Carter N's Photography Advice Thread.

[jdel]

Shooting in Av simply let's you pick the aperture while the camera takes exposure readings to assign the proper shutter speed and ISO (if you have it on automatic). This is beneficial if all you are looking to control is the depth of field but it really limits your control over how your photos will turn out

There are several ways your can manipulate the color on and off the camera.

Depending on what kind of camera you are shooting with, most give the user the ability to adjust the saturation, vibrancy, contrast, etc. in camera. There are also presets for portrait, landscape, nighttime, indoor/outdoor, etc.

It is easier, IMO, to adjust contrast, saturation, vibrancy, etc in post processing though. Almost all photo management programs will have those basic controls and the best way to get a photo exactly how you want it is to just play with those sliders.

As a general guideline however, raising contrast and saturation will make colors in the photo 'pop'

Ok. I'm shooting with a Rebel XT and I have CS3. I was playing around with the RAW images I had, and I was getting better results, but I will try what you are saying.

[Carter N]

cool deal, be sure to post your results

[indy510]

Panning

Panning is the process of capturing motion from a fixed position, i.e. the side of the road lol. To accomplish a successful panning shot you follow the same basic camera setting rules as a roller. The only difference is that you are now moving your body with the car which can create much more unwanted movement when trying to produce a sharp picture. Most professionals capturing motion from a fixed position will use a monopod. Again a steady hand can go a long way towards making this work.


Rollin' through the mountain by Carter N, on Flickr

Wow..... I can't thank you enough for this thread,, , . I had no idea what panning was until I read that



First question: do you have any tricks for panning in low lighting situations??? ... . I think I just got lucky with this one:


^click on the pic for full size




Second question: any tips for panning when the car is coming slightly towards you at an angle?

do you move the camera backwards slightly while going from side to side?





I am using a Sony A330 DSLR with the stock 18-55mm kit lens .... . and get much better results when the car is moving less than 10mph:

[thefuzz]

I have a question about hardware..
I'm thinking about buying a D300s, it fits my needs and wallet. Does anyone use one of these and could give me some heads-up why I should or maybe should NOT get one?
I generally shoot in-action street and BMX-cycling and alot of car-photography - and I'm interested in trying out some filming.

I already have a D50 with a couple of lenses and flashes, so a brand-switch is not an option.

Thanks.



I couldn't find a more fitting thread for this post, nor did I believe it was nessisary to make a new one for it.

[HonDee-A3]

Wow..... I can't thank you enough for this thread,, , . I had no idea what panning was until I read that



First question: do you have any tricks for panning in low lighting situations??? ... . I think I just got lucky with this one:

^click on the pic for full size

Second question: any tips for panning when the car is coming slightly towards you at an angle?

do you move the camera backwards slightly while going from side to side?

I am using a Sony A330 DSLR with the stock 18-55mm kit lens .... . and get much better results when the car is moving less than 10mph:

i'm also seeking tips for panning shots and more over,
suppose shutter speed would be short but then ISO needed to raisen. but how do i get the entire car focused? thought my body was moving (w/ aimming) along with the car but still cant crisp out the entire target....

am also using canon 600d with stock 18-55
thanks NC.

[Krolik]

i'm also seeking tips for panning shots and more over,
suppose shutter speed would be short but then ISO needed to raisen. but how do i get the entire car focused? thought my body was moving (w/ aimming) along with the car but still cant crisp out the entire target....

am also using canon 600d with stock 18-55
thanks NC.

I don't know how it is with Canon, but my Nikon has a shutter priority mode. I usually do pans at a 1/30 - 1/60 shutter speed depending on how fast the object is moving. If it's light outside I'm around 100 - 400 ISO. The camera sets the aperture for me in priority mode. My friend pans with his Canon on "Tv" mode so that might be your deal.

Leave the camera on autofocus - if you're trying to move, adjust shoot you're not going to get a decently crisp shot (unless you're trying to get a different effect). Keep your feet planted and just move your torso when panning. You'll be steadier for one and you'll be able to keep your movement at the same speed as the object.

If you're not getting crisp shots, shoot in bursts. Chances are ONE out of the 10 or so pictures will be nice and crisp for you.

[Carter N]

Hey guys,

Sorry again for the delay. I have been staying busy with photos of my own and haven't gotten around to posting. I'll answer everybody's questions and post so of the stuff I have been doing lately! Thanks for all the support & posts!

Wow..... I can't thank you enough for this thread,, , . I had no idea what panning was until I read that

First question: do you have any tricks for panning in low lighting situations??? ... . I think I just got lucky with this one:


^click on the pic for full size

Second question: any tips for panning when the car is coming slightly towards you at an angle?

do you move the camera backwards slightly while going from side to side?



I am using a Sony A330 DSLR with the stock 18-55mm kit lens .... . and get much better results when the car is moving less than 10mph:

Thanks for the post, and no problem whatsoever, happy to help.

Low light shooting in general is always a bit tricky. When it comes to panning there are only a few things you can do and after that it is really all about the ability of your camera. Obviously for panning you are going to be shooting with a lower shutter speed 1/15-1/40. Depending on your cameras auto focus system you may find shutter speeds on the low end of that scale unusable without a mono/tripod. The lower the shutter speed however the brighter the picture, assuming you are using the lowest possible aperture available to you. You can also try raising the ISO. However the quality of the picture is really going to depend on your camera at this point. My cameras pictures are still quite usable at 3200 ISO but on my previous camera my ISO didn't ever go that high.

For shooting while cars are coming slightly towards you I would try to use the slowest shutter speed possible while still being able to capture usable images. You are still going to move the camera in a side to side motion but you aren't going to be moving it as fast so this is why you need the slow shutter speed to compensate for that and still produce a desirable amount of motion blur on camera.

