Good photography book/tutorial
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Ok so I lied about yesterday being the last post on photography, my apologies. The first two days have been really, really confusing. Programming legacy database systems to integrate with the Mars lander is easier. At least though in the confusion I have being fun. It is a real eye opener to see how much control you loose when using a point and shoot. This SLR of mine is kind of like going from VB to C# or C++*. Aperature, shutter speed, DEP, ISO film speed, exposure, focus, zoom, bracketing, multiple-exposures, AE lock... Mein God! So my question, finally, is: Do you know of a good photography tutorial online and a good book I can carry around.? Photo.net's tutorial is fine but seems to miss some key bits. Obviously experience and Trial & Error are the best ways of learning, but I would like to get the basics down so that T&E does not turn into Frustration & Cursing. Thanks for your patience :) * Though it further beds down my thought that VB has it's uses just like a point and shoot has it's uses. Even pro-photographers carry around point and shoots.
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South AfricaChristopher Duncan wrote: Which explains why when Santa asked, "And what do you want for Christmas, little boy?" I said, "A life." (Accesories sold separately)
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Ok so I lied about yesterday being the last post on photography, my apologies. The first two days have been really, really confusing. Programming legacy database systems to integrate with the Mars lander is easier. At least though in the confusion I have being fun. It is a real eye opener to see how much control you loose when using a point and shoot. This SLR of mine is kind of like going from VB to C# or C++*. Aperature, shutter speed, DEP, ISO film speed, exposure, focus, zoom, bracketing, multiple-exposures, AE lock... Mein God! So my question, finally, is: Do you know of a good photography tutorial online and a good book I can carry around.? Photo.net's tutorial is fine but seems to miss some key bits. Obviously experience and Trial & Error are the best ways of learning, but I would like to get the basics down so that T&E does not turn into Frustration & Cursing. Thanks for your patience :) * Though it further beds down my thought that VB has it's uses just like a point and shoot has it's uses. Even pro-photographers carry around point and shoots.
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South AfricaChristopher Duncan wrote: Which explains why when Santa asked, "And what do you want for Christmas, little boy?" I said, "A life." (Accesories sold separately)
I'm happy to teach all I know. Get a kulula flight up and come spend a couple of blissful days in Kruger with us - wildlife photography is the best :-D
I knew it would end badly when I first met Chris in a Canberra alleyway and he said 'try some - it won't hurt you'..... - Christian Graus on Code Project outages Damned nice for remote servers where using Enterprise Manager is like wadding through treacle while covered in velcro, upside down -Paul Watson on SQL Server Query Analyser
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I found this[^] on the kodak site after a quick search - It's aimed at kids, so is pretty simplistic, but it goes through a good selection of "rules" to help you compose good photos -- Help me! I'm turning into a grapefruit!
benjymous wrote: found this[^] on the kodak Thanks benjymous. I have visited your site, no really I did!, and noticed you are a photo nut. How did you learn?
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South AfricaChristopher Duncan wrote: Which explains why when Santa asked, "And what do you want for Christmas, little boy?" I said, "A life." (Accesories sold separately)
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I'm happy to teach all I know. Get a kulula flight up and come spend a couple of blissful days in Kruger with us - wildlife photography is the best :-D
I knew it would end badly when I first met Chris in a Canberra alleyway and he said 'try some - it won't hurt you'..... - Christian Graus on Code Project outages Damned nice for remote servers where using Enterprise Manager is like wadding through treacle while covered in velcro, upside down -Paul Watson on SQL Server Query Analyser
Megan Forbes wrote: I'm happy to teach all I know Thanks, but beware, I shall take you up on the offer one day :) Megan Forbes wrote: Get a kulula flight up and come spend a couple of blissful days in Kruger with us - wildlife photography is the best I took a photo of a sqwrl... :rolleyes: Wild animals are superb for getting people to oooh and aaah at your photos, but I am still a landscape type. Got Table Mountain, the Twelve Apostles etc. all lined up right outside my window.
