Comments/Advise for Shots

[baranne]

Hi guys... recently just got a new camera and trying out the shots... would like to get some comments/advise from the experts here on the photos so that I can try to improve my shots...

So here goes:







Images were sharpened using Picasa.

How do I improve the sharpness of the photos when taken? Compared to the photos that are posted by benny, hwchoy, etc, what are the techniques that I can use to make them nicer?

Forgot the most important thing... the new camera that I bought is the Canon 350D (only 3 days old and I am new to SLR, so don't be too harsh on me... )... and I am still learning lots of things about the camera itself... so maybe I still need to experiment and shoot more...

Appreciate any comments/advises.

[baranne]

How can I post the images to be on the post itself (full-scale) like I see in some of the post? I read through the FAQs and tried it out, but cannot get it...

[brianclaw]

You got to upload it to an online photo album for that. Try Photo Bucket(Yahoo will not allow remote linking) for that. After you've signed up and uploaded your pics, there'll be a link below the pic, copy that and paste it into a post here and you'll have your pic up.
I like your shots.

[benny]

www.imageshack.us will be a better option than photobucket. photobucket is very restrictive these days.

Cheers,

will add more comments later.

[wynx]

Hi guys... recently just got a new camera and trying out the shots... would like to get some comments/advise from the experts here on the photos so that I can try to improve my shots...

So here goes:


http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/huangy...e9.jpg&.src=ph

Images were sharpened using Picasa.

How do I improve the sharpness of the photos when taken? Compared to the photos that are posted by benny, hwchoy, etc, what are the techniques that I can use to make them nicer?

Forgot the most important thing... the new camera that I bought is the Canon 350D (only 3 days old and I am new to SLR, so don't be too harsh on me... )... and I am still learning lots of things about the camera itself... so maybe I still need to experiment and shoot more...

Appreciate any comments/advises.

I found your pics extremely grainy and noisy....mmmh..u use iso 800 or 1600? Or it is due to the oversharpening by picasa?

[wynx]

How can I post the images to be on the post itself (full-scale) like I see in some of the post? I read through the FAQs and tried it out, but cannot get it...

Pls get urself a flickr account.

[baranne]

I found your pics extremely grainy and noisy....mmmh..u use iso 800 or 1600? Or it is due to the oversharpening by picasa?

That's what I thought as well... I cannot remember which ISO I had used, will go back tonight and check it out. I probably used a pretty high ISO due to the shots being taken at night. So I probably need more light if this is the case? I do not have any external flash yet, only relying on the in-built flash.

Not sure about the oversharpening, maybe I should post the original taken image?

[baranne]

Pls get urself a flickr account.

So photobucket, imageshack, flickr... which is better?

[hwchoy]

mmm… I like you already got potential. now what you need is an external flash.

[benny]

mmm… I like you already got potential. now what you need is an external flash.

I agree.

For someone with a camera for only 3 days, these are definitely way above average shots. Even though shot with high ISO, details are preserved and you can even see the soft rays on the caudal and dorsal fins.

I've fixed the attachments and upload the pictures on imageshack. Try to keep your web pictures no larger than 800 pixels wide for optimal presentation. And for best effect, size it to a ration of 3: 2 (e.g 600 X 400 pixels)

Keep up the good work and look forward to more of your pictures!!

Cheers,

[baranne]

First of all, thanks for all the comments!

Benny, thanks for linking the pictures for me onto imageshack. Shall take note of the 800 pixels and 3:2 aspect ratio.

I do have some photo taking experiences, from my older Sony P50 digicam. I guess I have learned enough with the camera to understand its limitation and believed I have stretched it to the fullest. So now I am hoping that this jump to DSLR is not too great a leap. I believe to take great shots, you need to understand your camera well. It may not be the best camera out there, but you can fully realise its limits. Just look at the shots by choy's G5... amazing...

I came back to look at the original shots and yes, the 3 shots were taken with high ISOs, 2 of them with 800 and the other 400.

So to take better clearer shots I would need an stronger flash then... hmm... now to source for one... let me see if I can borrow one first...

I hope that my next set would be better...

[wong1979]

Hi Baranne Joe! Didn't realise that this is you until I saw your camera model. Good job there! I'm still struggling to learn how to use mine
BTW, are those pics taken without tripod and flash? Was it the EFs 18-55mm?
Care to share the parameters that you use?

