Joshua Ong

Hi @jamesstaddon, thanks for the comments and suggestions. I really like your picture, especially the vibrant, autumnal colours of the trees. Was it taken in Banff National Park?

This picture reminds me of a peaceful scene. It was captured in autumn from a suspension bridge overlooking the Avon River in York, a city located 97 km east of Perth CBD. The topography may resemble that of Italy (hopefully), since parts of both Western Australia and Italy have a Mediterranean climate.

Thanks @frazer-family!

Having said that, though the picture makes a great illustration of the concept, the leading lines are so powerful that they lead my eye right out of the picture!

I suppose this is because the river leads out of the picture on the bottom right of the frame.

I thought of posting my first picture for a photo assignment. This unedited picture was taken en route to Te Anau from Queenstown in South Island, New Zealand. Not sure if it’s European-looking, but I thought it depicted a peaceful scene.

The photo is definitely underexposed.

I didn’t get the impression, on my screen, that it looked bad underexposed. The exposure chosen fits the mood well I think.

It’s interesting to see different opinions regarding the same picture. I prefer the original as it depicts a cold, dreary scene with low exposure. Also, I agree with @jamesstaddon on i…[Read more]

Hey @jamesstaddon and @buddingphotographer, love how you bring out the details in the foreground. I tried editing the picture in RawTherapee and was surprised to arrive at an edited photo similar to your post-processed pictures. Guess I must be on the right track, then. Photo editing is not as difficult as I had thought. 🙂

@alightforhim,…[Read more]

No worries, @alightforhim! I’m glad you found the tips helpful. Have a safe and Merry Chrissy!

Hi @alightforhim, that’s a beautiful sunrise shot, the rays of which remind me of a sunset picture I took at Cottesloe Beach several years ago. You can find some tips in the embedded link; even though they apply to sunsets, I believe some could be used for sunrises, since a sunrise is simply a sunset in reverse.

If I were you, I would definitely…[Read more]

Hey @loganlamar, great to hear about your degree. All the best with your studies. University studying can be fun, challenging, and rewarding.

I’ve also never been in your situation before, probably because I haven’t approached photography from a business standpoint. It’s been more of a hobby for me when I have the time. Unfortunately, my studies…[Read more]

Hi Kazuki, welcome to the forums!

I’ve only begun editing photos recently, so I could recommend some photo editing software for you. If you are like me, you may opt for the free programs available online. I use RawTherapee and found it to be quite useful for basic photo edits (e.g. adjusting exposure, increasing saturation, etc.). You can…[Read more]

One of the the plastic flanges on the lens mount has broken off making the contacts not always have good communication to the camera.

I suppose wear and tear from switching lenses on the SLR has caused this issue…

Love the beautiful colours of the trees.

A tripod could be used to avoid camera movement when taking pictures. Additionally, the Rule of Thirds grid on your camera can be utilised to align the horizon.

Hope this helps.

The fire tower is certainly an excellent vantage point for scenic pictures. How tall is it? I’d imagine a couple of storeys as the surrounding bushland forests appear small.

The golden hour light does add more colour to the green in the pictures. But I’m pretty sure the place will look better in autumn and probably even in winter (if you happen…[Read more]

…And the surrounding branches help add interest to the starry scene.

Looks like the picture was taken in the country. Rural settings provide excellent places for starry shots without the interference of city lights (even street lamps).

This is one of darktable’s most powerful and useful tools, and if you use darktable, I recommend that you get to know it thoroughly.

How does darktable compare to RawTherapee? Is the former more powerful, offering more editing options, than the latter? Would darktable be a closer substitute to Lightroom than RawTherapee?

Sorry for my questions a…[Read more]

The most beautiful natural phenomenon taken from an excellent vantage point. I really like the sunrise shot, with interesting elements in the foreground.

I also ps the sunrise to try and remove some of the lens flare.

I agree. It can be frustrating at times with the flares appearing in the frame when taking pictures of sunrises/sunsets.…[Read more]

Beautiful pictures with carefully chosen colour themes, possibly even evoking feelings of nostalgia.

Here are some suggestions:

Experimenting with some latte art could possibly enhance the appearance of the coffee. Being a connoisseur of this amazing beverage myself, I couldn’t help offering an idea for the coffee. However, if your purpose in…[Read more]

Thanks @bennett-family and @frazer-family for your tips.

Frankly, I’m not quite sure what that is. I panned the camera horizontally during the exposure, for sure.

Yes, I was referring to moving the camera horizontally in accordance with the motion of the subject. The camera I use happens to have a “Panning Mode.” Sorry for the confusion.

Hi William,

Thanks for your tips regarding the shutter speed. I really appreciate it.

I wonder if the shutter speed would depend on the direction the vehicle is travelling and/or the position of the photographer relative to the vehicle. But I’m pretty sure 1/500th of a second would still be a good benchmark, whether the vehicle passes from left…[Read more]