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Help me - I am new to photograph really.

SunlitComet
Contributor

I would like to thank you all in advance in helping with this long list of questions. I really don't know a better way of asking for your help. Super appreciated.Smiley Happy

 

So I decided after about a year or so to take the plunge into photography to document work I do on machines. I got myself a canon 7d w/ 28-135 lens and a speedlite 430x2. I am really new to this stuff so there are questions I will have.

 

First, one is these  two shots I took. Why is the dark vertical area on two of my three cats of my cats seem I think noisy is the word or grainy or mattish. Not really sure of the correct wording. Saw the same thing when using a cheap $ 110 Sanyo point and shoot on my suv engine or the interior.

http://www.sunlitcomet.com/images/animals/IMGL8422.JPG

http://www.sunlitcomet.com/images/animals/IMGL8440.JPG

 

Second, I always have the camera do raw and jpeg. Why do some file names start with IMGL, IMG_L,  _mgl and so forth?

 

Third, on this photo I had what appears to be chromatic aberration all over. Corrected it in PS5 but can the camera do that itself?

http://www.sunlitcomet.com/images/aviation/IMG_7768.JPG

 

Forth, I really want the photos to look good so I suspect it would be a good idea to learn about PS5. SHould I just work with the raw files to make final jpeg to do printing and stuff?

 

Fifth, I would like something better then Photobucket to view the Hi-res details in photos is there a sit that is inexpensive that can do a better job or am I better off changing by web site hosting to unlimited storage setup and just build a site page to accommodate it? I don't mind spending a $100 a year for such a thing.

 

Six, I really want a battery grip or wft for the camera for my big hands and features. Is it really worth getting the wft and setup a storage are on my network so I an just beam pics to it when at home or I have a device with me and for some future idea when I have money to burn or just get the battery grip. Wft is pricey but concerned about always having to take it off to the the camera body battery changed. Like wear and tear on the contacts.

 

Seven, I want to do some long range shooting. Some of sports, animals and aviation. If I had say about $2000 to spend what would be my first and second choice for a lens. Would like to stay EF-only as I would like a 5dm3 full framer one day. After word I will likely get some ef-s lenses.

 

Very many thanks again and hope to talk to you all a lot.

16 REPLIES 16

ScottyP
Authority

Cat MadCat MadYour cats don't seem very happy about modeling, but that is another issue, and not the problem. 

 

First question:

 The "vertical" part of the cat's coat is on a different focal plane from what you were focusing on, which was the head, and partucularly the nose it seems.  I do not know what aperture you were using, but I think the cat's body is simply farther away from the camera than the nose is, and it may be a little out of focus.  It looks like the camera may be focusing in front of the cat too.  That could be the lens is front-focusing and you need to do autofocus micro adjustment.  Or it could be if you were letting the camera pick the focus points instead of selecting the center AF, maybe the camera focused on the pattern on the couch instead of just the cat.  Look how the couch cushion in front of the cat is in focus all the way forward into the foreground, while none of it is in focus behind the cat at all.  

As for the digital noise, you always see more noise on a dark area than in a light one.  The dark fur shows the grain worse.Also, a uniformly colored area (like the cat's dark patch) is going to show noise more than a patterned area (like that couch) because the patterns actually hide noise somewhat.   

Scott

Canon 5d mk 4, Canon 6D, EF 70-200mm L f/2.8 IS mk2; EF 16-35 f/2.8 L mk. III; Sigma 35mm f/1.4 "Art" EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro; EF 85mm f/1.8; EF 1.4x extender mk. 3; EF 24-105 f/4 L; EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS; 3x Phottix Mitros+ speedlites

Why do so many people say "FER-tographer"? Do they take "fertographs"?

ScottyP
Authority

Fourth question:

 

Raw.  Yes.

 

Shooting in JPG throws out a lot of the data from the shot, and kind of burns in some of the settings made in camera.  You have SO much more lattitude in working with a RAW file than working on a JPG file if is not even funny.  Not just photo-shoppy tricks, but the real basics such as changing the exposure up or down, or completely changing the white balance. 

 

With white balence, in fact, using RAW it makes no image quality difference in the final result if you didn't even try, and just left it set to AUTO WB, or even if you have the white balance set entirely wrong; you can adjust it freely in Lightroom or PS without messing up the image.  If you try to bend the WB very far on a JPG, however, you quickly end up with a hot mess.

Scott

Canon 5d mk 4, Canon 6D, EF 70-200mm L f/2.8 IS mk2; EF 16-35 f/2.8 L mk. III; Sigma 35mm f/1.4 "Art" EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro; EF 85mm f/1.8; EF 1.4x extender mk. 3; EF 24-105 f/4 L; EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS; 3x Phottix Mitros+ speedlites

Why do so many people say "FER-tographer"? Do they take "fertographs"?

ScottyP
Authority

Third question:  You are right.  That is chromatic aberation.  An airplane tail (or more typically a tree branch) against a bright sky will do that, especially with a less expensive lens.  You also have something black going on in the top right corner.  If I had to guess, maybe your lens hood was not twisted on all the way until it clicked, so the long "petal" was up in that corner instead of at the top and bottom.  I would fix it in batches in Lightroom and not worry about it.  Your other solution would be to buy a higher-end lens that will not produce as much CA.

