Not joined yet? Register for free and enjoy features such as alerts, private messaging and viewing latest posts and topics.

Some new pics - Advice to improve!?

Post your Z4 pictures! See sticky post at the top for details of the photo competition.
User avatar
tomscott
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 7466
Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2011 12:26 pm
Location: Manchester
Contact:

Some new pics - Advice to improve!?

Post by tomscott » Tue Jan 09, 2018 7:41 pm

SteveSmith wrote: Tue Jan 09, 2018 3:48 pm
tomscott wrote: Tue Jan 09, 2018 11:22 amNo problem at all :thumbsup:
I’m trying to take on board what you’ve said in your post!! I took this today (and then nearly got the police called for trespassing!)
I really like that image! The car could have been more in the middle of the road and slightly bigger in the frame but great start. Only had the really tiny web file to play with but just 2 mins in PS. Really hate the iPhone 4x3 crop so made it more rectangular added some warmth and vibrance, a slight split tone, painted some light to the side of the building and a vignette which draws the eye in a little more into the car. With the original file and a bit more time it could be a great image :thumbsup:
50A4A759-0E7D-4C38-990F-6B2F10C37221.jpg
50A4A759-0E7D-4C38-990F-6B2F10C37221.jpg (381.86 KiB) Viewed 1259 times
Image

User avatar
buzyg
Legend
Legend
Posts: 26421
Joined: Fri May 20, 2011 6:11 pm
Location: Cornwall

Some new pics - Advice to improve!?

Post by buzyg » Tue Jan 09, 2018 7:43 pm

Had a quick play, just in MS Picture Manager. Different photo.
Capture2.jpg
Capture2.jpg (124.18 KiB) Viewed 1258 times
You have to ignore the loss of detail from the screen capture and crop.

Whether it's any better is up-to the viewer.
Image

User avatar
SteveSmith
Member
Member
Posts: 760
Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2016 11:33 am

Some new pics - Advice to improve!?

Post by SteveSmith » Tue Jan 09, 2018 7:52 pm

tomscott wrote: Tue Jan 09, 2018 7:41 pm
SteveSmith wrote: Tue Jan 09, 2018 3:48 pm
tomscott wrote: Tue Jan 09, 2018 11:22 amNo problem at all :thumbsup:
I’m trying to take on board what you’ve said in your post!! I took this today (and then nearly got the police called for trespassing!)
I really like that image! The car could have been more in the middle of the road and slightly bigger in the frame but great start. Only had the really tiny web file to play with but just 2 mins in PS. Really hate the iPhone 4x3 crop so made it more rectangular added some warmth and vibrance, a slight split tone, painted some light to the side of the building and a vignette which draws the eye in a little more into the car. With the original file and a bit more time it could be a great image :thumbsup:

50A4A759-0E7D-4C38-990F-6B2F10C37221.jpg

Image

That is insane!!! Could I email you the full file!? Pretty please to have a play with! It might just be my favourite picture of my car so far!
28i M Sport - Alpine White / Canberra Beige, 19" M359’s, H&R’s / Eibachs, BMS Stage 1 - 271bhp, Front Splitter, CF Rear Lip, Alcantara Steering Wheel and Brembo 4 pots

Image

User avatar
buzyg
Legend
Legend
Posts: 26421
Joined: Fri May 20, 2011 6:11 pm
Location: Cornwall

Some new pics - Advice to improve!?

Post by buzyg » Tue Jan 09, 2018 7:59 pm

You can't go wrong with Tom. :thumbsup:
Image

User avatar
tomscott
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 7466
Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2011 12:26 pm
Location: Manchester
Contact:

Some new pics - Advice to improve!?

Post by tomscott » Tue Jan 09, 2018 9:06 pm

SteveSmith wrote: Tue Jan 09, 2018 7:52 pm
tomscott wrote: Tue Jan 09, 2018 7:41 pm
SteveSmith wrote: Tue Jan 09, 2018 3:48 pm I’m trying to take on board what you’ve said in your post!! I took this today (and then nearly got the police called for trespassing!)
I really like that image! The car could have been more in the middle of the road and slightly bigger in the frame but great start. Only had the really tiny web file to play with but just 2 mins in PS. Really hate the iPhone 4x3 crop so made it more rectangular added some warmth and vibrance, a slight split tone, painted some light to the side of the building and a vignette which draws the eye in a little more into the car. With the original file and a bit more time it could be a great image :thumbsup:

50A4A759-0E7D-4C38-990F-6B2F10C37221.jpg

Image

That is insane!!! Could I email you the full file!? Pretty please to have a play with! It might just be my favourite picture of my car so far!

