[dcstep]

Us old farts, that used to pay for film 20 and 36 exposures at a time, remember trying to make every image count. Pro photographers new better and spent heavily on film to give themselves more chances to catch something special. Now, with digital images being "almost free", we can all join in; however, we should still try to make every image count.

So say the light's good and you want some shots of the car. You might take 20, 50 or 200 images, or 3 to 5. The quality of the effort really does count. You need to think about light, perspective, depth of field, exposure (possible HDR), staging, etc. If you find yourself taking pictures without really thinking, then it's time to stop for a while.

When I got my first "automatic" camera, decades ago, after shooting for years with light meter, calculations, etc., my first few batches of pictures were actually worse. I'd stopped thinking about the situation as much and was just pointing and shooting at all kinds of crap. Then I realized that I'd need to set the camera to shoot a 1/2-stop slower to get the saturation that I planned for and achieved when I was doing things manual. I might need to override the AF to get the bokeh needed in a particular shot, etc., etc.

The camera can free you, but you'll get more out of it the more you think about how you might alter what the camera is naturally inclined to do on its own.

So, give yourself lots of chances to get it right, but put in the effort needed to elevate your results beyond average, which is what you get when you simply point and shoot. To really crank things up be really harsh on yourself.

Dave

[AKbmw]

Originally Posted by dcstep

You're off to a great start. I can see that you have a great eye that'll develop more as you try things and fail and then figure out how to get them right.

It was appropriate to post all those images of pretty much the same thing, give3n that you're seeking feedback. I think you'll find yourself taking hundreds of images per month, maybe thousands. Work on two things; first, make a higher percentage of them "keepers" and then edit yourself harshly to find the real "stunners".

Lately, when I post on Flickr, I try to look for three to five images per 100 taken and don't show the rest. In the case of those images with the tire marks, I'd try to find the most powerful one and use only that. Take other images of the car in different settings, different light, etc.

I also suspect that you're going to get draw deep into Photoshop after you get to know it. Start budgeting.

Dave

wow that is some great piece of advice, and i really appreciate. You just made me realize that i really only should pick the best couple because the other ones are nice but not as powerful, so there is no point to keep them. i can always take them again with such a beautiful camera.


Thank you all and hopefully as time goes by you guys can see my pictures improving!

[john0213]

don't worry too much about forcing yourself to improve. the more information you read and the more you learn, improving will just be a by-product for you in that learning curve. the most important thing to do is really apply what you've learn into your photo. take the time to examine the surrounding and use every possible chance to apply what you've learn to the photo. through time, you will see that big jump gradually once you look back to your early batch.

When i begin my photography hobby 2 months ago, I've learnt in this procedure:

1. Mastering your exposure: know what you need and want when adjusting the 3 factors: Aperture/Shutter Speed/ISO. don't get turn off by the M-mode, use it and practice.

2. Manipulating Focus: There is this stage that i went through using hell lot of manual focus to practice. going manual will give you a very good understanding on what and when you need certain thing to be tack sharp and what to do in different situation.

3. Picking correct composition: once you are comfortable with the above two points, you are probably very comfortable with working your camera. now, it comes to the very important part of the picture, composition. what makes an image stunning is the composition. take extra attention to how you are composing an image.

4. Advance Composition:
- take notice of Angle of attack, and lead in line etc
- worry about foreground/mid-ground/background object creating depth in the image
- usage of direction on light source and shadow, manipulate this natural phonemenon and create the 3-dimenionality for your image
- choosing background, use background to set off your contrast of the object. an object contains 360" of different background, each side will yield a different effect to the object


LOL i am at work now so i can't comment too much more. definitely ask for lot of help and critique to your work. through trial and error, you will find the pattern!

[AKbmw]

Originally Posted by john0213

don't worry too much about forcing yourself to improve. the more information you read and the more you learn, improving will just be a by-product for you in that learning curve. the most important thing to do is really apply what you've learn into your photo. take the time to examine the surrounding and use every possible chance to apply what you've learn to the photo. through time, you will see that big jump gradually once you look back to your early batch.

