Got a new tripod... found out I suck.

[Damon]

OK OK, maybe that's a little rough ( :liar: ), but almost all of my car pictures didn't turn out well at all. I was shooting mostly in aperture priority mode, and I think I was too far away from my car for the camera to focus on it. I guess the pretty colors in the background more more interesting :D .
Full size inmages and exif information: http://www.pbase.com/reiser/new_tripod

Anyway, here they are.
http://i.pbase.com/v3/82/363082/2/49809171.TripodIMG_0170.jpg

http://i.pbase.com/v3/82/363082/2/49809172.TripodIMG_0173.jpg

http://i.pbase.com/v3/82/363082/2/49809174.TripodIMG_0177.jpg

http://i.pbase.com/v3/82/363082/2/49809176.TripodIMG_0183.jpg

http://i.pbase.com/v3/82/363082/2/49809178.TripodIMG_0192.jpg

http://i.pbase.com/v3/82/363082/2/49809179.TripodIMG_0194.jpg

Easily my favorite:
http://i.pbase.com/v3/82/363082/2/49809181.TripodIMG_0204.jpg

Should have opened up a smidge more:
http://i.pbase.com/v3/82/363082/2/49824038.IMG_0213.jpg

I needed a longer shutter on this one...
http://i.pbase.com/v3/82/363082/2/49824041.IMG_0216.jpg

[wikedgolf]

not bad... we all have to learn some how.. keep up the great work.. love the past pic!

[mike]

yeah, trial and error.........................just keep practicing

[bugzy]

practice and a lot of flash memory will make you good ;)

[Damon]

Thanks for the kind words. I got 512MB of high speed CF to hold my uninteresting pictures. I got one more week/weekend to practice before the honeymoon in Hawaii.

[bugzy]

its re-writeable memory ;) just re-write on it hahaha

well ... just takes lots and lots and lots of random pictures, and you'll start learning

[Slapshotnerd]

there's lots of information on the internet about how to make your composition "more interesting".

look into things like color coordination, rule of 1/3's, etc...

[ronsega]

If you have any kind of "Image Stabalization" mechanism, best to turn it off. At least with Canon IS Lenses it is. Not sure on other similar technology for other cameras/lenses.

[Damon]

If you have any kind of "Image Stabalization" mechanism, best to turn it off. At least with Canon IS Lenses it is. Not sure on other similar technology for other cameras/lenses.
Really? I have a Canon PowerShot S1 IS... and you guessed it: the IS stands for image sabalizer! :o
Is this one of the factors in my not-so-sharp pictures? Clearly I don't need it while shooting from a tripod (unless it's during an earthquake) , so I can definitely disable it.
I just read alot of tutorials and articles on composition, Slapshot. Thanks for the tips. :tup:

[Tom]

Just from a quick glance at your shots.....

Be careful of things behind your car that break up the outline, like the pillar growing out of your roof in the first shot.

Shooting a dark car against a white background can be extremely difficult. Also, try to avoid shooting at high noon. Shoot earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon when the light is not so harsh and bright.

Try to adjust your aperture to a lower f-stop so the car is in focus but the background is out of focus, this will help visually seperate the car from the background.

Are you running unsharp mask on the photos? That can help some sharpness problems that are inherent to the digital sensor and not the fault of the photographer.

Keep taking pics, you'll only get better with practice.

[Slapshotnerd]

i see more problems with some basic composition than sharpness due to not using USM...

i would suggest flipping through a few magazines (ones that were shot with natural light, not studio or strobe or night shots), and trying to figure out what makes each picture interesting. Notice the backdrops, the color schemes, try and figure out where the sun was for the shot, how high the camera was off the ground, how the car was framed in the viewfinder, how the wheels were turned, what way the car was facing, etc. you'll start to notice a lot of similarities. Carry that over to your own personal photography.

An afternoon at borders would be priceless for you. Pick up a magazine, flip through and find the features, then study them.

[ronsega]

Really? I have a Canon PowerShot S1 IS... and you guessed it: the IS stands for image sabalizer! :o
Is this one of the factors in my not-so-sharp pictures? Clearly I don't need it while shooting from a tripod (unless it's during an earthquake) , so I can definitely disable it.
I just read alot of tutorials and articles on composition, Slapshot. Thanks for the tips. :tup:

It maybe a factor for blurry shots. The guys over at fredmiranda.com recommend to turn off IS if you use a tripod. Since the camera is already stable it throws off the IS mechanism. Not sure if it applies to the PowerShot though.

[Slapshotnerd]

again, i don't see sharpness or blurriness issues in the photos. I see lighting and composition problems

and turning IS off on a 1,000 lens is very different from not knowing how to use your $300 point-and-shoot camera...

[mitssn]

again, i don't see sharpness or blurriness issues in the photos. I see lighting and composition problems

and turning IS off on a 1,000 lens is very different from not knowing how to use your $300 point-and-shoot camera...

Agreed

[Spyders03]

Anyone with a Canon SLR should look at this website http://www.photoworkshop.com/canon/index.html, I do not know the extent of the powershot (ie. f/ stops, white balance, etc. etc.) but definatly alot of good info on taking pictures in general. Gives examples of good and bad shots for almost everything. Just go to the Rebel XT Lessons on the right side. The rest of the site is nice, but it's a good place to start.

[Damon]

I took the liberty of poking fun at myself... life's too short to be taken seriously.

http://album0.snapandshare.com/14050/18248/386934o.jpg

Thanks again for all of the tips. I'll try to take some pictures this week and work on my composition. :tup: