Getting into photography

[coxmaster]

Yesterday i picked up a brand new Canon S5IS for what i consider a REALLY good deal. I havent been big into photography much, basically because i didnt have a good camera available. I know the S5 isnt perfect, but it'll definately work for me as a beginning camera.

Any tips and tricks on taking some good pics? I just need to find something to take pictures of!

 

[sivart]

there is a sticky above that gives good resources for tips.

Always remember that the most important part of a good picture is what is behind the camera

Photography should be viewed as an art. The best / most technical camera in the world can't take good pictures without some creativity.

 

[corkyg]

The S5 IS is more than a basic P&S camera. You can learn lots from it. First, study the manual and learn what the different menu settings do. The start shooting and learning.

You can take pictures of anything - even a rock in the garden. Try flowers - try landscapes. Try people. Anything goes. You are creating art.

 

[coxmaster]

Originally posted by: corkyg
The S5 IS is more than a basic P&S camera. You can learn lots from it. First, study the manual and learn what the different menu settings do. The start shooting and learning.

You can take pictures of anything - even a rock in the garden. Try flowers - try landscapes. Try people. Anything goes. You are creating art.

Heh, i read the entire "basic" manual today, and just played around with different aperature and ISO settings to get a feel for things. Started reading the advanced manual also, its definately helping a TON.

Ive got more than enough experience with basic P&S cameras.. so i figured for 200$ the S5 was TOTALLY worth it. That was the lowest i had ever seen a brand new one. Hopefully i'll have some time tomorrow to go outside and take some pics to see what i can get.

 

[coxmaster]

Well i got bored.. so instead of doing homework i took a few quick pics of some of my brothers model airplanes. Only a few were good, and i only uploaded one. Here it is Its not too bad, considering it was VERY dark in my basement, even with the lights. I took that at ISO 100 to reduce the noise, and i think it turned out fairly well for such a quick photo.

 

[ghostman]

Understand what aperture, shutter speed and ISO do to your photo and how to expose for a photo in different situations (ie, backlit, cloudy skies, sunny skies). Also figure out how to use flash properly and creatively. And of course, keep in mind photo composition.

Not to discourage you, but your photo looks fairly standard from a P&S camera (on-board flash, harsh shadows, mixed lighting, etc.). But it's good to be out experimenting in different environments to get used to your camera. The S5 should be a very capable camera and it has a hot shoe, allowing you to make use of external flashes (if you use flash, the on-board flash is usually not the best choice). If I'm not mistaken, it also has a swivel LCD, allowing you to take more unique shots rather than the typical eye-level shots.

 

[corkyg]

Here is a sample I just made with the older model of your camera - the S3 IS. It has a smaller articulated LCD, and no hot shoe. But is a capable performer which I use as a backup and "quickie" camera. This is a picture that may be used on E-Bay. It is the baculum of a small male walrus.

Oosik

It is called "oosik/oosic" in Alaska. I have had this one for about 30 years.

Placing the yardstick in the picture provides scale needed to arrive at a price. No flash was used.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: corkyg
Here is a sample I just made with the older model of your camera - the S3 IS. It has a smaller articulated LCD, and no hot shoe. But is a capable performer which I use as a backup and "quickie" camera. This is a picture that may be used on E-Bay. It is the baculum of a small male walrus.

Oosik

It is called "oosik/oosic" in Alaska. I have had this one for about 30 years.

Placing the yardstick in the picture provides scale needed to arrive at a price. No flash was used.

15" :shocked:

 

[coxmaster]

Originally posted by: ghostman


Not to discourage you, but your photo looks fairly standard from a P&S camera (on-board flash, harsh shadows, mixed lighting, etc.). But it's good to be out experimenting in different environments to get used to your camera. The S5 should be a very capable camera and it has a hot shoe, allowing you to make use of external flashes (if you use flash, the on-board flash is usually not the best choice). If I'm not mistaken, it also has a swivel LCD, allowing you to take more unique shots rather than the typical eye-level shots.

