vince1611

iTrader: (9)

.

gr?

Had no clue I walk around with "photo authority" on my forehead here. I barely post.

MR_X

iTrader: (5)

Man I love how this thread is going. we can write a book on how to.

daz311x

iTrader: (1)

Here's a shot of my Z in a parking lot. The things I kept in mind when taking this shot was lighting (shot on an evening), non-distracting background (empty lot). To emphasize the car I desaturated the entire background. I also used unsharp mask to give it some sharpening.

azula

iTrader: (12)

that's really nice man, came out good

azula

iTrader: (12)

I just purchased a digital rebel xti with the standard lens. I have a couple questions as I don't know crap about cameras....what is ISO and how do you adjust it?

daz311x

iTrader: (1)

If you're into angles the Z is very photogenic. These shots would be great if I had a better background but it gives you a good idea of using angles. Used desat and sharpening. BTW, these were taken on a lowly Canon S2 IS

daz311x

iTrader: (1)

ISO is pretty much light sensitivity. The higher the ISO the brighter your shot will be which is ideal in low lighting conditions but you also get nosier pictures.

http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/Glos...itivity_01.htm

azula

iTrader: (12)

thanks for that write up, so if i want to do a garage photoshoot at night time, i would use higher iso? how would the picture look if i just kept it in full auto mode? also i only have the standard 18-55 lens.

gr?

there are a lot of variables that would determine what ISO you will use. If you're indoors in a garage and have a tripod, you can use ISO 100, shoot at f/5.6, and have a shutter speed of something around 5-15 seconds depending how much light the garage has. If you have to handhold the shot, you'll have to shoot at 1600 or 3200, f/2.8, and this would only give shutter speeds of 1/30 (at best) in the well lit areas. It's tough to hand hold w/o camera shake below 1/30 or 1/60 shutter speeds.

ISO / shutter speed / aperture are all related. If you're good with math and fractions, it'll be easy to learn.

Let's say you're shooting at ISO 100, f/2.8, and shutter speed of 1/60. If you change the ISO to 200, you essentially make an adjustment for 1 f/stop. Since 100 to 200 allows for more light sensitivity, you can either decrease the aperture from 2.8 to 4.0 *or* go with a slower shutter speed from 1/60 to 1/125. Both adjustments are one full f/stop. This is confusing at first but eventually it'll all make sense and come naturally as you make camera setting adjustments.

ctwentytwo

iTrader: (9)

A quick follow up to GR?... remember, higher ISO means more noise (like the snow you see on TV with a bad reception), especially at ISO 800+, it'll be very evident. You can either use programs that fix the noise, or use lower ISO.

Looks like you have either the XT, XTi, or 20D. I would use a tripod, and use longer shutter speeds. Just buy a cheap tripod for $20 at either WalMart, KMart. That lens you have is light, so you don't need a good one. Now just use Av mode (Aperture Priority), and choose f8.0 for your aperture. That should ensure you get a pretty sharp shot. If you go wide open (lower number aperture), then you'll reduce depth of field, and blur the background more, but you'll aslo have parts of the car that are out of focus... but you may want that effect. Go to the original post and read about DOF. The higher number you choose for aperture though, the longer the shutter speed will be.

The caveat is this. Longer shutter speeds with low ISO ensures a proper exposure in low light with less noise, but you'll be prone to camera shake. So you'll either need a tripod (you can't hold the camera perfectly still for over 1 sec), or a lens with IS (image stabalization good for 3-4 full stops, but still might not be enough for the situation).

Higher ISO with shorter shutter speeds in low light, will sometimes allow for handheld shots, but it depends on your hands, and it will be noisy.

