Lenspiration | John Machen | Activity https://www.lenspiration.com/members/hayhand02/activity/ Activity feed for John Machen. Fri, 03 Jul 2026 22:21:53 -0400 https://buddypress.org/?v= en-US 30 hourly 2 c33a650db380824ae0617b690e17bff8 John Machen replied to the topic Nikon 80-400mm Zoom Lens in the forum Photography Q&A https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/nikon-80-400mm-zoom-lens/#post-55076 Fri, 06 Nov 2020 14:15:13 -0500 Sold!

@jamesstaddon Haha! Sounds like a personal problem ๐Ÿ˜‰
I was surprised too! Glad I had it just in case tho

]]> 940c5c83ae16b58e52cbd977169dcbff John Machen replied to the topic Selling A Bunch Of Equipment in the forum Photography Q&A https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/selling-a-bunch-of-equipment/#post-52685 Thu, 23 Jul 2020 19:27:43 -0400 If you could post some pictures on here, that would be awesome! You never know who (myself included) might be interested!😉

]]> f223b48571239c14fe41169f9d5fa784 John Machen replied to the topic B&W Colour Effect in the forum Photography Q&A https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/bw-colour-effect/#post-52244 Mon, 20 Jul 2020 18:03:48 -0400 A neat B&W effect I’ve tried is called Color Splash Effect or Selective Color Effect. It’s when I take a photo that has too many distracting colors to convey the mood or feeling I’m trying to express, I sometimes make the entire picture B&W and then painting back in only one color or subject (If that subject is basically one color). It adds a…Read more

]]> 0093ec4973db5c68cb95b04ebaca229b John Machen changed their profile picture https://www.lenspiration.com/activity/p/12231/ Mon, 29 Jun 2020 22:40:51 -0400 0 40a248744d213701086dde4c06a9d6e8 John Machen replied to the topic Adobe CC auto-updates in the forum Photography Q&A https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/adobe-cc-auto-updates/#post-51454 Tue, 23 Jun 2020 10:33:05 -0400 I like to update it about two weeks after the update was released, just in case it was a buggy update like @buddingphotographer said. By that time they’d have pulled any bad updates so it should be safe. And, it’s not like I’ve seen a Adobe CC update you needed immediately… 😉

]]> 763f43cb5467c484c6b4aab04e8bbdaa John Machen replied to the topic BONUS: Lightning Landscape in the forum Shoot to Serve Assignments https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/bonus-lightning-landscape/#post-51183 Sat, 06 Jun 2020 13:40:05 -0400 Well, here’s my first success!(third or forth storm I chased…) Went out at 3 o’clock this morning and finally found a thunderstorm with some lightning! By the time I got set up, it was almost over. Also, I forgot to bring my spotlight so I could focus the lens manually in the dark. I think I’d really like this picture if the lightning bolts were…Read more

]]> 9bfaf61a162a961faa9cccac3ffb053a John Machen replied to the topic BONUS: Lightning Landscape in the forum Shoot to Serve Assignments https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/bonus-lightning-landscape/#post-51078 Sat, 30 May 2020 01:05:56 -0400 Hey there! While we all wait for the opportunity to photograph a thunderstorm (hopefully with beautiful, dynamic cloud-to-ground lightning), here’s a few educational resources that have been helpful in my research:

The Ultimate Guide To Photographing Lightning

How to Photograph Lightning and Get Amazing Results

How to Photograph Lightning:…Read more

]]> 1d36d7e1e3c31501b611d2f4f05d91f7 John Machen replied to the topic Choosing a tripod in the forum Photography Q&A https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/choosing-a-tripod/#post-50304 Fri, 24 Apr 2020 21:30:35 -0400 @elmullet
I’m going to say what most people don’t like to hear, but is usually right. Unless you don’t have a tripod at all and need one right now (and can’t afford to invest in a premium quality, long-lasting tripod with your current photography budget), don’t spend money on a tripod that’s half as good and still pretty expensive. If you can wait…Read more

