Newbie here~ Pls comment on my first attempt @ photography. Thx

[frostiee]

Hi guys. Just gotten my 450D last week via Megatex.
Uploaded some random pics taken this past few days.
Pls do guide me along.
Some comments and critics pls~

All of the pics are taken using Canon 450D. 18-55mm Lens

#1

f/3.5 Exp Time: 1/8sec ISO-400 F-length 20mm


#2

Both pic taken at vivocity~
f/8 Exp Time: 1/5sec ISO-1600 F-length: 43mm


#3

f/4.5 Exp Time: 1/13sec ISO-400 F-length: 30mm


#4

f/9 Exp Time: 1/125sec ISO-400 F-length: 29mm


#5

f/4.5 Exp Time: 1/25sec ISO-800 F-length: 35mm


Tried out some of the so call Bokeh. The effect seems like not very good though.

 

[ziincx]

Hi and welcome to CS!

#1 - IMO the lightning a bit too harsh

#2 - i like it with the reflection :]

#5 - bit underexposed and craving for cookies too!

:]

 

[frostiee]

Hmm any suggestion on how to improve it?
Harsh as in? Too much? If so should i shorten the exposure timing?

Qns... If the background is too bright and the foreground too dark. How could i compensate the lightning? As in darkening the background and brightening the foreground.

Another Q... Should i remain 18-55 or upgrade my lens to a 18-200. As in trade in my 18-55 58mm +700sgd for 18-200 76mm lens. As the lens circumference is bigger i would be able to have a wider angle lens. Any advice?

Also what is the difference between 18-55 3.5~5.6 vs 17-50 2.8?
Read up on a bit of the lens but got confused along the way.

I know lens like 50~200 4.x~5.6 are telephoto/zoom lens and 60mm 1.8 are macro lens.
Sorry i do not know the exact figures.. Too many different lens in the market.

Also i'm keeping my camera in a tupperware along with 2 small packet of silicon.
Any advice on storage? Should i go for a dry cabi? dry box? And should i get styroform for my tupperware for safety reason?

Sorry for the longwinded post. Hope i can get something out of it =)

 

[flashbug]

Hmm any suggestion on how to improve it?
Harsh as in? Too much? If so should i shorten the exposure timing?

Qns... If the background is too bright and the foreground too dark. How could i compensate the lightning? As in darkening the background and brightening the foreground.

Another Q... Should i remain 18-55 or upgrade my lens to a 18-200. As in trade in my 18-55 58mm +700sgd for 18-200 76mm lens. As the lens circumference is bigger i would be able to have a wider angle lens. Any advice?

Also what is the difference between 18-55 3.5~5.6 vs 17-50 2.8?
Read up on a bit of the lens but got confused along the way.

I know lens like 50~200 4.x~5.6 are telephoto/zoom lens and 60mm 1.8 are macro lens.
Sorry i do not know the exact figures.. Too many different lens in the market.

Also i'm keeping my camera in a tupperware along with 2 small packet of silicon.
Any advice on storage? Should i go for a dry cabi? dry box? And should i get styroform for my tupperware for safety reason?

Sorry for the longwinded post. Hope i can get something out of it =)

Q1 - Flash is ideal. Light reaches foreground but not the faraway backgrd.

Q2 - Up to you. IQ for 18-200mm is not impressive, but it is rather light, and the range covered makes it a terrific traveling lens.

"As the lens circumference is bigger i would be able to have a wider angle lens. Any advice?"

focal length determine the wide angle-ness, not the circumference. so if you want to cover more, get lens with focal length of 10 - 18mm (for crop factor cameras)

not to sound rude, but i think reading up and playing around more with the settings will help you to decide how best to spend the money to your needs. so no rush to 'upgrade' even if you can afford it.

Q3 - 3.5 ~ 5.6 is a slow lens with different max large aperture at different focal length. a possible 'problem' might be when you set aperture to 3.5, and when u choose to increase ur focal length, the aperture stops down to 4 or 5.6, which affects exposure unless you change shutter speed/iso accordingly.

2.8 is a larger aperture, which allows you to take the same photo at faster shutter. and it is constant throughout all focal points.

Which 17-50mm? It will be good to quote the lens. But seeing the specs first hand, 17 -50mm 2.8 will definitely be better.

Q4 -
" 60mm 1.8 are macro lens." not necessary. long focal length can double as macro because they 'magnify images' more than shorter focal length. compare an image of a object taken from 100mm prime to 50mm prime, size wise. but there are special lens that are true macro (1:1 magnification while others with the same focal length may offer 1:2.5 )

Q5 - dry cabinet consume power. i still with a dry box with silica gel. but it needs to be 'fry' to remove the water vapour every now and then.

 

[ombre]

Q5 - dry cabinet consume power. i still with a dry box with silica gel. but it needs to be 'fry' to remove the water vapour every now and then.

