Your best tip or technique.

[brett29]

I'm starting from scratch - no background in photography. My problem is I see great shots in my minds eye - even through my viewfinder, but they never turn out. I have an S50.

If you can offer one great hint or technique that consistantly produce professional looking shots I would greatly appreciate the help.

I want to shoot everything first, then I choose a favourite subject. So please...any technique or tip.

[John_T]

I'd say the first hint is to relax about it and take time for each shot and not be uptight if one doesn't turn out. Just take another one, and laugh about goof ups but look at them and learn from them.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Check out this thread,. it has two pages of usefull tips :D

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=18857

[stoneylonesome]

Practice Practice and Practice. thats 3 tips. The real plus to digital is you're not spending money on film and processing so if it looks good shot it. consentrate on composition remember what you see on the LCD is pretty much what you'll get.
you might also want to check out this web site

http://www.shortcourses.com

[Yance]

Heh, not everything you see in your mind eye is going to be able to be captured by the camera. There are lots of limitations due to shutter speed, focal length, depth of field, and ccd sensitivity. Knowing what combination of settings to use for the myriad of real-life situations you encounter is something that takes lots of practice and learning. There is no quick and easy substitute for practice. Do it under all lighting conditions and with as many different subjects as you can find. Find some starter books on photography theory and get to know about the effects that those camera settings have.

[Laziferous]

I think the most valuable tip to someone new, would be to simply get on the same level as your subject. Everyone shoots pictures standing up, and point the camera at whatever catches their eye, but to be quite frank... that's boring.

Why? Because that's what everyone does, so your shots will look just like everyone else's. Who wants their photos to look like everyone else's? I don't think anyone does really.

If you see something that looks like it will add interest to the foreground of a shot, and it is on the ground, don't point the camera down at it, stoop down, and get on the same level as it. This will make the shot much more dramatic. Or sometimes even get lower, or higher than your subject.

Example? Say you are about to take a picture of an antique model train. Get down, so the camera angle is as low as the train, then shoot looking up towards it at an angle. Or vice versa by getting just above. It makes all the difference.

One other quick tip... rarely do you ever want to shoot your subject dead center of the frame. Sometimes, that is the only way, but 9 times out of 10, an off center composition has much more impact.

I can't tell you how much those two very simple things have improved my photos. I went from a guy that thought he was taking pretty good pictures... to a guy that quickly realized he had been taking crappy pictures.

Here's a quick example of what I mean, and then I promise I'm done :p
I was at a park, and the sun had all but set. The sky was a beautiful mix of soft, but deep colors. There were boats in their docks, and a reflection on the water (although I didn't really include the reflection in this photo, but another one). I thought to myself that I just wanted to sit on a bench and absorb that beauty for a moment. Then I realized I could convey that through a picture. I got off the bench, asked myself what would convey that mood, then there it was... right in front of me. Why not set the camera on the bench I was sitting on, and frame the shot that way? Yes, I think that would get across my message. You will see the bench, and also the beauty that is seen from the bench. The bench was the foreground interest I spoke about. I set the camera on the bench, and framed the shot from that perspective. I made the proper exposure adjustments (which you will learn in time), and released the shutter.

It's not the greatest photo in the world, but I think I captured the mood, and got across what I wanted to. That's all I can ask for, that my photos get across what I'm trying to say. Whether the photo is exceptional or not, is secondary. My goal was accomplished. As you accomplish your goals more steadily, your photos will get better and better. Then you can give all of us a few tips. That's the last thing... always be willing to learn, because you never know it all. I learn something new every day, and more often than not, it's not from a professional. Happy shooting, and I look forward to seeing some of your shots here!

http://home.comcast.net/~pottajava/misc/CRW_3367-small.jpg

[phili1]

I cant give you any better advice then Chris told you except in the old days when I took a home study coarse from New York institute of Photography they gave me a subject and I had to shoot two rolls of film on that subjet and different angles and exposues. Chris is right and I even get caught in not getting down to the subject and I know what I should do. Let the camera do the work and get your composition (80% of a good Photo)down pat then you can experiment with exposure. The great thing about digital is you look at the LCD like a picture frame.

Sensors and film do not see what the eye sees, so you have to adjust exposures to compensate. Sometimes a slight under or over exposure makes or breaks a picture.

Metering systems see in grey tones, company's apply alithograms to determin the proper exposure and todays digital do a great job ( a near perfect picture ) You will learn by doing(shooting) play around with the EV setting. Take a picture per camera then 1 stop over and under and then two stops over & under and compare them. Evaluate the scene with which shot looks best and next time you are in that situation use that EV setting adjustment.

I use a hand meter for some shots and take multiple readings and adjust for a balanced shot.

But have fun.

OH and by the way not many want to admit it but we do tweak shot in Photshop. Some times its only contrast and sometimes a little dodging and burning, but as time goes on you will see your getting what you see.

[stopbath]

brett29 wrote:
I'm starting from scratch - no background in photography. My problem is I see great shots in my minds eye - even through my viewfinder, but they never turn out. I have an S50.

If you can offer one great hint or technique that consistantly produce professional looking shots I would greatly appreciate the help.

I want to shoot everything first, then I choose a favourite subject. So please...any technique or tip.

Plenty of great advise has been already given, so I'll just comment on this: Your eyes are much more forgiving then the CCD or CMOS sensor in your camera. We can 'see' a large light value range, while the sensor is much more limited. This might be why some of your 'great shots' seem to loose something in the translation.

Practice practice practice.

[Leighow]

brett29 wrote:
1) I'm starting from scratch - no background in photography.

2) My problem is I see great shots in my minds eye - even through my viewfinder, but they never turn out. I have an S50.

3) If you can offer one great hint or technique that consistantly produce professional looking shots I would greatly appreciate the help.

4)I want to shoot everything first, then I choose a favourite subject. So please...any technique or tip.

BRETT


YOUR PROBLEM and EXPECTATION are Ill-DEFINED
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I have to be honest ... you don't give me/us much to go on. What are yor interests? Are you talking about indoor studio work ? Steet photography? Landscape photography ? Or what?

SUGGESTION
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Why not start posting a few of your shots ! Keep notes. Tell us what you saw in your mind's eye and what you saw in the viewfinder. We will then try to tell you what we see on-screen!

Frankly, I am not sure what your problem is; meaning:
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- To see shots in your mind is only meangiful if indeed they relate to a physical reality that can be made to exist around you

- To see great shots in the viewfinder, and be disappointed later may relate to the available light and the camera's inability to record that light that confronts its lens.

- There is no single tip that will produce a professional image. Every situation is unique -- otherwise everyone would be a pro, and every pro would produce pro shots all the time ! It just does not happen that way. You will have to have take the time to learn about photography as it relates to your area of interest.

-- Shoot everything and then choose your favourite subject ? I don't folow!


MY "TIP"
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Photography, like life, is a journey. Before you start your journey, think about about your life and environment and what you want to record about it in still, 2-D images. Then grab the camera and go looking for content. You will know when you have found it because you will be possessed by what you see before you. You may have to shoot quickly, becasue the light and situaltion can change in seconds.

THE BALL is in YOUR COURT
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E.ough said.

Get out.

Shoot.

Post.

Invite your fellow members to comment.


See Yah
******

HOWIE