Trotter's Newbie Questions..

Trotter

Instead of littering the forum with questions that any seasoned photographer will cringe at, I figured I'd start a thread where I can squirm and ask for help in a tidy way.

Im using a Nikon D60 with 2 lenses, an 18-55 and a 55-200. I got the camera about a month ago, and the 2nd lens this week.

First off, I took a photo with the camera yesterday of my other half sitting down at the table with her Mum standing behind her, hand on her shoulder. I couldn't figure out how to get both faces in full focus without going to the manual setting.

Taking it that my other half's Mum's head was say.. 30cm behind, I thought it'd be very easy to do. Although there isn't much difference, it is noticeable that the face closest to the camera is sharper.

How can I do this properly?

Thanks!

ThOnda

Was not this thread here already yesterday?

Fajitas!

If you're not teaching little sh*ts, I'm about Waterford this week and could be convinced to get up off my arse and go shooting with you? Might be able to answer your questions then.

Trotter

ThOnda wrote: »

Was not this thread here already yesterday?

I asked the mod if I should just start a thread to throw in a lot of different questions so I don't have to start a new thread each time. I expect over the next few weeks, I'll have plenty of questions seen as Im just starting out and I don't want to annoy anyone by constantly starting new threads.

I had the question above on another thread, and got a few answers but I still can't manage it unfortunately.

Fajitas! wrote: »

If you're not teaching little sh*ts, I'm about Waterford this week and could be convinced to get up off my arse and go shooting with you? Might be able to answer your questions then.

Hehe I'm not back in work until the 7th so that could well be excellent if you didnt mind! I'll PM you tomorrow if thats alright! Thanks a lot!


Another question, Is setting up the camera to take some shots, say inside at a party, a case of taking a few test shots first, and then as experience kicks in, setting up the optimum settings?

I missed a load of opportunites in the last few days because it was taking me so long to get the settings right.

Fajitas!

Pretty much as you said for the parties, take a few test shots to see how the lighting is coming out, when you're happy, rock and roll from there!

kensutz

I'll be around for a few days to shoot too. Mini meet ftw:pac:

Trotter

TJM

Trotter wrote: »

First off, I took a photo with the camera yesterday of my other half sitting down at the table with her Mum standing behind her, hand on her shoulder. I couldn't figure out how to get both faces in full focus without going to the manual setting.

Taking it that my other half's Mum's head was say.. 30cm behind, I thought it'd be very easy to do. Although there isn't much difference, it is noticeable that the face closest to the camera is sharper.

There's not much light around this time of year so your camera is probably using the widest aperture available to try to capture as much as possible. The side effect is that wider apertures mean you've little depth of field - especially if you're using the longer lens. Use the aperture priority setting to set a narrower aperture value (f8 should do it) to give you greater depth of field.

Trotter

TJM wrote: »

There's not much light around this time of year so your camera is probably using the widest aperture available to try to capture as much as possible. The side effect is that wider apertures mean you've little depth of field - especially if you're using the longer lens. Use the aperture priority setting to set a narrower aperture value (f8 should do it) to give you greater depth of field.

Does that also mean that my shutter speed will be slower, so I need to steady the camera better?

As in.. in A mode, the higher the f stop, the slower the shutter speed, the more the photo is prone to blur?

TJM

That's right. Alternatively you can up the ISO to compensate or (better yet) turn on a few lights.

Mycroft H

Trotter wrote: »

Does that also mean that my shutter speed will be slower, so I need to steady the camera better?

As in.. in A mode, the higher the f stop, the slower the shutter speed, the more the photo is prone to blur?

Next purchase is a decent tripod and a flash gun, alternativly a stack of books to sit your camera on and a lamp

Stephen

Trotter: Are those shot at Mahon Falls?

Cabaal

Stephen wrote: »

Trotter: Are those shot at Mahon Falls?

I'd say they are