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Post by Chester PB on Feb 25, 2023 17:07:03 GMT
My brain is always half on art when I take a photo. Therefore photoshop (or, as I use, Elements) is my destination for a shot which fits the bill. I might use two or three shots to get the result I want. So getting it right in camera, is true up to a point, but I usually have the finished product at the back of my mind when I do it. After 44 years of marriage and hence living with a man who likes to take photographs, my wife has finally noticed that some of my landscape shots show some careful framing and arrangement of areas of colour or light and shade. She always thought I was just very slow, especially if she was waiting for me. |
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Post by Chester PB on Feb 25, 2023 17:15:59 GMT
Otherwise I always try to 'get it right in the camera', probably as a result of learning when using Kodachrome. That'll do it, every time!  Cost is a great incentive to make some effort to learn how to use the camera you can afford. I was sometimes criticised on the AP Forum when, in answer to yet another 'how do I do this with an XXX camera?' query, I would ask if the poster had looked at the camera instruction manual. Sometimes, if I knew nothing about that camera, it would only take a few moments to find the manual online and refer the poster to the relevant page. I suspect that, even with a digital camera that allows the user to experiment indefinitely and hopefully learn from the results, some people just don't have the patience or can't be bothered. I also understand that other opinions are available... |
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Post by JohnY on Apr 28, 2023 23:04:56 GMT
That'll do it, every time! Cost is a great incentive to make some effort to learn how to use the camera you can afford. I was sometimes criticised on the AP Forum when, in answer to yet another 'how do I do this with an XXX camera?' query, I would ask if the poster had looked at the camera instruction manual. Sometimes, if I knew nothing about that camera, it would only take a few moments to find the manual online and refer the poster to the relevant page. I suspect that, even with a digital camera that allows the user to experiment indefinitely and hopefully learn from the results, some people just don't have the patience or can't be bothered. I also understand that other opinions are available... I sometimes just suggested 'RTFM' Most people who asked the question were not offended so I assume that they did not understand the somewhat terse message. |
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Post by peterob on Apr 29, 2023 6:55:18 GMT
Cost is a great incentive to make some effort to learn how to use the camera you can afford. I was sometimes criticised on the AP Forum when, in answer to yet another 'how do I do this with an XXX camera?' query, I would ask if the poster had looked at the camera instruction manual. Sometimes, if I knew nothing about that camera, it would only take a few moments to find the manual online and refer the poster to the relevant page. I suspect that, even with a digital camera that allows the user to experiment indefinitely and hopefully learn from the results, some people just don't have the patience or can't be bothered. I also understand that other opinions are available... I sometimes just suggested 'RTFM' Most people who asked the question were not offended so I assume that they did not understand the somewhat terse message. Most isn't all. I spell it out "read the manual". The adjective isn't necessary. These days a manual has to be downloaded - which means knowing it exists somewhere. From comments on Fuji-X forum, cameras in the US seem to ship without even a basic user guide so how does a tyro know? I know my way around a camera but even so I can find it very difficult to find a setting, even using pdf search and having a rough idea of what I'm looking for. I'm from a generation where step one is "read the instructions". I don't think this holds true any more. I've seen little evidence for it in the two generations since who pass through my doors. |
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Post by terrywoodenpic on Apr 29, 2023 7:45:35 GMT
I tend to expose to capture all the highlight and as much of the shadow tones as the sensor can manage. This gives me the best chance of post processing to get the best looking tonality in the final image.
I would suggest that that is getting the best quality image out of the camera. Even though post processing is usually necessary to rebalance the tonality. In the days of transparencies you had to exposes for the highlights or they were gone for ever. This was best achieved by pegging them using an incident light meter.
As to cropping. I usually get straight horizons, but converging verticals can be an inevitable problem, so it is best to leave extra space when this is likely to be an issue. They are easily corrected in post processing.
Noise through lack of light is becoming far less an issue as camera firmware and raw processors have improved the situation beyond measure.
