anotherview Loc: California

Thanks for mini-tutorial on the use of all capital letters and how they hamper readability.

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

And yet "HOLLYWOOD" works just fine!

Dikdik Loc: Winnipeg, Canada

There was another important one that George Mitchell taught me when I first started taking photos... take your time and do it right, speed will come with practice.

anotherview Loc: California

Sound advice.

Dikdik Loc: Winnipeg, Canada

I just realised, that's the first I've thought of George in decades; I wonder how he's doing or if he is even still alive.

NaniR Loc: Vero Beach, FL

Thank you!

NaniR Loc: Vero Beach, FL

Thank you!

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

Which, oddly, I learned from a pianist. A pianist practices the physical movements required by a piece over and over and over again until they do not have to think about the physical movements. Then they can concentrate on the really important stuff. This is why changing camera systems can be so hard. Once your hands know where all the buttons are and what they do, working the instrument to get your result becomes automatic. Switching to a whole different layout can be devastating.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Paul Diamond Loc: Atlanta, GA, USA

I read through all the replies before adding my suggestions. These (above) are very good.

I've used old Canon and Nikon digitals. If you want to upgrade your pictures to give you the quality you see from other people's shots now, you will have to work on shooting technique, pay close attention to the scene/subject, lighting, equipment and post processing.

If you do all of these but stay with your kit lenses and 10-20 year old digital technology, you will not be happy with the results. The camera and lens technology you have just can't deliver what you want.

You will need to work on your technique. I think a page of newsprint on an outside sunlight wall is a great start. Learn when slower shutter speeds begin to affect your ability to take sharp, contrasty, in focus pictures. Shoot at all shutter speeds and see the results. Also test your camera's lenses and different f/ stops to see how poor large apertures are, how much better moderate apertures are and what you begin to lose in resolution/sharpness as you use the smallest f/ stops on each lens. - So, what shutter speed is too low or needs more caution if you use it so your photos don't appear less sharp? What apertures for each lens (and what focal lengths for each zoom) give you the best, sharpest looking pictures? When do you need a tripod?

Pictures of low contrast, cloudy overcast, shots in the shade, etc. will always appear less crisp than direct lighting. Even post processing may have some effect on the image, but it is at risk of looking 'fake' if overdone.

You will have to learn at least one software package to help you do post processing. Look on prior UHH posts to help find replies to different free or affordable software. BUT, you will have to invest time in learning the software, how to use it and practice with it on your pictures. Some software packages have a very 'steep' learning curve. And some are much easier at a basic level. Research a package to try. Is your computer (memory/storage/graphics card) capable of working with this software? And use youtube to see videos for the software for 'lessons' about using the software you are interested in.

When you decide on needing 'new' camera gear, plan to invest a lot of time up front. I won't point you toward any particular brand. I will suggest that you look for avoiding new and to approach the 'best' with some caution. New photo gear is like getting a new car. There is substantial depreciation if you buy new. I would think of a camera system (camera and lenses) that give me great sharpness and contrast results that is lightly used and 1 generation less than the latest 'bleeding edge' technology that some UHHers are salivating over. Any of these, regardless of brand, will also have a learning curve that requires you to learn so you can grow.

So, you can not 'leapfrog' from where you are to where you want to go. I hope you are willing to invest in getting and being better. Almost everyone who makes the full effort can improve and get better. If doing it is important enough to you.

dreff Loc: Bow, WA

Do you use the kit lens?

I've seen results from that lens that appear soft and sort of fogged or washed out.

brontodon

For the OP:

Ken Rockwell on getting sharp photographs:
https://kenrockwell.com/tech/unsharp.htm

And on lens sharpness:
https://kenrockwell.com/tech/lens-sharpness.htm

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

They seldom work, except when just a FEW WORDS are in all caps.

Better are bold face, or italics.

The tags you need to enter to use bold, italic, underlined, strikethrough, colors, links, etc. are available by clicking (Show Tags), next to the 'Send' and 'Preview' buttons.

Those options are visible when using the 'Reply' or 'Quote Reply' buttons to respond to a person.

Dikdik Loc: Winnipeg, Canada

Some people don't realise that it's common 'Internet parlance' that upper case letters is equivalent to 'shouting', and it's not just the difficulty in reading the text. It's 'polite' not to shout.

Dik

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Agreed. Insurance companies and attorneys often resort to all caps when they don't want people to read something. It's an old trick, but it often works!

Some other things, besides all caps, that make people quit or avoid reading:

> Extremely small fonts or excessively large fonts in all caps
> Sans-Serif fonts like Arial, Helvetica
> Long line lengths or excessive column widths
> Long line lengths of fully justified text (text that is spaced evenly on each line)
> No paragraph breaks where needed to separate complete thoughts
> Extremely long, run-on sentences
> No capitalization or punctuation
> Polysyllabic phraseology (the use of big words when simpler ones will do)
> Using light gray or yellow ink for text
> Using solid red text on a solid blue background
> Using light colored ink on darker paper of the same color hue
> Inserting random spaces in the middle of words
> Deliberate use of bad grammar and syntax

These are from my notes from a college English class! Our professor was as concerned about our form as he was our future applications of language at work! "You might be asked to write something deliberately obfuscatory... Here are some techniques." None of them is illegal, but all are at least annoying or misleading.