Few tips please for a new member!

h82

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Hi all,

I'm H, I'm completely new to this forum and looking forward to reading through all the getting posts. But first I need your help. I have always wanted to be photographer when I grow up, (nearly 30 now so hope fading!) and a few months ago I finally purchased my first SLR. Canon 450D second hand (though had taken less than 200 shots), with standard kit lens 18-55 also 80-200 lens, and 50mm 1.8 lens. Been given a 5 in 1 reflector, which I've not quite got my head around nor my arms!

ANyway have been getting some decent shots for a beginner and my friend has asked if I'd get some of her son this weekend. She wants to use them for xmas presents and just to have some fun. Our sons our best friends so we plan to make it a day of exploring and shooting them both rather than anything studio like (as don't have facilities). Plan for the afternoon, skatepark, woods, find some graffitti filled subways, and into dusk up on a big field area which gets lovely sunsets and often some fog on the ground. Asked her to bring along a funky hat and scarf, skateboard, football, I've got some sparklers from fireworks night, torches with different coloured transparent covers too, going to chuck all in the car and see what happens. Going to go for 90% playing and as little as possible asking them to pose too much as they are liable to get bored and annoyed, especially my son who has been over used as geunie pig. I have photoshop but prefer to limit editing to altering contrast slightly etc if needed as not too confident on anything too technical.

So much quesiton is, what would your top 3 tips be for getting some decent shots? Is my plan ok, or would you do things differently? Feel scared as never been asked by someone before to take pics for them!

Thanks in advance! :thumbup:
H
 
My top 3 tips:
  1. Start reading about visual image composition
  2. Start learning about photographic lighting
  3. Start learning about all the features and functions your camera has available for you to use for making phpotographs. Pay particular attention to metering modes, focusing modes, shutter speed, ISO, lens aperture, and white Balance.
These liks will help you get started;
Digital Photography Tutorials
Guidelines for Better Photographic Composition.
Advanced Composition -- Part I
Photography Lighting Basics | eHow.com
Understanding Photography Lighting and How to Control Photography Lighting
http://www.photoflexlightingschool.com/Lighting_Lessons/Lessons_on_Portraits_Outdoors/index.html
 
Thank you so much, am pretty good on composition and not so hot on lighting though know how to use natual light well, good on features of the camera, all the above are thanks to a pro photographer friend of mine who has been teaching me bits! The links are great though will no doubt be staying up late reading all of those, need to get my head around combining all of the features you mention to come together at one go instinctively when I have to get the shot that moment, which I guess takes practice. Luckily my friend knows that I'm new to all this and isn't expecting pro results, she says she just wants results like the photos I did of my son for my parents birthdays. I know I've improved lots since then so fingers crossed should go ok!
 
Start out using the 50, which is a good portrait lens, and move around a lot to try different angles. That way you will not be thinking about zooming, will have better optical quality, and you will be able to shoot quickly. Add in the other lenses only if there is something you cannot do with the 50.
 
Brilliant, thanks Ken! I love the 50 anyway but prob would have panicked and thought i need to use all three lenses. Wil take your advice :)
 
Use your reflector to help manipulate the "natural light"
 
honestly I think you got this. Of course we have not seen any pictures from you.
 
Focus on the eyes and get light on them. Eyes are set into our heads deeply and shaded by our brow bone (some more than others). The closer the sun is to the horizon, the easier it is to get light into the eyes.
 
honestly I think you got this. Of course we have not seen any pictures from you.

They will come Joe! But thanks for the vote of confidence :) will upload a couple I've taken recently over the weekend to get some helpful criticisms. And to Bazooka, great tip thank you. Always make sure I focus on the eyes (use manual focus most of the time for portrait type stuff, but will take extra care to consider lighting on the eyes. Some of the day will be when the sun is higher, so guessing that's when I need to think about using the reflector to most advantage on the eyes?
 

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