[LUconn]

man, our uniforms were so ugly. Not too often I get to see the white on our guys, so it looks strange anyway.

[drdoctormd]

I thought those unis were ok. I like deep blues...and Purples (Furman grad, '89). Reds, I have a hard time with getting oversaturated or not enough....oops, can't let all my secrets out.

[El Scorcho]

I thought those unis were ok. I like deep blues...and Purples (Furman grad, '89). Reds, I have a hard time with getting oversaturated or not enough....oops, can't let all my secrets out.

Do you shoot film or digital?

[drdoctormd]

Finally a topic I know a teensy bit about!

I shoot digital for "work" jobs because of the convenience and speed. Here are my particulars: Canon 20D mostly for sports, and for Saturdays just picked up a 300mm/f4.0L; I've also been known to sling a 5D plus 70-200mm/f2.8L over my shoulder but the burst on the 5D isn't as good (but the camera's phenomenal). Mostly use that 70-200 for Friday night lights (www.ChucktownPrepSports.com for anyone interested).

I have recently (past year) gone back to shooting not only film, but rangefinder cameras, which I am totally addicted to. Just got a Leica MP and 50mm/f2 Summicron. I have developed my own film in the past, but for now I'm sticking to C41 process....just not enough hours in the day for all my diversions.

I do have a day job that pays, after all.

[Chris Lang]

Jared Brogden ... nice kid ... unfortunately earned the Flames' "toast back" award in 2005.

[El Scorcho]

Finally a topic I know a teensy bit about!

I shoot digital for "work" jobs because of the convenience and speed. Here are my particulars: Canon 20D mostly for sports, and for Saturdays just picked up a 300mm/f4.0L; I've also been known to sling a 5D plus 70-200mm/f2.8L over my shoulder but the burst on the 5D isn't as good (but the camera's phenomenal). Mostly use that 70-200 for Friday night lights (www.ChucktownPrepSports.com for anyone interested).

I have recently (past year) gone back to shooting not only film, but rangefinder cameras, which I am totally addicted to. Just got a Leica MP and 50mm/f2 Summicron. I have developed my own film in the past, but for now I'm sticking to C41 process....just not enough hours in the day for all my diversions.

I do have a day job that pays, after all.

Very nice. I'm just starting as a hobby. Picked up a Digital Rebel XTi last year as a late birthday gift for myself. So far I haven't afford the glass to shoot sports like I'd want to. All in good time. I have learned the joys of a 50mm/f1.8, though. Other than that, all I have is the 18-55mm/f3.5 kit lens, which is okay if I need a wide-angle shot, but eh otherwise. I'm just sticking with portraits and candid stuff while I get the hang of things. I've only been shooting fully manual for about four months, so I'm still mostly green, but I'm having a lot of fun. I also started shooting in RAW recently, which has added even more fun to things. Boy have I had to come up with some storage for those files though. 10.1MP RAW is really something.

[drdoctormd]

Great!

You'll eventually give that 18-55 mm away. The 50mm is good, though--one of the best non-L series lenses Canon offers. I have an 85mm/1.8 which rocks for the price. My preference 90% of the time is Av. Sometimes late in the day on Saturday I go with Tv.

The 5D is a 12MP sensor, and full frame so I get gi-normous files--shoot basically everything in RAW even Football. I love it. Once you get the photoshop thing down and learn to batch stuff, AND if your computer is fast enough, it's pretty good going. That learning curve, though, whew. And I've got crap spread across about 5 or 6 hard drives. It's hard finding stuff I know is out there!

I started a side business to try and recoup some of what I was spending (I got more work than I could get to).

...<<dragging>>>.....I'm pretty sure these pics were shot with that rebel and 70-200mm f4.0 L(now sold)....a little slow in focusing and aperture.

I think the 300 is a little sharper and the 70-200/2.8 is super sharp midway through the apertures, but even wide open it's very good. I had a hard time getting used to a long fixed lens (300mm) on Saturday, everything get going out of my field, and I wasn't used to not being able to move that zoom ring.

If you're gonna do Football, you gotta get a monopod and a long lens (200 or better). Even the 70-200/F4L can be had for around $500 used, and it's a great start considering L-series is a "pro" lens (housing, glass, durability, etc.).

Can you tell, I've got no one to talk shop with?

[El Scorcho]

You'll eventually give that 18-55 mm away.

I'd give it away today if I had the greenbacks for a better wide angle lens. Although, to it's credit, I have produced some fine shots out of it.

AND if your computer is fast enough...

Now that is one thing I should never ever have a problem with. My employer provides me with the latest and greatest as it's very beneficial to them for me be able to work quickly. I get to reap the perks of that.

And I've got crap spread across about 5 or 6 hard drives. It's hard finding stuff I know is out there!

I actually bought a home Network Storage device that can do RAID1. So I have 500GB of mirrored storage, just in case one of the drives decides to take a dive on me. Eventually I'm sure I'll need to stick 750GB or even the new 1TB drives in there, but for now that should do. I'm just going to make sure I don't let myself keep crappy shots around. I'm using Apple's iPhoto software to keep things organized. iPhoto is basic, but it supports RAW and it works. I usually export to Photoshop to edit. However, I have been demo'ing Apple's Aperture software, which is their pro photog application. It's organization, editing and versioning abilities are pretty incredible. Lucky for me, I get the educational price on that.

If you're gonna do Football, you gotta get a monopod and a long lens (200 or better). Even the 70-200/F4L can be had for around $500 used, and it's a great start considering L-series is a "pro" lens (housing, glass, durability, etc.).

