Totally green Newbie to Photography looking for direction

[DeltaWebb]

Hello everyone. I just found this forum and read through some of the posts and thought it would be good to seek some advise here.

I just purchased the Canon Rebel XT about a month ago and am very excited about getting into the photography world, the only problem is it's BIG, EXPENSIVE and INVOLVED!:confused: It was a stretch to get my wife to agree to the investment of the XT versus a compact but I think she likes what I've gotten so far. I'm a little less satisfied. Not with the camera, but my knowledge of photography and my camera. I did a Mother's Day projectfor her in where I took some images of my children and put up two B/W portraits of the kids and some color photos and their handprints for accents. I am really happy with the concept and how it looks, but I had to take around 350 pics to get a total of 12 I liked. And even then, I had to do a lot of image processing to get it where I wanted.

I need some direction to go to learn the basics of photgraphy, so I can get out of the XT's automatic settings and into the "Creative" ones. I have a problem with the AF not using the point I want it to and when I frame out the scene I want and what I got from the manual, it said I need to be in Creative modes to tell the cmaera which one to use.

WHERE DO I START?

Here are some images I have got so far: I like the one by the pond, but the one on the rocks, the AF focused on the shoes and not my buys in Portrait mode.

[Mr. Twister]

I can't recomend any books dedicated to digital cameras, however "Kodak Guide to 35Mm Photography" is an excellent start. The FILM section can be skipped, but the rest of the stuff is applicable to DSLR.

Good luck!

[lkorell]

" I had to take around 350 pics to get a total of 12 I liked."

Welcome to the world of photography!:)

The only thing I can tell you to make you feel better about this is just be glad you're not shooting film. F$$M ;)

Lou

[DeltaWebb]

Here's a couple of examples again. The first just being resized, the next is cropped and significantly altered...I want to be able to take photos that don't need to be retouched...It takes way too much time!:evil:

[lostdoggy]

I would also like to welcome you to the real World of Photography!!!

350 is not a bad number. Just remember its digital if you don't like the shot delete it. Its the beauty of digital, unlike film you don't have to pay to see that you don't like it.

It take time to learn to get a handle on it. Try using the P mode instead of the automatic mode this way you can select the center focus to lock focus in One Shot and reframe the scene. Also try using RAW so you can get the most out of the camera. It might seem over whelming at first but when you see the result you won't regard it. Keep reading this forum you will get alot of info and ideas. There alot of good photographer here and also alot of noobe as well. So the question post might apply to you and help you to enjoy photography and express your creativity.

Good Luck!!!

[DeltaWebb]

The first one isn't even the right pic, but it shows how much retouch I did.

[lostdoggy]

even the best photographer retouch otherwise they would've made PSCS and now PSCS2. Its darkroom without standing in the darkroom for hours. Beside the shot is not bad. don't be so critical with your self. try using unsharp mask (USM) and using the level or curve to do correction its much faster.

[robertwgross]

There are some good photography courses around town. For basics, most community colleges or adult education centers will offer a basic photography class that covers composition and only a little about the technical aspects. Then there are other classes on the technical aspects, especially of digital photography. The trouble there is that the technical aspects get so specialized from one brand to another. Then there are other classes that focus on post-processing. They cover Photoshop mostly.

Another kind of class is the road show. Some companies will put on a road show. They show up for one day at twenty different cities, and they have mixed intentions (including selling you stuff). If such a road show were sponsored by Canon, then that can be inspirational for a new Canon shooter.

Take your pick.

---Bob Gross---

[cfcRebel]

As i noob, i find the DRebel manual is extremely helpful. Go through the Advanced Modes section in the manual. It offers some basic fundamentals that help my daily shots. Make sure u have your XT by your side while reading the manual, so u can test and see what exactly it is illustrating.
IMHO, photo post processing is somewhat inevitable. I think the more i can improve my skills, the less time i spend on pp. :)

[condyk]

I think all the fiddling and taking loads of shots and only keeping a few just goes with the territory. It's called learning something new ;-) AND THE MISTAKES AREN'T MISTAKES THEY ARE LEANING OPPORTUNITIES. Remember what you did, what conditions were like, etc. Try it in P Mode and use the single focus point to most accurately focus the subject.

