personally...i think the only *cheaper* add-on lens that worth the $ is raynox macro lens...

but to be frank i nv really use alot of 'em b4...so it wouldnt b fair for me to bad mouth about those add-on stuff....


my point of view is always...if u want to shoot macro..get a true macro lens..if u wan to shoot wide angle..get a wide angle lens.....the converter might satisfy u for awhile..but eventually u'll move to the 'true' lens for the quality...so y waste the $ at the first place?



p/s:to me..800buck is too exp.. =)

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Added on May 5, 2009, 12:38 amits the usual "kysham" style....and as usual..its nice

This post has been edited by achew: May 5 2009, 12:38 AM

1870 u mean

well..not say cannot..just that its a lil bit hard and the bokeh of cos cant b compared with the prime lenses....(and thats the reason y i got my 50mm less than a week after i bought my a300..lol)

try zoom to the max..get nearer to ur subject....and use the smallest F number possible...

This post has been edited by achew: May 5 2009, 12:48 AM

ok..heres another quick edit from me..things i did...fake bokeh(might b a lil bit too aggressive..but lazy to change =p )..sharpen some details....smoothen the face...make the skin tone btwn both of them more balanced...






p/s: the more i see..the more i don like the fake bokeh..lol...but well...just for fun..so lazy to reduce it =p

This post has been edited by achew: May 5 2009, 02:28 AM

errr...actually there is no "correct" way of using photoshop la...as long as u understand the functions..u no need to follow the steps...if not..follow blindly wont bring u far..

ok..anyway..since guy n the gal skin tone is not on the same level..all i did was change the exposure + gamma + brightness to make the gal skin tone until i feel comfortable...and den another layer of exp + gamma for the guy..and den mask it using the gradient tool....

bokeh wise...its just "blur"..nothing great..lol


edit: oh ya..i desaturate ur photo a lil bit too...

This post has been edited by achew: May 5 2009, 02:47 AM

i had a alien skin plugin for bokeh in my CS4...i can stimulate bokeh effects and even set the shape of the blades which create slightly diff bokeh results...

but usually...just do a "lens blur"..the result is more or less the same....but of cos..u can only "blur" the object..u cant really create the real bokeh like wad our lens produces...

u need to create a "mask" layer bside the layer u wanna mask...

try to google for some tutorial...masking is very simple concept..but i think its darn useful in photoshop...

did a quick google...and found this youtube vid..quickly browse thru..i think this shd b ok...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2fwM0eZlQs

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Added on May 5, 2009, 1:36 pmi always set mine on release...slight OOF stil can b tuned during post processing...better than totally miss the chance of shooting the moment...isnt it?

This post has been edited by achew: May 5 2009, 01:36 PM

luckily...not my cup of tea..

i might nose bleed if u post some new sony slr n lenses...

hmm..to me..masking = masking..there is no basic or advance(or probably i hvn reach the advance stage yet =p )...its actually just a simple concept.. =)

correct for 1 & 2...

3...from wad i know...masking only have 2 color..black n white.....black = show previous layer...white = shows current layer...so wad color i use for gradient tool?black n white

try to create 2 layers with diff things inside...and put mask on the top layer..play around with it..i believe its not hard to understand =)

i think #2 would b better if u increase the DoF ??looks abit too shallow...

hmm?? increase aperture??

nothing wrong to increase more..sometimes i shoot F25 or even higher...shd see the picture instead of judging with the numbers..right?? =D

nice soft shadow there =D

how come u sounds like u r the one jumping..lol

ok..since u nv use it..i'll adopt it for free...

i bought a unknown brand filter for 70bucks..and a normal handphone-like screen protector for 30buck too =.=

by 'cant get it right' i guess its not the masking prob right???

to b frank..all my pp r done according to my 'feeling' at the moment..giv me another chance i might not giv u the same tone...so i cant really giv u a 'standard procedures' to follow....

but like wad i said...i always play with ->contrast , vibrancy , gamma , exposure , brightness to achieve the skin tone.....sometimes i use color filter too..but not very often on human portrait..mostly flowers shots...

have fun with the great lens...