Author Topic: David's Shutter Bug Club  (Read 497083 times)

injest

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Re: David's Shutter Bug Club
« Reply #130 on: January 11, 2008, 11:55:30 pm »
LOL....well I will try...it is all DAVID"S doing...he has me thinking about what I like and what is not the way I want it... I am beginning to understand WHAT I want...even if I am not sure yet how to get there! LOL

I am SOOOO excited about Sunday..we are going to the Ft Worth Stock Show and it will be a GREAT opportunity to try out different shots....I am particularly looking at speeding up the shutter so I can photograph the horses in action!

Offline Kerry

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Re: David's Shutter Bug Club
« Reply #131 on: January 12, 2008, 01:22:17 am »
LOL....well I will try...it is all DAVID"S doing...he has me thinking about what I like and what is not the way I want it... I am beginning to understand WHAT I want...even if I am not sure yet how to get there! LOL

I am SOOOO excited about Sunday..we are going to the Ft Worth Stock Show and it will be a GREAT opportunity to try out different shots....I am particularly looking at speeding up the shutter so I can photograph the horses in action!

I look forward to seeing your Ft Worth Stock Show pics, Jess. Yee-Haw!  :D

After seeing your beautiful portrait studies, I was inspired to go hunt-down something tasty to snap. I came across this pretty little rose on my balcony, delightfully lit in dappled afternoon light, filtering through the leafy canopy of the fig tree overhead.

I took a number of pics and clipped them with my photo editor to get the following results. These are my three favourites. Alas, all on auto. I'm still very nervous about changing the settings.

It's not great art, but I like them because they are intimate and personal. And they express for me the sweet minutiae of life that is so important to me.

It may be necessary to scroll over --->





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injest

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Re: David's Shutter Bug Club
« Reply #132 on: January 12, 2008, 02:14:16 am »
oooo!! I like the way the light hits the edges of the roses...makes them look luminous!

very pretty! I think the first one should go on the archive thread...I can almost smell them!

(look don't be worried about using your manual...as soon as you put it back on Auto the computer will take right back over! You won't hurt your camera at all....that was something I was a little scared of...)

Offline David In Indy

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Re: David's Shutter Bug Club
« Reply #133 on: January 12, 2008, 04:06:20 am »
Kerry, those floral pictures are beautiful! Do you remember your camera settings when you took those? Your camera does a brilliant job with colors. Every single one of those reviews I read about your camera said that. And you did a very nice job of composing those pictures. But I must admit I'm feeling a bit jealous when I look at those flower pictures. It's obvious the weather in Australia is nice and warm. We're freezing our butts off up here in America!

Thanks for posting those pics Kerry. I'm glad you are using your camera and taking pictures. You are very good and I'm looking forward to seeing more of them! :D



Jess, that is a very good picture of the two girls. I agree with you. I like the sepia tone too. Those filters are fun to play around with. Nice pictures Jess!! :D

We're you at Chick Fil-A when you took those pictures? I LOVE that restaurant! I love their chicken sandwiches and the waffle fries!! :)

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Offline David In Indy

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Re: David's Shutter Bug Club
« Reply #134 on: January 12, 2008, 04:31:24 am »
Histograms


Chances are your camera has a handy little feature built into it called a "histogram". And chances are you probably aren't using it. If your camera has one you really should be using it. Often people don't know what their camera's histogram is or what it does. It looks complicated but it really isn't. In fact it's quite simple and the histogram is a very powerful tool.

The histogram tells you if your photo is overexposed or underexposed. It's always best if you turn on the histogram so you can see it as you compose your picture. Here's how to read it...

Basically you want to keep the bias towards the middle of the graph. This indicates a properly exposed image. The histogram will display the bias over on the left hand side of the graph if the image is too dark. If the image is too bright the bias will be over on the right hand side of the graph. Adjust your camera's EV (exposure compensation) to correct the problem. For example, if your histogram is indicating an under exposed (too dark) image, adjust the EV a step or two up to make the image brighter. Keep adjusting the EV either up or down until the bias in at or near the center of the graph.



The histogram is indicating a dark or under exposed image since the bias is towards the left....





The histogram is indicating a bright or over exposed image since the bias is towards the right....





The histogram is indicating a properly exposed image....





It's that simple!! If you have a histogram feature on your camera (and you probably do) use it!! It's another one of those nifty tools to help you shoot a perfect picture every time!! :D


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Offline Kerry

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Re: David's Shutter Bug Club
« Reply #135 on: January 12, 2008, 08:51:39 am »
Kerry, those floral pictures are beautiful! Do you remember your camera settings when you took those? Your camera does a brilliant job with colors. Every single one of those reviews I read about your camera said that. And you did a very nice job of composing those pictures. But I must admit I'm feeling a bit jealous when I look at those flower pictures. It's obvious the weather in Australia is nice and warm. We're freezing our butts off up here in America!

