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Rite, as you have seen/read I'm fairly new to this photography scene but already I'm keen to get snapping! Basically all I'm after is for ppl to post various different camera settings so that I can have a play with various shots. Different exposures, ISO's, apperture etc and what sort of affects (pics included wud also be wiked) they create. This will help me create the foundation I need to start experimenting on my own, but for now as I'm fairly new it wud be really handy to have some guidance.
Sry to be so amatuer, lol but with a trip to NYC coming up next week wud also be keen on getting some really good shots there too and put this camera to good use. A "beginners guide" if you will, to photography...
Anything/everything is mucho appreciated
:thumbs:
PS: my flickr is Jak21
aztec daz
26-03-2008, 21:02
im in the same boat as you mate. ive been using ****ty little point and shoot cameras and mobile phone cameras all my life. Ive only moved up to a decent camera in the last 2 weeks or so. The canon 400d. I didnt have a clue when i started. but read the manual a few times and im getting to grips with with the technical side of things.
Most of my shots are a result of messing around. Ive started taking like 5 or 6 of the same shot with different settings. Then when you see one that looks good, just remember that setting, and the conditions you were shooting in. im learning with every shot i took. I mean i never would have thought would be able to take shots like the ones on my flickr, but practice makes perfect
Thats what I've been going with so far, several manual reads and a point and shoot. However I always seem to whitewash the shots i experiment with and they are just a big old white screen! Very frustrating. Will keep going, but if u do have ne settings just of the top of ur head wud be grand just so i can have some ground work to go by! Loved ur flickr shots m8!
SharpeConcepts
26-03-2008, 22:20
I would be keen to know also
i want a 400d but im a tramp and i cnt afford it..so ill jus stick to my n95 8gb
Keith Fusco
27-03-2008, 13:02
One think before I start, I'd suggest getting a tripod to try various things, like long exposure, and messing around with some of the other settings.
aztec daz
27-03-2008, 13:07
tripod is a must for long exposure or night photography. also been using it when shooting anything above 200mm
i used my tripod last night to get some long exposure shots, more difficult than i thought, but only like 3 cars went passed in the time.
I'm gonna try get some better one's tonight if i can, but a tripod is a must.
Cheers
Jamie
PS: I have a Canon 400D, so dont know what u're camera is like Jak113. But for long exposure pictures. I do the following
Set the camera to TV mode.
Select the time u want it to run for. I do this by moving the wheel next to the shutter button.
The take the picture and hope some cars go past :lol:
manual mode is best for long exposures also a low iso is important
Iso is the sensitivity of the camera to light and iso 200 is twice as sensitive than iso 100 (iirc) Higher iso's allow for faster shutter speeds but also means higher levels of noise in the pictures.
The aperture is the size of the opening that light is let through. This is important as it controlls depth of field (aswell as how long shutter is open for to get desired level).
An aperture setting which is low (e.g f/4 or f/2 etc) means a bigger hole, this gives a lower depth of field. conversly a higher aperture setting means greater depth of field
When taking a photo with a zoom lens (ie a lens with a changable focal length) then taking with a shorter focal length will make the image look wider (imagine typical car shot taken near fron headlight the car looks really stretched) whereas moving further backwards and taking a picture zoomed in (ie at a larger focal length) will make the picture look a bit more squashed (this is good for taking pictures of things like fields of flowers as it makes them seem closer and makes more of a carpet effect)
for using the camera handheld a good way to judge if its gunna be hard to avoid blur is to only use settings that allow the shutter speed to be the reciprical of the focal length used. Example if i was shooting at a focal length of 50mm then the minimum shutter speed i should be looking at using is 1/50th of a second.
For taking pics of say a motorway at night (ie you want the lights blurred etc) then the best sort of setting to use would be a high aperture (eg.f/22) The lowest iso you have (probs 100) and then leave the shutter open for as long as it needs to to get the exposure. You might need to go onto bulb mode for this. When taking pics a decent tripod is usefull and a remote shutter release also helps to avoid camera shake
I'm very tired so probs got some things wrong so people feel free to correct me but it should get you going anyways
Thanks very much for that m8, definately keep me going for a while. Just a quick one mind: As well as M "manual" mode which allows you to customize both aperture and shutter speed there is A "apperture" which allows u to set the apperture and then the shutter speed best suited to that apperture level is calculated (I'm sure u know all this, lol) Which wud be best for a long exposure, a calculated shutter speed or a custom one of my choice??
for night pics then Aperture mode could be used yeah set the aperture to a high one and then set the iso to low and it should calculate a long shutter speed.#
Be aware though (not sure what camera you have) that it may set it to bulb mode where the shutter is open as long as you hold down the button for
for night pics then Aperture mode could be used yeah set the aperture to a high one and then set the iso to low and it should calculate a long shutter speed.#
Be aware though (not sure what camera you have) that it may set it to bulb mode where the shutter is open as long as you hold down the button for
Yeah I found out about the bulb settings, I have the Nikon D40! Thanks a bunch m8, anything else ur willing to post in this thread will be helping mny more ppl than just me I'm sure!:thumbs:
where's the bulb setting for the canon 400d?
aztec daz
01-04-2008, 17:33
go to manual mode, move the wheel beside the buttonall the way to the left
http://www.berniecode.com/writing/photography/beginners/
Excellent guide for beginners. Helps me loads!
JJ_5DOORCORSA
03-04-2008, 21:30
when i started my photography course one of my lectures said for outdoor day time shoots put on auto first and then see what u get, then use manual 2 experiment around with the aperture and shutter speed then great pics might suddenly happen.
for long exposures defo need a tripod and dependin on ur camera ul need a remote control or a cable release for proper long exposures (over 30 secs) so the camera shake, (wen on 'bulb' setting) but best advice 2 just keep experimenting, i reckon.
:thumbs:
Thanks to all for posting, is keeping me constantly busy atm! lol. Keep it coming guys :thumbs:
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