Reflection

[Dr. Z]

Some shots from tonight:

[Dr. Z]

[Blackstar]

Very nice, hopefully you can get some nice ones of Edinburger.

[Dr. Z]

One more I missed somehow!

[Haly]

Very nice
Makes me want to buy a camera, not good

[Desmo]

I'd love a decent camera along with some knowlege on how to use it properly. I think I've actually got quite a good eye for photos judging by some I've taken in the past.

[leowyatt]

I know what you mean Desmo, we have a Canon A95 and working out how to use that properly is a challenge.

Do you think one of our camera gurus could set some tasks so we can learn how to use them properly?

[William]

I have two cameras, neither is digital they are both second hand flim SLRs I think one was £80 the other was £200 with a lens, but you don't need a good camera to get great shots, it just makes it slightly easier. A lecturer at the college I went to did every one of his portfolios on a plastic disposable and they were amazing pictures. You can learn lots about composition and filters and lenses but best is just to get out there use up a load of films or in the C21st, memory sticks.

Basically for ease:

Rule of threes + Interesting subject + interesting shadows = win.

Which is why its good to take photos early morning or late evening.


A great photo for showing this is (I always forget the name but hopefully someone will know who I am on about)

Its a picture which is black and white. It is of a brick courtyard which is flooded and a person is jumping from one object to another and is reflected in the water. The interesting thing is the shape of the jumping person's arms match a clock tower in the background. Any ideas anyone?

I'm thinking it might be Bill Brant or someone...

[Dr. Z]

Leowyatt - I see you are on Merseyside! I am as well, as is cykey (petemc on here) so maybe one time you get come out to something like that (which was just a walk around a public lake at West Kirby) and have a play. At the end of the month there is going to be a meetup of a few of the "famous faces" from the photography forum 'over there' so perhaps you could come along to that?

To learn to take a good shot you need to learn what effect changing every setting on the camera does and why you would want to do that in a particular situation. An A95 is a great place to start from - I know of a few people that had A-series cameras and have got some stunning results from them. The only bad point is the shutterlag and the very slow focus speed but in most cases that wont be a huge problem.

Everything is a compromise and it is balancing it all out in favour of what you want to achieve that means you get a good shot.

There are three things that affect exposure: Shutter speed and Aperture are the two main factors and then you have ISO speed.

Aperture is the size of the hole that the light comes in through and gives you the most creative control of your shots. The number you see is given as F/x because it is related to the focal length of the lens. The longer the lens, the bigger the actual hole needs to be for any given F-stop. That probably sounds like gobbledeygook but its how the maths of it works

What that means for your photo is this: the bigger the aperture (smallest number) the more light that gets to see the sensor (or film). Wider apertures mean a smaller Depth of Field though, which is basically how much of the frame is in focus before and after the point that you focussed on. If you want to lock someones eyes into a particular part of a photo, you would want a small amount in focus with the rest blurred so choose a small number. If you are taking a landscape shot its the exact opposite - you want as much in focus as you can so go for the smallest aperture you can get (biggest number).

It sounds complicated but it isnt! It just takes getting used to!

Shutter speed is the next most important one. Depending on what you are doing you can use varying shutter speeds with little effect on the output. As long as your shutter speed is fast enough so that camera shake doesnt matter you will "get the shot" as long as you get the exposure right. The only real exception to that is sports where your shutter is the most imortant factor. It is possible to shoot sports/motorsport with a point and shoot but it is a frustrating experience and VERY hard to get a great shot because of the shutter lag as I mentioned earlier.

ISO speed is the same as film ISO speed. Generally speaking, the lower the number the better the shot but as it gets dark you can turn this up to get shorter exposure times to let you get shots you otherwise wouldnt get!

Thats all of the technical stuffs - the rest is all about picking the right subject and composing the shot well. Lighting plays a role and once you get going you will pick up on what shots need what lighting. Landscapes are the hardest of all! Have a look on the net for "The rule of thirds" and incorporate that into your shots. Loads of P&S cameras have a rule of thirds grid that you can superimpose over the LCD display. If you are struggling to find the thirds with your eye then thats a very easy way of learning!

As far as 'setting tasks' - just go out and take photos of anything and everything. Learn how to use photoshop or similar and just keep going! Look for inspiration and ideas in other peoples shots too

[Desmo]

DRZ, I assume you'll be taking your camera to the BBQ again? Any chance I could have a go?
Would be a good chance to chat as well as we never really seem to talk properly at a meet