The best lenses will need minimal post processing too. My lenses are quite decent now and I'm happy with them. I just use the same routine and settings with 95% of them in terms of applying unsharp mask and adjusting contrast and exposure. Speeds things up a lot.

Motivation is a factor in all this. You need quite a bity to get out and take shots and then learning the processin,g side. Concentrate on the things you like most: maybe family shots, wildlife, building, flowers, whatever. You may have a break-through and really start to get some decent results or you may get bored and decide a point and shoot is the best option. Whichever, it's all fine.

[DeltaWebb]

Thanks for all the input everyone! I was also recommended a book by Daniel Lezano called "The Photography Bible." Anyone have any experience with it?

And well in the mean time, I'll have to carve out time to just go and shoot with the manual and maybe that book and get my feet wet. A little easier said than done with 3 kids under age 4!:D

Thanks again everyone. I'll try posting more pics in the future and asking for some critique. I think that will help also.

[Medic1]

Welcome to SLR photography.....maybe your wife should start hiding your money now...lol.

Your right, it is involved and can get quite expensive. As for not wanting to do much retouching....being new I don't think your going to get the shots you want without a little retouching....that being said your shots do not look that bad...I think they are good, but you want great....am I right?

There are plenty of books dedicated to digital imaging.....the one I have is called "Real World Digital Photography" and one of the authors is Katrin Eismann, heres her website:

http://www.photoshopdiva.com/

Here's the link to the page for the book...its pretty informative (I am about 300 pages into it). She has other books on her website as well

http://www.digitalphotobook.net/

Good Luck

[jimsolt]

Thanks for all the input everyone! I was also recommended a book by Daniel Lezano called "The Photography Bible." Anyone have any experience with it?

And well in the mean time, I'll have to carve out time to just go and shoot with the manual and maybe that book and get my feet wet. A little easier said than done with 3 kids under age 4!:D

Thanks again everyone. I'll try posting more pics in the future and asking for some critique. I think that will help also.

Au Contraire! Your 3 kids under age 4 make almost anyplace you go a marvelous photo opportunity. There is the obligation to make sure they don't end up in the pond with the ducks, but if you can manage that and the XT, you have no end of photographic pleasure coming your way.
RE: the post processing . . . your camera will give you good quality snapshots on auto, your zoom will take care of the cropping, the use of the creative zones and the post processing will turn some snapshots into works of art. Pick and choose which pictures are worth the effort TO YOU.
Enjoy!
Jim

[mikeymike]

I am new too photography also.........have had my 300d for almost 1 year and have taken over 6,000 photos and I have most them on my computer :D and seen myself improve over time.




There is also the public library, the one I have here in my town even had a few videos.
Books A Million they have lots of books on sale all the time.
Magazines (I get 5 a month) if you get a subscriptions they are cheap.
The internet is full of info. Well take you weeks just too sort thorough the junk too get too the good stuff
and last but not least take lots of photos it well start clicking for you sooner than you think

[rcarlson80]

Hi, Welcome, I have purchased this book http://www.shortcourses.com/bookstore/canon/book_canonrebelxt.htm and find it very informing and fairly easily read. I am about halfway through it. Overwhelming but I think the investment of time and B&H Photo money will be worth it. I have had a month or so with mine also it is a whole new world from point and shoot.

[Kent2]

Welcome!

Is that the pond in front of Pat and Oscar's in Temecula?

A good start to you!

Kent

[Jraun]

You never can go wrong with the 20D - chose you’re subject and shoot - the difference is what do you do with what you shot!

[wolf]

Check out the Canon Digital Learning Center (http://www.photoworkshop.com/canon/). It may be of some help to you.

