hey help with a d70

[dearlybeloved]

so i just got a d70 and im new to all this stuff. ive taken some shots here and there but thats it with some point and shoots. im having a hard time understanding what settings i should be using and what things i should be looking out for. ill give you a list of my stuff and then post my first 3 pictures with a dslr. i personally dont think they are all that bad but im open to and criticism. im just hoping to be pointed in the right direction and find some cool tricks that can help me through my journey.

Nikon D70
Vivitar DF400MZ Flash
SIGMA 18-50mm 18-50 LENS
Sigma 70-300mm 1:4-5.6 APO DG Telephoto ZOOM lens
uv,cpl, fdl filters.

what are some things i could do to improve my skill? i want to use this camera to the fullest ability.

thanks in advance

 

[Derrel]

Improving your photo skills is something you can do by learning what the skills actually are, and they are many and varied. I think books are good ways to learn about photography basics, concepts, and styles of photography. Some of the magazines devoted to photography are also useful, and the web has many online video tutorials. I think to improve your skill, you need to know "what" you need to learn, and that is something of a catch-22.

Focusing, focus and recompose, using exposure compensation, using + and - flash compensation, how to use the AF lock button, a lot of the badsic camera-handling and camera operation stuff is in the manuals, and sitting down and reading the manual is a great start.

One thing you can do is practice. Timing for example; practice for ten minutes a day, trying to take photos where split-second timing is needed to "make" the right picture. For example, shoot through a chain-link fence or a window pane, so that a moving person,bird, or vehicle is visible through a specific, limited field of view. That will allow you to learn the *exact* shutter delay the D70 has.

Practice learning how to set the lens to the right focal length with the 18-50mm zoom lens; before framing a scene, MANUALLY set the zoom control to the right length, BEFORE bringing the camera up to your eye. This will teach you a lot about angle of view and camera-to-subject positioning. You'll soon learn how to set the focal length, bring the camera up to your eye, and have the picture framed very close to perfectly. This is hugely different than futzing around zooming short to long and back, and trying to determine how to frame the scene.

In a related vein, try shooting from different working distances. Try some experiments, like shooting from 5 feet at 18mm, then from 10 feet at 36mm focal length. Try 12 feet at 50mm versus 6 feet at 24mm. Look at the results. The point of all these exercises is to learn to translate human vision into camera vision. Have fun with the D70 and equipment.