Sure send it over tomscottphotography-at-hotmail-dot-com

:thumbsup:

User avatar
Joneeboy
Member
Member
Posts: 307
Joined: Sun Oct 15, 2017 5:49 pm
Location: West Kent

Some new pics - Advice to improve!?

Post by Joneeboy » Tue Jan 09, 2018 11:02 pm

Superb shots, Tom and a great contribution to the thread. What camera do you use, out of interest?

User avatar
tomscott
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 7466
Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2011 12:26 pm
Location: Manchester
Contact:

Some new pics - Advice to improve!?

Post by tomscott » Wed Jan 10, 2018 11:22 am

Joneeboy wrote: Tue Jan 09, 2018 11:02 pm Superb shots, Tom and a great contribution to the thread. What camera do you use, out of interest?
Thanks! My love of image making is probably more than my love for cars.

I use a lot of different cameras depending on what im shooting.

Generally I use Canon, love the lenses and options they give.

In my arsenal atm I use a 70D 7DMKII 6DMKII and a 5DMKIV. Depending on the event i once and a while rent a 1DX II but for the majority of my use the above works well. Previous to that I have had a dual set of 5DMKIIIs which i put around 500,000 shots between them over the 4 years I had them. They shutters are only "rated" to 150,000 each and I didnt replace either. Unfortunately my house was burgled earlier in 2017 and one was stolen so I swapped the other out for a MKIV and bought a 6DMKII to go with it.

Zoom Lenses I use
16-35 F2.8 L MKII
24-70 F2.8 L MKI
24-105 F4 L MKI
70-200 F2.8 L IS MKII
100-400 F4.5-5.6 L MKII
1.4 X MKIII
2 x MKII

Primes
35mm F1.4 MKII
50mm F1.2 MKII
85mm F1.2 MKII
135mm F2

The primes tend not to get used so much anymore because the zooms are so good, use them mostly for weddings. With the 70-200 covering the 85-135mm lengths i usually dont use them but the 85mm gives the most beautiful rendering of DOF so for head and shoulder portraits I do really enjoy it. The problem with the 1.2 apertures is you get around 5-10mm of focus and its super slow so nailing focus is difficult even with the 5DMKIV focus system the hit rate isnt great. If I do use it I tend to shoot at F2 to give me more room but then the 70-200 is a 2.8 and its hit rate is very high so generally it gets sidelined.

For the crop cameras I also use the EFS 17-55mm F2.8

I prefer the zooms because of their versatility also with the newer camera ISO performance the apertures arent a huge problem im happy shooting all of the full frame cameras to 6400 and at a push 10000 and the 7DMKII at a push 6400 and the 70D isnt so good so 2500, 3200 max, use the 70D mostly for video. If im shooting certain race meets I do sometimes rent a 300mm F2.8, for the amount of time I use it its not economical to add it to my kit.

The cameras themselves are super reliable, ive dropped them out of moving vehicles had them through some of the toughest places on earth like the amazon, plains of Africa, deserts, Arctic etc and also drenched them at race meets shooting for 8+ hours in yellow weather warnings with it raining sideways and only had one camera fail, that was at the race meet. Put it in a towel over night and in an airing cupboard and the next day booted back up again. I tend not to worry too much about the cameras but buy the latest lenses as they make much more difference now adays. The upgrades to cameras has become so small these days that if you cant get good images with even entry level DSLRs there is an issue with the photographer not the gear.

Canon cameras are certainly not at the edge of innovation anymore but CPS turns around repairs in a couple of days and its so rare to have to send them in. The big issue atm is dynamic range and the 5DMKIV is the best in my kit but the 6DMKII was slated at launch etc etc

Funnily enough the 6DMKII is my favorite of the above currently. Because I use light modification and expose for the situation and often bracket to ensure I dont have issues i rarely find myself going near the dynamic range limit of any of my cameras (apart from the 70D). The Canon cameras like the 5DMKIII also had issues with banding and purple shadows when using recovering shadows but I have found the 6DMKII to be basically a 5DMKIII with the two main image quality issues resolved and at 50% of the cost.

The main problem for me is the 1 card slot, doesnt leave me any redundancy. Again in the hundreds of thousands of images I have taken, ive never had a card fail (touch wood) and the only issue I had was with one of my SD cards where the lock switch on the side was loose so when you put it into the camera it would lock and you couldnt write to it.

