mmlrml

I think it is a good picture! It could be sharper and the poster that said 1/15 shutter speed is too low to be handheld is absolutely correct! Since you were on auto, your camera chose the settings. The camera is not always right! A good rule of thumb is that a shutter speed lower than 1/30 can not be handheld. I actually tend to go by my focal length. If I am zoomed out to 85mm than I would choose a shutter speed no slower than 1/80. If I am at 105 mm than my shutter speed should be no slower than 1/100 when hand holding my camera.

So my suggestion would be to do another shot with your lovely granddaughter. Set your camera to either shutter priority or aperture priority. Let's say you choose shutter priority. This means you choose the shutter speed and the camera chooses the f/stop (or aperture setting). You are inside so the shutter speed will be slower. Now looking through the viewfinder, you will see a meter that looks like this: + . . 0 . . - Your goal is to get the needle to go to zero. So you will have to click through shutter speed one way or another until you have the needle on 0. You will notice that the f # changes as you do this. An inside shot will require a wider aperture which confusingly is a smaller #. Once you have the needle at 0 you shot should be correctly exposed.

Keep shooting! You will get the one shot that takes your breath away and then you are addicted (and you will start coveting many expensive accessories!)

HarryO Loc: Kansas City, Kansas

Don't give up on your equipment. Digital photography can be a challenge because you need to be both camera wise as well as computer literate. Computer photography software can be as great a challenge as learning to use your camera properly. All of the advice that you have received here has been excelent. Now for my 2 cents. Join a camera club if you can. I belong to one at our church, and it has been a great help to improving my photography. We submit 3 - 5 pictures on a selected subject and then explain what we did to achieve what we are showing. I'ts OK to submit something that you are having problems with because that is where you will receive help. An added bonus is you get to interact with some great people with common interests. A second place you can get help is from the internet. Go to Google Videos and enter your subject matter, such as Nikon D5100, Bryan Peterson, Moose Peterson, Photoshop Levels. Google will then give you an endless assortment of Videos to choose from. Bookmark your favorites and you are set. I hope that this helps. Please don't give up. I hope this helps.

jjestar Loc: Savannah GA

It sounds as though he may have wanted to make a big sale. Your camera is adequate to do the kind of work you want to do and patience and practice will prevail. You did not mention the lenses you have. There are some dvds from different sources specific to your camera on ebay, amazon and some camera stores. You can post questions here and we will all try to end your frustrations. But again a good basic book or DVD on photography is a good place to start.

dongrant Loc: Earth, I think!

Please do. I believe that what everyone one is think is that with a little help and effort, you may find yourself enjoying the camera. It take time but it is so worth the effort :-).

flyingcrown1 Loc: Moravian Falls

Pardon my candor but, given the level of frustration voiced in your initial post, this looks to me like a very acceptable image. Could you post the "dead flower" shot. This one looks just fine to me.

PitchurMan Loc: Michigan

I wasn't aware of a camera store in McAllen. The nearest thing I know of is Best Buy and they don't take anything back.

memorykeeper Loc: Indianapolis, Indiana

Ok, am not sure what the problem is but except for the subdued color, the pic is fine to me. I like this portrait, it captures your granddaughter's character at a moment where she was not posing. Start simple; if you run Windows open the pic on Win pic viewer an hit auto fix and see if you like the look. Hit color and play with the saturation which basically means how much color you have. About the focus, try a different aperture, try a telephoto lens and fill the frame with the young lady, step back a bit to focus. Like the composition really, just take out the distracting elements.

Sensei

Both of you may have been moving. You might have been too close. The camera might not have been able to adjust to you, it, or her moving.
As I recall the 5100 does not have built in image stabilization. Do you have it in the lens?

hardknot Loc: Annapolis, MD

Agree with JKF159....Instead of flipping the dial to 'Auto', your thinking should be: "What f-stop should I be using to achieve the depth-of-field to get the effect that I am looking for...and how will that relate to the shutter speed and ISO required for a perfect exposure?"....in other words, take a little time to understand the relationship between the three functions that the camera uses to output a picture. They are Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO (Sensor sensitivity). They interact and only by understanding the relationship between these three, will you be able to 'tell' the camera to do what you want it to. To begin learning, just Google/Youtube those subjects and sit back and enjoy saying to yourself, "Oh..now I understand". Have fun, because it is. :D

memorykeeper Loc: Indianapolis, Indiana

Some times just a little cropping does it. I also adjusted the exposure(-) a bit and upped the color.

