Curvemeister Forum

I am thinking about starting a weekly group session for members of CM forum to connect with each other for discussion, explanations, and examples.

The process will evolve as it goes forward and as it grows. 

Currently, as a part of the CM101 class I do a 1 hour conference call that usually ends up being the highlight of the class.  I want to try to bring that out to the forum.  My intent would be to spur discussion and the sharing of works and examples. 

This group session would be held on Fridays sometime during the normal working day; I'm thinking of 11 AM in the central time zone in the US. I am also looking into recording these for playback if you cannot attend. 

Before I set this up I would like to hear from all of you.

• I want to know if you think this would be of value to you


• I would like suggestions for topics of discussion


• I would like examples of images you would like myself or others to tackle

 
I am planning to use Skype for the audio unless someone has a better free solution.
I am planning to use the Mikogo screen share program; again unless someone has a better free suggestion.

My goal for this is to get started sooner rather than later.
Let me know on the forum or privately what your thoughts are.

You can send me e-mail at greg@curvemeister.com if you do not wish to publish your thoughts here.

Greg

Excellent idea. Skype would be fine for me. Regards

great idea. Skype works for me. 

Count me in Greg, but at the moment I'm rather tied up trying to build a wooden clock
Zog

Zog..

For you it would be on Fridays at about 5 PM I think...
Any topics in your mind??

Greg

Sorry Greg, my mind has deserted me!

I'm getting very lazy with my photos.  I take around a 100-200 on my subjects (parish churches) and then quickly prepare them for the web, with the following workflow

a) Enfuse (I take 3 exposures per shot at +/- 2ev)
b) FocusMagic
c) CM in lab for rough colour balance (I'm getting a lot of green tints these days - camera? or maybe for real, but it doesnt look right) and colour enhancing
- and that's it

The photo has to be very special for me to do more than that, although I will dodge/burn, remove lens glare (I get quite a bit) and maybe add some local contrast if needed.

Zog

Insert tongue in Cheek here...
Sorry to hear of your loss.  A mind is a terrible thing.

Green tint huh?  Consistent over all images or just the churches?
Greg

mainly the walls of the inside of the churches, especially if the exposure is not spot on
The colour variations between the 3 exposures (+/- 2ev) can be quite different!

Would love to be part of this, but 5pm (UK time) is no good for me (I'll be traveling home from work)  :(

I'm glad to hear that you're thinking of recording these - it will be a good way for me to keep in touch with what you're all doing. Perhaps, as a way of getting more value out of these sessions (and as a way for me to be more involved), a forum thread could be started for each Friday session; amongst other things, it will be a way for us all to develop the conversation/techniques in the future, as new processes/software become available.

I found the Skype/Mikogo sessions during CM101 really valuable, and I'm sure that everyone else feels that way too, so I can more than understand the enthusiasm for something like this.

As for Mikogo - I'm not sure if it is any better, but I updated Skype a few days ago, and Skype now offers screen sharing; if we are going to use it for the audio, it might make sense to try the screen sharing in Skype too. As I say though, I've not used it, so I don't know whether it is as good as Mikogo.

Very much looking forward to watching these!

Lee.

mainly the walls of the inside of the churches, especially if the exposure is not spot on
The colour variations between the 3 exposures (+/- 2ev) can be quite different!

.

Camera and ISO would be interesting to know.  Usually for me color noise is that muddy puke brown.  Are you on a tripod so you don't have to go > 6400 ISO?  is there any noise reduction going on in camera?

Curious..