Thanks for posting those pics Kerry. I'm glad you are using your camera and taking pictures. You are very good and I'm looking forward to seeing more of them! :D

Thank you for your words of support and encouragement, David. Did I tell you that I have made you my official photography muse?!  :D

I have gained a great deal from this thread, not least of all the nudge-along to try a little harder and use my camera more often. For example, I would never have taken the rose pics this afternoon if it wasn't for this thread and the inspiration it generated.

Yes, it's true, it is the height of summer here in Oz, and it was particularly hot today. I hope winter isn't too severe for you this year. I remember it was particularly bleak last year for you in Indianapolis.

On your recommendation, David, I now carry my camera with me most places I go. Certainly, it's always handy here at home and I'm now in the habit of putting it in my bag each morning before heading off to work. As you said, one never knows when a UFO might appear!  :o   ;)   :laugh:
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injest

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Re: David's Shutter Bug Club
« Reply #136 on: January 12, 2008, 12:18:00 pm »
Kerry, those floral pictures are beautiful! Do you remember your camera settings when you took those? Your camera does a brilliant job with colors. Every single one of those reviews I read about your camera said that. And you did a very nice job of composing those pictures. But I must admit I'm feeling a bit jealous when I look at those flower pictures. It's obvious the weather in Australia is nice and warm. We're freezing our butts off up here in America!

Thanks for posting those pics Kerry. I'm glad you are using your camera and taking pictures. You are very good and I'm looking forward to seeing more of them! :D



Jess, that is a very good picture of the two girls. I agree with you. I like the sepia tone too. Those filters are fun to play around with. Nice pictures Jess!! :D

We're you at Chick Fil-A when you took those pictures? I LOVE that restaurant! I love their chicken sandwiches and the waffle fries!! :)



yep! I like those waffle fries if they are cooked in fresh grease...but sometimes they are not as fastidious about changing it as they should...then..YUCK!

injest

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Re: David's Shutter Bug Club
« Reply #137 on: January 12, 2008, 12:31:45 pm »
Here is a sequence I shot, I think it is a good example of just dumb luck... but I wouldn't have gotten the pics if I had not had my camera and been taking pictures, you never know!!

not a great pic but I was just playing around trying to photograph the babies....



now this dark mare is the 'head mare'....boss of this pasture. I was filling their water buckets...see the hose? They like to drink the cool fresh water and as head mare SHE (and her baby) gets to drink first. The SECOND mare thought she would try to get a drink (see how her baby is on the OTHER side of her?), look at how she is hesitant...stretching out toward the water instead of walking up to it?

but head mare wasn't through!! and with a simple shake of her head and pinned ears she scares the white mare away!!


injest

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Re: David's Shutter Bug Club
« Reply #138 on: January 12, 2008, 04:41:37 pm »
David I went out today and took some pics....and I have learned that I need to write some of your notes on a index card and stick it in my camera bag!! I got so confused over what to do!!

I will post some of my pics later...but there were some that in spite of what I did, I was not happy with the results.. :P

so frustrating!

Offline David In Indy

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Re: David's Shutter Bug Club
« Reply #139 on: January 12, 2008, 05:15:01 pm »
Hi Jess!!

I'm sorry you are frustrated right now. It can be very frustrating and confusing when you first start experimenting with your camera settings. Trust me though, the frustration is worth it in the long run! :)

Yes, please post those pictures so we can see them.

Here's a few suggestions...

When taking pictures of important things like a child's graduation or a wedding, first take the picture using your camera's auto setting. Then take a second picture in the manual mode. If you do this, you can be certain you will have a properly exposed picture. You said you will be going to Fort Worth tomorrow. I strongly recommend you do this. Also, you can go back and look at your pictures once you get home. Pay attention the settings your camera chose in the auto mode, and compare them to your settings in manual. Not only will you be certain you have a set of beautiful pictures but you can also learn something too. So remember to shoot those important pictures TWICE - once on auto, and a second time on manual.

Remember to turn on your camera's histogram. I believe your A530 camera has a histogram built into it. I tried to explain how to read the histogram last night and you should see it a few posts above this one. You might already know how to use the histogram, but many people are confused by what it is and how to read it. A histogram is a very nice tool because it gives you at-a-glance exposure information. You can quickly see if the image is over or under exposed in real time.

Your camera's EV (exposure compensation value) will always help with over and under exposure. You can easily adjust the exposure using your camera's EV.

For now, the most important suggestion I can offer you is to shoot those important pictures TWICE; once in auto and then again in manual. Please remember to do this tomorrow when you are in Fort Worth. :)

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