Agree with all the other advice you given him. However, this one is a bit off.

Doing a rough calculation, did you know, i takes only 0.72 dollars to power a dry cabinet unit for 24 hours a day times 30 days? Having that said, a dry cabinet does not function 24 hours a day, it goes off once the humidity is set. Certainly your cost per month is less than 50 or 30 cents. I believe this is less power or cost consumption than the gas or microwave power you need to fry your gels.


To the thread starter, if you plan to stay in photography for more than 3 months, please get a dry cabinet, its not expensive. =) Its under warranty for 5 years, so technically the cost per day to keep your equipment safe is like 100 / (365*5), barely 10 cents a day. Just forgo that can of soda a day if budget doesn't permit =)

By the way Styrofoam traps humidity, thus, no. do not use it to pad your dry box.

 

[Galdor]

Hello...welcome.

You may want to post your pictures in the Critiques Corner for more feedback.

 

[flashbug]

Agree with all the other advice you given him. However, this one is a bit off.

Doing a rough calculation, did you know, i takes only 0.72 dollars to power a dry cabinet unit for 24 hours a day times 30 days? Having that said, a dry cabinet does not function 24 hours a day, it goes off once the humidity is set. Certainly your cost per month is less than 50 or 30 cents. I believe this is less power or cost consumption than the gas or microwave power you need to fry your gels.


To the thread starter, if you plan to stay in photography for more than 3 months, please get a dry cabinet, its not expensive. =) Its under warranty for 5 years, so technically the cost per day to keep your equipment safe is like 100 / (365*5), barely 10 cents a day. Just forgo that can of soda a day if budget doesn't permit =)

By the way Styrofoam traps humidity, thus, no. do not use it to pad your dry box.

i appreciate the advice =)
wow, have no idea it was that cheap. perhaps i should have considered doing more research.
might look into one if i have the money to spare =) i keep my entire kit in an airtight box and the gel hasn't turn red for about 2-3 months, but i suppose i can consider a second hand dry cabinet some day.

to TS, all the best in photography

 

[davee78]

Pic 2 was taken at ISO1600?:what:

The nosie control seems not bad hor?

 

[frostiee]

Wow thx for the many advices. Anyway if i can't use styroform as padding... What should i use?

I'll seriously consider a dry cabi hehe.

I've a whole lot more photograph in my com. Hmm snap around 2k++ photos on my 5th day... This few are the better ones though.
The others are about sunrise and clouds... Decided not to post after seeing some of the other member's post... Feels like my pic are too lousy. Anyway i'll get some of the other pic up~ Pls do comment later. Thx
P.S: I don't dare to post in the critique corner as i'm still a newbie and needed "soft" advice~ lol

Anyway today is the last day to change my Kit1 18~55mm lens to 18~200mm lens... Should i change?
And if i stick with my 18~55mm lens... And get another 17~50mm f2.8 tamrom lens... Is if advisable to have 1 18~55mm and 1 17~50mm lens? Seems kinda extra lolx. Pls advice!!


All pics are taken with shutter speed priority. If im not wrong. Didn't use much aperture priority.
Hmm as to why 1600ISO for the 2nd pic is because the effect turns out better, brighter. I've tried to snap at lower ISO and the end result turn out to be pretty dull. Tried using flash and it darkens the background. I didn't have a tripod with me so decided to tweak around the setting a bit. Can't lengthen the shutter speed time as my hand isn't that stable. So ISO is my last resort =\ Is it okie?

 

[davee78]

Wow thx for the many advices. Anyway if i can't use styroform as padding... What should i use?

I'll seriously consider a dry cabi hehe.

I've a whole lot more photograph in my com. Hmm snap around 2k++ photos on my 5th day... This few are the better ones though.
The others are about sunrise and clouds... Decided not to post after seeing some of the other member's post... Feels like my pic are too lousy. Anyway i'll get some of the other pic up~ Pls do comment later. Thx
P.S: I don't dare to post in the critique corner as i'm still a newbie and needed "soft" advice~ lol

Anyway today is the last day to change my Kit1 18~55mm lens to 18~200mm lens... Should i change?
And if i stick with my 18~55mm lens... And get another 17~50mm f2.8 tamrom lens... Is if advisable to have 1 18~55mm and 1 17~50mm lens? Seems kinda extra lolx. Pls advice!! (I am not a pro;p,but I do think it's a bit duplicating the range. If I were you, I will just get 17 -50mm 2.8 Having both is a bit like having an AR15 and an M16.

All pics are taken with shutter speed priority. If im not wrong. Didn't use much aperture priority.
Hmm as to why 1600ISO for the 2nd pic is because the effect turns out better, brighter. I've tried to snap at lower ISO and the end result turn out to be pretty dull. Tried using flash and it darkens the background. I didn't have a tripod with me so decided to tweak around the setting a bit. Can't lengthen the shutter speed time as my hand isn't that stable. So ISO is my last resort =\ Is it okie?