]]> 195b7b19eaef84ed94be3a7aedc013df John Machen replied to the topic Full-frame vs Crop-sensor and other Questions in the forum Photography Q&A https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/full-frame-vs-crop-sensor-and-other-questions/#post-50170 Sat, 18 Apr 2020 15:50:06 -0400 @erambeck, I don’t like going over 6400 in low-light situations. I’ve gotten plenty of great pictures using ISO 5000, at a dimly lit convention center I was covering. It depends on how much light is already available. I’m not totally thrilled with how the D7100 handles ISO, but it does very reasonably.

no matter what you have there will alway…

Read more

]]> c383c252b00e121ddcf2af4e60349a58 John Machen replied to the topic Full-frame vs Crop-sensor and other Questions in the forum Photography Q&A https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/full-frame-vs-crop-sensor-and-other-questions/#post-50148 Wed, 15 Apr 2020 01:20:18 -0400 Hey @erambeck!
Answering your third question, I own a Nikon D7100 and the dual SD card slots is definitely one of the things I like about it. The second card can be used for backup, overflow, or even a different file type. Really comes in handy!

As far as the age difference between the D7200 and D7500, it’s only about two years newer. I wouldn’t…Read more

]]> 9f713cffc8c5d7457cf1cf967669ef6e John Machen changed their profile picture https://www.lenspiration.com/activity/p/11928/ Wed, 15 Apr 2020 00:44:45 -0400 0 631f2175b4ec0997c186a4b4d95ba88d John Machen changed their profile picture https://www.lenspiration.com/activity/p/11867/ Sat, 28 Mar 2020 17:47:31 -0400 0 3248d21f493eda7e1696e76c7e8f9a10 John Machen replied to the topic FEATURED: Pure in the forum Shoot to Serve Assignments https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/details-pure/page/2/#post-49234 Mon, 02 Mar 2020 14:50:40 -0500 …

]]> 6859be53131a966e675b70417baeff39 John Machen replied to the topic FEATURED: Pure in the forum Shoot to Serve Assignments https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/details-pure/page/2/#post-49221 Mon, 02 Mar 2020 14:25:21 -0500 It’s really interesting that snow, water, flowers, and fire seemed to be what came to mind as “Pure”. I pulled some pictures out of my portfolio as well as shooting a few for this assignment.

]]> 032e48f20000f85fabccd0c95f373d51 John Machen's profile was updated https://www.lenspiration.com/activity/p/11804/ Mon, 02 Mar 2020 14:12:43 -0500 0 6915299a69b6fe50de82b24ebdea11c7 John Machen's profile was updated https://www.lenspiration.com/activity/p/11670/ Fri, 20 Dec 2019 02:13:52 -0500 0 79a4e1b52fbb89de277f24ba7301ea56 John Machen replied to the topic Photography Contests in the forum Photography Q&A https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/photography-contests/#post-46640 Wed, 20 Nov 2019 01:02:09 -0500 Or you can just reply here if you know of any photo contests…

]]> 4140bfc06b9433e7f8c48f64fcf918f3 John Machen replied to the topic How do you create an online photo portfolio? in the forum Photography Q&A https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/how-do-you-create-an-online-photo-portfolio/#post-46457 Thu, 14 Nov 2019 15:38:27 -0500 Hey @ernestf-lloyd!
I am wondering if you currently use Lightroom? I know that Lightroom classic comes with Adobe Portfolio, which is a free portfolio website creator. You could also use a social media portfolio or maybe Dropbox?

]]> b7d1e89833d91e1089010d8f6a497119 John Machen started the topic Photography Contests in the forum Photography Q&A https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/photography-contests/ Thu, 14 Nov 2019 02:30:12 -0500 Hi everyone!

I’m currently pulling together a list of photo contests as another resource for Lenspiration members and would love to hear about any photography contests you have entered into or know of. If you could email me any you have at john@lenspiration.com, that would be fantastic. Thanks!

