I Feel Like I'm Not Learning.....

Smoke

Senior Member
I really enjoy taking pictures and learning all the lingo of the photography world. A lot of people who have viewed my photos say that I have a "Good Eye" for photography and that I am able to capture unique shots of things that they wouldn't have even looked at. However, I am trying to expand my knowledge and use the more "Professional" modes of the camera, and adjust the shutter speed, Aperture, etc. But in most cases, the pictures come out better when I switch the camera to one of the programmed modes. I feel that I am wasting the camera's ability if I only use the "Auto" mode or the "Sports" mode. The last thing you want to see with the Professional you just hired is that he shot all his photos in "Auto" mode......I wish it was like the movie "The Matrix" where you could just plug something into the back of your head and it downloads all the knowledge you need to know in 5 minutes. :D
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
I really enjoy taking pictures and learning all the lingo of the photography world. A lot of people who have viewed my photos say that I have a "Good Eye" for photography and that I am able to capture unique shots of things that they wouldn't have even looked at. However, I am trying to expand my knowledge and use the more "Professional" modes of the camera, and adjust the shutter speed, Aperture, etc. But in most cases, the pictures come out better when I switch the camera to one of the programmed modes. I feel that I am wasting the camera's ability if I only use the "Auto" mode or the "Sports" mode. The last thing you want to see with the Professional you just hired is that he shot all his photos in "Auto" mode......I wish it was like the movie "The Matrix" where you could just plug something into the back of your head and it downloads all the knowledge you need to know in 5 minutes.
Well getting good at photography is definitely a process, not an event... The two "BIG THINGS" to my way of thinking when it comes to getting better at my photography is exposure and composition with the latter being the more formidable opponent, at least for myself.

So, are you doing anything to better educate yourself about photography and what not? Taking classes, reading books, doing exercises...

....
 

Moab Man

Senior Member
It sounds like you need a photography mentor to get you over a hump. Checked out a photo club in the area?

Phlearn.com has a lot of great material to learn from for free and on their YouTube channel.
 

WayneF

Senior Member
I feel that I am wasting the camera's ability if I only use the "Auto" mode or the "Sports" mode. The last thing you want to see with the Professional you just hired is that he shot all his photos in "Auto" mode......I wish it was like the movie "The Matrix" where you could just plug something into the back of your head and it downloads all the knowledge you need to know in 5 minutes. :D

I think you are saying that you need to read this book

It is a fast easy read, you'll enjoy it, and it is the best $15 you can spend on photography. The most fundamental basics, which we simply have to know. Pretty much the whole idea.

It likely is in your local public library too.
 

Rick M

Senior Member
Work on controlling variables one at a time. I rarely shoot fully manual, usually in Aperture and a fixed ISO. Imagine what you want to see before you shoot. Over time, your brain will memorize the adjustments needed and it will come more naturally.
 

Vixen

Senior Member
You won't learn it all at once. Things that may be helpful

1. Take photos EVERY day
2. Try picking a style/type of photography eg long exposure water shots, night sky shots, street shots etc and read up on it or watch youtube vids and then go out and practice practice practice until you feel you have nailed it
3. Get on Facebook or 500pix or similar and start looking at other peoples work and share your own. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Also....use the exif data supplied to shots on here to help with settings etc
4. Do a photo challenge be it one week, one month or 365 days....you'll get plenty of support and ideas if you share, share, share and hang out with like minded people
5. Don't be afraid to try the manual mode. Sure you'll get plenty of failures but the more you try the better you will get and the more you will understand how it all works
6. Do that free online course :D
7. Buy magazines and books on photography (plenty of them out there)
8. Keep a notebook with you and write down what you did so if you do nail it you can do it again coz you'll have it all written down

All tried and true methods by lots of us snappers :D
 

SkvLTD

Senior Member
Buy any old, non D version lens and try to capture anything with it. $50 spent, if say an old 50mm, and it will kick your bum into the film/technical aspect of this whole world.
 

Eyelight

Senior Member
Remember when you opened the box, then pick up your camera now and see, you know more than you realize. But it's like any other learn and do.

Not unlike riding a bicycle or driving a car. The movements and controls are a bit jerky at first, but after time, you don't think about brakes and clutches, you just do it. The ride gets smooth.
 

Smoke

Senior Member
Thanks everyone for the replies, I do have a few books and belong to this forum. That's the extent of my training but I do read and try different things. I will have to check out the free online course. Where I'm getting confused, and I think I'm starting to understand, is it the settings that I have the camera on or is it my lens? And I know "the carpenter shouldn't blame his tools for poor results", but in the case of my 55-300 4.5-5.6, I don't think that it is the right lens for shooting my Daughter's indoor Volleyball games. They all are blurry and or noisy. From what I'm reading, I should have AT LEAST a 2.8 for more light. Thanks for all the ideas. I'll keep plugging away
 

