Fall colors
Oct 26, 2013 15:11:29 #
Oct 26, 2013 15:14:54 #
Pepsiman wrote:
Taken with a Nikon S30 Point and Sgoot...
Pepsiman, do you want us to critique these photos?
Or even if you do not want critique, it might be better to place these in the Gallery, which is intended for showing and general critique.
You might also want to post your camera settings with the images, it helps others to help you.
EstherP
Oct 26, 2013 15:39:03 #
EstherP wrote:
Pepsiman, do you want us to critique these photos?
Or even if you do not want critique, it might be better to place these in the Gallery, which is intended for showing and general critique.
You might also want to post your camera settings with the images, it helps others to help you.
EstherP
Or even if you do not want critique, it might be better to place these in the Gallery, which is intended for showing and general critique.
You might also want to post your camera settings with the images, it helps others to help you.
EstherP
Esther:Thanks...I would like to know what you think of the photos taken withmy now take everywear pocket camera. It's all Auto... Tony
Oct 26, 2013 16:25:10 #
OK, Tony, here I go!
First I have another question: How long have you had this camera?
I am not familiar with this camera, but think it is one that doesn't have a viewfinder; you hold your arms out in front of you to look at the screen and then take the picture?
The camera is certainly capable of taking sharp pictures, but the 3rd and 7th photos are out of focus. On the third one, it looks like camera shake to me (therefore the question above), on the last one it looks like you pressed the shutterbutton too fast, before it was ready focusing.
Photos 1 and 2 - I love the fountain. Your shuttertime was short enough to see the water as water. (This is a personal thing with me: I do not like photos where the water has been exposed so long that it produces a plucked cotton look).
As to composition: the pavement takes almost half of the first photo. The leading line (the curb running from lower left to middle right) takes your eye to the red cart standing on the end of it. I also find the brick building a bit distracting. I think if you were to crop the image just to the right of the building's corner, and just below the small shrubs, then just to the left of the white sign on the right, then make the colours pop a bit more, you'd have a great image.
This means of course, that for the second image, I would have gone a bit more to the right.
Photo 3 - I'm sorry, but besides the image being out of focus, it doesn't seem to tell a story. I do like the lone lantern with the many varieties of trees, and wonder if a different point of view would have told a story. Is there a bench nearby? If so, nothing wrong with putting a newspaper on it, and you'd have the story.
Photo 4 - Zoom in a bit more to again get rid of a good part of the pavement, also could have waited till the bike rider was out of view. I like the road curving from the left to the right, almost an invitation to "come and see what's around the bend."
Photo 5 - The red flowers in front give just enough colour to provide interest. But where the leading line in #4 was inviting, this one goes nowhere. Maybe if you'd cropped this picture halfway down the middle and kept the left half?
Photo 6 - Again, I like the fountain. But here the buildings are falling over. What editing program are you using? It should be fairly easy to straighten them out. I think maybe including the front edge of the fountain would have benefitted the picture.
Hmmm, reading this over, it sounds rather negative. But as I said above, I expect you haven't had that camera for very long. If I think back I had similar experiences when I first had my take-everywhere camera. Even though you have it on automatic now, try to learn some different settings for it. It looks like all these photos were taken on a dull day - is there a setting for overcast sky? Then of course on sunny days, you'd use a different setting.
And always keep in mind that the best camera is the one you have with you!!!
One more suggestion I would like to make: After you have taken your photos, do not go home and look at them right away, unless there is a compelling reason to do so. Wait a few days, then open them on your computer and look at them as if they are the photos taken by someone you do not know and you have to critique them. You'll be amazed at what you will see then!
Keep on trying and getting to know your camera and it won't take long before you won't have to keep the camera on auto all the time!
Happy shooting!
EstherP
First I have another question: How long have you had this camera?
I am not familiar with this camera, but think it is one that doesn't have a viewfinder; you hold your arms out in front of you to look at the screen and then take the picture?
The camera is certainly capable of taking sharp pictures, but the 3rd and 7th photos are out of focus. On the third one, it looks like camera shake to me (therefore the question above), on the last one it looks like you pressed the shutterbutton too fast, before it was ready focusing.
