Photography Thread

VenomTruck

VenomTruck

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I know this is really not truck related, but I recently got my first real camera and I need all the help I can get. Its a Cannon Rebel T3i with 2 lenses, 18 to 55 mm and 55 to 250 mm. My main questions are what do I need to do to make sure Im getting the most out of my camera besides just shooting in auto? Seems like a waste of time and money to just shoot in auto. There are tons of little buttons different settings in the menu and while I could easily read the manual, Id rather just have someone explain the basics to me like Im 5 years old.

I know that lighting is the main thing. Shooting in broad daylight hasnt really worked out to well.

Whats the point of shutter speed?

What is the difference between shooting in normal mode vs raw mode?

Are there times when using the auto focus is actually better than manual?

WHAT DO ALL THOSE DAMN BUTTONS DO??

I spend a lot more time than I originally figured that I would taking pictures. Mostly of cars, my family, the sky….just want to make sure Im not making any rookie mistakes.

Any help or tips from some of you guys who are knowledgable would be greatly appreciated.

Heres a few recent pics I took:


















Also the one in my signature. Any thoughts/feedback from people who actually know a thing or two about photography would be great.
 
Nice pix:top:

Watch this channel on YouTube. I learned a lot from this channel.

http://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5AE50B51597773AC

Here are some of mine none of the pictures are photoshop/or edited(watch on YouTube in HD/full screen muuuch better!:top:)

[ame]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=j5IRVMxizRI[/ame]

Ironheads engine

Viper_pilot's truck

@ GTG
 
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Awesome! Ive already watched about 5 of the vids on that channel. Your video is cool man, I like the long exposure pictures. I literally just found out how to adjust my shutter speed, left it open for 30 seconds and wrote my name with the flashlight on my phone. I might even head out tonight and play with it. Thanks for the post bro!
 
I hate to admit...One sign of getting old, the inability to figure out electronic shit...Chris all you need is an 11 year old theyd have that shit figured out in 5 mins...
 
mopar-or-no-car said:
I hate to admit...One sign of getting old, the inability to figure out electronic shit...Chris all you need is an 11 year old theyd have that shit figured out in 5 mins...
Click to expand...

Yea, Im usually pretty good with electronics but this thing is an absolute maze. Just have to spend some time with it.
 
K so I played around with the shutter speed a little bit and took a few cool pics. In this one, I left the shutter open for 30 seconds and wrote my name in the air using the flashlight on my phone. I think I did pretty good on the "s".





In this one, I did the same thing. Looks like dawn/dusk out but I took this at about 10 pm. You can see stars in the sky, and those clouds were fast moving, low level clouds. The camera pulls in ambient light and uses it to brighten up the pic. In the spot where I took this picture, you could not see the ground because its so dark.

 
I mentioned this in another post. Photography is all about controlling light. Once you figure out the manual settings of your camera, you will never use auto again.
I got my camera after last Christmas. I have been at the same place as you. Tons of youtube videos, blogs, how to websites.
Some of my pics can be seen at WesAlbert

Get Lightroom 5 and watch tutorials. Will make you photos look better.
IF you want to get into HDR also get Photomatix Pro

Also look around on Meetup: find your people - Meetup and join others around you if there is a photography group. You will learn alot from others and hands on experience.
 
Thanks Wes. Just looked at your site. Good stuff! :rock: What editing software are you using to achieve those results?
 
wesalbert said:
Lightroom and Photomatix

Here is a site with someone local to me. I did alot of reading up here. Links on right.
Secrets to Mastering HDR Photography, HDRI & High Dynamic Range.

Someone yesterday recommended Serge Ramelli | Lightroom & Photoshop retouching but I haven't been able to take a look yet.
Click to expand...

Will do, sorry I didnt realize that Lightroom and Photomatix were editing programs. The answer was right there. Only thing I know about is photoshop. Seems like you know a lot about this. Have you done any tilt-shift stuff? Thats really what Im after. Is that all in the camera or is that done through editing?
 
I have alot more pics now to add to that site. I have been really busy at work since October, but it is finally getting back to more of a normal pace. I will update it soon and let you know.
When you get bored or have some time, just drive around (mornings, evenings or night) and just start playing around. Mid day light is harsh so you really want to stay away from that unless you start playing around with filters.
Some of the night beach shots I take are at midnight or 2am when I am bored and the wife is at work.
Invest in some good lens'. My favorite is a Tokina 11-16 F2.8 It is what was used for the beach shots, car show shots, and the sunset lake shots.
 
I have wanted to play with tilt shift. Maybe I will try that next. It is done through the editing software, but you need to take the photo usually from a higher perspective.
 
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Funny you say that your busy times at work are through Oct-Jan/Feb. Thats my busy time also. Now that things are slowing down I can focus on my hobbies. Tilt shift photography (to me) is probably the coolest thing I have ever seen.

I have some good lenses now, its just a matter of being able to use them to their full potential. Shutter speed is a new thing to me, and being able to bring in ambient light into a picture opens up a new world. I went ahead and got a tripod and remote so I can take long exposure pictures without even touching the camera.

Ill get out there tomorrow and see if I can hunt for the good stuff.
 
wesalbert said:
I have wanted to play with tilt shift. Maybe I will try that next. It is done through the editing software, but you need to take the photo usually from a higher perspective.
Click to expand...

wesalbert said:
oh, and go get a big hard drive for your computer.... you're going to need it
WD My Book 3TB External USB 3.02.0 Hard Drive Black WDBEKS0030HBK-NESN - Best Buy
Click to expand...

I have a 1TB now that is empty, so that should get me through the next year or so. I think tilt shift is really a combo of the right pic and the right software.
 
Like I mentioned before, I am by no means an expert or know what I am talking about.. lol just been reading alot over the past year and giving it a try.
I need to find out where I can get into a high building downtown to get some shots for tilt shift. Or maybe an airport tower would be cool. :dontknow:
Up on a mountain overlooking a building or town would be cool, but I got no mountains in Florida.
 
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