Help me learn basic photography!

[madcapmagishion]

Originally Posted by RayinAK

I imagine that it's the same case for Nikon and other cameras (?).

It is for Nikon others not to sure about.

[krichton]

Read your manual. Turn your mode dial to A for Automatic or P for program. No more blurry photos. Problem solved.

[CHTransplant]

Originally Posted by krichton

Read your manual. Turn your mode dial to A for Automatic or P for program. No more blurry photos. Problem solved.

Because those modes are going to automatically know that in a particular low-light situation you want to compromise IQ and exposure for a faster shutter speed to freeze motion? And they going to stop user induced blur such as camera shake?

Auto modes can do a lot - but they are not a magic answer to every situation.

[CHTransplant]

For the OP, this website has some pretty good basics:

Photography Basics | Learn Digital Photography Basics

[krichton]

Originally Posted by CHTransplant

Because those modes are going to automatically know that in a particular low-light situation you want to compromise IQ and exposure for a faster shutter speed to freeze motion? And they going to stop user induced blur such as camera shake?

Auto modes can do a lot - but they are not a magic answer to every situation.

It was painfully obvious that the OP had no clue what they were doing. He or she should learn the very basics of actually operating a camera before proceeding onto the more intermediate functions don't you think? To do that you have to at least start in auto mode first. Everyone here thought to throw every possible conceivable piece of advanced photography information and the op simply never came back, or their eyes glazed over from looking at it. I've never seen so much wasted typing.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by krichton

It was painfully obvious that the OP had no clue what they were doing. He or she should learn the very basics of actually operating a camera before proceeding onto the more intermediate functions don't you think? To do that you have to at least start in auto mode first. Everyone here thought to throw every possible conceivable piece of advanced photography information and the op simply never came back, or their eyes glazed over from looking at it. I've never seen so much wasted typing.

Not so. Some of us mentioned reading the manual, while I mentioned that he should buy a book specifically written for his camera by David D. Bush (if the camera was made by Canon). Bush's books are a comprehensive explanation on everything the camera can do, how to set the controls, features, etc. Also, how to use lenses, flashes, and so on. On top of that, after explaining how to set the camera for a specific work, he shows photos and tables that show the results of setting the camera as explained.

[mathjak107]

ill take it a step further and say not only thumb through a book or the manual but learn to shoot in manual. many times we think we have to be knowledable in the technical aspects of our camera and understand the dials and controls before we can really shoot well and thats bull..

photography is kind of like learning to throw a ball,.

through experience we learn how much to arc the ball ,how much distance and how fast to throw it just by eventually a feel.

no matter what the distance is some how we know what to do to get it into that area when thrown without ever understanding the physics behind it.

thats how photography is. i found through teaching my wife and co-shooter , the best way to learn how things work is by shooting manual and developing that feel..

once you get the feeling for the effect the different adjustments have then you will understand better what it is the camera is trying to do for you in auto and how to compensate when you need to veer.

marilyn has noooo technical understanding and no real knowledge of exactly what the dials actually do. she just learned to manipulate them to get nice exposures .

she made me realize you can have no technical knowledge and yet develop a sense for photography without ever understanding the logic behind what she is doing.

she can easily master the camera now just from using it without ever opening a book or knowing what exactly the dial is doing. from experience she just knows to get x to happen turn y.

when she shoots macro in manual she just knows to get the background brighter turn the rear dial, to get more of the subject in focus turn the front dial and to control the brightness on the subject work the dial on the back of the flash.

thats it! there is nothing more technical than that going on in her head when she shoots and yet her photos and mine now look identical and im the big technical person who reads and reads and needs to know what everything does ..

it helps as well to understand how to look at a histogram as well. as thats her guide for am i to dark or to light.

again, she just knows if im shooting red and the red histogram is squished on the right side then turn x . she cant tell you exactly what the histogram represents, all she knows is if it touches the walls its an un-good thing so turn the dial to move it.

the point is its easy to be a good photographer just by playing with your camera in manual and just seeing what things do rather then trying to understand through a book.

all you need to see is cause and effect without really knowing much more and you can crank out some wonderful photographs..

by the way she posts here under the name badcook5. actually she is a really good cook but the kids gave her that name.

//www.city-data.com/forum/new-y...l-gardens.html

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by mathjak107

ill take it a step further and say not only thumb through a book or the manual but learn to shoot in manual. many times we think we have to be knowledable in the technical aspects of our camera and understand the dials and controls before we can really shoot well and thats bull..

photography is kind of like learning to throw a ball,.

through experience we learn how much to arc the ball ,how much distance and how fast to throw it just by eventually a feel.

no matter what the distance is some how we know what to do to get it into that area when thrown without ever understanding the physics behind it.

thats how photography is. i found through teaching my wife and co-shooter , the best way to learn how things work is by shooting manual and developing that feel..

once you get the feeling for the effect the different adjustments have then you will understand better what it is the camera is trying to do for you in auto and how to compensate when you need to veer.

marilyn has noooo technical understanding and no real knowledge of exactly what the dials actually do. she just learned to manipulate them to get nice exposures .

she made me realize you can have no technical knowledge and yet develop a sense for photography without ever understanding the logic behind what she is doing.

she can easily master the camera now just from using it without ever opening a book or knowing what exactly the dial is doing. from experience she just knows to get x to happen turn y.

when she shoots macro in manual she just knows to get the background brighter turn the rear dial, to get more of the subject in focus turn the front dial and to control the brightness on the subject work the dial on the back of the flash.

thats it! there is nothing more technical than that going on in her head when she shoots and yet her photos and mine now look identical and im the big technical person who reads and reads and needs to know what everything does ..

it helps as well to understand how to look at a histogram as well. as thats her guide for am i to dark or to light.

again, she just knows if im shooting red and the red histogram is squished on the right side then turn x . she cant tell you exactly what the histogram represents, all she knows is if it touches the walls its an un-good thing so turn the dial to move it.

the point is its easy to be a good photographer just by playing with your camera in manual and just seeing what things do rather then trying to understand through a book.

all you need to see is cause and effect without really knowing much more and you can crank out some wonderful photographs..

by the way she posts here under the name badcook5. actually she is a really good cook but the kids gave her that name.

//www.city-data.com/forum/new-y...l-gardens.html

Good points

And I will add the following: in the digital world of today, most photographers would be better off-after learning how to use their cameras-learning photo-editing with a computer. With film we did the work on a lab, but today the work is done with a computer. And yes, a lot of professional photographers don't have time to sit in front of a computer and leave the editing to their technicians. Good photo-editors are in high demand these days.

[mathjak107]

yep, as we discussed many times here a digital image out of the camera is only partially finished.

The second part is handled by your software and computer.