This is a shot I took in Sri Lanka from the balcony of my room. When the tsunami hit a few years ago it hit the other side of the bay from where I was staying. Lucky I didn't get there for a year or two after.. It's in Galle.

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w...insinGalle.jpg

This is my camera...and you are gonna LOVE the pic :- :D


http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1...untitled-2.jpg

YAY I was in a picture V took!

:)

hahahaha! sooo what if I get bored and find all the answers to you challenges just for fun.

Some of mine:

Digital:

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...BoysGrave2.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...-Skullface.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...aphs/Jesus.jpg

Print:

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...hs/cherubs.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...pierceBlue.jpg

Nice photog Ferox.

Heres an odd one...Crime scence pic of a where a street performing Limbo dancer was stabbed..thats his rope used in his act!!

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...13/stabbed.jpg

Hmmm thats an eerie picture.

Something i took today.


http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h2.../ubvuhbuhb.jpg

...

Stalker.

nice varient of blues in there

Thanks alot.I would like to be a photographer.:)

I just need a better camera.

Picture of a man passed out with this lawn mower on the bridge leading onto Dublins main street LOL:

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...wnmowerman.jpg

Taken in a Wynd (narrow laneway) In Scotland:

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...ox-13/Wind.jpg

i find it takes :

luck
opportunity (which often requires luck)
a decent camera (which can provide opportunity)
technical know-how


i've begun to take courses so i can get the most out of the digital-slr i have ...
i dont have the time to figure out what everything does by myself - even though i bring my camera everywhere i go

To be honest the camera thing isn't always through. I think the best stuff i've taken is is with a piece of shit SLR i used to have. Granted I was able to process and print them which gave me control from start to finish which really helps.

Personally I think it just takes an eye for it. Naturally ability helps but the more you take the more you will train that eye and also you will start seeing things and how they might look good through the lens.

I do think this supercides a decent camera and to alot of extent technical know-how. Granted you need to under stand the basics but how hard is that. (i'm talking about natural light situations here - in a studio you are sooo right.)

Opertunity and luck is a bit debatable. Granted you can be luckly and have waht they call 'happy accidents' but at the end of the day professional photographers don't go into a job hoping they will get a good shot.

So advice to Dante'sInferno - i would say sure get a better camera but most importantly just take pictures. You will learn by your mistakes and improve.

By the way i'm far from a good or decent photogrpaher and i'd love to be one so take a bit of what i say with a pinch of salt.

i forgot this point.

a sense of composition is very important.
it's a basic most people dont seem to possess.


as far as luck not being a factor ... were you planning of following the guy around until he fell asleep besides his lawnmower ?

of course luck is involved in a lot of photography .. the perfect moment, facial expression, sky, etc, etc, etc ...

if you're talking studio pictures - very little luck is involved - it's all technical expertice.

if you're talking about random interesting photography - luck is often the biggest part of it.

please dont ask me to provide examples again .. it would be far too easy.

No i Agree its defianlly a factor but the other ones i listed are more important.

In all fairness - i wouldn't call that a good photograph really..it is a funny pic though.

But really if Luck was such a huge factor then the best(most acclaimed and/or) photographs would not be taken by professional photographers/artists.

because ...... they know how to exploit that luck.

there have been a ton of amazing photographs (subject wise) by amateurs .. but because they didnt know how to compose their photos, or their equipment couldnt get them close enough - or the settings werent right because they didnt have the technical know-how, or they just had no avenue to get them published - get exposure. or they're simply not interested in sharing.

pros are prepared. the do research - know where to look and what to look for ..

but for the thing to happen (the weather is right, the bird or whatever appears. appears, the person makes the perfect facial expression to convey the mood of the photograph as beautifully as possible) ... that is the luck factor.

urgeok2 makes some great points.

If you really want to improve your photographs then get a book out on the basics - learn how basic composition work, use the rule of thirds - get a basic under standing of depth of field. Also (i think this is the hardest bit) try learn how good lighting works (in the long run this is very complex) but there are a few basic rules you should follow..

Also look at other photographs and see try see what makes them good. Try avoid spectacular subject matter but more mundane ones...

I hope this helps - i don't wanna seem like a know it all, i'm far from it but I was pretty interested in the subject and i'm just passing on the little that i know.

My Dad gave me his old Kodak SLR the other day. i haven't been able to experiment with it yet but I used to do a lot of digital photography at school.

My favourite piece of advice is to know the rule of thirds. makes composition a hell of a lot easier.

Thanks alot,i'll take that under consideration.:)

this guy was on the window ledge Monday afternoon just before i left work for the day ..

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a1/...y/DSC04136.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a1/...y/DSC04141.jpg

very nice....what floor do you work on?

14th.

if i was on the 16th i'd get a lot more opportunities ...

and these i took yesterday :

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a1/urgeok/DSC04183.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a1/urgeok/DSC04201.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a1/urgeok/DSC04215.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a1/urgeok/DSC04243.jpg

Taken earlier this year:

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l.../Dolphins1.jpg

At the Speedway earlier this year:

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l.../Speedway1.jpg

One I took of the sky yesterday.I really like power lines for some reason.


http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h2...genous/ikk.jpg

took these the other morning of the little assholes that live under our sunroom. (by way of the back deck)

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a1/urgeok/DSC04800.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a1/urgeok/DSC04803.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a1/urgeok/DSC04823.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a1/urgeok/DSC04826.jpg

They are cute little assholes.

http://fc02.deviantart.com/fs28/i/20...ctlylonely.jpg

Here's one. A bunch more on my DeviantArt

not an 'art shot' but this is the pic i got of my kid playing with his friends..

i didnt know the little goof was going to jump when i took the shot.


http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a1/urgeok/DSC05839.jpg

Nice action shot, Urge.

Hope he landed well.

he did ...

he was lucky i was too far away to give him shit.

you centered the shot nicely

taken just now - big thunderstorm ... tried to catch lightening - and finally did :) took a lot of tries though !


http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a1/urgeok/DSC05865.jpg

That kind of lightening scares the shit out of me.......really....I'm a big dude...but I see that and I screech like a little girl....its fucking embarrassing.:o

heh ! i actually really like it ..

there were some huge strikes nearby ... being 15 floors up i could see tons of it - and where it was hitting. I've always been fascinated by extreme weather.
(respectfully)

Me too. Makes you aware just how powerless you are compared to a true force of nature.

Cool shots Urge.