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06/10/2006 04:11:54 AM · #1 |
Hi there. :)
I'm a Kiwi called Petra, and I have recently purchased a secondhand Canon Powershot Pro 1, which was the best bang I could find for my available buck. I've had it for almost a month, and it is my first all-my-own camera that has manual controls and everything. :-D
I've ALWAYS wanted a camera. Now that digital has greatly improved, and the need for a bottomless purse in developing costs has been virtually eliminated, I decided to dive right in. (When I grow up, I aspire to owning one of those fancy Canon EOS series cameras, but I've a lot to learn - and dough to save - before I can realise that dream!) :-D
In the last month, I have snapped away merrily and managed to acheive a 'hit rate' of about one good (to a novice like me, anyway) photo per two dozen gazillion awful ones. Is this normal? :-/
I'm reading up on all I can - and there are threads here are that are very helpful (the thread on lighting, on ISO, etc) and it's inspiring to see the wonderful photographic works on display here. But, I swear, my brain is going to pop it's icky sticky stuff all over my bedroom walls! I'm on info overload, I need help, and I'm refusing to use the camera's auto settings, dammit!
In two weeks, I go to Fiji with my mother and daughter for a week, and would really love to take some photographs that are much more than just cheesy holiday snaps. I want to capture the luscious flora and fauna, the clear Pacific blue, the warmth of the locals, the essence of being on "Fiji time", etc. Hell, I'll even under-indulge at the poolside bar, just to make sure I'm seeing the scene through a non-Pina Colada'd lens. (I'll still probably go for the Kava, though - there are limits to sobriety, after all!)
So, after that long-winded intro, my question please is what do you recommend I 'study' first, to help me get the best results I can with my limited knowledge and experience in two weeks? Which threads, new or old, should I be devouring for their wisdoms? What advice, if any, do you have to help me along?
Many thanks; and after mostly lurking for awhile, it's very nice to come out and finally 'meet you'.
Take care and have fun!
Petra :-)
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06/10/2006 04:42:13 AM · #2 |
hi petra, the best advice I can give is read a lot the Hamilton library is a good place to start, and just keep taking pictures, we all have been where you are now.
Btw one of Dpc members "Train" is in Hamilton give her a bell sure she would be willing to help,
Hope your holiday goes well I am sure you will return with some amazing images
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06/10/2006 04:45:10 AM · #3 |
Originally posted by pepperspray:
In the last month, I have snapped away merrily and managed to acheive a 'hit rate' of about one good (to a novice like me, anyway) photo per two dozen gazillion awful ones. Is this normal? :-/ |
Yes
Originally posted by pepperspray:
So, after that long-winded intro, my question please is what do you recommend I 'study' first, to help me get the best results I can with my limited knowledge and experience in two weeks? |
Study the photos you've already taken to determine what went wrong. Read about the problems you're having. Then when you take photos from now on, take your time. Think about what you're doing. Go to take a photo and stop. Evaluate what you were going to photograph. Is the scene interesting? Does your exposure setting jibe with what you're seeing and what you want to accomplish? What exactly is it you see? Is it interesting from where you're standing or should you move? Maybe it would be better to come back at a different time of day. Basically just really think about what you're trying to accomplish. |
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06/10/2006 05:08:00 AM · #4 |
Hey, cool! Replies already - thanks! :-)
kiwinick, kia ora! I've pretty much done the offerings in the public library. I'm almost wondering if that's among the reasons I'm feeling so overwhelmed. It's like learning a whole new language!
I'll look out for Train, but I shan't thrust myself upon her just yet. I'll try to learn a bit more, first. :-)
TechnoShroom, hi! I'm getting confused about f-stops and the like. An example is that the last three Saturdays, I have been taking photographs of my daughter playing interschool netball. The first week, I got some good shots; the second week was so bad I deleted the lot (on reflection, I probably should have kept them); and this week, I managed some shots that were okay to not very good. Some of the pics were shot with the same settings, but varied in results a bit. :-/ Still, it's encouraging to know that one good shot in a couple of dozen gazillion is what is to be expected. It'd be good to change that ratio a bit, though.
I think that I'm mostly getting quite confused with f-stops and apertures and ISO's and stuff. Shutter speeds, and things like 1st and 2nd curtain flashes I can get my head around, but I'm lost with how the f-stops, ISO's and apertures work together, and under what conditions I should consider certain settings over others, perhaps? I haven't felt like this much of a dummy since, like, forever!
