For now I am shooting JPG. Over the years with the point and shoot that is all I encountered. Not sure when I will move to RAW. I can see where RAW has definite advantages over JPG but am still getting my feet wet with DSLR cameras so I think I will tackle the camera first then progress to post processing.
Thank you. I will try to get up to speed quickly - at least enough to ask an intelligent question. The excitement of this new hobby is so overwhelming and my knowledge is very limited at the moment so I am having a tendency to try to learn everything at once which includes looking for answers to questions that are far beyond my grasp right now. I will slow down and work through the basics and then start asking questions again.
Are the great pics I see on UHH done with post processing then? And not with the initial shot with the camera?
OK – I have had this Canon T6 for about 2 months and I have been learning many new things every day. Started with the basics of the exposure triangle and how they interact with each other – controls on the camera – lenses – filters – etc. Then tackled some more advanced things for me like the rules – exposure compensation – white balance – etc. On top of all that I watched videos, read articles and even checked out the exif data on photos I liked but I could not mimic the quality of the pics I investigated. I had started out in full auto mode and quickly realized that was going to get me nowhere so I jumped full in to M mode. It has been fun but I was still not getting what I wanted. Even with adjusting the white balance my pics looked dull or washed out. Eash time I tackled a new topic I read, watch videos and shoot many pics to try out the setting - I think I may need a new camera before I learn how to use this one effectively. (smile) Then today my new assignment was to start using some of the creative modes which I always assumed were just glorified "automatic" modes like the full auto mode. But I decided that I needed to learn what they had to offer too so I chose the “close up” mode and WOW! That mode lets you make very vivid colors pop in your photo – one of the things I wanted to do. I am very excited to learn what all the creative modes are capable of producing but it does bring a couple questions to mind. So my questions are these… do you more experienced photographers use the creative modes when you shoot? And… can you recreate a pic in the M mode that looks like it was done in creative mode? I am trying to figure out if the M mode can compete with the creative modes if a photographer is more experienced / knowledgeable. By the way I have gained a lot of knowledge from reading the posts on UHH and just wanted to thank all of you that share with us newbies.
Looking forward to seeing some more of your work!
Love this one - what settings and lens?
Thanks to both of you for your insights - they are appreciated.
Wow - this has been a challenging journey so far. I have used a point and shoot for 40 years and recently bought a Canon T6 to experience the joy of creating certain types of photos that I see others capturing but I have to say there is a big learning curve. Over the last couple months I have stalked this site collecting as much information as I could absorb and I have to say it has been a treasure chest. Between this site, YouTube and some online classes I am just now starting to feel like I am beginning to understand the basics of exposure, lens physics, camera settings, composition, etc. Believe me when I say that I know I have a LONG ways to go but it is nice to actually see some progress on my understanding of some of the basic elements. However, I now have a couple questions. First... I am currently learning about using an 18% gray card for determining correct exposure and I think I understand that this card is 50% black and 50% white mix which makes a great color for setting an exposure so that the histogram can be centered but why is it called an 18% gray if it is right in the middle between white and black? Second question is do any of you use this method of setting exposure or do you rely on the internal light meter in the camera? Is there an advantage to using a gray card? I really hope this post makes sense - like I said before... I think I am getting a handle on some concepts but being a newbie I might be way off and not know it. I pray that you will allow me a measure of grace until I can get up to speed.
I think you are going to find this group very helpful and friendly. Welcome.
Thank you all for the tips and links to resources - tapping into all your years of experiences and knowledge is helping immensely - and is greatly appreciated!
You are quite right MY Shooter - I get fingered my message and the lens is in fact the 18-55 out lens not a 18-35. Regular shots are ok but I am getting into this camera to do more creative shots like heavy bokeh, light trails, long exposure Star fields and softening water features. The techniques and science behind the light manipulation to create these shots are a heavy draw for me. Just need to get the basics down before forging into the battlefield. I have seen many posts from many members and the pics are incredible. Thanks to everyone for posting pics and giving us engineers the encouragement to push through the learning curve. And a big thank you to strodav for the link to a great resource!
I have tried putting the different lenses on and taking some shots with mixed results. Was just looking for a general starting point to help me until I get more familiar with this cam. The last 6 weeks have been a whirlwind of learning the basics like the exposure triangle, compensation, DOF, white balance, etc. Watched a 100+ YouTube vids and am a member of photography info forums and am gaining knowledge from them every day.. It has been a blast but there is DEFINATELY a learning curve involved! <big grin>
Newly registered UHH member but have been reading the posts for the last couple months to get up to speed. Used point and shoot for many years and recently bought a Canon T6 that came with 3 lens. I kind of understand the basic premise of a telephoto lens to bring in distant views but which lens carries weight with which type of photography in general? Or can you universally use any lens for any type of shot? Not looking for drawn out specifics - just general guidelines on which lens you think is appropriate for a specific type of shot. The three lenses I have are the 75-300 and 18-35 and a nifty fifty.