What is something you learned today while shooting or editing?

SpikeyJohnson · Mar 29, 2014

As the title of the post asks, what is something you learned today while shooting or editing?

I'll start off. Today I was shooting some sports, which I haven't ever done. While shooting the sports and during post processing I loved the results. Something I did today was extremely different from my past shooting behavior. I let the ISO go above 400-800. I went to 1600 at the max. This is huge for me and I generally like to stay in the 200-400 range if 100 isn't possible. But today was a bit cloudy and the shot's required a higher shutter speed. As the day went on, the clouds got worse and 400-800 just wasn't cutting it. So I bit the bullet for the first time and touched up the ISO to 1600. The photo's turned out fantastic. Honestly I didn't expect the D3200 to be as clean as it was. Then when I put it through Lightroom and did some noise control and sharpening, the photo's looked great. I will post some later on after I have finished up the bunch but I overcame the fear of noise in my photo's today. I learned that 1600 is usable and that Lightroom can make a 1600 ISO shot look great.

rexbobcat · Mar 29, 2014

I've kind of just given up the ISO game. I've gotten too many blurry shots from having my ISO and shutter speed too low so I'm like ISO 1600 all the time.

Not literally, but I imagine you'll eventually get annoyed enough by dealing with slow shutter speeds that you'll lose the fear of going higher than 800.

Today I learned to always have at least 32 double AA batteries on your person at all times. I photographed the Color Run today and both my flashes were dead (8 batteries) as well as my three triggers (6 batteries). I got there late so of course everything that could have impeded my progress, did.

SpikeyJohnson · Mar 29, 2014

I've been needing to buy some more AA's for my Flash for a while. I'm using two rechargeable AA's from Harbor Freight that I used to have in my tools. It's funny that you did a color run today. Here in Utah, the Festival of Color's is going on and my Facebook feed has been flooded by people covered in colorful chalk!

But back to ISO, I think I did overcome that fear of hitting 1600 today. I'm glad I did because these shots are turning out pretty good compared to what I feared they would show up as.

412 Burgh · Mar 30, 2014

I do find it handy to use auto iso for sports shooting when I am doing a game where the sun is setting. I'm not sure if the D3200 has this but I know my D7000 does.. I assume most would?

IronMaskDuval · Mar 30, 2014

I learned what an apple box is

SpikeyJohnson · Mar 30, 2014

I believe it does, I have mostly overlooked it though. I've generally had a set ISO which get's me through the settings I have needed or I'll change it if time allows. But I will definitely have to look into that for the future softball games. I'm sure it would speed up my ability to adapt to the situations.

Also, what is an Apple Box???

IronMaskDuval · Mar 30, 2014

SpikeyJohnson said:
I believe it does, I have mostly overlooked it though. I've generally had a set ISO which get's me through the settings I have needed or I'll change it if time allows. But I will definitely have to look into that for the future softball games. I'm sure it would speed up my ability to adapt to the situations. Also, what is an Apple Box???

Basically an apple crate turned upside down for subjects to stand or sit on

SpikeyJohnson · Mar 30, 2014

Oh! That never occurred to me. I always think milk crates when I have that thought. Maybe I'll have to add one out of my garage for carrying my gear and for that very purpose as well.

tecboy · Mar 30, 2014

I think the iso speed is depend on the camera. My 70D looks good at iso 6400 with some ambient lights, light cropping, light noise reduction and sharpening in Lightroom.

MrBrownstone · Mar 30, 2014

I'm pretty new to photography and I learned it's better to be under exposed rather than over exposed.

snerd · Mar 30, 2014

That even with my 70-200, I'm "never" close enough for wildlife shooting. I got a rare shot (well, for me anyway) of a Great Blue Heron in SW Oklahoma today, but I had to crop it so much to see it that the image really suffered. Saw an otter last week too, on "the other" side of the lake!! Same lens, terrible shots. Been thinking about the 2X III extender, even at the loss of 2 stops of light and a hit to IQ!!

minicoop1985 · Mar 30, 2014

What did I learn? When I want to shoot, leave my wife at home. :lol:

No, really, when I want to take cityscene shots at night, she just begs me until I give up, even if it's somewhere I don't get an opportunity to go very often. Grrrr

SpikeyJohnson · Mar 30, 2014

MrBrownstone said:
I'm pretty new to photography and I learned it's better to be under exposed rather than over exposed.

That is very true, it will always be easier to recover color and light from and under exposed image than and over exposed or blown out image.

SpikeyJohnson · Mar 30, 2014

minicoop1985 said:
What did I learn? When I want to shoot, leave my wife at home. No, really, when I want to take cityscene shots at night, she just begs me until I give up, even if it's somewhere I don't get an opportunity to go very often. Grrrr

I know the feeling, I always want someone to go with me shooting but find out quickly that no one wants to be there as long as I do. It can make my life hard because I'm a bit introvert and it's easier for me to go out in public with a camera if someone is with me as well.