lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

For #$%$# sake. Get off her case.....
So now she should only shoot in auto because Rockwell does????

Well there are a lot better photogs around than Ken that shoot mainly in manual and would disagree with Ken.
So which one should she listen to? Ken or the better photog that shoots manual?

Bram boy Loc: Vancouver Island B.C. Canada

If you do go there go right to the bottom and click his books or art or what ever he calls it

wlgoode Loc: Globe, AZ

Sorry to repeat but again, Bracket and Practice. They both make perfect.

You know how to use manual, you know the exposure triangle. The only two things left for exposure are bracket, observe and practice, observe.

Bram boy Loc: Vancouver Island B.C. Canada

And you get off mine, im not telling her to do anything im suggesting it but it may enliten her to know that people that shoot auto mode can make big bucks doing it i know what rockwell is all about so you dont have to get all up tight about .this whole site is only about one's oppinion who's ever reading
the writings at the moment . Your a couple thousand miles away and i can get a responce from you like that with a few strokes of my finger , amazing . Well what does finger tell you, its my middle one finger and its straight up-to you.

Bram boy Loc: Vancouver Island B.C. Canada

No ones telling you what you should be doing you do what you want its just that your coming on like gang busters . And bring up stuff from a old book and it seems your trying to convert people to your way of thinking and its sounding like you and you alone have just discouvered manual . Your just a new born in the photo realm.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

I can tell you that you're totally misinterpreting Nightski. She's not trying to convert anybody - she's making a point. And personally I'd say she's done a very good job of making a very relevant point.

Ernie Misner Loc: Lakewood, WA

When you are out shooting and selecting a subject, one of the first priorities is to decide how you want to render the DOF. (depth of field) That of course means do you want everything in focus, partially, or just a thin slice of the subject in focus. This means deciding on what f-stop (aperture) setting to choose. You can best choose your aperture either in manual or A mode. These are just tools that help you to get the job done efficiently, as any pro can attest to. So practice judging how much DOF you want and work on getting better at that. Yes, most totally automatic modes will slow down your learning process because you don not know what decisions the camera is making or why. You get an A+ for wanting to master your camera in manual or A mode in this way. The silly icons for flower, scenic, or whatever, are the same problem.... what exactly are they doing? You won't learn much by using them. If you are taking a portrait or shooting a flower, most likely you are going to enjoy a soft, OOF, background, so go with a fairly wide open aperture, choose it yourself in manual, or A mode, take a wonderful photo, and learn something in the process. If shooting a detailed landscape shot, on the tripod, and need extended DOF, choose a small aperature (large number), and render everything in focus. Now when in doubt, bracket a set using different f-stops and you can always choose the best rendition later. You get an A+!

Nightski

How is this?

Goose-Taken 5 minutes ago

PAR4DCR Loc: A Sunny Place

Nightski,

With all of these opinions you could go back out side and
shoot about another 10 good shots like the goose!!! Then
come back in and check out another 20 pages.

Don

Ernie Misner Loc: Lakewood, WA

Pretty good! I'm not sure what your goals here were photograhically. The background is still a little busy, so if not wide open or nearly so, you should have been. Were you thinking about this hopefully? Your subject is too statically centered and focus is more on the body than the head perhaps, but just nitpicking here. Keep identifying your goals, shoot at extremes of the apertures and look at your results. Notice how at aperture extremes there are road blocks we run into, and we learn how to work within an acceptable range and get good results. For example, wide open, focus must be absolutely nailed on the subject properly. And and small apertures for max DOF, we usually need a tripod due to the longish exposures. You are having fun, dedicated, and leaning. Excellent job! Oh, and our lenses are usually sharpest when stopped down just slightly unless pro, expensive and large glass. Shoot wide open at times anyway, enjoy that shallow DOF, and sharpen just the subject area as needed, never the sky or shadow areas which will just sharpen noise.

Bram boy Loc: Vancouver Island B.C. Canada

I would say thats very good . But i dont think you were worred about the composition as . A goose standing there looking forlorne and lost . But
you know that . But i can see that you are seperating the back ground with a bit of blure from the forground grass which is sharper . I think that if you opened up any more it would cut into the birds back and also make the head look out of focus along the top edge . There may be room to play with but its hard to say . Did you take any more with one stop or more open . If you dident you should have , also go the other way close down . Then the final one should have been taken in auto. Some thing to keep in mind on the next ones

Bram boy Loc: Vancouver Island B.C. Canada

[quote=Nightski]How is this?[/quote
Sorry but ten more shots like this is not good , but the the tecknek is good . And i think that is what she was looking for , and nailed it ,

