Beginner camera: Update title: Camera guidance and help in using.

Ok! That explains the grainy I was seeing!

So I have to balance between low or high ISO and F but not going to the extreme.

And yes, I am still working on the blurring and the color popping . That has been the hardest so far. I am using the onboard camera enhancing.

This camera has taught me one thing of this whole thing. I am so glad I got the entry level because I think any more, right now, would be beyond my ability. I can work up to it but I think I would be overwhelmed if I had more stuff on the camera.

ETA: Just thought of a couple of question. What would be a good point of reference for ISO and F #'s? I would like to start there and work up and down both numbers in a systematic way, but not sure what a good starting point?

Second question, when would you put the ISO really high? I am assuming that would be an almost pitch black shot?

 

It's a whole world out there as far as photography is concerned.....lol
But yes, having a "WAY BETTER" camera might also be an issue of overloading.
A lot of people spend thousands on a DSLR, but shot in Auto.....like, why?!
But I think, after some practice, you should be comfortable using M mode, as it allows you to use different settings.
And honestly? You kinda have a game plan when you pick up the camera and look at said target subject, granted, conditions are never the same, but at least you have an idea of, should I increase F stops, increase ISO, drop shutter speed, yada yada yada...
Most of the time, I have the luxury of testing out the said conditions so I can set it to what I want.
Moving stuff, nah, just shot and hope for the best..... that's why those SD cards/CF cards are cheaper than film....

 

Thank you for all that! And yes, I am discovering there is so much more out there than I thought before and so I am thankful to go with a "simpler" camera !

I will be taking some shots, and if I can, I will post some up after this week (I have to head out of state for a few days so I will be offline for a while), but I will put some of these suggestions into practice. As for what you said, if I spent that kind of money, yes, why use the auto if you can make the adjustments? But, to be fair, I was trying to mess with the ISO and F on some deer in my property last night, and in a last ditch effort to at least play with it, I did use auto, so I guess it served some purpose. .

Lastly, right now, the only game plan I have is what my subject matter will be and then I am attempting to work around the situation as I go. Perhaps not as "planned" as I like, but....

 

Deer at night, not exactly the best combo, camera and truck all alike.....lol
But I would say, open you F to the lowest number, try ISO 6400/12800 or whatever the highest you have on that camera, and shutter speed, try somewhere along 1/50 second to maybe 1/10 second.
If it is moving then forget it.....lol

Oh, if you go camping, see if you can get a tripod, try the milky way, I did one time in Death Valley, and trust me, I feel humble over the fact how big the sky is out there.

 

LOL, agree. Plus taking the picture from my front window didn't help...especially on the first one with the flash, LOL! I do have some pics planned with the Ram and a few locations around me.

Just yesterday, with the family, I took a couple of fun shots. I have a major stack of tree trunks that I have to process for wood, and I had my family stand on the log. I took a shot straight on, then I laid down and took a picture looking up at them. For a final shot, I just took a picture of their shoes as they were standing on the log. Now that I am thinking about it, should have worked on the blurred background with that shot as that would have looked better. But, the pictures are really good with the camera.

 

Master them in order, building on each previous lesson.

Shoot in Aperture priority for a bit and get a feel for depth of field (background blurry or not) affects from changing aperture, distance to subject, distance to background, etc.

Shoot in Shutter priority for a bit to get a feel for motion blur or freezing motion, which settings do what.

Once you know how to manipulate aperture and shutter speed then LEAVE your ISO at its lowest native setting and just fiddle with the inverse relationship that Aperture and Shutter Speed have on your overall exposure (brighter/darker).

You’ll realize they have an inverse relationship. Changing your aperture up one setting (one stop) will make your photo one stop brighter or darker. Changing your shutter speed one stop will also make your image one unit of measurement brighter or darker. So the inverse relationship is huge for your control of the camera.

Knowing that if you want a more blurry background you will open up to your max aperture. If that’s 3 stops from where you are currently then you’ll have to move your shutter speed 3 stops as well to get back to your current exposure/brightness.

Aperture and SS each do two things.
Aperture affects depth of field AND exposure.
SS affects motion blur AND exposure.

Finding the way to get the effect you want AND the exposure you want is what you’re learning.

Changing one setting (aperture) by x number of stops will always mean changing the other (shutter speed) by the same x number of stops.

Finally, realize that ISO just ramps up the sensitivity of your sensor to light. So if you can’t get the desired affect with your aperture and shutter speed settings the FINAL step would be to increase your ISO (or decrease) by the number of stops you’re short on your A and SS.

Master them one variable at a time and it will be faster than all at once. You can’t see the direct affects of changing one at a time if you change them all each image.

Lock your ISO at 100 or 200 and Shutter speed at 1/125 or 1/500. Just fiddle with Aperture for a bit and you’ll see real quick which way makes the image brighter and darker and more or less motion blur.

