I m new to photography and welcome all you sifu cnc . thank you .

my photo gun setup:
- Panasonic Lumix FZ20
- UV filter
- Panasonic flash DMW-FL28


Dragon fruit flower, only bloom after 9.30pm without fail ...
(for these shots, added a semitransparent plastic container to diffuse the light)

1.


2.


3.


4.


5.


6.


7.


This post has been edited by xxx2299: Jan 17 2008, 07:15 AM

@xxx2299:

the flowers look like under-exposed already...

hmmm, or mayb my monitor??? is time to get spyder pro???

Nice pic man.
I am no photographer, but i do appreciate what ure doing.
keep posting

ya lor henry, looks a bit dark. I shoot in P mode + AF. I do not quite know how to adjust to brighter lighting, because it was pitch dark outside garden without any light at 930pm~1000pm. I had to use a torchlight to lightup the flower for focusing and then off the torchlight when shooting.

the flower is about 10inches in diameter wide.

btw what is spyder pro?
google search gives ->
http://www.audioreview.com/SPYDERPROcrx.aspx
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000ARIUVY/ref=no...VY&linkCode=asn

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Added on June 18, 2007, 10:29 amzephyr, thanks for the support, will shoot more things...

This post has been edited by xxx2299: Jun 18 2007, 10:29 AM

yoh bro very nice!! u need to re-adjust the diffuser

i was told this was how you take photos of white flowers, so it's not underexposed.

hrm..it does look underexposed but considering it's a high contrasting picture, i think it's the max it can go without blowing out your highlights.

6 n 7 definitely underexposed imho

look dark on my dell lcd as well....next time maybe try to bring a small led light to beam on the flower

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Added on June 18, 2007, 3:52 pmthis 1 is it the dragon fruit plant flower?

This post has been edited by dokidoki: Jun 18 2007, 03:52 PM

I will improve on the lighting and shoot better next time with a ring flash
(another candidate for DIY )

and doki, this 1 is the dragon fruit plant flower.

This post has been edited by xxx2299: Jun 20 2007, 07:10 AM

Underexposed picture for white/red with texture..if exposed to high,the texture will dissapear make it looks like a peice of smooth paper

i hv just officially started my second DIY project of a ring flash.

once done, will try to re-shoot especially picture 6 & 7 (that is, IF there is another flower blooming...)

even for white, i think it's slightly under-exposed.

the 2nd last and last pic doesn't show much of the white petals either, those 2 are confirmed under-exposed. it doesn't bring out the yellow and the green.

good attempt nevertheless.

i hv just completed the first prototype of my DIY ring flash

here is the test result.
please comment if the ring flash is working as it should be.
any improvement needed?
thanks a million...

Test shot result in a dark store room. (also a flower )


Here is the test setup.

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Added on June 23, 2007, 4:08 pmFZ20 setting:
auto focus, manual at ISO80 F2.8 1/80

Flash setting:
manual at lowest flash power

This post has been edited by xxx2299: Jun 23 2007, 04:08 PM

the first photo is taken with a UV filter, the second is taken without the UV filter.
camera settings both the same, zoom, ISO80 F2.8 1/10

why is the first photo has a light ring?

1. with UV filter


2. without UV filter

Your DIY ring flash looked interesting, and the result very good too, can show the details how you do it?

DIY ring flash (adaptor) is here:
http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopic=481371

i think the ring of light is called a lens flare...
but m not too sure how to explain it...=)

is this normal for UV filters?
i m using MARUMI UV HAZE filter.

because without the filter, there is not light ring.

thanks

i think it shud be normal..
how a bout u try shooting some other bright object against a dark background with the UV filter...
juz to check whether if it happened again...=)

thanks for the suggestion, will try it out.

more flowers taken with FZ20.

1. i went to a construction site one day and shoot any flower i can see


2. flower from same site


3. then go home and shoot a flower bouquet, this time use the DIY ring flash


4. is this rose ? using the DIY ring flash too

went outstation on business trip, and end up shooting wild flowers by road side

this time using my first panasonic dc, the Lumix FX01.

1. for your eyes only...