]]> d3c7ac1d1879f418fc84b4aa075b914f John Machen posted a new activity comment https://www.lenspiration.com/activity/p/11093/#acomment-11191 Thu, 19 Sep 2019 01:14:39 -0400 Ikr?? Looks pretty epic! Fun times…🙂

In reply to - James Staddon posted an update @hayhand02 Love your profile picture! ๐Ÿ™‚ ]]> bdc76bcda92e6c3622255e00f159dc4c John Machen replied to the topic FEATURED: An Animal that Flies in the forum Shoot to Serve Assignments https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/details-flying-animal/page/3/#post-43918 Sun, 08 Sep 2019 11:52:18 -0400 I was told that a pair of ospreys had built their nest on the end of my neighborโ€™s dock, so I grabbed my camera one May morning and drove over there to photograph these majestic birds and their nest. I was excited because I had never had the chance to get that close to large birds of prey, and I was hoping they wouldnโ€™t attack me! While wal…Read more

]]> ed39a378e7ec4f77186ea394afeff8e6 John Machen changed their profile picture https://www.lenspiration.com/activity/p/11082/ Sat, 24 Aug 2019 17:12:34 -0400 0 497888c137aa7cc5b729fb8d19e8a35e John Machen replied to the topic FEATURED: Storm Clouds Breaking in the forum Shoot to Serve Assignments https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/details-breaking/page/2/#post-42884 Mon, 12 Aug 2019 23:23:31 -0400 Sorry these are kinda late, but I was having tech difficulties earlier.

]]> c79516ebf1c1410a89b4386fde6cbf2b John Machen replied to the topic Shooting RAW... ugh... in the forum Photography Q&A https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/shooting-raw-ugh/#post-42042 Wed, 17 Jul 2019 13:01:18 -0400 Hey @loganlamar
I know the feeling!! Before I made the switch to Lightroom, it was hard keeping all my pictures organized and I didn’t have a fast post-processing system going. RAW format is a larger file and uses more space, but the editing control and photo quality make it worth it to me.

I use Lightroom Classic CC. It was hard for me to switch…Read more

]]> 981e45d6f1472f03141d8a79d0c15c0c John Machen changed their profile picture https://www.lenspiration.com/activity/p/10971/ Thu, 11 Jul 2019 16:55:58 -0400 0 7d180b4263192ed6b1638007d96350a2 John Machen changed their profile picture https://www.lenspiration.com/activity/p/10970/ Thu, 11 Jul 2019 16:52:16 -0400 0 cdfb1ac481e05947eed4b905a2807096 John Machen replied to the topic Lighthouse in the forum Photo Critique https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/lighthouse/#post-41908 Thu, 11 Jul 2019 15:26:25 -0400 Hey @loganlamar,
Overall, that’s a pretty good picture!

I agree with @Morgan that the tall grass and the rocks are a little distracting from the lighthouse. I’m not sure if there was a way to compose this photo so you could see more of the lighthouse and make the foreground less imposing.
It does seem kind of gray and overcast there! If you…Read more

]]> 8676396971c5f278345861951340f369 John Machen replied to the topic Luray Caverns in the forum Photo Critique https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/luray-caverns/#post-41830 Tue, 09 Jul 2019 23:51:28 -0400

Why canโ€™t random tourists cooperate a little more for passing photographers?? Lol!

Haha @bennett-family! I totally agree. And yes, it seems to be as good as it’s going to get. I did like how the guy was looking up at the formation in the first photo, as he’s not in the second. Oh well.
I probably wouldn’t edit it the same way you did, but I a…Read more

]]> db7e8cbcdfe307f7c541114684a8100f John Machen replied to the topic Luray Caverns in the forum Photo Critique https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/luray-caverns/#post-41096 Thu, 20 Jun 2019 22:56:42 -0400 I watched Tuesday’s webinar @jamesstaddon and thanks for the critique! Your point about having “cushion” around the subject so that it doesn’t feel too tight was helpful!! In answer to your questions, I’m not sure why there was a starbust either! It was taken at f/2.8, which is a low aperture to try starbusts at. Had I carried a tripod, I could’ve…Read more

]]> c359589dc73ec0a75ca360247413200f John Machen replied to the topic Luray Caverns in the forum Photo Critique https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/luray-caverns/#post-40749 Thu, 13 Jun 2019 01:50:56 -0400 Hey there, @creative-click-photography. I googled Buchan Caves and that looks like a neat place! Trust me, Australia is on my list of places to visit ๐Ÿ™‚ Isn’t it those challenging, hard and yet promise filled photography environments that are the most fun to try and capture though? And thanks.