AC016

Senior Member
What's the rush? I suppose i can throw out a bunch of cliches like, "Rome was not built in a day" or "You're trying to run before you walk". Though, i don't think that will help. As many people have already said, some of the best things to do is to ask questions and read-up on particular subjects. Don't try to become a master at all genres of photography, it won't happen. If you do try, you will be all over the place and will get nowhere fast. Concentrate on the genre that you like the best. Having said all that, your best bet is to get down to basics. In my opinion, if you are stuck trying to accomplish something, the best way to get going again, is to go back to basics. That means learn & think about exposure. Learn how shutter speed, aperture and ISO correlate with each other. For example, there is no need to be in sports mode if you have a solid understanding of how the exposure triangle works. First thing you need to consider when doing sports is obviously shutter speed. Depending on the light, you may have to boost your ISO and use a bigger aperture to get a decent shutter speed to stop action. Anyhow, i may be preaching to the choir here. It sounds like you want to get away from "Auto" modes, which is fine. Though, do not think that using a camera in full manual mode makes you a pro either. Ask yourself this: do the guys with the big honking lenses on the sidelines of a football game shoot in full manual mode? I highly doubt it myself. They have to be lighting fast, so i am sure they use "auto" functions on their cameras. In my opinion, if you spend a couple of thousand dollars on your camera, let it do some of the menial tasks for you. But i do agree, shooting in full-Auto is not the way to go or grow as a photographer. So, get back to basics. If you like sports photography, learn the fundamentals of that genre. Whatever you want to concentrate on though, learn the exposure triangle. Don't give up. This is not a race and no one becomes a David Hobby, Chase Jarvis or Zack Arias over night. Those guys started off just like you and worked their butts off. Focus on one genre and don't let other things distract you. Pace yourself. Good luck :)
 

Tom Grove

Senior Member
The 1st thing I did when I got my camera (D7000) is I pulled the camera out, put a battery in, read the manual and went back and forth between the manual and the camera. Took me three days to read and explore all the functions to a very basic degree...

Next I took simple shots of flowers, or an occasional bug that landed nearby. Then I tried to shoot moving bugs and then close ups. Each time I would learn more about the camera, lighting, and shutter speed and how each affects the picture.

I branched out to taking sports shots, skateboarders, surfers, my son's football team... sometimes just some dude riding their bike. Each time I would read up on how to improve for the next time... Books, magazines, message boards are all great places to get information... A couple people here even put up tutorials. Some video some written instructions. Everybody here is awesome to get info from. There's many photo clubs... See if there's one close to you that meets your schedule and give it a try.

You will get better, I promise! Just look at my early photos and what I have done in the past 2 months... well some of it... I still make mistakes too... But that's part of the fun too... finding out what works. :D
 

AC016

Senior Member
Thanks everyone for the replies, I do have a few books and belong to this forum. That's the extent of my training but I do read and try different things. I will have to check out the free online course. Where I'm getting confused, and I think I'm starting to understand, is it the settings that I have the camera on or is it my lens? And I know "the carpenter shouldn't blame his tools for poor results", but in the case of my 55-300 4.5-5.6, I don't think that it is the right lens for shooting my Daughter's indoor Volleyball games. They all are blurry and or noisy. From what I'm reading, I should have AT LEAST a 2.8 for more light. Thanks for all the ideas. I'll keep plugging away

please post one of those photos up so that we can read the EXIF data. we can then suggest adjustments. the answer is not always to buy new gear. thanks
 

Smoke

Senior Member
Here is one of the Volleyball photos, keep in mind I'm not allowed to use flash which is making lean towards my 4.5-5.6 isn't the right lens for this....
DSC_0511.jpg
 

AC016

Senior Member
Here is one of the Volleyball photos, keep in mind I'm not allowed to use flash which is making lean towards my 4.5-5.6 isn't the right lens for this....
View attachment 113589

Alright, so i see shutter speed at 1/500th. Though, you are still getting blurred action. The only way you will increase your shutter speed in this case, is to increase your ISO. Question: how much noise would be acceptable to you? I don't know much about the D5200 and how it handles noise, but i am sure you can push it a bit more and still get good/decent results. But, that is a personal matter. If more noise is totally unacceptable to you; then yes, you may want to look into a faster lens. Perhaps experiment a bit more by increasing your ISO to get more shutter speed and see what type of results you get.
 

J-see

Senior Member
When it says 10/500 it is 1/50th if I'm not mistaken. Regularly an EXIF displays those values and they're always both multiplied by factor 10.

If it is 1/50th, it explains why the photos are blurred.

In that post about the EXIF values, you'll see the same. The picture there has a value of 10/40000. 1/4000th is possible, 1/40000th only if he has a highspeed camera.
 
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Eyelight

Senior Member
10/500 = 1/50

There are three blurries going on here. One is camera movement, one is subject movement and one is the front and back fade of the depth of field. The player on the ball is fairly sharp except for the arm in motion. The players near and far are not moving as much are blurred due to camera movement and/or the focus falling off in the near and far DOF.

The image actually looks half descent if I don't view it too closely. I am guesstimating that the DOF is about 25 feet, but that is an arbitrary field depending on viewing size and distance.

You can bump the ISO/shutter speed up for individual players in action.

Use a wider lens and crop to get more players in the DOF in the same shot.

Be aware of the depth of field and that only the focus distance is really sharp.
 

J-see

Senior Member
He's already at ISO 1600. Even if he sets it at 3200, his shutter speed will only be 1/100s. That's still a bit slow for action.
 
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