Photos 1 and 2 - I love the fountain. Your shuttertime was short enough to see the water as water. (This is a personal thing with me: I do not like photos where the water has been exposed so long that it produces a plucked cotton look).
As to composition: the pavement takes almost half of the first photo. The leading line (the curb running from lower left to middle right) takes your eye to the red cart standing on the end of it. I also find the brick building a bit distracting. I think if you were to crop the image just to the right of the building's corner, and just below the small shrubs, then just to the left of the white sign on the right, then make the colours pop a bit more, you'd have a great image.
This means of course, that for the second image, I would have gone a bit more to the right.
Photo 3 - I'm sorry, but besides the image being out of focus, it doesn't seem to tell a story. I do like the lone lantern with the many varieties of trees, and wonder if a different point of view would have told a story. Is there a bench nearby? If so, nothing wrong with putting a newspaper on it, and you'd have the story.
Photo 4 - Zoom in a bit more to again get rid of a good part of the pavement, also could have waited till the bike rider was out of view. I like the road curving from the left to the right, almost an invitation to "come and see what's around the bend."
Photo 5 - The red flowers in front give just enough colour to provide interest. But where the leading line in #4 was inviting, this one goes nowhere. Maybe if you'd cropped this picture halfway down the middle and kept the left half?
Photo 6 - Again, I like the fountain. But here the buildings are falling over. What editing program are you using? It should be fairly easy to straighten them out. I think maybe including the front edge of the fountain would have benefitted the picture.
Hmmm, reading this over, it sounds rather negative. But as I said above, I expect you haven't had that camera for very long. If I think back I had similar experiences when I first had my take-everywhere camera. Even though you have it on automatic now, try to learn some different settings for it. It looks like all these photos were taken on a dull day - is there a setting for overcast sky? Then of course on sunny days, you'd use a different setting.
And always keep in mind that the best camera is the one you have with you!!!
One more suggestion I would like to make: After you have taken your photos, do not go home and look at them right away, unless there is a compelling reason to do so. Wait a few days, then open them on your computer and look at them as if they are the photos taken by someone you do not know and you have to critique them. You'll be amazed at what you will see then!
Keep on trying and getting to know your camera and it won't take long before you won't have to keep the camera on auto all the time!
Happy shooting!
EstherP
Oct 26, 2013 17:19:19 #
Thank you for the tips Esther. The S30 is only Auto. Can not change any settings or white balance. This is the ffirst time I used it.Had only for 12 days...When I took them it was very cloudy and windy. I am not use to using such a small and light camera. The one I use the most is my Kodak Z981 bridge camera. I put away my Pentax film SLR in favor of digital... Thanks again for your help... Tony
Oct 26, 2013 17:45:13 #
Pepsiman wrote:
Thank you for the tips Esther. The S30 is only Auto. Can not change any settings or white balance. This is the ffirst time I used it.Had only for 12 days...When I took them it was very cloudy and windy. I am not use to using such a small and light camera. The one I use the most is my Kodak Z981 bridge camera. I put away my Pentax film SLR in favor of digital... Thanks again for your help... Tony
Tony, for that it is "only Auto" I am amazed at what this little thing than do. Yes, you CAN change certain settings and even the white balance!
Do you have the manual with that camera? If not, you can download it from
http://support.nikonusa.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/17682
Pick a quiet time, get yourself a coffee or a beer, and settle yourself on the couch with the manual AND the camera AND some notepaper and a pen.
Start flipping through the pages, read a word here and a sentence there. (Reading every word from cover to cover makes no sense, you'll never remember it anyway).
If something catches your eye, read a bit more there and try it out. Ornaments on the table, the clock on the wall, the tv screen and the window and what you can see through it have all served me very well to help me understand my camera.
When you get to page 29, the fun really begins.
Make notes of what you want to come back to, jot down questions that may come up. (You may find the answer elsewhere in the manual, or else you can come back here and ask).
Then, when you hear about something and wonder if your camera can do that, go back to the manual and see if you can find it.
Don't stop asking questions!
EstherP
PS - for the Kodak, you can download the manual from:
http://resources.kodak.com/support/pdf/en/manuals/urg01118/Z981_xUG_GLB_en.pdf
Same way of learning it as for the Nikon.
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