Help! New here..

[kszymczak]

i am brand new to this site. my name is Katie and i have a Nikon D3300. i bought the camera to use for random photography, indoor hockey games(ice and roller), and car shows. i got a bundle with an 18-55mm included when i purchased the camera. i have ZERO experience as far as any courses/teaching in photography. i like to teach myself things so i thought this would be fun to learn. maybe i havent figured out how to use my camera/lens to their full potential but i feel like my photos just arent cutting it (outdoor is fine, indoor hockey is my issue here).

i mostly use the quick settings that give you options to shoot for portraits, distant objects, sports, etc. for the appropriate subject. however, a lot of my photos that i take of indoor hockey turn out very dark and not sharp. granted, i do have to shoot through thick, scuffed up glass sometimes but even without that obstacle sometimes my photos turn out dark and not clear at all compared to others.

again, i have only experimented with my camera and have had no training/photography education... any recommendations as to a better lens to purchase next? any tips to help me take good photos with the lens that i have now? any tips are appreciated

 

[goodguy]

First learn how to use your camera outside thew Auto mode.
Go on youtube and see what are the 3 basics ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture.

As for lenses to shoot in lower light situation then you can start with the Nikon 50mm 1.8G, this will get you better low light performance and will not cost you too much.
Getting other lenses for sports will be more expensive, good fast zoom will cost you more then your camera.

 

[rudimaes]

I learned photography by trial and error. I read much about it and took many pictures in all kinds of settings.
But it can take years before you mastered it. But as it is a hobby you probably like it.
The Nikon D3200 and the lens you got with it, is good enough to learn everything about taking pictures.
Later on you could buy another camera and/or lenses.
Rudi

 

[Designer]

.. a lot of my photos that i take of indoor hockey turn out very dark and not sharp. granted, i do have to shoot through thick, scuffed up glass sometimes but even without that obstacle sometimes my photos turn out dark and not clear at all compared to others.

Indoor photos in poor light are difficult.

First, you can check the ISO to either boost it higher or set it to automatic so the camera will use a higher ISO.

Next, knowing you must keep your shutter speed high enough to take action shots, go to "shutter priority" (the "S" on your Nikon) and set the shutter speed to somewhere between 1/125 to 1/250 at the lowest. You've got to "freeze" the action and this is tough to do without using a flash (I guessing that the rink won't allow you to use it). Besides; you won't want to use your built-in flash when shooting through the glass anyway.

Finally, check your meter to see if your lens can open up enough to give a proper exposure (at the higher ISO settings). If not, then you'll have to invest in a faster lens.

For indoor hockey, I think I would start looking to purchase a 70-200 f/2.8 or whatever will fit your budget.

Amazon.com Nikon 70-200mm f 2.8G ED VR II AF-S Nikkor Zoom Lens For Nikon Digital SLR Cameras Camera Lenses Camera Photo

 

[nerwin]

There is are plenty of tuts available on YouTube for the D3200, I recommend you watch one. Nothing wrong with starting out in auto mode, when you get a fantastic exposure, write down the exposure settings and try to recreate that in manual mode. You will get the hang of it faster than you think, but yes it does come down to trial and error sometimes. I took photography lessons in school, but they were very basic..just the fundamentals of photography like leading lines, rules of thirds, mergers, framing...etc. There is also some tuts available on YouTube to understand the basics of photography. There is just sooo much content available for photography its insane.

As for the lens..the 18-55 is a fantastic starter lens and it's the reason why many camera manufacturers supply a 18-55 kit lens with their entry level kit. For doing stuff in low light, I recommend you picking up the 35 1.8G..I absolutely loved that lens when I was shooting DX, It was practically glued on my camera.

Most importantly, have fun (and shoot raw).

 

[otherprof]

i am brand new to this site. my name is Katie and i have a Nikon D3300. i bought the camera to use for random photography, indoor hockey games(ice and roller), and car shows. i got a bundle with an 18-55mm included when i purchased the camera. i have ZERO experience as far as any courses/teaching in photography. i like to teach myself things so i thought this would be fun to learn. maybe i havent figured out how to use my camera/lens to their full potential but i feel like my photos just arent cutting it (outdoor is fine, indoor hockey is my issue here).

i mostly use the quick settings that give you options to shoot for portraits, distant objects, sports, etc. for the appropriate subject. however, a lot of my photos that i take of indoor hockey turn out very dark and not sharp. granted, i do have to shoot through thick, scuffed up glass sometimes but even without that obstacle sometimes my photos turn out dark and not clear at all compared to others.

again, i have only experimented with my camera and have had no training/photography education... any recommendations as to a better lens to purchase next? any tips to help me take good photos with the lens that i have now? any tips are appreciated

I'm just focusing on the indoor hockey exposure problem. My guess is the camera is being fooled by the light coming off the ice, and is choosing a setting appropriate for a much better lit room. Check you manual about how to lock the exposure once it is measured - I'm sure your camera can do it - and take a reading off a person and lock it. Then shoot the scene you want. Remember, the camera thinks the world should be 18% grey (google that) and it will attempt to make the scene average to to the grey of a well worn grey tee shirt.
Alternatively, you can use exposure compensation - again see your manual, but this is really easy - and increase the exposure by a stop or two to see if that brings the exposure to where you want it.
The question to keep in mind is, What is the correct exposure for this scene?