tdekany Loc: Oregon

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

aellman Loc: Boston MA

No one should feel down about being "at the bottom." That's where we all started. Lots of experience and a lot of shots that you hate will steadily make you better. At some point you will get an image that will surprise you and others with it's inspiration. Then over time there will be more.

Some basic advice given me along the way by some great photographers:
> Look at all four corners of your image just before you shoot. Do you have everything you want, with no extra sky, earth, or other junk?
> Is the composition compelling? Sometimes a small adjustment can make a big difference. > Get a tripod, and use it when needed.
> If no tripod, is your shutter speed set high enough to avoid motion blur from camera shake, especially if you are zoomed in? If you can't use a higher shutter speed, there are a few "tricks" to avoid camera shake: brace the back or side of your body against a solid object like a wall, and pull the camera into your face so your head steadies it. Pull your elbows into your sides and lock your forearms to add even more stability. You are now the human tripod. I have successfully shot with this technique as low as 1/4 second.
> For portraits, get in close; avoid distracting elements. Watch out for what may be going on in the background.
> Try out the "rule of thirds," until you're ready to break it, as we all do.

There is a ton of material online about every phase of photography. Take advantage of it. FYI, I shoot with a relatively rare early 2000s vintage Kodak "DSLR," 8mp with a fantastic but non-interchangeable Zeiss zoom lens. They were only made for a short time, and I have two of them. I also use telephoto, wide angle, and fisheye front-end lens adapters, which I'm sure would be frowned upon by many photographers here. They work for me.

As the old joke goes, a tourist in New York City looking for directions goes up to an old man born and raised in Manhattan and asks,"Can you tell me how to get to Carnegie Hall?" The old man replies,"Practice, my boy, practice!"

Best of luck. Keep at it!

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

U

Nope, we definitely are not all in the same bracket, for sure. I jokingly told my grandson that he takes photographs and I just take pictures. I am very proud of him. He's good, now, and he just keeps getting better. In fact, he aspires to make the move up from his D90 to either a D750 or D810.

tdekany Loc: Oregon

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Any pictures from your GS?

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

I'll have have him email me some. He lives in Texas.

tdekany Loc: Oregon

:thumbup:

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

Not to diminish her in any way but in camera images. Come on...

SteveR Loc: Michigan

If I had the eyes I had in my 30's when I did manual focus, I'd be tempted to do it today, especially on stationary subjects. BATD, in sports, you had to anticipate where the action would be, focus and wait for the action. That even included your kids running in the park. A good eye can focus for the scene as good or better than AF, although some of the new AF (Group Area Mode AF) is getting pretty tight.

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

There are times when manual focus just does not cut it even with perfect vision.

Some time ago I was using a Nikon 500mm f4 P lens for my bird shots. It produced remarkable images when I nailed it but the birds move so quickly the keeper rate was low. I eventually sold it to finance other photo equipment purchases.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

joer....I'll have to agree with you on that one.....bif would be awfully tough to manually focus. I would think, too, that the Group Area Auto Mode would help significantly with bif.

Jim Bob

A trained eye with a maginifying glass at 5 x 7.

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

I dunno, I sure do appreciate auto focus, but back in the day before there was such a thing, manual was all we had. It seemed to work for me. It had to, there wasn't anything else unless one wanted to use a camera with a fixed focus lens. Auto focus has certainly made things easier, allowing the photographer to concentrate on composing the shot and letting the camera do the focusing and/or other chores that used to all be done manually. Perhaps we've gotten a little lazy with all the auto features. But I wouldn't give up auto focus, no sir.

tdekany Loc: Oregon

Joe - meaning substance

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

Here's his latest. I have no technical info for it, though.

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

I like it :thumbup:

I wouldn't give up AF either but there are situations when manual focus is better. An example would be macro/micro photography.