GolfGTIforum.co.uk
General => General discussion => Topic started by: LowlifeDubber on 21 March 2012, 06:44
-
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. :grin:
Cheers lads.
Gary
-
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 =]
-
Thanks mate,luckily i am very much like a sponge so im ok on that front.
Heres the pics from ud
(http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/424507_10151379433130389_642615388_23233636_1834168213_n.jpg)
(http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/421092_10151379433765389_642615388_23233640_2071393966_n.jpg)
(http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/419331_10151379434255389_642615388_23233643_56679722_n.jpg)
(http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/419872_10151379434970389_642615388_23233646_1376571261_n.jpg)
(http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/429183_10151379438775389_642615388_23233676_737144129_n.jpg)
(http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/421976_10151379450420389_642615388_23233767_286683710_n.jpg)
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! :grin:
-
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.
-
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. :cool:
-
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.
-
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 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronaldo86/)
Mike Burroughs (stanceworks) on flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/spasticdwarf) or
GF Williams on flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/gfwilliams/)
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.
-
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.
-
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 :evil:)
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
(http://www.letsgodigital.org/images/producten/2397/specs/fujifilm-s1730.jpg)
(http://www.letsgodigital.org/images/producten/2397/specs/finepix-s1730.jpg)
-
Those little Fuji cameras are a good starting point? Does it have a manual mode?
-
It does yes. I've stayed away from it mind :grin:
-
Start using it before you go to explore the relationship of exposure/aperture/iso
-
As above, does it have a manual mode? The first step to getting good pics is to take it out of auto!
Remember, there are people who've taken stunning pics with their iPhones. It's more about the photographer and the photographer's eye than about equipment.
-
Ive actually been having a play last night and i was taking pics of the laptop keyboard in the dark with the flash and it was terribly grainy.Flicked it into manual mode,messed about with the f stop,sped up the shutter time and upped the iso to 800 and they look crystal clear!
Fair enough its just a keyboard but i was looking at guides on the laptop and couldnt be bothered to go outside and take pics lol
Went to a meet tonight after spending most of yesterday setting the camera up ready to take some pics.Got there and realised it was sat on the bloody microwave :angry: numpty :evil:
-
Read up on composition too, photography is 90% the person behind the camera and not the camera itself. Although a DSLR may help you (it did me)
-
Will do thanks!Im gunna finish this course and if i grasp it i will be purchasing a grown up camera at the end of it!
-
Well i went on my course last night.It was a little basic but I learned a lot i didnt know so it was well worth it.There seemed to be a lot of older people on there having trouble actually turning their cameras on :grin: so i wasnt over my head.
The guy doing it is a pro photographer and has a shop here in Lincoln.
http://www.adamwinfieldphotography.co.uk/
http://www.through-the-lens.co.uk/
Nice guy,very down to earth but you kind of get the impression as this course is free he is possibly touting for business on his paid course.
He said on this course he wont be getting into any technicalities of photography but will concentrate on setting the camera in different scene modes.
I started asking him about f.stops and bits and pieces and he said thats styuff for the next level of the course.
Anyway he is doing a course at the end of april with only 10 spots available 4x2.5 hour lessons getting into the manual settings of the camera and going into depth of field and the such.Unless its vehicle related i tend to be better at someone showing me how something work so i was thinking of doing it.
It's £50 for all the lessons and i reckon thats not too bad so was going to book my spot.What do you guys think?( http://www.through-the-lens.co.uk/ )
He did stipulate numerous times that people should forget about what camera they have and not to rush out and buy the best and latest lens etc as he will teach us to get the most of the camera we have and its 90% person 10%camera that takes good pics which is a good thing.
Anyway sorry for the long post,just thought id update and get some advice.
-
Half the fun for me has been and still is learning to use the camera.
If you want to shortcut that and have someone spoon feed you all that stuff then go for it. Personally I think it's a lazy way to learn to shoot AND it won't actually teach you much about how to shoot, just how to drive the camera. It's like they say you learn to drive after you pass your driving test.
-
I see what your saying mate.I have tried different settings and still not had a lot of luck. Things like f.stops and that funny graph thing scare me a little. :grin:
I do prefer to fast track most things,but if you more advanced guys think I would benefit better from sitting for a few hours and changing settings on the same pic and review my work on the Pc and see what works the best I'd give that a go before I booked anything.
Elsecar is coming up next weekend so I might be able to put some stuff into practice there.
-
I would say the complete opposite to DH as if you are explained what the functions do you can set about achieving the pics.you want. id say the course was well worth it.
-
i did a one year course then went on to the advanced part of it the following year... taught me so much that I wouldn't ever have known about trying to figure it all out myself
-
It's horses for courses really.
Some people learn intuitively by trying things out, others need instruction to give them the basics to work from and to have someone look at the shot your taking and then suggest a way to improve it.
I learnt a lot years ago by having a fully manual film camera, then I learnt even more with my first film SLR and now I'm still learning by trying things out on my DSLR.
But if I had time and money, I would like to do a more advanced course to hone my skills.
btw: don't worry about the "funny little graph", that's just the light levels hitting the sensor. Ignore that till you know more about it. I don't ever use it myself.
-
Anyone else got any views?
I tend to disagree with most thing DH says,but he's been very helpful with this thread so far. :evil:
-
before you spend any money I'd take a look at
http://www.digital-photography-school.com/digital-photography-tips-for-beginners
http://www.shortcourses.com/use/using1-8.html
http://www.shortcourses.com/use/using1-9.html
there is a whole wealth of information available on the web for free, but if you're the sort of person that has to be told stuff that rather find the answers you might be better off with the course given that different people prefer to learn in different ways.
-
Anyone else got any views?
I tend to disagree with most thing DH says,but he's been very helpful with this thread so far. :evil:
Thanks lads,id not seen the replies after shep so ignore this.
I do tend to learn better when i am hands on but i think if im hands on in this case,if i dont know what certain things do,or what settings go best together i think it will take up time i dont have.
Will be checking them links out when i get in Ridg thanks :cool: