Photography Thread

[Guest Hal]

I know this has been talked about before, but I'm not going to bring a random thread back from the dead.

 

I'm a horrible photographer and I want to know how to take better pictars. Basically, I'm the kind of person who just uses the auto feature on whatever digital camera I have, nothing more. How do I get started with figuring out what settings to use? How can I get the most out of a mid level, off the shelf, digital camera? Why do all your pictars look better than mine?

 

And go.

[Alex L.]

Point and shoot or DSLR?

[Guest Hal]

Point and shoot or DSLR?

 

Digital camera...

 

It says Kodak EasyShare Z712 IS on it. It has an LCD screen and stuff.

 

This might be why I'm a terrible photographer.

[Guest Spam]

Its because you need to learn how to edit. Torrent Photoshop and play with it.

[CRAWDAD]

I need to know this stuff to. I have a Sony Cyber-shot 14.1mega pixels 10x optical zoom.

I think the model number is DSC-H55

 

I do the same thing, just put it in auto and roll with it. Some pictures are ok and some suck.

 

I'm in for the good reading!

[unfunnyryan]

Google all the settings on your camera, learn how to use them.

[Guest Hal]

Google all the settings on your camera, learn how to use them.

 

Nice post. That should be the answer to everyone's question, ever.

[TTQ B4U]

I'm a horrible photographer and I want to know how to take better pictars. Basically, I'm the kind of person who just uses the auto feature on whatever digital camera I have, nothing more. How do I get started with figuring out what settings to use? How can I get the most out of a mid level, off the shelf, digital camera? Why do all your pictars look better than mine?

 

Deep thread. Just to note, being a good photographer has zero to do with a camera or the gear. It's equiv. to being a good road coarse driver. Has nothing to do with the car.

 

Keeping the CR Car analogy theme, taking pics is just like driving a manual tranny. You have to know how to work multiple things at one time. Exposure, which consists of ISO settings, Aperture or Depth of Field, and Shutter speed. All of which will change in many cases depending on your focal length or zoom. (not always but in your Kodak, yes)

 

Here's good bokeh aka knowing how to set your aperture and zoom for the setting. Yes, you can pull this off with a super zoom style P&S camera too.

http://www.pbase.com/timothylauro/image/127945287

 

How do you get started? For your camera? Not jabbing you, but RTFM. It's a good start, otherwise you won't know how to do what you'll be reading about. Next, read up on exposure. Photography is about light. Painting with light. With your Kodak, it's going to be about knowing the limits of your gear through experimenting.

 

Here's an example of good lighting. Yes, it's beyond a simple P&S Flash, but that's next. Just notice the lighting overall

http://www.pbase.com/timothylauro/image/129523069

 

Here's a very quick example of a $120 camera with it's flash. Not perfect, but the exposure is true to the moment and the eyes do have a catch light present.

http://www.pbase.com/timothylauro/image/127996419

 

In terms of pictures looking better, it's all in the settings but mainly in terms of composition. You can do a lot to make up for bad image quality, but bad composition can't be fixed.

 

Digital camera...

It says Kodak EasyShare Z712 IS on it. It has an LCD screen and stuff.

This might be why I'm a terrible photographer.

 

No, the Kodak isn't horrible. Has some limitations, but you can overcome them.

 

Its because you need to learn how to edit. Torrent Photoshop and play with it.

 

See above. IQ is one thing, but it starts with composition. Besides, editing a poorly set up image is one thing, but getting it right from the start will yield tremendously better images. Leaning on Photoshop is like racing with stability control on.

 

Here's a good example of a Photoshop Save, but the composition sucks. Not my photo.

http://www.pbase.com/timothylauro/image/129475558

 

Here's a quick example where while it's just a relative taking a "snap-shot" it still stands as a photo with poor composition.

http://www.pbase.com/timothylauro/image/129799623

 

I made a quick edit of the background to save it, but it's still far from perfect.

 

I need to know this stuff to. I have a Sony Cyber-shot 14.1mega pixels 10x optical zoom.

I think the model number is DSC-H55 I do the same thing, just put it in auto and roll with it. Some pictures are ok and some suck. I'm in for the good reading!

 

Good camera. I'll post link of reads later when I'm at my PC. Also worth noting, that one shouldn't delete all bad images. Many of them can be saved and made creative and worth a memory. Here's an example of an image that was Out of Focus (OOF) and had a horrible background. The person who sent me this wanted to toss it but gave it one last chance. The outcome I think is album worthy.

http://www.pbase.com/timothylauro/image/129638537

 

Key to this thread if we lock it in for a while, POST PICS. Not huge ones. Just link or post up images of say 1024x768. Don't strip out the exif data either. I need that to help. Think of the exif as your dyno graph and results when tuning a car.

