So im going on a photography course thing(WENT LAST NIGHT)

[LowlifeDubber]

Right im sick to death of taking pants pictures,ive tried fannying about with f stops and iso and stuff but after every single pic i took in the hall at ultimate dubs looked graainy and pants i decided to enrol in a little course.

Its 4x 2 hour night lessons just round the corner from my house as it happens.Ive got to take my own camera(just a fuji bridge till i know what im doing)
I have a couple of questions really.
Apart from my camera,is there anything i need to be taking with me?I was thinking a notebook and pen for jotting stuff down,but is there any other kit i need to nip out and buy so i dont look a tit in class etc?

Im guessing taking a couple of sets of batteries would be a good idea too.
Is there anything in particular i need to ask the tutor in regards me wanting to mainly take pictures of cars in good light?
Im just a bit worried about walking into a class full of full on 'togs mocking my little camera and sneering at my sh!te skills.

Cheers lads.

Gary

[thatwillis]

If you where getting really grainy photos you had your iso set to high. Some where like UD i'm sure there would be enough light to have it down at 100/200. Open up the appature up if you where having issues with not enough light. Or use a longer shutter speed with a tripod.

As for the course just absorb like a sponge everything it offers =]

[LowlifeDubber]

Thanks mate,luckily i am very much like a sponge so im ok on that front.

Heres the pics from ud













As you can see they suck
I think i had the iso set to 400 while i was inside and my f stop was at 6.4.Im not thick so it annoys me that i cant do it!

[Diamond Hell]

You need to crank down the F-stop (it opens the aperture).  This will let more light in, allowing faster shutter speeds and cleaner photos.

Better glass is your friend here - the more it costs, often the faster it is, although if you're shooting inside stuff and you have the distance a prime lens would be a cheap solution.

[LowlifeDubber]

Excellent advice and simply put.Thankyou.
I was unsure what f-stop was even after reading numerous online bumf.Lower f-stop,more light,faster shutter speed.Got it.

[stealthwolf]

I tend to read guides from digital photography school which helped with getting to grips with the relationship between ISO/aperture/shutter speed.

As above, 400 was too high.

[DubFan]

From your shots there, the Mk1 shot is fine and the Mk4 rolling shot is good, but the others are out slightly of focus so it might be that the camera is struggling to focus in the low light, or it could be a slight camera wobble due to a slow shutter speed.
With your bridge camera, you've not got the option of a prime lens capable of anything like f1.8, but if you knock the ISO upto 800 and then you can get the f-stop to f3.5 or something then you'll get a higher shutter speed and you'll be able to eliminate the camera wobble.

What level is the course aimed at? Beginner/Intermediate?
If it's a beginner course, they should a) tell you what you need to bring and b) show you the basics of how to take good photos which will apply to all types of photography not just portraits or still-life.
If they are teaching you Photoshop, then they should provide computers.

If in doubt you could always phone and ask to speak to the tutor.

If car photography is your thing, then take a look at photos by people like:

Ronaldo86 on flickr
Mike Burroughs (stanceworks) on flickr or
GF Williams on flickr
Looks through all their photos and find ones you like, then look at them and work out why you like them: is it the light, is it the angle (low or high), does the car fill the photo or is there a lot of background, what is your eye drawn to in the photo (ie the point of interest), is it a whole car or part of one?

The course may not cover automotive photograhy specifically, but bear with it, as it should teach you how to get make the most of what's in front of you with your camera.
Stuff like how to use shutter speed creatively will teach you something about how to freeze a moving car or how to give the impression of movement.

You will inevitably find someone whose daddy bought them a Canon 7D DSLR, but they have no clue how to make the most of it. Ignore the whole kit thing. You can still get great pics with a bridge or compact camera, you just need to know how to use it.

I hope you find it useful. I wish I had more time to work on my skills, so make the most of the course and keep on practising in your spare time.

[Diamond Hell]

As above - there is a LOT of resource online associated with photography.  Although a course is a good idea it's not necessarily the best way to get skilled up.  If you could spend time watching Youtube tutorials and browsing through resources like Digital Photography School you'll learn an awful lot pretty quick, even if it's a leg up before starting the course.

[LowlifeDubber]

Some sound advice there lads thanks very much.
Im guessing it's a beginners course but i will know more next week(starts on wednesday) im guessing i will be doing a lot of walking about taking pictures of birds(i wish  )
But id like a lot of classroom based info too so i can soak it all up.

Ive done the internet scouring etc but i found it a little overwhelming after reading different views and contradicting advice.I will check out some of the places you have mentioned above and i may even pick up some photography mag tonight.

I got a bridge camera as i didnt want to go all out and get a DSLR if i found i was just going to stick it on Auto and let it get on with it.If i get into it and i have a feeling i will.I will go buy a decent used DSLR and lenses and then i will be back again with more annoying questions no doubt.

My old man used to develop his own pics years and years ago(in B&W) so i had a word with him,but i feel his advice may be a little outdated.

Heres the camera i got
 Fuji Finepix S1730
http://www.letsgodigital.org/en/camera/specification/2396/show.html

[T_J_G]

Those little Fuji cameras are a good starting point? Does it have a manual mode?