Then lock your Aperture in and just fiddle with your SS until it makes sense, both brightness and blur.

Then explore their inverse relationship, how they interact and compliment each other. One goes up, the other goes down, one goes down, the other goes up.

Only once those make sense, see where raising your ISO can gain you some exposure and where it’s so high you don’t like how much grain is in the image.

Thats Manual mode in a nutshell. Once you feel you can balance these things in order to solve any lighting situation you’re all set to be in control of your camera (or move your subject to or wait for better lighting conditions).

Photo = light, and graph = drawing.

Think of photography as simply capturing light. Making a drawing of the light you see on your sensor and freezing it in a moment of time.

Then you’ll realize good light (and start to recognize good and bad light) are the key to good photography or “light drawings” much more so than gear. People chase $10,000 worth of gear when old heads were making better photos “light drawings” than we ever will on much worse equipment before any of us were born.

Gain control of how to manipulate the light hitting your sensor, how much (Aperture), for how long (Shutter Speed), and how sensitive it is (ISO), and you’ll be ready to make “light drawings” of your own.

Cheers

 

Think of your eye as the sensor.

How wide your pupil dilates is Aperture (bigger opening lets more light in, smaller, less.

How fast you blink (in this case a reverse blink, opening your eye for just a moment) also decides how much light pours in. I super fast open and shut, very little light, a long open pause and shut, a lot of light.

Finally ISO would be like getting night vision. Kinda blurry and crappy but better than blacked out nothing.

And I’m out! Cheers!

 

Thank you so much, @BuzzardsGottaEat . I have marked those down as well, and this trip will be a learning curve as well. Hopefully will have a few pictures to share here to also get some feedback as I am playing with this.

As for your comment, @Ghost Rider was giving me some comments above, and I was seeing exactly what you were saying here as well. One goes up, the other down. One goes down, the other up. So now I am sitting in my office, and it is Friday, and I am wrapping up the work week thinking that I am so ready to grab my camera again and see what I can do .

 

That is awesome! Have a great weekend. I will be out for the rest of this week, but then next week too. But hopefully I can get few pics uploaded here just to get feedback! Have a good time!

 

@BuzzardsGottaEat and @Ghost Rider ,

I am sorry, I cannot remember who mentioned to me to share what zoom and number I use the most. I have taken over two hundred pics in the last week, and I can say that I am using a little of every size. Not sure if one has set up as my primary focal length yet, but I will keep seeing.

I also did get permission, and purchased that 55 to 200 lens.

Now, I do have to save to get the 12-55 . That WILL have to wait for a while, or I was told. LOL!

 

After your trip pick out your top most favorite photos only. The ones that speak to you the most. Then see if there’s a theme cheers!

 

Agree. I just wanted to follow up because I could not remember where or who asked me to mark down my favorites.

I will be sharing those pics as I go as well. Thanks.

 

I think we all said a little of something here and there.
The 55-200 will get you through a good while, while your current lens should be OK for a while.
I would say to put future purchases on hold for a bit, try out what you have, and when you really feel you are pushing the limits on those, then go buy.

 

Correct. That is why it will be a while before I purchase. So far, I am and have not been able to reach and use beyond what I have. I have been enjoying it for sure. I posted three pics or so from my last camping trip, and they are working well.

 

I saw those.
Food for thoughts:
When capturing a picture, you would want to think: what am I trying to tell with this picture.
Usually there is a "theme" "subject" "focus" and you build the story around that said thing.
Where it be a mailbox, a deer, or cloud, it doesn't matter.
Sometimes it is just such a good picture with perfect place/time and nothing more is needed to tell the story.
But sometimes, I would look at my picture and wonder, WTF was I thinking when I took that picture(s), most of the time I have no idea, the rest of it is, trying to make sense of what I saw/did/do then, because I can't remember.
Back in the days when I was very actively taking pictures, minus the wedding part, I average maybe just over 5000 per year, out of that 5000, I might be able to produce 100 that is considered "acceptable" and maybe another 12 out of that 100 to be "good enough"
It's not that I don't enjoy taking pictures, I do! But I also find more satisfaction in experiencing it with my family/wife/kid, pictures are very secondary at this point.

However, now my kids are older (oldest will be 10 later this year and youngest is 7), they are starting to be interested in taking pictures (not necessary to be in it )
I am very interested in symmetric buildings and random things I see when I am out and about. Sorry to jack the thread, those are taken with phone.

 

Those are good points, and I am still working on the story side of it. Part of my enjoyment is capturing the family in the middle of the activities. Just as a way to remember and to watch as my kids get older (as you mentioned, it happens quick ).

 

I dig the "ker-chunk" my D810 makes

 

Candid event photography is tons of fun. Just don’t make the mistake of letting it all sit on a hard drive. PRINT YOUR WORK. Make some photo books with Shutterfly and print some stuff off, hang it on your walls, something, anything tactile.