$500? Is that all? I think I'd have to have a much better use than football in order to sell that to the wife right now. Eventually, I will get there. I'm not sure if I want a wide-angle or a super zoom more, though. I'm leaning wide right now, but we'll see come Christmas.

Can you tell, I've got no one to talk shop with?

Hey, bring it on. I don't either.

[flameshaw]

I would like to shoot in that RAW format myself, where do you get the models to sit for that?

[drdoctormd]

I sold my 70-200mm/f4L for $500 (actually the guy still owes me $50, come to think of it); bought it around $600....I think a USA warranty new is around $650. A lot of people use it for portraits, so that's something.....

I have to tell you, it's my least favorite as far as sharpness or images go, but the 24-70mm/f2.8 is by far my most used lens for the sheer versatility of it. I never want to take it off cause I'm so used to it. I even started using it at games last year for the arty-farty effect, the storytelling side of it. It lends itself to black and white too. Portraits are great as well, but it's HEAVY and STEEP (around $900 or so?). That shot in my sig was done with that lens, I put a copy of it below, and another kewl bench shot from the Citadel game last year.

I'm a mac evangelist, but all that aperture came out right at the time I had just crossed into Photoshop-land, and I just couldn't see having to learn something all over again, especially plunking down another chunk at the same time.

I would like to shoot in that RAW format myself, where do you get the models to sit for that?

...uh...didn't anyone tell you...that's where the PHOTOG shoots in the RAW......and it ain't pretty. No comments about wide angle lenses, needed, thank you.

[El Scorcho]

Hmmm. I really like those shots.

Don't tempt me!!!

[RagingTireFire]

That's not CSU's field is it?

[Sly Fox]

Nope, that's CSU's crosstown rival El Cid.

[RagingTireFire]

Oh. That explains the guy in camo carrying a bass drum. I thought it was just Navy Night at the ballpark.

[drdoctormd]

Hmmm. I really like those shots.

Don't tempt me!!!

Actually that lens is around $1,100 new (sorry I forgot)....there are some other lesser (lesser quality and less expensive) wide -angle zooms in the line, but I've always felt it's worth the money in the long run to get as "fast" a lens as I can possibly afford at the time (by "fast" I mean widest possible aperture--means you can get faster shutter speeds; some people refer to the speed of the autofocus as it's degree of "fast"-ness but it's not what most mean by that).

Those shots are from the citadel last year. I love going there for games--photo opportunities abound, much like I'm sure at VMI--all the uniforms and pageantry. It's neat.

They just finished renovating and "rebuilding" that dilapidated old relic (Johnson Hagood); I thought the thing might fall down whenever they shot off that stupid cannon--luckily they don't get to shoot it too often (field goals, td)....under the Brigadier Club, the fancy shmancy special donor area in the stadium, they found a bunch of old confederate graves that they had to exhume and gave 'em a state burial...complete with costumes and wailing women in black etc.

[El Scorcho]

Now did you add the vignetting in that last image or is it the product of the lens? Because that's just sweet.

[drdoctormd]

I added some of it, but on most wide angles there tends to be some vignetting and barrel distortion at the extremes wide end....correctable of course in photoshop....or if you want, you can add it back.

[El Scorcho]

Have you thought of signing up for Flickr? You'd fit in really well there. You've got some nice stuff.

[drdoctormd]

I do have a Flickr account, but that site is so large, it's unmanageable to me. Thing is, it takes a lot to impress me (at least in my own stuff) with digital. It's kinda why I went back to film shooting, to master the mechanics and exposure (a couple of my cameras are mechanical, meaning no batteries). I like digital, but it seems less of a challenge and you can torque a shot around so much that you can rescue stuff that was poorly exposed or badly framed (don't get me wrong, I've done it a lot--I have to often). I 've been on some mostly-digital forums and the critiques were so....um...."you should clone that out," or "do it in black and white and color in only the flowers"--not my particular idea of what I liked in photography. For me, how the photograph matches the photographic vision is the thing, not the manipulation. So with film you do have to pay more attention to exposure (especially with some of these camera with no light meter), although you can scan 'em in and photoshop 'em too. For the Flickr thing, I had in mind to put mostly film shots up there, but it just seems too labor intensive, especially since there are so dang many good photogs there.

I shoot football because I love both photography and football.

And chicks dig photographers.

Ok I made that last one up. They tend to go the other way when the see me coming. It's why I use zooms.

[drdoctormd]

And thanks for your kind words.

[PAmedic]

1. Did anyone bother to tell these guys THEY'RE NOT REALLY IN THE MILITARY?



2. If he washed the strap once in a while, he wouldn't have to make this face. (Also, if he considered wearing it like a non-window licker.
My 8 yr old dresses himself better)

[PAmedic]

no offense to you southerners who are impressed with this type of thing.

[drdoctormd]

True El Cid is not service connected. And they take it to extremes with the women thing etc.

My points were that they make good subject matter for photographs, and as this thread was already careening far off topic, I thought I'd show El Scorcho what different lenses could do (maybe convince him to buy one). It's a spectacle, makes interesting pictures.

And you there's nothing that says 'we' southerner have to "like this sort of thing," just like there's nothing saying that northerners have to rip everything in sight. No offense to the notherners.

(we just sugar-coat it so sweet you don't realize what was just said, "I just love you to death even if ya are dumb as a rock! Bless your little ever-lovin' heart.").

[PAmedic]

no offense taken.

we're quite proud to hate everyone and everything.

and if you are trying to convince SCORCHO to get into the photog bidniz, I can think of better stimulation.

not on this board though.

[drdoctormd]

not from my portfolio either (sadly).