My suggestion for any lowlight situation, use the mode and aperture value I wrote above, and most importantly, buy a tripod. In Av mode, the camera will automatically select the correct shutter speed (the majority of times) depending on available light.

azula

iTrader: (12)

thanks a lot for the write up guys, i havent had a chance to get a tripod yet but it is definitely on my to do list, i will be taking a couple of pics tonight. we'll see how they come out....

matrix311

Hey man I just wanted to point something out as a cheap investment for an alternative macro solution. I currently have the XT with the 17-85mm IS USM, 50mm f/1.8 prime and the 70-200mm f/4 IS USM (on order).

If you use the 50mm f/1.8 and purchase the kenko extension tubes, this will allow you to get nearly a 1:1 macro lense. I have taken several macro shots with this setup and it works great. The 50mm lense was $70 and the extension tubes are around $100 on ebay new, so under $200 for a great macro solution. I can post up some pictures when I get home or you can go to www.dpreview.com and search the forums there for "kenko extension" and you will see some amazing shots with that combination.

As a lens recommendation I would look at the Canon 17-85mm IS USM, it's around $550-$600, it comes with IS "image stabilization" and is a great overall walk around lens. Good wide angle and decent focal length, it's light and is a pretty sharp lens. Another choice to look at is the Canon 70-200mm f/4L (non IS) usually around $550-$600, it uses Canon's "L" glass which is their highest end glass, extremely sharp and the quality of picture will blow you away. Be sure to invest in a decent tripod to make the best of your shots. Manfrotto 190XPROB legs with maybe a 804RC2 or 3265 head, whatever floats your boat! Good luck with your shots and I hope my advice helps you out.

VO...

iTrader: (25)

I'm impressed.. Those were some really good tips. I've always wondered why my pics looked so crappy... My flaw was lighting.

cvkatigbak

with a 2 megapixel camera phone

MR_X

iTrader: (5)

damn, nice phone
Love this pic. BTW the only PS used here it for the frame and the dark top on the pic. The red accent was done by the camera itself.

azula

iTrader: (12)

same here

ctwentytwo

iTrader: (9)

For those who are looking for a great beginner DSLR, if I hadn't bought the Canon XTi, I'd get the Nikon D40x that was just announced. The Nikon D40 (6 megapixels) was just announced less than 6 months ago, which was supposed to pose more of an alternative (it seems) to the Canon XTi.

So for the beginning photographers who mistakenly see "more megapixels= better camera," Nikon is upping the megapixel count for the D40x to 10.2 Megapixels to match/beat the XTi's 10.1 Megapixels.

Although the XTi has the automatic sensor cleaner which the D40x does not, what makes the Nikon a good alternative is the dummy proof shooting modes and GUI.

Also, Nikon has just released something I think Canon cannot match... a $250 Image Stabalized/Shake reduced lens: AF-S DX VR 55-200mm lens. Nikon's VR is Vibration reduction similar to Canons IS (Image stabilization). It's a little slow at f/4-5.6, but $250 gets you a feature in a lens that I feel is a necessity for beginners, and a great insurance for novice/pros.

Canon's cheapest IS lens is the 28-135, which I have, but it goes for over $410. The 70-300 IS is over $550.

Also, Nikon's kit lenses blow the Canon kit lenses out of the water. If you're thinking of getting a DSLR, and know nothing of photography, alot of professinals use Nikon... it's either Canon or Nikon in the pro world of 35mm (although, if you look at a lot of sporting events, you'll see white lenses on most of photographer's camera's.. those white lenses are Canon lenses.)

gr?

Nikon does have it's strong point. Several reasons why Canon is very popular for sports photography: 1) superior high iso image quality, necessary when lighting is poor and a fast shutter speed is required to stop motion blur, 2) superior auto focus system

A few things Nikon does better, 1) flash system, 2) wide angle lens selection, 3) backward compatibility with older lenses, 4) good dynamic range & wide tonal range. If I did portrait and landscape photography, I'd be using a Nikon system for the reasons listed above.

azula

iTrader: (12)

beginner at photoshop here, the picture really came out great but i have a couple of questions....

how did you border it? and also how did you make it darker at the top? very nice.