few beginer's questions

deepakaa

TPF Noob!
Joined
Jul 8, 2011
Messages
28
Reaction score
0
Hi,

could someone pls help me with these basic questions...

1) how do you avoid flat lighting directly in camera before post prossessing..?? is it just about proper combination of Aperture/ss/ISO or is there anything more to it..??

2) beside Aperture/ss/ISO is there any other setting which is equally important in camera..??

3) what are the advantages of manual focus compared to auto focus...i tried to manually focus several times but couldnt really get it right..i found it very confusing...so why do photographers use manual focus..??

4) if I shoot a perticular photo using my Nikon kit lens 18-55 at ISO 400//SS 1-100/f5.6 focal length 50 and if i take the same photo using Nikon 50 mm 1.8 prime lens on the same ISO/SS/aperture...will i get exactly the same results or different results....?

5) one last question : while taking landscape photo..is there any importance of focal point..?? could be focus anywhere on the snap bcos we want to keep everything in focus..??

many thanks for the help...
 
1) how do you avoid flat lighting directly in camera before post prossessing..?? is it just about proper combination of Aperture/ss/ISO or is there anything more to it..??
Has nothing to do with A/SS/ISO, it has everything to do with the position of your light relative to your subject.

2) beside Aperture/ss/ISO is there any other setting which is equally important in camera..??
Those are the three things that control exposure, so they are the most important.

3) what are the advantages of manual focus compared to auto focus...i tried to manually focus several times but couldnt really get it right..i found it very confusing...so why do photographers use manual focus..??
Sometimes AF will fail, or will try to focus on too many things (busy scene), so MF would help that, but in terms of normal focusing, AF is best.

4) if I shoot a perticular photo using my Nikon kit lens 18-55 at ISO 400//SS 1-100/f5.6 focal length 50 and if i take the same photo using Nikon 50 mm 1.8 prime lens on the same ISO/SS/aperture...will i get exactly the same results or different results....?
Different lenses have different image quality characteristics.

5) one last question : while taking landscape photo..is there any importance of focal point..?? could be focus anywhere on the snap bcos we want to keep everything in focus..??
Yes, it's very important.
 
deepakaa said:
Hi,

could someone pls help me with these basic questions...

1) how do you avoid flat lighting directly in camera before post prossessing..?? is it just about proper combination of Aperture/ss/ISO or is there anything more to it..??

2) beside Aperture/ss/ISO is there any other setting which is equally important in camera..??

3) what are the advantages of manual focus compared to auto focus...i tried to manually focus several times but couldnt really get it right..i found it very confusing...so why do photographers use manual focus..??

4) if I shoot a perticular photo using my Nikon kit lens 18-55 at ISO 400//SS 1-100/f5.6 focal length 50 and if i take the same photo using Nikon 50 mm 1.8 prime lens on the same ISO/SS/aperture...will i get exactly the same results or different results....?

5) one last question : while taking landscape photo..is there any importance of focal point..?? could be focus anywhere on the snap bcos we want to keep everything in focus..??

many thanks for the help...

I cant answer them all since I am still fairly new at this.

1. Flat lighting doesn't really have anything to do with aperture/shutter speed/ISO. It's about the quality and direction of light, I guess. Someone else can explain better then me.

2. I don't know if it's equally important but metering modes are something you should be familiar with. As well as the different focusing modes/focusing area modes. White balance is super important but it can be fixed fairly well in post processing with RAW files.

3. Manual focus takes practice and it's easier when you have a different focusing screen like older film cameras. Some Nikons have a rangefinder mode that he'll you find focus manually. Autofocus is great a fairly accurate when you are choosing what focal point to use and where to put it.

4. The results will be the same. The picture taken with the prime lens might be a little sharper.

5. Not really sure about this.
 
You'll may get tons of answers, all of which will "most likely" be helpful depending on who is answering lol

You don't say what you are shooting in particular, so only a general answer can be given

Remember - GENERAL

1) It all depends on your lighting be it natural of artificial, if you can, shoot in raw, so you can make adjustments later (lighter or darker)

2) Sure, white balance and focus

3) can't answer that

5) When starting out, use a middle aperature for your lens, example f11, if its an overall landscape, make about 1/3 into the scene your focus point (OR) the most distinguisable thing that can be in focus (ie, if it's a large field, perhaps the most obvious tree near 1/3 into the scene)

Again, GENERAL, without knowing specifics.

Have fun
 
Hi,

could someone pls help me with these basic questions...

1) how do you avoid flat lighting directly in camera before post prossessing..?? is it just about proper combination of Aperture/ss/ISO or is there anything more to it..??

2) beside Aperture/ss/ISO is there any other setting which is equally important in camera..??

3) what are the advantages of manual focus compared to auto focus...i tried to manually focus several times but couldnt really get it right..i found it very confusing...so why do photographers use manual focus..??

