anybody want to help me with getting some skills under my belt?

philipgonzales3 · Mar 16, 2014

So I just bought a nikon D5200 with the 18-55mm kit lens and a 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR AF-S DX lens that I got for 100 bucks with purchase of the camera. I am also going to be ordering a 50mm f/1.8 lens as well, but anyway befofe purchasing I researched some of the basics of photography such as shutter speed, aperture, ISO, etc. I am interested in learning how to utilize manual mode better and I will continue researching and trying different settings but my question is, would anybody be willing to give me assignments that would be good for me as a beginner that these lenses are capable of and a starting point to take quality photos?

Preferably if it's simple subject matter that I can find outside my house like trees, or people, our houses lol. As they would be readily available. I know how to change the aperture, ISO, shutter speed, focus settings, flash settings like turning it off, etc. So it would be awesome if somone could give me simple assignments to help me learn. Aomething like take a picture of a 6 foot small tree in good light, stand about x amount of feet back, use an aperture range of such and such with this lens and a shutter speed in this range. I know that may not be how it works becausw you have no idea where the sun is at or what color my treed are, etc... but let me know lol.

480sparky · Mar 16, 2014

Click here.

philipgonzales3 · Mar 16, 2014

480sparky said:
Click here.

Awesome, thank you. I am reading through the bios now. If I understand correctly I am to PM someone whom I think will be a good mentor for me? If so I think your the one!! Lol I'll re read all the biographies and be sending out a PM.
Hopefully I get accepted

.

JoeW · Mar 16, 2014

philipgonzales3 said:
So I just bought a nikon D5200 with the 18-55mm kit lens and a 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR AF-S DX lens that I got for 100 bucks with purchase of the camera. I am also going to be ordering a 50mm f/1.8 lens as well, but anyway befofe purchasing I researched some of the basics of photography such as shutter speed, aperture, ISO, etc. I am interested in learning how to utilize manual mode better and I will continue researching and trying different settings but my question is, would anybody be willing to give me assignments that would be good for me as a beginner that these lenses are capable of and a starting point to take quality photos?

Preferably if it's simple subject matter that I can find outside my house like trees, or people, our houses lol. As they would be readily available. I know how to change the aperture, ISO, shutter speed, focus settings, flash settings like turning it off, etc. So it would be awesome if somone could give me simple assignments to help me learn. Aomething like take a picture of a 6 foot small tree in good light, stand about x amount of feet back, use an aperture range of such and such with this lens and a shutter speed in this range. I know that may not be how it works becausw you have no idea where the sun is at or what color my treed are, etc... but let me know lol.

Here are 3 assignments:

1. Read your manual cover to cover. Now go on Amazon and find a book about the D5200 not put out by Nikon and purchase it (normal delivery) so you get it in about 10 days. No slam on Nikon's manual, it's just that in independent writer will offer suggestions and setup recommendations you won't see in the manual.

2. Choose an ordinary household object (the more ordinary the better). A pencil. A coffee cup. A banana. A fork. Now photograph it 30 different ways. No, you can't use photoshop or any software. Play with DoF. Play with different types of light. Change the WB. Change the backdrop and context. Put different props near it. Shoot it backlit so it's a silhouette. Suspend it by dental floss, set your shutter speed to one second and then let the object swing back and forth. Change the vantage point and angle. Add reflection.

3. Find a book. Maybe it's your manual. Maybe it's a book from the library. Don't search high and wide for the "perfect" selection. All you're looking for is an intro book on using your camera and being a photographer. As you read the manual or book don't just internalize the information ("okay, so as the f-stop number gets bigger, the actual light let in to the camera gets smaller and the depth-of-field gets bigger). Nope--that's not good enough. As you read something, stop and practice applying it. You're not trying for perfect pictures here. And a still life object (an apple, a potted flower) works well. So as you read about aperture, take one picture of the flower at f4.5, another at f8, another at f22. When you get to WB settings, take a picture of the same object with the same light with each WB setting. Yes, it will be slow going b/c you won't be reading very fast. But you'll be using and applying the camera knowledge as you read it. That (a) increases the likelihood that you'll retain it and (b) you'll start to immediately see some of the possibilities.

philipgonzales3 · Mar 16, 2014

Ok, awesome. I will try this. I already tried taking pictures of one of my lenses sitting on top of my camera box, as I took about 30 pictures at different settings. I will purchase a book and for now look up content online and try the methods you suggested. Thank you.