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OK, Newbie finnally plucks up some courage.

PostPosted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 1:09 pm
by thorwood
I have already said I feel woefully indadequate posting some pics on here, but hey, I guess I won't get sent to jail for
posting bad pics, probably just laughed at & I can live with that. These were all taken on my D70 & on fully Auto. I have already been convinced in my short
time here to switch my camera to manual & have a go, so I plan to do that.

These two were a couple of the first pics I took with the D70, out of the window of a plane. This is the Buccaneer Archipelago in the far north Kimberlies/WA.
One of the most beautiful places you could ever hope to visit. I was sitting in a small plane, so no chance to move around to get different angles etc

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This one is nothing out of the ordinary, but I posted it because I took it early one Sunday morning sitting on my front verandah having a cuppa.
I love where I live.

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This one is what I prefer to take photos of, my horses.
This is Amelia, who was terrified of the brightly marked calf & took quite some time to pluck up the courage & get this close.

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Re: OK, Newbie finnally plucks up some courage.

PostPosted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 1:21 pm
by Oneputt
Nothing to worry about there. A very ecletic selection :D

Re: OK, Newbie finnally plucks up some courage.

PostPosted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 1:49 pm
by Glen
Amanda the last is my favourite here and a great choice for an avatar. I would probably crop some of the logs to focus more on the 2 heads.

Re: OK, Newbie finnally plucks up some courage.

PostPosted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 4:24 pm
by latch
I love the light reflecting off the water in the first photo, and the sense of action in the last photo. Well done!

Re: OK, Newbie finnally plucks up some courage.

PostPosted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 5:20 pm
by Matt. K
Nice work! The first image is intriguing and abstract. One thing that may improve your pics...your images look a little flat and lacking in 'zing'. This is a well known trait of the D70 because it exposes too conservatively. If you add +0.3 exposure compensation (buton near the shutter button) then you might see a slight improvement in your images.

Re: OK, Newbie finnally plucks up some courage.

PostPosted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 5:26 pm
by StarForge
Great selection of photos, I especially like the first and last ones. Its funny how the cow almost looks like its been caught doing something it shouldn't (like talking to that horse) :D

I've still not posted any of my photos for critique :lol: I guess I hope people will visit my photostream and let me know there or via PM.

Re: OK, Newbie finnally plucks up some courage.

PostPosted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 5:59 pm
by Marvin
These look great - I love the first and the last. As Matt has said, you can add some pop to them by adjusting in camera or you could use editing software. Do you have photoshop or anything like that?

Re: OK, Newbie finnally plucks up some courage.

PostPosted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 6:50 pm
by sirhc55
All fine but the one I keep going back to is the verandah shot. I have always admired the Japanese layer of colours system and it is so apparent in this shot - well done :up:

Re: OK, Newbie finnally plucks up some courage.

PostPosted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 12:56 pm
by stubbsy
This is a nicely composed group of images and show you have a good eye for the shot. I'm with Chris and really think the Balloon image is the pick here.

Please don't "switch my camera to manual " - you're wasting the smarts Nikon built into it. Try using Aperture Priority (A) or Shutter Priority (S) mode where you control aperture or shutter speed respectively and the camera uses it's smarts to control the other. For example use aperture priority to control your depth of field and let the camera choose the right shutter speed for your lighting conditions. That's a much easier path from full auto mode than diving in at the deep end with full manual (something I NEVER use nor feel a need for).

Re: OK, Newbie finnally plucks up some courage.

PostPosted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 7:04 pm
by Killakoala
I love aerial images. You reminded me the reason I need to take a camera next time I fly. The fingers of the rivers look amazing.

Re: OK, Newbie finnally plucks up some courage.

PostPosted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 8:18 pm
by surenj
I agree with Stubbsy on the balloon image. As long as you have a vision for each photo and try and achieve it, it doesn't matter whether you use auto or manual.
I love the concept in the last which can be developed if you have a chance to re-shoot...

Re: OK, Newbie finnally plucks up some courage.

PostPosted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 7:49 pm
by thorwood
Thanks everyone for the constructive comments, I am really enjoying this forum.
I do use Corel PhotoPaint for editing photos, but have to admit, I rarely do anything other than crop.
They look sort of fake to me if I change the colours too much or make them brighter etc.
I usually end up changing them back to the original.
Actually, the first three did look like that in real life. The view out of the plane was very hazy & the balloon one was early in the morning,
& still not properly light with a bit of fog.

Yeah, I guess it is true, lol, have paid lots of money to Mr Nikon for all the fancy technology, might as well use it.
I guess alot of people feel that it is a cop out to use auto settings. But then so many, if not most photos are altered by computer editing anyway,
so perhaps in the long run the finished result is more important than the journey to it. Each to their own I guess.

Thanks again for the input, a few things for me to try.
Amanda PS Starforge, I am going to go & look at your photos.