Unless you want the grain or maybe even some noise for whatever reason...
IMO grain is not bad it is just an "effect" just like sharpness.
Grain doesn't necessarily equal "noise".
What am I doing right and wrong?
- Thread starter Maxie
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Unless you want the grain or maybe even some noise for whatever reason...
IMO grain is not bad it is just an "effect" just like sharpness.
Grain doesn't necessarily equal "noise".
Way back when some of us Dinosaurs roamed the Earth with cameras that shot film, we would buy film by it's ISO value.
Kodak ISO 400 for everyday stuff and ISO 800 if you needed faster film for sports.
When I bought film for my Nikon V underwater camera I would use 200 & 400 film. I had better photos with the 200 and the 400 was a bit more grainy, IIRC.
That being said...One thing that's been bugging me is this.... I'm trying to understand how are the digital cameras programed? In other words, it's not using film, like 200 or 400 etc... So, how is it calculated, or programed into the cameras software when you're not using film for your manual adjustments? how did you transition from film to non film cameras, therefore, how are the newer cameras programed, at what ISO?
I never stayed at a Holiday Inn Express so I am just going to have to wing it.
My basic understanding is the camera has built in light meters that captures information and goes to its vast reserve of memory to determine what settings would be best for that particular shot. Supposedly the reason these cameras are so heavy to carry around is because they have thousands of pictures stored in their memory that they use to get comparable results.
Clear as mud right?
My basic understanding is the camera has built in light meters that captures information and goes to its vast reserve of memory to determine what settings would be best for that particular shot. Supposedly the reason these cameras are so heavy to carry around is because they have thousands of pictures stored in their memory that they use to get comparable results.
Clear as mud right?
I get the impression you think Ken is joking. He's not, you know.
Or ASA 100 for daylight stuff and ASA 160 for skin...and if you go way back in the day those old plates were rated about 4 ASA...I think Kodachrome was introduced at 25 ASA maybe???
I'm am going to give you an old ancient piece of photography advice Maxie and it is this - A camera with a sharp f2 or f2.8 lens and a shutter speed of at least 500 will be all you ever need.
It's not that I think he's joking, I just like how he expresses himself. I enjoy that type of humor, which makes you think.
Or ASA 100 for daylight stuff and ASA 160 for skin...and if you go way back in the day those old plates were rated about 4 ASA...I think Kodachrome was introduced at 25 ASA maybe???
I'm am going to give you an old ancient piece of photography advice Maxie and it is this - A camera with a sharp f2 or f2.8 lens and a shutter speed of at least 500 will be all you ever need.
Eye Level, thanks for the info. For me, it's easier to start at the beginning and work my way up, then to start in the middle. Understanding how it got going and the progression makes it much easier to understand, for me anyway.
It just looks like I've got a long way to go...
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Max some folks are naturally gifted and they can make good snaps as easily as they breath air. Then there are folks that work and study and shoot their @sses off and yet they still make basically mediocre snaps (I am one of these unfortunate individuals) When you talk about starting from the beginning the most important aspect of photography is dealing with contrast. Timing comes next and then composition. Figure out those three things and your snaps may still be mediocre but at least they will display technical acumen which other folks can see if they are smart enough to see it. These three things are not all of it by any means just the most basic of basic fundamentals. Photography is very convoluted like playing a violin or piano or something...many folks can make Silent Night sound decent but few can make it sing. The best never get stuck in a groove either they are always learning, watching, waiting, studying, and striving to make a better snap than the last one.
Kind of funny, I think I might have the timing... I'm a drag racer and timing is everything and I think that might help... I just need to work on the others. However, one thing that is most confusing to me is composition, I really have no idea what that is.
Timing is a huge part of it...knowing when to make the snap...the exact right moment...that is one aspect that seperates Henri Cartier Bresson from you and me...he had the timing down. Composition includes your lenses - read ~ focal lengths - the focal length of the lens you are using dictates the most basic approach to composition. Then you can use old axioms and rules like the rule of thirds or composing on the angle to arrange the picture in a sound way. Keep snapping Max. It is like practicing the violin or piano (hahaha) you WILL get more proficient at it...might not become Elton John or Eric Clapton but you probably will learn to express some sort of vision or at the very least have some fun doing it. It is a huge challenge...that is what makes me want to do photography the challenge part of it. Right now I am getting more and more into contrast and how to control it...I just now got focusing down...so you see it is a never ending learning curve unless you are just a natural and even the naturals still learn every day if that makes any sense.
