First dslr photos

marlix · Nov 13, 2014

Just got my first dslr 1 month ago as a gift from my hubby and tried some shots with my parents and daughter.
Canon 6D with 50 mm1.2

I would like some proper feedback from you guys since i am very new at this and have no lightroom knowhow at all.
Really trying to learn whatever i can on all topics since i am willing to make this more than a hobby.

Thanks alot.

DanOstergren · Nov 14, 2014

You're lucky; most of us don't get to start out with such nice gear.

The first thing I notice is the harsh lighting. Rather than putting your subjects in direct sunlight that has no diffusion, try putting them in the shade, especially during times of the day when the sun is at it's brightest and highest. Putting them in the shade offers softer light that is flattering to your subject, and lends to achieving a better exposure in general.

marlix · Nov 14, 2014

Thnx Dan, infact i figured that out but wanted to have those trees in the background. Again i am just in the beginnings.

Granddad · Nov 14, 2014

I agree with Dan, hubby bought you some excellent kit (even though its Canon, not Nikon

)! Some of the photographers here can't afford that quality.
OK, you asked for proper feedback so here goes (if you've been reading posts on this site you'll know not to expect Facebook type Wow! and Awesome! comments). When you take photos to share with other photographers consider the interest level of the photo you are presenting. Mum and dad on holiday somewhere sunny may have interest for your family members but unless there's something special about it other people are just going to yawn, roll their eyes and switch off.

They're nice trees - but not nice enough to sacrifice the photo for. You got good depth of field and good expressions but the harsh light kills all the good points. Even a camera and lens like yours will have GREAT difficulty handling that level of glare. Lightroom is an excellent piece of software but very experience users would have serious difficulty attempting to rescue these shots.

Don't be discouraged, look at the photos others put on here (especially in the beginners' forum), read what the members say about them and learn from the comments other people get. I've been coming here for nearly 3 years and I'd recommend this site as a source of learning about photography over any college course.

I wish you luck and happy times with your new camera. Be warned, photography can be as addictive and as expensive as hard drugs!

P.S. If you change your settings for others to be allowed to edit your photos for the future you'll find that members will be able to show you changes they suggest rather than just try and describe them with words.

tirediron · Nov 14, 2014

Granddad nailed it. Exactly!

marlix · Nov 14, 2014

Granddad said:
I agree with Dan, hubby bought you some excellent kit (even though its Canon, not Nikon )! Some of the photographers here can't afford that quality.
OK, you asked for proper feedback so here goes (if you've been reading posts on this site you'll know not to expect Facebook type Wow! and Awesome! comments). When you take photos to share with other photographers consider the interest level of the photo you are presenting. Mum and dad on holiday somewhere sunny may have interest for your family members but unless there's something special about it other people are just going to yawn, roll their eyes and switch off.

They're nice trees - but not nice enough to sacrifice the photo for. You got good depth of field and good expressions but the harsh light kills all the good points. Even a camera and lens like yours will have GREAT difficulty handling that level of glare. Lightroom is an excellent piece of software but very experience users would have serious difficulty attempting to rescue these shots.

Don't be discouraged, look at the photos others put on here (especially in the beginners' forum), read what the members say about them and learn from the comments other people get. I've been coming here for nearly 3 years and I'd recommend this site as a source of learning about photography over any college course.

I wish you luck and happy times with your new camera. Be warned, photography can be as addictive and as expensive as hard drugs!

P.S. If you change your settings for others to be allowed to edit your photos for the future you'll find that members will be able to show you changes they suggest rather than just try and describe them with words.

You are like a real granpa

clearly pointing out mistakes while advising. Thnx a lot. I am a real novice but i love taking photos. My real problem is that where i actually live its impossible to find photography courses so i am trying to learn all by myself. And its very hard for my untrained eye to find the correct exposure and settings adding the facebook wows that my friend shout at every photo i publish.
P.S. cant find those settings you mentioned and cant find that begginers forum as well.
This tapatalk app is killing me

.

Granddad · Nov 14, 2014

I am real grandpa!

Got 7 of 'em and the oldest is 15

I didn't get serious about photography till I retired. I got sidelined into photography when my wife started belly dancing and am now one of a very few specialists in belly dance portraiture (it's a long story!). I live 15 miles from the nearest town with classes and I know the quality of the local adult ed college so I don't bother wasting the diesel to go in. I have taken a few workshops with experts but usually find that the content is too general to be worth the cost. There is SO much info on the internet and on Youtube you don't need to go to a class to pick up most of the knowledge you need. Show your images here, take note of the advice given and ask questions. Expect to have some of the people be very blunt and lacking in diplomacy. But remember that even when people come across as rude and make crushing comments, they may still be sharing information you can learn from. None of them are setting out to hurt your feelings, most of those people have been here a long time and have seen many newbies come, stay a week or less, get ticked off that they don't get raves like on FB ... and go. Others will be nice about it and will bend over backwards to help you improve.

To change your edit settings go to your profile (click on your name at the top right of the screen) and scroll down till you see
Allow Others to Edit My Photos?:

There are a whole raft of specialist forums on this site, if you click on Forums at the top left and scroll through you'll see what I mean. Don't let the sheer number of them put you off! Some people post on many of them, I do mostly photos of people so I mostly stay on this one.
Beginners Forum: http://www.thephotoforum.com/forums/photography-beginners-forum.59/

Welcome!

Derrel · Nov 14, 2014

My tip would be a repeating of an old tip from master photographer and extraordinary teacher, the late, great David Vestal, who died earlier this year. Basically the tip is to look through the viewfinder, and to look alllllll around your subject(s). Are all the key things in the places you want them to be? Are things that need to be in the picture in the picture? Are there things that need to be eliminated? They are YOUR pictures, so these decisions belong to you.
*************
Basically, one wants to look at the subject(s) in the frame, but also, one needs to evaluate the edges of the frame, as well as the background. Often times, the beginning shooter tends toward focusing exclusively on the main subject, and ignores the other details during the shooting process. For example, in the shot of your parents: the trees are an integral part of that location, that scene, that place. Buuuuuuut....you are showing your parents standing there without adequate frame space for their feet...their visual anchor inside of a photograph. A way to alleviate this type of issue is to consciously LOOK at the picture in the viewfinder, and deliberately make your eye scan the frame in a counter-clockwise direction as your are framing up and composing your photographs.

In the grandpa/granddaughter/scooter shot, the scooter is clipped off, and they are placed low in the frame. It's not a satisfying composition in terms of balance; the basic elements are there, yes, but the way the camera eye is used to show them is not pleasing.

sashbar · Nov 14, 2014

If your hubby has bought you this camera, he surely can afford three of four good books on photography.
Bryan Peterson , Mikhael Freeman are well regarded. And there is a lot more. There is an ocean of photography knowledge out there easily accessible. Read books, practice, put your best photos here for critique and you will get to a decent level very soon.

DanOstergren · Nov 14, 2014

marlix said:
I am a real novice but i love taking photos. My real problem is that where i actually live its impossible to find photography courses so i am trying to learn all by myself.

I am completely self taught as well. It's taken 5 years of obsession and hard work to become any good at this, but if you have the passion you can teach yourself. There are endless resources at your local library and on the internet.