Taking photography to the 'next level'…..

I thought about joining the local photography club

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!! 🙁 Beardy, balding, loaded down with kit (sorry Kit!). Run away!! [warning: sterotype content]

Yeah flickr seems like a bit of a love in with no real criticism.

And you're right some of the others just seem to be fishing for complements.

A class does appeal, but I'm definitely not "young and enthused" and I'm not sure I have the time to be honest.

Camera Club sounds better than I thought tho…

you never get any real critique on flickr – and you have to work quite hard to get any comments at all really (submitting to loads of groups etc)

http://www.talkphotography.com is the place I post photos for critique. You still sometimes just get the 'nice shot' thing like on flickr, but there are some people who give decent critique, and some of them are working pros etc

Heh heh! Dirty old bugger!

Assuming we're talking about a 50mm f1.8 lens

Well that's a different issue. Having f1.8 at your disposal does indeed open a lot of doors for doing cool stuff in low light. However if I could I'd have f1.8 in a 14-600mm zoom lens 🙂

You'd never use it cos you'd need a donkey to carry it for you! 🙂

Yes. It should also be light weight and cost 10p, without compromising image quality.

And fit in your pocket?

I'll take two!

You'd never use it cos you'd need a donkey to carry it for you!

update: he IS a donkey :o)

Heh heh! Dirty old bugger!

Oi! Don't talk about GrahamS that way, the elderly are excused personal hygeine!

I'm a Software Engineer: personal hygiene means nothing to me anyway 😀

However if I could I'd have f1.8 in a 14-600mm zoom lens

It would be flippin' useless becasue you can't hold the damned steady beyond about 200-250mm! 🙂
And 14mm isn't wide enough either……

Of course I meant that, just checking you were paying attention

Oh yes I am indeed. 🙂

FYI an f/1.8 at 600mm is at least 333mm in diameter! So you'd need a crane…

LOL @ SFB. 😀

You wouldn't need a crane. You could have it swivel mounted on the back of a Landrover or something.

Aaargh my back!

http://gizmodo.com/5217989/the-photographer-king-needs-no-tripod

Have a look at Joolze's selection of portraits using just a 50mm lens[/url]. Some lovely, natural portraits. A perfect example of using the simplest of kit, very well.

No arguments there. 50mm is an ideal portrait lens.

No-one said you couldn't take good pics with one.

note that's ^^^ only a 500mm lens, the 600 would be 20% wider 🙁 ie nearly half as heavy again even if it were the same length! Also that bloke's arms are twice as thick as mine.

And it is a f2.8 not a f1.8 which would be much larger again!!

Love these pics of Joolze' (Hope you don't mind Joolze):

So natural, beautiful lighting:

Really happy face:

Funny, happy, perfect use of depth of field, great composition:

Cracking.

Is Amateur Photographer the STW of the photographic world?

they certainly capture the zeitgeist of middle class middle management sensibilities in their respective amateur pastimes.

Have a look at Joolze's selection of portraits using just a 50mm lens. Some lovely, natural portraits. A perfect example of using the simplest of kit, very well.

really? using a short lens close up so everyone has a massive nose wouldn't be my choice to shoot portraits. maybe that was intentional or mtb'ers have large noses?

And it is a f2.8 not a f1.8 which would be much larger again!!

2.8/1.8 = 55% 🙁 Still think it won't need a crane ??

I don't think they've got massive noses, not all of them.

I kind of like the 'in your face' nature of the shots. Same sort of perspective as if you were standing just in front of them. I agree that something like an 85mm or 135mm would be more 'flattering', but those portraits 'work' I think.

MrSmith: hmm I use the 50mm for portraits too. I think it looks pretty good to my amateur eye. No big noses here (though I am using it on an APS-C sensor so it is really equivalent to an 75mm on a 35mm body – so that may make a difference).

2.8/1.8 = 55% Still think it won't need a crane ??

It'd be a bugger to find filters for as well 😉

blimey is this still going !

Posted 2 hours ago

no