GrandmaG Loc: Flat Rock, MI

I still have a lot to learn but I'm understanding my camera a lot better and I finished the book by Bryan Peterson "Understanding Exposure". He used 23 different lenses to demonstrate his photos!

I'll never have that many but I was thinking of getting the 16-35 f/2.8 or possibly the 35-70 f/2.8...or BOTH?

Now I have my "homework" to do. Put into practice what Peterson suggests. I'm thinking I would be most comfortable shooting in A mode most of the time. I mostly shoot people (bang! bang!) Any thoughts?

Peterson suggests putting white balance on cloudy! Does anyone actually do this most of the time? I know I can always change it in Ps CC.

I'm also learning my camera through "Mastering the Nikon D5000". There are some differences of opinion for several things. WB for one. The camera book suggests auto. I have used most of the settings depending on the circumstances. But I am confused as to how to set metering. Peterson suggests using matrix but HE uses center-weighted all the time. So if I use matrix, will I need a light meter too (or not)?

I have tons more questions but this will do for now. Next week, I'll wait for a cloudy day & practice, practice, practice!

iancj Loc: Scotland

Hi
It sounds like you're trying to take in too much all at once.

Keep it simple to start.
Your'e quite right to start with everything on auto.
You can then try experimenting with how manual changes affect the pictures. You learn best by doing.

Choose one of the books and work through it 1 section at a time, trying it out on your own camera so that you understand it.
Every photographer has different preferences so you will get conflicting advice even from experts.

Just learn how your camera works and you will be able to find the settings that suit you.

As to lenses. I don't think you should rush out and buy any just yet. It's a big expense and you may end up with a lens you hardly use.
As your photography develops you may find that you have a need for a particular type of lens. That will be the time to choose one.
=
White balance affect the colors of your photos. He probably suggests using cloudy because he likes the warmer look of the pictures. Auto adjusts it for every picture and works fine for me.

No you don't need to buy a light meter. The one in your camera will do the job perfectly well.
The different modes are just different ways of measuring the light. Which one is best will depend on different factors including the subject.
Matrix- is the most sophisticated. I takes lots of readings from all over the picture and uses a complex algorithm to try to calculate the best exposure.
Center weighted - measure light from the whole frame but gives a higher priority to the center of the image.
Spot - Measure only a small area of the frame. This has it's uses. Particularly where the light varies greatly across the frame. It lets you chose then most important area. But is the most difficult to use well.
I suggest you stick to matrix at first as it is the most sophisticated and usually produces good results.
There are always situations which will be difficult to meter and these can fool any light meter.
Learning how the subject and lighting affects exposure will help you compensate for this.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

I never noticed! :)




DON'T!

Thinking about getting gear at this stage is one of the biggest mistakes you can make...trust me...I've spent well over 10,000 on camera gear in just a few years and regret 90% of it.

Don't succumb...please.

Shoot with what you have...enjoy the process of making images and try and learn things.




That's plenty fine...A mode works.

I shoot manual but that's just how I started and I'm comfortable with it....lots of good pros shoot A mode.




He's just one voice. He's just saying that he likes the slight "warming" effect that cloudy imparts and rather than change anything in post, just set it in camera.

It's not right or wrong...it's just his preference.




I use Auto WB almost 100% of the time and it works in most situations where I'm not SERIOUS about the WB. If I was getting paid, I'd do a custom WB every time...but I'm not.

You have to decide what works for you in metering and then figure out how to deal with what the camera "decides" for the exposure...it just takes time and practice.

All the metering modes really do is take into account differing amounts of the field of view in different ways.

Personally, I forego that whole process and shoot manually, it makes my life easier but many folks shoot letting the camera meter for them.




No need to wait for a cloudy day! Shoot in all conditions and make something out of each one...they all have their place.

Light is light.
There is no "good" light or "bad" light...it's all in how you use what you have been dealt.

pithydoug Loc: Catskill Mountains, NY

Well Gma you have a lot of spare cash if your looking at lens with f2.8. :) Those will be heavier and do you really lens that fast. Once you you drop from a f4 to 2.8 you start to lift weights.

Yes, I keep my white balance to Cloudy all the time for two reasons; one, I shoot 90% landscape and I like how it looks when reviewing, two, since I shoot raw format It doesn't matter most PPing tools will let you flip it to whatever, even B&W. Cloudy get you softer colors.

Peterson is a bit old school with center metering. I only use that when the scene is unbalanced like a bit too much backlight and I want the subject properly exposed even blowing out the background. Again 90% of the the time I stay in matrix to balance the entire scene. You don't need a light meter. The camera meter will keep you honest.

Time to get off auto - go cold turkey! :) If you shooting a person the decision you need to make first - are they still or are they moving. If moving set the camera shutter bias choosing 1/125 to 1/500 and let the camera select the aperture. Unless you are in minimal light you will be fine. If they are still, like a group shot or child in a highchair, set it to aperture bias. What aperture you select depends on how much you want in focus before or after the subject. Want everything then try f/11 - f18. If only the baby and want to blurr out the rest, then try f2.8-f5.6 assuming you get an F2.8 lens. What setting will serve you best, has to do with the lens. You will need to experiment with the lens.