pacalady

I have been reading many posts and find all most helpful. I have never posted a reply but to help I also agree on getting a book for dummies. I saved up and bought a Canon EOS Rebel XS because a friend has one and I love their photos. I have a sight disability (why do photography if you can't see) but love photos. It is hard for me to be in a class room because of certain lighting but I bought the Canon EOS Rebel XS book for dummies and love it. Because it is a book I can take my time and go over and over it until I have that part down. No pressure just me and the book. Anyone who wants to learn photography can it just depends on your level of desire. I am 60 and just starting so if I can learn anyone can. Stay with your camera, calm down, read and practice like everyone says. Thanks to everyone's input it is wonderful learning something new!

Dave K

Tramsey:

First, please let me say your granddaughter is lovely, and very friendly to the camera. Next, I actually like this photo. If it were me, I would not have chopped off part of her hair, but that's just compositional preference and in no way reflects badly on this photo. I even like the moodiness the darker exposure evokes. Oh, and the blurred background (caused, as others here have said, by a small (wide-open) f:/stop) only makes the girl more the center of the photo, as she should be. All in al, I think it's a nice portrait.

Now, as to your problems with your new camera, I've been reading this thread and wonder if part of your discontent is simply a lack of basic technological knowledge. Do you, for instance, understand just what f:/stop is? What it indicates? How it affects things like depth-of-field, shutter speed, and so on? It's okay if you don't - I didn't either back when I started - but it it certainly something you really need to learn. There are all manner of sources for this, including such prosaic places as Porter's Camera Store or RitzPics - both of which have their own websites. Of course, you're on a wonderful source right now. All you need do is ask.

One thing that makes me think this is when you mentioned the lens you used to take your granddaughter's photo. You said it was an f:/1.4. I'm assuming you got that data from the lens's body. That just means that is how far down you can stop that particular lens (or, how far open you can make the aperture). It's nice to know - and bespeaks a good lens - but has nothing to do with the actual aperture (AKA f:/stop) you used for this shot.

Now, there is a way you can find that information out. One really cool thing about digital cameras that film cameras don't have is that the digital file (the "image") also contains what's called exif data - don't worry about what "exif" stands for, you can Google that if you wish). What this is is a listing of all the technical details (shutter speed, f:/stop, focal distance, "ISO," and the like) of that particular shot. This file goes pretty much wherever your original image goes - if you, for instance, forward that image to, say, here, the exif data will not accompany it), but it will stay with the original. You can get to at least some of this data simply by right-clicking on the image's icon in your computer, and then clicking on "properties." You can also get to this via several other viewers or programs. You should be able to see it in Photoshop, although I don't use that so I can't say with any certainty.

I'm sorry this has been such a long reply, but I think it might help you. One thing you should do is just what musicians, athletes, and other artists have pounded into them: practice, practice, practice. And, yes, study the basics and get to know them.

Best of luck to you.

Dave K

whoroba Loc: Utah

Tramsey, I've been reading the responses to your question and took the liberty to download you photo.
The photo itself, in my opinion, is good but the camera on automatic is not my favorite setting. I, am not sure that you are aware of the fact that when you open up the aperture to the largest setting (1.4, 2.8) you are also decreasing the area of focus. Therefore, the time setting is critical in order to eliminate camera shake. Like it has been mentioned before a tripod would be of some help, but what also word help in this setting is a cable release for the camera. Any close up or macro wil turn out best with that small of a focal point is best to use a tripod and cable release. I’ve also take the liberty to adjust you photo a little.
Winn

retouched photo

POVDOV

Don't give up. Photography is an art and a science. Plan on studing a couple of hours a day. I love the experience of testing and checking exposure, depth of field and composition. How lucky we are to get instant feed back with digital photography. So you made some bad photos. So what. We are lucky if we get one in a hundred that says a little something from our hearts or captures perfectly that moment that will never come again.

I have been playing golf for twenty years and had a career best 77 recently. Took a long time but I have enjoyed the ride.

At 71 years of age I don't have time to become great but I do have time to get better. So get better.

I have been working on this deer head skeleton on and off for 35 years. I have yet to capture the finality of life but I keep trying.


It is a journey enjoy the ride

Deer Head Skeleton on the horns of a dilemma

rufus1 Loc: Winter Haven, Florida

OMG, this thread has so much good information it is scary. When you think I've had enough, there is someone willing to prop you back up.

Thanks everyone!!!