Mind your own aperture!

A couple of people have asked me about how to use their camera better. Here are a few of the things I found helped me when learning about my first DSLR.

1) Read your manual - put sticky notes in it - keep referring back to it if you don't understand a button or a word.

2) Google and find a DSLR dictionary and print it out - will give you a list of words you might read about your camera - you will have many 'ooooooooooooh that's what that is' moments. Well worthwhile.

3) Be brave and take it off Auto! Go out to do a few purpose shots using full M (manual mode). Try to use subjects that do not require speed for this. (Avoid children and animals - think still life!) Also revert to Manual for your lens (that is - take it off Autofocus). It may take a while but eventually you will get good at taking a photo this way. I shot in manual only for the first 3 months of owning my camera. It only got easier from there!

4) Av (Aperture) and Tv (Shutterspeed) - You will see these two options for shooting on your mode dial. I currently shoot in Av mode at all times. And work with  my lens on autofocus usually. Aperture was something that perplexed me the most!

Basically the easiest way to explain it is the amount of the photo that will be in focus. How low in f stop you can go is based on your lens (not your camera). You will see with your lenses that there are numbers like this f4.5 on it. Basically the f stop (number) shown on your lens is the lowest value it drops to. Generally the more expensive the lens the lower it can go. All lenses will function from this lowest aperture to a much higer one. The smaller the number the faster your lens can go in low light. Av mode will use the aperture you select and automatically adust shutter speed to match. Generally portrait style photos use a lower aperture around f7 or f8 and landscape photos use higher aperture.

This is based on the fact that for portraits you will want the person in focus but the background not - and for landscapes you will want pretty much the whole picture in focus.

A quick note though. I always watch my shutter speed- try  not to drop below 80...you run the risk of blur with handholding. Adjust your apeture and lose some of the focusing depth or change your iso.

5) What the ISO?
ISO is the same as when we used normal cameras and used different 'film' values - its the speed on which the image is transferred from the cameras sensor to the 'film' per say.  Remember when we bought 100 or 400 film? For nice clean crisp images without lots of 'noise' - try to keep your iso around 100. Digital cameras have the ability to use high iso speeds however the higher you go the noisier or 'grainier' the image will get and the worse it will enlarge. Unless you have a very high quality camera and good editing software this will always be the case.  

When I mentioned that you can up your iso to keep your shutter speed above 80 in Av mode -  up it a little bit - see how it changes the shutterspeed automatically. See if it's enough and up it again if you need to. Don't forget to change it back though.

6) How do I do all this? Read your manual and see which dials do this. I could go into details but I own a Canon and not everyone does. :)

7) And last but certainly not the least! TAKE PHOTOS! Take them all the time. ALL THE TIME. I have taken millions of photos on my trust worthy 'ol 50D.

It also helps to use RAW mode so you can edit more in your photos - use digital photo professional or the software that comes with your camera for editing.....but I'm not going to harp on because if you wanted to read this for info I  have probably just filled your head with enough for the moment!

And just when I thought I was catching up on things.....

Have been away in Mackay last weekend, followed by looking after a sick little boy....I will never look at nappy changes the same way again! EWE! Anyway...about to get really really busy for a few weeks with photo shoots and weddings are booking up fast for that busy SPRING time of year.

I have decided to maintain my membership of the local photographic club- but I am pretty much taking on a silent member mode. I like it for networking but am no longer submitting entries - I have decided I pretty much could pick out what the judges were going to like or not like about my photos before I even submitted them so I wasn't really learning anything new from them. I also got a bit over the whole 'personal opinion' thing that you have to take into consideration with judging. I keep telling members that when you receive critique it's just one person's opinion - a clear example being when I saw a photograph that received a high placing in a recent show that was given a harsh critique during a recent judging session. What one person likes - one person won't.

I am in the business of creating images that make people happy - so much that they want to buy them - and put them on their wall. Some of my clients have told  me that they cried when they watched their DVD - I told them that means I've done my job.

I have decided that my client's opinions are what matters most to me.

Recent photos? I ended up getting out to do some photos of the lovely Miss E at the railway and at the sunflower field out of town a weekend or so ago. My absoloute favourite is at the top of the page. Doesn't she just glow in this photo?