2.

my wife start to tak tahan me liao, because of crazy with shooting flowers.


This post has been edited by xxx2299: Nov 14 2007, 09:16 AM

recently acquired a fujifilm f20 and tried out some flower shots, on a cloudy morning.

F20 iso100 F4 1/250


F20 iso100 F2.8 1/350


This post has been edited by xxx2299: Nov 14 2007, 09:19 AM

it's best you take photo of flowers when there's sufficient lighting.

i also like flower shots and i think you could improve on your

1. choice of time
2. angles

good effort nevertheless. composition quite ok already.

if possible, try to maintain your pictures at 6x4 or 4x6 size (3x2 / 2x3 if you may).

The pictures are underexposed. Bump up the exposure compensation and they will look much better.

--1. choice of time
noted on this

--2. angles
i do not quite understand on this. do you mean to shot facing the flower and not from the side?

--if possible, try to maintain your pictures at 6x4 or 4x6 size
is there any particular reason for this size?

thanks for your comments, really noob in photography.


will take note on this. anyway, how to judge photo is underexpose?

thanks you too.

When the flowers tend to look dull and a bit dark, then it is underexposed. To go further technical, you can refer to the histogram. Do calibrate your monitor to get the best results. You can refer to my portfolio on my signature for flower pictures that I've taken.

Do shoot more. The more you practise, the better you are.

The composition is actually not bad, just that it looks desaturated. Could it be the white balance setting in your camera? Check the camera setting.

ok more like angles that hide away the not so nice or distracting background.

not that you're not doing it yet. just take note of it.

yes well it's standard picture size, say 4R

anyway try to maintain it with the ratio as follows.

3R (3" x 5")
4R (4" x 6")
5R (5" x 7")
6R (6" x 8")
8R (8" x 10")

* the numbers are changeable. 3x5 is same as 5x3. just a matter of portrait or landscape.

i use 3:2 (which is same as 6:4).




when photos look dark.

i wonder if the Marumi filter you are using is multi-coated? Uncoated Filters will cause flares... well, use your lens hood as much as possible to minimize flare....

saw all your flower shoots, understand what you mean by underexposed. did you post-process your flowers shoots?


because still noob, always set white balance to auto.


thanks, and noted on this


yah, i think it is the UV filter too. it always happen when i point straight to a light source.

Mostly minimal contrast, curves and unmask sharpening for web posting.

Thanks for viewing them.

i do not post-process my pictures, might be time to look for a software to do it.

if the pictures can come out nicely straight away, then waffor post process? I also don't post process my pictures.......ok well, my only PP is resize / sharpen. occasional contrast / brightness adjustment. that's it.

was in kl on 22 nov 07 and since i was only 5 minutes from klcc . . .

yes, yet another klcc shooting . . .

fujifilm f20 iso400, f2.9, 1/20s


fujifilm f20 iso400, f2.8, 1/20s


fujifilm f20 iso200, f5, 1/4s

Nice angle on the first shot

thanks kelvinyam

few more outing photos, c&c please...

1. had a hard time taking this photo, how to improve it? I estimate focal length at widest angle (basically trying my luck only)


This post has been edited by xxx2299: Dec 7 2007, 12:15 PM

2. nothing special

3.

4. white xmas

recent trip to Sg Petani & Butterworth
1.


2. one night in butterworth


3. hurry strom is coming . . . but no place to hide, was on the ferry and all wet! all because trying to be cool and walk slowly

ok. next time just go near the christmas tree, point upwards, focus on 1 of the deco. you'll get some nice composition.

thanks for the tip.

somehow, i do not have the "feel" to looking out for nice compositions.

thats why need to learning from sifus...

This mushroom pop out from no where under a tree in front of my house. Took this picture right after the rain stopped with a 4x close up filter.

You crop the pictures ah

don think so

tongyam right, no crop, but up the brightness. because that time already 7pm and right after rain.

2 more new plants in front of my neighbor's house (my neighbor has very very green hands)

This time planting corn, why the corn silk is red?

Trying our on HDR during last Cameron trip.

C & C please. Thank you.

Taken during sun rise with fuji F20