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Post by Brynn on Aug 26, 2010 16:46:36 GMT -5
Okay, so this is a bit of an unusual post. For me, at least. XD My grandfather recently sent me his old, from the 50's SLR camera with all the lenses he had and a nice case. I have two I guess "regular range" lenses and one nice macro lens I get to play around with. Now, I SUCK at photographs. Like, horrendously. I understand the concept of centering or the rule of thirds, but I just can't seem to pull it off. Either the lighting gets me, or my tremor makes the picture all blurry. Since I haven't used a manual camera in at least a decade, I was wondering if you guys had any tips or tricks for me to take some decent pictures. As in, how do you manage lighting outside? Is the light supposed to be behind you? Is it ever okay to have it not directly behind you? How about indoors? How do you light things without flash? I'm a complete and utter noob, but I know some of y'all are fanatics who would love to school me on this sort of stuff. I might if I have enough fun try out a photography class in the spring. I really want to give photography a shot, especially since this camera will easily be the nicest one I've gotten to use... probably about ever. Did I mention I got a ginormous macro lens? IT'S HOT AND MAKES ME SAD THAT I DON'T HAVE MY 30 GALLON ANYMORE.
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Post by Rinkái on Aug 26, 2010 17:57:54 GMT -5
If you have problems with shakes, why not look into a small tripod, or perhaps try balancing the camera on fenceposts/walls and other available objects when taking pictures? I have very shaky hands and always have done, so I usually take advantage of the environment to support my camera. (:
Also, I generally don't worry so much about lighting as the focus... but I would usually say the lighting would be best behind you, or to the side, depending which part of an object/person you want to highlight. It's very hard to take good pictures with the light directly in front of you, but experiment with different angles!
I hate flash, so I usually take pictures indoors near a big window with good light, or perhaps set up a few nice lamps. ^___^
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Post by Clover on Aug 26, 2010 19:46:20 GMT -5
thiiiis. uhh hum yeah i think that's it hahaha. if you're trying to get a clear image try a higher shutter speed, but then adjust the aperture out so the colors and lighting stay nice.
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Post by Arty on Aug 26, 2010 19:59:01 GMT -5
^ That quote x2. I never use flash, ever. It ruins all of my photos and is just ridiculous. I usually only photograph outside anyway, so I never need it. My friends love me because I'm the only person that can take photos of them without turning them into reflective 2D people >.>
But yeah, setting up lights is a good idea, even cheap lamps. If you put a piece of paper or something over the lamp's opening, it softens the light. I learned that from a pro photographer ;P
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Post by Rinkái on Aug 26, 2010 20:03:33 GMT -5
^ my photography teacher used to get huge flourescent lamps without shades and then sellotape white umbrellas to the front of them, haha! It created a really soft edged, but quite bright, white light that made for lovely photographs. Not sure if Brynn will have room for the big lamps, but it's always worth suggesting. (:
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Post by Brynn on Aug 26, 2010 20:17:18 GMT -5
hehe, thanks guys! I have some ideas for pictures that I want to try, but I'll definitely try the lamp thingy. I want to do some pictures with my hammies if I get a chance to.
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