What's the Trick to getting Good Shots?

[Stan the Man]

I'm relatively new to this big camera thing, but I don't feel like I can get a good shot if my life depended on it. Maybe its because some of you use quality image editing software and I don't have that. I think the more realistic thing is that my settings aren't set correctly; wrong aperture, shutter speed, white balance, etc. Help me learn!!


Some shots from tonight, one original and a couple more adjusted with iPhoto:

Original

Adjusted

Adjusted

Original

I'm shooting with a Canon T1i that I just got. I'm new to the SLR world, and I'm eager to learn. :ylsmoke:

 

[IdaSHO]

Basics, basics, basics.

Basics of photography is all about one thing. LIGHT.

Most people have to make a choice to capture enough light to provide a proper exposure. Either a "fast" lens, or a long exposure.

The rest of them have both and have spent $$$$ on equipment.



For the shots you are dealing with, you can easily afford a long exposure as there is going to me no movement in your subject. I would also crank down the f-stop to increase the focal range.

 

[photoman]

Photography is a huge subject to try and learn. You are best served by learning the basics of composition and how to shoot your camera in manual mode to have the most control over the camera.

There are of course bigger cameras, better lenses, and hundreds of programs but if you don't know the basics you are just taking more expensive crappy pictures.

Of what you posted there is nothing wrong with the first two. The sky is exposed nicely and you can see the city lights which are pretty clear. The biggest issue with them is there is not a strong subject matter to draw your interest. If you find a photo you like- take a minute and think about what you like about it. Does the photo naturally lead you to a specific area or around the image?

Like anything else it just take some practice and some knowledge. I suggest taking some time to look and post on some photography forums. Lots of helpful people out there.

 

[78Bronco]

What was the desired result of the picture?

I would recommend taking multiple shots in manual mode of the same subject and adjust the apeture and shutter speed. Sometimes I would play for a half hour on the same subject and then look at the results later. The nice thing with digital SLR is that the camera records the settings so next time you can dial it in close the first time.

I'll use the programmed options on the SLR when I just want to quickly capture a moment but once again the settings used for the shot are saved with the picture so you can review what the computer thought was appropriate for that shot.

The more pictures you take the better you will get. Maybe take a digital photo course or join a local club to find a mentor.

 

[Stan the Man]

Good advise guys. There really was no desired results for the pictures, there was just a nice sunset and I wanted to play with my new camera. I actually bought a entry level photography book since I'm new to the real camera biz, but I haven't had a chance to sit down and read it since I'm having mid-terms. I have no doubt that I'll start taking photos, its just a matter of time.

 

[Michael Slade]

1. quit taking pictures that find you
2. start taking pictures you find
3. repeat step 1
4. repeat stp 2

 

[nwoods]

1. quit taking pictures that find you
2. start taking pictures you find
3. repeat step 1
4. repeat stp 2

Wow that really sums up the amazing photos you and Lost Canadian have been posting on here. Brilliantly simple advice. So hard to do!

 

[Lost Canadian]

1. quit taking pictures that find you
2. start taking pictures you find
3. repeat step 1
4. repeat stp 2

So true. The only thing I would add to bolster that is, that in order to be good you have to be willing to put in the hard miles. That means both behind the camera and in the quest of increasing ones understanding of visual aesthetics. Failure to put the effort into any one area and the photographers images will reflect it.

 

[ljb0904]

Your best bet is to go take a photography workshop. That'll teach you the basics of exposure - which you MUST know to make good photographs. Then you experiment with your camera (which is why digital is nice) to find out how YOU like to expose. Once you understand how your camera WORKS, you can concentrate on making compositions. Composition + light + execution (how you take the photograph) = image.

Most basically in PS or any other image editing software your two best controls for a well exposed image (this is a qualitative thing) will be contrast and saturation. The power behind LR and PS and other high quality editing S/W is the ability to do SELECTIVE contrast and/or saturation adjustments. That's probably 90% of what most people do in post processing.

For a $1000, I can teach you this stuff over a weekend :sombrero:

Clicking the shutter is only about 20-30% of the work to get an image...And there are no tricks, it takes work, time and a lot of patience.

 

[Stan the Man]

1. quit taking pictures that find you
2. start taking pictures you find
3. repeat step 1
4. repeat stp 2

Have any examples of this? I think I get it, but I'm not certain.



Things I learned, close the aperture down to get more depth of field. I knew the two went in hand, but I really wasn't thinking about it while I was shooting. I had the f-stop wide open to get more light in. What would be a good f-stop to start at for landscape/sunset pictures? There's so many choices.

Does anybody have any recommendations for a good photography forum?

 

[Michael Slade]

Does anybody have any recommendations for a good photography forum?

This is my favorite photography forum at the moment. I am also a member at APUG. That is an analog-only site, but there are a lot of discussions about composition and such that you can wade through for hours.

IMO, most photo-forums end up talking about tech and not about photography. This forum here at ExPo seems to do both pretty equally.

Photog (a member here), seems to have a very good handle on a thread about critiquing work. Read through that and you will start to see some good and not so good examples of photography. The commentary that he provides ought to steer you in the right direction.

What makes a good 'shot' is so extremely personal that it is nearly impossible for me to tell you how to do it. I can give you nuts and bolts all day long, but the shots that mean the most to you are the ones that YOU figure out what you want to say.

I asked my class of 10th graders that very same question at the beginning of the year last year. Here is how they responded.

 

[off-roader]

Stan,

There aren't too many hard and fast rules because the beauty of the results is really in the eye of the beholder.

But the best advice I can give you is...

Learn how your camera operates including what the affect is on the image for each adjustment you make. You can do this by taking a class or workshop on how a cameras settings work to produce an image and then read & understand much of your camera's manual. Most importantly how to quickly change the basic settings (aperture, shutter speed, iso, etc.)

For example what you said about closing the aperture (making the opening smaller to increase depth of field & have everything in focus) is only true if that's what you want to do. In many cases you don't and instead only want one thing in focus to isolate it as the subject.

ex. a picture of someone at the campsite or perhaps a flower, etc.

Learn how composition makes a good picture. Not sure if this is taught in a camera class. It's never been in any of the classes I've taken. From my experience, most focus on the fundamentals of photography rather than the fundamentals of what makes a good image in the first place. I learned it by taking art classes (drawing, image composition, etc.)

With knowledge in both areas you will dramatically increase your ability and chances to be able to take great pictures.

HTH

 

[Michael Slade]

Learn how composition makes a good picture. Not sure if this is taught in a camera class. It's never been in any of the classes I've taken. From my experience, most focus on the fundamentals of photography rather than the fundamentals of what makes a good image in the first place. I learned it by taking art classes (drawing, image composition, etc.)

You should take my class. :victory:

 

[Stan the Man]

I'm taking all of this advice in and I'll work on it the best I can. I'm going on a business trip this weekend and will have close to 4 hours to kill in Chicago O'hare. I plan on getting some practice in during my layover.

I know pictures start in the eye of the photographer, but I'd appreciate it if you guys could give me some ideas of what to look for in "finding a photo". Homework if you will; help me develop a photographers eye and the basic skills.

 

[nwoods]

Here is a starting point. Study these images taken by Trevor Brown. They are of a very simple subject, that you see every day. But they are spectacular images.

http://trevorbrown.smugmug.com/Photography/Collections/7005918_tpaNs#526362889_zryz2


This is an interesting black and white comparison:
Color: http://trevorbrown.smugmug.com/Photography/Nature/4904803_qrdyW#526306122_T4CFK
B&W: http://trevorbrown.smugmug.com/Photography/Collections/7005918_tpaNs#526360020_qffWG