DSLR camera tips, techniques, photo sharing, etc

[dunefreak]

As I get more and more into this new hobby of mine, I find myself searching the internet for loads of information. I'm like a sponge lately when it comes to lenses, techniques, composition, etc. Mike330R, 80grit & RUn2it have all been a ton of help along the way. So Rob (80grit) had pretty much the same idea as I did a while back to start a thread for a place to talk cameras and share photos.

I think this will be a good place to share pics and learn along the way with the other duner/ camera gurus out there.

This morning I saw a nice sunrise from my driveway and grabbed my camera to see if I could do any good with it.

Then the other day I tried for a sunset pic of black mountain. It came out ok, but not 100% in focus.

Slowly but surely I'm learnin this shizz, but that's the fun of it.

[RUn2it]

Then the other day I tried for a sunset pic of black mountain. It came out ok, but not 100% in focus.

Slowly but surely I'm learnin this shizz, but that's the fun of it.

The sunrise is sharp, your sunset ran out of light for a fast enough speed handheld, larger aperture, if already the largest and IS is on you need a tripod. You're wondering why the sunrise had enough light are you? The thin clouds are reflecting light that empty sky cannot. Bet you already figured this stuff out by now, my guess is there's a smart fellow close by, lol. I can't help it.... :clown:

[dunefreak]

Yeah I didn't expect much from the sunset pic. I pulled over and shot it out the window of my truck on the side of the road so my expectations were lpretty ow. I didn't have too much time to sit and mess with the settings much. I just quickly picked a shutter speed and snapped it. I hear what you are saying though about the low light & aperature. With the sunrise pic, I actually had the aperature fully open when I took that one and also focused it manually instead of on auto.

It's funny. Sunset pics used to be the easiest for me to take. Now, they are the hardest. :dumbass: It's kinda hard to get a super sharp sunset pic without a tripod.

Ever since I got the 50D and got more into this, I seem to have upped my standards of what I think a good picture really is.

[TheAlaskan]

When I was into photography with the old school film SLR's I bought a little tripod. only stands about 6 inches tall and the legs fold into the base. It fits perfectly inside your camera bag and is great to have for quick side of the road shots.

Kind of like this;

These are pretty cool too cause you can wrap the legs around branches or handlebars etc. just to help keep the camera steady.

[RUn2it]

When I was into photography with the old school film SLR's I bought a little tripod. only stands about 6 inches tall and the legs fold into the base. It fits perfectly inside your camera bag and is great to have for quick side of the road shots.

Kind of like this;

These are pretty cool too cause you can wrap the legs around branches or handlebars etc. just to help keep the camera steady.

The problem with those and Pete's camera is just the lens is around 3 pounds. Pete, an easy way to get the camera to get the pic right is if you shoot action use Tv and a speed for the look you want and the camera will get the exposure right 99% of the time and when you shoot stills use Av and the cam will set the speed for you and all you have to do is check the speed in the viewfinder and remember the lowest that you, yourself, can manage handheld. The IS is supposed to give you up to 3 more stops handheld. Next time if you have a few seconds at near dark sunrise/sunset set both manually,Av at 2.8 and take 2 pics at 30 Tv, 2 at 15, etc till you know what your handheld limit is for the ambient light, then you'll never have that "hmmm... wtf do I do with all these settings" mind set, lol, till you try something else for the 1st time

[TheAlaskan]

I know pete has a big lense (so I've heard at least), but those do help keep the camera steady on those quick improve shots when you dont have a full-on tripod set up and good to go

[RUn2it]

I know pete has a big lense (so I've heard at least), but those do help keep the camera steady on those quick improve shots when you dont have a full-on tripod set up and good to go

those small tripods foot print is probably less than 12" (camera and lens length), not to mention I wouldn't want to trust it with $3000 worth of camera, that's the underlying fear.

[80grit]

Anyone ever try using Neutral Density Filters out in the Dunes? I know with video cameras they make a huge difference. Was thinking of picking up a couple to experiment with.

