[P95Carry]

Some time ago, I wrote up some pages to try and help people with image production and useage ...... and it seems there are some here who are newer to it and want to post gun pics.

This material is on another server and needs checked thru, reformatted a bit and possibly updated for THR specifics.

Would some members like eventually to have a link to this sorta thing .. so that if they are feeling a bit ''stuck'' then they can go read up on some basics? This question too is I guess also aimed at Oleg and the mods.

If considered potentially useful, I am prepared to spend a bit of time and tidy it up .. and probably place on another server - it would then only remain for a link to made available.

[ChickenHawk]

Sounds like a useful link to add to the THR Library.

ChickenHawk

[November]

P95Carry,
You know I'll vote yes. I haven't attempted posting a pic since the Webley debacle.

[J.M.]

Yes please...I know that info on that area would be useful to me. - JM.

[P95Carry]

Thx for replies so far ..... well if Oleg and mods in agreement ... so we can have a link made available .... I'll try over next few days to get it organized - which is as I said mainly formatting ... and getting it to have a ''THR'' look to it.

It is as also, I said I think .. something of a ''primer'' - sorta introduction deal but also with an attempt to explain some of the nuances of digital imaging. I will have to take one or two extra pics in order to make one new page as a ''THR specific'' info source for posting methods etc.

[AZLibertarian]

Well, I'll be the first to admit that I was one of the recipients of P95's help. Not that his instruction has successfully permeated my thick skull yet, but his help was most appreciated!

[Hkmp5sd]

I could use some major instruction into the fine art of digital photography of firearms.

[P95Carry]

I'll try also to add some info on taking of pics .. tho of course Oleg and a few others are very high on the ''quality'' list ... as many know I usually downsize a lot to help avoid scrolling and too big a file .. however ... some basics on that might be of use too. Probably need to make up two or three new pages.

I'll start working something out ..... but still, as a courtesy .... would like it sanctioned by Oleg and mods ..... particularly, so as to be of max use .... it'd need a link or button added somewhere so as to be available.

[Oleg Volk]

Good plan. I won't have time to look into particulars for a few days, but would be happy to help once done with the immediate work projects.

[P95Carry]

Oleg, thx.

May I suggest .... (and it'll take a few days maybe to make time and get this put together) .... when it's done and accessible .... I'll do a special post with the URL ... so you and others can go look. Any deficiencies, omissions can be noted ... and suggestions etc can then be thrown at me ..... then also perhaps it can be floated until ''knocked into shape'' and accepted or not.

If finally good enough for you and others then maybe a more permanent link might be useful. Would very much like to feel that we can help some people who are newer to the dig pic game .... as well as posting methods etc.

THR gives me a lot - I'd like to give something back.

[P95Carry]

Holiday week and some pressing work has not helped me get on with this too well. Plus puter has a wierd sorta GUI prob .... like resources runnin away - or maybe graphics card is flagging ... strange, for a Win2k system that was otherwise bullet proof. Replaced what may have been a sluggish CPU cooler in case over-temp probs. Slowing me down a bit right now.

Anyways, I digress ... quite a bit of re-writing to do plus new material needed also, so - quite a bit of time required. But will try and get to it as best I can. More info later.

[PAOLO721]

I could use some major instruction into the fine art of digital photography of firearms.by Hkmp5sd

Try these tips, I gleaned (stole) off the forum.;)

You can achieve beautiful results from a variety of different camera makers and models. And you don't need true macro capability, but at least decent "close-up" capability.

Most of my images are taken from at least 12" away. Key elements are a broad source of light (open sky without direct sun, overcast sky, brightly illuminated ceiling, etc.), proper color-balance settings (daylight, incandescent, etc), camera steadiness (tripod, tripod, tripod), and selecting an aperture which is small enough to give you greater depth of focus (like at least f/8 or f/11) without too small of an aperture, which will result in more depth of focus, but reduced sharpness. Most lenses are at their sharpest when stopped down about 2 to 3 f/stops from wide open. So there are both benefits and compromises resulting from every equipment choice and every "setting" choice you might make... play, study, and learn.


· Never, ever, use a flash. It destroys the photo. I prefer natural light, but when that's not available, such as at night, I prefer fluorescent. My camera has four light settings: direct sunlight, indirect sunlight (cloudy), incandescent, and fluorescent. I need to set this correctly, according to the light source, otherwise the photo may turn out with a strange color (either too reddish or too blueish).

· Careful focus. I always manually focus my camera when taking these photos. When adjusting the focus, my camera automatically zooms in to maximum (beyond maximum when the zoom is already set to maximum). This lets you more easily confirm correct focus.

· Zoom in to the maximum setting, but don't use the "digital" zoom feature. The default lens angle may produce slight fish-eye effects, and to minimize this, you should zoom in to the mximum setting.

· Use a tripod and a remote release. My digital camera came with a wireless remote release. If you don't have a remote release, you can use a delay timer, which almost all digital cameras have.

· Use the smallest possible aperture (that is, the highest possible "f" number, such as "f11"). This allows less light through the lens, but it increases the depth of field. The greater the depth of field, the greater the range of distances that can be in focus at the same time. This doesn't help when taking side views, but when one end of the weapon is significantly closer to the camera than the other end, it allows the entire weapon to be in focus. Also, because less light is coming through the lens, you need to increase the exposure time, often to more than a second. Steadiness is thus critical.

· For posting to the web, I resize the image to be ten inches wide (720 pixels). They end up being about 100K, which is reasonable. The photos that I use for posting to forums are all set to 720x540 pixels. They begin at 2048x1536 from the camera. Photoshop lets one freely resize images. I resize after I post-process them (see #6). I also have full-size (2048x1536) versions for use as computer desktops, which is what this page provides.

Here is a pic I took with a Canon G1. It is a 3.34 megapixel digital Camera.

[P95Carry]

PAOLO721 - thx for the input there. Much of this type of material will be covered and included, along with some basics on the whole concept of dig' images.

I have (I hope) improved matters re my GUI ... new and upgarded vid card. If this lets me get back in to my html app's - should be OK..... previously things went to a crawl with screen refreshes.

[Hkmp5sd]

Thanks for the info Chris. :) Don't forget long guns.

PS. Interesting choice for a background in the pic.

[P95Carry]

Hkmp5sd - long guns will be covered !!.... tho basic techniques are really applicable across the board. Your mention of background .. I assume you refer to what people might choose as such.

Anyways ... update ...... I have rewritten and reformatted perhaps 80% now ...... and am working on two new pages. Some material might be considered hardly relevant but it is a broad look at not only images but also underlying aspects. Hopefully tho whoever is looking thru it all can just pick and choose what they wish to browse.

Once it is together - and tested .... I'll put it on the server and then post a link - and get people to hopefully take a peek if interested. From that initial exposure hopefully will be some feedback, criticism . and mentions of omissions I made. It does not pretend to be perfect!

I am not going to bother right now with making buttons ... or even as I had considered .. including a dynamic hierarchical menu. That may come later if I find time. For now this will be strictly an information source.

Later