Main reason I love it is because of the flippy touch screen, love them on the other cameras but to have it on a full frame camera just creates new possibilities that weren't available to me before. The wifi and GPS is also amazing being able to send a raw file over to my iphone or ipad and making an edit in lightroom (which is excellent) and then instantly being able to post is novelty and great fun. Also I travel a lot so having the GPS is fantastic to know where I was.

The main reason I like Canon over the others is ive been shooting with them for about 20 years, I have a huge investment in the lenses and camera bodies are just one aspect of the bigger picture. The service for a professional is also one of the main selling points.

I have been very intrigued with the sony offerings and although they are excellent the build quality and weather sealing just wouldn't be practical for me, they break far too easily and sonys servicing is almost non existent with turn around times being 6-8 weeks not a couple of days. They also make most of their cameras redundant every 12 months with new models and the lens selection isnt there yet. But the main factor is that the lenses are similar size to a DSLR and the bodies are tiny, my hands are too big for the body. The ergonomics are the main drawback for me, with a big lens attached to such a small body the balance is so far out that it can hinder image taking as well as straining the wrist.

Apart from my commercial photography which is weddings, events, automotive and landscape my passion is wildlife and travel.

Couple of my faves (if you dont mind)

Gorillas in Uganda after a 6 hour hike though the rainforrest

Image

Image

Image

Image

Few from 3 months across africa

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

ImageFish Eagle, Lake Naivasha, Kenya by Tom Scott, on Flickr

ImageFish Eagle, Chobe National Park, Botswana by Tom Scott, on Flick

Image

Image

Fish river canyon

Image

Indonesia

3 hour trek to find the orangutans

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Diving with mantas of comodo island

Image

Comodo island

Image

I went up Mt bromo and when we got to the edge it erupted, apparently there was a 20km no go zone but the guide didnt think it was a big deal.... scariest but most incredible experience

Image

Image

Image

This was at about 4am the next morning

Image

Image

Mt batur

Image

Borobudur
Image

Image

Anyway miles more info than asked for but hope that gives some insight. :thumbsup:

User avatar
Marlon
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 10899
Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2015 11:13 am
Location: Lancs.
Contact:

Some new pics - Advice to improve!?

Post by Marlon » Wed Jan 10, 2018 12:30 pm

Love your passion Tom - and stunning photographs :thumbsup:
Image
Gone: 3.0si 2008 E85
911 997 Carrera S

User avatar
Paulr
Member
Member
Posts: 844
Joined: Sun Nov 06, 2016 3:46 pm
Location: Tunbridge Wells

Some new pics - Advice to improve!?

Post by Paulr » Wed Jan 10, 2018 2:16 pm

That night sky and the volcano is beautiful. Great images there.

What are your holiday snaps like though?
If you try and take a cat apart the first thing you have is a non working cat.

User avatar
Smartbear
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 13685
Joined: Wed Feb 05, 2014 6:54 pm
Location: a barn in Somerset

Some new pics - Advice to improve!?

Post by Smartbear » Wed Jan 10, 2018 2:57 pm

Impressive camera skills Tom, I think I need an upgrade from my phone camera :oops:
Rob
Image

e89 Sdrive 20i, plenty of mumbo & good economy-the thinking bears z4
e89 Sdrive 30i, this ones busted, pass me another...
e85 3.0si sold

User avatar
tomscott
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 7466
Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2011 12:26 pm
Location: Manchester
Contact:

Some new pics - Advice to improve!?

Post by tomscott » Wed Jan 10, 2018 3:45 pm

Thanks all :)

TBH the thing I say to most people, is book something or just get out and shoot.

People spend £££££s on gear and never go anywhere, better off spending that money on a trip than on gear if you then dont take it anywhere.

Best camera is always the one you have with you. :thumbsup:

User avatar
hopz121
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 3711
Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2011 4:33 pm
Location: Guildford Surrey

Some new pics - Advice to improve!?

Post by hopz121 » Wed Jan 10, 2018 4:03 pm

Tom those pics are epic mate well done.

Any lens recommendations for a Canon M5 Mirrorless?

I have the standard kit lens 15-45 and also an adaptor to add EF & EFS lenses to it.

I have previously a Canon 5D Mk2 which I loved with the 24-105 F4 L lens but I am new to this mirror less world and crop sensor camera and not sure what to buy. so any advice would be great.

Thanks

Ash
2004 BMW E46 M3 Coupe - Manual - Silver Grey
2017 BMW F31 318d M-Sport - Auto - Glacier Silver
2007 Porsche Cayman 2.7 - Manual - Arctic Silver
2003 Renault Clio 172 Cup - Blue
2003 BMW E85 Z4 3.0i - Gone
2008 BMW E90 330i SE - Gone

User avatar
tomscott
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 7466
Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2011 12:26 pm
Location: Manchester
Contact:

Some new pics - Advice to improve!?