Bram boy Loc: Vancouver Island B.C. Canada

[quote=Bram boy][quote=Nightski]How is this?[/quote
Sorry but ten more shots like this is not good , but the the tecknek is good . And i think that is what she was looking for , and nailed it ,[/quote]
Im quoting padcar

marcomarks Loc: Ft. Myers, FL

Mark, can you be specific about exactly why you think I have NO IDEA why I choose the settings I choose, please? If you look back at all my messages you will find that I am extremely patient and kind when taking instructions on how to get better. I have been listening and following instructions for 5 months. One of the first things I was told was to buy Bryan Peterson's book on exposure. Several people told me this. Go back and look. So I did. You are directly contradicting what Bryan Peterson says in his book. Do you have any idea how many DIFFERENT CONTRADICTING instructions I have gotten? At some point I have to make up my mind on what is valuable, and what is not. I have quite a few very experienced and talented mentors who support and help me. They have been through all my tribulations up to this point, and have helped me greatly. The people who have helped me most are the ones I trust.[/quote]

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Read what I said in context instead of making assumptions and you'll find that what I said does not apply to you at all. I was talking about a friend of mine.

Of course, I have no way of knowing your skill level or whether you know why what you do or don't. But typically when somebody comes on UHH talking about learning how to shoot manual and not have problems (your title's implication) that means they are currently using auto for success and dabbling in manual but don't understand the factors involved in capturing light and correct exposure. I was commenting mostly on how people (back on the first page) tell a full auto shooter to eliminate their auto everything and jump directly to full manual which I still feel is too big of a step for a full auto shooter.

I can't tell a beginner guitar student to go learn how to play on complicated equipment in a regional concert arena. I can't tell a beginning driver to go learn how in a NASCAR racer at 180 mph. I can't tell someone who can only cook spaghetti and boxed rice to learn by working as a chef in a fine dining restaurant. In every case a beginner in anything would, or should, be intimidated by a situation that is far above their head. So I can't tell a beginning photographer, which you seemed to be with the title you chose, to jump in and fight your way through full manual when you didn't seem to have mastered auto or semi-auto modes yet.

My recommendation may contradict Bryan Peterson but Bryan Peterson isn't God either. He's a renowned author and photographer with his set ways of doing things that bring him successful results. But photography can be done in a number of different ways giving successful results to different people. You can be guided by five different methods and learn something from them all.

I saw a documentary on TV that followed 5 photographers famous in their own fields. One setup and staged a shoot for possibly a half hour to create what they were looking for at a site they had previously found and shot in manual mode. Another went out and walked the streets of NYC doing almost snapshots of people and buildings of interest to him without flash and without turning knobs or pushing buttons (which makes me believe the shooter was using aperture or shutter priority). In contrast to the first one I've described, he barely stopping long enough to take a shot or two and go on. They are both successful professionals with large bodies of work. Another used film but four used digital.

Besides, all I was getting at was: start full auto and enjoy yourself while getting used the camera, move into a semi-auto mode to still enjoy yourself without massive frustration and learn both aperture and shutter priorities, then finally move to full manual if that's what you desire. It's a smoother transition than jumping straight from full auto to full manual as some recommend.

Nightski

[quote=marcomarks]-------------------------------------------------------------------

Read what I said in context instead of making assumptions and you'll find that what I said does not apply to you at all. I was talking about a friend of mine.

Of course, I have no way of knowing your skill level or whether you know why what you do or don't. But typically when somebody comes on UHH talking about learning how to shoot manual and not have problems (your title's implication) that means they are currently using auto for success and dabbling in manual but don't understand the factors involved in capturing light and correct exposure. I was commenting mostly on how people (back on the first page) tell a full auto shooter to eliminate their auto everything and jump directly to full manual which I still feel is too big of a step for a full auto shooter.

I read your entire post. I understand it's context. I wish you had done the same for me. If you had read, you would know that I used my camera for a year in auto, thought it took terrible photos, and was directed here to learn what I had. Now that I know what it can do, I am having so much fun, even with the mistakes. I am not frustrated with my results. I love the learning experience. I am only frustrated with the people who have no faith that I can learn to use my camera in manual. That's why I started the thread. But everybody is so busy pushing their own pre-conceived ideas, that they never read or listen to what I was saying, and that's why I am frustrated. I have had my Canon for 5 years now. I wonder if you or many others trying to give me advice ever picked up on that. I WAS unhappy with my Canon, until I started using it in manual. Now I am excited about what I can do with it.