[dunefreak]

Pete, an easy way to get the camera to get the pic right is if you shoot action use Tv and a speed for the look you want and the camera will get the exposure right 99% of the time and when you shoot stills use Av and the cam will set the speed for you and all you have to do is check the speed in the viewfinder and remember the lowest that you, yourself, can manage handheld. The IS is supposed to give you up to 3 more stops handheld. Next time if you have a few seconds at near dark sunrise/sunset set both manually,Av at 2.8 and take 2 pics at 30 Tv, 2 at 15, etc till you know what your handheld limit is for the ambient light, then you'll never have that "hmmm... wtf do I do with all these settings" mind set, lol, till you try something else for the 1st time

That's funny because I did exactly what you said for the sunrise pic. I put it on AV and went as big as I could (which was 3.5 using my 28-135 lens). As for action shots I haven't taken it off the sports setting until now. However, I am ready to choose my own shutter setting pretty soon for that and fine tune it from there like using AI servo mode and continuous mode just like the sport setting uses for fast action. We'll talk more about that later though. I haven't messed with full M mode yet, but I am getting closer and closer to using it and experimenting with it. Getting familiar with TV and AV have been enough to learn so far. :dumbass: lol

Neutral Density Filters...hmm now that you mention it Rob I have heard quite a bit about those as well. Are they as cheap as say the UV or haze filters? Might be worth it just to give it a try!

[ash]

Anyone ever try using Neutral Density Filters out in the Dunes? I know with video cameras they make a huge difference. Was thinking of picking up a couple to experiment with.

I have a few filters for my D50 and it makes a huge difference in the way the pictures turn out, especially in the dunes on a bright day.

[ash]

It's been a while since I have been able to just chill and read some new posts. I'm glad to see there is an area for photography enthusiasts. Currently I have a D50 (I think Mike 330R) turned me onto it a few years ago. Anywho, I'm looking to upgrade to a newer model and hand this one over to my wife (she has a D40). Photography is an addiction, like tattoos and dunes. You just never know what your gonna get. Here's a pic that Mike330R took about 4 years ago at Glamis and if I remember right, he took it from a real long ways away

And here's one of me in Cabo San Lucas this last weekend taken with a plain ole' Kodak Digital 8.2 megapixel

Hopefully I'm grounded for a few weeks before I take off again and with the weather being as nice as it is, I think I will get out and take some good pictures around town.

[dunefreak]

It's funny, the only time I have to really mess around with the camera is mostly at night during the week. Am I learning backwards? lol So last night went out and got some night light shots again. This time I experimented with full manual mode and got better results.

Here I got a pic of the Luxor. I probably went a little longer than needed on the exposure (20 seconds), but it turned out pretty decent other than the super bright lights of some of the hotels.

20 sec, f8, ISO 100

I have to get a better tripod. I don't trust the one I have 100% so I am on super-gaurd when I have the camera and lens mounted up. That and I couldn't keep it perfrectly level either.

Lights of the LV Strip. Taken at 13 sec, f8, ISO 100

and one of the LV Paris Eiffel tower taken at 1/4 sec, f4, ISO 400

Tell me what you think of them and feel free to critique the hell out of them. That is the only way I will learn to take any better pics.

[desertskyz]

My son-in-law just started a photography biz of his own. The link below is all pic's of my daughter, his wife.

http://www.sbellphotography.com/fashion_ga...reflecting.html

Today they are at an old warehouse doing a fashion shoot. There are some great pic's on his website. He started with just a regular camera like all of us, but got the bug really bad like Pete has.

Great pic's freak.

[Warrior07]

My son-in-law just started a photography biz of his own. The link below is all pic's of my daughter, his wife.

http://www.sbellphotography.com/fashion_ga...reflecting.html

Today they are at an old warehouse doing a fashion shoot. There are some great pic's on his website. He started with just a regular camera like all of us, but got the bug really bad like Pete has.

Great pic's freak.

wow nice pics :ah:

[dunefreak]

one of my new favorite pics that I took today!

I'm lovin this new lens.

[RUn2it]

It's funny, the only time I have to really mess around with the camera is mostly at night during the week. Am I learning backwards? lol So last night went out and got some night light shots again. This time I experimented with full manual mode and got better results.

Here I got a pic of the Luxor. I probably went a little longer than needed on the exposure (20 seconds), but it turned out pretty decent other than the super bright lights of some of the hotels.

20 sec, f8, ISO 100

I have to get a better tripod. I don't trust the one I have 100% so I am on super-gaurd when I have the camera and lens mounted up. That and I couldn't keep it perfrectly level either.

Lights of the LV Strip. Taken at 13 sec, f8, ISO 100

and one of the LV Paris Eiffel tower taken at 1/4 sec, f4, ISO 400

Tell me what you think of them and feel free to critique the hell out of them. That is the only way I will learn to take any better pics.

I can't critique them, there's nothing moving with an engine in it I don't even have a tripod, lol.

You're nervous with your tripod, lol, is it the one you used at the Regatta photo-op? If it is you know what I mean about the underlying fear.

