Does it just take experience?..

trapspeed · Jan 19, 2008

... To know what Aperture/WB to use according to the environment? I just bought my first DSLR and noticed I have to take a pic three or four times before I get close to the colors I want to capture. I know for large/landscape pics I want to set the aperture wider or higher, which means I have to tone the WB down so the picture doesn't become overexposed.

This is the hardest thing for me to get used to. It makes taking pictures a lot more interactive.

BuZzZeRkEr · Jan 20, 2008

trapspeed said:
... To know what Aperture/WB to use according to the environment? I just bought my first DSLR and noticed I have to take a pic three or four times before I get close to the colors I want to capture. I know for large/landscape pics I want to set the aperture wider or higher, which means I have to tone the WB down so the picture doesn't become overexposed.

This is the hardest thing for me to get used to. It makes taking pictures a lot more interactive.

Um......WB and overexposure are different things. Adjust for over exposure by shutter speed....not WB. So play with the aperture, exposure, and WB. kinda like a 3 dimensional playing field :wink:

shorty6049 · Jan 20, 2008

simple answer- Yeah, it takes practice. Apparently lots of it too, because i've been shooting seriously for about 4 years now and am on my second dSLR and still have to play around with settings. I shoot only in manual mode though so it gets you used to having to set everything yourself

Alpha · Jan 20, 2008

shorty6049 said:
simple answer- Yeah, it takes practice. Apparently lots of it too, because i've been shooting seriously for about 4 years now and am on my second dSLR and still have to play around with settings. I shoot only in manual mode though so it gets you used to having to set everything yourself

That really kind of sad. Four years into it...do you really not have a grey card and a ballpark idea of what the DOF looks like at f5.6 a meter from your subject?

shorty6049 · Jan 20, 2008

god, how would i know it was maxbloom saying that before i even checked the poster? I dont shoot film, I have a good camera so i can still get what i want from my shots. we all know you're mister technical, but i'm fine where i'm at right now.you gotta stop with the superiority ,man

Ls3D · Jan 20, 2008

Oh boy! I'm also known for my blunt honesty.

So I thought I would try and redirect the thread by simply adding that your DSLR is probably great at picking your WB. WB is about color temperature. So then the focus is aperture, metering, shutter speed and their relationships, eventually ISO, etc...

-Shea

Alpha · Jan 20, 2008

shorty6049 said:
god, how would i know it was maxbloom saying that before i even checked the poster? I dont shoot film, I have a good camera so i can still get what i want from my shots. we all know you're mister technical, but i'm fine where i'm at right now.you gotta stop with the superiority ,man

This doesn't have anything to do with film, or with me. I'm sorry but something is wrong if you're moving this slowly...I'm not trying to bash you, but to give you a wakeup call. At least start taking notes. Be defensive if you like but who are you kidding telling yourself that you're satisfied with where you are? Four years with a dSLR and you should be hauling ass.

I've shot my share of digital, but generally only when I needed to. I don't think I could ever use it as my primary medium. My mistakes don't satisfy me enough. There are days when I shoot a roll or two or three or five and get absolutely nothing I want to print. I do really like the digital shots I've taken, but the bad ones are too easily disposed of. If I were to go through my binders of negatives and clip out all of the shots I would have deleted, I'd only have a few pages. I find that very depressing. I look at the bad negs and think, "look at all this stuff I've created...that I've spent money on." I need the pressure of that vast volume of error and wasted money staring me in the face, to go forward. I'd have no qualms about deleting it all if it were digital, but I couldn't bring myself to throw away bad negs.

LaFoto · Jan 20, 2008

What is wrong in admitting to someone who feels frustrated over all the many options his new camera gives him that yes, indeed, it does take time to learn everything, Max? And why then say that after 4 years, however, he should now know it all???

I have taken photos for the best part of 30 years now and still admit to the mistakes I make. And I still make mistakes. Even today! What is wrong in admitting to this?

Aren't you just admitting to taking loads of negs that never get printed?

If everyone were supposed to "finally know everything about what he's doing after 4 years", how come you are not now producing roll after roll of 36 keepers? I don't understand your logic.

But no need to reply.
This is trapspeed's thread about whether it takes time and experience to become familiar with all the camera settings, and the short answer to that is: yes, it does. Plus a lot of reading and also a good amount of trial and error - which is easier to bear in the digital world as it does not cost you anything.

Saint-Brown · Jan 20, 2008

BuZzZeRkEr said:
Um......WB and overexposure are different things. Adjust for over exposure by shutter speed....not WB. So play with the aperture, exposure, and WB. kinda like a 3 dimensional playing field

I haven't really played with my WB alot, I normaly have it on auto unless i'm in a really tricky situation.
I would say know what you want in you photo, want landscape then higher f-stop #. Want to stop action then higher shutter speed. Choose what you want, set that option first and then adjust other settings to get the correct exposure.

It does take time, practice and patence.
step 1: read
step 2: practice
step 3: repeat step 1 and 2 until you are a master and even then repeat steps 1 and 2.

Just my .02

That One Guy · Jan 20, 2008

WB is easy to figure out. Just set it to the lighting you are using. I rarely ever use AWB.

Overexposure occurs when too much light is allowed into the medium (ie film, flash card)

Yes it does take time and lots of practice!! Some ppl pick it up very rapidly while others may take a little longer to learn things. Every situation is different so it does take some time.

Reading is good.......trial and error is good.

No photographer goes out and takes 100 pictures and has 100 keepers.

Good luck and keep shooting :thumbup:

That One Guy · Jan 20, 2008

one more thing.....

as far as capturing the colors you want........while it is best to try to capture them in the file, you can also bump them a bit in PP work

trapspeed · Jan 20, 2008

Thanks a lot for the responses.

So what setting do you usually keep it on when you first started shooting? Manual or Program?

And you adjust shutter speed with the ISO option, correct?

Sorry, I'm new and haven't really found a good site that thoroughly explains it all.

Alpha · Jan 20, 2008

trapspeed said:
And you adjust shutter speed with the ISO option, correct?

:meh:

This may sound silly, but have you read the manual yet?

Coldow91 · Jan 20, 2008

I would recommend the book Understanding Exposure. It helps to explain all of the things mentioned in simple terms.

Saint-Brown · Jan 20, 2008

I have always used manual. I now use alot of shutter priority or Aperture priority and then set with one and let the camera set the others for exposure. I mainly use these if I know I'm in a constantly changing light environment.

You don't set shutter speed by iso
you set shutter speed with shutter speed setting.

Let's start over. What make and model camera are you using?