When i begin my photography hobby 2 months ago, I've learnt in this procedure:

1. Mastering your exposure: know what you need and want when adjusting the 3 factors: Aperture/Shutter Speed/ISO. don't get turn off by the M-mode, use it and practice.

2. Manipulating Focus: There is this stage that i went through using hell lot of manual focus to practice. going manual will give you a very good understanding on what and when you need certain thing to be tack sharp and what to do in different situation.

3. Picking correct composition: once you are comfortable with the above two points, you are probably very comfortable with working your camera. now, it comes to the very important part of the picture, composition. what makes an image stunning is the composition. take extra attention to how you are composing an image.

4. Advance Composition:
- take notice of Angle of attack, and lead in line etc
- worry about foreground/mid-ground/background object creating depth in the image
- usage of direction on light source and shadow, manipulate this natural phonemenon and create the 3-dimenionality for your image
- choosing background, use background to set off your contrast of the object. an object contains 360" of different background, each side will yield a different effect to the object


LOL i am at work now so i can't comment too much more. definitely ask for lot of help and critique to your work. through trial and error, you will find the pattern!

thank you man, i still dont quite understand all those main points, i sorda have a clue but i want to understand them more, ISO, Apeture

where can i go, or what book can i buy to give me a better understanding of them, and how to adjust them in different settings.

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by AKbmw

...You just made me realize that i really only should pick the best couple because the other ones are nice but not as powerful, so there is no point to keep them. i can always take them again with such a beautiful camera.


Thank you all and hopefully as time goes by you guys can see my pictures improving!

Well, harddrives and other storage has gotten real cheap, so you may want to keep them in a second tier of folders that you can resort to if you need fodder to, say, do a colage. Still, the more files you accumulate, and it's easy to do, the more you need to think about a system of file organization that you can use to quickly get to what you need. Also, don't forget to back up.


Dave

[InsaneSkippy]

OP, check out this link: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/...d.php?t=414088

That forum is a AMAZING for Canon owners, and has a wealth of information. The article I posted may seem a bit intimidating at first, but give it a good read-through. It's also a good thing to have saved for future reference.


Basically (very basically) for exposure here's how it works...

Shutter Speed:
Longer shutter speed = more light coming into the camera. However, the longer the shutter speed, the more prone to "shake" the image is. Shake is caused from small movements of the camera while the picture is being taken. It will result in blurry pictures and wavy lines of light.

ISO:
Higher the number, the more light coming in to the camera. However, if you go too high, you increase the amount of "noise" in the shot, these are small spots on the picture making it appear grainy. If you're in a low-light situation, this is your best tool, as noise can be fixed (somewhat) in post processing, where as camera shake cannot be.

Aperture:
This is a little more tricky, and I think it's best explained in the article I posted.

[john0213]

I would highly recommend the book, "Understanding Exposure."

the book contain some in-depth information to all the thing you need to know about photography. once you've get a grip of all the aspect, then you can go on to internet to set your own learning schedule.

the problem of researching on internet is that it provides an unorganize source of overwhelming information that is all over the place. it's hard to collect all the info and come up with good learning plan as many of the beginners are confused with the basic knowledge.

By reading the book first, it provides with a very good basis to build on. Therefore, all the info on internet can be used to fill in all the gaps that was not elaborated in the book.

[john0213]

i will chimp in to fill up some more gaps. below is what i've posted on photography-on-the.net so i might as well copy this over.

Nothing gets better than to experiment all the setting yourself. By just reading all the theory, you will only be able to know it then forget it, the actual usage is the part that will stamp these knowledge to your mind.

When using M mode, take extra attention on where the exposure meter sits. the indicator should give you a pretty good idea how bright you want your image to be.

for all the crop factor user having 450D, 40D etc, try to stick with ISO below 800 first. Unless you know exactly what you are doing, don't bump it up to 1600 because the quality of image can be discouraging for beginner.

