Well, I'm going back to studay from next week - 10 week nightschool class in photography! Can't wait! Will finally get to learn how to use my Sony A350 properly!

Really want to get more into landscape photography - Loz, Fluff, Lady E, anyone fancy a road trip out to teh Dales or somewhere nice like that? Would love to pick your brains as you seem to know what you are doing!

Need to learn Photoshop too. Should I get the full-fat version or just Photoshop Elements?

A couple of snaps I took at a mate's wedding on August Bank Hol. The outside snaps are a bit duller than I would like as it was peeing down with rain and there was only an arch we could really do the pics under! :( Have a look and let me know what you think, good or bad!

Huw Buckley's Photos | Facebook

Huw Buckley's Photos | Facebook

Huw Buckley's Photos | Facebook

1st and 3rd look out of focus to me I'm afraid. Composition could be tighter on the first one, I would suggest concentrating on your subject which you manage on the 2nd one to better effect.

Your depth of field looks a bit out. Before gonig to nightschool, try a few basic photobooks to understand the main concepts of how the camera works technically. That's how I started....

Example of DOP

http://i739.photobucket.com/albums/xx31/dorocty/seasideMedium.jpg

Good effort that man. I think in the 3rd picture your (auto) focus point has grabbed the chap in the background. It can be tricky in the dark, as the aperture is usually fully open and the DoF is massively reduced, so focusing on the subject has to be pretty accurate. Well done for going to nightschool. I will be seeking advice from in the near future I think

This is well worth a read:

Ben's Newbie Guide to Digital SLR Photography - Canon Digital Photography Forums

This is well worth a read:

Ben's Newbie Guide to Digital SLR Photography - Canon Digital Photography Forums

Nice link Rob. Sums it all up very nicely. The trouble I find is that it’s one thing to understand the mechanics of it all, it’s another to be able to put it into practice. Practice is probably the significant word. I still make a hash of many of the shots I take in difficult conditions, even when I plan ahead. But occasionally it all comes together and I’m as pleased as punch.

buy: Understanding Exposure i reckon this is one of the best books around for helping beginners such as yourself.... certainly helped me when i started out.........

Thanks Lady E! I have found these guides useful, had a good read before my mate's wedding, but as you said, it takes a while putting the theory into practice!

Free field guides | Photo Answers

Nice link Rob. Sums it all up very nicely. The trouble I find is that it’s one thing to understand the mechanics of it all, it’s another to be able to put it into practice. Practice is probably the significant word. I still make a hash of many of the shots I take in difficult conditions, even when I plan ahead. But occasionally it all comes together and I’m as pleased as punch.

I so totally agree. It still annoys me that I go out and still don't get the results that I wanted, then get even more annoyed when Xav comes on with his fancy pics! :P (only joking, love you really Xav!) It's all about practice, and to a degree personal preference. You might like a certain style that others don't or vice versa. Definately get to grips with the effects of F stops and shutter speed and even metering - if you don't know how to use these then you may aswell stick to a point and shoot!

I hope you enjoy your course, and I hope it's better than what I did! I ended up doing an AS level and it was ****! they didn't teach me anything I didn't already know (infact, they didn't teach us much!) All I learnt was how to develop in a darkroom, which was ace! The rest wwas looking into photographers that I didn't like and trying to work out what 'story' the photo is telling! Load of ********! If it's a more functional course then it should do you the world of good Do share any good tips you learn!

Where you going to do the course Huw? I might be interested in doing something 'proper' as well.

Steve

buy: Understanding Exposure i reckon this is one of the best books around for helping beginners such as yourself.... certainly helped me when i started out.........

Good shout. I have that one and a few others of his and they are very straightforward and easy to read.

Nice link Rob. Sums it all up very nicely. The trouble I find is that it’s one thing to understand the mechanics of it all, it’s another to be able to put it into practice. Practice is probably the significant word. I still make a hash of many of the shots I take in difficult conditions, even when I plan ahead. But occasionally it all comes together and I’m as pleased as punch.

Absolutely. If you've a scientific or mechanical mind then understanding how it works (or should work!) doesn't take that long. But it doesn't improve your photography. I agree Practice is the most significant word, closely followed by Patience. And both take lots of time, which is where I'm going wrong.

Buster - good luck!

Lady E - nice to see you back!

I once got chatting to a very respected motorsports photographer. He noted some of the best shots he ever got was from a cheapo disposable camera.

