Complete newbie question for aspiring photographer

contentking

Hi Guys,

I nearly always use my canon dslr in manual mode to get practice. But I find that of the 20 shots I take, maybe 1 is just ok in terms of quality.

I have to tweak the shutter speed and f-stop for about 2 minutes before a picture I take looks anyway decent! How do you pros go about your settings with your camera so quick?

Do you nearly always shoot a certain at 1/125th of a second with a f-stop of f4?

jpb1974

I'm no pro but...

Typically I use Aperture Priority mode and let the camera figure out the correct shutter speed.

If the shutter speed is too slow for what I'm doing then I either open the aperture a bit more e.g. go from F8 to F4 or bump up the ISO e.g. 100 to 400.

This covers about 90% of my street photography stuff where typically you have to be on your toes. I try to keep the shutter speed to a minimum of about 1/60th sec.

Nisio

I'll distance myself from the word "pro" ! (my pics do that for me )

Most of the time if I'm out and about I'll either want a specific depth of field so I pick aperture priority or I'll want to freeze some motion so I pick shutter priority. I try to set the ISO to the lowest value I think I can get away with and let the camera pick the third variable.

hbr

contentking wrote: »

Hi Guys,

I nearly always use my canon dslr in manual mode to get practice. But I find that of the 20 shots I take, maybe 1 is just sub par in terms of quality.

If you have a 95% 'hit' rate, you really are doing a lot better than most (all?) of us.

I have to tweak the shutter speed and f-stop for about 2 minutes before a picture I take looks anyway decent! How do you pros go about your settings with your camera so quick?

Nobody gets the perfect shot first time, every time. You will find it gets easier with practice.

Do you nearly always shoot a certain at 1/125th of a second with a f-stop of f4?

No. There are too many variables involved to come up with 'standard settings' for any situation.

contentking

Thanks guys. When you say aperture priority, do you mean AV or A-Dep on the dial?

jpb1974

AV mode.

You dial in the aperture and based on the selected ISO the camera calculates the shutter speed.

contentking

hbr wrote: »

If you have a 95% 'hit' rate, you really are doing a lot better than most (all?) of us.

Sorry, I wrote that a**ways, I mean 1 out of 20 are just ok.

Paulw

For shooting in M (manual mode) you really need to understand light and exposure.

Your shutter speed, ISO and aperture all combine.

These will change (frequently) depending on light, conditions and what you want from the image.

Most people will start off shooting in Aperture Priority (Av). The lower the number (f/2.8) then the more open your shutter is. This will generally give you a smaller depth of field.

Understanding Exposure is a brilliant book, which will help you learn.

baby and crumble

yeah ap on a canon is aperture priority (isn't it? Oh god i'm doubting myself now...). Again, I'm no pro, so i get a bit overwhelmed with trying to figure out everything if i go manual, so i decide on one of the priority modes, depending on what i'm shooting.

swingking

If you are shooting in manual mode, then it really depends what you're taking your metre reading off.

I would try to shoot in manual mostly and take a -2/3rds reading off green grass or would meter for perfect exposure off anything that's grey.

I would also try to bracket the exposures so I'm getting a selection of exposures to choose from.

pixbyjohn

Have a good read of this
http://stopshootingauto.com/2007/09/10/how-your-camera-works-exposure-modes/

Also get to know your camera's light/exposure meter

charybdis

There are two things you need to understand for this: metering and exposure.

Exposure is the amount of light that goes into making a photograph. There are three ways to control exposure: aperture value, shutter speed, and ISO. You should read about each of these to understand what they do and how to balance them for your desired exposure.

Metering is the process of measuring the amount of light in a scene. Metering is important as it can suggest exposure parameters that you may wish to use. Basically, light meters read the amount of light in a scene and suggest exposure parameters that will give you a good average exposure of the scene. They do this by suggesting exposure parameters that will treat the scene as if it is a mid-grey tone. This can be useful in most situations, but there are times when your desired photograph will not average out to middle grey and you'll need to make an intelligent change to the exposure parameters your meter is suggesting.

When you use your camera in a non-manual mode a meter inside the camera controls the exposure. This can be useful as you can use one of these modes in a situation where you know the camera will expose in a predictable way and don't want to set exposure manually but it is still important to understand how you camera works so you can use manual exposure when auto-exposure isn't doing what you want it to do.

Your camera manual will tell you a surprising amount about all of these things. I strongly suggest you read all the relevant parts of the manual as they explain it very clearly and in a way that is specific to your camera. You should be able to understand absolutely everything in those sections of the manual, read it until you do.