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Go study the old Snake Vs. Mongoose photography...look at Jungle Jim and Pamela...Pamela has a nice site with tons of snaps...Pamela looks good too! LOL Study it from the aspects of contrast, composition, and timing. Replicate some of those snaps that you think are excellent. I will gladly help you with all of it if I can sir...settings etc...all you have to do is ask and no question about photography is stupid to me. I get into it that much.
My take on photography composition is an exercise in combing multiple elements together to tell a story.
Take drag racing as an example. You are staged at the light, but you are not fixated on the strip with tunnel like vision. That would be a boring story. You see things in the foreground like the lights, the hood of your car. Mid ground you see maybe the front corner of the car of the guy staged next to you, the bleachers full of spectators. Then the background may have the Ambulance parked behind the guardrail before the rest of the frame fades off into infinity. That is quite a more interesting story right?
Don't fixate on one item but include other elements or control the placement of elements in the frame to create an interest to the viewer is what I try to capture.
And sometimes you go down to Houston for Cash Days...better learn up on your low light work!
The 34 Ford Steel Body car pictured here (you can spot a 34 by the suicide doors) is a neat local Oklahoma 918 car with a history (think "The Outsiders" by Hinton)...classic American metal...
Check out the California Kid...hey RST you know about the California Kid sir?
The 34 Ford Steel Body car pictured here (you can spot a 34 by the suicide doors) is a neat local Oklahoma 918 car with a history (think "The Outsiders" by Hinton)...classic American metal...
Check out the California Kid...hey RST you know about the California Kid sir?
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Hey Max put a person under the shade of a tree on a sunny day in Florida...set your camera to M...set your lens to M...set the aperture at 5.6 and the shutter speed at 125 or 250...set the ISO at 200...set the white balance on flash...and post your result. You might enable the bracketing feature with a +/- 1 EV and 3 shot deal. Maybe even use the on board board flash on it's lowest setting for fill light(use the faster shutter if you do this)...I bet you get a nicely exposed snap. Tomorrow we will discuss using the histogram. LOL See it is a never ending battle of learning!
I am still wondering if ISO and ASA is exactly the same thing...I can get into that in more detail if you are interested...
I am still wondering if ISO and ASA is exactly the same thing...I can get into that in more detail if you are interested...
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As a driver I only focus on what I'm doing, it's like tunnel vision and totally contrary to what you posted, as a driver that is. So, I'll need to breakout of that mental focus in order to learn composition. Even with diving, when spearfishing you're totally focused on the pray and nothing else. Most of what I do is like that including things like target shooting. Which is going to be a hard habit to break. At least I understand what composition is now. Thanks!
Now, for the next part of the equation that I'm clueless too is "White" settings, what is it and where do I find that setting with my D3100? I haven't heard of that before.
I didn't mean that you don't keep your eye on the goal --- but I am talking about what all the other eyes see.
Like riding a motorcycle, I go into a zone of hyper awareness. One eye is watching the road ahead, the other eye is watching the pickup truck about to turn left in front of me, while my third eye is checking for an escape path in my mirror. I am looking ahead but I am seeing all these other things as well.
Composition focuses on a main subject while including elements in the peripheral. You maybe focused on the prey but you are also processing information from the rest of your vision.
I highly recommend this book --> Nikon D3100: From Snapshots to Great Shots: Jeff Revell: 9780321754547: Amazon.com: Books
At Amazon you can browse sample pages of the book to get a feel of how it is written.
Like riding a motorcycle, I go into a zone of hyper awareness. One eye is watching the road ahead, the other eye is watching the pickup truck about to turn left in front of me, while my third eye is checking for an escape path in my mirror. I am looking ahead but I am seeing all these other things as well.
Composition focuses on a main subject while including elements in the peripheral. You maybe focused on the prey but you are also processing information from the rest of your vision.
I highly recommend this book --> Nikon D3100: From Snapshots to Great Shots: Jeff Revell: 9780321754547: Amazon.com: Books
At Amazon you can browse sample pages of the book to get a feel of how it is written.
Now that I can understand. I've been on bikes almost all of my life, both on the dirt and street. I'll pick up that book as well.
I haven't had much time to play much with the camera lately, but tonight I had time, changing settings to see the different outcomes.
btw, Walgreen's had a 16 gig memory stick on sale about a week ago and they were out of it at the time. I was able to get a rain check and picked it up tonight for $19.00.
I just ordered the book, thanks for the head up.
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