That’s a great idea! For photo #2 I think a person…Read more

]]> 0bc2b54db43af0c445111aaf28fff8e9 John Machen replied to the topic Luray Caverns in the forum Photo Critique https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/luray-caverns/#post-40748 Thu, 13 Jun 2019 00:38:02 -0400 Hi @bennett-family!
Thanks for your critique, it’s good to hear another photographers opinion! Yes, Luray Caverns was an amazing place and I definitely hope to go back.

I had several pictures with the lady and guy silhouetted, but I think this was the best of them. Yes! The people helped show the scale of the flowstone draperies.
#1: I’m not…Read more

]]> 43c50890dbd370253a5f9c01b80e9d72 John Machen started the topic Luray Caverns in the forum Photo Critique https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/luray-caverns/ Wed, 22 May 2019 18:34:26 -0400 Hey,
I recently went with my family to visit Luray Caverns. So of course I took my camera along (but was careful to watch for dripping water…) and tried my hand at “underground” photography. The difficult part was it was pretty dark in the caverns (obviously ๐Ÿ™‚ ) and there wasn’t really time to set up a tripod as we were on a tour group.
Does…Read more

]]> e4646a5b57daa30b15bc118c0b2fa0a3 John Machen replied to the topic Anchor by the Sea in the forum Photo Critique https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/anchor-by-the-sea/#post-39583 Sun, 12 May 2019 01:19:42 -0400 Yeah, you’re welcome! Do you have Lightroom or what editing software do you use? To get the anchor to stand out more I would try propping the anchor up on a rock or something, if that was possible.
I occasionally use the Adjustment Brush in LR to bring out a foreground or object, just be careful of haloing around it. You might try that.

]]> 2bbc8eb40cfd8d38b1111eefca2028bd John Machen's profile was updated https://www.lenspiration.com/activity/p/10675/ Fri, 10 May 2019 15:41:14 -0400 0 aea059876178c4c88f0ad96a89eb010f John Machen replied to the topic FEATURED: Photographer in the forum Shoot to Serve Assignments https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/details-photographer/#post-39478 Fri, 10 May 2019 00:28:17 -0400 Wow @creative-click-photography, those are some awesome shots! Good job on the second photo shoot, I like those best.

And here’s a picture of you James… ๐Ÿ˜‰ Not sure it’s the right specs though.

]]> d26be03bdf82b1b27a6024e801263b7c John Machen replied to the topic Anchor by the Sea in the forum Photo Critique https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/anchor-by-the-sea/#post-39464 Thu, 09 May 2019 21:30:19 -0400 Hey @lukevrable,
I definitely like the second shot(anchor-3.jpg) most. It seems more artistically composed. At 18mm, I do see a slight visual distortion “Fisheye effect” that you can fix in Lightroom under Lens Corrections. I also straightened the horizon a little.

]]> e1eb1b967b7ac9a0220db3fd2b35979d John Machen replied to the topic FEATURED: Beautiful Scenery (ends April 6) in the forum Shoot to Serve Assignments https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/details-beautiful-scenery/page/2/#post-38335 Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:55:12 -0400 Here’s another submission for Isaiah 55:8-9.

]]> 014e521491feeb313710e6ed219d1392 John Machen replied to the topic FEATURED: Beautiful Scenery (ends April 6) in the forum Shoot to Serve Assignments https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/details-beautiful-scenery/page/2/#post-38268 Wed, 03 Apr 2019 01:25:29 -0400 And a couple more!! ๐Ÿ™‚

]]> 5d042738e995fe73265931150eba1d1e John Machen replied to the topic FEATURED: Beautiful Scenery (ends April 6) in the forum Shoot to Serve Assignments https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/details-beautiful-scenery/page/2/#post-38261 Wed, 03 Apr 2019 01:15:37 -0400 Here’s a few of my submissions:

]]> 274e5b2e016735e2861e15c4d802b104 John Machen replied to the topic Spring has sprung in the forum Photo Critique https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/spring-has-sprung/#post-38230 Tue, 02 Apr 2019 01:27:07 -0400 Hi @ian!
I like the composition and the way you filled the frame with this shot! Great job on that.
I noticed that the crocus flowers in the foreground were just a little out of focus and also “overblown”. So I ran it through Lightroom and did some basic editing and fixed the highlights, and it looks better. What kind of camera were you using?

