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Photography and Photographic Editing

Launched Q&A site for professional photographers, photo editors, and serious enthusiasts.

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One hope would be to incorporate communities involved in 1.0 sites such as photographr.info, as well as those from more traditional photography "message board" sites. – Jaydles Jun 1 '10 at 18:51
4  
I would include photoqna.com in that as well. – adrianbanks Jun 1 '10 at 22:57
4  
@Adam, I think the votes can speak to the wishes of the community. StackOverflow has not suffered from a mix of professional and newbie questions. There are situations (such as photojournalism) where somewhat straight-on flash is unavoidable. I'd be quite happy as a photographer of 10 years to see a succinct answer to the red-eye question, merely to complete one's knowledge on the topic. – Rog Jun 3 '10 at 22:51
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99 Example Questions (10 closed)

active newest votes
up vote 22 down vote
What are the trade offs between prime and zoom lenses?
added by user452 Jun 2 '10 at 20:47
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up vote 21 down vote
Why are lenses described as being 'fast' or 'slow'?
added by delete Jun 1 '10 at 19:14
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up vote 21 down vote
What are the advantages of shooting RAW over JPEG?
added by John Rudy Jun 1 '10 at 20:57
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up vote 20 down vote
I've taken a series of landscape shots, how can I make a panoramic image from them?
added by ChrisF Jun 1 '10 at 18:54
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I look forward to the answer for this question. – glasnt Jun 3 '10 at 1:16
2  
@Tomato - I've used the demo of Autostitch ( cvlab.epfl.ch/~brown/autostitch/autostitch.html ) to great success before, it was completely free at one point. You might be able to find an older archive of it somewhere. There are other free software packages that also do this, and it's a lot of fun. This ought to get you started, at least until the real site gets going. – Adam Davis Jun 3 '10 at 2:38
@Adam you are a star! Thanks for that ^_^ – glasnt Jun 3 '10 at 2:54
2  
@Tomato: Also Hugin is a good open source/free one. – Simon P Stevens Jun 3 '10 at 8:57
@Simon THANK YOU! I knew there was a sourceforge resource for this, but I couldn't find it. – glasnt Jun 3 '10 at 23:04
show 1 more improvement suggestion
up vote 19 down vote
I'm thinking of buying a Nikkor 10.5mm f/2.8G ED DX Fisheye, are there any comparable alternatives from other manufacturers?
added by Ti M Jun 3 '10 at 9:35
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Is this a specific model number of lens, or a generic type of lens? (I presume the camera is a specific model number.) – Roger Pate Jun 3 '10 at 10:11
Well as an example, "I'm thinking of buying the Nikkor 10.5mm f/2.8G ED DX Fisheye for a D90. Are there any alternatives, and why?" – Ti M Jun 3 '10 at 11:22
@TiM, because I then consider it to be off-topic. Is this a shopping site? Is it a valuation site? (more comments elsewhere) Could you edit the question to either be specific or general on the lens model number? The camera can be specific because that affects mounting. E.g. "I'm thinking of buying a vignette lens for [specific camera], what are the cheap lenses and alternatives?" (Though possibly still border-line on "cheap lenses", it's much more likely to stand the test of time.) – Roger Pate Jun 3 '10 at 11:30
I'll rephrase the question. – Ti M Jun 3 '10 at 11:45
@TiM: examples off-topic questions aren't bad, don't take what I meant that way. – Roger Pate Jun 4 '10 at 14:25
up vote 13 down vote
How can I calibrate my printer to match the images on my screen?
added by Jaydles Jun 1 '10 at 23:37
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2  
Or visa versa :-) – Richard Jun 2 '10 at 10:05
up vote 12 down vote
What ultra-light travel tripod would you recommend for hiking?
added by Sam Saffron Jun 3 '10 at 23:39
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Recommend for what? It's a vague question. Recommendations would vary greatly depending on if you're hiking the Pacific Crest Trail or you want something to take along on a cruise. – Michael McCarty Jun 5 '10 at 0:26
ok edited it ... – Sam Saffron Jun 5 '10 at 2:41
up vote 9 down vote
What are the key conditions and settings to acheive a "bokeh" effect (not to be confused with simple narrow depth of field)?
added by Jaydles Jun 1 '10 at 19:56
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up vote 8 down vote
What kind of digital watermarking do you employ on your photographs, and how effective has it been for you?
added by Foster Brereton Jun 4 '10 at 4:17
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up vote 6 down vote
How do I correct chromatic aberration in my photograph?
added by Foster Brereton Jun 1 '10 at 20:25
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BTW ... I need to figure out what is chromatic aberration :) – hitec Jun 3 '10 at 7:32
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromatic_Abberation – Jonathon Watney Jun 5 '10 at 3:05
up vote 5 down vote
How do I use gels to make my flash match the color of the ambient light?
added by Tim Post Jun 4 '10 at 0:04
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up vote 4 down vote
What is depth of field?
added by Michael McCarty Jun 2 '10 at 5:21
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up vote 4 down vote
Can you suggest some personal photography projects to help me improve?
added by Eoin Campbell Jun 2 '10 at 9:00
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No: this would be the photo equivalent of StackOverflow's "send me the codz"... a question of "would specific photo project: description, help improve..." should be on topic. – Richard Jun 2 '10 at 10:09
3  
Hardly... They're not asking them to send them pictures to submit for a project. They're asking for ideas for a project to do. e.g. 365 photos, B&W Portfolio, same scene each day, etc... there's plenty of on-topic examples on SO where people would ask, "I'd like to try Language X but I'm stumped for a project idea", any ideas, and they generally get pointed towards existing open source resources/projects etc... – Eoin Campbell Jun 2 '10 at 11:25
+1 should be community wiki :) – Sam Saffron Jun 5 '10 at 2:45
I'd argue that while it might not be completely on-topic it is a valid question, since most photographers are often in need of new project ideas. – chills42 Jun 16 '10 at 17:41
