Alkhe Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 (edited) I have wanted a new camera for aaaaages but just haven't been able to justify shelling out that kind of money for a long time. Until last week, when I decided that even though my phone is about to die and I've been saving to replace it, I want a camera more than that. Enter, Nikon 5100. I did photography in high school and loved spending time in the dark room and mmm, the smell of developing fluid.. mmm. But I haven't really done any photography since, except a handful of photos on my ixus point and shoot when I went to Africa a few years ago. I have some shots that I'm pretty proud of from that trip, but they're nothing special in the scheme of things. Anyway, my camera arrived last night and I spent a few hours playing around and attempting to remember about apeture, shutter speed and ISO.. I'm forcing myself to only use it on the manual setting, and by the end of the night had a couple of shots that I actually like. Even if they're not amazing photography, they're much better than the black screen I kept getting until I remembered how the various exposure things work...! I have also got a flickr account, flickr.com/photos/allerix Edited October 22, 2013 by Alkhe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkhe Posted October 22, 2013 Author Share Posted October 22, 2013 and another Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted October 23, 2013 Share Posted October 23, 2013 :) nice to see ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted October 23, 2013 Share Posted October 23, 2013 How did you go today in sunlight? Don't underestimate the presets your camera has just because you want to play with manual settings... sometimes it helps to use them to get the basic settings the camera expects for the scene you are trying to capture - then you can fiddle with those settings in manual to get the shots you want later... T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grace Posted October 23, 2013 Share Posted October 23, 2013 It's a great camera I have had mine around 18 months now. I only use manual settings and even though it can be a challenge at first the more you practice the easier it becomes..... says she who still forgets to change settings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkhe Posted October 23, 2013 Author Share Posted October 23, 2013 How did you go today in sunlight? Don't underestimate the presets your camera has just because you want to play with manual settings... sometimes it helps to use them to get the basic settings the camera expects for the scene you are trying to capture - then you can fiddle with those settings in manual to get the shots you want later... T. Unfortunately I missed allllll the sunlight today - I was at work until 6:30 and didn't get home for another hour But tomorrow I am going to the zoo with my sister! And hopefully the forecast is totally wrong.. Very good point about adjusting the settings later.. I still need to get some good editing software, that's next payday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piper Posted October 23, 2013 Share Posted October 23, 2013 Aperture prioroty and shutter priority are also good for learning on - depending on what you want from the shot you can set 1 or the other and the camera finds the other for you. Eg if taking a portrait shot I will use aperture priority so I can pick the depth of field (how much is in focus) and if taking photos of dogs at a show or herding or something where they are moving then I use shutter priority and can pick a nice fast shutter speed. Either way I know tht it will be exposed about right as the camera will find the other value for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted October 23, 2013 Share Posted October 23, 2013 For my zoo photos I have my Canon 60D in the Sports preset mode... it seems to be giving me pretty decent results... *grin* T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkhe Posted October 24, 2013 Author Share Posted October 24, 2013 I feel like a cheat for using sport mode, but I used it for these today at the park :D It was still difficult to throw the ball then crouch down and find and focus on the dog! :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 LOL Someone's having a good time :) ..and so is the dog ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 Using the presets isn't cheating... especially under the conditions you describe. The following shot was taken doing exactly what you were - throwing the ball, then trying to whip the camera into position to get the shot. I had the zoom and focus point set to where I wanted the dog to be, then I threw the ball towards that spot and just held down the button in continuous shot mode... got lots of blurries, but the one really nicely focused shot was worth it, yes? T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 Oh - and when something happens suddenly, like the 2 tigers having a rumble at Taronga Zoo last week - fussing and farting with camera settings and focus would never have gotten me the nearly 200 great photos of which the following few are representative of... 18-10-2013-taronga 258 by tdierikx, on Flickr 18-10-2013-taronga 256 by tdierikx, on Flickr 18-10-2013-taronga 248 by tdierikx, on Flickr 18-10-2013-taronga 239 by tdierikx, on Flickr 18-10-2013-taronga 226 by tdierikx, on Flickr 18-10-2013-taronga 213 by tdierikx, on Flickr 18-10-2013-taronga 295 by tdierikx, on Flickr Don't poo-poo the power of the preset... *grin* T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tikira Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 It is in no way "cheating" to use the presets, a lot of photographers regularly use them, whether they admit it or not, after all, you paid for the technology that went into developing it. The important thing is the result- the photo, so get "the money shot", first using the camera's advanced capabilities, and then, for learning purposes, take some on manual, experimenting to see if you can get a more artistic shot by choosing all the settings possible. The study the results later. The other factor at play here could be post processing. Every photographer I know uses some level of Post processing. If you shoot in "Raw", then "straight out of camera" will look dull and lifeless, until you choose which post processing to do. If you shoot Jpeg, then the camera automatically adjusts a miriad of settings for you, in camera. Practice is the key, and "google"queries or tutorials, or ask here. You will soon be really happy with your photo's. Action shots are not the easiest to achieve, but you have a great eye and a gorgeous subjrct, and I love those you have posted, you are doing a great job already, I can't wait to see more. Di Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkhe Posted October 24, 2013 Author Share Posted October 24, 2013 Ok, I am now convinced that