Finally learning to use my Rebel XT in Manual

[SGT]

Like the title says, I'm finally learning. I took about 150 or so shots of the car at about 9pm. I like night shots for some reason . . . Please let me know what you think, and where I might do better. I'm only using for now (until budget lets me do better) the 35mm lens which came with the camera.

Here's the flickr which shows the before and after edits

24Mar11 Photo Shoot - a set on Flickr



f 4.5
E 8
ISO 200
Focal Length 18mm
No flash





f 5.6
E 2.5
ISO 400
Focal Length 18mm
no flash

 

[lyonsroar]

#1. Is that your shadow on the right hand side of the frame? Or is it a tree? I would try to avoid that. I also would have pulled up about three feet to have the entire car in the light.
#2. I would have pulled up a little more so that the pillar of the entrance didn't appear to be growing from the car. I would also maybe clone out that light shining from behind the car through the rear windows.

Both appear to be pretty well exposed and sharp. The first one I might have exposed a little longer. It's a little dark, but not bad.

Nice car too!

 

[SGT]

Hehe - it is my shadow, unfortunately. The batteries died out on my remote... I did take some others that didn't have the shadow in them, they just didn't turn out very well, and I was really trying to play with the traffic in the background at the time. Outside of the darn shadows, I really liked the picture, though.

What do you mean by "clone out the light?" Both those lights annoyed me, I couldn't seem to find a way to tone them down while still get good lighting on the car.

 

[lyonsroar]

^Those'd be a little more difficult, but on the first one I don't think it'd look too bad to get in there and just paint black over the light. It's small enough, I think it would work.

You're set to "NOT OK TO EDIT" or else I'd have a go at them.

 

[SGT]

Oh, whoops - I fixed the setting. That third picture I didn't really like because of the light washing out the left side . . . but other than that I thought the "underglow" was kinda neat.

I didn't mind the lights themselves . . . but I wasn't sure what to do about not making them "shine" so much. I tried all kinds of settings, but nothing wanted to do what my head was thinking.

 

[lyonsroar]

Removed the light showing through the window. Not very high res files so the corrections aren't the best.

Cleaned this one up. Couldn't do anything with the front passenger side window. Blown way out.