Newbie @ Cosfest IX

[NotCooked]

Hi. Im pretty new to the dslr world so Cosfest IX provided a very good oppotunity for me to learn as much as possible considering it is my first few event shots.. As so, I would be really thankful if I could recieve as much C&C so i can work on my weaknesses.. thanks lots in advance

One major problem though which I am aware of is the lack of flash as I have yet to purchace due to tight budgeting. Will definately purchace it soon but for now... no $$$ :cry:

 

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[RichardSeah]

One major problem though which I am aware of is the lack of flash as I have yet to purchace due to tight budgeting. Will definately purchace it soon but for now... no $$$ :cry:

Lack of flash is not a major problem. It is not even a minor problem, especially with the high ISO capabilities of modern cameras. No flash, no problem!

Most of my friends and I almost NEVER shoot with flash. I have taken approx 100,000 pixs since buying my digital camera and I still do not own a separate flash, apart from the built in flash which I very very very seldom use.

In fact, unless you have a good quality flash with accessories like diffusers etc - which means $$$$ - plus also good kungfu in the art of using flash, your flash pixs will more likely turn out looking flat and "dead".

For a "newbie" some of your pixs quite good. :thumbsup: But why some the skin yellow until looks like they apply tumeric / kunyit / yellow ginger powder all over :sweat: Probably due to your camera "automatic white balance". Which camera do you use and do you have any processing software like Lightroom to adjust the white balance?

 

[NotCooked]

Lack of flash is not a major problem. It is not even a minor problem, especially with the high ISO capabilities of modern cameras. No flash, no problem!

Most of my friends and I almost NEVER shoot with flash. I have taken approx 100,000 pixs since buying my digital camera and I still do not own a separate flash, apart from the built in flash which I very very very seldom use.

In fact, unless you have a good quality flash with accessories like diffusers etc - which means $$$$ - plus also good kungfu in the art of using flash, your flash pixs will more likely turn out looking flat and "dead".

For a "newbie" some of your pixs quite good. But why some the skin yellow until looks like they apply tumeric / kunyit / yellow ginger powder all over :sweat: Probably due to your camera "automatic white balance". Which camera do you use and do you have any processing software like Lightroom to adjust the white balance?

ah icic haha... thx for the advice guess ill just save up for a good 1 intead of just getting a budget 1 ... yep.. to compensate for the lowlight i've been jumping between 1600 to 3200 ISO for the indoor shots..

haha currently im using pentax k-x. not too sure how to control white balance yet so its always on auto.. but ill try playing around with it yep ive got lightroom but i hvnt used it.. perhaps i should start using it :bsmilie:

 

[Baracus]

ah icic haha... thx for the advice guess ill just save up for a good 1 intead of just getting a budget 1 ... yep.. to compensate for the lowlight i've been jumping between 1600 to 3200 ISO for the indoor shots..

haha currently im using pentax k-x. not too sure how to control white balance yet so its always on auto.. but ill try playing around with it yep ive got lightroom but i hvnt used it.. perhaps i should start using it

Cloudy days are perfect for soft portraiture look. Gives you lots of room to play in post process as well. Go play around with Lightroom. You'll be amazed with a few tweaks to the curves/levels.

I think I saw you running around the venue. Then again, I did meet several Pentaxians this year. Much more than last year, might I add. Should have approached us at one of the umbrella stations (How could you miss the red Pentaxian polo-T and white K-x?) and let the 3 of us give you some pointers. Heck, I would have let you try my strobe setup as well.

But I understand a 1st timer POV as well. You just want to take pics of every cosplayer. ;p

 

[NotCooked]

Cloudy days are perfect for soft portraiture look. Gives you lots of room to play in post process as well. Go play around with Lightroom. You'll be amazed with a few tweaks to the curves/levels.

I think I saw you running around the venue. Then again, I did meet several Pentaxians this year. Much more than last year, might I add. Should have approached us at one of the umbrella stations (How could you miss the red Pentaxian polo-T and white K-x?) and let the 3 of us give you some pointers. Heck, I would have let you try my strobe setup as well.

