Ask The Pros!

This image of Niagara Falls was 26.59 MB as a CRW RAW file. When the file was opened, it expanded to 60.2 MB. The file was sized to 7x4.7 inches for this article, which made it 8.41 MB, and then compressed as a JPEG to 540.5 K using a quality setting of 8 to send over the Internet. You never know what size a file will need to be, so shoot with the largest setting at either RAW or JPEG.

Q. I’m shooting JPEGs with my 50D that are larger than 4 MB. How can I reduce size without compromising quality?
—Kay

A. Kay,
You can choose a smaller JPEG capture size from the camera’s menu, but you’ll compromise the quality. Beyond this, the answer depends on how you want to use your files. If you want to make large prints, you want the largest file size possible so you should shoot in RAW or at the highest-quality JPEG your camera allows. If you want to maintain a high-quality file at a smaller size for sending or viewing over the Internet, bring your image into processing software such as Adobe Photoshop or Elements and compress it to a smaller JPEG after optimizing it. (I’d still save the master file at the initial capture size.) If your reason for wanting a smaller file is due to limited storage space, I’d opt for buying more storage rather than downsizing the files. I just purchased a 1.5 terabyte external drive for $109.
—George Lepp

Q. What would be a good, all-purpose gear setup for an amateur photographer on a budget?
—Steven Latulipe

A. Steven,
Budget means different things to different people. I think the best way to approach this is to have a very clear idea of how much money you’re willing to spend and that will help answer the question. Buy the best equipment you can afford—one D-SLR camera body (it doesn’t matter—Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sony), one wide-angle zoom that gets you down to at least 28mm, one telephoto zoom that takes you to at least 200mm. A sturdy tripod with ballhead, a polarizing filter and memory cards. Photography today usually means computer equipment as well, most importantly the software and computer system you use to open and work with the images. I use Photoshop CS4, but it’s an expensive program. Photoshop Elements, Adobe Lightroom or Apple’s Aperture all are good options. You’ll have to invest some time to research these choices to see what might be best for your needs and budget.
—Daryl Benson

Q. Which do pros prefer, Canon or Nikon? Which is more common in the professional world of photography?
—Ryan

A. Ryan,
The easy answer is, of course, yes! Pros do prefer Canon and NikonÖand a few shoot Olympus and Sony, too. Truthfully, a pro could shoot with any major brand today. The reason for any preference has little to do with quality, but a lot to do with comfort with the gear and system needs. Pros who have been shooting a long time usually started with a brand years ago and are comfortable with it. Plus, it’s very expensive to switch brands. Both Canon and Nikon have a full range of cameras, lenses, flash and other accessories to make a pro’s work easier. Olympus also has been hard at work creating a complete system with that same range of gear, plus Sony is striving to do that, too.

I have shot with all of these brands, and the images all look good. My preferences are based on how the gear fits my unique needs as a photographer. I happen to like Olympus for travel because of the system’s size (and I do a lot of travel). I also like it for close-ups because of the tilting live LCD of the E-3. I still have and use a Canon system for when I need lower noise at higher ISO settings and for specific focal-length needs (such as a fast 85mm lens), but I could easily be satisfied with Nikon, as well.
—Rob Sheppard

Q.What would you say is the best type of camera for wildlife photography? Digital or film, and what brand?
—Elizabeth Pletzer

A. Elizabeth,
Brand is really not important, but the person behind the camera is. No secret, I’m a Nikon shooter, and the D3 with its buffer upgrade is the best machine for wildlife photography in my honest opinion. All cameras have bells and whistles, which are really easy to get lost in. Focus on the solid basics: weight, AF, speed in low-light situations, frames per second and write times, and you’ll be good to go!
—Moose Peterson

Q. What way would you start to promote your photos?
—Lucy VanSwearingen

A. Lucy,
The first things to consider are to whom you want to promote your images: local galleries and shops, specific interest groups (such as conservation organizations, bird enthusiasts or residents of a specific area), interior decorators, mainstream media, advertising agencies, etc., and what products you plan to offer (e.g., stock images, fine prints, illustrated articles or workshops). Knowing your target audience will help guide your marketing strategy, pricing and other business decisions. In all cases, maintaining a professional attitude is essential to success. Establish a business brand, register your business with the appropriate agencies in your area, print business cards, etc. These days, a professional-looking website also is a critical marketing tool and a great way to present your portfolio. You can start building your resume by submitting images and articles to local and national publications, exhibiting your work in local galleries, coffee shops, restaurants, or other venues in your area, or contacting local businesses that may be interested in using your work to decorate offices, brochures, etc.
—Guy Tal

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bucky mccamy makes this comment

Wednesday, 14 October 2009

without using a ladder how could i stand on the ground and take a picture 15 or so feet above ground.Like taking pictures of statues.Accessories like a stand to hold the camera and a way to snap the lens.
Melissa makes this comment

Friday, 04 September 2009

I am getting ready to buy a Canon 50d and a lense. I have a tight budget and can really only afford one lense for now. I am considering the 18-200mm although I have learned that the wider range reduces quality. Would I be better off to wait and save up the money to by multiple lenses? or would the 18-200 be fine for now? Is the quality with this lense good enough to produce marketable photos for magazines, calenders, ect?
picky makes this comment

