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07-09-2009, 01:05 AM   #1
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My second set of shootings.
ISO: --- 

Today I learned how to manual focus and use my f-stop and shutter speed better. Here are my new photos I've taken today. I've taken over 200 but deleted half and have about 100 left. But I am only going to post my favorite shots or my best shots. I edited them in Lightroom 2. I wanted to edit it's sharpness in Photoshop CS3, but I am starving, so maybe some other time. Here they are!


Lol ignore my watch, it slipped down a bit, I like to wear them real loose.








Flower taken at the Mall of America, I think it's fake.


07-09-2009, 02:04 AM   #2
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You're doing pretty well with the exposures there, colours are nice as well.
Be careful about what you post in here and only post one or two at a time. This is a photo critique forum not really a 'show us your homework' forum (no offense meant).
Pick the one or two that you think are really good each time and then post them. Just bear in mind that people are going to look at every aspect of a picture and pull it apart.
That's going to mean composition, colour, content, focus, artistic interpretation, everything.

BTW, was my explanation of aperture/fstop in your last thread of any help to you?
07-10-2009, 09:02 AM   #3
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If you have some extra money you should invest in some small flashes and some triggers to go along with them. You'll find that you can make some really cool photos with some off camera flash. Some of your photos just appear too dark, because there is no fill light on the subject.

Strobist
07-10-2009, 10:35 AM   #4
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My overall feedback is that I think the sharpness looked pretty good, in the parking lot photos. I'm not the best with exposure, I rely on Lightroom too much (sigh) so I'll leave that feedback for the others. You mentioned you learned a lot about manual focus and SS/Aperture settings .. would you elaborate for me? Also, what kind of lens(es) were used here? Which camera?

07-10-2009, 03:03 PM   #5
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I am using a K2000 with its 18-55mm kit lens. I learned how to manual focus by ticking the thing on my camera from AF to MF, then I use the knob on my lens to focus by looking through the viewfinder. Only problem was I didn't use flash for the parking shots so the BMW 328xi turned out to be too dark, I should've used flash but I forgot all about it because it was my first time shooting at night. I'll remember next time because the pictures look horribly dark on the BMW and you can't see the curves and the lines of the car. and for the exposure, I know how to use it correctly now, I have to set the settings so that the thing on the bottom of my camera when looking through the viewfinder would say 0.00, I just learned how to autobracket yesterday so I set that to -1.00 then 0.00 then +1.00 so when I hold the button down, it'll shoot 3 times in different EV so I can choose which one is best for me. I also learned a bit about f-stops and shutter speed too. The higher the f-stop then the less light it allows in, it also makes the background more clear on a macro'd object. Also the slower the shutterspeed, the more lighted things will look crazy, so with water movements too such as rivers and waterfalls.

I've been taking a bunch of notes on my cameras.

Shutter speed is how long light is allowed into the camera, F-stop determines how much light is allowed through the lens.

Faster shutter speeds means freezing faster movements.

Higher F-stop numbers allows less light.

Higher F-stop numbers allow more detail outside of a macro'd object.

Higher F-stop number and longer shutterspeed allows darkened surroundings to become lighter around a specific bright area.

Higher ISO means shooting easier in low light. The lower the ISO, the better the image quality.

Telephoto allows you to isolate subjects, eliminating unneeded details as you zoom in.

Faster shutter speeds is needed for telephoto.

Also I took some notes down on what I need to do for my camera and the notes about my camera, some of them are already done but here they are.

K-M/K2000 notes:

Find best k2000 settings

Turn noise reduction to Strong

Change white balance to auto

Check out aperture priority and shutter speed priority modes

Experiment with ISO noise reduction on 1600 ISO at night

Experiment with different color modes in backyard

Experiment with Natural and Bright in the day and night to see which one is best

Experiment with sharpness settings to see which is best


Colors are most accurate with Natural mode

Pictures are most sharp at F/11

Try not to go above 800 ISO. Never use 3200 ISO

The 18-55mm has a maximum aperture of f/3.5 at its widest setting and f/5.6 at full zoom
07-10-2009, 11:16 PM   #6
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I agree with Gary, try to pick a couple of your best shots. I think #5 would have come out excellent with some off-camera flash fill on the person in the foreground. Maybe even a second one lighting the engine somehow.

Nice job though.
07-11-2009, 08:35 PM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by LeDave Quote
Pictures are most sharp at F/11
At f11, the picture will have more front to back sharpness, or more things in the frame will be in focus, from closest to the lens, to furthest, however this is not the sharpest setting of the lens and does not mean your subjects will be the sharpest. Usually 1-3 stops above the lens' maximum aperture is sharpest, depending on the lens.

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