it's totally ok to get my awesome dog action shots at the park using preset modes. :laugh: I'm such a bloody perfectionist, I think I just have to remember that the reason I wanted to get this camera in teh first place was to be able to get great shots of my dogs and fosters, and that wanting to know and understand more about photography is also an aim, but kind of beside the point if I'm not getting the shots I want. I also went to the zoo yesterday and got some great shots, some on auto and some on manual, and I'm completely astounded at how great the auto ones are! I actually had no idea about the difference between jpg and RAW, and that jpg automatically adjusts like that. I haven't yet got any postprocessing software, though it's something I'm going to get asap. Exciting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 (edited) Now you need to get a FLICKR page up & running, so we can visit and show our appreciation !! all my macro shots are done on auto ....post processing done using SAGELIGHT cos I can't get my head around most of the others Edited October 24, 2013 by persephone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkhe Posted October 24, 2013 Author Share Posted October 24, 2013 Oh yes! I'm flickr.com/photos/allerix :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda K Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 one thing with animal shots - when you are getting a face, the first thing someone will look at is the eyes. If they are out of focus, or "dead", then it makes the subject less interesting. The way to avoid this is to get cathlights in the eyes - the little bit of light that helps add a sparkle to the eye. SO before you start shooting, look for the direction of light, and you can do this easiest if you are unsure by having the model sit, then see where they need to be for the light to be hitting their eyes. One you know the direction, makes sure they are running at you from that direction. There is no substitute for practice, and one thing I would suggest to make it easier in learning the camera is to start with a static object - play around with that under different settings, shoot the same thing at different times of day, with the different lens etc - you will very soon come back to learning the ISO / shutter speed / aperture relationship. And the practice means you are not fiddling for settings or only using presets Tikira - a lot of "photographers" may indeed use presets, however I and any professionals I know certainly do not, except perhaps presets I have set up myself - why would I use the cameras presets which are calculated to turn the image into 18% grey - not what I want if shooting a black cat or a white cat, when I want my black objects black, and my white ones white, not grey. The camera will only do what it is programmed to do. I instead rely on my knowledge (and practice), at knowing exactly what settings will achieve the look I want, know how to read the light to know what ISO I am going to need to use to get that look under almost any conditions, and also know how to work out what I need to base my settings on to get the correct exposure (plus know how to use the compensation settings, and also read the histogram. Why on earth would I let my camera determine all of that for me - I may as well then not even use an SLR if that was what I wanted How do you read the light you may ask - easy - you know bright sunny means ISO 100. Overcast is generally going to mean ISO 400 or maybe 800, indoors no flash may even need to be up to ISO 3200. I will check by putting the camera onto the ISO I have chosen, and check it using the shutter I want, and seeing whether the camera can cope with that. If a test shot shows underexposure or overexposure, I will then adjust as necessary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkhe Posted October 25, 2013 Author Share Posted October 25, 2013 one thing with animal shots - when you are getting a face, the first thing someone will look at is the eyes. If they are out of focus, or "dead", then it makes the subject less interesting. The way to avoid this is to get cathlights in the eyes - the little bit of light that helps add a sparkle to the eye. SO before you start shooting, look for the direction of light, and you can do this easiest if you are unsure by having the model sit, then see where they need to be for the light to be hitting their eyes. One you know the direction, makes sure they are running at you from that direction. There is no substitute for practice, and one thing I would suggest to make it easier in learning the camera is to start with a static object - play around with that under different settings, shoot the same thing at different times of day, with the different lens etc - you will very soon come back to learning the ISO / shutter speed / aperture relationship. And the practice means you are not fiddling for settings or only using presets Tikira - a lot of "photographers" may indeed use presets, however I and any professionals I know certainly do not, except perhaps presets I have set up myself - why would I use the cameras presets which are calculated to turn the image into 18% grey - not what I want if shooting a black cat or a white cat, when I want my black objects black, and my white ones white, not grey. The camera will only do what it is programmed to do. I instead rely on my knowledge (and practice), at knowing exactly what settings will achieve the look I want, know how to read the light to know what ISO I am going to need to use to get that look under almost any conditions, and also know how to work out what I need to base my settings on to get the correct exposure (plus know how to use the compensation settings, and also read the histogram. Why on earth would I let my camera determine all of that for me - I may as well then not even use an SLR if that was what I wanted How do you read the light you may ask - easy - you know bright sunny means ISO 100. Overcast is generally going to mean ISO 400 or maybe 800, indoors no flash may even need to be up to ISO 3200. I will check by putting the camera onto the ISO I have chosen, and check it using the shutter I want, and seeing whether the camera can cope with that. If a test shot shows underexposure or overexposure, I will then adjust as necessary Linda that is so helpful, thank you so much!! I have been watching youtube tutorials etc which go through different apeture settings and as I was at the zoo yesterday, I was thinking through what the differnet apertures did to the kermit the frog statue from the video I watched.. :laugh: so I'm sure like driving, it'll become second nature at some point, after lots and lots fo practice!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 Alkhe .. this site has heaps of tips whch you might find helpful ... :) D P S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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