First portraitures..

[Lunarneko]

Hello, this is my first time doing this kind of thing so I'm unsure of what I'm doing most of the time...

I kinda just use auto everything since I'm a newbie.

 

[MTVision]

The first one isn't that bad but the 2nd one is just a snapshot. Cluttered backgrounds are distracting and take away from the image so keep an eye on that. I would suggest moving your camera out of auto. Basically, if you are using a DSLR in auto you paid a bit of money for a point and shoot. It's actually not that hard to shoot in manual or any of the other semi-automatic modes.

Buy/borrow the book Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. It's a great book - easy to read and I guarantee you will learn how to shoot manual.

Also, your cameras manual is a great place to start.

 

[Lunarneko]

Well I didn't intend to use auto forever - I'm using trial and error and learning what works... This isn't actually on auto shooting mode its in A which the manual says aperture mode. I have a few books from scott kelby which seem to be pretty good. I'll look into the book you mentioned.

 

[MTVision]

Well I didn't intend to use auto forever - I'm using trial and error and learning what works... This isn't actually on auto shooting mode its in A which the manual says aperture mode. I have a few books from scott kelby which seem to be pretty good. I'll look into the book you mentioned.

Well a - aperture priority isn't shooting full auto! A lot of pro's shoot in A mode as well. The Scott Kelby books are good but they just tell you how to do certain things. The book I mentioned explains the exposure triangle and how and why everything works together in an understandable way. I ended up getting it because everyone on this site was always recommending it to newbies!

 

[MTVision]

Www.cambridgeincolour.com

Has some great tutorials about exposure, metering, white balance, etc.

I didn't mean to come off like I thought you were going to stay in auto forever. I shot in auto for the first couple weeks after I got my camera. Manual gives you a lot of creative control. Aperture priority and shutter priority do as well!

 

[Lunarneko]

Thank you for being very helpful. This world of photography is very exciting for me. :]

Www.cambridgeincolour.com

Has some great tutorials about exposure, metering, white balance, etc.

I didn't mean to come off like I thought you were going to stay in auto forever. I shot in auto for the first couple weeks after I got my camera. Manual gives you a lot of creative control. Aperture priority and shutter priority do as well!

 

[MTVision]

When you post pictures and want feedback on them you should list your settings - ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed so people can help you out better. Your EXIF data is stripped from your images so you'll definitely want to post the settings when you want feedback!

Photography is exciting! There is so much to learn but it is fun!