Good'ay

saez0r · Aug 24, 2011

Hi guys,

My names Daniel and i'm new to the photography scene and excited as hell!

Got myself a new nikon d7000 and I can't wait for this baby to arrive

.

I go on many trips with the missus travelling to the sea side for alot of fishing and an early morning start is essential.During this time, hopefully I'll be there at the right time place to take that perfect shot (with alot of guidance from you folks of course!

).

So here goes my first question; I was reading Kenrockwell's site to immerse myself with the fundamentals and he argues that adjusting aperture and such is not necessary as the modern day camera will automatically do it for you; however you only tweak things here and there after viewing on the LCD screen to achieve that desired shot.

I'm wondering what you guys do? I was under the impression that you guys manually adjust everything yourselves! Or was I heavily mistaken? :lol:

Thanks in advance guys!

Sae.

Gaerek · Aug 24, 2011

First thing, lets get Ken Rockwell out of the way. Can his site be useful? At times, but take anything he says with a grain of salt. Get back up of anything he says. On his about page, this sentence (written by Ken) sums it up nicely:

I have the energy and sense of humor of a three-year old, so remember, this is a personal website, and never presented as fact. I enjoy making things up for fun, as does The Onion, and I publish them here — even on this page.

While it is true that modern cameras have gotten pretty good at figuring out exposure, and deciding what setting are best for a particular situation, the camera doesn't know what you're thinking, or what you have in mind. Exposure controls can be thought of as creative controls. Why would you give so much creative control to your camera? Automatic transmissions are great for most people. They're typically more fuel efficient (because it's difficult for humans to shift efficiently), and they're easy to use. Then why do race car drivers drive manual transmissions? It's all about control.

A book that's recommended here a lot is Bryan Peterson's "Understanding Exposure." You can find it on Amazon or wherever else for a reasonable price. You can also find a lot of the same information online. Learn to expose properly. Learn what your exposure settings do, and never use Auto mode again.

As for me, 90% of the time I'm in Aperture Priority mode. This is where I set my Aperture and ISO, and the camera determines the shutter speed based on scene. Some people think of it as a semi-automatic mode. A lot of photographers shoot in this mode. It gives you the best of both worlds, not having to continually adjust for changing lighting conditions (as you do with manual exposure) but still retaining control over you aperture. Many people shoot manual most of the time also. I shoot it about the other 10% of the time, depending on the situation. It's really a personal decision, and there isn't really a right answer. However, I would highly recommend weening yourself off of full auto, and try manual or semi-auto.

EDIT:

I thought while I'm here, let me give you a few pointers if you want to be successful here on TPF.

1. When you post photos for C&C (that's comments and critique), don't take what anyone says personally. Anyone who responds, either negatively or positively is trying to help you. They will pick apart your shots. They will tell you what exactly you did wrong. But, they will also tell you how to fix it. They will tell you how to not make the same mistakes. Everyone started off new and without a clue. It's tough being the newbie. BUT, if you're persistant, you listen and learn from your critique, I can guarentee you will grow and get better. Just don't get defensive, and don't take anything personally. That's the key here.

2. I have a quote in my signature. It was from one of the more prominent and helpful members here. It's really good advice to live by here. Questions are fine. But researching for yourself will be more rewarding to you, and will prevent the vets here from answering the same questions time and time again. This is a discussion forum, so if you can't find the answer you're looking for, by all means, post it. But if posting a new thread here is your first attempt at finding an answer, you're really cheating yourself, and I'll be honest, you'll piss people off here, lol. Again, questions and discussions are GOOD, but make sure you've at least attempted to find the answer elsewhere first.

saez0r · Aug 24, 2011

Haha, such a lengthy reply and a good read at that.

Most certainly i'll go in and do the research, must appreciated for the two pointers!

Can't wait to receive the criticism, it all goes a long way in developing skills and experience if and only taken the right way.

SkyBlue · Aug 24, 2011

Hi Sae!

Welcome!
~Can't wait to see your shots!

Cheers!

Gaerek · Aug 24, 2011

saez0r said:
Haha, such a lengthy reply and a good read at that.

Most certainly i'll go in and do the research, must appreciated for the two pointers!

Can't wait to receive the criticism, it all goes a long way in developing skills and experience if and only taken the right way.

Keep that attitude, and you'll do very well here! Can't wait to see your shots, and enjoy the camera when it gets there.

WesternGuy · Aug 25, 2011

Welcome to the Forum - lots of good stufff here and a lot of help for those just starting out, but be prepared for some very honest comments, particularly if folks think that you haven't done your own homework - a "search" of the forum will always prove useful. Have a look here...this one will keep you busy for a while. :thumbup:

Digital Photography Tutorials

Cheers,

WesternGuy