Photo-a-day

[kalniel]

Cool thanks!

what about this one?

I don't get what you are trying to show us? The focus is on something a little further back than the twig in the foreground, but I don't know why you've done that!

Fixed it for you Bob:

Day 7

[j.o.s.h.1408]

I don't get what you are trying to show us? The focus is on something a little further back than the twig in the foreground, but I don't know why you've done that!

Fixed it for you Bob:

Can you see the twig in the middle with the rest of the background blurred out?

[kalniel]

Can you see the twig in the middle with the rest of the background blurred out?

A slightly out of focus twig is the point of your shot? I have to hold my hand up and say that it's clearly too high a form of art for my simple scientific mind to understand/appreciate!

[j.o.s.h.1408]

Yea but to be honest i had to look damm close on my pic to realise its a tad out of focus! difficult to get it right 100%

in regards to art. well thats your opinion, a simple blank piece of paper could be classed as an art piece to some. very subjective art is but my main concern is not if its art enough for some, but to get my camera settings correct and get it as sharp and clear as possible.

what advice can you give to make it more sharper? i am using auto focus set up on AI Focus mode on my camera with the Metering mode set to partial metering.

what more can i do lol. someone said how even buying a new lens wouldnt improve my shots but what can? i have dived into all settings on my canon 400d to make my shots beter, iso, shutter speeds, aperture settings, focus mode, etc etc.

i have also even used the blown out display feature mode on my camera to see what areas are blown out!

[Ruggerbugger]

I don't think people are criticising your settings necessarily, but saying that there's not really anything interesting in the shot. The third shot in your previous post was interesting (to me anyway) because of the composition and the guy's expression.

I've kept many photos over the years because I liked that they showed something interesting, even if the settings were a little off. I consider them part of my learning experience.

Here's another from yesterday:

[kalniel]

Yea but to be honest i had to look damm close on my pic to realise its a tad out of focus! difficult to get it right 100%

in regards to art. well thats your opinion, a simple blank piece of paper could be classed as an art piece to some. very subjective art is but my main concern is not if its art enough for some, but to get my camera settings correct and get it as sharp and clear as possible.

Taking technical test photos is absolutely fine, but if that's your aim then please don't be upset if we point out something technical like being out of focus We're here to help It can help to label your shot as a test shot as well so that people don't cross their eyes trying to understand it

what advice can you give to make it more sharper? i am using auto focus set up on AI Focus mode on my camera with the Metering mode set to partial metering.

It looks like you are just too close to the subject - all lenses have a minimum focus distance and if you want to focus on something very close then you need to make sure your lens has that ability. Sometimes better to step back and zoom in.

Did you wait for the focus confirmation beep/light? If you don't see it, and you're definitely pointing the active focus point over the subject you want in focus, move backwards slowly until you hear the beep/see the light, then take the shot.

It might be easiest for now to make sure you're just using the central focus point, as then you can be sure to place it on the thing you want in focus, and re-compose afterwards.

what more can i do lol. someone said how even buying a new lens wouldnt improve my shots but what can? i have dived into all settings on my canon 400d to make my shots beter, iso, shutter speeds, aperture settings, focus mode, etc etc.

Right, so what's the one thing remaining? You You're also the most important thing to shot quality by FAR. Stop trying to find something to change on the thing you're holding in your hands and think more about the person/eye behind the camera.

In a way if you're getting frustrated I think it's because you've got too many things to play with, all of which are taking away from the basics. I'd suggest sticking one lens on the camera (nifty 50 I think you have, which is ideal). Set the focus point to a single, central one. Set ISO to 400, partial metering and have the camera on Aperture priority - leave it on f/6.3 or something. Then just take photos and learn how the camera is working, what the limitations are at those settings, what your minimum focus distance is, how subject distance affects depth of field, composition etc. etc. There is almost nothing you won't be able to get a good photo of with those settings, and only once you're sure you've really hit the limitations of those settings should you worry about changing them. The first thing I would change at that point is different apertures for more DoF control, and ISO to enable the camera to keep shutter speed up.

i have also even used the blown out display feature mode on my camera to see what areas are blown out!

Very good, but ensuring you capture the full dynamic range of a scene is really a cherry on the top - you need to make the rest of the cake first And, dare I say it, blowing the odd highlight rarely gets in the way of a good photo.

[j.o.s.h.1408]

thanks kal.

here is another pick from today.

[Bobster]

i suggest you spend separate outings shooting f/1.8 then another 2.2 and 2.8 and another f4 and then f5.6 and last f9 on the fifty

[j.o.s.h.1408]

i suggest you spend separate outings shooting f/1.8 then another 2.2 and 2.8 and another f4 and then f5.6 and last f9 on the fifty

yea i could do but it will effect the dof and also the shutter speed if im shooting in low light conditions

[kalniel]

thanks kal.

here is another pick from today.

Both of these are much nicer IMHO.

yea i could do but it will effect the dof

And your point is? You're surely not trapped into thinking the only good photo is one with lots of out of focus elements?

and also the shutter speed if im shooting in low light conditions

Looking back at the shots you've posted recently I can't think how shutter speed would affect any of them, unless it got so slow you couldn't hold them steady. So unless you're Mr Shakes then forget about shutter speed when you're shooting inanimate objects like the recent ones And if you are Mr Shakes then just stick on Auto-ISO.

[Blastuk]

#3 is good, it's a bit hard to work out what's going on in the first two, if that makes sense.

Here's one I took in Cock Robin Wood today. This is a local dogging spot!

Stunning shot

Day 7

Amazing detail!

I've been following Photo-a-day for a while now and thought it was about time I posted some myself. Comments and advice are welcome but please go easy as I'm a newbie...!!! Thanks.

This photo was taken at Australia Zoo last November:


This Cockatoo was taken in Sydney Botanical Gardens also last November:


....and it would be rude not to include a recent snow photo!!


Ruggerbugger - I really love your photo. I always turn my snow scenes to B&W as I can never get the colour quite right!

I love the first 2, the kangaroo was giving you attitude

[stavroshamster]

One from a couple of months ago...

[YorkieBen]

Some from yesterday in Leeds

[wombar]

Here's one of mine I took today with my wide angle (Nikon 12-24 on a D40x in case anyone is interested).

[KidChameleon]

I went out with my Sigma 50-500mm today hoping to get some photos of Red Kites. The lens is pap.

I could hear the kites screeching (calling, whatever the term is) but couldn't see them then suddenly one came out from behind some trees, angled itself so the sun was hitting its whole underside, then continued behind some other trees. While it did that, I pointed the camera at clear sky, it took ages to focus, and I missed it. Such a missed oportunity but I wouldn't really blame the lens.

The rest of the photos were just very soft. I've since found a "fix" of unscrewing the rear element slightly, but I'll have to wait for daylight before I can try it. It's too dark in the lounge at the moment.

I'll accept that 1/250 at 500mm is not the best but it's soft at all settings. First photo here was 1/1250, f/9, second was 1/250, f/10. Just cropped and resized.

[YorkieBen]

the lens sounds broken, the other samples I have seen of the 50-500mm have been pretty sharp