Hi Steve, Salford City College are running the course from their Eccles campus. They also do a 30 week level 2 (DSLR enthusiast level) and a same for a level 3 course (professional level) but they work £200-£300 quid. Will have a look after I've done this course and depends on money/work situation!

Well, first nightclass done. Not quite what I expected as more aimed at very basic level, e.g. how to download pics to a computer etc. However, as half the class have DSLR's like myself, the college are looking at running another course for those who want something more advanced, so watch this space!

Buster, I suppose you've fully familiar with the basic variables you have to play with when taking photos - shutter speed and aperture.

Play around with the camera, taking your time to shoot in aperture priority and shutter priority. Learn how to quickly adjust the settings and changing from one mode to another. Taking full control of what the camera is doing is what will get you learning fastest and seeing improvement quickly

As for landscape, I'm no landscape photographer by any means, but I would take photos stopped down a fair bit (more closed aperture, higher f stop number). Not only will this give you a longer depth of field, but will also give better sharpness. A tripod can help and will be essential if you want to do night time stuff.

But my belief (again having zero experience apart from some night time stuff) is that the most dramatic landscape shots are achieved with some post processing to give you more extreme levels of colour, contrast, etc. HDR is a simple example So in that sense, a good photo package is rather handy. If you don't want the expense of PS up front, you can get Gimp which is 100% free and the interface is similar.

If you want PS, you can get a trial version for 30 days I think it is.

Loz, thanks for the compliment, but I'd still tip my hat off to Scuff first

I don’t know what the Sony Image software is like, but if it is like the Canon stuff there is one thing you can try to see the differences of adjusted aperture and the like. You could always just use a Microsoft viewer and punch up the properties.

I take several pictures, all the same, of something relatively static and adjust the aperture each time. When you look at them in your picture viewer (or use a slideshow setting) put the properties/data up on the screen with the shot. Then as each picture appears you can not only see the difference in the depth of field and how much this effect is noticeable, but you can see what f stop created the effect. You will notice that if you are on the long end of you lens this DoF effect is exaggerated and can become very short (great for some portraits).

Also I have taken pictures of a waterfall and fountains and same the same trick, except using the shutter speed. This way you see what that can do to stop of smooth out an image. Oh and don’t forget to try this with your exposure metering. It really is very interesting. I’d try pointing at something difficult like shooting up through trees. Dark trees and bright sky stuff. Then adjust your exposure from spot to full and see those differences too.

I don't know if it is an approved way of doing this, but it’s a very quick way to get comparisons shot.

Loz, thanks for the compliment, but I'd still tip my hat off to Scuff first

You're welcome, and you are correct....I forgot about Scuff (It must be a denial thing! lol!) You post more than he does haha!

I thought he went off in a huff anyway, never to be seen again? Something about Panasonic compacts :confused:

Steve

Did I miss something? lol

Did I miss something? lol

I think he got fed up of people telling him the Panasonic Z?? was as good as a proper DSLR. He realised that he could have saved tens of thousands of pounds by buying one instead of all his Pro gear. The shame drove him away:O:(

I think he got fed up of people telling him the Panasonic Z?? was as good as a proper DSLR. He realised that he could have saved tens of thousands of pounds by buying one instead of all his Pro gear. The shame drove him away:O:(

:( Maybe a red chap should have put a sticky on this like Colin did for the "My fabia beat a xxx off the lights" post - the next one to start a "My panasonic z camera did this" thread should get a ban

A real shame. I had a few PM conversations with Graham and his advice was priceless

:( Maybe a red chap should have put a sticky on this like Colin did for the "My fabia beat a xxx off the lights" post - the next one to start a "My panasonic z camera did this" thread should get a ban

A real shame. I had a few PM conversations with Graham and his advice was priceless

Yeah I miss his insight and gorgeous pictures. He never did give me that 400mm lens that he promised (or was that just all in my head?):(

Hey all, not wanting to hijack this thread I thought it might be worth me posting my Flickr sets up here......

genesis4626's photosets on Flickr

I'm heavily involved in Urban Exploring, and as a result have learned how to really use my camera in some utterly appalling conditions. This has only made my photpgraphy stronger, and as a result have had quite a bit published both online and in print. I hope this of some help to someone out there!!

Cheers

Neil:thumbup:

Hey Neil, are you on 28DL ?