4) if I shoot a perticular photo using my Nikon kit lens 18-55 at ISO 400//SS 1-100/f5.6 focal length 50 and if i take the same photo using Nikon 50 mm 1.8 prime lens on the same ISO/SS/aperture...will i get exactly the same results or different results....?

5) one last question : while taking landscape photo..is there any importance of focal point..?? could be focus anywhere on the snap bcos we want to keep everything in focus..??

many thanks for the help...
1) More specifically, you need your light source to come across your subject at an angle. For example, using pop up flash shoots light striaght toward the subject, so you lose the dimension created by shadows. If you have an external flash, get it off camera. Dimension is the interplay between light and shadow.

2) As Mike said, these are the important 3 in camera and control exposure.

3) Manual focus is good for different shooting situations. I, for example, use it quite a bit for still life, smoke photography and some night photography where the AF does not do the trick. I use it only on a tripod. I then switch to LiveView and digitally zoom as far as I can and manual spot focus where I need it. That way, I do not have to lock and recompose either. Otherwise, AF is a good bet most of the time.

4) You will probably not get the same results, they have different lens characteristics. I would assume the 50mm might get you a sharper image, since it's probably closer to it's sweet spot than the kit is. Set 'em both up, and give it a shot.

5) They say in landscapes that you should set your focus 1/3 of the way into the photo.
 
Last edited:
1) I'm not really sure what you mean by "flat" lighting. Can you elaborate?

2) The type of metering you use can be very important. Here is a good link that goes into detail about metering: Understanding Camera Metering and Exposure. Also, getting the white balance correct in the camera rather than leaving it on auto and fixing it in PP can also be beneficial in preserving the detail in your image. The focusing mode can also be very important depending on what you're shooting and if you're using auto-focus (ex. spot focus for shooting wildlife in large scenery, max focus points when shooting sports).

3) Sometimes you don't want just your subject in focus, you want the things in front of it or behind it in focus as well. With manual focusing, you can use the hyperfocal distance to put your subject right on the edge of the depth of field to get more in focus in front of or behind the subject while still maintaining a good amount of sharpness on your subject. This is used largely in street photography whereby you can set your aperture to something small like f/11 or f/16 for a large hyperfocal distance, then set it to the range distance you want on your lens, and just go around shooting pictures without even putting your eye to the camera because you already know the area in front of the camera that will be in focus. More on hyperfocal distances here: Hyperfocal Distance. Also, as stated above, sometimes there are just subjects that your camera can't focus on, like smoke.

4) You would get the same exposure, but different overall sharpness and clarity. Prime lenses are almost always sharper than zoom lenses due to the simple fact that zoom lenses have more glass inside of them. It also depends on the quality of the glass itself; a Nikon 50mm f/1.4 is clearer than a Sigma 50mm f/1.4. The difference is small, but it is noticeable.

5) Most of the time when taking landscape shots you can just set the focus to infinity and be done, but if there's a shot where you maybe want more of the foreground in focus you can use the hyperfocal distance again to determine which spot will keep infinity at a good sharpness while letting some of the foreground also come into focus.
 
Last edited:
1) More specifically, you need your light source to come across your subject at an angle. For example, using pop up flash shoots light striaght toward the subject, so you lose the dimension created by shadows. If you have an external flash, get it off camera.

You can also use the swivel feature (if your flash has it) to bounce light from near-endless angles.
 
1) More specifically, you need your light source to come across your subject at an angle. For example, using pop up flash shoots light striaght toward the subject, so you lose the dimension created by shadows. If you have an external flash, get it off camera.

You can also use the swivel feature (if your flash has it) to bounce light from near-endless angles.
Yes, but remember, by shooting your strobe from the top of your camera, you are limiting the light potential.
 
1) More specifically, you need your light source to come across your subject at an angle. For example, using pop up flash shoots light striaght toward the subject, so you lose the dimension created by shadows. If you have an external flash, get it off camera.

You can also use the swivel feature (if your flash has it) to bounce light from near-endless angles.
Yes, but remember, by shooting your strobe from the top of your camera, you are limiting the light potential.

For sure. But it's not always feasible to have a more sophisticated setup.
 
You can also use the swivel feature (if your flash has it) to bounce light from near-endless angles.
Yes, but remember, by shooting your strobe from the top of your camera, you are limiting the light potential.

For sure. But it's not always feasible to have a more sophisticated setup.
True, but it might be worth the small price of a cheap transmitter / receiver option. I use the Cactus V4s (still around?) and they were very inexpensive. Also, some cameras, like my Canon 60D / 580EXII setup can be triggered off-camera by a small pulse from the pop-up flash. It's been a life saver.
 

Most reactions

New Topics

Back
Top