My First Shots Give Me Feedback PLEASE

Thenicky wrote in post #5658443
DOF? Im ALready confused sad considering its 3 letters haha HELP

Depth of Field. Here's some reading you need to do:

http://www.cambridgein​colour.com/tutorials/d​epth-of-field.htm

Ok thanks i will read that as soon as im done here at work thanks for the tips and provided literature

Anytime.

I'm new too. Just joined POTN. I have the XSi, but have been shooting with many of my friends rigs for a bit. Maybe I'll post a few later.

My advice as a fellow newbie..

(1) shoot in RAW

(2) open up that little sleeve that came with your camera and install DPP
(Digital Photo Professional, I think?)
In DPP, tinker around and learn how to do the white balance adjustments, eg. daylight, cloudy, shade, or more useful, click on white/gray in your photo for custom WB. Then use the slider to adjust the exposure. This feature alone justifies shooting in RAW, in my opinion. No need to do exposure bracketing.

(3) quick reads.. "Understanding Exposure" and the short book by Kelby "Digital Photography" Both are short, easy reading and good to jump start things. The rest you learn by just carrying your camera around with you everywhere and shooting.

(4) Once you read "Understanding Exposure" I think you could shoot mostly in Av or Tv for most situations, and get a lot more enjoyment and versatility.

This is pretty much where I am right now. Haven't taken the plunge into the Photoshop abyss yet. Still learning how to compose and shoot decent shots.
Like everyone, I like #2. I also like #3. What are you shooting with?

Nice first shots..

arcallc wrote in post #5660107
I'm new too. Just joined POTN. I have the XSi, but have been shooting with many of my friends rigs for a bit. Maybe I'll post a few later.

My advice as a fellow newbie..
(1) shoot in RAW -Good advice since it will give you a bit more freedom in PP. But if you don't do post processing and/or like to use Picture Styles, or don't have a flash card large enough, then you may want to stick with JPEG.
(2) open up that little sleeve that came with your camera and install DPP
(Digital Photo Professional, I think?) Make sure you update it with the newest update from Canon. Also, you may want to look at Lightroom.

Learn how to do the white balance adjustments, eg. daylight, cloudy, shade, or more useful, click on white/gray in your photo for custom WB. Then use the slider to adjust the exposure. This feature alone justifies shooting in RAW, in my opinion. No need to do exposure bracketing.
If you are shooting in RAW, then white balances is inconsequential. From my own personal experience none of the presets or AWB works fine. If you shoot in JPEG, then look into getting a 18% great card and use custom WB.

Exposure is a totally different issue, learn it from buying this book:

Understanding Exposure by Bryan Petersen



This is pretty much where I am right now. Haven't taken the plunge into the Photoshop abyss yet. Still learning how to compose and shoot decent shots.
Like everyone, I like #2. I also like #3. What are you shooting with?

Nice first shots..

Great advice, read my comments in red. Welcome to the both of you.

Thanks arcallc Will do.
im shooting with the XTI... ii have better pictures now after just messing around with it... but these 3 were honestly shot an hour of me having my camera i was so excited i couldnt help myself haha... i will try these out at let you know thanks again also silver

Silver i read the link u sent... i have the concept but when i pull out my camera and try shooting and 400iso and f8.0 and my shutter was super slow i was in av mode...
im soo confused its frustrating
if you look to the 3 pics they have on there with diffrent F stops...
i tried it in my living room and my shutter took forever

Thenicky wrote in post #5660833
Silver i read the link u sent... i have the concept but when i pull out my camera and try shooting and 400iso and f8.0 and my shutter was super slow i was in av mode...
im soo confused its frustrating
if you look to the 3 pics they have on there with diffrent F stops...
i tried it in my living room and my shutter took forever

Depends on the available light. F/8 may not work. Put the camera on Av, and set the F/stop to F/8. What Shutter Speed is it wanting to be set to? You can raise the ISO to get a faster shutter speed or turn on some lights. Or Use a Flash.

