Sunday, July 20, 2008
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Playing around with photography
I got a new camera for Christmas, and as of late, I have started playing around with a lot of the settings on it in an attempt to improve my photography. I am hoping to be a little less dependant on editing programs and just going for straight out really GOOD shots from the camera alone. All of the following photos are 100% edit free. Here are some of the things I have learned so far, and these photos are all of things in my yard. I was trying to capture photos of the hummingbirds that have been coming to the feeders lately!
Too dark. Underexposure.
Way too bright! Overexposure!!!
I liked this a lot better. I think it is still a bit over exposed, but I like it better.
Look!!! I had a visitor. Well, look at it's butt. There was a lot of cussing and fist shaking at these birds yesterday because they were not cooperating.
This is fun because I LOOOOOVED the boquet I had in the background. I loved the blurred tree. Then I thought about focusing on the tree instead of the feeder, just to see the difference, and I came up with this.
A VISITOR to the feeder!!!!
Not exactly what I wanted, and apparently, the hummingbird came up just long enough to scare away the wasp. See it on the left side? The grey blur missing a head -.- ? That's the stupid hummingbird!
I gave up on the feeders and started taking a few photos on the Auto Setting. Why the Auto Setting you ask? Because apparently when you turn off the camera it erases my custom settings. Punk ass camera.
I think it is a little flat looking, but not too bad.
My favorite yard fairy. I love this statue.
And last but not least, I was playing with shutter speed in order to try and change the way I take pictures of water. You see, if you take it on a normal setting it "stops" the motion of the water. However, if you leave the shutter open just a tiny bit longer, you get a lovely misty effect. This was from a storm a week or so ago.
Choppy water.
Misty prettiness!
I had a really good time playing with these settings, and if you have a camera that has these features and you haven't played with them, I say DO IT. It makes life so much fun.
In the next few days I am going to go where there is a patch of sunflowers blooming and see if I can get some rockin photos of those! Cross your fingers for me!
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Comments (16)
Its good to mess around... is that a hornet? they're nasty little things.
One of the main skills to learn in photography is patients... I've waited for 2.5 hours in snow, lost all feeling in my knee.. for one shot. And even then I was too far away...
I love the fairy. Is that a bird's butt or a bug's? Yes I'm asking a weird question since I happen to be a weird girl and I'm trying to keep my mind off being pissed. Oh I wish I had some booze handy.
Hey Jilly, nice job and learning your camera settings and playing with the exposure. Keep a few things in mind as you learn:
That first image isn't all that under exposed. You have good shadow detail. Also, you will almost never get a perfect image right out of the camera. Almost every single image will need a tiny bit of tweeking for contrast, color balance etc. This doesnt mean you need to photoshop the hell of it, just that every camera is different. I set my camera to very low contrast and saturation when I shoot weddings so I maintain detail both in the white dress and the black tux without muddying up my midtones. They have to be tweeked a bit in PS to bring back the contrast.
If you want to really learn how to get great exposures, learn the Zone system.
Cheers and good luck!
nice pics,,, take care of that camera,,, hahahahahaha,, ive broken and or lost at least 5 since christmas,,,, im hard on things tho,,,, they have to go where i go,,, i guess,,,,
@OwenHiggins - It's a wasp. The downside of having hummingbird feeders is other little pesky things like them too. :( Patience is a good thing for sure, and I would probably have more of it IF I had rechargeable batteries!
@barbaradesmond - Bird butt!
@macphoto - I know nothing will be perfect sooc, but I am going for much better in order to keep from having to PS stuff quite so much! I enjoy highly saturated photos, as I feel they are nore like the natural setting in most cases, so I will probably do a bit of editing there on occassion, but I am trying to get the process down to a minimum!
Do you think the exposure setting I used for most of the photos was ok? I am still trying to figure out the nauances of the camera since I have been scared to step out of the box up to now! The Auto setting just doesn't cut it for me on a lot of things, so I decided I needed to start really learning! I can't find my damn photography book either. GRRRRRR.
@mejicojohn - I won't lose it. I am kind of a freak about that camera!!!!
always fun to play with as new "toy". and as macphoto say, tweaking with contrast and color is ok. it is the art of composing the photo that can take practice. but that is what is so good with digital...you dont like it? trash it! lol
dont forget the fliters.
@Southernlass - Most of your tree exposures looked a little over to me...try bracketing your shots....take 3 shot..one each 1/2 stop over, on, and 1/2 under. Or try full stops if you arent getting what you want. Some cameras let you set up auto bracketing.
ooooh pretty pictures! too bad you couldnt catch the hummingbird. i'm sure they're pretty =]
Cool. I was hoping to see a hummingbird.
I love taking pictures. I seriously always have my camera with me.
Yay for little hummingbird butts! :)
hope you continue enjoying that camera
I would love to get a picture of a hummingbird myself. Nice photos!
lol.. I dont know how to take good pics but i love taking pics
That is one fricking awesome camera.
I love photo's... post some more of your house... i like seeing pieces of lives.
wonderful pictures. I have a camera that I really need to play with myself. I have an "FILM" camera that I have to have looked at - I think dirt got into it so it doesn't focus right. Has completely automatic and also manual features.