Please help! (fstop and other settings)

Jade16 · Mar 5, 2016

Can anyone direct me to a website with just pictures and the fstops (& other settings) that were used? preferably for family photography.. There has got to be something out there like this, but I cannot find a thing!

cherylynne1 · Mar 5, 2016

Me Ra Koh provides "photo recipes" in her book, "Your Family in Pictures." It provides the info with each picture.

Also, you can view the EXIF info on most Flickr photos by clicking on the "Info" button. Some photographers choose to hide it, but most don't.

dennybeall · Mar 5, 2016

Are you using a Manual only camera. If you set most of the digital cameras on Auto they will tell you what settings they are using.
That info will be close to the correct information. You can change the f-stop for DOF or the shutter speed for stopping action from there - just if f-stop goes up one then shutter speed comes down one and vice-versa.

Ihatemymoney · Mar 5, 2016

photography</strong> how to set exposure <strong>youtube - Bing video

Bebulamar · Mar 6, 2016

If that how you learn it would never work.

dennybeall · Mar 6, 2016

The photo settings for a photo only tell you what settings were needed at that exact time in that exact place for that exact set of objects and people. There are general settings that can help get you in the right area but you have to use a light meter to get it right. So why take a shortcut when you need to do the metering anyway or just use AUTO and let the camera do it...............

KmH · Mar 6, 2016

Clarke's third law
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." - Arthur C. Clarke

cherylynne1 · Mar 6, 2016

I looked at a lot of EXIF info while I was starting out. There's nothing wrong with it. There are a dozen ways to get a correctly exposed photograph...hundreds if you include lighting. So getting a feel for the settings used to create certain looks is a good idea. I don't recommend taking those settings as a rule for a photo, but it helps to see which side of the triangle was the priority and where the photographer compromised. It's just another method of learning that works well for some people.

Stradawhovious · Mar 7, 2016

Jade16 said:
Can anyone direct me to a website with just pictures and the fstops (& other settings) that were used? preferably for family photography.. There has got to be something out there like this, but I cannot find a thing!

Reverse engineering an image will only help you if you understand HOW those settings affect the image to begin with.

Do you have a solid understanding of the exposure triangle, and how each of those aspects of the triangle affect the image when changed? If so, then carry on. if not, I would recommend researching that until you have it down cold. It's a quick read.

If you look at Flickr, unless the photographer has blocked it, the Exif data is generally available for each photograph. The problem with this is there is no real way to know how much was done in post to offset any one of those settings, so the exif data alone may not be an accurate representation of what's happening in the image from a technical standpoint.

table1349 · Mar 7, 2016

This sounds like a job for Bryan Peterson.

And the follow up.

robbins.photo · Mar 7, 2016

Jade16 said:
Can anyone direct me to a website with just pictures and the fstops (& other settings) that were used? preferably for family photography.. There has got to be something out there like this, but I cannot find a thing!

Jade,

My recommendation? Grab a 6 pack or 12 pack of Pepsi (or your preferred beverage), take the cans outside on a nice sunny day and arrange them at varies distances away from the camera. The pick the one in the center, and start by shooting wide open (as low an Fstop number as ;your camera lens can get too) and aim for the center can. Then start increasing the aperture number (stopping down the lens) and take your own test shots. Look at the results when your done and compare them, it's a great way to get a feel for how aperture affects DOF. Granted, you can read it over and over again in articles and tutorials but nothing really quite gives you the feel for it than seeing it yourself as it applies to a real life situation.

dennybeall · Mar 7, 2016

The sodas go to be the subject of the training exercise - the beer goes in the cooler beside you to keep you hydrated while you slowly work through the experiment...............

Ihatemymoney · Mar 7, 2016

dennybeall said:
The photo settings for a photo only tell you what settings were needed at that exact time in that exact place for that exact set of objects and people. There are general settings that can help get you in the right area but you have to use a light meter to get it right. So why take a shortcut when you need to do the metering anyway or just use AUTO and let the camera do it...............

Not me, I keep on pushing buttons and turning the dial thingies until I get a good photo.