More proof I don’t know what I’m doing
So, I have had this fancy camera for almost a year now, and still have no clue what I’m doing. It’s okay, because the camera has good “idiot” settings, but sometimes I change a few things, get great results, and wish I understood why. I read the books and the web sites and the tutorials but it still never “clicks.” I used to teach GIS labs in college and I remember when students would finally “get” what I was trying to say and suddenly everything prior made sense. I haven’t had that moment yet. For example – I’m trying to get a better grasp on “white balance.” Here is a photo I took on “auto” with my Nikon D80.
Great photo! Good background blur, good color, good focus. But then I messed around with the white balance, using some of the pre-set options (shade, sun, etc) where you choose the setting and then increase or decrease the -3 to +3 value. I have no idea what those values mean and when/how you should adjust them. So, I chose “shade” and picked some random value and Ta-Da!
A much warmer photo. I love it! But I did similar adjustments the other day and everything turned out orange. When do I do what? I just don’t get it. I need someone to come to my home and show me the settings and examples when to use those settings. Any volunteers?
If you find someone to help you, will you either tape it or let me sit in? I fidgit with different settings alot and accidentally come up with good shots sometimes. And I can never reapeat them because I don’t remember what I did to get them in the first place!
It’s still not letting me click on the pictures even though you’re my friend on Flickr!
Ok, Nikon D80 class at Zoot’s house! I need to learn how to use mine, too. I’ve got the books and links so I can try to learn, but I learn best by DOING, not by READING.
Who needs fancy camera settings when you are photographing something as fabulous and delicious as NikkiZ?
If you find someone… can you send them to my house too?
Wish I could help, but I’m still trying to learn my not-so-fancy camera. Maybe you could go to Wolf Camera or someplace like that and ask them if they have someone who would tutor you. Maybe? Good luck!
White balance is a bit hard to get the hang of but once you do..you will LOVE it. You just need to practice with it. I am not sure what kind of camera you have (I am thinking a Nikon) but mine (Nikon D100) has several choices for WB (Auto, Incandescent, Flourescent, Direct Sunlight, Flash, Cloudy, Shade). The type of light you are taking pictures in would dictate the option you choose. For instance if you were taking a picture of a sunset you would want to use “Cloudy” or “Shade” and it will intensify the colors of the sunset. When working in natural lilght you would want to use “Direct Sunlight”. I have found that setting the WB will allow better use of the light you have. To test, just take a picture of a room that isn’t well lit using Auto…then take one using Shade or Cloudy. There is an extreme difference. If you want to read a good article on it go to: https://www.nikonians.org/nikon/d200_and_wb/
The best bet is to play with the settings and get a feel for what each does. Hope this helps!
please sign ME up for the class too! I dont have a big fancy camera but I do have one with lots of manual settings available.. would LOVE to know more about it- but I am also a DOER- not a read it and know it..
I think that is why photography is an art…because you just have to try and try, using several different settings and angles, to get the picture you want. My supervisor told me the other day that I take great pictures; my response was that I just take a lot of pictures;>
I JUST got the book this morning (for my B-day – whee!) but lots and lots of people told me to get “understanding exposure”. OK, so what really happened was then I saw that RSM owned it and well – I *had* to get it then…girl has been rocking the photography latley! So, tonight, after the wee one is down, I’m finally going to sit down and begin to understand how my D50 works!
It totally helps to have a good camera. The pictures I get with my Rebel are awesome…especially compared to the ones I take with my regular little digital camera. I don’t know what I’m doing even less then you do (white balance?!), but dude, the Rebels takes good shots! (Too bad it won’t fit in my purse!)
I still use a film camera — out of cheapness (though it doesn’t matter much now, since digital cameras are getting cheaper and I can buy film at the supermarket anymore), but mostly I’m too stubborn to start over from scratch and re-learn how to use a camera. I have no idea what “white balance” is, but the warmer picture adorable. When I scan my negatives, they often look a little “cool,” so I just adjust what I need to in photoshop.
Oops. That should read I can’t buy film at the supermarket anymore.
Me too sister! I have a Canon XTI and yeah it pisses me off a little that I spent almost $1000 for a camera I am not getting full use of.
Umm, I’m an idiot at those things. I just randomly change the settings and hope for the best.
I totally understand the I have a fancy camera and no idea how to use it. http://www.diyphotography.net has had some excellent tutorials lately on things like aperture, white balance, etc. The trick is to take if off the idiot settings, (preferably not when photos will matter like a wedding) and start messing around. I like to pick one type of subject (flowers are a good start) and focus on using exclusively manual settings until you consistently like what you get, then move onto something else. And as I seem to recall you have one of the spiffy nikon flashes, check out http://www.strobist.com. His lighting 101 and lighting 102 tutorials are awesome. Oh and when you’re done playing around and you’re at the important event when photos matter, don’t forget to put it back on idiot mode. I’d also see if there is a magic lantern guide for your camera, they’re more user friendly than the manuals and they usually have a little wallet card punch out with a guide to the symbols on your camera in case you forget.
I wish I could help, but my step dad is a professional photographer and I still don’t understand my digital camera. lol
Oh I am still trying to “get” my camera and I am nearly ready to chuck it and get a new one as technology has passed me by.
For those still using film (and I also do, on occasion), “white balance” is a setting that replaces the need to pick the correct film or color correction filter. For example, most standard 35 mm film is “balanced” for outdoors in natural light. If shooting inside under a lightbulb, a flash would HAVE to be used to get the proper color, or film made for incandescent light used, or the picture would be orange. Same for florescent lighting – you need a flash or a filter, or the picture is green.
Since digital cameras don’t use film, you have “white balance” for sunny, cloudy, florescent, incandescent, etc.