By the way, I don't really think Understanding Exposure is a particularly good book. If you think it might help you understand photography better it might still be worth reading, but I don't think it's a good introduction to exposure and it's far from exhaustive.

Thecageyone

On my old bridge cam I always used Manual mode, but it was much easier as the range was more limited. On the dslr now I mostly have it in Aperture priority, the best semi-auto mode on any camera IMHO. I'll set the aperture I desire, and half press the shutter to see what the camera thinks re: shutter speed. Take a tester shot, if it's too dark - I'll flick to manual on the same aperture but slow the shutter down, I can usually get it right going by the light in the tester. If it's too bright for my liking I speed shutter up a little.

charybdis

Thecageyone wrote: »

On my old bridge cam I always used Manual mode, but it was much easier as the range was more limited. On the dslr now I mostly have it in Aperture priority, the best semi-auto mode on any camera IMHO. I'll set the aperture I desire, and half press the shutter to see what the camera thinks re: shutter speed. Take a tester shot, if it's too dark - I'll flick to manual on the same aperture but slow the shutter down, I can usually get it right going by the light in the tester. If it's too bright for my liking I speed shutter up a little.

Why don't you just use exposure compensation?

Nforce

It'll also help if you shoot in RAW as you can adjust the exposure during PP.

challengemaster

Here would be my way of shooting / "standard" settings

ISO 100
AV mode
Go from there.

Decide what I want to be sharp in the photo, rough estimate f/stop that would suit. Take a photo, then zoom in and check the sharpness. If it needs more light, up the iso.

Sin é

AnCatDubh

I guess everything has its purpose with your camera - all the modes are good for something.

I personally like manual because it forces a bit of thought about what I want to do, rather than letting the camera manufacturer engineer have any influence on my resulting image (well, on the shooting parameters).

Part of it will be knowing your gear (stop that sniggering in the cheap seats )

1 out of 20 is a bit low I would expect - fair enough if composition/framing is a problem but if you are using the camera's meter or metering manually, or depending on some basic rules like sunny 16, then you should be getting reasonable quality images.

In manual mode, you will get 'comfy' with certain parameters which work well for you, that you will instinctively know/remember from previous shooting - your camera's meter will be your guide but don't slavishly obey it - otherwise well some of the auto modes will be just perfectly fine for what way you intend to shoot and honestly, the auto modes will be faster at working out the maths than your brain will.

When you shoot in manual, you essentially choose what you want. Do you want a large depth of field or narrow - you will learn to understand the impact of other facets of such topics/subjects, do you want sharpness or your image to have creative motion blur, do you want a creative noise/grain in your resulting image, do you want to overexpose or underexpose the image or keep it spot on (if you trust your meter), how to compensate for (lack of) dynamic range, and so forth. The control is entirely in your hands. The difference is you choose entirely.

Start by trusting the in camera meter, obey it in terms of your shooting parameters and when you get a correct exposure indicated - shoot. Then disobey and see what a greater shutter speed or more open aperture will do to your image. Study these and understand the effect of your choices.

Pay attention to charybdis's post - lots of wisdom in there if even I don't particularly agree about 'understanding exposure', or should I say when I was in your situation being noob to things, I did find that book quite illuminating - not the be all and end all, but a candle in the dark (perhaps not an awful more actual information than what you are getting on this thread, but it expands of the iso, shutter speed, and aperture more than what people can afford to write here).

sheesh

Well there is one quick way of figuring out the approximate settings for a shot

put the camera into auto and take a shot

use the aperture, shutter speed and iso of this shot as a starting point

your practically half way there then

Majik_Imaje

contentking wrote: »

Hi Guys,

But I find that of the 20 shots I take, maybe 1 is just ok in terms of quality.

Ansel Adams said: 12 good photographs in a year.. .. is a good crop!

I have to tweak the shutter speed and f-stop for about 2 minutes before a picture I take looks anyway decent! How do you pros go about your settings with your camera so quick?

Ansel Adams said: The most important item in any photographers 'bag' is .. .. a notebook !

Do you nearly always shoot a certain at 1/125th of a second with a f-stop of f4?[/QUOTE] Yes ! Exactly !!! but no!

NOW... YOU ARE BEGINING TO UNDERSTAND !!! Let me clear it up for you and give you something to ... ... ... 'PRACTICE'!

I threw my light meter away in 1973 - I AM A PRO - and I have a distinguised track record of published work. I make a ton of money from images I create 30 years ago and they still continue to sell bigger and better every year.

Learn how to read 'light' !! It is very easy to accomplish with extremely predictable results - with much practice and keeping notes !!

FIRST OF ALL: Only 3 'things' happen when you 'squeeze' that shutter and create an image. Just three.