Get that book, it will help you with just this problem.

i had flash on which id speed it up but not nearly enough... and my living room is pretty dark i had it at f8 and shutter spped wasnt shown when i pressed the play button to view my pictures so i dont know

Thenicky wrote in post #5660909
i had flash on which id speed it up but not nearly enough... and my living room is pretty dark i had it at f8 and shutter spped wasnt shown when i pressed the play button to view my pictures so i dont know

Press the button halfway, it will indicate what speed it wants to be set at. Increase the ISO to 800 or 1600 and see what comes out. You can also push the DOF preview button located on the body near where the lens connects (read the manual) which will change the F-Stop to the one you want, F/8 and you can see that 1. it will get dark 2. what will be in focus. Remember when you are looking through the viewfinder, the lens is wide open or lowest F-Stop, push the DOF preview button and it will change the aperture opening to the F-stop you set.

o man that high iso helps alot i was in 200 and 400 the whole time without flash and put it on 800 it was much faster...

Thenicky wrote in post #5660833
Silver i read the link u sent... i have the concept but when i pull out my camera and try shooting and 400iso and f8.0 and my shutter was super slow i was in av mode...
im soo confused its frustrating
if you look to the 3 pics they have on there with diffrent F stops...
i tried it in my living room and my shutter took forever

That book, "Understanding Exposure" talks about the triangle of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. You can control 2 of those 3 factors, and the camera will adjust the 3rd factor. How you adjust those 2 factors has to do with the situation, eg. sports you might want a fast shutter speed and high ISO to freeze the action, and the camera will adjust the f-stop to make the right exposure (this would be Tv mode) Or, you want to do a portrait and get a nice background blur, so you use a wide-open aperture and maybe a little zoom, and as low of an ISO as possible, and the camera will adjust the shutter speed (Av mode). I'm still trying to master the basics of these 3 factors in various situations. (BTW, I don't think the camera ever adjusts the ISO
automatically, does it?). In manual (M mode) you can independently adjust
both aperture and shutter speed and ISO and get some either underexposed,
overexposed, perfect, or very creative shots. I haven't taken a single M-mode
shot yet. Just Av and Tv. Adding flash is another variable that I am struggling
with, and the few times I use flash, I use it in P-mode (Program) which will
adjust both, but keep shutter speed faster than 1/60.

Hmm great information see i wish i can find a nice list like
Portraits outside shoot wih these settings haha
and then i can get a nice idea of how to shoot pictures instead of ging out and guessing

Thenicky wrote in post #5661287
Hmm great information see i wish i can find a nice list like
Portraits outside shoot wih these settings haha
and then i can get a nice idea of how to shoot pictures instead of ging out and guessing

LOL, We all do. This is a learning hobby and we are all learning. One thing that the book touches on but not emphasizes too much on is the DOF factors, I've talked to you about. It is not only the equal lateral triangle of F-Stop, Shutter Speed and ISO, these produce exposure, but you also need to figure out the DOF and CoC (Circle of Confusion- where the image is in focus as it merges into being out of focus.) to control what will be in focus and what will blurr, if any. To isolate and image or create vastness. This would be the next step, all part of composition. Desired DOF will affect your decision as to which shutter speed or which F-stop to use. ISO will determine how much noise will be tolerated or sometimes, use whatever it takes to get the shot. Many factors, many things to learn. In Photo Class in High School there is the Sunny 16 rule. On a Sunny Day, you can set your shutter speed to whatever ISO your film is set for and use F/16. However, you may now get into another thing to consider, which is diffraction. This is when you choose an F-stop that is too large (small opening, e.g. f/22) and you will see things start to get soft or out of focus.

Hey fellow NoCal, as soon as I saw the forrest hill bridge I knew you lived close by. Have fun shooting, There are a million places up here to go and photograph!!