I mean I had expected ISO1600 to be grainy, or is it just my camera (2004 technology), haha, probably.

 

[flashbug]

Definitely not advisable to get both 18~55mm and the 17-50mm.
I am using the tamron 17-50mm now and it is very sharp. no complains. =)
just got it yesterday due to the ongoing tamron sales ( many shops have sold out status and stock just arrived yest), so if you would like photos i could send you some.

you can lose the IS for the kit lens since it is not a huge loss. you gain a stop at 18mm and up to 3-4 stops at the 50mm mark due to the wide apperture.
besides, with enough practice, your subjects are more often the restless ones rather than your hands, so f/2.8 comes in handy to take babies, moving pple and stuff =)

why not lose the kit lens? or sell it? i wont recommend the 18-200mm unless you have no choice BUT to choose either or. IQ is quite important to me =)


Also,
for picture #1 -> f/3.5 Exp Time: 1/8sec ISO-400 F-length 20mm.
not sure if 1/8 shutter can 'freeze' water like this.

 

[frostiee]

Not sure why 1600ISO works for me. Maybe gotten a lucky shot.

Anyway... From what you guys said... 18~200 not that advisable? 17~50 tamrom lens more worth it? How much is it anyway?
And if i would to sell off my 18~55. How much could i sell it off for?

 

[davee78]

think you can check the buy and sell classifieds section to see how much its worth?

As for price for the 17-50, can call up the shops as listed somewhere in the forum and check it out, a lot of people do that

Anyway, nothing wrong with using high ISO, So dun worry.

 

[redmonsoon]

Your lens havent even warm up, wanna sell and buy another?..
Learn to compose and use camera first before falling to temptation lah, there'll always be a better lens...

 

[simranjits]

Your lens havent even warm up, wanna sell and buy another?..
Learn to compose and use camera first before falling to temptation lah, there'll always be a better lens...

Don't listen to him, just buy. Keep so much money for wat.

 

[ombre]

i appreciate the advice =)
wow, have no idea it was that cheap. perhaps i should have considered doing more research.
might look into one if i have the money to spare =) i keep my entire kit in an airtight box and the gel hasn't turn red for about 2-3 months, but i suppose i can consider a second hand dry cabinet some day.

to TS, all the best in photography

Yup, it only takes 5watts per hour. I think even with the rate hike, power now is only 23 cents per 1000watts? Its cheaper than yoiur flouroscent lamps.

Anyway I came from drybox too, I got too tired to open it. Dry cabinet is a definite get, haha, I take my camera out very often.

 

[redmonsoon]

Don't listen to him, just buy. Keep so much money for wat.

LOL, u evil...:bsmilie:
Yah on 2nd thought, BUY BUY BUY, so we can have more & better deals in BUY/SELL..haha

 

[plato]

Actually, when you use higher ISOs to shoot, the noise level can be kept in control as long as you expose the shot correctly, or even overexpose slightly. If you underexpose, all the noise will become more obvious.

 

[jnet6]

overall pretty good for 1st timers, keep it up.

 

[sin77]

#1
Quite ok and acceptable. Just note that you are shooting at 20mm, and thus subject is too close to you. Hence the flash become blasting on her. You can try to use tissue paper to cover the flash, or buy a diffuser. Of cos it would be better if you invest on external flash + diffuser. You may want to increase iso to 800 to increase warmth and shutter speed. 1/8s exposure is pretty dangerous unless you got tripod. And if you have one, you can even try rear curtain sync next time. It will allow longer exposure and lower iso to produce silky water and more warmth and cleaner picture respective, but yet the sync flash can properly shoot the girl. You should also try more creative shots such as asking her to use her hand reach out to the water, and you take from side angle (but her head facing you) to take a close-up portrait. The background would be filled with the rest of those sprouting water behind.

#2
Quite good, but u still can improve on the framing, perhaps shoot higher or wider. Anyway it also depends on your enviroment situation. I suppose you already have a tripod to shoot at 1/5s. But just be a little careful, you are almost reaching the limit of your 450D to shoot acceptably clean pic at iso 800 (at this lighting/environment).

#3
Not bad and not much comment for you. But actually there is still room for improvement, such as lighting and dof. But for beginner you are doing very good already.

#4
Nothing impressive. You should try to take more creative shots such as macro instead.

#5
Well done for a beginner. I can see that you have artistic-eye potential.

Generally you have a good foundation in aperture and iso (the rest I won't comment). You should learn more on flash. As you have artistic potential, you should find yourself a suitable genre and excel in it. However, you lack a bit of creativity, so must go to the critique corner to learn more. Lastly, framing is very important and thru experience, I think you will definitely improve, but I don't mean that you have bad framing to start off with.