That image is too light - That image is too dark - That image is correctly exposed !!

Number one 'habit' to acquire: Set your shutter speed and forget about it!

For me (outside) It is either 1/125 or 1/250 of a second using 100 ISO

FOR 40 YEARS... one of those two shutter speeds is for all practical purposes all that I ever use. (outside).

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO: is open or close your aperature - one stop !!

Let me explain - :

100 ISO - 200 ISO = ONE F-STOP

200 ISO - 400 ISO = ONE F-STOP

400 ISO - 800 ISO = ONE F-STOP

ETC

ETC

ETC

The habit you are trying to achieve is consistent exposures

for over 40 years, I only use 100 iso.

I have never had a 'need' to use anything else!! (how about that) !

Old professional photographers that created images for very old issues of National Geographic - we limited to using ISO - 25 !!

KODACHROME was the only transparency film NG would allow for their publications

That's two f-stop difference from 100 iso !

I use my eyes: I look - for shadows.

125 @ f 11 puts me right in the ball park for a sunny day with a subject or scene illumniated by the sun casting distinct shadows.

That is ALL I NEED TO KNOW (and practice) and keep notes so that you can LOOK BACK and understand and comprehend the simple correlation of what you are doing.

I am walking down a street and I see something interesting while I am walking. FIRST I notice the colors - are they dark(er). = open one stop.

is this scene (brighter) ? close one stop. Is it the same as (last exposure) ? then keep settings the same.



When you can do this consistently - frame after frame - then you are now doing what is called -" shooting from the hip".

LEARN TO USE YOUR EYES !!! study, look, pay attention and take notes.

soon you will be creating images (second nature) without even thinking about exposure values.

I use EV 15 for 40 years. That is all I need to know - to CONSTRUCT all 22 EV charts in your head !!!

This is so simple to learn and master:

100 ISO - EV 15


1000 Sec. @ F-5.6

500 Sec. @ F-8

250 Sec. @ F-11

125 Sec. @ F-16

60 Sec. @ F- 22

30 Sec. @ F-32

15 Sec. @ F- 45

8 Sec. @ F- 64

4 Sec. @ F- 90

2 Sec. @ F-128

EACH OF THESE SETTINGS WILL EQUAL THE EXACT SAME CORRECT EXPOSURE FOR (A GIVEN SCENE). (outdoors - bright sun - distinct shadows).

The only thing 'different' in each of those images is - The depth of field

Every image has same characteristics - they are all identical (exposure wise).

Now - next; if it is not bright sun - and it is cloudy what do you do ??

you would not close the aperature you would open it 2 stops and you are back in the ball park again!!! just by looking !! and practice and keeping notes.

Shooting into the sun - 125 @ 5.6 and I am in the ballpark (backlit subjects).

LEARN TO PARK YOUR SHUTTER SPEED(S) AND adjust your aperature

SIMPLICITY AT ITS BEST !! THIS IS THE SECRET (after much practice).

I enjoy a very high degree of confidence using FILM. One image = one frame of film only. I do not bracket. I know what is going to happen based on 'experience'

It doesn't matter which year it is - the settings always remain the same for me (in any given situation). Light is light - learn how to LOOK & DISCERN and.. .. practice taking notes.

I do not use 35 mm since 1973. I much prefer medium format. It is much quicker in my honest opinon and with a much larger (negative) or image file - no 35 can compare to medium format for large prints.

The difference is overwhelming !!
and in the same manner - nothing on this earth can match or come close to LARGE FORMAT!!

Cannon or Nikon ?? nope not me no way. Hassleblad - Mamiya or Leica.

I much prefer the absolute sharpest image possible.

I hope some of what I took the time to type out - will encourage you to develop disclipined habits that will lead you to CONFIDENCE by understanding - how to look and read what your eyes see!!

contentking

Majik_Imaje wrote: »

contentking wrote: »

Hi Guys,

But I find that of the 20 shots I take, maybe 1 is just ok in terms of quality.

Ansel Adams said: 12 good photographs in a year.. .. is a good crop!

I have to tweak the shutter speed and f-stop for about 2 minutes before a picture I take looks anyway decent! How do you pros go about your settings with your camera so quick?

Ansel Adams said: The most important item in any photographers 'bag' is .. .. a notebook !

Do you nearly always shoot a certain at 1/125th of a second with a f-stop of f4?[/QUOTE] Yes ! Exactly !!! but no!

NOW... YOU ARE BEGINING TO UNDERSTAND !!! Let me clear it up for you and give you something to ... ... ... 'PRACTICE'!

