What went wrong?

Stephany

I’ve ordered my first camera (Canon SX120) to learn about digital photography and manual exposure. It should be here within a few days. In the mean time, I truly enjoy reading as many posts as I can on your forum, which I find very informative and helpful. Just remembering everything is not easy in my old age. :scratch I am still confused about troubleshooting. Where does one start? Please look at the photo below taken at the orchid show in Japan which was posted on their web site. Am I right to assume that the pink Phal blooms is over-exposed while the base is under-exposed? How would you set your camera to improve this image? I clearly have no idea how I would try to correct this problem.

aj986s

Lighting can be tricky sometimes. I don't know all the details, but wondering if the light source was above, and thus caused a shadow on the lower part. Tough to compensate by exposure only. But if neither darks or lights are completely blown out, post-processing can also help you achieve a nicer final result. Bracketing exposures might help you later figure out which gives you best results as an average. Next alternative would be to use flash, which then changes the source of the light, and usually gives you more control. However, with a set of bracketed exposures (if done from a tripod) you can also combine then via HDR to get the best of the highs and lows into a single image.

I'm not a pro, but been a avid amatuer for several decades. Best thing is to experiment on your own. Lots of good books, publications and forums (like dGrin) make for good reading. Also depending upon your interest(s) solutions may vary. Whether they be plant shows, land scapes, race cars, models, etc.

And always remember that lots of bad and so-so shots are usually intermingled with the occasional good or better shot. Digital makes this easier, too. So don't be afraid to experiment!

Stephany

AJ, this makes a lot of sense and I simply did not see it. Now, I do. Thank you. Once I learn to 'see' my confidence will improve. Many times I do not notice anything technically wrong with a photo but a skilled eye does. That is really my fear. I would like to learn to take decent shots and eventually do photo collage posters just as a hobby. Many books are just too advanced for me, but am now reading Digital Camera by Dave Johnson which I can follow without any problems. And I love and admire the ‘Cool Shots’ on this forum. That is a great teaching tool as well..