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Post by terrywoodenpic on Apr 29, 2023 7:57:39 GMT
I sometimes just suggested 'RTFM' Most people who asked the question were not offended so I assume that they did not understand the somewhat terse message. Most isn't all. I spell it out "read the manual". The adjective isn't necessary. These days a manual has to be downloaded - which means knowing it exists somewhere. From comments on Fuji-X forum, cameras in the US seem to ship without even a basic user guide so how does a tyro know? I know my way around a camera but even so I can find it very difficult to find a setting, even using pdf search and having a rough idea of what I'm looking for. I'm from a generation where step one is "read the instructions". I don't think this holds true any more. I've seen little evidence for it in the two generations since who pass through my doors. I came from an age where cameras were so simple that manuals were hardly necessary at all. Any experienced photographer could use just about any camera. It was just a question of understanding photography. Today manuals are vital just to find the settings and controls that you are looking for. A knowledge of the basics of photography tells you what to actually look for. |
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Post by MJB on Apr 29, 2023 8:05:45 GMT
I can't remember the last time I read a manual. I have always been someone who learnt by playing with something. If I get stuck I go to YouTube. A demonstration is worth 5000 words on a page.
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Post by gray1720 on Apr 29, 2023 8:52:21 GMT
I learnt more in half an hour of reading a book written by someone who'd used one than in years of wrestling with the manual for my Canon G10. Not quite YouBend, but you get the idea.
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Post by peterob on Apr 29, 2023 15:06:26 GMT
I learnt more in half an hour of reading a book written by someone who'd used one than in years of wrestling with the manual for my Canon G10. Not quite YouBend, but you get the idea. I gave up with my G10. I'd swear blind the menu system changed on a daily basis. |
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Post by Chester PB on May 2, 2023 16:30:37 GMT
Cost is a great incentive to make some effort to learn how to use the camera you can afford. I was sometimes criticised on the AP Forum when, in answer to yet another 'how do I do this with an XXX camera?' query, I would ask if the poster had looked at the camera instruction manual. Sometimes, if I knew nothing about that camera, it would only take a few moments to find the manual online and refer the poster to the relevant page. I suspect that, even with a digital camera that allows the user to experiment indefinitely and hopefully learn from the results, some people just don't have the patience or can't be bothered. I also understand that other opinions are available... I sometimes just suggested 'RTFM' Most people who asked the question were not offended so I assume that they did not understand the somewhat terse message. I suspect that some people buy complex cameras because they can afford them, without enough previous experience or knowledge to enable them to use them, and adopt the policy of asking for a 'quick fix' rather than look at the user manual. This problem is not limited to cameras. I recently had a brief conversation with a healthy young man with a puncture on his expensive SUV. He was frustrated because he couldn't get a signal on his mobile when trying to call somebody for advice. My suggestion to look in the owner's manual was not appreciated, so I left him to enjoy the learning experience. |
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Post by MJB on May 2, 2023 19:06:23 GMT
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Post by zx9 on May 3, 2023 8:35:28 GMT
I sometimes just suggested 'RTFM' Most people who asked the question were not offended so I assume that they did not understand the somewhat terse message. I suspect that some people buy complex cameras because they can afford them, without enough previous experience or knowledge to enable them to use them, and adopt the policy of asking for a 'quick fix' rather than look at the user manual. This problem is not limited to cameras. I recently had a brief conversation with a healthy young man with a puncture on his expensive SUV. He was frustrated because he couldn't get a signal on his mobile when trying to call somebody for advice. My suggestion to look in the owner's manual was not appreciated, so I left him to enjoy the learning experience. Yes buying complex kit that you don't understand can be an affliction of most hobbies as well as a public display of wealth. All the gear, no idea is not a new phrase.
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Post by zou on May 3, 2023 10:35:04 GMT
With devil's advocate hat on, some manuals are so badly written or translated that it can absolutely be a better option to ask a bunch of peers how it works.
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Post by John Farrell on May 3, 2023 19:44:09 GMT
With devil's advocate hat on, some manuals are so badly written or translated that it can absolutely be a better option to ask a bunch of peers how it works. What would the House of Lords know about cameras? |
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Post by zou on May 3, 2023 19:52:41 GMT
With devil's advocate hat on, some manuals are so badly written or translated that it can absolutely be a better option to ask a bunch of peers how it works. What would the House of Lords know about cameras? They sit in a camera obscura? |
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