Tip Camera Tips - Post your "taking a photo advice/tricks" here

[Mark]

I see the correction but I probably would have never picked the fault if you didn't point it out.

 

[Ash]

Info - Defraction

Just to be correct, the term for this is "diffraction" in case someone wants to look it up. Generally speaking it worsens with smaller apertures (f/16 and above).

 

[Ash]

Please start a new thread "editing photos & what software to use for advanced or beginners" @stevo if you get the chance I'm not qualified enough to begin with...

Most of the time, only basic adjustments are necessary for out-of-the-box photos especially if taken under the right conditions. I think that's where the best advice lies - taking the best photo so as not to need a great deal of post-processing (kind of like having naturally fertile soil rather than trying to cultivate in poor soil and adding fertiliser to make crops grow).

Simple things like getting the right perspective and lighting makes a huge difference in the result. Choosing the settings are actually less important. There is a simple saying in photography: f/8 and be there.

 

[Mark]

I just use a few free programs to crop and create images for my blog Zoner Photo Studio and Paint.net they're both good. I've been thinking about a subscription to Creative Cloud but it's way too expensive unless you can get teacher/instructor rates (which I was but not anymore) - might be able to get it via my wife though... we'll see. With the way I take pics I tend to need a little photoshopping help

 

[stevo]

yeah, best to get the photo as correct as possible in the camera. I suck as photo editing and usually just straighten the horizon, maybe turn the exposure up etc, and as Mark said, crop it closer if needed. It's funny, I think I've got the framing and distance right in the camera and then when looking on the computer it looks very different. ohwell. I'm having a lot of fun with the phone camera lately, I love it. bizzare, but it blows away perceptions of what a phone camera used to be.

 

[Mark]

Instagram is a fun way to share camera pics then use a widget to present them from instagram to your website

 

[stevo]

I just installed that instagram app thing on the phone and posted a couple of photos, not really sure if I'm doing it right yet. Gee eh there's a lot of cool photos on there, and a lot of good looking people taking photos of themselves

 

[Mark]

Yeah, if you follow those with the same interest your feed will become more narrow and you'll see less narcissistic images and more interesting ones.

 

[Director]

I just installed that instagram app thing on the phone and posted a couple of photos, not really sure if I'm doing it right yet.

If you have a selfy-stick..then you're probably dong it right.

 

[Ash]

It's difficult to sift through the ordinary/self-gratifying images using social media, so it may not be all that you're after.

 

[Mark]

True - it's that nature of social media I hate so much about it. But even though Instagram is owned by FB it's still not as bad - mind you I still don't use it that much either and I only ever joined FB to create a business page because that was the thing to do to get noticed as a blogger. Truth is, if you write a good article Google will find it without the help of SM.

 

[stevo]

I've been thinking about a subscription to Creative Cloud but it's way too expensive

I've got the $10 per month subscription for Photoshop + Lightroom. I reckon that's pretty good if you use it, I use it heaps.

 

[Mark]

That does sound reasonable for both of those programs. I really want the whole suite though because I'd like to get into creating mini e-books and interactive documents, infographics, video etc. I might consider just getting Photoshop...

 

[ClissAT]

Hey you guys, can a girl join this conversation?

I'm no expert & I like using the auto function!
But I do win the odd competition now & then. I just won one this month in Cooroy.
I did have to edit out the date at the bottom of the pic. I made sure the competition rules allowed me to edit first. I spent about an hour modifying each pixel to remove the date. I removed the pixels containing the orange colour of the date & copied in ones from next to them. I didn't want to wash & rinse or whatever it is called!
Here is a smaller version of the photo still containing the date. I took it in the biggest format I could because I know they want to print the winners on those stretched canvas frames for public display over the xmas period. So the actual photo I sent in will blow up to 100cmx270cm aprox, maybe more.

I actually set out to capture the flare of the sunrays as they pierced the fog to reveal the shape of the orb.
There are layers of forest inbetween the mountain & where I live & I love capturing those as they are partially obscured by fog.
Other than removing the date & to crop, this particular photo has no other editing which for me is unusual.
This was taken using the auto function mostly because I just set the camera on the tripod & kept clicking until the rays came through just so.
My main camera is a Sony Cybershot DSC-RX 100

 

[Mark]

That's a nice shot! The mountain almost looks like a car on a ridge line to me...

I have no idea about photography (I'm probably the worst here on SSC) but I do know a good photo when I see it and I do enjoy taking photos and working with images.

 

[stevo]

Nice colours Cliss, .... it would've taken a while to edit out the date stamp!

 

[ClissAT]

Yes Mount Cooroora does look like a small car from my side.
Or a sitting down elephant with a hairy head!

 

[Steve]

Yeah, pretty cool. I like the palm off to the side....a nice touch.

 

[Ash]

Most cameras nowadays are more than capable of getting good results, even P&S types; the sensor technology and interfaces are cheaper and better quality. So knowing how to use the camera you've got goes a long way in getting the results you are after.