Something Very Annoying Happened Tonight

[Seefutlung]

Irrelevant. Those photos are famous for their subject matter and content, not their photographic values.

Actually that is true ... the greater the image impact the less image quality is needed for an exceptional photograph. In a round-about way ... there is some relevance which pertains to this discussion ...

1) There wasn't an "auto" mode back then, (an auto was a car not a camera setting), the photogs, Adams and Eisenstaedt, needed to know how the camera worked and understand how to manipulate the camera controls to create a reasonably exposed negative.

2) A P&S would not have been able to capture the two images as they were but fleeting moments, by the time the P&S finished thinking, the moment would have been gone. (A dSLR on auto may/would have worked.)

3) The usual methodology in the pre-auto days was the photog was constantly evaluating the light and making adjustments accordingly. Before the photog stepped outside, they would pre-set using the sunny 16 rule as a guide then adjust accordingly with a deference to lens length, the on-board light meter, (if the camera even had one), was used more as a secondary check.

While I agree that shooting "auto" one is capable of stunning images ... knowing the fundamentals will significantly increase one's chances of attaining the exceptional image.

Ansel Adams, (not related to Eddie Adams of Vietnam), had a concept he named "previsualization". One previsualizes the final image, (in Adams' case a final print), then one manipulates the camera's settings and lens to attain that pre-visualized image.

Sorta hard to do on auto mode.

Gary

 

[NucleaRR]

To the OP, I feel that if you want to help your friend out don't worry too much about correcting your female acquaintance. Suggest to your friend that when he is ready that you are willing to go with him when he shops for a camera. This way you are there to help him along. I believe that the advice that you give him while shopping will stick in his mind more that the ideas she portrayed.

Now to the debate.

I am a little over two years in my love affair with photography. I am self taught. So you can take what I say with a grain of salt. I got my start from my wife who for all intents purpose is an “auto shooter”. She would complain to me that sometimes her shots would come out all wrong. Having a background in music production and sound recording I figured that it must be her execution. After diving head first into the manuals and reading lots and lots of articles and blogs on the net I was able to understand how cameras worked. I explained to my wife that because she was shooting auto it was reducing the control she had therefore the quality.

She really didn’t care she continues to this day to shoot auto. I on the other hand use what ever mode fits what I am shooting at that time. I finally was able to convince my wife that auto was not always the best mode. A friend asked her to shoot a wedding knowing that my wife was not a professional photographer. Because there were no expectations my wife accepted the challenge. The lighting situation at the wedding sucked and was constantly changing. The hall had large windows on two sides letting in a lot of ambient light. Also the ceiling was two levels, about a ten foot ceiling around the perimeter while the center was about fifteen feet. Add to that the fact that the sun was setting. To say the least it was a nightmare. I knew that she was going to shoot auto, and that she would experience problems.

While dinner was being served we had a chance to take a look at the shots. She was disappointed with the outcome. She asked me what she could do. I explained to her that because the lighting was different everywhere because of ceiling height and the windows that she needed to control the shots. She needed to know how. I basically put the camera in manual mode and taught her how to adjust the shutter speed. I also said to be mindful of where your flash is bouncing. At the time I figured this was the easiest thing to show her. After dinner she began taking candid’s and shots of the dancing. After about five minutes she came back to me and said “why didn’t you show me this earlier”.

If you’ve read this far, thanks. My point here in the context of this thread is that shoot the way that works best for you. My wife was not willing to learn the way her camera worked because she did not need to know, she was happy in auto. Once she got to a situation where she needed to take better photos, luckily I had learned for her. I had in essence become her auto mode. I calculated her shots for her. Now technically if you look at the photo series from the wedding you can immediately tell when I switched the camera to manual. I spent a lot of time correcting the photos that were taken in auto whereas the other photos took no time at all to fix. Mostly just white balance and bracketing fixed them.

Needless to say I am a very hands-on photographer where my wife is not. I still say do what works for you. Even though my wife now uses other modes on her camera she still shoots in auto when it works for her. Ironically, some of the best pictures I have seen her take are in auto.

 

[manaheim]

^^^ nicely written.

 

[NucleaRR]

Thanks. It is an honest account of the way things happened for me. The debate reminds me of the argument about which motorcylce helmet is the best. The really expensive one or the cheap one, I always say its the one fits the best and will save your head.

On another topic, I like your signature. My dogs name is Zaphod Beeblebrox, we call him Brox.

 

[DRoberts]

Really...WHO CARES?
If John Doe in another country shots Auto...Why should I give a crap? And why should you?
This is just one more example of one of the many pointless arguments that go on in these forums, mainly for the reason of individuals self importance.
Yes, you are all gods of the camera and once again you have wasted your time and efforts on trying to share your endless knowledge of photography to a clueless, moronic world. We should all kneel in reverance with each post of this infinate wisdom.
How dare anyone not possess the same understandings and knowledge as I. Off with their heads. These heathens shall surely burn in the hottest depths of hell...blah blah blah!

 

[prixdc]

Use the appropriate tool for the job. Use whatever tools are available.

Sage advice.

To join in, for those wary of the capital "M," a good compromise (sometimes) is your priority modes (the other capital letters ). Shoot in (A)perture priority to see how adjusting just the aperture changes your exposure. Do the same with (S)hutter priority. (P)rogram mode does both of these for you, you focus on ISO/WB/exp. comp. Working in all of these modes individually will limit your focus to one thing at a time, instead of having to think of everything, which can be overwhelming at first.

"M" is a good place to end up, just make some pit stops along the way to figure it all out.

 

[manaheim]

On another topic, I like your signature. My dogs name is Zaphod Beeblebrox, we call him Brox.

:thumbup:

Awesome!

 

[sabbath999]

To the OP:

I may be wrong, but I generally just ignore blowhards.

 

[C.Lloyd]

]Well, obviously you can think up a billion examples where full auto will destroy your chances of a decent shot[/u].

That doesn't alter the fact that for a great many people the majority of the pictures they will want to take will be perfectly acceptable using auto. Not the best obtainable but that's not what they're after.

And when the auto fails they'll just classify that type of shot as 'difficult' and avoid it in the future. It may seem a sad waste of equipment to an enthusiast but it keeps them relatively happy.

Of course people such as that are wasting their money if the buy an all singing all dancing SLR and keep it 'on green'. Plus the size of the thing may well inhibit them from taking it out at all.

As always, 'horses for courses'.

Good thing... otherwise the world wouldn't need professional photographers. And then where would we be? :mrgreen:

Auto mode seems to me to always be a little too flat and to much DOF for what I'm seeing in my mind's eye.

Auto mode is for taking a snapshot. If you want to create a photograph that says something, then you probably already know how to use the manual mode. Or you're trying to learn.