Message edited by author 2006-06-10 05:08:46. |
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06/10/2006 05:45:11 AM · #5 |
Don't worry about your keeper ratio for now. It will gradually improve. And don't be put off by that "overwhelmed" feeling, it's normal too. There is a lot to be learned but none of it is brain surgery. It's complicated, and technical. A lot for the average person to grasp all at once. It will become clearer to you bit by bit as you gain experience. I think a good place to start is to learn your camera thoroughly. That Pro 1 is a very good camera, let it help you learn. Take it step by step and don't try to do too much right away. To simplify things, leave your camera's ISO setting on Auto until you feel comfortable with how shutter speed and aperture interact. Once you've got those two down then mix in various ISO settings. Same for flash - just use the auto settings until you are ready to learn the rest. Be patient. Just keep taking pictures and comparing the results, see what works and what doesn't. Ask questions here whenever you need to. It will all come together in time. Most importantly, have fun and enjoy what you are doing as you learn. I'm glad you didn't pledge total abstenence at the bar, that might be taking things a bit too seriously!
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06/10/2006 05:57:57 AM · #6 |
Thank you, coolhar. :-)
I'll definitely follow your advice, I think. I am trying to learn too much all in one hit, and I've been feeling like I've transitioned from almost 'getting it', to totally losing it! It's encouraging to know that that is normal, and what to focus on (no pun intended) first: one step at a time, with the right steps happening in the right order.
Cheers! I'll have that Pina Colada, after all. :-)
Message edited by author 2006-06-10 05:58:13. |
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06/10/2006 06:03:18 AM · #7 |
fstops
Hi Petra - try this link.
I think a man designed the fractions for fstops and over complicated it:)) You don't have to understand all of it at once- focus on the basic concepts and the rest will follow, trust me;) |
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06/10/2006 06:10:19 AM · #8 |
Hi, amber. Thanks! :-D
Great link - follows the KISS principle, and the plumbing analogy makes it so much easier to grasp. (Bloody men! :p)
As I understand it, everything is about light - it's just the manipulation of that light by various means, that equate to specific results. Like the control, travel and distribution of water through plumbing! :-D
That link goes straight to the printer, and into my favourites.
Thanks again!
Message edited by author 2006-06-10 06:10:42. |
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06/10/2006 06:10:27 AM · #9 |
Don't know if it's much use to you, just a simple webpage that allows you to mess around with aperture and shutterspeeds.
Clicky |
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06/10/2006 06:12:48 AM · #10 |
Kia ora, WaysOfSeeing! Thanks for another great link. The SimCam is genius.
Thank you! :-D |
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06/10/2006 06:14:53 AM · #11 |
I think I'm getting it.
Damn, I'm happy!
Thank you so much! :-D |
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06/10/2006 06:27:03 AM · #12 |
Okay, here's a question:
In the link posted by WaysOfSeeing, why did the overall brightness of the photo not change between 1/500 at f2.8 and 1/60 at f8, but the background did?
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06/10/2006 06:34:40 AM · #13 |
Welcome to the World of Woodies
Depth of field is another choice you have to make when deciding on aperture;)
Message edited by author 2006-06-10 06:35:09. |
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06/10/2006 06:49:49 AM · #14 |
Ahh, yes, I remember a world of woodies...it was 1990-something, I think...
Oh, right. Sorry. Was just having a wee moment to myself. :-o
*head explodes*
I think I get it, but when I look at some of my own photos and their EXIF info, I'm confused again.
I'll read it all over, sleep on it, and then try to see again how it makes sense with some of my pics. Whew!
By the way, this site is amazing. I've been mostly lurking over the last month, and I'll definitely be signing up for an annual membership. :-)
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06/10/2006 06:58:54 AM · #15 |
All else equal the bigger the aperture (smaller fstop number) the shallower the depth of field (DOF) or area that will be in focus.
So say you zoom all the way out, with your camera that means your lens is at 50.8mm. If you had a subject that was 10 feet away your DOF at various apertures would be...
f2.8 - 0.44 ft
f4 - 0.74 ft
f5.6 - 1.05 ft
f8 - 1.49 ft
As you can see, as the aperture gets smaller (fstop number increases) you gain DOF. If your background doesn't fall in this area it will be out of focus. The further back it is the more out of focus it will become.
Message edited by author 2006-06-10 06:59:17. |
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06/10/2006 07:34:14 AM · #16 |
Thanks, TechnoShroom.
I've been looking back over some of the netball pics, and at setting of f/4 I have various results. In some the background is clear and the foreground is fuzzier, and in others the foreground is nicely focussed and the background is blurrier. Is this due to focus, which on that day I think was set on auto?
Edit: Also, does that have something to do with the three default light metering settings, which I've also been playing with? (Something else that's been bamboozling me a bit, though I'll put that step on hold for the time being).
