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75 Comments
- stillasleep00, on 11/02/2007, -1/+35Nice to see a beginner's guide that doesn't say "position your tall uncle behind your short aunt..."
- Blah_Blah_Blah, on 10/20/2007, -2/+16allaboutdatiki and kevinrose are bffs lolz
- superkendall, on 11/02/2007, -1/+14This article is wrong on some points, mostly to do with filters.
Filters are still of great use for digital photography. Sure DSLR's have a somewhat improved range over film, but gradiated neutral density filters are still useful for things like sunsets or heavily shaded scenes with a bright sky. Yes you can go HDR and combine exposures, but then you are mandating a tripod and if anything in the scene is moving much (like trees in wind) it can look like hell.
Also he's wrong that the couch/window shot could not be done on film - the answer there would have been to use extra lights for the interior, or even just a normal flash. More work but it would also look somewhat more natural (if done right).
Beyond just ND filters other filters have a place. Polarizers do things that you cannot do in Photoshop later. Even colored filters subtly effect how a sensor captures light, and are still of use. Here's a great article to read on the use of filters with digital cameras (click on images to read):
http://www.pbase.com/jadler/filter_article - ReDoEr, on 11/12/2007, -1/+13This is a very good guide for beginners, and essentially encapsulates everything I learned in the first half of Photography 101. Good find!
The other half of what I learned in Photography 101 was film developing and printing - what a museum piece I am! :-( - jhaks, on 10/20/2007, -0/+11Both the camera's ability and the photographers ability are important. A good camera gives a photographer more artistic freedom. Even if a low end camera had all the manual adjustments it would still lack key benefits of an SLR. The aperture range is very limited relative to the focal length and ISO noise is much greater for point and shoots.
- frozenpxl, on 11/07/2007, -0/+9pics or it didn't happen.
- wolfzombie, on 11/01/2007, -3/+8Yeah, so what if I find a Venn Diagram interesting every now and again...
- asher12000, on 10/20/2007, -0/+4Excellent timing on the article! My wife bought me a Nikon D40 for my birthday and this will greatly cut the learning curve.
- Sunzi, on 10/20/2007, -0/+4Great guide
- ahawks, on 10/21/2007, -0/+4s/art/cliche/
- vaconex, on 11/02/2007, -4/+8Good article except there's no talk about composition. Without it, every photo is nothing but a snapshot.
- nfollmer, on 10/20/2007, -3/+6I have a lower end Sony CyberShot and a Samsung A990 (that 3.0 mp camera phone), and I have gotten some of the best pictures out of those things. It's not always the equipment, its how you use it. I have a few photos from that 990 that I would put up against any SLR.
- corbs132, on 10/23/2007, -1/+4Stumbled
- Deived, on 10/21/2007, -0/+3Great guide. I love taking pictures... but there is always more that I can learn.
- leek, on 10/20/2007, -1/+4Clean, concise and straight to point. Anyone who is interested in (digital) photography should read this.
- fitzsimj, on 10/20/2007, -0/+3What you're talking about is something you learn through trial and error. What do you want him to say in his beginner's guide, "don't think this makes you any good, you DSLR-buying pussy, you'll never be pro, muahahaha!"
Buried for being an pompous ass. - gringer, on 10/20/2007, -0/+3"This article is wrong on some points, mostly to do with filters."
Well, okay, except he mentions both Neutral Density filters and Polarizing filters:
"There are a 2 filters that are very useful however, because they change the image in ways that can't be reproduced by a computer:
Polarising filters help capture bright scenes as they appear to the human eye.
Neutral density (ND) filters are dark filters that reduce the brightness of a scene. You may need them if you like to play with long exposures for artistic effect." - GawtMilk, on 10/20/2007, -0/+3Yea. Use a phase-change coupling device to cool your sensor to -50*.
There's really no good way to do it.
1) Make sure you've got a good camera.
2) Make sure you use ISO100.
3) If you've got a Nikon, turn "Long Exposure NR" on.
4a) Take an exposure, let's say one hour long.
4b) Then take another one at maybe half an hour long, but with the lens cap on. It'll be black, but with noise and amplification heat at the top corners [the pink cloud].
4c) Edit the two images together. The black image will show you where the noise is. There are some programs that may automate, but it's best by hand. - PorcupineTree, on 10/21/2007, -0/+2Close up on dogs faces + wide angle lens = hella cool.
- johnny222, on 10/20/2007, -0/+2I'm surprised, this is actually fairly thorough, and worth reading for beginners. Having been into photography for several years now, I can verify this article's worth.
- Providence, on 10/20/2007, -0/+2Hell, I sent a copy of this to my dad. He bought this DSLR, but has no idea how to use it. I think this will help.
- stillasleep00, on 10/20/2007, -0/+2Museum piece? I've yet to see a good digital reproduction of the Holga/Lomo effect. Film is still greatly relevant :)
- tartle, on 10/20/2007, -0/+2Not true. Some of the best photographers I know love to go out on photo shoots with other photographers. Why? To learn to see different.
- shredswithpiks, on 10/19/2007, -0/+2Great! I've been photography-ing with family since I was little. It's what my mother and uncle do, so I've been around it a bunch and picked it up as one of my side hobbies. I love revisiting basics and beginners guides because sometimes you get too wrapped up in taking advanced/artsy shots that you forget the basic tools you have that would get the same photo with way less effort.
Plus this is a pretty good beginner's guide to SLR stuffs. I hope this dude writes another article going into a little more detail on processing with photoshop or something... I really like his writing style of "blah blah blah, this is the technical crap but here's what it means for you taking a photo that doesn't suck." - da_bradler, on 10/20/2007, -0/+2Yeah buddy he mentions both neurtal density filters and polarizers, what he implied is colored filters don't really have much of a place anymore which is correct. you don't need a blue filter to compensate for interior lighting you can just adjust the cameras WB.
