New to dslr and want to learn how to take good pics

[Camaro_87]

i've always liked taking pictures and i love going to car and truck shows and race's and taking pictures. i recently picked up a new Canon rebel T2i with the stock 18-55mm lens and was wondering what are the best settings /options to take good clear pictures? right now i just set the camera to "auto" mode, the pictures are pretty good but i know this camera ( and me) can do bettter. the next couple weeks there are two big truck shows that i wait every year to go to and i'm excited to try out my new rebel. anyone got any tips or suggestions for me?

 

[adversus]

Practice, practice, practice.

Everyone learns differently, there's lots of good books and websites out there with tips and tricks for everyone from beginners to advanced photographers. Myself, I learned by taking pictures in Auto, determining what the camera chose, then learned when to use those same manual settings to get the desired results.

So practice, practice, practice.

 

[brandibell]

I agree with adversus. Practice and read some good books. I went to school for photography because that is how I personally learn best, after I was able to grasp the basics of photography I read a lot of books, as well as took some local seminars and workshops. But I know lots of great photographers who are self taught and never went to school, that was just what worked best for me. You can also learn a lot by looking on the internet or maybe you could talk to a photographer in your city who would be willing to teach you a few things.

 

[WesternGuy]

Camaro_87, I would echo what others have said - practice, practice, practice and then practice some more - a lot easier to do in the world of digital photography than in the "film world" that a lot of us grew up in. I would only add a couple of suggestions, join a camera club, if there is one in your area (there should be in Orangeville) and learn from the more experienced ones. Ask questions at the club and you will soon find out who is a good source of "mentoring" and who isn't. Talk to other photographers at these shows and races that you go to and find out what they are using and how they do things - some may brush you off and some won't. I suspect that you will also find that as you get to know the photographers who go to these shows, you will run into the same foks again and again - use these opportunities to develop some friendships if that is possible. HTH.

Cheers,

WesternGuy

 

[KmH]

Here are a couple of links to help you get started;

Digital Photography Tutorials

Guidelines for Better Photographic Composition.

 

[johnh2005]

Go to your local library and see what they offer. Go to the book store and find books that look like they will interest you. Write down the titles at the book store and go to the library and talk to the librarian. I am sure they will be able to get a least a few of the books for you with the inter library loan system. One book that I, and others, often recommend is "Understanding Exposure" and "Learning to See Creatively" both by Bryan Peterson.

Also, what everyone else said above. Find a mentor at your local camera club, practice, talk to other photographers you meet.

 

[TwoTwoLeft]

If you're one those who learn by doing. Put your camera in Tv, AV, or M mode read the manual and just go out and shoot stuff and see what happens when you change the f-stop, Stutter speed & ISO. The T2i has a nice preview LCD, so most of the results will show up there. Once you buy the camera, lens & memory card all your shots are pretty much free with instant feedback. There are also supplements to the factory manuals for specific camera models available on Amazon. A class at a local college isn't a bad idea either.

 

[Camaro_87]

thanks guys. i'll do some reading and stuff. i went to one of the two truck shows i go to every year and the pictures didn't turn out to bad. but wish the night shots of the trucks with their lights on turned out i bit better. most of them have alot of "digital noise" i think you call it. i then tried manual mode and playing with the settings, i got some pics that seems really clear and smooth but the pictures came out blurry. do you think a tripod would help with the blurriness at night?

 

[TwoTwoLeft]

do you think a tripod would help with the blurriness at night?

Most definitely! For shooting at night use a tripod, low ISO, turn your IS & AF off. The only thing a tripod cant fix is motion blur from your subject. Sometimes, if you use a long enough shutter speed, people walking by will disappear.

For the T2i, you have a 2 sec timer. Use that if you don't have a remote as it will help prevent camera shake when you hit the shutter.

 

[RichardsTPF]

As a newbei, I am also moving from auto to other modes. Shooting one object at different settings and comparing the results would help you understand exposure better.