Many people says that ISO 1600-3200 is completely fine, but also be aware that many of these users have the full frame 5D, the ISO resolving ability is a lot stronger for the full frame format.

Like the OP said, your subject determines the priority of the three factor, however, always consider adjusting the ISO last. Use it as an accomendating tools for giving you the proper exposure as Aperture and Shutter Speed determines the theme of the image.

If the focus object is moving really fast, you might need to consider your shutter speed as priority since the prevention of motion blur dominates the clarity of the picture. For example, when taking picture of a bee flying on flower, due to the bee constantly moving, experience tells me that i would need a very fast shutter speed to freeze the moment, so somewhere around 1/500 should be save. with that in mind, i then determine how much of a depth of field i would like my picture to have. I want the surrounding to blur but not by too much so 4.0 seems good. However, when i set my camera to this setting, my ev meter shows me that i am underexposed.

so, now i have two solutions.

1. I can either bump up the iso from 100 to 400 to give me that extra light.

or

2. i can stop up my aperture to 2.8 if it does not severely affect the theme of the image i was looking for.

Vice versa, this above procedure can also be used on Aperture.

On the example of a sunset landscape shot. The surrounding is getting dark and my light source isn't exactly ideal at this time of the day. I know that i can't have a 2.8 aperture because i want my whole scene to be in focus. Through experience I know I will need f/11 so I went ahead and set the aperture to f/11. According to the aperture, i then set my shutter speed. Due to that my camera was on a tripod, handshake was of no concern for me so ISO can stay at 100.

these are just some of the example on setting the theme of the picture. I suggest anyone seriously about photography to really shoot more. the more you shoot, the more you will what setting to go for each theme.

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by InsaneSkippy

ISO:
Higher the number, the more light coming in to the camera. However, if you go too high, you increase the amount of "noise" in the shot, these are small spots on the picture making it appear grainy. If you're in a low-light situation, this is your best tool, as noise can be fixed (somewhat) in post processing, where as camera shake cannot be..

Nice link.

However, I think it's less confusing to think about ISO as the camera's sensitivity to the available light, instead of thinking about the amount of light coming into the camera, which varies with shutter and aperature, but not ISO. So a low ISO number (say 100) requires more light at a given shutter/aperture combination while a higher ISO (say 800) requires less light at the same shutter/aperture combination, but leads to a lower quality image, showing more "noise."

ISO performance, the ability to perform at high ISO's with little noise, varies greatly from camera to camera. In general, the larger the sensor and more expensive the camera, the better it's performance will be at higher ISOs. Most point and shoot cameras start showing lots of noise at ISO 400, while an entry level DSLR might do pretty well up to ISO 800 and a full frame DSLR might be good up to 3200 ISO.

The beginner will become aware of ISO performance when trying to use available light and avoid using a flash. Of course, if you're stuck without a flash and high ISO is the only way to get a shot, then go for it. Don't miss or hopelessly blur a shot because your were afraid of noise.

Dave

[rodi]

just to clarify, possibly unnecessarily:

shutter speed - length of time light is allowed to hit the sensor.
aperture - size of the hole through which light is allowed to hit the sensor.
ISO - sensitivity of the sensor to light.

[john0213]

nice correction dcstep!!

I would also side the fact that ISO is the sensitivity of the sensor. the mechanism of the sensor in theory can somewhat be easily explained.

Sensor is composed of many tiny cells. each square of cell resolves a certain amount of pixel. when light hits the sensor, the sensor is electrically charged before it detects any light. the higher the sensitivity, the higher the voltage is being chrarged onto the sensor. therefore, when boosting the ISO, one is essentially boosting the voltage to increase the sensitivity of the sensor chip.

As we all know, there is noise in electricity. the higher the voltage, the higher the noise. hence, when stronger charge gets put through to the sensor chip, it also records the noise in the electricity too, and that's how the noise is introduced in the image.