I threw my light meter away in 1973 - I AM A PRO - and I have a distinguised track record of published work. I make a ton of money from images I create 30 years ago and they still continue to sell bigger and better every year.

Learn how to read 'light' !! It is very easy to accomplish with extremely predictable results - with much practice and keeping notes !!

FIRST OF ALL: Only 3 'things' happen when you 'squeeze' that shutter and create an image. Just three.

That image is too light - That image is too dark - That image is correctly exposed !!

Number one 'habit' to acquire: Set your shutter speed and forget about it!

For me (outside) It is either 1/125 or 1/250 of a second using 100 ISO

FOR 40 YEARS... one of those two shutter speeds is for all practical purposes all that I ever use. (outside).

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO: is open or close your aperature - one stop !!

Let me explain - :

100 ISO - 200 ISO = ONE F-STOP

200 ISO - 400 ISO = ONE F-STOP

400 ISO - 800 ISO = ONE F-STOP

ETC

ETC

ETC

The habit you are trying to achieve is consistent exposures

for over 40 years, I only use 100 iso.

I have never had a 'need' to use anything else!! (how about that) !

Old professional photographers that created images for very old issues of National Geographic - we limited to using ISO - 25 !!

KODACHROME was the only transparency film NG would allow for their publications

That's two f-stop difference from 100 iso !

I use my eyes: I look - for shadows.

125 @ f 11 puts me right in the ball park for a sunny day with a subject or scene illumniated by the sun casting distinct shadows.

That is ALL I NEED TO KNOW (and practice) and keep notes so that you can LOOK BACK and understand and comprehend the simple correlation of what you are doing.

I am walking down a street and I see something interesting while I am walking. FIRST I notice the colors - are they dark(er). = open one stop.

is this scene (brighter) ? close one stop. Is it the same as (last exposure) ? then keep settings the same.



When you can do this consistently - frame after frame - then you are now doing what is called -" shooting from the hip".

LEARN TO USE YOUR EYES !!! study, look, pay attention and take notes.

soon you will be creating images (second nature) without even thinking about exposure values.

I use EV 15 for 40 years. That is all I need to know - to CONSTRUCT all 22 EV charts in your head !!!

This is so simple to learn and master:

100 ISO - EV 15


1000 Sec. @ F-5.6

500 Sec. @ F-8

250 Sec. @ F-11

125 Sec. @ F-16

60 Sec. @ F- 22

30 Sec. @ F-32

15 Sec. @ F- 45

8 Sec. @ F- 64

4 Sec. @ F- 90

2 Sec. @ F-128

EACH OF THESE SETTINGS WILL EQUAL THE EXACT SAME CORRECT EXPOSURE FOR (A GIVEN SCENE). (outdoors - bright sun - distinct shadows).

The only thing 'different' in each of those images is - The depth of field

Every image has same characteristics - they are all identical (exposure wise).

Now - next; if it is not bright sun - and it is cloudy what do you do ??

you would not close the aperature you would open it 2 stops and you are back in the ball park again!!! just by looking !! and practice and keeping notes.

Shooting into the sun - 125 @ 5.6 and I am in the ballpark (backlit subjects).

LEARN TO PARK YOUR SHUTTER SPEED(S) AND adjust your aperature

SIMPLICITY AT ITS BEST !! THIS IS THE SECRET (after much practice).

I enjoy a very high degree of confidence using FILM. One image = one frame of film only. I do not bracket. I know what is going to happen based on 'experience'

It doesn't matter which year it is - the settings always remain the same for me (in any given situation). Light is light - learn how to LOOK & DISCERN and.. .. practice taking notes.

I do not use 35 mm since 1973. I much prefer medium format. It is much quicker in my honest opinon and with a much larger (negative) or image file - no 35 can compare to medium format for large prints.

The difference is overwhelming !!
and in the same manner - nothing on this earth can match or come close to LARGE FORMAT!!

Cannon or Nikon ?? nope not me no way. Hassleblad - Mamiya or Leica.

I much prefer the absolute sharpest image possible.

I hope some of what I took the time to type out - will encourage you to develop disclipined habits that will lead you to CONFIDENCE by understanding - how to look and read what your eyes see!!

I have no words apart from... THANKS! and do you go to any photography meetups?

Majik_Imaje

YOU ARE VERY WELCOME !! contentking

Meetings ? nope - never & I might add, I have never had so much as one class ever in any aspect of photography.

I learned by making every conceivable mistake; recognizing it; learning how to correct for it. It took me many years to develop my style; it all begins and continues with .. .. practice - never stop - become obsessed.

The easiest way to learn correct compostion and photo skills is to ... ...


read & memorize rules


Study images created by professional photographers !!