]]> ae77f0a9a47e77235d07281b04031d0d John Machen replied to the topic Yosemite Falls in the forum Photo Critique https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/yosemite-falls/#post-37662 Sun, 10 Mar 2019 03:06:40 -0400 @paulnmerrie yes I’ve heard of, and know some about the falls. But living on the East coast, I haven’t had the experience of visiting Yosemite yet. My dad has been there and wants to go back as well. ๐Ÿ™‚
No, pictures don’t do justice to the roar and power of a waterfall. I’ve attached a picture that I found on an online source of the upper and…Read more

]]> 41437a718b7b43740117b24b03ddf36f John Machen replied to the topic Yosemite Falls in the forum Photo Critique https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/yosemite-falls/#post-37625 Sat, 09 Mar 2019 01:39:36 -0500 One thing I would try is leaving one of the groups of people in the picture to show size/grandeur of the falls, and help draw your attention to something. And maybe filling the frame more by getting a slightly closer and more below angle would help.

Besides that, it looks like a beautiful waterfall! Definitely on my list of “must sees” ๐Ÿ™‚

]]> 5fdbb0d076a600900d84aed2c067db8e John Machen changed their profile picture https://www.lenspiration.com/activity/p/10406/ Sat, 09 Mar 2019 01:29:29 -0500 0 bf01771bf0415492be09d2ad74a478c3 John Machen changed their profile picture https://www.lenspiration.com/activity/p/10405/ Sat, 09 Mar 2019 01:28:31 -0500 0 1ae158f42d80f7ea97852882ac579328 John Machen's profile was updated https://www.lenspiration.com/activity/p/10351/ Tue, 26 Feb 2019 16:56:07 -0500 0 0536bd7d323f1121ad29f3b2fde8b013 John Machen replied to the topic Shooting the Perseids (shooting stars) in the forum Photography Q&A https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/shooting-the-perseids-shooting-stars/#post-33013 Thu, 16 Aug 2018 13:27:16 -0400 Hey @loganlamar, did you ever get any cool meteor shots?

]]> be0f5dc72440499b09b1a707feb52635 John Machen replied to the topic Real-estate Photography in the forum Photo Critique https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/real-estate-photography/#post-32207 Fri, 20 Jul 2018 12:16:44 -0400 Hi @rmadaris, actually there is a Nikon 10-30mm lens, and it’s pretty inexpensive! At Amazon here.

]]> 21d604687e585342dfde5bcf4cfcfcbf John Machen replied to the topic HDR sunset in the forum Photo Critique https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/hdr-sunset/page/2/#post-32047 Fri, 13 Jul 2018 12:13:24 -0400 Haha, @creative-click-photography. That is funny isn’t it! I actually live on the water so yeah I’ve been doing a lot of swimming. ๐Ÿ™‚ It’s also interesting that we’re in completely opposite time zones. Just curious, have you ever been to the U.S. before?

]]> d7692968a8591de175862e9bf4a2de53 John Machen replied to the topic buying laptop computer in the forum Photography Q&A https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/buying-laptop-computer/#post-32016 Wed, 11 Jul 2018 20:15:11 -0400 Hey you’re welcome! Let us know which laptop you end up with!!!

]]> 9831f1bacc1aa518b6f9b699c46d7cd5 John Machen replied to the topic HDR sunset in the forum Photo Critique https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/hdr-sunset/#post-31987 Wed, 11 Jul 2018 14:35:48 -0400 The reason being that Australia’s winter is June to August, and summer is December through February. So while we’re cooking 90’s over here, they’ve got refreshing mid-temps… ๐Ÿ˜ฎ

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