Howdy from Colorado
Feb 22, 2014 00:29:39 #
I merely have a Canon SX30 point and shooter. My wife is taking delivery on a Nikon 520 point and shooter. Once upon a time I carried a bag of cameras, lenses, meters and the like. Now with digital, good glass, and amazing (to me) zoom quality, the point and shoot seems to be the best choice for travel - which we like to do. I know a lot of folks on the forum have serious cameras and a part of me is admittedly envious. I hope one or two of my shots wind up being pleasing. And I look forward to learning how to improve my technical and artistic capabilities with all of your help.
St Stephan's at Holy Meteora, Greece
Stairway at Taishan, China
Convent in Salamanca, Spain
Feb 22, 2014 01:24:56 #
It's the person behind the camera that makes a picture good. A talented photographer can do better with a point and shoot then I can with $10,000 worth of equipment. But I am studying and getting some practice.
Judging from your shots, I say you have a good eye and feel for composition. Greece, China and Spain -- looks like you do a lot of traveling. Lucky!
I started making a list of the things I needed to consider when taking a shot. It got pretty darn long.So I tried to put it in a reasonable format and put it in the computer. Then I thought it might be helpful to other beginners. I'm still working on it.
I don't know how well it will come out or if it will maintain a usable format when put into this message. But, here is what I have so far. Hope it is usable and helpful. If I had your email address, I could send it to you as pdf file.
Considerations When Working a Photographic Scene
This is not intended to teach anything, but to offer a comprehensive list of things to think about when working on a shot. This includes making notes that might be helpful when doing post processing later, such as reminders about the lighting, colors and equipment used. If a term is unfamiliar, Google it or look for tutorials on the Internet. Try http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Books-Tutorials/ci/19977/N/4075419990 or http://www.adorama.com/alc/ or https://www.youtube.com/ or http://digital-photography-school.com/tips and others. Heres a good overview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8HZCdieSAo&feature=youtu.be . © Thomas C. Hudson. Permission is granted to use without alteration for free distribution or in courses offered without cost to the public.
Why are you considering working this scene?
Is the subject interesting, offer exceptional beauty, and/or invoke a mood or emotion, or tell a story?
Can you capture the interest, beauty, mood, emotion or story in a photograph?
Will it connect with the viewer?
If the answer is no to any of these question, dont bother getting out your camera. Move on.
Composition:
First considerations:
Look for a fresh approach, not the obvious ones that has been done over and over.
What is the focal point? How can it be enhanced?
Identify elements that make the shot work or give it the desired prospective. How can you use them?
Move around, closer, farther, right, left, higher or lower. Walk around. Explore other views or angles.
Pay close attention to the background. What should be avoided? Should it be sharp or blurred?
What lens will you use? Try several; wide angle, a nifty fifty, portrait and/or a telephoto,
Should the camera be horizontal or vertical, level or at an angle? Consider a panorama.
Visualize what you want the final image to look like and then go for it.
Look around for other shots from this location. When taking a sunset, look at the sky behind you.
Think about the rules of composition and which ones, if any, or combination will work best for this shot:
Rule of Thirds,
Golden Triangle; Golden Rectangle, (long side ÷ Short side = 1.618= Golden Ratio); Golden Curve,
Leading Lines,
Natural frames,
Anything else that will lead the viewers eyes into the scene.
Layers, i.e., using the near, middle distance, and background to emphasize depth, beauty or interest.
Dont crop tight if a tall object will need to be made upright with software later.
What will best help capture the subject?
Is their interest in the foreground, mid-ground, and/or background? Want to keep all in focus, or not?
Is the ground, water, or sky most interesting? This may help determine where to place the horizon.
Aperture: Consider Depth of Field and Hyperfocal distance. Higher f stops = greater depth of field.
Want everything in focus or just specific objects or elements to be isolated or highlighted?
Do you want the background out-of-focus? Think about the bokar.
Shutter speed capture motion or freeze it. Consider panning on a moving subject.
ISO Consider high ISO for faster shutter speed or a smaller aperture, or low ISO to avoid noise?
Does everything in the frame have a reason to be there? If not, can you get it out of the picture?
Should you include a person or object to help give the scene perspective or depth?
Avoid anything that distracts from the composition, subject or leading the eye into the picture. Do people have a relationship with the subject, or can one be created?
Fill the frame. Consider using negative space. Give space for moving objects to go.
Light:
Is the light beautiful or interesting? Wait or return when it is, preferably during the Golden Hour.
Does the angle of the light create texture or backlighting? Can you use or illuminate lens or sun flare?
Can you avoid harsh shadows or use them to your advantage? Consider returning on a cloudy day.
