North Dakota Nesties
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Photog ladies...
I have a few questions... stick with me!
1. What program(s) do you use to edit you pictures?
2. Where do you print your images from? (ie: online site) - I've been doing a lot of high res stuff and I'm finging shutterfly just doesn't cut it.
3. If you could reccomend 3 accessories that are a must, what would they be? (ie: flash, filter, lense, memory card)
I have a Nikon D5000, and I really really want to get into learning more about it and really using it. Right now I've been duming the pictures onto my computer and uploading them to shutterfly, but that's not cutting it.
Also, were there any books or courses you took that helped you?
Re: Photog ladies...
Oooh! Thanks for posting this!! I am in the same boat... I really want to start learning how to use my camera and editing and all that... but am completely clueless!!!
I use photoshop to edit pictures now, I mostly use actions I downloaded from random websites... but would like to learn how to do my own stuff.
I would love to know about editing, printing, accessories, books and courses too...
I'll answer, though I'm no where near the quality of some of the other ladies around here.
1. I use the minimal editing software that came with my camera as well as Photoshop Elements. I wish I had the full photoshop because I REALLY want Totally Rad Actions to work. Elements is nice because it's less than $100 and a good beginner level program, IMO
2. I've gotten slightly better quality from Flickr, but my favorite for the best looking stuff (even though it's definitely more expensive) is mpix. They look very professional and have lots of different options for finishes (DH really likes the metallic finish)
3. I'm still trying to decide this myself. A flash really hasn't been that necessary for me in the last 3 years that I've had my camera, I'm just now kind of sort of starting to want one, but I don't know. I have gotten a really nice tripod and used that a lot, but again that's not for everyone. I'd say 2 lenses you really love using, maybe 3.
4. I haven't read any books, but at some point I would like to read understanding exposure. I have taken most of my classes so far through the local community education program. The teacher I've taken most of the classes with is absolutely amazing and is a well published photographer, so I really take what he teaches seriously. More recently, I've been looking into classes at different community colleges that have photog programs. These are quite expensive, but one of these days I might work up the guts to to it.
(edited to answer your other question)
1. What program(s) do you use to edit you pictures? I have Photoshop CS3 with TRA1 & TRA2 action packages. Sometimes, I also use the canon software to edit the curves of my RAW files.
2. Where do you print your images from? We go to Ritz camera...but I'm very particular, so most of the time they end up printing my pics more than once until they get it right. We are looking into buying our own printer.
3. If you could recommend 3 accessories that are a must, what would they be?
- Memory cards of course (we have a lots of them).
- If you are going to do portraits a good prime lens (like the 50mm) and if you want landscapes a good wide lens (like the 10-24mm...I think that's the Nikon one)
- My 3rd accessory will be the tripod...but it's because we take a lot of landscapes in low light with very small apertures (around f/22).
- Other than that I like my flash, especially for portraits, macro, abstract and still life. And also my ExpoDisc (although I don't really use it all the time).
I'm in the beginning stages of learning photography and recently upgraded to a D5000 from a D40.
1. I use Photoshop CS3 and Lightroom. I'm learning the ins and outs of Photoshop right now, I've just discovered Actions :-) So far I've only downloaded free ones from MCP Actions and The Pioneer Woman to play around.
2. I used mpix to print our wedding pictures and plan to use them again to print favorites of my own. I signed up to get e-mails whenever they have any discount codes.
3. As far as accesories go,
- memory cards are a must, I currently have 2 but want to get some with more storage so I can shoot in RAW.
- A good tripod
- As far as lenses go, I use my kit lens mostly. I got the 55-200mm VR zoom when I bought the D5000, but I still have to get a tripod so I haven't used it much. Next on my list is a 50mm. Only other one I might consider in the future is a wide angle.
-Also on my list of wants is an ExpoDisk, but the in camera white balance settings work pretty well.
I try to shoot without my flash as much as possible. If the lighting is too poor I'll turn the flash on, but turn down the flash exposure. I found this great blog series that's really helped me take a better photo and learn some about photoshop: http://my3boybarians.com/31-days-series/
Planning Bio Married Bio *Work In Progress*
Formerly Knottie Soon2beMrs.G_09
1. I used Lightroom 3.0 and Photoshop 4.0. But for your I'd say an older version of Lightroom or Photoshop Elements would work well and save you a lot of money!
2. I print through WHCC which you need a tax ID for so unless you want to go that route you can't print there. I've done some printing through MPix for smaller orders since WHCC has a minimum and it's OK. I don't like it as much as WHCC but better than anywhere else, really.
3. I use SanDisk Extreme III cards and I love them! I have a couple of Kingstong Pros that are OK but not nearly as quick as the Extreme IIIs. If you are a fast shooter, a fast card is a must-have! Otherwise I don't really have a "must-have list". Any old flash will work, really, if you know how to use it right.
For books I recommend reading "Understanding Exposure". Great book to read when you're just starting out!