Cheers,
Wong

[baranne]

Hi Wong,

Yes, I have taken the deep plunge as you have! And I am learning how to use it as well. So we have lots to learn from each other and from the experts here...

The pictures were taken without tripod, but with flash. It was the EFs 18-55mm and the parameters were this:
Coral Red - ISO 800 Tv 1/80 5.6 AWB
3-lined - ISO 400 M 1/200 5.6 AWB
Dwarf - ISO 800 M 1/200 5.6 AWB

Hope the above helps.

[hwchoy]

Hi Wong,

Yes, I have taken the deep plunge as you have! And I am learning how to use it as well. So we have lots to learn from each other and from the experts here...

The pictures were taken without tripod, but with flash. It was the EFs 18-55mm and the parameters were this:
Coral Red - ISO 800 Tv 1/80 5.6 AWB
3-lined - ISO 400 M 1/200 5.6 AWB
Dwarf - ISO 800 M 1/200 5.6 AWB

Hope the above helps.

1. shoot in RAW.
2. maximise your DOF, try Av, dial to smallest aperture (big f).

[wong1979]

1. shoot in RAW.
2. maximise your DOF, try Av, dial to smallest aperture (big f).

Hi buaya,

Regarding pt no.2, DOF. Maximise DOF meaning try to capture the background detail as much as possible? I thought we need to focus more on the subject and blur the background so as to create impact looking?

Big F meaning how much? f/30? or just f/16?

Pls advise and correct me.

Thks.

[hwchoy]

Hi buaya,

Regarding pt no.2, DOF. Maximise DOF meaning try to capture the background detail as much as possible? I thought we need to focus more on the subject and blur the background so as to create impact looking?

Big F meaning how much? f/30? or just f/16?

Pls advise and correct me.

Thks.

maximising DOF means trying to capture as much as possible the subject to be completely sharp. for the pix in this thread that is not so critical since it is a side-on profile. if you take subjects in other poses (slanted, head shot, etc) you want more of the fish to be sharp then you want to use around f/16 upwards. I know Benny frequently use f/22.

We need to remember we are shooting something very small. at that level of magnification the DOF can be paper-thin. you can check your DOF by framing your gravel then you can see how much of the gravel surface is sharp and where they start to blur. The trick is to find that balance between sharp subject and blur background

oh and of course if you want a really pleasingly blur background (i.e. good bokeh) you can consult Benny on where to spend your $$ to get some really fine lens with great bokeh

and when taking my advise do remember I am using a digicam, hahaha

[baranne]

oh and of course if you want a really pleasingly blur background (i.e. good bokeh) you can consult Benny on where to spend your $$ to get some really fine lens with great bokeh

Initially I thought bokeh is a Malay word...

Did not realise it's a Japanese term...

A Japanese term used in photography, bokeh is the subjective aesthetic quality of out-of-focus areas of an image projected by a camera lens. For example, in some images the background may be deliberately caused to be out-of-focus to reduce distractions and to emphasize the primary subject. Some lenses are thought to produce more pleasing out-of-focus areas that enhance the over-all quality of the image. Bokeh is a quite subjective quality that is difficult to quantify and is sometimes debated.

[hwchoy]

[wynx]

First of all, thanks for all the comments!

Benny, thanks for linking the pictures for me onto imageshack. Shall take note of the 800 pixels and 3:2 aspect ratio.

I do have some photo taking experiences, from my older Sony P50 digicam. I guess I have learned enough with the camera to understand its limitation and believed I have stretched it to the fullest. So now I am hoping that this jump to DSLR is not too great a leap. I believe to take great shots, you need to understand your camera well. It may not be the best camera out there, but you can fully realise its limits. Just look at the shots by choy's G5... amazing...

I came back to look at the original shots and yes, the 3 shots were taken with high ISOs, 2 of them with 800 and the other 400.

So to take better clearer shots I would need an stronger flash then... hmm... now to source for one... let me see if I can borrow one first...

I hope that my next set would be better...

Get the ST-E2 you must.. A lot of us swear by it. Honestly....I recently learnt some secrets from Benny... Yes, it is possible to shoot at higher F numbers..BTW, I use a 350D..

Typical setting for shutter speed, is 1/200 and above...f number varies between f/16 to f/32...

Also try to get land yourself a macro lens...it will help too.

[hwchoy]

and don't forget to shoot in RAW. you don't know what you're missing till you tried it.

…and no, I do not mean shooting with your clothes removed.