Post by tomscott » Wed Jan 10, 2018 4:23 pm

hopz121 wrote: Wed Jan 10, 2018 4:03 pmTom those pics are epic mate well done.

Any lens recommendations for a Canon M5 Mirrorless?

I have the standard kit lens 15-45 and also an adaptor to add EF & EFS lenses to it.

I have previously a Canon 5D Mk2 which I loved with the 24-105 F4 L lens but I am new to this mirror less world and crop sensor camera and not sure what to buy. so any advice would be great.

Thanks

Ash
Cheers ash.

M5 looks an awesome camera! Nice one.

I would say probably cover the range, with crop the issue is getting the equivalent framing and fast apertures of a FF camera. Crop has a factor of 1.6 so the 15-45 covers the 24-70mm range. There is the 22mm lens which is meant to be fantastic with an equivalent range of 35mm. There is also the 11-22mm which is a great wide angle. Unfortunately i have a feeling the longer lenses arent too amazing... like the 55-200mm and its pretty slow.

Whats great about the EOS M cameras is that you get no penalty with using the adapter so you can mount anything in the canon lens selection and get almost identical autofocus performance. So the worlds your oyster really, just depends on budget.

Budget stuff like the 150-600 are incredible because your getting near enough 1000mm but you get what you pay for and its so huge with a little body that it might be a bit unwieldy.

On the smaller scale... I really love the 70-300mm L because its so compact and optically excellent, its equivalent to 112-480mm on the M5 which is a great range to have. Cant really go wrong with a fixed aperture 70-200mm F2.8 110-320mm equivalent and it will take a 1.4x extender and 2x extender. With the 2x extender your getting 640mm and at F5.6, I used this combo for years shooting wildlife before I got more serious about it and it has a similar image quality to the 100-400mm MKI but the AF does suffer a little. Ive got some great results in the past with that combo...

These are all on my 5DMKIII with the 70-200mm with x2

ImagePuffin with a mouth full of Sand Eels, Farne Islands, Seahouses by Tom Scott, on Flickr

ImagePuffin in flight with a mouth full of Sand Eels, Farne Islands, Seahouses by Tom Scott, on Flickr

ImageGrey Seal, Farne Islands, Seahouses, UK by Tom Scott, on Flickr

Great for race meets too because you can use the 70-200mm on its own at 2.8 to shoot the cars on show and then stick the 2x or 1.4 on it to shoot on the track.

ImageBMW CSL 1973, Batmobile, Colin Turkington, Jet Super Touring Car Trophy, Silverstone Classic 2014 by Tom Scott, on Flickr

ImageCourage C26S, Group C, 1989, Sarthe, Silverstone Classics 2015 by Tom Scott, on Flickr

User avatar
hopz121
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 3711
Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2011 4:33 pm
Location: Guildford Surrey

Some new pics - Advice to improve!?

Post by hopz121 » Wed Jan 10, 2018 4:42 pm

Thanks Tom that's great stuff.

I have read good things about those 2 mirror less lenses you have advised too.

Wasn't sure if the 17-55 EFS F2.8 would be the better lens though?
2004 BMW E46 M3 Coupe - Manual - Silver Grey
2017 BMW F31 318d M-Sport - Auto - Glacier Silver
2007 Porsche Cayman 2.7 - Manual - Arctic Silver
2003 Renault Clio 172 Cup - Blue
2003 BMW E85 Z4 3.0i - Gone
2008 BMW E90 330i SE - Gone

User avatar
tomscott
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 7466
Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2011 12:26 pm
Location: Manchester
Contact:

Some new pics - Advice to improve!?

Post by tomscott » Wed Jan 10, 2018 5:01 pm

hopz121 wrote: Wed Jan 10, 2018 4:42 pmThanks Tom that's great stuff.

I have read good things about those 2 mirror less lenses you have advised too.

Wasn't sure if the 17-55 EFS F2.8 would be the better lens though?
The M lens mount is different to the EF-S and EF mount so you would still need an adapter. But it is an excellent lens had mine a long time one of the first decent lenses I bought. Unfortunately the things you read about it being a dust magnet is true mine is absolutely full, thankfully it doesn't effect the image quality but not nice spending so much and then seeing all the dust inside :? There isnt a better crop standard zoom, the only one with a fixed 2.8 aperture.

Post Reply