Message edited by author 2006-06-10 07:36:57. |
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06/10/2006 08:49:45 AM · #17 |
Two of what I consider the most important things that I have learned about photography:
If you think you have a great shot in your viewfinder, sit down and look at it again. Or move 3 steps left. Or 4 steps right. Or stand on a chair. Point of view is a huge part of composition that people often overlook. Snapshots are taken at eye level - everyone has seen eye level. Show something different.
Look at everything in the viewfinder, not just the subject. Make sure you need it all in the frame. Don't rely on cropping later. Try getting closer if you need to. Not neccesarily macro. Just close enough to get rid of all the stuff you don't need to tell the story. Too often you (the universal you) have a tiny subject in the dead center surrounded by distracting objects (trash, other people, lights that screw up your metering). Look at the entire frame to make sure its what you want to look at later. There will be times you will have no choice but to crop later, but doing as much as you can before you push the shutter makes for a better end result. |
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06/10/2006 09:16:16 AM · #18 |
Hardware related: Check the Firmware on your Powershot Pro1. Canon released a Firmware Update a while back that increased the AF speed by almost 50%.
Yours may of shipped with it, but being previously owned the original owner may not have done the upgrade. You shoud be at version 1.0.1.0 for the fixes.
Canon Pro1 download page last item on page is the latest firmware. |
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06/10/2006 09:18:54 AM · #19 |
I'm pretty new to the dslr world myself and feel quite overwhelmed by the same concepts. There have been some good tips and links here so far.
Originally posted by pepperspray:
I'm reading up on all I can - and there are threads here are that are very helpful (the thread on lighting, on ISO, etc) and it's inspiring to see the wonderful photographic works on display here. But, I swear, my brain is going to pop it's icky sticky stuff all over my bedroom walls! I'm on info overload, I need help, and I'm refusing to use the camera's auto settings, dammit!
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When I first got my camera, I had the same thinking about the auto settings. I figured my point and shoot camera was auto and I wanted to learn the manual settings! But every time I put my camera on full manual, I had piles of bad shots. I found that using the different modes on the camera has been helpful. Auto mode gives the camera complete control, and manual gives you complete control, but P, S, and A give you some choices and the camera will figure out all the rest to give you a better chance of a decent shot. It has allowed me to learn more about one thing at a time and it's not quite as overwhelming having to set everything on my own. Exif data is also helpful since you can go back and see exactly what you changed to achieve each shot.
The only other tip I have is to keep shooting! Go out and take pictures every day. A bunch of people from DPC have all been keeping their own Photo A Day blogs as a way to get us out taking pictures every day. Maybe start one of those for yourself. If you get stuck for ideas, look at other people's images and try to recreate ones you like. Look at a shot you took that you don't like and try to find a way to improve it next time.
Once you get your membership with DPC you'll have space to upload pictures and you can get some feedback on them. Good luck! :)
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06/10/2006 07:34:11 PM · #20 |
Good morning!
dahkota, awpollard, and kteach - thanks for the advice.
I've just sent an email off to the previous owner to ask if she had ever upgraded the firmware. If not, then I'll get right onto that.
In the meantime, I'll keep referring to the links and tutorials here, and make sure I get out everyday with a fresh battery and plenty of memory.
I've also added Jutilda to my favourite photographers list, as she takes some truly wonderful photos with the same camera, and to me that is exciting and inspirational. :-)
I look forward to learning and growing with you all. Thanks again for all your help!
Message edited by author 2006-06-10 19:34:58. |
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06/10/2006 07:39:56 PM · #21 |
Originally posted by pepperspray:
... Jutilda ... as she takes some truly wonderful photos with the same camera |
Your first assignment with the camera, duplicate this:
:D |
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06/10/2006 07:47:09 PM · #22 |
LOL! I'm duplicating the effect right now - just not on camera. :-D
Frikkin' fantastic. I'm in total awe.
Message edited by author 2006-06-10 19:47:24. |
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06/10/2006 07:50:14 PM · #23 |
Originally posted by pepperspray:
LOL! I'm duplicating the effect right now - just not on camera. :-D
Frikkin' fantastic. I'm in total awe. |
Yeah, Judy's way uber-cool and a phantastic photog :) |
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06/10/2006 07:55:02 PM · #24 |
Originally posted by alfresco:
Originally posted by pepperspray:
... Jutilda ... as she takes some truly wonderful photos with the same camera |
Your first assignment with the camera, duplicate this:
:D |
text
WHY
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06/10/2006 08:02:53 PM · #25 |
| Why? Because she's a Powershot Pro artiste - creative and fearless! |
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