 

Posting pics will enable the photogs here to give some insight. Otherwise, I can't really help with what you can do with a scene or image you may have struggled with.

[SpaceGhost]

Rule of thirds.

[sol740]

What Tim said. LOL. Good composition is the skill one needs to hone, then equipment, and editing can many times fix what would otherwise be a poor image. Definitely post examples of "bad shots". I use to shoot with a 4mp p&s Canon and in good light, it was capable of decent pics. Lowlight was its weakness, but for cars it was fine with a long exposure + tripod. Most of the pics in my "Evo" and "300zx" albums were taken with a p&s. That's probably why I chose Canon when I stepped up to an SLR.

[TTQ B4U]

Will update with more over the course of time.

 

http://www.geofflawrence.com/photography_tutorial_portraits.php

 

http://photonotes.org/articles/beginner-faq/

 

http://www.learn.usa.canon.com/resources/articles/2011/speedlite_tip_pt3_article.shtml

 

http://super.nova.org/DPR/#Canon

 

http://www.digitalartsphotography.com/instructions.htm

and

http://www.bythom.com/graycards.htm

[Yasser-Hanbali]

here are some recent ones i took for photo projects, i think we should make this a post and share thread!

 

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww239/v8killa7/_DSC0966.jpg?t=1303738120

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww239/v8killa7/_DSC0965.jpg?t=1303738120

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww239/v8killa7/_DSC0956.jpg?t=1303738120

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww239/v8killa7/_DSC0955.jpg?t=1303738120

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww239/v8killa7/_DSC0950.jpg?t=1303738120

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww239/v8killa7/_DSC0943.jpg?t=1303738120

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww239/v8killa7/_DSC0935.jpg?t=1303738188

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww239/v8killa7/_DSC0236-2.jpg?t=1303738188

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww239/v8killa7/_DSC0233-2.jpg?t=1303738188

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww239/v8killa7/_DSC0203-2.jpg?t=1303738188

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww239/v8killa7/_DSC0190-2.jpg?t=1303738259

[Yasser-Hanbali]

to the OP, it all depends on what your shooting with (lens and body) and you surroundings like light and your focal point. after buying my D90 and using a manual setting the amount of things that you can make really pop expands. also knowing your camera really helps its a tool, and when you can use it properly taking photos becomes a very fun process.

[Yasser-Hanbali]

bringing this thread back up, all the other forums im on have a photography thread. so post up what you have, i took these yesterday while making some dinner in the ghetto lol.

 

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww239/v8killa7/_DSC1120.jpg?t=1305047276

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww239/v8killa7/_DSC1119.jpg?t=1305047276

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww239/v8killa7/_DSC1111.jpg?t=1305047276

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww239/v8killa7/_DSC1102.jpg?t=1305047276

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww239/v8killa7/_DSC1099.jpg?t=1305047276

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww239/v8killa7/_DSC1096.jpg?t=1305047276

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww239/v8killa7/_DSC1095.jpg?t=1305047276

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww239/v8killa7/_DSC1093.jpg?t=1305047276

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww239/v8killa7/_DSC1090.jpg?t=1305047276

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww239/v8killa7/_DSC1088.jpg?t=1305047276

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww239/v8killa7/_DSC1083.jpg?t=1305047384

[Tractor]

Yasser, love the last one, but I'd clone out the line running from that bright spot down at an angle to the right.

 

The third to the last one is also really cool.

 

 

BTW everyone should number pics. much easier to say which ones you like.

[Yasser-Hanbali]

thank you here are some older ones, lets get this thread going

 

1.

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww239/v8killa7/_DSC0036-3.jpg?t=1305206395

 

2.

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww239/v8killa7/_DSC0015-3.jpg?t=1305206395

 

3.

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww239/v8killa7/_DSC0028-3.jpg?t=1305206483

 

4.

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww239/v8killa7/yasser.jpg?t=1305206529

 

5.

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww239/v8killa7/_DSC0029-3.jpg?t=1305206580

 

6.

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww239/v8killa7/_DSC0067-2.jpg?t=1305206617

 

7.

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww239/v8killa7/_DSC0215-2.jpg?t=1305206659