CP Photo Challenge #2 : Landscapes (WINNER: JAYEMS)

[chid]

Stanley Park, Vancouver, panoramic shot

[kobafett]

[Muta]

Two from New Zealand that I took:

From the Waikato region:


Awipara Lookout, just west of Lake Taupo:


One from Byron Bay in Australia:

[Jayems]

My apologies for not getting back to theme 1, got really busy. Glad you guys did it.

[Jayems]

Same spot (lunbreck falls) but different angle... not sure which one i like, so I'll put both.

[FlamesKickAss]

I will post a couple when I get home.

[Arsenal14]

Huacachina Oasis in Peru

[STeeLy]

Parry Sound, ON


Blue Mountain, New South Wales, Australia


Vancouver Island (Malahat point), BC

[COGENT]

Originally Posted by Jayems

Same spot (lunbreck falls) but different angle... not sure which one i like, so I'll put both.

crazy... I used to fish in the exact spot when I was a kid.

[BlackEleven]

Champagne fields near Champagne-en-Challons, France


Puno, Peru


St. Lawrence River, Quebec City, Quebec


Sola beach, Norway

[photon]

I'm new to these threads, is it ok to ask questions about the photos? Or should I use PMs?

[BlackEleven]

I vote the question should be asked in the thread, so everyone can benefit from the answer.

[Boblobla]

Originally Posted by BlackEleven

I vote the question should be asked in the thread, so everyone can benefit from the answer.

I agree

[chid]

Also from Vancouver

[kobafett]

[kobafett]

I agree that questions should be asked in the thread. For me anyway it's less about a contest and more about sharing the photos anyway.

Now that I've said that let me just remind everyone that there should only be one photo per post to help with the voting later.

[Dion]

13th hole Nanton Golf Course

[Dion]

East side of Oahu

[flip]

Few questions, as I'm certainly not a photography expert:

What kind of cameras are you guys using?

Would you consider your shots more professional than not?

What is the deal with this HDR? I read the wiki article and I get it but at the same time I don't.

Are HDR pics more real or not? They seem to all have that too good to be true look. But maybe that is because I'm used to mediocre photography.

Is it all about the camera? Or lenses? Or settings? Seriously I know very little about taking nice pics.

I have this camera (or one like it, I'm not willing to go get it right now):

http://www.sonystyle.ca/commerce/servlet/ProductDetailDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001&productId=1004965&navigationPath =32090n100454n100450

Good? Crap? What kind of setting would be best to take fancy pics like yours? Is it even good enough to take nice pics like yours?

Keep in mind I'll be judging the credibility of your answers based on how nice your pics are.

[BlackEleven]

I'll chime in here

Camera: Canon Rebel XTi mostly, some are with Panasonic Lumix FZ50

Lenses: 24-70 F/2.8L, 50 F/1.4

Professional: No, just a hobby

HDR: essentially a combination of many different shots at different exposures to get a wider range. Personally, I find the majority of people go overboard with this. I find it looks too much like a computer drawing and not enough like a photograph. In some cases, if uses subtly, I find it can look good.

To get good looking pictures, I recommend first reading up on the basics -- composition, lighting, flash, etc. Then move on to becoming familiar with your camera's settings -- how to set f-stop, shutter speed -- and more importantly how to use them to get the effect you want (bokeh, time lapse and so forth). Lastly, familiarize yourself with photoshop or other photo editing software.

The link to the camera you provided me with isn't working, but you don't need super expensive equipment to take great pictures. It can certainly help, but buying expensive gear won't get you great pictures 'right out of the box'.