# first use of a dslr! advice/comments please



## sc0tty83 (May 27, 2008)

those were with a nikon d40 on auto settings with an 18-55mm lens and the next few were with the sigma 55-200mm lens. any comments or advice would be welcome


----------



## bretti_kivi (Apr 22, 2008)

1. out of focus
2. don't use flash, get a tripod
3. .... you're saying..... what, exactly?
4. hmm. Okay, a boot. See above.
5. I have heather growing in my ears!
6. See 2.
7. see 2.
8. Straighten your horizons, please. 

Quick tip: if you want to show off the car, show off what's different about it. Use light to form shadows and highlights and internal flash does not cut the mustard.

Not bad on the effort, work on the execution. 

Suggestions:
- 1 has camera shake. Get up on a stepladder and use f/2.8 or so to get the front of the car firmly in focus and not the fence.
- 2 - park the car closer to the rocks and look up to get the contrast between smooth metalwork and rock
- 4: show the reflection in the paintwork, up the black point if you have to.
5. overexposed. Don't know why, probably metered on the dark car and not the rest of the world. go manual.

hth.

Bret


----------



## sc0tty83 (May 27, 2008)

bretti_kivi said:


> 1. out of focus
> 2. don't use flash, get a tripod
> 3. .... you're saying..... what, exactly?
> 4. hmm. Okay, a boot. See above.
> ...


thanks i suppose :lol: not had such a dressing down since high school but i guess you gotta start somewhere.


----------



## M4D YN (Nov 24, 2007)

should have pointed out that its your first time using a DSLR:thumb: if bret read it,then its a bit harsh


----------



## sc0tty83 (May 27, 2008)

M4D YN said:


> should have pointed out that its your first time using a DSLR:thumb:


check the thread title mate!

ive defo still got a lot to learn!


----------



## spitfire (Feb 10, 2007)

Just get out there and take hundereds of pics. See what works and what doesn't. As you get better with the tools you can start to be selective about what you shoot. I often go out and come back without pressing the shutter as I haven't seen anything worth shooting. Brett may have sounded harsh but there's no point in telling someone they have taken great pictures if they haven't. What Brett has said is good solid advice without massaging your ego. That's the best advice you can get. It will force you to do better:thumb:


----------



## chisai (Jan 1, 2009)

Some decent pics. I am in the same boat as you and just waiting to get my D40 back from repair so I can get back clicking.
My only criticism, for what it's worth from a same level amateur would be watch your backgrounds. lamp posts horrible metal fences etc are never a good thing to have in a photo, whether they are in the shot or 'growing out' of your subject.
I'll get some of mine up soon for a return slagging.

Oh, and the car looks cracking.


----------



## sc0tty83 (May 27, 2008)

im defo very appreciative of the advice given guys i will take this into account on my next attempt. thanks


----------



## Top_Gun (Dec 7, 2009)

There is an old quote from Cartier-Bresson: Your first 20,000 pictures will be the worst. 

This is still true, so keep on shooting and improving 

Best regards,

Detlev


----------



## PaulGTI (Oct 21, 2006)

For the photos of the cars, have a look in the manual about setting the camera to Apeture priority, then set it to a lowish number, such as 4.

This will give the effect of the car bieng in focus, and the forground and background out of focus, so the car "pops" out of the photos as the point of interest. The other advantage of using a low apeture value is that it will use a shorter shutter open time, reducing the likely hood of shake.

Have a look at this vid, and some of the others he has done...


----------



## PaulGTI (Oct 21, 2006)

One other thing to remembers is, its what you like thats important. I have seen some photos that I prefer before an expert has tweeked them.

This sort of thing is very subjectve.

If you like it, job done.


----------



## Gruffs (Dec 10, 2007)

Some first timer 'rules' if they help.

Try to keep your photo in thirds. So either have your foreground 2/3 and the sky 1/3 if you want the foreground to be the focus or vice-versa for a Sky shot. It helps the perspective of the shot.

With the first landscape, i think you are trying to show the sunset over the hills? Trouble is, there is a tree ruining your skyline and pulling the eye away from what you want to show. You can edit this out in Photoshop or just pick a better location.

Keep your horizons level in camera otherwise you'll have to straighten and crop later losing some of your image.

Try not to use flash, the on-board is harsh and not very flexible. Try instead to use a tripod and the available light (will come when you learn a bit more about settings).

Don't be afraid to experiment. Try different apertures and shutter speeds and keep a not of what they are as you take LOTS of photos. When you then look at them in the PC, you can see what the different settings did to the image and then you can start to plan what you want to achieve.


----------



## ncd (Dec 12, 2005)

Also another tip is try to look what around the object you photographing. Take for example the second photo, the 1st thing I noticed was the huge post coming out of the roof of the car. A good background/surround can make or break a photo. Sometimes it's the things you don't see that make the difference. Finally keep snapping :thumb:


----------



## Paintmaster1982 (Oct 23, 2007)

*outstanding*

ive just watched all of Rob's videos and i have to say they have cleared up allot of confusion in understanding this huge world of photography.

I urge anyone beginner or experienced to watch these as iam sure you will learn something from this.

Rob


----------



## bretti_kivi (Apr 22, 2008)

you don't need f4 to get a car to stand out, just the right lens and aperture combination.


----------