Oh ya i know.. trust me. Im still just playing with different settings to get a feel for what works well and what doesnt.

I understand ISO fairly well, and i know where the camera looses quality quickly. I have found many online explanations of aperture settings, but none of them really made much sense to me. Anybody know of a simple explanation to understand before diving into the more advanced stuff?

 

[ghostman]

You'll get much better descriptions of photography terms online, but I can throw my version out.

Exposure is how much light hits the camera's sensor. If too much light hits it, your photo is overexposed and looks washed out. If there is not enough light, then your photo is underexposed. Exposure is controlled by the ISO setting, the aperture and the shutter speed. Getting the "correct exposure" (which is a subjective) is a balance between these options. A P&S camera will automatically make this determination for you, sometimes with poor results.

Aperture is the size of the opening in the lens created by the shutter blades. It's usually shown in the format "f/2.8", "f/5.6", "f/11", etc.. When the number is smaller (2.8 < 5.6), the opening in the lens is actually bigger. A big opening in a lens would allow more light in at once, allowing you to use a faster shutter speed or lower ISO. A big opening also creates a shallow depth of field (DOF), meaning only a small area will be in focus.

Shutter speed determines the amount of time the sensor is exposed to light. A fast shutter speed would allow you to capture a bird in flight. A slow shutter speed, when used properly, can create creative trails or panning effects. When a slow shutter speed is used, you risk creating blurry photos from camera shake. A slow shutter speed would allow more light in, so you can choose to use a lower ISO or a smaller aperture (higher f number).

This, of course, barely scratches the surface of what you can do and the effects you can create with your camera. And adding in flash would open a completely separate way of capturing photos.

 

[alfa147x]

enter the contest ?

 

[coxmaster]

Originally posted by: alfa147x
enter the contest ?

Definitely planning on it. Just waiting to see what the theme is for September...

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

Originally posted by: coxmaster
Yesterday i picked up a brand new Canon S5IS for what i consider a REALLY good deal. I havent been big into photography much, basically because i didnt have a good camera available. I know the S5 isnt perfect, but it'll definately work for me as a beginning camera.

Any tips and tricks on taking some good pics? I just need to find something to take pictures of!

Good buy on the S5! :thumbsup:

My advice (and I'm hardly an expert): Play around with your camera, and figure out what you need to do in order to get sharp, well-exposed photos. Get an idea about how ISO effects shutter speed, and see what shutter speeds you need in order to get a blur-free photo. Shoot lots of pictures. Shoot in daylight. When outside, try to shoot with sun coming from over your shoulder, so the subject is nicely lit.

Shoot indoors without using the flash. See how slow of a shutter you can use and still get a sharp pic. I've seen people use a shutter of 1/4 sec. handheld - image stabilization is nice to have.

If you have any interest in shooting wildlife or family events where there's movement, see how fast you can raise your camera, point it, steady yourself, and shoot. Practice that, because you may be able to capture that precious, fleeting moment and have it forever.

Don't worry about aperture, to start. In a small-sensor camera such as yours, aperture doesn't mean as much because the DOF (depth of field) is so much greater in your camera than in an SLR.

Don't worry about the photography-as-art stuff. The vast majority of photography is not art - it is documentation. This event happened, I saw this, let me take your picture so I remember what you look like tomorrow. You are capturing and preserving an instant of God's (or the Infinite, whatever) creation. That's it, no more, no less. Someday, if you want to get artsy with lighting and composition, go for it.

Take pics of people without chopping off their heads.

If you are taking a photo of someone outside, and there is a shadow across his/her face, or in the eye sockets, turn on your camera's flash. This will remove shadows.

Google "rule of thirds".

Here's a good link: http://asp.photo.free.fr/Compo...ramCompMainClass.shtml

Look around, try to see stuff that you may not ordinarily pay attention to. Take pictures like its going out of style.

 

[coxmaster]

Thats exactly what i got into photography for. Im not trying to be artistic with my photos, nor am i trying to take a "million dollar shot" I'm just here to have a little fun, kill some time, and learn!