[InsaneSkippy]

Originally Posted by dcstep

Nice link.

However, I think it's less confusing to think about ISO as the camera's sensitivity to the available light, instead of thinking about the amount of light coming into the camera, which varies with shutter and aperature, but not ISO. So a low ISO number (say 100) requires more light at a given shutter/aperture combination while a higher ISO (say 800) requires less light at the same shutter/aperture combination, but leads to a lower quality image, showing more "noise."

ISO performance, the ability to perform at high ISO's with little noise, varies greatly from camera to camera. In general, the larger the sensor and more expensive the camera, the better it's performance will be at higher ISOs. Most point and shoot cameras start showing lots of noise at ISO 400, while an entry level DSLR might do pretty well up to ISO 800 and a full frame DSLR might be good up to 3200 ISO.

The beginner will become aware of ISO performance when trying to use available light and avoid using a flash. Of course, if you're stuck without a flash and high ISO is the only way to get a shot, then go for it. Don't miss or hopelessly blur a shot because your were afraid of noise.

Dave

Very true!

[AKbmw]

wow, im trying to read the manual, but i feel like i need to talk to someone that knows their camera's and have some hands on training, because its hard to just read and understand.

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by AKbmw

wow, im trying to read the manual, but i feel like i need to talk to someone that knows their camera's and have some hands on training, because its hard to just read and understand.

A course might be nice, but you can figure out one thing at a time. Of course, you know totally automatic and not much else. First learn either shutter priority and then aperature priority. Learn to bracket +2 and -2 exposures. Learn to manual focus (there's a switch on the lens usually). Learn to turn the flash on and off. Learn to control the ISO. Etc., etc.

Learn one or two things per day and in a week or so you'll have it down. Nikon and Canon tend to keep their control relatively consistent between models, so if you move up in a year or two and stick with the same brand, you can figure it out in an hour or two.

Keep the manual in your bag.

Dave

[john0213]

I treat manual as an index when i need to find something that the book mentioned. I personally wouldn't recommend spending all your time into reading manual cause it teaches you basically nothing but how to get to a specific step. if you don't understand photography in the first place, how would you know when to use those steps?

I will repeat this one more time. get the book called Understanding Exposure in your local book store. it will let you kick off quite good!

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by john0213

I will repeat this one more time. get the book called Understanding Exposure in your local book store. it will let you kick off quite good!

Please be patient. He needs to understand how his camera works in order to take advantage of the book. He can read something in the book, then use the manual to figure out how to do it, then go practice it, then move on to the next topic in the book.

Manuals are good. I'm still referring to mine six-months into ownership. Gotta try that HD video thing everyone's so hyped about...

Dave

[john0213]

lol sorry was getting a bit late, i didn't mean to be mean~ LOL

[AKbmw]

Originally Posted by john0213

lol sorry was getting a bit late, i didn't mean to be mean~ LOL

haha, definently wasnt being mean bro, even a yes or a no answer would have been greatly appreciated, but you took your time to write me paragraphs, and even references to what books to buy and read, you were a great help, you guys will see me in the photography section on the forum more often now!

thank you all, i am going to go outside and experiment some more

wish i had a tripod

[john0213]

and you probably need one~!! LOL

trust me, tripod is one of the most useful accessories in photography! it's a mustttttt

[AKbmw]

Originally Posted by john0213

and you probably need one~!! LOL

trust me, tripod is one of the most useful accessories in photography! it's a mustttttt

will prolli get one in the next couple days!

[john0213]

if you don't want to spend that much on accessories first since you are starting out, velbon is a pretty good start out brand.

However, if you know you will be getting pretty involve into photography, then i suggest getting some bigger brand like manfrotto to start with since the cheaper tripod doesn't hold heavy lens that well.

velbon usually range from $30-70

for manfrotto, a good beginner one will be the 190XB with 486RC2 ball head. it will cost you around $170-200 but it's dead hard sturdy~

[dcstep]

Love my Manfrotto.


Dave