And the medium density filters..... wtf are those? I have an "Expodisc" but it's for artsy stills and portraits, not practical shooting action in multiple directions. I should try a coffee filter for fun.

Personally I never use full manual, full auto, or any of the scene presets. My theory (as an action based lizard brain) is 1) action pics adds 1 extra hurdle to getting a good pic, like shooting a weapon, if you can get it while it's moving then a "sitting duck" should be easy, 2) the new digitals at the 40/50D level can get 1 thing (exp or shutter spd) right 99+% of the time as long as you choose the right thing (setting) for it to do, but can only get both things (exp & speed for action) right sometimes without intervention, so that precludes all the "scene" presets and full auto for me and a sequence of action pics can start at 1 exposure (f-stop) and change as you move into shade or toward/away from the light source and framing (zooming in or out)can keep you busy so I set the speed for the look I want, whether it's freeze frame or just background blurred or wheels and background blurred, etc. and the camera does the exposure (f-stop) but still influenced by the shutter speed I select, so the manual setting isn't a choice. This actually helps keep things relatively simple with the "static" camera oriented decisions common to all photos cut and dried and gives me more time to consider the dynamic aspects such as direction of lighting, subject distance relative to zoom effect, background, sample pic(s) to check for exp, clipped highlights, highest f-stop for your preferred range of shutter speeds (between f2.8-f8 is ok but f5.6-f8 is better but even f8 can cause a little diffraction at times....for a partial list of things that you have to run through every time and eventually it will become an instinct, that's what I meant by "relatively simple". whew

Edited March 23, 2009 by RUn2it

[dunefreak]

I can't critique them, there's nothing moving with an engine in it I don't even have a tripod, lol.

You're nervous with your tripod, lol, is it the one you used at the Regatta photo-op? If it is you know what I mean about the underlying fear.

And the medium density filters..... wtf are those? I have an "Expodisc" but it's for artsy stills and portraits, not practical shooting action in multiple directions. I should try a coffee filter for fun.

Personally I never use full manual, full auto, or any of the scene presets. My theory (as an action based lizard brain) is 1) action pics adds 1 extra hurdle to getting a good pic, like shooting a weapon, if you can get it while it's moving then a "sitting duck" should be easy, 2) the new digitals at the 40/50D level can get 1 thing (exp or shutter spd) right 99+% of the time as long as you choose the right thing (setting) for it to do, but can only get both things (exp & speed for action) right sometimes without intervention, so that precludes all the "scene" presets and full auto for me and a sequence of action pics can start at 1 exposure (f-stop) and change as you move into shade or toward/away from the light source and framing (zooming in or out)can keep you busy so I set the speed for the look I want, whether it's freeze frame or just background blurred or wheels and background blurred, etc. and the camera does the exposure (f-stop) but still influenced by the shutter speed I select, so the manual setting isn't a choice. This actually helps keep things relatively simple with the "static" camera oriented decisions common to all photos cut and dried and gives me more time to consider the dynamic aspects such as direction of lighting, subject distance relative to zoom effect, background, sample pic(s) to check for exp, clipped highlights, highest f-stop for your preferred range of shutter speeds (between f2.8-f8 is ok but f5.6-f8 is better but even f8 can cause a little diffraction at times....for a partial list of things that you have to run through every time and eventually it will become an instinct, that's what I meant by "relatively simple". whew

whoa Lee...slow down! :atc:

"dynamic aspects"

I hear ya though. I only used full M mode when taking these night shots. I got good results by selecting my shutter speed in TV mode, but then I took it a step further to see what changing the aperature would do. Without writing a paragraph , what shutter speed do you usually go with when you shoot action shots in the dunes? Like let's say Randog's wheelies. Just curious.

BTW, any shots from this weekend?

[RUn2it]

whoa Lee...slow down! :atc: :freakin_nuts:

"dynamic aspects"

I hear ya though. I only used full M mode when taking these night shots. I got good results by selecting my shutter speed in TV mode, but then I took it a step further to see what changing the aperature would do. Without writing a paragraph , what shutter speed do you usually go with when you shoot action shots in the dunes? Like let's say Randog's wheelies. Just curious.

BTW, any shots from this weekend?

OK, will get to your ? next but 1st what was your results re; Tv vs M settings, either way a clear quality difference?

Now your wheelie ?... in keeping the auto Av between f5.6-f8 all of the pics I took Sunday of the Regatta, Dog wheelies and over by comp jumping were 1/1600 (maybe a few exceptions) and between f5.6-f8 (again, maybe a few exceptions)

Here's a couple pics from the promo shoot Sat for VORE-Vegas Off Road Experience, a new venture where you can rent/lease these off-road trucks and get schooled by one of the best and current #1 Trophy Truck driver Jerry Whelchel.