up vote 3 down vote
I've got some old negatives that are starting to deteriorate. How can I best preserve them?
added by ChrisF Jun 1 '10 at 19:04
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up vote 3 down vote
How can I use my EXIF data to learn more about how my camera works, and how to take better-quality pictures?
added by John Rudy Jun 1 '10 at 21:02
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up vote 3 down vote
How can I calibrate my monitor so that it shows accurate color for photographs?
added by Robert Harvey Jun 1 '10 at 21:53
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up vote 3 down vote
Proper archival of prints, film, and digital media?
added by Adam Davis Jun 2 '10 at 2:40
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up vote 3 down vote
When should I use bounce flash?
added by user452 Jun 3 '10 at 13:06
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up vote 3 down vote
What is a lens hood and what would I use it for?
added by user452 Jun 3 '10 at 13:07
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up vote 2 down vote
Can film grain be simulated digitally, and if so, how?
added by Robert Harvey Jun 1 '10 at 20:45
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up vote 2 down vote
What’s the best pen to sign prints?
added by Rog Jun 2 '10 at 0:58
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up vote 2 down vote
Face detection and recognition programs or services for sorting boxes of family photos?
added by Adam Davis Jun 2 '10 at 2:39
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up vote 2 down vote
How do you create empty urban freeway/street photographs?
added by Michael McCarty Jun 2 '10 at 5:22
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up vote 2 down vote
What are the benefits of “Back-button Focus” ?
added by Eoin Campbell Jun 2 '10 at 9:02
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up vote 2 down vote
How do I achieve smooth motion blur / motion panning in my photographs?
added by Maxim Zaslavsky, edited by Jaydles Jun 8 '10 at 22:17
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up vote 2 down vote
How do I create the "miniature" effect in a photo.
added by beggs Jun 14 '10 at 8:05
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up vote 2 down vote
How can I create "shaped" bokeh?
added by beggs Jun 14 '10 at 8:06
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up vote 2 down vote
In what situations should I use Av or Tv modes with my DSLR?
added by Tatu Ulmanen Jun 15 '10 at 9:59
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up vote 2 down vote
In what situations do you use full manual mode on your camera?
added by Tatu Ulmanen Jun 15 '10 at 10:00
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1  
All of them! :) – Tim Post Jun 16 '10 at 7:42
1  
this is a poll question; not a good example. a better on-topic example might be "How do I take night shots in full manual mode?" or similar. be specific. – quack quixote Jun 16 '10 at 15:24
up vote 1 down vote
What length lens do I need to take candid wildlife photographs?
added by ChrisF Jun 1 '10 at 18:56
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up vote 1 down vote
What the best means of scanning old photographs?
added by ChrisF Jun 1 '10 at 18:57
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up vote 1 down vote
I'm taking pictures of kids. How can I get them to stay still?
added by Good Person Jun 1 '10 at 19:02
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2  
Why not? This seems to be an interesting question a professional photog would know about or need to know. A suitable answer might even be, "You don't. You use a fast shutter, a lot of light, and you get them to laugh and smile while timing your shutter just right." – Adam Davis Jun 2 '10 at 2:38
I agree with @Adam - question could be phrased a little better, but this seems to be right in the wheelhouse of many professional photographers. – Jaydles Jun 2 '10 at 12:47
I worked as a professional photographer for several years doing family photographs. (It was much more than a booth at another store, but it wasn't high-end/fashion/"expensive". I only spent 6k USD on initial camera/lenses/lights/backgrounds/props/etc. my first year, if that gives you an idea.) This is definitely relevant and on-topic. – Roger Pate Jun 2 '10 at 13:03
2  
Asking about the subject seems just as valid as say, asking about the equipment. – pelms Jun 2 '10 at 13:38
up vote 1 down vote
I've got a photo that's compositionally correct, but under/over exposed. What can I do to correct it?
added by ChrisF Jun 1 '10 at 19:36
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up vote 1 down vote
How can I acheive a narrower depth of field to get that "sharp subject, blurred backround" effect?
added by Jaydles Jun 1 '10 at 19:53
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up vote 1 down vote
What are the key trade-offs between the micro-four-thirds cameras and the traditional four-thirds DSLRs?
added by Jaydles Jun 1 '10 at 19:58
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up vote 1 down vote
As a general rule, in what conditions can I use an ISO of 1600 without introducing significant noise? (Using a Nikon D700)
added by Jaydles Jun 1 '10 at 20:01
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2  
As a general rule, questions beginning 'as a general rule' don't belong in a professional group ;) – efikim Jun 2 '10 at 0:29
1  
This question does not work, on a Nikon D700 it may be ok, on a Canon 400D its never ok – Sam Saffron Jun 2 '10 at 21:57
@SamSaffron: Which is why the answer to this question needs to start "it depends". – Richard Jun 4 '10 at 9:11
@Sam, good point. I edited to reflect a specific camera. – Jaydles Jun 4 '10 at 10:53
up vote 1 down vote
How can I edit out "glasses glare" in portrait shots in Aperture 3?
added by Jaydles Jun 1 '10 at 20:12
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up vote 1 down vote
Is conventional film and darkroom photography still a viable technique?
added by Robert Harvey Jun 1 '10 at 21:54
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up vote 1 down vote
What exactly is bokeh?
added by John Rudy Jun 1 '10 at 23:03
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up vote 1 down vote
Do I own the copyright on the photographs that I take?
added by Robert Harvey Jun 1 '10 at 23:54
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