But I understand a 1st timer POV as well. You just want to take pics of every cosplayer.

thx for the advice haha icic.. ill try to play arnd with some of the pics with lightroom :bsmilie:

yep kinda running all over trying to capture as much as possible :bsmilie: couldnt make it on sat and arrived late on sunday... so many cosplayers too little time :bsmilie: didnt pay much attention to the photographers instead, looking out for people in costumes haha. guessed i should have haha... next time ill look out for the umbrellas :bsmilie:

 

[RichardSeah]

ah icic haha... thx for the advice guess ill just save up for a good 1 intead of just getting a budget 1 ... yep.. to compensate for the lowlight i've been jumping between 1600 to 3200 ISO for the indoor shots..

haha currently im using pentax k-x. not too sure how to control white balance yet so its always on auto.. but ill try playing around with it yep ive got lightroom but i hvnt used it.. perhaps i should start using it :bsmilie:

Yes, do play play with Lightroom. It is very user-friendly and you sometimes get big improvements from small adjustments.

Unless you wish to tang chiak (be a professional) I would say a flash is low priority. Better to spend on good lenses or software... Or better camera! I hear that Pentax cannot handle high ISO? That's what my friend with K20D tells me, perhaps the K-X is better?

Once you start to get comfortable with Lightroom, I strongly recommend Nik Software. It is my best software investment ever. But wait for year-end. I bought mine online at end-November at special 20% discount, then around Christmas they had even better discount of UD$100 off, which works out to approx 33%, ie US$299 to US$199 for Lightroom version. This is for the complete set of FIVE software, don't complain expensive. It is cheaper - and more useful - than a good flash.

And when you get more comfortable with your camera, try to set the color temperature rather than use auto white balance. You will get more consistent results rather than some too yellow, some too "avatar" (blue). And shoot RAW so that you will have room for adjustments. No camera (and no person) is perfect, so always allow room for adjustment.

Cheers.

 

[NotCooked]

Yes, do play play with Lightroom. It is very user-friendly and you sometimes get big improvements from small adjustments.

Unless you wish to tang chiak (be a professional) I would say a flash is low priority. Better to spend on good lenses or software... Or better camera! I hear that Pentax cannot handle high ISO? That's what my friend with K20D tells me, perhaps the K-X is better?

Once you start to get comfortable with Lightroom, I strongly recommend Nik Software. It is my best software investment ever. But wait for year-end. I bought mine online at end-November at special 20% discount, then around Christmas they had even better discount of UD$100 off, which works out to approx 33%, ie US$299 to US$199 for Lightroom version. This is for the complete set of FIVE software, don't complain expensive. It is cheaper - and more useful - than a good flash.

And when you get more comfortable with your camera, try to set the color temperature rather than use auto white balance. You will get more consistent results rather than some too yellow, some too "avatar" (blue). And shoot RAW so that you will have room for adjustments. No camera (and no person) is perfect, so always allow room for adjustment.

Cheers.

icic.. priority now would be the lens :bsmilie: (specifically sigma 24-70mm f2.8 or the tamron 28-75mm f2.8)

as this is my first dslr, cant really compare the performance of pentax k-x with any other bodies, ive never touched any other bodies :bsmilie:. but im quite certain kx is good for lowlight-high iso. ive shot quite a few of the pics in really low light at 3200 iso with no problems and low noise... :bsmilie:

example of 3200 ISO:

 

[crusher]

icic.. priority now would be the lens :bsmilie: (specifically sigma 24-70mm f2.8 or the tamron 28-75mm f2.8)

as this is my first dslr, cant really compare the performance of pentax k-x with any other bodies, ive never touched any other bodies :bsmilie:. but im quite certain kx is good for lowlight-high iso. ive shot quite a few of the pics in really low light at 3200 iso with no problems and low noise... :bsmilie:

example of 3200 ISO:

Photography isn't about high ISO performance. Ask yourself, does your subject look good under that kind of ambient lighting? A simple flash will eliminate all those ugly shadow, I don't know how you gonna salvage that with PP. There are good advices and bad advices, learn to discern what is good and what is bad.