The reason you are seeing better results while cars are moving at a slower speed probably has a lot to do with your camera's auto focusing system. It's easy for your camera to track and focus on a slower moving object. Basically to be able to capture a car traveling 50+ mph from a stationary position the camera's focusing system has to be able to adjust real time as your close the shutter, so that being said the more advanced the camera the better the auto focusing system (usually). However, a lot of other things do come into play such as lighting, distance, and steadiness of the shooters hand when seeking a crisp shot.

Nice pictures! Keep shooting & posting!

I have a question about hardware..
I'm thinking about buying a D300s, it fits my needs and wallet. Does anyone use one of these and could give me some heads-up why I should or maybe should NOT get one?
I generally shoot in-action street and BMX-cycling and alot of car-photography - and I'm interested in trying out some filming.

I already have a D50 with a couple of lenses and flashes, so a brand-switch is not an option.

Thanks.

I couldn't find a more fitting thread for this post, nor did I believe it was nessisary to make a new one for it.

I have known a few people with and have used a D300, it is definitely a nice camera. I am a Canon shooter myself so I can't really speak to specifics or compare it to other Nikons. I am sure someone can step in here though.

i'm also seeking tips for panning shots and more over,
suppose shutter speed would be short but then ISO needed to raisen. but how do i get the entire car focused? thought my body was moving (w/ aimming) along with the car but still cant crisp out the entire target....

am also using canon 600d with stock 18-55
thanks NC.

Hey NC,

As I stated above a lot comes into play when you going after a crisp panning shot. In your shot it appears that light was probably the main reason for not having a crisp and focused shot. The darker it is, the harder it is for the camera to pick out a subject and focus on it, let alone track it. Try shooting panning shots during the day and see if your result improve. Also, most people will see improved result if they use a monopod to stabilize the camera better.

Again, thanks for all the posts guys, I hope I helped out some of you. As promised here is some of the stuff I have been doing.


Do it in a Datsun by Carter N, on Flickr


Did it in a Datsun by Carter N, on Flickr


Jk's bagged MkV GTI by Carter N, on Flickr

and, since panning is the popular subject as of late


Jon K, rollin' low. by Carter N, on Flickr

[BYZA213]

awesome thread

i have a nikon d80 with 50mm lense , im really getting bored of the shots i take with it and editing

should i maybe try lightroom?

any ideas?

[projektzwo]

hello guys, wonderful thread, i'm very interested, but i'm total noob...

however i want to start shooting with DSLR, but really don't know what will be good for a start and also keep using it after i have some practice.

thanks.

[StraightDeezin]

some recent shots, tell me what you think!

22/365 The Sun

4th Street

Philadelphia Diamonds

D-Reck

D-Reck

Front St.

[Tomzz]

You should get paid for this man! I read the whole thread and got the answers i needed(for now)..

thanks man! keep it up!

[Carter N]

Hey guys, as usual sorry for the delay, I'll try to get better about updating this. Thanks for all the support and questions, didn't think this thread would do this well. Onto the questions!

awesome thread

i have a nikon d80 with 50mm lense , im really getting bored of the shots i take with it and editing

should i maybe try lightroom?

any ideas?

What are you using to edit now? You could always give lightroom a try but most basic photo management and editing programs will have the same basic tools. The best way to fight boredom in photography is to challenge yourself. Find a single photo or set on flickr that you really like and try to achieve the same look or start a project 365 perhaps. Lots of people find those intimidating because taking a picture everyday seems like a daunting task (ha I only lasted 7 days, more so because of laziness) but there are tons of guides online that give you ideas of what to shoot everyday so you don't get hung up.

Keep shooting & posting!

hello guys, wonderful thread, i'm very interested, but i'm total noob...

however i want to start shooting with DSLR, but really don't know what will be good for a start and also keep using it after i have some practice.

thanks.

Most entry level DSLRs are more camera than any amateur photographer will ever need. There is a stigma in the digital photography world that causes people to think as soon as they have one camera they have to keep upgrading.

There really isn't any DSLR out there that will hold you back from learning photography so really the question is how much money you want to spend.

My best advice on getting your first camera is to go to your local camera store and try them out. Find a comfortable and affordable unit and start shooting!

some recent shots, tell me what you think!

22/365 The Sun

4th Street

Philadelphia Diamonds

D-Reck

D-Reck

Front St.

These are pretty nice. I'd suggest trying out some different metering on camera to get equal exposure throughout the shot. As well as trying some more post processing tools such as contrast!

Thanks for posting!

You should get paid for this man! I read the whole thread and got the answers i needed(for now)..

thanks man! keep it up!

Ha, I am fortunate enough to make money through clients so I am more than willing to give back to people who are just like I was when I started out. I came into photography not knowing anything and those who took time to explain things are the reason I am where I am today. Thanks for the kind words and I am glad you found the thread useful! Make sure to post some photos!


Thanks again everyone, here is a picture I just posted yesterday!


Austin E's MkII GTI by Carter N, on Flickr

[Tomzz]

Well, here is a few pictures which i recently took. If you have the time and wish to give me som feedback, i would appreciate it!
This was my first time, so don't demand to much

I noticed that in the first photo, the camera is out of fokus? I get this "blurry" feeling.
I used the "speed" mode on the camera, but had a lot of the same problems with the other pictures to. I didn't use the stance, maybe that had something to do with it?

Gear used:
Canon 350D
Canon BG-E3
Tamron 18-200mm

[believe]

How do you get an even look on the paint (ie paint reflections, sunlight)? Polarizing filter?

[Carter N]

I kind of let this die out lol.

What's up everybody!


Palisades by Carter N, on Flickr