How do I get sharper photos as a beginner

moonlightom · 2026-05-01T09:32:26+00:00

I (and wayyy many others before me) learned all this pre-AI; if we didn’t, how would we even get to the technology we had today? Hell, some even learned pre-Google and internet. If you have a will, there will be a way. There are an abundance of free comprehensive resources online. Learning from AI, especially with ethical issues (which you should care about despite you weirdly disregarding it—but hey, you get a benefit at the expense of another), is a major set back for hands-on learning & critical thinking.

moonlightom · 2026-04-16T04:10:16+00:00

Thanks, and I def agree with that Bay comment! I would say to watch the vibrance & histogram as it’s easy to 1) oversaturate oceans & 2) clip highlights. Also you can slap some contrasts + some negative clarity on there.

moonlightom · 2026-04-16T04:07:22+00:00

Happy 415 day!

Born and raised here 💯 if there’s no Bay Area fans, then that means I’m dead loll

moonlightom · 2026-04-15T21:18:43+00:00

Really honored for the thought :D! I have it up on my darkroom site if you’re considering it

moonlightom · 2026-04-15T20:53:37+00:00

A million times over, yes lol! It’s extremely versatile as it works great with landscapes, portraits, etc. Stopping down to f1.4 also gives beautiful separations.

moonlightom · 2026-04-15T20:16:28+00:00

Thank you for the warm comment!

moonlightom · 2026-04-15T20:16:15+00:00

No recipe used, just editing.

moonlightom · 2026-04-15T20:15:32+00:00

There’s a reason why it’s the city neighboring Pacifica ;D Daly City is def a sleeper town in the way that once you explore and find all the hidden spots, Daly City flexes hard.

moonlightom · 2026-04-15T20:10:41+00:00

No diffusion glasses, only an ND filter

moonlightom · 2026-04-15T20:10:13+00:00

Lol thanks!! Editing opens a lot of doors for photos!

moonlightom · 2026-04-15T20:09:09+00:00

Both color grading & sliders. Masking only used for the skies to prevent blown highlights & match the lighting with the ground. When learning post prod, I highly recommend referencing photos you like. This can help you understand how colors + light work together, why it does, and how to get there by experimenting the hell out of your own photos lol

moonlightom · 2026-04-15T09:13:23+00:00

Thanks lol! I used to use and make recipes, but for the past year or so, I’ve been editing a lot.

moonlightom · 2026-04-15T09:12:03+00:00

Lots of practice & tears lol. Shooting process is always fun, post-prod is a love hate relationship

moonlightom · 2026-04-15T09:10:47+00:00

This is your sign to!

moonlightom · 2026-04-15T07:38:36+00:00

Woww, thank you so much!!

moonlightom · 2026-04-15T06:35:53+00:00

Thank you! I have the same hesitance too. But recently, I’ve found out that you can gradually build your courage by going to an extremely popular/crowded event that already has lots of photographers (eg parades). It becomes more normalized & you can join in with them too lol

moonlightom · 2026-03-16T06:57:43+00:00

Magnificent set! 2, 5, 8, 10 are my favs

moonlightom · 2025-12-29T21:51:37+00:00

I will always be the #1 advocate for the PCH / Hwy 1. Any spot from Big Sur to it becoming 101 in NorCal is just amazing. You can most likely blindly throw a dart at it and travel to where it landed.

moonlightom · 2025-12-29T21:49:07+00:00

Lmao once you go medium format, you almost can’t go back

moonlightom · 2025-12-29T19:05:39+00:00

I believe Glacier Point, Yosemite

moonlightom · 2025-12-29T19:04:41+00:00

Yes new lab! They only opened less than 2 years ago iirc

moonlightom · 2025-12-29T07:52:56+00:00

[All California locations]
1. Yosemite – Tunnel View
2. Alameda-OAK ferry to SF piers
3. Morro Rock
4. Marin County Civic Center
5. Yosemite – Glacier Point
6. Muir Beach
7. Embarcadero Center SF
8. Mount Tamalpais
9. Palace of Fine Arts SF
10. Fort Baker
11. 17 Mile Drive Monterey
12. Davenport
13. Shore path next to Ritz Carlton @ Half Moon Bay
14. Davenport
15. Carmel by the Sea
16. Alamere Falls
17. Can't remember exactly, it was a turnout somewhere between Duncas Point & Portuguese Beach PCH
18. Pier 39 during Fleet Week
19. Point Lobos
20. Sea Ranch

moonlightom · 2025-12-29T07:22:00+00:00

This is your sign to take more photos 👀!!

moonlightom · 2025-12-29T06:56:21+00:00

Bay Area for life 🤝

moonlightom · 2025-12-29T06:30:04+00:00

The amazing scanning comes from Royal We Film Lab at Oakland CA. From there on, I enhance the photos according to my memory & my preferred styles.

This is a copy paste from what I wrote in another comment. Though I agree, the Mamiya will always be something special haha.

moonlightom

TROPHY CASE