If you are going to wait or come back, do you know where and when the sun will rise or set?
Check and set the white balance. Try several different settings to see what works best.
Consider a ND filter; graduated to reduce bright sky, or solid to allow slower speed or wider aperture.
Consider a Polarizing filter or other filters, i.e., warming, star, etc.
Consider the use of fill light, i.e., using reflectors or fill flash. Best with flash on or off of the camera?
Dynamic range Capture it in one shot, or bring multiple exposures together in post processing?
Notes to help with Post Processing:
Note the pictures number in the camera, i.e., the shots identifying number on the memory card.
Consider making notes about your exposure for quick reference and about what lenses were used, etc.
Note whether or not filters, reflectors, or fill flash were used.
Describe the lighting, i.e., Golden Hour, overcast or sunny, type of artificial light, time of day, etc.
Is the sky a deep blue, light or heavy haze, fog or ground fog?
Describe the colors. Do greens lean towards blue or yellow; reds toward blue or orange, etc.?
Judging from your shots, I say you have a good eye and feel for composition. Greece, China and Spain -- looks like you do a lot of traveling. Lucky!
I started making a list of the things I needed to consider when taking a shot. It got pretty darn long.So I tried to put it in a reasonable format and put it in the computer. Then I thought it might be helpful to other beginners. I'm still working on it.
I don't know how well it will come out or if it will maintain a usable format when put into this message. But, here is what I have so far. Hope it is usable and helpful. If I had your email address, I could send it to you as pdf file.
Considerations When Working a Photographic Scene
This is not intended to teach anything, but to offer a comprehensive list of things to think about when working on a shot. This includes making notes that might be helpful when doing post processing later, such as reminders about the lighting, colors and equipment used. If a term is unfamiliar, Google it or look for tutorials on the Internet. Try http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Books-Tutorials/ci/19977/N/4075419990 or http://www.adorama.com/alc/ or https://www.youtube.com/ or http://digital-photography-school.com/tips and others. Heres a good overview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8HZCdieSAo&feature=youtu.be . © Thomas C. Hudson. Permission is granted to use without alteration for free distribution or in courses offered without cost to the public.
Why are you considering working this scene?
Is the subject interesting, offer exceptional beauty, and/or invoke a mood or emotion, or tell a story?
Can you capture the interest, beauty, mood, emotion or story in a photograph?
Will it connect with the viewer?
If the answer is no to any of these question, dont bother getting out your camera. Move on.
Composition:
First considerations:
Look for a fresh approach, not the obvious ones that has been done over and over.
What is the focal point? How can it be enhanced?
Identify elements that make the shot work or give it the desired prospective. How can you use them?
Move around, closer, farther, right, left, higher or lower. Walk around. Explore other views or angles.
Pay close attention to the background. What should be avoided? Should it be sharp or blurred?
What lens will you use? Try several; wide angle, a nifty fifty, portrait and/or a telephoto,
Should the camera be horizontal or vertical, level or at an angle? Consider a panorama.
Visualize what you want the final image to look like and then go for it.
Look around for other shots from this location. When taking a sunset, look at the sky behind you.
Think about the rules of composition and which ones, if any, or combination will work best for this shot:
Rule of Thirds,
Golden Triangle; Golden Rectangle, (long side ÷ Short side = 1.618= Golden Ratio); Golden Curve,
Leading Lines,
Natural frames,
Anything else that will lead the viewers eyes into the scene.
Layers, i.e., using the near, middle distance, and background to emphasize depth, beauty or interest.
Dont crop tight if a tall object will need to be made upright with software later.
What will best help capture the subject?
Is their interest in the foreground, mid-ground, and/or background? Want to keep all in focus, or not?
Is the ground, water, or sky most interesting? This may help determine where to place the horizon.
Aperture: Consider Depth of Field and Hyperfocal distance. Higher f stops = greater depth of field.
Want everything in focus or just specific objects or elements to be isolated or highlighted?
Do you want the background out-of-focus? Think about the bokar.
Shutter speed capture motion or freeze it. Consider panning on a moving subject.
ISO Consider high ISO for faster shutter speed or a smaller aperture, or low ISO to avoid noise?
Does everything in the frame have a reason to be there? If not, can you get it out of the picture?
Should you include a person or object to help give the scene perspective or depth?
Avoid anything that distracts from the composition, subject or leading the eye into the picture. Do people have a relationship with the subject, or can one be created?
Fill the frame. Consider using negative space. Give space for moving objects to go.
Light:
Is the light beautiful or interesting? Wait or return when it is, preferably during the Golden Hour.
Does the angle of the light create texture or backlighting? Can you use or illuminate lens or sun flare?