[Icecamp]

This a good book to learn the basics of photography from. Bryan covers the basics including how these basics affect the composition of the photograph.

[DeltaWebb]

Kent 2: It is Eisenhower Park in Orange, CA. It's actually looking ragged due to some sidewalk construction and plant switches. It was hard to keep those orange cones out of frame!

[tim]

Are you using the single centre focus point? You should, that way you get to decide what to focus on, rather than the camera deciding. A basic photography could would be a great idea, I found mine invaluable.

[trickyricky]

I'm new to the SLR world too. So far from everything I've learned and read I would say "buy the best lens you can afford"

[DavidEB]

Pick one thing to learn at a time, otherwise you'll be overwhelmed.

Start with focus -- try taking shots with all the focus points selected, then try with just the center point selected, then try with AF turned off (on the lens) and focus by hand. Then pay attention to depth of field -- put camera in Av mode and take same shot with 4 different f-stops set, watch how focus of subject changes. Get an idea of when a shot is in focus and when it's not.

Then work on exposure -- try setting exposure in P, Tv, Av modes for a bunch of shots each. Start with the camera's suggested exposure and shoot the same shot in several different settings. Compare. Try backlit & frontlit subjects, fiddle with exposure compensation. Get to the point where you know when you want a large aperature or a fast shutter speed, or some mix, and know how to translate that into a camera setting to get the pic you want. Look at the histogram to figure out what your exposure is doing to the brightness of the photo. Histogram is perhaps greatest advantage of digital over film -- allows you to get it right while taking photos.

Then work on white balance. Then ISO setting. Then ...

one step at a time. I suggest you ignore advice to start on complex stuff like RAW until you have basics down. Also, don't spend money on lenses until you know what you really want. Wait until you recognize what's wrong with the lens you've got before you buy another one.

Flash will drive you nuts until you really understand exposure -- just use the on-camera flash in auto mode for now.

Enjoy. digital film is cheap. 12 good out of 350 is a good average -- it means you have 12 good shots.

[Ausdig]

I too am a fairly new convert to digital and love the opportunity to look at my photo's virtually immediately and see where I went wrong and most pleasing of all, went right.

What I reckon is the best lesson I've learnt and one that has been mentioned here several times already is that practice is the key to getting better.

Combined with being very critical of your photo's you will soon learn what is working and what isn't. My view is that being critical is the best way to identify and improve on your faults.

When showing your best work I don't see any benefit in telling people that you took 300+ photo's and only got 12 good ones. Just show them them good ones and listen to the rave reviews. You will have learnt your lessons previously and now is the time to accept the kudos for your hard work in learning to do better.

Then go out and do it all again and get even better.

[Curtis N]

You never can go wrong with the 20D - chose you’re subject and shoot

Bull!
The ducks photo is a prime example. Underexposed because the camera's meter saw a lot of light reflecting off the water and adjusted accordingly. Experienced shooters would instinctively screw on a polarizer and also a little exposure compensation.

These are a few of the basics that Delta will quickly learn by following some of the great advice already posted here.

One thing I will add - I have a Digital Rebel (a $200 step down from his XT) and I'm not impressed at all with the manual that came with it. I'm a fairly intuative high school graduate, but it often confused me. I recommend the Magic Lantern Guides by Lark Books. Look for one on the XT at your local book store or online.

[grego]

Books are a very good start to help you get down the simple, basic technical aspects, but the best way to learn is to look at pictures and more pictures and even more. Especially in this age of the internet it makes it very easy.

[DeltaWebb]

Thanks for all the comments and help everyone. The one thing I don't have to try hard to do is be critical of myself...I'm a perfectionist. I feel like I have a good eye for photography, or maybe not, but I do know what I want to get in my image captures and will work to get them. All the advice has been greatly appreciated.

I will work on focus first!

[PhotosGuy]

Look at the "Stickys" at the top of:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=60&f=13