I also got to take a few photos when in Mackay - including the adorable new Harris puppy Toby. How cute is he? You would not believe how naughty and frisky he was when Lauren and I tried to get these photos.

I also got a very random shot on the highway near Dysart of a wedge tailed eagle taking flight. It had flown up from the road where it was eating a dead something or other - and we squealed over to the side of the road, I had to rustle in the back for the camera - change battery - attach the 70-200 L series - turn on - cross the road and find the thing which was hiding up in a tree. Note* There is NOTHING fast about a DSLR in a bag without a lens attached!* These birds - whilst also very big and majestic in flight are quite hideous and borringly ugly when sitting on a branch. I had to make some noises to get him to fly off to get a shot that was worth taking. I love him leaping off the branch like this - just wish the background wasn't so distracting...but still...a good find and well spotted by my ' roadie' my husband!

Off to Springsure on the weekend for a christening and birthday party - and then the following week the much anticipated AnK shoot which I am just busting trying to wait for. I have so many ideas and cute little props to use! Including  a beautiful paper crane mobile!

Oh and I just consumed a whole bag of microwave popcorn! As Connor would say..."All gone." *Upturns hands*

It pretty much comes down to lenses, light and you....

Something which has erked me ever since I have started out in the world of photography is people who sprout of about the expensiveness of their camera. Let me make this completely clear. Just because you have an expensive camera  - doesn't mean you will take photos that will blow people away.

It does not matter what camera you use. AT ALL.  When submitting entries into my local club for critique I often put ones in from many years ago taken with a 5 megapixel point and shoot camera just to prove this point.

Many hobbiests to not understand that it takes the best part of 3 things, lenses, lighting and YOU to create photographs with the WOW factor, not the fact that you have the biggest bank account. 

Pretty much even the 'low end' entry level DSLR's these days produce fantastic results.....and unless you intend to head into the serious amateur or professional level there is no need to spend fantastic amounts on your camera body.

I would suggest however investing in some good quality glass. Lenses with the lowest f stop possible that you can afford....the lower the better...especially if you're intending on working with natural light or indoors often.

Knowing how to use available light is also very important. If you are going to head in the flash direction (which I have made the decision NOT to) know how to use it - simply firing one off isn't going to necessarily do your photo any favours. Know how to use ISO settings, f stops and USE them.

Lastly and most importantly YOU are the most important factor in getting a good shot. You need to think in terms of the finished picture and compose it accordingly. You need to plan ahead and see things before they happen. You need to SEE.  Pointing a very expensive camera at random subjects and hoping for the best isn't going to cut it.

Don't get me wrong. I do NOW own some very expensive tools, including a 5DII and 3 L series lenses that I wont prattle on about here.  But they are just tools. They do not take great photos for me. I have to do the work. They just make my job easier. They're job is to 'get out of my way of taking photos'. I read this somewhere and I really liked the quote. Can't remember where I found it now though.

When people talk about DaVinci's Mona Lisa they don't exactly talk about how expensive his paint brushes where do they? Point made.

My favourite model

I didn't have anything on this weekend, and Nathan was off shift thanks to the new job at BMA (Yay!) - so we  took the opportunity to get out and about with Connor and my camera. I can't believe he is 2 in a week! Where did that time go? Anyone?

Anyway I knew the bottom weir was lovely but I never realised how much so until yesterday morning. A really nice spot. Apparently the water was a little muddier than usual so I am thinking that when its clear it would look much like the Tumut river in NSW where I did a wedding a few months back.  Connor had lots of fun and had loads of little boy opportunities. I am hanging out for a family shoot that will be willing to 4wd it with me and head there for their pics. I just wish the idiotic people who left all of their bottles and rubbish there had the sense to clean it up when they left........anyway....here's some cuties of my little man.....

I also got a couple ones of some flowers I bought from Woolies....it's amazing what you can do with a softbox and the playroom walls.....very pretty!

Campbell Family Photos

Thought I would write my first blog reflecting on the lovely day had with the Campbell family who invited me to photograph little Mr A's christening and the after party at their place following. I had a fantastic time with these guys who made me feel more than welcome and even provided some awesome hay bails for shots to be taken. I got to take many beautiful little cherubs photos that day. Here are a few of my favourites.....