EOS400D - First Shots

[pandabean]

Ok these are not the first first shots. I went out this morning hoping to catch the sunrise but it was pretty poor and all my images had a horrible blue cast to them.

Can anyone tell me if am I doing anything wrong with these images, whether it be composition, exposure or whether i shoudnt be allowed a camera at all. :lol:

The first one is of a toy monkey that my girlfriend loves to collect. This one was done in our living room of the flat.

The second image was the one from the beach.

Shooting Mode Aperture-Priority AE
Focal Length 35.0 mm
ISO Speed 200
Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/200
Av( Aperture Value ) 5.0
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r290/pandabean_photos/monkey.jpg


Shooting Mode Program AE
Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/50
Av( Aperture Value ) 5.6
Metering Mode Partial Metering
Exposure Compensation +1
ISO Speed 100
Focal Length 55.0 mm
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r290/pandabean_photos/Beach.jpg

[BrandonSi]

Nice monkey! :) Your bottom shot looks a little underexposed, and the WB off a bit, but you did a fantastic job with the composition and getting the horizon level.

[StewartR]

I think you're being a little diplomatic there Brandon. No offence intended, pandabean, but the white balance on shot #2 is miles off. The breaking waves should be white(OK, white-ish), not blue. Presumably the lighthouse should be white too. It should take you about 5 seconds to fix that in PhotoShop or whatever other image editing software you use.

[pandabean]

Brandon, Thanks. It wasnt the best conditions for taken the bottom shot.

No offence taken. Yeh it should be white. Is there a way to correct that with the camera? Should I have changed the White Balance? The beach shot was taken in Raw so I can still change the white balance through the computer.

In Photoshop, do you mean adding one of the warming filters or altering the colours.

Also I just bought the "Understanding Exposure" book so I will be reading through that at some point after my exams :D

Thanks,
Andy

I think you're being a little diplomatic there Brandon. No offence intended, pandabean, but the white balance on shot #2 is miles off. The breaking waves should be white(OK, white-ish), not blue. Presumably the lighthouse should be white too. It should take you about 5 seconds to fix that in PhotoShop or whatever other image editing software you use.

[rowdyred94]

You can use the sliders or menus in Raw, or use an adjustment layer in PS. That has the potential of being a great shot.

[pagefile]

pandabean I understand that the XTi is new to you. Take your time with it and have fun learning what you can now do with your new Canon dSLR. Take lots of shots and ask for critique in Critique Corner, you know how all that goes.

Have fun and congratulations on your new Canon dSLR.

[Scott_Quier]

Brandon, Thanks. It wasnt the best conditions for taken the bottom shot.

No offence taken. Yeh it should be white. Is there a way to correct that with the camera? Should I have changed the White Balance? The beach shot was taken in Raw so I can still change the white balance through the computer.

In Photoshop, do you mean adding one of the warming filters or altering the colours.

Also I just bought the "Understanding Exposure" book so I will be reading through that at some point after my exams :D

Thanks,
AndyAs the beach shot is in RAW, open the file in PS. ACR will fire up. Select the color selector in the upper left corner of the application (I forget the name of it, there are only two color selector looking icons there, I'm sure you'll figure it out). Now, click on something you know is neutral in color - the white of the of the white house (ok, you'll have to zoom in a bit) or the white thing on the breaker. This will get you really close. Now, fiddle with the color temperature and tint sliders until you like what you see. Then mess with the exposure slider. There are other corrections you can make, but this will get you 90% of the way there.

[pagefile]

I forgot to ask you, have you been chimping?

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r290/pandabean_photos/monkey.jpg

[Jonathan]

As the beach shot is in RAW, open the file in PS. ACR will fire up. Select the color selector in the upper left corner of the application (I forget the name of it, there are only two color selector looking icons there, I'm sure you'll figure it out). Now, click on something you know is neutral in color - the white of the of the white house (ok, you'll have to zoom in a bit) or the white thing on the breaker. This will get you really close. Now, fiddle with the color temperature and tint sliders until you like what you see. Then mess with the exposure slider. There are other corrections you can make, but this will get you 90% of the way there.

Go shoot a duck - it's way easier and it's WHAT WE WANT :D

[pandabean]

A duck? Last time i did that I got chased away by nearby swans. Is a monkey not good enough :p ?

Pagefile - Chimping around?:???:

Scott - I havent used the colour selector tool before so I am unsure how to change the exposure with it. Also my version of Photoshop (CS1) doesnt seem to like the raw files.

Go shoot a duck - it's way easier and it's WHAT WE WANT :D

[pagefile]

Chimping, its a joke, you posted a chimp.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimping

and have a look at this thread. I think its funny, it has links to two videos of pros chimping.
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=260400

[TMR Design]

Your shots are a bit underexposed and could use some exposure compensation (+EC). If you're unfamiliar with this and want to better understand how your camera is metering, give these threads a look.

Exposure Compensation (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=256315)
Xti + kit lens producing DARK images (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=260786)

[pandabean]

Lol :lol: I get it now and i must confess I am guilty of it. :)

[pagefile]

Lol :lol: I get it now and i must confess I am guilty of it. :)


We all are guilty of it at some point.

[Jonathan]

That's a new one on me too - but very funny :)

I'm the worlds worst for it!

[balus]

One of my first shots with the EOS400D

[balus]

and another