Photography Tips

[Sheepking]

I see how well a lot of people on here take photographs and wonder if anyone would like to share any tips or websites about the basics of digital photography.

My pictures aren't terrible, but they are usually too dark and not as sharp as many of you seem to be able to get. I'm using a canon s-50 which i beleive is a good camera (i'd love to get a 300d but it seems like a lot of money for not much more).

I usually take my shots in auto mode which probably isn't helping.

[Andrew70]

Think about composition and framing.
You can take a technically perfect shot from an exposure, white balance, etc point of view, but if the aesthetics of the shot are wrong, it will never look like a GREAT picture. You need boths skills to turn out decent pictures regularly.
(I tend to manage one or the other but rarely both.)

A.

[mattsday]

One big problem I have:
When myself and several friends are out at a restaurant or something, I try to take a picture of us lot from the end of a table so hopefully I can get everyone in. This is at night and the restaurant is usually lit with low lighting so I have to use the flash. The problem is, the guys closest to the camera are always correctly (if not over) exposed, but the people further away are quite dark as if the flash didn't reach them or something. But if I zoom into the people further away and take another picture, it comes out OK. I can never get it exposed evenly :(

[Brozyniak]

If your pictures are too dark you need to look at:

Exposure - Increase the size of the aperture to let in more light (slower shutter speed more risk of shake and less depth of focus - blurry backgrounds)
ISO speed - Increase the ISO speed to increase sensitivity (faster response to exposure but higher visible grain in the picture)

To reduce the blurred effect:

Ensure that there is no camera shake - hold the camera steadily and press the shutter release between breaths, not holding your breath! or use a tripod
Increase shutter speed - but this will widen the aperture - see above on depth of focus
Check that your auto focus setting are correct and that the subject is properly in focus before taking the picture.

[Matholwch]

Try spot metering, and perhaps even perusading your mates to stay slight still (if posing, yet makes photo very phoney), then place the camera on something still, and take the photo without flash, and on timer (say 2sec if you're not bothered about being in the picture), or if you have a steady hand then just take the photo without flash (I've had too many late nights out, my nerves are shattered).

Here's a photo I took of my mates towards the end of the night, there is some slight blurring - my unsteady hands, and them moving.
Spotlight Lads (http://www.arwslimited.co.uk/images/110_1096.gif)

[raymondlin]

Just leave the camera shutter open for ages, No flash, then you'll get the natural light in the room. Like this, thou this is outdoors.

http://img49.exs.cx/img49/9418/IMG_0644.th.jpg (http://img49.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img49&image=IMG_0644.jpg)

Or try experiment, I love doing long exposure with flash lately with friends. Set the camera to AV mode, set it to like 2 seconds, and then leave the flash on, you'll get the background lights and then the person in focus. it's well funky when it comes out "most" of the time.

http://img49.exs.cx/img49/7936/IMG_1141.th.jpg (http://img49.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img49&image=IMG_1141.jpg)

[raymondlin]

Thou I think this thread can be merge into the Perpetual photography thread.

[Brozyniak]

Or try experiment, I love doing long exposure with flash lately with friends. Set the camera to AV mode, set it to like 2 seconds, and then leave the flash on, you'll get the background lights and then the person in focus. it's well funky when it comes out "most" of the time.


that won't solve his problem though. To be frank there is not a lot you can do, other than by not using a flash or using multiple lights sources which clearly impractical. Just get as far back as you can.

[Sam]

The only way I would suggest is meter off the front person and take a pic and then quickly meter of the last person and take a pic and then overlay in PS and alter the brightness & contrast until you're happy with it.

Hints and tips here:
http://www.fodors.com/focus/
http://www.aots37.dsl.pipex.com/se_hints.htm
http://www.photonhead.com/exposure/
http://h41157.www4.hp.com/uk/en/tips/photography.html
http://betterphotos.cjb.net/

[raymondlin]

don't use the flash and ask everyone to hold still for about 10 seconds should do, or meter off the back person but then the front guy would be all white and over exposed.

[Andrew70]

Here's a photography tip - don't listen to raymondlin. :D

A.

[devs]

Just spotted this thread and thought I'd give my new site a little plug ;)

It called image vote and you can upload your best photos for other members to vote on them... www.imagevote.co.uk hope you like it?

Cheers,

dEVS! ;)