June 2016 Magic cruise to Norway
2017 Prtugal wedding adventures
2018 Alskan disney cruise ??
2019 Florida
Rather than start a new thread i thought i would ask here.
What sort of filter would anyone recomend ?
I like the Columbian coffee one...Sorry Sir..Well when I was big into photography, I had about a doze.my favourite was one the photographers use at weddings to give this haze around the bride,,can't remember what it's called,but my friend used a plain filter with a smear of Vaseline on it to create the same dreamy effect..A star filter can be quite effective also..
Rather than start a new thread i thought i would ask here.
What sort of filter would anyone recomend ?
There are so many different filters for many different effects. I guess it depends on what you are interested in.
The 2 filters I want to get are a polarizer and a neutral density. Polarizer can bring out great colors and saturated skies. The ND filter allows one to use a wider aperture in bright conditions. This in turn makes it possible to get a shallow depth of field for a nice background blur (especially good for video).
The ND filter also lets you use a slower shutter speed to achieve nice effects like a smooth flowing waterfall.
Infrared filters are also quite interesting too.
Polarizer example:
ND example:
Infrared example:
Well, seeing that Apple announced the discontinuation of Aperture, I just switched over to Adobe Lightroom. I'm really enjoying the app so far.
Here's one of my first photos processed through Lightroom. It's a shot from our hike in the woods over the past weekend.
stunning! love it!
Just another quick post regarding the advantages of shooting RAW and post processing...
I took a photo of the castle that I thought was a throwaway. Completely underexposed. But I liked the framing and the fact that the park wasn't open yet and there was nobody around. So, I loaded the RAW file into Lightroom and played with it. Here are the results:
This is what I started with:
This is the final product:
Yowzer! What a difference! Ok...I must start playing with my RAW.................... 