Scott

Canon 5d mk 4, Canon 6D, EF 70-200mm L f/2.8 IS mk2; EF 16-35 f/2.8 L mk. III; Sigma 35mm f/1.4 "Art" EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro; EF 85mm f/1.8; EF 1.4x extender mk. 3; EF 24-105 f/4 L; EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS; 3x Phottix Mitros+ speedlites

Why do so many people say "FER-tographer"? Do they take "fertographs"?

dark spot was a truck door pillar. sorry.

On the cat + couch shot:  Were you using a single selected AF point, and were you centering it over the cat's eye?  Or were you using the camera's automatic focus, where it picks 2 or 3 or 4 or 7 AF points and focuses itself?  That cat on couch shot shows front-focus, particularly if you used one AF point, and you tried to center it over the cat's eye. 

Scott

Canon 5d mk 4, Canon 6D, EF 70-200mm L f/2.8 IS mk2; EF 16-35 f/2.8 L mk. III; Sigma 35mm f/1.4 "Art" EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro; EF 85mm f/1.8; EF 1.4x extender mk. 3; EF 24-105 f/4 L; EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS; 3x Phottix Mitros+ speedlites

Why do so many people say "FER-tographer"? Do they take "fertographs"?

It was choosing a few of the AF points itself.

Congrats on buying a fantastic camera. Smiley Happy But you bought a 3 star lens. Smiley Indifferent

 

My recommendation is to walk before you run. I do classes on DSLR 101 and I always tell the folks to start with less complicated stuff and work to the more advanced.

Stop using RAW for now. There no doubt RAW is the best but it is usually not for beginners and introduces another step.

 

Plus it is likely never necessary for snap shots.

Stop using the green square. Pretend it doesn't exist. Smiley Sad

Don't do flash yet either.

Make sure you understand the relationship between ISO, aperture and shutter speed and how each effects the picture.

We can help with that if you need it.

 

Go outside and pick a subject, your cat perhaps, and shoot, a lot, and try for great exposures and compositions. Sharpness and light, generally get comfortable with the 7D and it's controls.

 

Read the manual that came with it so you understand how to set it.

 

You will find using the center focus point is usually best. On, cats for instance, you want the focus to be on the eye.

That usually looks best.

 

CA from your lens, there isn't anything you can do about it, except PP. Your sample photos are likely from the green square and multi-focus points.

Thumbs down on the wi-fi and big thumbs up on the battery grip. You will love it.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

Well I will still keep the raw copies to play with later. I like to have them as... well... raw copies of any photo i take that can be altered used in anyway possible later for who knows what.

Tried to mainly stay in creative auto but I will admit I have not adjusted points in them yet. Tinkered very lightly with other modes. Obviously because of other things on my mind I am mind boggled about iso, aperture and shutter speed relationship but am starting to understand it. I just have to set aside a part of my brain power for photography. To crowded in there. Trying to find a park with animals , flowers and kid sports of some sort to practice on. Weather has been holding things up tho.

What is PP lingo mean?

The lens is the only camera kit I could afford at the time last month. What lenses for the future would you recommend I am looking to do close stuff of my suv and aircraft work as well as in flight aircraft among for starters.

What is the turn off of the wft in your opinion except price?

Also just noticed when I saw that bad looking areas in the photos above I was use using preview function og windows photo gallery and when I looked using PS5 it was not as bad and were in fact way better. Any explanation? Guess i will have to stop using it. For now because I am still using Windows vista I am stuck with Adobe CS5 I will have to wait till I build a new computer in a few months with windows 7 before I can use CS6 and lightroom.. My current desktop is too loaded down for an easy upgrade and the laptop is to old too. All in good time.

Wanted to show that this photo, http://www.sunlitcomet.com/images/aviation/IMG_7794.JPG, is maybe the best aviation one I have taken so far short of the aberration issue not being fixed yet. I have no Idea what settings I was using to take it tho. I think it was on auto. Any thoughts?

"What is PP lingo mean?"  = Post Processing and you have Photoshop 5? If so you do not need CS6, PS5 will do fine.

 

"The lens is the only camera kit I could afford at the time last month."  OK, you are going to have to make it work and in reality it is good enough for casual and general shooting. Use what you have!

 

First off and probably most important thing to remember, in photography, there is no free lunch. You give up something to get something. Rarely, if ever, do you get both!

 

"Tried to mainly stay in creative auto ..."   Yes this is best left alone for now. If you haven't set anything the way you need it especially.

 

"What is the turn off of the wft in your opinion except price?"  Small steps, remember, just another step you don't need right now. In fact you really will never 'need' it. The 7D and a USB cable is pretty darn easy and cheap!

 

Windows anything is not the place to judge your photos. Stick with Adobe PS5. Lightroom is great. I highly recommend it and it is a buy.

  

"I have no Idea what settings I was using to take it tho"  This is a problem. How are you going to learn if you don't know what the camera is doing or it's settings are. You need to note these and file them in your brain. As you shoot more and more it wil become second nature but not if you don't know what is going on. Smiley Surprised

 

"I am mind boggled about iso, aperture and shutter speed relationship"    So is everybody else I teach. You are not alone. I hear this all the time. It takes practice and understanding. Is there any specific question?

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!
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