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Beginner 101
Ok, have to admitt that I am a newbe at this (photography, digital, etc). I've upgraded from an old digital 'point-n-shoot' (Mavica) to a D-SLR (D-Rebel).
I've been going to web sites, libraries, camera shops, campus's, etc. trying to find some decent starting points for this new endeavor of mine. I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the finer points of camera settings (f-stops, ISO, shutter speed, lenses, etc.) and how try relate to one another, and what effects they have on the final image. I feel like "I have bitten off more than I can chew" at this point.
So, question to all, any good starting recommendations? Guides, books, mentors, anything, for the complete photo idiot (but competent computer geek).
I've been going to web sites, libraries, camera shops, campus's, etc. trying to find some decent starting points for this new endeavor of mine. I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the finer points of camera settings (f-stops, ISO, shutter speed, lenses, etc.) and how try relate to one another, and what effects they have on the final image. I feel like "I have bitten off more than I can chew" at this point.
So, question to all, any good starting recommendations? Guides, books, mentors, anything, for the complete photo idiot (but competent computer geek).
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Look forward to seeing your first shots.. mine were TERRIBLE but I'm improving with help. I'ts such fun to have a camera that actually takes good shots.
Dont worry how bad they are... thats what this place is for. And don't be intimidated by the professionals.. we have to have something to strive for
Lynn
It seemed a bit more than I could chew when I started out a couple of years ago as well. I had a terrible time. I was shooting with a used pentax film slr I bought on e-bay. I couldn't get the right exposure to save my life and I couldn't figure it out. I joined a local camera club. One of the members there suggested I try some experiments to test tme accuracy of my camera's meter and sure enough it was off by more than a stop. I was shooting at the wrong settings every time.
Even when you think you understand just one little thing can make it all seem impossible to sort out.
I have to get off to work soon but I suggest several things:
1) stick with this forum. There are very helpful people with a broad range of talents and interests.
2) Look for a camera club in your area. Look for one that has a focus on fun and education. Avoid clubs that are heavily competition oriented (if that interests you, wait till you have a level of proficiency to allow you to compete)
3) Try some experiments. Set a vase with a flower in it on your kitchen table set your camera on a tripod and focus manually on the flower. Put your camera in aperature priority. set it at the lowest number (f/2.8 or something like it) At this setting the camera is deciding the right shutter speed for the exposure. Take a series of shots, increasing the f/stop number each time by 1 stop. Look at the shutter speed the camera chooses each time. It should be getting slower. When you look at the images you should see the depth of feild getting deeper. In the first shot the flower may not all be in focus but in the last shot not only the flower, but the window behind it and your whole back yard may be in focus.
Once you understand these relationships you will begin tp use the information to make creative choices. Do you want to freeze action? Do you want a blurred background? Do you want motion blur to imply action? These and many more options are available if you understand.
I was taught that if you put the camera in program or auto mode you are letting the camera decide these things for you.
Well gotta go, hope this helped a little.
Shoot lots of pictures, and really look at what you get and figure out why.
good luck
Also, I HIGHLY recommend this book.
http://www.jperez.net/archives/category/photography/
Lynn:D
I still need information for the real beginner. Some source that explains what is ISO, Aperture, f-stops, white balance, exposure compenstion, lens markings, in plain every day english. Then how to they inter-relate with one another (I know they do
I think I might go back to the library and see if they have digital photography "for dummies" (I forgot to look last time).
In a nutshell, photography is about exposing light onto a photosensitive surface. Film, slide, digital imaging sensor, etc. And a certain amount of light must be registered in order to render a usable image.
ISO is the sensitivity of the photosensitive surface. Higher numbers are "faster", meaning they react to light quicker, thus need less light overall to render an image. ISO 100 is for bright sun, ISO 400 is for indoors, etc.
Aperture is the size of the opening in the lens through which light passes. Smaller numbers mean bigger openings, which let in more light. Large numbers mean small openings, which let in less light.
Shutter speed is the amount of time the surface is exposed to light.
If you take the aperture and the shutter speed combined, along with the ISO speed and the amount of available light, you can determine if your exposure will render a usuable image. For any given situation, you can manipulate the aperture, shutter speed and film speed to get a properly exposed image. This gives you great flexibility to get a shot. Any given situation will have an assortment of aperture-shutter-ISO combinations that will properly expose the image. Which combination is correct for any given shot depends on how you want to capture the shot. Do you need great depth of field? Do you need stop action? Do you need a grain-free or noise-free image?
A former sports shooter
Follow me at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bjurasz/
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These basics and more is very understandably explained here;
[URL=http://]http://www.photo.net/learn/[/URL]
Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
Aside from just asking the folks here, search for tutorials here. Andy and Cletus and others have put some very helpful stuff online. And as for looking for a good book on digital photography, it seems like many of the basic questions you have such as ISO, aperture and f/stops are common to all photography so you could check out a basic film photography book as well.
Don't know if it's been mentioned, but Luminous Landscape has some good stuff: http://luminous-landscape.com/
Have fun!
I have to share this for the rest of the newbes lurking.
Check out SimCam. A Film and Digital Camera Simulator. You can futz around with Shutter/Aperature, Film Speed, and Camera Shake. Gives you instant feed back (by example) of what does what.
I think I finally understand "stops". The site also has an explination of "Stops: The Unit of Exposure". Now I just need a simple explination of the math behind it (I'll find that too).
and here are some things that I did not pick up on right away that I feel are important:
ISO - start low and move up as needed to attain exposure
Shutter speed - should be doulbe the focal length when trying to stop action
Macro - use a flash so you can keep the shutter at 125 and crank up the Av for DOF
RAW - although you may be avoiding it because of more post processing it is MUCH for forgiving when your exposure is off. After you figure things out you will actually not due as much and when you correct in RAW it helped me figure out what I was doing wrong but what I had to change ie under/over expose
and last mess around with the Av, TV and even at times M modes more. Staying in the basic zones is like using your dslr as a point and shoot. Experiment, you will miss some good pics by doing it but you will learn too. I am not sure what the DRebel has in terms of an exposure meter in the view finder but if it does learn how it works, alot of things will make sense once you do.
Oh and last a great source of info is http://www.123di.com/default.htm
I just got it and it seems like way more information than anyone would want to know, but basically it will take you from the breakdown of light waves all the way through photography and even post processing. I have only had it a week or so but it looks good so far. Good luck!!!!!