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South AfricaChristopher Duncan wrote: Which explains why when Santa asked, "And what do you want for Christmas, little boy?" I said, "A life." (Accesories sold separately)
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Megan Forbes wrote: I'm happy to teach all I know Thanks, but beware, I shall take you up on the offer one day :) Megan Forbes wrote: Get a kulula flight up and come spend a couple of blissful days in Kruger with us - wildlife photography is the best I took a photo of a sqwrl... :rolleyes: Wild animals are superb for getting people to oooh and aaah at your photos, but I am still a landscape type. Got Table Mountain, the Twelve Apostles etc. all lined up right outside my window.
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South AfricaChristopher Duncan wrote: Which explains why when Santa asked, "And what do you want for Christmas, little boy?" I said, "A life." (Accesories sold separately)
Paul Watson wrote: Thanks, but beware, I shall take you up on the offer one day Excellent! :) Paul Watson wrote: but I am still a landscape type. Got Table Mountain, the Twelve Apostles etc They are brilliant, as is the Knysna area. However, when you get bored of those places close to you, remember the Lowveld has God's Window, The Pinnacle, Kaap-se-hoop, The Blyde River Canyon and others :cool: Strange as this may sound, the best fun I've ever had with my camera was in the Kalahari. That place is so beautiful, and fragile. And the wildlife is incredible. Of course, if you go there you might as well go to the Fish River Canyon too - also fantastic for photography, when the sun rises or sets the rose quartz makes the mountains glow pink and red. Fantastic. :-D
I knew it would end badly when I first met Chris in a Canberra alleyway and he said 'try some - it won't hurt you'..... - Christian Graus on Code Project outages Damned nice for remote servers where using Enterprise Manager is like wadding through treacle while covered in velcro, upside down -Paul Watson on SQL Server Query Analyser
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benjymous wrote: found this[^] on the kodak Thanks benjymous. I have visited your site, no really I did!, and noticed you are a photo nut. How did you learn?
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South AfricaChristopher Duncan wrote: Which explains why when Santa asked, "And what do you want for Christmas, little boy?" I said, "A life." (Accesories sold separately)
Just messing about, and seeing what looks good, really. Having a digital camera makes things much easier as you can take loads of photos without worrying about development costs, and you've got an instant preview of what the shot was like, so you know when you've got something that may be interesting -- Help me! I'm turning into a grapefruit!
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Just messing about, and seeing what looks good, really. Having a digital camera makes things much easier as you can take loads of photos without worrying about development costs, and you've got an instant preview of what the shot was like, so you know when you've got something that may be interesting -- Help me! I'm turning into a grapefruit!
benjymous wrote: Having a digital camera makes things much easier as you can take loads of photos without worrying about development costs I love this about my new camera too (my old Ricoh was nicked, lenses and all :(( I'd had it since I was 11). It is so liberating not to have to worry about developing costs. But the only reason I could afford my new baby - Sony DSC F707 [^] - is because I am working in the UK currently :) I do still want to get another in the future though that I can get loads of lenses for again. My current one I can get converters for the front, but that's it. One thing I can't wait for is trying out the infra red on night drives in Kruger next week :jig:
I knew it would end badly when I first met Chris in a Canberra alleyway and he said 'try some - it won't hurt you'..... - Christian Graus on Code Project outages Damned nice for remote servers where using Enterprise Manager is like wadding through treacle while covered in velcro, upside down -Paul Watson on SQL Server Query Analyser
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benjymous wrote: Having a digital camera makes things much easier as you can take loads of photos without worrying about development costs I love this about my new camera too (my old Ricoh was nicked, lenses and all :(( I'd had it since I was 11). It is so liberating not to have to worry about developing costs. But the only reason I could afford my new baby - Sony DSC F707 [^] - is because I am working in the UK currently :) I do still want to get another in the future though that I can get loads of lenses for again. My current one I can get converters for the front, but that's it. One thing I can't wait for is trying out the infra red on night drives in Kruger next week :jig:
I knew it would end badly when I first met Chris in a Canberra alleyway and he said 'try some - it won't hurt you'..... - Christian Graus on Code Project outages Damned nice for remote servers where using Enterprise Manager is like wadding through treacle while covered in velcro, upside down -Paul Watson on SQL Server Query Analyser
Looks like a nice camera :) Part of the reason I take lots of photos is that my camera (Canon Ixus V[^]) is tiny enough to be able to slip into my jacket pocket and carry anywhere with me Megan Forbes wrote: One thing I can't wait for is trying out the infra red on night drives in Kruger next week Yeah, this is something I've always wanted to try, but I've been completely unable to find anywhere that has a good (and affordable) infra red lightsource that'd be bright enough to illuminate enough to take decent photographs. What do you use? -- Help me! I'm turning into a grapefruit!