Can you avoid harsh shadows or use them to your advantage? Consider returning on a cloudy day.
If you are going to wait or come back, do you know where and when the sun will rise or set?
Check and set the white balance. Try several different settings to see what works best.
Consider a ND filter; graduated to reduce bright sky, or solid to allow slower speed or wider aperture.
Consider a Polarizing filter or other filters, i.e., warming, star, etc.
Consider the use of fill light, i.e., using reflectors or fill flash. Best with flash on or off of the camera?
Dynamic range Capture it in one shot, or bring multiple exposures together in post processing?
Notes to help with Post Processing:
Note the pictures number in the camera, i.e., the shots identifying number on the memory card.
Consider making notes about your exposure for quick reference and about what lenses were used, etc.
Note whether or not filters, reflectors, or fill flash were used.
Describe the lighting, i.e., Golden Hour, overcast or sunny, type of artificial light, time of day, etc.
Is the sky a deep blue, light or heavy haze, fog or ground fog?
Describe the colors. Do greens lean towards blue or yellow; reds toward blue or orange, etc.?
Feb 22, 2014 03:51:29 #
Welcome Gary. I must say those are super shots, I am like you in that I have a humble Canon sx50 which is easy to carry around (and takes good shots), unlike my walking mate who takes his Nikon d3200 and a Bridge camera and tripod..you'd think he was off on an expedition instead of a walk!!
Feb 22, 2014 08:55:15 #
Welcome to the Hog, Gary. Greece is a photographers paradise and you brought home some lovely memories. You will find everything you need here.- enjoy. ;)
Feb 22, 2014 09:20:05 #
Feb 22, 2014 10:16:21 #
I like your listing of things to consider. At the very least it serves as a reminder of good ideas. To the list I wonder if one could add to always "look up." I learned that one at a Leica presentation some years ago and it has helped me, particularly when inside historic buildings.
Thank you for sharing your experience and ideas. I definitely will pull the list and review it before heading out. I can see it residing in my camera bag for sure.
Thank you for sharing your experience and ideas. I definitely will pull the list and review it before heading out. I can see it residing in my camera bag for sure.
Feb 22, 2014 10:18:40 #
Another point that was brought home to us on a recent trip is that the smaller cameras are not as enticing to those occasional folks in the business of lifting your stuff for their own gain.
Thanks for your comment.
Thanks for your comment.
Feb 22, 2014 10:24:09 #
Yes, Greece was (is) a great place for a photographer. We've been very lucky to be able to travel some as retirement approaches. Nearly every place we've been, from Salamanca to San Diego have had views asking for a camera. My own State is chock full of opportunities, from the back yard to the parks and monuments. I'm very glad to have found Ugly Hedgehog and look forward to chats with all of you.
Feb 22, 2014 11:45:01 #
GaryD wrote:
I like your listing of things to consider. At the very least it serves as a reminder of good ideas. To the list I wonder if one could add to always "look up." I learned that one at a Leica presentation some years ago and it has helped me, particularly when inside historic buildings.
Thank you for sharing your experience and ideas. I definitely will pull the list and review it before heading out. I can see it residing in my camera bag for sure.
Thank you for sharing your experience and ideas. I definitely will pull the list and review it before heading out. I can see it residing in my camera bag for sure.
Thanks for your comments and suggestions about the list. I like your thoughts on looking up and will work that into the list.
Any suggestions are welcome. It is still a work in progress. I started the list from my own study notes in order to have a reminder with me when out taking pictures. It would be great if it helped others to become better photographers too.
Feb 23, 2014 06:11:31 #
Feb 23, 2014 08:22:53 #
Hi Gary and welcome! It is always the nut behind the camera that makes a good picture. And if you are happy with your work, the world is good.:):):) I can see dropping a little weight when I retire. But will keep the good glass as long as I can.:) Maybe I could get Janny to carry some of it.:)
Erv
Erv
Feb 23, 2014 08:27:55 #
Feb 23, 2014 08:54:22 #
Feb 23, 2014 12:04:20 #
Thanks, I was first drawn by the spikes on the window bars - pretty serious bit to discourage uninvited entry to the convent.
Feb 23, 2014 14:01:14 #
GaryD wrote:
I merely have a Canon SX30 point and shooter. My w... (show quote)
Welcome to the hog, GaryD ..Dont be envious of anyone here. We are all like you, finding our own ways. Every camera is a serious camera, regardless if they are point and shoot or a formidable DSLR. It is in the eye of the photographer as to the way his photograph will eventually look, and the eye of the beholder as to what they see. Your first post is excellent. Very good composition, and color. Undoubtably you have received lots of advice so, i will just say, take it all in, mull it over in your mind and follow. But, also have fun.
Rich
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