The numbers – -3, +1, etc., are exposure settings. On most cameras, the positive numbers mean over exposure (adding more light) and negative mean underexposure (not enough light). Slightly underexposing something CAN mean adding saturation (deepening the colors) I often underexpose a sunset to get more intense color. Over exposing can be the way to go if you have to shoot in shadow without a flash.
The first shot was fine, but too blue and a tad underexposed (because of the shadow). My guess it that when you changed the balance, you also bumped the exposure up a notch or two, which resulted in a better colored, and better exposed, shot.
Every camera is different when it comes to white balance, and you just need to play around with it to figure out what works best (my camera runs blue, which I hate, and it runs to over exposure, so I almost always shoot -1/3).
I’m the same. I have two books out from the library that are supposed to be being read but they haven’t been touched yet. I will read them soon because I want to learn so bad.
Could you add me to your flickr friends? My username on there is starttoday. I’ve been reading your blogs since NikkiZ was born and I miss seeing all your photos of the kids.
OMG peaking through my windows last week watching me try to figure out my D50 along with the Field Guide book after having the darn thing for a year and never taking it off “auto?”
Someone needs to write a “so you bought a SLR and you don’t know a damn thing about photography” book. Oh and make it camera specific ’cause I’m going thinking I read the whole book just last week and I don’t remember “white balance” setting.
Oh my gosh… sister friend, fellow expensive camera owner with little grasp…
we shoudl have a support group b/c I feel the same way…
Zoot, I just need to send you the book my parents bought be about photography. That I still haven’t even opened. SOMEONE should get some use out of it. Then again, I need to actually FIND the book first.
I love the look of concentration on her face! Coloring is a serious business!
I was going to ask you to send them over here, too… Stupid F-Stops.
Ah! If i were anywhere near you I’d drop by and explain it. It’s absolutely one of those subjects that you just have to hear a bunch and try a bunch and one day it clicks!
I really highly recommend Me Ra Koh’s DVD sets about being a mom with a camera. The first one was superb, and the second one (more about the camera settings!) is due out soon! Besides, Me Ra is a sweetie.
http://www.merakohblog.com/category/dvd-ordering/
Even understanding it from reading may not resolve your issue because you have to know what kind of light you’re shooting in AND how your camera reacts to that type of light. Just the fact that you’re able to do what you did indicates you have a good feel for your camera, Jessica gave a great explination, so now maybe you know enough to understand the kind of light your camera works best in and how to adjust accordingly.
She is just adorable!!
I wish I could figure out some of the settings on my camera too… but I suck, lolol!!
Waaa I just noticed you also had a Nikon D80… OMG I want that camera, lolol I have an HP 945. I am really hoping to get a new camera within the next 6 months. Maybe if I am lucky it’ll be a Nikon.
I pretty much suck at taking photo’s.
You, however?
ROCK!!
I’am having the same problem, I bought a NIKON D40 and haven’t taken it off of auto. It’s so confusing or maybe I’m just an idiot. My goal is to learn this, to know it really well, and so far that just hasn’t happened yet. Hopefully soon!
Just an FYI to anyone thinking about buying a digital SLR-
If you have been shooting film with an SLR, you MIGHT want to buy a digital of the same make because they often can use the sames lenses. And also note, while a manual camera without autofocus capabilities often can NOT use an autofocus lens (as an autofocus), many autofocus cameras CAN use your old manual lenses (as manual).
Even though not ovelry popular, I have always used Pentax cameras. First and foremost, I have tiny hands, and Pentax SLRs run small and fit my hands perfectly. Secondly, all of my equipment, from my first all manual Pentax to my current set-up is interchangeable. And when I finally save up enough to buy the digital SLR, I will be able to use all my lenses with it, which rocks when you are poor.
Just a thought.
ohh i know pretty much zilch about digital photography but i tremendously enjoy photographing food.. have a blog, you can check it out if you have time
http://www.cookingandme.blogspot.com
That’s one seriously cute child, supremely huggable I imagine. (Skin and bone chilluns are no fun to hug.)
Hay, on the photog, I’m the same way. I’ve never tried to learn Chinese, but I imagine it’s a lot like that. To me, anyway. The info just doesn’t ingest or synthsize. Was the yellow photo taken in artificial light, like indoors with a lamp nearby? My light bulbs do that sometimes. Just a thought….
After copying the knowledgeable comments above and then pasting them into an email to myself, I suggest that Jessica or Kerri write a column on digital photog for this blog!
Since I am #36 to comment, and I haven’t read all the previous comments, my comment will probably be a repeat of someone else’s comment – but here goes anyway!
Try shooting in RAW, then get yourself Lightroom and see what you can fiddle up! Lots of fun, and you can get some really neat results…
ok, one more book suggeston. It’s called The Digital Photography Book, by Scott Kelby. It’s a bit cheeky and I’ve only read 20 pages so far, but it seems to be pretty helpful without being too technical. In fact, toen of the very first things he mentioned was about the White balance, but I think I saw you have that mostly figured out now. Anyhow, I jsut wnated to mention it. As I was skimming through it last night I said to my husband, “I should tell Zoot about this one, too.” And he was all “Um…Zoot?” so I had to tell him “Interwebs – blog…you know, peple I don’t know, but care about.” he just laughed.
I’m a big fan of the ExpoDisc.
If we lived closer, I would propose that we become photo buddies. That way you could learn how to use your Nikon D80 and I could learn how to use my Canon 5D.
P.S. I know several Nikon user who said that getting a tutorial DVD helped. If you are interested, I will send you the information when I return home.
The second shot is fabulous.
Her little arms and hands look so cute coloring. And her hair looks beautiful. Great job with the editing.