New to photography

[zadelstein]

Petersen's Understanding Exposure is written for beginners and is more helpful than not, but you'll want to be able to double check what you read with an expert so as to avoid "learning" the serious factual errors in the book. This website isn't as accessible, but it doesn't contain glaring mistakes: Cambridge in Colour - Photography Tutorials & Learning Community

Joe

I am also new to photography and have never heard the aspect that you should learn in A or S mode but always been told to shoot in M mode. The reason for this is because you get more control over your pictures. Of course some situations call for A and S mode but in all the classes I have taken and forums I have read M is the way to go. I have also been recommended Understanding Exposure by Brian Peterson and am in the process of getting it. I have not though heard anything about serious factual errors in the book? What kinds of things are in the book that are wrong?

 

[burdock87]

OMG! Look at those blue eyes! She is so cute! I especially like the second pic; she has the look of "Hmm...I'm planning a major business deal...."

 

[clanthar]

Petersen's Understanding Exposure is written for beginners and is more helpful than not, but you'll want to be able to double check what you read with an expert so as to avoid "learning" the serious factual errors in the book. This website isn't as accessible, but it doesn't contain glaring mistakes: Cambridge in Colour - Photography Tutorials & Learning Community

Joe

I am also new to photography and have never heard the aspect that you should learn in A or S mode but always been told to shoot in M mode. The reason for this is because you get more control over your pictures. Of course some situations call for A and S mode but in all the classes I have taken and forums I have read M is the way to go. I have also been recommended Understanding Exposure by Brian Peterson and am in the process of getting it. I have not though heard anything about serious factual errors in the book? What kinds of things are in the book that are wrong?

If M mode did give you more control over your pictures I'd entirely agree, but it rarely does. Therefore, if you're going to use the technology built into the camera you might as well use it to full advantage.

In M mode you get to select the specific shutter speed and f/stop you want to use. If however you do that and ignore the requirement to also set a correct exposure you get a bad photo. So in M mode you continue to rely on the camera meter to help you set a correct exposure. Why not follow through? If you need to specify a shutter speed because you're photographing action then use S mode. Given the ISO and the lighting there's only going to be one correct f/stop to match that will give you correct exposure. You can use the camera meter to find that f/stop (zero the meter) or let the camera take you to the same place a lot faster. The reverse applies to using A mode.

If you want to disagree with the camera's meter and increase or decrease the expousre measured by the meter then the camera's +/- comp feature does that for you quickly and easily. If the camera is designed well that control will be directly under your fingertip.

The suggestion often given to beginners to work in M mode is meant to assist them in understanding what's going on. If they have to think about shutter choice and f/stop choice each time a photo is taken then hopefully they'll learn sooner. In that sense M mode is like training wheels on a bike. Once you know how to ride the bike, take them off. What's critical is understanding how the camera works so you can control it. To repeat: Given an ISO, lighting circumstance and f/stop choice, there is only one possible shutter speed that will produce a correct exposure. If you're using the camera meter to find that shutter speed why not let the camera set that shutter speed? How are you getting more control by setting the same shutter speed yourself?

As for the book Understanding Exposure: It gets recommended here a LOT. So about 6 months ago I took the opportunity to pick up a copy and read it. It's an OK book for beginners, but it's not a great book. It contains editing typos that should have been caught by now and it does contain factual errors -- too many. Photography is everybody's hobby and that's good. But with such wide appeal it has developed "rules of thumb" over time that might be initially helpful but are in fact errors. An example: Depth of Field is uneven in a photo with 1/3 in front of the focus plane and 2/3 in back. That rule is in the book. It's helpful to the extent that beginners get the idea that there's more DOF in back and less in front. The 1/3 -- 2/3 proportion however is pure fantasy -- it's just wrong.

So do you want to take the position; "they're just beginners and the whole truth is too complicated for them -- just tell the this....."?

Joe

 

[mc_hudd]

Here is a video that explains why you would want to shoot using manual mode. Shooting with the Nifty 50: AdoramaTV from Adorama Learning Center

 

[scorpion_tyr]

The best book for learning about your camera is the manual. It might sound terrible, but trust me, it's a more interesting read than the Holy Bible. Besides that I know a lot of people suggest Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. I just picked up a copy and have yet to read it so no personal opinion. One book I have found very informative is The New Photography Manual by Steve Bavister, Lee Frost, Rod Lawton and Marek Czarnecki.

From looking at your pictures here's my advise. Use your camera instead of photoshop (or whatever you use). Unless you want to be a photoshop artist, learn how to take good pictures first, then learn how to make them better via software. My personal advise to anyone who bought their first camera and photoshop in the same year is to shoot for 6 months or a year without touching their pictures with photoshop. Take a class if one is available, if not read your manual and then get a very in depth understanding of your sensor, aperature, shutter speed, ISO, focul length, depth of field, the rule of thirds, the complete color spectrum, white balance, metering, use of flash, and exposure. And then read your manual again. And then go to a park and read your manual while actually taking pictures using all the stuff you've learned.

Is it a lot of work? Yes. Is it worth it? Ask the people in your pictures, they'll tell you.

 

[fivedeemarktoo]

for a "NEW to photography" photographer you are quite good

also... I don't believe anyone is NEW to photography, just NEW to a CAMERA because we have been photographing moments and captures our whole life