Seeking Camera Tutor/Orange County, CA

[Geez]

Hello. I am looking for a patient tutor. I have been "trying to learn" my camera & photography for years. I have had 3 nice tutors in the past but only took a couple of hours from them because I think it is hard for people to understand that some people just don't get it and need repetition. I don't know why I don't understand the triangle of lighting as well as I need to and I do not understand my equipment. So that is what I am looking for. If anyone is available in my area and is interested in explaining how to use my equipment and how to use the equipment to get the lighting I need, please let me know. Thank you.

[March411]

Geez, welcome to the site.

If you don't mind me asking can you give us a brief idea of the equipment you are looking to learn.

Also, there are many good videos on YouTube that can assist you and can be watched several times to get the repetition you desire.

[Geez]

I have a Rebel t7i and a Mark IV plus 3 lenses. I go big and go no where...  Yes, I do watch yt all the time but the photography videos are so boring and tedious yet I know I need the boring and tedious. I've watched many actually. I have one in my queue now and am dreading trying to understand it. I have a brick on my forehead. Thanks for the support.

[ctitanic]

Hi Geez, 

My guess is that you want to shoot in Manual Mode, which is the only mode where you can control "the triangle of lighthing" aka Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO. To make you feel better, I also do not understand that schema with a triangle using these 3 parameters. But, I can shoot in Manual mode without any problems at all. Here is some steps to follow:

1- You  need to switch the Mode control to M or manual.

2- From the Owner Manual, find which wheels in your camera control Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO while in Manual mode.

3- You need to start with Aperture Av or Shutter Speed Tv. Aperture controls the amount of light entering to your camera. Indoor you will need the lower number that you can get using the Av wheel. If you are outside you can play with this number but for know just leave it in the lower number. Once you have the aperture set, you can now change the Shutter speed or Tv. The shutter speed allow you to freeze motion. If your subject is static you can use a lower number if the the subject is moving you need to increase the number in the range from 250 to whatever high value is enough to get a sharp image. To start pick for the shutter speed the number of mm in your lens to avoid a blurry photo due to camera shake. If you are using a wide angle lens such as 16, 35 or 50, pick 100 as the value in your Tv setting.

4- Now lets play with your ISO. The lower is the number, starting from 100 usually, the less noisy is your photo. But also, the darker will be your photo depending on your Av and Tv setting and the lighting conditions of the place where you are shooting.100 is good for outdoor with a sunny day, if you are indoor you will need to increase the number to anything in the range of 800-6400 or even more . Because you are using a DSLR where what you see in your viewfinder or back screen is not what the camera sensor will process or "see", you will need at this point to take a picture and check how it looks, if the picture is too dark, do not touch your Av or Tv settings, just increase the ISO, lets say to 400. Take another picture. And keep doing the same process until you get a nice exposed picture. With time and practice you will know from the beginning what ISO to pick depending on your Av, Tv and the lightning condition of the place where you are shutting.

The above is the simplest explanation of how to shoot in manual mode. It will take you some practice to do all that in the shorter time possible but this method will help you to understand how changing any of those parameters (Av, Tv and ISO) will impact each other.

[Geez]

You are very kind to reply with such a comprehensive answer.  I will read this response until I completely understood. Thank you. 

[p4pictures]

I do offer online 1-2-1 training sessions, and have provided training for photographers in the USA in the past. I am in the UK so the only challenge might be if you want late in evening sessions as that is when I'm usually asleep.

Send me a private message to find out more.

[stevet1]

Geez,

I think the easiest way to learn is to put your camera in P or Program mode and use Auto ISO.

Go outside on a nice bright sunshiny day and take a notebook with you.

Press your shutter down halfway and look through the viewfinder..This starts your metering exposure. A little graph will pop up on the bottom of your screen with a small triangle with the tip pointed up and should be centered halfway and reading 0. This is a "proper" exposure. Jot down in your notebook what the shutter speed, the aperture, and the ISO show. Also jot down what your shooting conditions were: the time of day, whether the sun was out or not, and what your camera was pointed at (was it a dark object, or a light object), etc.

Take 5 or 6 shots, writing down what he conditions were for each shot and what settings the camera chose.

Now turn your dial to Manual Mode and dial in those exact same settings. Do you know how to change each of those three settings? Take another 5 or 6 shots. You'll probably find the the pictures look exactly the same.

Now take a cloudy day and repeat that same exercise. Then go somewhere in a shady place and do it again. Then go inside and do it again.

After a while, you will begin to get a feel for what your settings should be for a given situation.

For a brightly lit situation, you're going to need a faster shutter speed, or a smaller aperture, or a lower ISO.

For a dimly-lit situation. you're going to need a slower shutter speed, or a wider aperture, or a higher ISO.

Steve Thomas

[Geez]

Thank you kindly. I really appreciate your knowledge and support.