Frustration is setting in! - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

01/24/2005 09:16:01 PM · #1

I am very new to my camera and I am getting frustrated. It seems as though all of my images are very dark when it looks fine on the screen on my camera. Plus trying to remember all of the different settings and learning aperature, iso, and shutter speed. It's all new to me and I have not had one image that I am absolutely pleased with yet.

Tonight, I was driving home and had my camera with me and I thought the sunset was nice so I stopped and took some photos then when I needed to turn around I went into someone's snowy driveway and got totally stuck. I called my husband but he was over 20 minutes away and I had to go to the bathroom super bad. I sat there feeling like an idiot for putting myself in that situation and figured that I had better have a good shot of the sunset....well, they all stunk. I forgot to change the ISO setting and they look bad.

What am I doing wrong? All of my images seem very dark and am spending too much time in Photoshop to fix them when my old camera a point and shoot didn't do that. So frustration is setting in wondering if I really should be using this camera because I feel like I suck at it even though I love doing it.

I took this today and it still seems very dark to me after putting it through Photoshop. Any comments on this would help me out a ton.

awpollard

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

01/24/2005 09:25:21 PM · #2

Actually I like that shot there, the shadows add a feel.

Generally (actually always) when my shots come out dark is because of too fast a shutter speed for the conditions. I get all hurried to take a shot and forget that I was in Manual mode and shoot already low light at a fast shutter and wala...darkish shots.

What was the shutter/arp on that shot?

Andy

soup

Canon EOS-30D

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

01/24/2005 09:25:24 PM · #3

turn on the histogram for the image preview. the viewfinder lies, and is much brighter than reality. the histogram will show you whether it is under exposed or not. look for a curve that spans the entire width of the graph. going from deep shadows to bright whites - with out major spikes to the left or right side.

i turned the brightness all the way down on mine, and it still previews brighter than the image actually is.

also keep an eye on the meter before snapping the shot - if it's showing under exposed - it likely will be.

bdobe

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

01/24/2005 09:27:18 PM · #4

The tone on the image looks fine to me.

Make sure that your monitor is calibrated, since that may be one factor behind what you're experiencing as images that "too dark."

Here's a place to start: //epaperpress.com/monitorcal/

Marjo

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

01/24/2005 09:31:27 PM · #5

I've been fighting my new camera, too. I'd suggest taking more and more photos. Maybe do the photo-a-day thing. Familiarize yourself with the manual so you know page numbers in your sleep. ha ha I went to the camera shop today because of af and soft focus issues. It's just me. I had turned "something" on in the creative mode and it had disabled my autofocus. I cleared the settings, I thought, a couple times and just gave up and started manually focusing everything for the past 1000 shots...which isn't a bad thing. Anyway, hang in there. :D

Sigma 50-500mm f/4.0-6.3 EX APO RF HSM for Canon

01/24/2005 10:17:36 PM · #6

Thank you for saying you liked this shot. I did quite a bit to it though in Photoshop tonight.

I checked my monitor to see if it needed to be calibrated and went through the little tests and it doesn't need it.
I also turned down the brightness on my lcd screen on the camera and it seems to better represent what I am seeing on my computer.

Thank you for helping me with all of this.

gusto

Canon EOS-7D

01/24/2005 10:41:41 PM · #7

Pay attention to the light meter in the viewfinder... keep it in the center, increase or decrease shutter speed to move the meter up or down.. remember to keep things simple, your life will become much easier.

alixmiles

Canon EOS-1D Mark IIn

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM

01/24/2005 10:44:38 PM · #8

I think its a great photo. I am new to all this also...but it looks as though we are in good hands here. lots of helpful advice. Thanks

kearock

Nikon D90

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED

01/24/2005 10:53:37 PM · #9

Originally posted by ali626:

It seems as though all of my images are very dark when it looks fine on the screen on my camera.

Definately don't trust the mini LCD screen. Every one I've ever used has been overbright, and your perception of it will vary depending on the ambient lighting of your location, glare, etc. The only thing it's really worthwhile for is checking your composition. It doesn't even show focus very well at that size. Stick with the light meter.

FranziskaLang

Nikon D100

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Nikon

01/24/2005 10:56:02 PM · #10

Remember also that - while point and shoot cameras are designed to output bright, colorful photos without much work in Photoshop - SLRs are designed so that you have control over the processing inside and outside of the camera. This generally means that you should expect to do work on every good photo. With a little bit of experimenting and some practice, you can get your standard basic steps down pretty quick so that photos that are initially well exposed and in focus shouldn't take too long to get ready for the web. Getting them ready for printing or getting that once-in-a-lifetime shot to look just right will take longer.

Another thing, if you are overwhelmed by all of the settings, why not start out shooting in full auto mode. Then pick a feature you want to use, and add that to your reportoire. Once you are comfortable with it, pick another one, read up on it and learn it. Etc. If you could figure it all out in a day or two you would quickly outgrow the camera. I still learn about mine.

Don't give up!

nsbca7

Mattel Barbie Photo Designer Digital Camera

01/24/2005 11:13:43 PM · #11

Re-read the manual. What you are doing right now is called paying your dues.

What mode are you shooting in?

How is your sharpness level set?

Did you accidetally move the Exposure Compensation?

If you have Photoshop CS none of what you said was wrong with your pictures would take more then a few seconds to correct. With PS 7 or 6 perhaps a little longer.

Keep playing with it. Try to get it right at home before you go out to shoot so you don't feel as if you screwed up and lost the perfect shot. If you have any specific questions feel free to ask.

01/24/2005 11:23:16 PM · #12

Oh My thank you for all the comments. I just took my camera out and looked at the light meter after never paying attention to it before because I wasn't sure what it was for. I tried a few different shots with it way off to the left and it was very dark and then in the middle and it looked normal.
I had kept reading about the light meter today in some books at the store and wasn't sure what it was all about and had set out to read my manual tonight but through all of your help I learned with out reading the manual. I will still read more about it and go out and try the camera out again since I know this information.

I learn something new every day.