This is Jerry showing how to launch and is actually safe and easy on the truck

and here's how someone without thousands of hours racing looks learning the the tricks of the trade

[Jakster884]

This is Jerry showing how to launch and is actually safe and easy on the truck

This is a Nice Pic. Good work there RUN2IT

[EY3BA11]

OK, will get to your ? next but 1st what was your results re; Tv vs M settings, either way a clear quality difference?

Now your wheelie ?... in keeping the auto Av between f5.6-f8 all of the pics I took Sunday of the Regatta, Dog wheelies and over by comp jumping were 1/1600 (maybe a few exceptions) and between f5.6-f8 (again, maybe a few exceptions)

Here's a couple pics from the promo shoot Sat for VORE-Vegas Off Road Experience, a new venture where you can rent/lease these off-road trucks and get schooled by one of the best and current #1 Trophy Truck driver Jerry Whelchel.

This is Jerry showing how to launch and is actually safe and easy on the truck

and here's how someone without thousands of hours racing looks learning the the tricks of the trade

Got any more info on this?? did a few quick googles and couldnt pinpoint anything..

[RUn2it]

Got any more info on this?? did a few quick googles and couldnt pinpoint anything..

Not sure where they are as far as "doors open for business" as I just learned about it last week and the pics and video were shot this last weekend for the promotions so it's still in the startup phase I'm guessing but will post here when they are ready to go.

[RUn2it]

And here's one of me in Cabo San Lucas this last weekend taken with a plain ole' Kodak Digital 8.2 megapixel

Hopefully I'm grounded for a few weeks before I take off again and with the weather being as nice as it is, I think I will get out and take some good pictures around town.

Ash, that's some depth of field there, you do any magic wand stuff? :freakin_nuts:

[dunefreak]

next but 1st what was your results re; Tv vs M settings, either way a clear quality difference?

It's hard to say because I didn't take the same pic on both setings with the same shutter speed. I just went with M mode, chose how long of a shutter speed I wanted, and then fine tuned the aperature from there watching the exposure meter. It was very difficult seeing which worked best because the LCD screen on the 50D makes ever pic look good. :freakin_nuts: In the end a 13 second shutter with a f/8 (ISO100) seemed to work pretty good when zoomed in on a certain part of the strip. Any longer of a shutter and the lights would be way blown way out. It's funny too because I got almost identical results slowing the shutter down to 4 seconds, but opening up the aperature to f/4. This is where I really started to understand how aperature size and shutter speed affect how much light passes through the sensor and what your final outcome of exposure is because of the two. :?: None of this would have made any fuggin sense to me a few weeks ago. It still hurts my head at times, but I am slowly grasping the concept.

Trust me, I don't plan on messing with full M mode much more. TV or AV seem to work just fine like you explained earlier.

[tylerthehucker]

these are some of my good ones.

i like the last 2 and the first the best.

[RUn2it]

It's hard to say because I didn't take the same pic on both setings with the same shutter speed. I just went with M mode, chose how long of a shutter speed I wanted, and then fine tuned the aperature from there watching the exposure meter. It was very difficult seeing which worked best because the LCD screen on the 50D makes ever pic look good. In the end a 13 second shutter with a f/8 (ISO100) seemed to work pretty good when zoomed in on a certain part of the strip. Any longer of a shutter and the lights would be way blown way out. It's funny too because I got almost identical results slowing the shutter down to 4 seconds, but opening up the aperature to f/4. This is where I really started to understand how aperature size and shutter speed affect how much light passes through the sensor and what your final outcome of exposure is because of the two. :?: None of this would have made any fuggin sense to me a few weeks ago. It still hurts my head at times, but I am slowly grasping the concept.

Trust me, I don't plan on messing with full M mode much more. TV or AV seem to work just fine like you explained earlier.

you're getting it, It's the same analogy I use with electricity, think of it as water, open the valve (apeture) more but for a shorter period of time (shutter speed) and you'll get the same volume.

This is a handheld shot from the 1st time I used the camera, I remember guessing at what the settings might be.

This is from the top of the Stratosphere last fall on the way home from the Silver State 300 in Mesquite, it's about 1/10th the size as the original, too bad the new construction blocks alot. oh yeah, it was handheld also. click it twice after the new page loads.

Edited March 25, 2009 by RUn2it