Confused

[kitty_kat]

Hi there.
I have a strange question...

I am somewhat new to DSLR photography. I know my camera terms and how my camera works, but I am just struggling to feel the confidence in using anything other than Auto...
Reason being is due to time.
I do a lot of kids parties and wedding in a particularly awkwardly-lit church. I am known for getting the best facial shots and emotions and just basically getting perfectly timed shots that other photographers miss by a second.
The thought of missing a shot because I am trying to sort out my ExComp etc just freaks me out.

As an example. In the church where I shoot, there is a huge stained glass window up in the front of the church and depending on where I'm aimed at for the couple, the difference in light is crazy. Then if I turn to view the congregation or the front of the couple, the room is extremely dark. So if I'm going back and forth, changing my settings is just so time consuming, and I'll be staring at my little screen more than taking pics. If time were not an issue, I could set up the shot with no problem... but these are moments that cannot be put on hold.

Maybe someone will tell me I don't know my camera settings well enough. Maybe I am just doomed to shoot in auto forever... but like I said, although I know my camera, I am not fast at calculating DOF in my head and figuring out the best ISO:Fstop:Shutter value for that particular shot when the moment is only a second long.

How the heck do pro's do it? Do the pro's mentally know their DOF ranges with the different lenses they use at different F stops etc? Do they turn on and off the manual focus for high speed moving subjects (no flash). Do they just have trigger happy fingers and hope for the best? (chuckling at the daggers being thrown at me with that comment lol)

I'm just feeling a bit daunted, cause I really want to be the best in my field, but I feel like there is a piece of the puzzle missing for me to open that next door.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Claire

 

[KmH]

First.
For a lot of people, big solid blocks of text are difficult to read online.
You might edit post #1 by adding some carriage returns to make paragraphs/blank lines.

Make time to practice using aperture, shutter priority, and manual modes.
Photographers had time before digital cameras were invented, plus they had to change film rolls too.
Having a very sound understanding of how your tools work, and having experience using the main camera capabilities, features and functions goes a long way to speeding up making appropriate adjustment.
In general, exposure adjustments only need be changed when the light in the scene being photographed changes.
No doubt, depth-of-field is a concept just about everyone needs to study to come to grips with, but I don't know anyone who calculates DoF in their head.

By relying solely on AUTO mode you give a majority of the artistic photography control to the camera software engineers that programmed your camera.
Relying on AUTO is like an artist using a paint-by-numbers kit.
You have no control over selective focus, lighting ratios, or subject motion control.

Lots of wedding venues are not lighted for doing photography, and many wedding venues prohibit using flash during the wedding ceremony.
In that case you need to use photography tools that can perform well in low light situations. Full frame camera bodies and fast lenses are the kind of tools needed, but the more capable they are the more they cost.

Frankly, it sounds to me you aren't as familiar with how your tools work as you need to be the primary camera operating decision maker.

 

[nycphotography]

TWO BODIES. One that you can experiment and be creative with and one "go to" setup that you can "just get the shot. always."

The go to body will initially be auto, but you'll probably end up with two different manual (or A or S mode + flash) settings eventually.

Plus, one body will eventually end up with a 28-70 lens and the other with a 70-200 lens makes it easier to get the close and d

 

[IByte]

Welcome to the forum. I am still learning the exposure tri-angle due to my limited free time.

I know I maybe beating a dead horse, but take a step back and just focus on one part of the triangle at a time.
As stated above, it's to learn each mode, their and how they interact so that jump to full blown manual.

There's nothing wrong with learning in auto mode, or semi-auto modes. Throw yourself outside your comfort mode zone an enjoy what your equipment has to offer. This is a great forum to ask questions if something you researched doesn't make sense.

Also ask one of the mods who's participating in the mentor program which is free. Absorb the critique, laugh at the smart ass remarks(going to be a lot) and hope ya stick around.

 

[12sndsgood]

How is the camera coming up with the perfect DOF in Auto mode? it doesn't know what kind of DOF you want all it is doing is looking for the right exposure, so saying that your better in auto because you can't calculate it in your head fast enough isn't entirely accurate. The way I overcame the auto versus manual is I set the camera on Manual and just left it there. it felt really awkward in the beginning, I missed some shots but before you new it I was changing settings without much thought, one day I just looked down and noticed it didn't bother me, that I was no longer worried about it.

When I had that done I started thinking about what I was shooting and then used the shooting mode that suited the condition. Shooting drift cars going 60-70mph and panning I new I wanted a slow shutter speed 1/60 sec. so I just set it on shutter priority and let the camera adjust the apature as need be. different condition where my DOF is more important I may set it on A and let the SS adjust as need be to keep things fast. Just because you have learned manual doesn't mean you have to keep it on that all the time.

 

[tirediron]

...How the heck do pro's do it?