Friday, 14 August 2009

So, the explanation of the cover photo of Delicate Arch in Arches National Park neglects to say that it was a double exposure. It mentions that it was shot with a 17-35mm lens, on film. However, with a wide-angle lens the moon would not even be remotely close to the size that it appears in the photo. A longer lens, at least a 300mm, was obviously used to shoot the moon. Also, the time of day is all wrong for the moon to appear in that position. It's the old full moon, double exposure on film technique. To achieve this, an entire roll of film is used up to shoot the full moon against the black night sky. Then, the film is re-loaded in the camera and the other photo is made. I'm rather disappointed that this publication has passed that photo off as a single exposure.
sean gleeson makes this comment

Monday, 27 July 2009

can you adjust the apeture for depth of field on a casio exilums880 camera thanks
Terry Bloom makes this comment

Wednesday, 22 July 2009

I went on vacation and shot everything in raw format. When I got home I am having trouble getting my pictures to download. Some of them seems to have been converted to jpeg and others are raw or thm files. Do I have to have special software to download the raw and thm files?
Michael Leitao makes this comment

Sunday, 12 July 2009

Hi, I am beginner and would like to study photography, i would like to purchase a profesional camera but need help in buying one. for the moment i dont have a big budget so would like to buy a camera which i could use for atleast 3-4 years to go. but at the same time would like to have the option in adding lens in order to upgrade my camera. I need help, please guide me through. Michael Leitao.
R. Nuport makes this comment

Wednesday, 08 July 2009

Greetings: Seeking expert opnion. 1. Technically, which is better... a. Lens IS ...Canon, Nikon ... or b. Sensor shift IS... Sony, Pentax ... 2. Is there a way to estimate approximate correlation of distance between full wide angle shot, and full zoom shot, to achieve at least one half full size shot with fully zoomed lens. Good example is the Ad Shot on inside cover of OP, of Tamron Lens at 18mm and 270mm. The zoomed shot pretty much what may be obtained at 10 feet or so. Thank you for your time and help in every particular. R. Nuport.
Christian Egeland makes this comment

Monday, 29 June 2009

I have made numerous trips to Alaska and cannot believe how blue the icebergs are. I understand they absorb all the colors except blue. Anyway, I have used everything from my old Pentax K1000, camcorders and most recently my Sony DSC-H2 digital camera with the same results. The pictures always lack the beautiful blue in the icebergs that the naked eye sees. What do the pros do to capture the blue and not just get almost all white?
Wayne makes this comment

Saturday, 27 June 2009

Hi, I have a EOS 40D with a variety of lenses. I no longer have a standard zoom as I gave it away with my rebel xt. I wanted advice on choices for replacement. I gravitate towards landscapes, city scapes and street portraiture and i wanted to upgrade to a fast lens. My choices as i see them are the EF-S 17-55, 17-40L, and the sigma and tamron equivalents. My challenge is I'm concerned As to whether the cost of the canon 17-55 is worth it considering it's apc format or should I get the 17-40L or even the sigma or tamron equivalents. Which do you recommend?
Brian makes this comment

Thursday, 25 June 2009

I am new to digital cameras. I have one question. How does one know when to use the right aperture settings in certain condition in daylight, hazy in the background, moving objects at night. I generally use f4 when there is low light & set the iso to 1000 depending on the conditions. In a setting my f stop f5.6, f11 & beyond in what situations would I use these higher f stop??. Would this be for getting more depth of field when shooting wildlife?. Thanks in adv.
blaze831 makes this comment

Tuesday, 23 June 2009

How do I downsize a 30MB image file to something less than 1MB for online submissions to photo contests without the image becoming totally pixelated? Thanks! Mark
captian roger makes this comment

Tuesday, 23 June 2009

what would be the best online photography class to take to become a pro ???
Stephen Ross makes this comment

Saturday, 20 June 2009

I use a Nikon D-200 with a Sigma 150mm macro, Nikkor 80-400 zoom and 24-80mm zoom. All three lenses have their smallest aperture at f-22. However, I have noticed numerous times that the camera display will often register f-stops from f-29 through even f-45 when I am scrolling the f-stop dial in Aperture mode. Am I actually getting those smaller f-stops registered by the camera when the shutter is activated or is the camera only registering f-22 set by the lens?
Maureen makes this comment

Thursday, 18 June 2009

Really good article. I enjoyed reading what the pros had to say.
Melissa makes this comment

Monday, 15 June 2009

I have Lightroom and ACDsee on my computer, I would like to know what applications to use to create a black/white photo with color accents. I cannot figure out how to layer and erase on this program. Is there a different program that would be better for this? Could someone give me step by step instructions on how to do this technique? Thanks in advance for the help.
Luther makes this comment

Sunday, 14 June 2009

Hi. I've been an Outdoor Photogpraher subscriber since 1987. I'm astonished by the problems I am having trying to locate a USGS topographical map of the Joshua Tree National Park. I get tons of commercial trail maps, "attraction" maps, etc, but cannot locate what I need: a USGS topographical map of the Joshua Tree National Monument, recently promoted to Joshua Tree National Park. Has greed really completely displaced service on the Web...? Any reasonable tips would be appreciated. I will be in the Joshua Tree park area July 3 for a couple of days, and would really like to nail a dynamite sunrise or sunset shot. Thanks for your help. By the way, I live about 1.5 miles from Art Wolfe. Thanks, Luther Martin
SilverWolf4445 makes this comment

Sunday, 14 June 2009

I want to start photographing the outdoors,but I need a camera that's low cost,good pictures,and great relability for landscapes.So what camera would best fit me?
gompfer makes this comment

Friday, 12 June 2009

Is post processing a necessity or an option. Can you shoot digital and get the shot you want without any post processing? I never hear anyone saying they don't post process. The challenge in slide film was to get the shot because you couldn't manipulate it. How much of that has gone to the way side because of the ability to post process? John

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