So, unfortunately, no new artists for this post. I promise next one I'll have some tasty treats for you.
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However...I do have something to show you...
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Pictures.
I recently purchased a Canon EOS T3 in preparation for my journey to Sweden this fall for study abroad, and I'll tell you right now there is nothing like having a nice camera. I've always had an appreciate for photography and now I finally get a chance to explore that passion. It's been an interesting experience so far, almost addicting! Anyway I don't want to ramble so let me get to the pics.
These are just a few of the many I have been taking, let me know what you think and if you have any advice I am willing and eager to learn.
You can visit my full flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/justasignal/
very cool pictures. i love photography— the only thing is that i have to use film. i can't stand digital for multiple reasons. the only good film, however, at least colour film, is slide film, and it's expensive and hard to find. there's only one place in the whole city that develops in on-site and i've found less time and money to take pictures recently.
ReplyDeletei see that you prefer a wider aperture in your shots— it gives it a kind of immediacy that doesn't come with tiny apertures and large shutter speeds. i have to admit i still like small apertures better, though— something about the clarity and vividness, and the depth perception— it's sort of more like a painting and doesn't force focus as much.
Thanks for the compliments! I've never used real film per se, but I would assume it takes more expertise to get a good shot on film. With digital it is so much easier to manipulate the image(which I love).
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I've become enamored with a wide aperature. All my life I've been noticing the details and I've never had a camera adequate enough to capture the image I imagine, it's great finally getting the chance to develop the style of shooting. Of course, I'm still learning and need to learn how to use a smaller aperture more effectively.
How do you go about using a small aperture correctly? How do I get the most out of it?
hey matt,
ReplyDeleteusing a smaller aperture requires more time for the shutter to be open. so, for example, if you took a shot at f/4.0 with a shutter speed of 1/500, the relationship between the two numbers is inversely proportional. so if you wanted to use a smaller aperture, of say, f/11, you would probably need to use a shutter speed of around 1/90 or maybe more. your camera has a manual setting, and it should have a light meter on it. usually what you'll do is fiddle around with the settings until the light meter says it's balanced at 0, (versus -1 or +1 or more). since it's a canon, i think it should have a setting that says Av and Tv— i think they stand for aperture variable and time variable— you would probably want to use the Tv setting (unless i got them reversed), because it allows you to set your own aperture and then it will compute the shutter speed for you.
the thing about using a smaller aperture is that it gives you a much wider field of focus, so for example if you were taking a picture at f/16, maybe 10 feet of the image would be in focus (this is in distance from the camera), and if you were using an aperture of f/2, only a foot or so of the image would be in focus, so it's easier to get an out-of-focus picture with a large aperture because the area that it focuses on is going to be much smaller.
also, the closer up you are to your subject, the smaller the field of focus is going to be. so with the pool table, for example, using a smaller aperture is going to add inches to the field of focus versus the picture of the inside of that building, where using a smaller aperture would add feet to the field. i'm not saying you should use larger apertures for close up shots, it's just that it's going to be a difference when you're up close.
also, if you end up using shutter speeds longer than around 1/45 of a second, you're going to need a steady surface or a tripod to make sure the picture doesn't get blurred. it's totally impossible to stand completely still when you've got a really long shutter speed.
don't waste a *ton* of money on a tripod unless you're going to be taking pictures with a shutter speed longer than a minute. cheaper tripods will drift slowly and you'll end up with a weird vertical striped picture. but if you're using shutter speeds of, say, 15 seconds, it's not going to make a difference.
Your picture style is all about the close up subject. You should focus on people and objects instead of like landscapes. People studies or classy nudes would be a good exercise, and ordinary every day objects you find under rated would go good with your style.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestions! I really do need to get a tripod, I'm finding it hard to take pictures in very low lighting without one(of course). And if I had the chance to do people studies I'd be all over that :) I've posted a new picture post if you'd like to take a look. Your comment led me to some genuflecting on my style...
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