Making Mistakes

Its inevitable, things are going to go wrong. 

Over the weekend I went to the zoo with my husband and my camera.  It was a new experiment for me; the zoo is a great place to work on your photography. 

Each exhibit provides its own new challenges and opportunities.  For the outdoor exhibits I used auto mode, this provided me with some great shots of Giraffes and Peacocks.  For the indoor exhibits I had to play around a little. 

The one thing that I desperately wanted was bat pictures.  With bats you can’t use flash; it disturbs them and is really bad for their eyes.  So I used an ISO of 100.  With the ISO set to 100 the “film” will absorb all of the available light.   Now the problem with that is that no matter how still I was, 100 means that the film is moving slowly, and a second might not seem like a long time in normal life, but when you’re trying to hold still and not breathe, it’s an eternity! 

None of the pictures of the bats came out, I was so disappointed!

Next time I will be sure to use a monopod! Once I do I will be sure to post a review of what kind of difference it made.

For this post I chose to use another mild disappointment.  For the photo featured here I should have used an ISO of 1600; if I had, you would actually be able to see the fish, instead of just get an impression of them.

Now go and make some mistakes of your own!

Cheers,

Lin

What do I need to know about ISO?

Your default ISO should be around 400 for most shots.  This will allow your camera to refresh quickly. 

The lower the ISO the slower the film.  If you can image it, the slower the film moves the more detail it can absorb. 

On occasions you will find it beneficial to set your ISO higher.  When you are taking photos in poorly lit areas or though thick glass.

The photo featured here was taken with a higher ISO, please be aware you need a VERY steady hand, a mono-pod or a tri-pod.  Because the film is moving slowly, you cant let the camera move.

Play around and see what works for you!

Cheers,

Lin

Shuttering over your Shutter?

Your shutter will make a massive difference on objects in motion. The faster the shutter the more focus the image.

Ever stand next to a water fall and want to capture each individual drop of water? If the shutter is only open for a split second you will get a sharp image of the individual drops. If however you want to convey the speed of the water set your shutter to be open for slightly longer. The water will appear to rush out of the frame; instead of being frozen in the middle of the universe.

The photo here is taken with a very fast shutter; this makes the water appear crystal clear and calm.

Hope this helps,

Cheers,

Lin

My First DSLR – Canon Rebel

I am Bee

Canon Rebel EOS 1000D kit.

 I choose this camera after though research of three main brands.  Canon, Nikon, Sony.

The Nikons are professional grade cameras.  They have a lot of upgrade potential; but their price points were a bit higher then I wanted to start with.

I almost selected a Sony.  The fact that the primary image stabilization is in the camera body was a big draw to me.  With larger lenses Sony installs an additional stabilization in the lenses.  When it came to the selection I found that the Sony DSLR was a bit clunky.

In the end, I chose the Canon.  The Rebel had the same primary features as the Nikon and Sony; but it also had the added benefit of feeling right.  I have small hands and the Camera made me feel comfortable with it.

The Rebel came with a zoom lenses 18-55mm.  This lens has enough options to allow you to begin your photographic journey. 

In the first two days of owning this camera I have taken over 300 photos.  12 of which I actually like.

I am looking forward to taking this camera on my next journey.

Cheers,

Lin

The End

I prefer to think of this as the end instead of the beginning.  It’s an end to me waiting to do what I have always loved.  It is an end to excuses.

 

So Welcome to my ending.