Getting MORE from your photos !

[04OFF]

this is great as ever since I got a digital slr my photos have been crap ill be watching and getting involved closely I have a canon 550 with a efs 17-85 and a 70-300 and I cant get a good photo at all on the 17-85 and should be getting a 24-105 l lens in the next few months.

While I admit ,I really don't use my 17-85 a great deal, I do find it can be a pretty useful lens at times, I mostly find I grab it out when i may need to quickly adjust zoom for fast moving objects, ive found mine reasonably sharp, and certainly capable of some great images.

Perhaps you can take a couple of basic shots using the 17-85mm lens, post here and we may be able to see if we have any pointers or we may even see if there is a problem with your lens ?

I plan close ups and family shots or day to day lense until I come across a 50mm lense as well. but a macro no I cant get anything close hence the 50mm coming

Are you looking at a Macro 50mm or a fixed 50mm ?


I also have a "fixed" 50mm, again, don't use it heaps, but in low light, family portrait shots, or when you just want "Bokeh" (basically where the subject is sharp but the background is blurred) its a great lens, but not so great for Macro, plus no zoom may have you walking lots to compose your shots (lol)


If your going for the Macro 50mm lens, then disregard the above

I thought the 17 -85 would do it but its crap cant get anything close

Again, are you talking about using the lens for Macro Photography here Kev ?

I have a Nikon D40 and have played around with it a fair bit...these are by far not perfect photos but I submit them to show that a flash is so often not needed for a set shot...I try not to use flash at all at night especially indoors under in-candescent light...the colours come out more true...I also use a power flash pack on the camera if shooting action shots a night...it enables you to be further away and probably would rival my led driving lights ...lol
I also use a Canon A620 and A70 powershots merely for their size and ease to carry...they aslo can be played with regarding settings with good results

Although I try and consider everything , maybe you can pick any issues 4off and explain how to improve with the settings etc..

below:...no flash..with aperture adjustment , with slow shutter speed...this will enable the camera to take in or digest everything that is there as much as possible without lighting up everything
Picture 079.jpg
march 2007 012.jpg
Below..canon power shot A70
F.2.8
Exposure .6 sec
Focal length 7mm
max aperture 2.968
no flash
IMG_1120.JPG

below for silhouette shots
Nikon D40
F.5.6
Iso 200
Max aperture 5
exposure 1/1000 sec
no flash
mixed 417.jpg

Kevin 07..that lense is a macro lense..which is the next one I plan to also get for insect photos etc and maintain distance...what did you plan to do with it ??

hope any of this helps

Hi menace, very true about the flash, while flash can be a extremely valuable tool, if you get it wrong, you will call it the devil (lol), I also pretty much avoid it when ever I can, but sometimes it can really make a pic, others it can ruin.


As for your pics, (IMO) the first one is a little blurred, I would suggest everyone always try and use a tripod when shooting sunsets, this should remove any shake, plus your camera should also have a built in shutter release timer, this will allow you to press the shutter button, and the camera will have a few seconds to settle any movement you add by pressing the button, before snapping the pic for you.

Personally, Id have liked to have seen it without the foreground items (trees roof etc), I think "just" those awesome islands on the horizon, and the rest of the seascape, with those colours you captured, may have made for a very beautiful pic !




The second one im unsure about, I like the sun/person thing you have going on , I do suspect I would like it more if a little of the foreground (road, grass) was cropped off the bottom, perhaps id have tried a slightly faster shutter speed, this may have seen richer colours from the sky, and made the foreground/person darker, and so more of a silhouette adding to the effect ?



The third pic has nice a nice tone and texture, but the whole pic seems a bit tight, I think id like to see things wider/further back, to show the setting, and so give more of a "feel" to the place, id like to see more of the effect the light is having on the surroundings chair/floor etc.



The fourth one is just awesome dude !, I like pretty much like everything about it , id be interested to see what it looked like if you could also see the boat, but not sure if it would be better or worse really, great job IMO

[kevin07]

if and when I could get a 50 mm it would be a dedicated macro just for the intricate stuff that you come across in this wide land of ours. but first I will get the L lense that should help me a bit ill put some photos up after this weekend see how things go with time. thanks kev