I'd say that a large portion of 35mm filters don't have a place anymore, all you need are ND filters for reducing shutter speeds, polarizer, and UV filters(clear filters) for protecting your lens. - nytejade, on 10/19/2007, -0/+2You're not looking in the right places.
- DarkDx, on 10/20/2007, -0/+1This article = win, it lacks flash information tough :(
- ChromaVita, on 10/20/2007, -0/+1I believe there are adapters you can buy for SLR cameras that hold the lens in place for you.
- paulocon, on 10/21/2007, -0/+1Wow! I run http://www.photographyvoter.com and this is one of the best photography tutorials I have seen added there - simply amazing - basically a book on the internet. Sensational - read it!!!
- fitzsimj, on 10/20/2007, -0/+1Extra light in the interior would *not* have given the same image. Jesus.
(okay, yes, you *could* do it with an assload of spotlights and a lighting genius, but no, the layman is NOT going to get a result anywhere near the same) - da_bradler, on 10/20/2007, -0/+1you can't learn what your asking for anyway. it doesn't actually exist, wedding photography is pretty simple, you take thousands of pictures when doing a wedding, you should go threw 20gigs worth of cards. people who tell you to capture moments are fooling themselves, you almost never know when you've taken a great picture until you get home. Photography is all about knowing your gear and knowing where to stand.
I hate to stereotype but most of the female photographers I know, barely know the basics they spend all there time taking pictures of flowers or pictures of themselves trying to capture "emotion", people think that photography is all about being artistic but it's at least 90% knowledge you need to know what you need, what you have and how to use it. - technophobe, on 10/20/2007, -1/+2I consider myself the upper end of amateur and I found that very useful, especially the metering part.
Well played. - da_bradler, on 10/20/2007, -0/+1first thing I would do with your new camera is go get a 50mm lens for it, there pretty cheap(around 100 bucks) but will get you out of the gate capturing great imaging. the zoom lens it came with is most likely great for vast nature type scenes but for taking pictures indoors without a flash of your family nothing beats a 50mm lens with a large aperture, you'll be amazed how great everything comes out looking. 2nd suggestion, try and keep the flash off as much as possible.
- unfilterthought, on 10/19/2007, -0/+1Thumbs up! Good article.
- SiNN4R, on 10/20/2007, -2/+3I'm totally awesome.
- da_bradler, on 10/20/2007, -0/+1photography is a technical feat, you need to know what you need to get a shot and how to get it, capturing "moments" and "telling storys" is a little retarded, make sure you picture has good lines a isolate your subject have it in focus and shoot away.
the first and most important thing someone needs to know when they get an SLR is throw out that kit lens it came with and get a 50mm prime, photography that stands out is all about contrast, depth of field, and detail and you get none of those things with a cheap zoom lens. - nfollmer, on 10/26/2007, -0/+1The snake pic in my profile was taken with my 990. I'll find some more and add them.
- SublimeRuin, on 10/20/2007, -1/+2If someone needs to SHOW you composition.....you may want to rethink your chosen activity....
- soapycub, on 10/20/2007, -0/+1On the topic of dioptres for macro photography -- Another "free" alternative is to remove the lens and flip it around so you have the outer lens element pointing into the barrel. It's a little tricky to hold as obviously it doesn't lock in, but you can get some impressive shots if you've got steady hands.
- cairmen, on 10/23/2007, -1/+2Interesting stuff. Good illustration, too.
- da_bradler, on 10/20/2007, -0/+1another way is to stack your images, instead of taking one 10 minute exposer. take 10 1minute exposer every second minute... so 1 minute exposer then wait 30sec-1min(even less if you don't want to wait) then take another and continue until you have 10minutes worth of exposers. then what you do is import all the photos in photoshop and stack them all on top of eachother using layers, then you set all the layers to multiply. BAM 10 minute exposer minus the noise :O
- Endit, on 10/20/2007, -0/+1yeah, that's what i thought too. This link is also very informative for beginners (although no flash either): http://www.pbase.com/otfchallenge/the_basics
- potterboy, on 11/16/2007, -0/+1Just get "The Joy of (Digital) Photography" best book out there. Been published for years.
- da_bradler, on 10/20/2007, -0/+1how would you focus the lens?
- phaseblue, on 10/23/2007, -2/+3Awesome summary. Photography usually scares me.
- DustPuppySnr, on 10/20/2007, -0/+1Just wow. I've been taking pics for close on 15 years now and this is the first time I saw the weird F-Stop numbering explained.
Thanx - Brian48216, on 10/20/2007, -0/+1Sometimes, an SLR does help someone accomplish what you imply.
The ability to fire off 3 shots per second, no delay between the push of the button and the image being captured, instant start up times, all that stuff helps you get the in moment shots.
Also, the ability to have different lenses helps this too. - rogersj3, on 10/20/2007, -0/+1museum piece nothing! I just got out of high school and I can develop film the old school, chemistry project way!
- da_bradler, on 10/20/2007, -0/+1flash should be a last resort(onboard flash that is)but if you have a large flash you can bounce off the ceiling your good to go. even if you don't have enough light for the gear you have, if you use your flash try an leave it in Av mode or use your night portrait mode. this will fire the flash but drag the shutter(leave it open for a long time) you'll have to be steady still but the flash should freeze enough of the action. by doing this you allow the natural lighting to come threw but save yourself from a blurry mess.
- Endit, on 10/20/2007, -0/+1what if it's low light and you don't have a fast lens or tripod, and you've already raised the ISO a lot?
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