Simple. Practice! LOTS and lots of practice! A few years ago, I attended a talk by Dr. Ted Grant, and at one point he explained how he prepared for an upcoming race he was going to shoot; by spending every free evening for TWO WEEKS sitting on the side of the freeway photographing cars going by until he could without fail, aim, focus, and expose for exactly the shot he wanted every time. Set aside 1-2 hours a day and practice; go to the church, go into your basement. PRACTICE! You will find that fairly quickly setting will become second nature to you.

 

[Derrel]

A couple things. You use the term "AUTO" as if it means one thing, but it can mean Aperture-priority, Shutter-priority, or Programmed automatic modes. Plus, there are also "scene mode" types of automatic setting, where a pre-established set of routines are programmed into the camera, based upon various parameters that the meter measures. So... there is more to "AUTO" than just four letters! Aperture-priority automatic can, with the best cameras today, be combined with AUTO ISO shift to work near miracles.

The church and stained-glass issue you mentioned is a pretty simple case of "people situated in front of a window", which is something that can be shot in Aperture priority automatic and EASILY taken care of with say, a Nikon D600 by just pointing the metering circle downward, eliminating the influence of the stained glass window, and pressing in the AE-L button with the right thumb, and then shooting. Aperture priority automatic is probably the easiest AUTO mode to employ, and the one actually used by most pros and advanced shooters.

As to knowing DOF ranges for various lenses, yes, experienced people know their lenses and the basic DOF concepts. It's almost entirely about image magnification; a 200mm lens can NOT "pull depth of field" on a group of people that is four ranks deep unless the camera is wayyyyyy back, but a 35mm lens can easily do it from a closer range with the people rendered smaller. Same thing with blurring and slow shutter speeds; you can get away with hand-holding a 35mm lens at 1/15 second and make a lot of very useable photos; with a 200mm lens shot at 1/15 second, the MAGNIFICATION of the image means that MANY shots will be blurred at 1/15 with the 200mm lens. This is very basic technical and practical knowledge.

No offense intended Claire, but you have a ways to go before things get easier. You do as Tirediron suggested, need practice. It sounds like you need personal instruction and more learning about the nuts and bolts issues underlying advanced photography. There are many very basic ways to achieve good results. You've been focusing on TIMING, and "getting the shot", which are pretty closely related issues, and very important things to do, but seem to be worried about the technical side of photography. You've got to establish mastery over the simple stuff by learning the fundamentals, the mechanics, the simple theories, the basic operating procedures that advanced shooters know. It's not rocket science. You can do it if you want to.

 

[AdamJones]

The best piece of advice I could offer is to practice. You would never want to shoot a wedding whilst trying new things out. Professionals and semi-pro's will use all the options available to them - using aperture priority or shutter priority modes will give you the speed whilst offering control over your exposure. Exposure compensation can be used when you know the metering won't give you the correct reading ( eg the lighting in your church) but if auto gives you the right exposure then so will the semi auto settings - you will just have control over depth of field or motion blur.

www.adamjonesphotography.co.uk

 

[kitty_kat]

Thank you so much to everyone's reply.
You have all given me something to think about.
Main thing to start is a bit more theory, and practice, practice, practice... and when I'm done practicing, I think a little more practice might help...
I like the idea of 2 bodies. It could help the transition from Auto to other modes, especially on a job that a client is paying for... but I'll have to see how kind Santa is at xmas.

Thanks again all.
Fingers crossed.

 

[Steve5D]

How the heck do pro's do it?

I've got news for you: If you're getting paid to shoot (and that's the sense I get), you're the pro. The question then becomes "Why don't you know?"

The reality is that it takes practice. It takes a lot of practice.

When I started concert shooting, I should've been cited for littering. The results were horrible. So, I shot more. And more. And more.

I do pretty good now.

Practice, and learn not only the limitations of your equipment, but the capabilities, as well.

Then go practice more...

 

[imagemaker46]

I posted a reply on this thread and it has been removed, is there are reason why? Perhaps one of the admins could answer this question

 

[gsgary]

I posted a reply on this thread and it has been removed, is there are reason why? Perhaps one of the admins could answer this question

And mine has ****ing gone

 

[nycphotography]

Oh, I dunno..... perhaps because the responses, rather than being helpful in any way, were merely denigrating the OP for needing the help in the first place? Maybe?

 

[imagemaker46]

It just sounds like opinion editing from a self proclaimed higher power. Is this how the forum is going to be run now, when someone disagrees with an opinion they simply delete it?

 

[gsgary]

Thank you so much to everyone's reply.
You have all given me something to think about.
Main thing to start is a bit more theory, and practice, practice, practice... and when I'm done practicing, I think a little more practice might help...
I like the idea of 2 bodies. It could help the transition from Auto to other modes, especially on a job that a client is paying for... but I'll have to see how kind Santa is at xmas.

Thanks again all.
Fingers crossed.

There is no point having another camera you don't know how to use learn how to use the one you have first