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Looks like a nice camera :) Part of the reason I take lots of photos is that my camera (Canon Ixus V[^]) is tiny enough to be able to slip into my jacket pocket and carry anywhere with me Megan Forbes wrote: One thing I can't wait for is trying out the infra red on night drives in Kruger next week Yeah, this is something I've always wanted to try, but I've been completely unable to find anywhere that has a good (and affordable) infra red lightsource that'd be bright enough to illuminate enough to take decent photographs. What do you use? -- Help me! I'm turning into a grapefruit!
That is a cool little camera - being big is the only downside of mine. Have you seen those neat little credit card sized ones (1MPix) they are selling in Gultronics on Tottenham Ct Rd? Your's goes up to 3MPix is that right? I find that is optimal, and have mine set on that all the time. Otherwise my HDD would fill up way to quickly. Perhaps one photo in 100 is worth a higher setting, but otherwise it just seems a waste of space to me. benjymous wrote: What do you use? It's actually built into the camera (one of the reasons I love it so much, after the lens of course). There are 3 settings. Normal camera mode, where you have have automatic or manual flash in gloomy spots. Night Shot, which is also full colour, but for dark areas - the flash always goes off (it's a killer, I am happy when I am aiming it rather than the one being aimed at!). The third setting is infra red. No flash, it just does everything itself, these crazy red beams jump out all over the place like it's a disco. It is only really good up to about 10 meters, but still, I love it :-D
I knew it would end badly when I first met Chris in a Canberra alleyway and he said 'try some - it won't hurt you'..... - Christian Graus on Code Project outages Damned nice for remote servers where using Enterprise Manager is like wadding through treacle while covered in velcro, upside down -Paul Watson on SQL Server Query Analyser
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That is a cool little camera - being big is the only downside of mine. Have you seen those neat little credit card sized ones (1MPix) they are selling in Gultronics on Tottenham Ct Rd? Your's goes up to 3MPix is that right? I find that is optimal, and have mine set on that all the time. Otherwise my HDD would fill up way to quickly. Perhaps one photo in 100 is worth a higher setting, but otherwise it just seems a waste of space to me. benjymous wrote: What do you use? It's actually built into the camera (one of the reasons I love it so much, after the lens of course). There are 3 settings. Normal camera mode, where you have have automatic or manual flash in gloomy spots. Night Shot, which is also full colour, but for dark areas - the flash always goes off (it's a killer, I am happy when I am aiming it rather than the one being aimed at!). The third setting is infra red. No flash, it just does everything itself, these crazy red beams jump out all over the place like it's a disco. It is only really good up to about 10 meters, but still, I love it :-D
I knew it would end badly when I first met Chris in a Canberra alleyway and he said 'try some - it won't hurt you'..... - Christian Graus on Code Project outages Damned nice for remote servers where using Enterprise Manager is like wadding through treacle while covered in velcro, upside down -Paul Watson on SQL Server Query Analyser
My cam's 2mpix, I think (1600x1200 is it's max res) I got myself a 256mb CF card (only £60!) so now take everything at that resolution (the card can hold a couple of hundred pics) - I figure that it's better to have all the pics in a higher res than you need, than use a low res and really regret not having a high res version if you realise you want one (like getting prints made) Megan Forbes wrote: It's actually built into the camera Sounds cool, though it means my dilemma is still unsolved :( I know the camera can see IR light, through experimentation with pointing remote controlls at it, so it should be possible to get really good nighttime shots with a good IR lightsource (even if I have to manually gamma correct the images once they reach the computer) -- Help me! I'm turning into a grapefruit!