Animals - 8 for C&C please!!

[JohnS.]

Hey guys,

I just got a DSLR earlier this week. My friends and his family were all hangin out outside the other day so I took these. D40 with 55-200 non-VR, I believe I was on portrait mode for all of them, and ISO 800 for the orange cat, ISO 200 for the dog and black cat. I know I need to work on composition. First, I'm working on getting good shots. Let me know how I'm doing. They're all unedited. I do not know how to use Photoshop, although I do have it.

 

[eddlum25]

I'm a newbie in photography but this is what I think

With some tweak in photoshop and cropping, #2 & #3 are potentially good.

With animals portraiture, focus on the eyes and take a good shot especially when you are using a 55-200mm lens.

 

[Raizels]

These pictures are not doing much for me... sorry.
Of the first cat, the fourth one is the only one I like. I find the pose in the first one strange and the background in the others very distracting.
The dog's eyes are scaring the heck out of me...
The last pic would have been good if it weren't for the busy background, especially the leg!

 

[JohnS.]

You are talking about composition, which in my first post, I said I am not currently focusing on. I'm just trying to see if I can get the use of the camera down first with correct shutter speed, aperture, exposure, etc. Just trying to see if I can get clear pictures, pictures with good focus, etc.

I appreciate the feedback though guys. Thank you!

 

[reznap]

You are talking about composition, which in my first post, I said I am not currently focusing on. I'm just trying to see if I can get the use of the camera down first with correct shutter speed, aperture, exposure, etc. Just trying to see if I can get clear pictures, pictures with good focus, etc.

I appreciate the feedback though guys. Thank you!

Ok, you also said in your first post:

I just got a DSLR earlier this week. My friends and his family were all hangin out outside the other day so I took these. D40 with 55-200 non-VR, I believe I was on portrait mode for all of them, and ISO 800 for the orange cat, ISO 200 for the dog and black cat.

You succeeded in getting good focus on the majority of them for the most part but you didn't really have anything to do with the exposure. Not trying to be an ass, and I appreciate that you want to master the camera before composing shots but you're using the camera like a point and shoot to take snapshots around the yard and house. Throw the dial in manual mode and get to know the settings.

 

[JohnS.]

Yeah I guess I contradicted myself there lol.

And I have used manual before. I understand shutter speed, I understand aperture, I understand exposure. I just don't understand how to use them all at once in manual. So I'm using the different modes and adjusting anything I can to touch up the pictures.

 

[reznap]

You know, nevermind what I said..

Focus looks good in most.

 

[point-&-shoot]

i love the dog shots

 

[JeffieLove]

the dog shots kinda scare me. He looks like a cyborg dog with how one eye is bright and the other is dark...

I noticed in a lot of them, there are "body parts" cut off... In one of the orange cat pictures, the tip of his ear is cut off... In a couple other's his tail is cut off...

I also want to reiterate on what reznap already told you. If you are shooting in "P" mode (on the dial on the top of your camera), that doesn't stand for portrait. I don't know exactly what it stands for, but it is basically like shooting in Auto mode without flash. That is not going to help you learn how to use your DSLR. The best thing about having a DSLR is that you can choose your aperture, shutter speed, ISO, exposure compensation, etc. But you can only do that if you go into Av, Tv, or M modes. Those are the modes where you will set your own settings.

A lot of people will tell you to learn the functions of your camera in Auto mode first... For real? All that does is teaches you how to use the shutter button on your fxcking camera. Dumb.

Use this rule of thumb and play with Tv mode for a while. In Tv mode, you will set your shutter speed and the camera will set the aperture for you to have a proper exposure. The rule of thumb is that your shutter speed should never be less than the longest focal length of your lens. If you are using a 55-200mm lens, your shutter speed should be 1/200 or more (1/320, 1/400, etc) Once you get the hang of setting your own shutter speed to get your camera to do what you want it to do, then do the same thing with Av mode where you choose your aperture. Get the hang of that, and learn what each setting does and how they work together... THen play in Manual mode.

If you want a little helping hand, this book is a GREAT book to begin with

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-Photographs-Digital-Updated/dp/0817463003/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274553136&sr=1-1]Amazon.com: Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition)…[/ame]

I have only been shooting for a few months myself, but this book helped A LOT!! I am actually still practicing with it here and there... And I also start my Associate's Degree in Photography this summer (But I am also majoring in social work. I don't suggest majoring in photography alone in our current economical situation)

That's all from me for now Hope this was helpful to you

 

[emh]

I also want to reiterate on what reznap already told you. If you are shooting in "P" mode (on the dial on the top of your camera), that doesn't stand for portrait. I don't know exactly what it stands for, but it is basically like shooting in Auto mode without flash. That is not going to help you learn how to use your DSLR. The best thing about having a DSLR is that you can choose your aperture, shutter speed, ISO, exposure compensation, etc. But you can only do that if you go into Av, Tv, or M modes. Those are the modes where you will set your own settings.

Since the OP has a Nikon, a little nomenclature translation:
Av in Canonese = A in Nikonese (aperture priority mode)
Tv in Canonese = S in Nikonese (shutter priority mode)
M is the same in both (manual)
P is the same in both (program)


While I agree with the general point being made, "P" is more than just auto without flash -- you do have control over exp comp, flash comp, bracketing, and various other controls in P that you don't typically have access to in Auto.

 

[JeffieLove]

thanks for the translations emh lol

 

[JohnS.]

Thanks all for the input. I wasn't on "P" mode. I was on Portrait Mode, the one with the woman wearing the hat. I tried playing around on Program Mode, Aperture Priority, and Shutter Priority, but I found that I had the easiest time getting the best pictures on Portrait Mode. In the future, I do hope to use Manual Mode as much as possible. But for now, I want to stick with the "easier" functions until I start to understand how each setting works with another. Don't forget, each picture's properties shows you shutter speed, aperture, exposure, etc.

As far as the dogs go, the bigger one is a she . The little one is a he. And I know I cut off body parts. Again, I'm not after composition right now.

 

[haynchinook334]

I am also new to the photography world as well. But, I agree with the people above my post. Try using A (aperture priority) mode, get a feel for that, then move to S (shutter priority) mode then go to complete manual mode. Understanding what A,S,P modes give you and what they compensated in each mode, then off to full manual mode. I really don't use my "auto" setting on my D90, unless, I'm on the run and don't have the time to set up the manual mode.

P.S. That dog is kinda freaky.

 

[eddlum25]

Hey it's me again. These people given you real advice here,take them on board.
I am new to photography as I said earlier and had only taken my first pics a few days ago. As everyone here said, your camera Auto mode (Portraite, Landscape, Close Up etc) decide your shutter speed, Aperture and ISO for you (without telling you why this exposure was chosen). Venture to the semi-auto mode (A,S,P) will give you more understanding of the relationship between shutter speed, aperture and ISO.

This book help me a lot in understading exposure

Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson


Good Luck

 

[JeffieLove]

I am confused about what "Portrait Mode" you are talking about if you are using a DSLR :/

Were you shooting in Auto, and you went somewhere in the menu or something to select portrait?

I've never used any of that on my DSLR... I use manual most of the time...