As for lens, your targeted list means you are getting physically close to the subject(s). If you're looking for candid shots and want to stay back and get just the baby's face with ice cream all over it or uncle Bob with barbeque sauce in his eyebrow something in the 200-300 range. The 16-35 is really a wide angle for landscape, not so much for people unless you have 3 generations of people in a line and you want them all in one shot. The 35-70 is better but you still need to get real close.

If money is not an object get the 35-70 and add a 70-200 F4 for a nice range. the 70-200 does come in a f2.8 but very heavy and $$$$$$.


Re-read the chapter on Aperture - storytelling vs. singular vs. who cares.

Good luck you are on your way to getting off auto.

Mr PC Loc: Austin, TX

Not sure you understand that A mode on your camera is short for Aperture Priority. You set the aperture you want and the camera takes are of the rest to get the proper exposure. I had a friend borrow a camera once and he made this mistake and came back with a passel of very bad pictures, thinking the A was for auto. If you already knew this, sorry for bringing it up. If you didn't, I hope this helped and made you study up on Aperture Priority mode and what it's good for.

GrandmaG Loc: Flat Rock, MI

Oh, by shooting in A, I meant "aperture priority". I've been shooting in auto for several years now, so it was past time to learn the other modes and features of my camera.



Bryan Peterson gave me the best technical description of f-stop and helped me understand the photographic triangle. I read parts of his book several times. I learned more in the first chapter of "Mastering the Nikon D5000" by Darrell Young than I did in an entire summer trying to decipher the owner's manual.



So did I make a mistake choosing the two additional lenses I currently own? (35 f/1.8 and 18-300 f/3.5-6.3).



I think you're right, auto white balance and matrix metering is probably best. I can always change white balance in Ps. I'm glad I didn't purchase a white meter. I thought I might need one because I remember my grandfather using one, but of course, that was before they were built into the camera.

GrandmaG Loc: Flat Rock, MI

So, do you still use AUTO WB when you shoot in Manual? I've shot in manual & it doesn't seem hard at all; just more to think about before pressing the shutter, and that's good.

GrandmaG Loc: Flat Rock, MI

I took notes on the aperture chapter and it is suggested to turn off auto focus and focus on something 3-5 feet in front of you for the greatest DOF in storytelling mode and a small lens opening like f/22 using a 35-70 lens. This will put everything in sharp focus front to back.

However, for singular-theme, he doesn't say if it is necessary to do a manual focus. Aperture priority set to a large opening like f/2.8 or f/4 will blur the background, but I'm not sure how far I should stand from the subject if I were using a 70-200 lens.

Would my 18-300 lens work equally well in both of the above scenarios? I price-checked the 70-200 f/2.8 and it is over $2,000. I could swing it; but I want to get the most useful lens(es).

GrandmaG Loc: Flat Rock, MI

Yes, I did know that A was Aperture priority because auto is GREEN...lol. It seems that "A" is easier than "S". Also, I just came back from Cleveland and tried some pictures using Manual, some with Aperture priority and some in Auto...haven't had a chance to really look at them in Photoshop, but I think I got nice pics in all 3 modes. Since Peterson used so many lenses, I was really confused as to what the best lens to have would be.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

Your best lens is the one you have on the camera, learn how to use it in different situations, up close far away etc.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

Yes, I do. they are two different unrelated things.

The key to shooting manual and not getting overwhelmed is to "pre-set" your camera and not wait until there is a shot to be had.

Example: You are outside sitting in the sun with your family...lawn chairs...BBQ...etc.

So set the camera for the conditions right when you get outside. (call it f/4 ss-1/4000, and ISO 200. That's my "sunny 16 settings, I know them by heart)

So as long as you are outside, and it's still sunny....fire away.

Someone in the shade?

No worries...just click 3 clicks on the aperture ring f/5.6 "click" f/8 "click" and f/11 "click" and you are taking a pic in the shade...it takes about 2 seconds.

Switch back to sunny? click, click, click...you don't even have to look at your camera (at least not on my camera...I just count clicks.)

Sun going down?

No biggie....click the aperture a few clicks and now that's your baseline exposure.

Having said that...I meter exposure by one of several methods; I either meter on green grass, or the palm of my hand or if I'm being serious about the images, I use a hand held meter.

Just meter off of your "known" value object and set the settings until your exposure needle is as close to centered as possible; remember to fill the frame with your object (i.e. hand, grass, etc.) and you are good to go.

It will become second nature.

The same goes for indoors...As long as the light is constant...i.e. the same lights are on in the same area...then fire away with your exposure preset.

After a short while you will KNOW that your kitchen is ISO 1600 ss- 1/125, and f/2.

:)