My Paris photo in need of help...

[GitteK]

uh oh......... now the old man starts throwing the math book at us.

Luckily on my Canon baby there is a gizmo for "pets and kids" which makes the camera ready for shooting at things in motion! (But then that will of course NOT make the moving objects blurred......... hmmmmm...... couldn't I just shake it a bit ?)
There are also gizmos for e.g. "fireworks", "aquarium", "beach", "snow" - no math !

[andi]

LOL Gitte, thats where I start to become confused too! I also take the easy option and mostly set our Cannon to auto and shoot.
We did however get some good tips for taking close up tattoo pix for my portfolio........
1) Take the picture outside in natural light if possible
2) Always use the flash outside, this takes away any blur
3) If indoors and flash is needed, put tape or clothe over the flash to deaden it from too much glare.
4) Another way to take a close up is to stand further away, use the zoom and flash.

[sistereurope]

I do appreciate everyone's critique of my photo and the usefull photo tips! I can't wait to take pictures now...I just hope that I don't choke from the peer pressure cause y'all sure do take some nice pretty "pitchers" ;D

Andi, I just learned about the covering the flash trick...we used a tissue and it really had a nice effect.

[rssilverandlight]

Gitte -

What's with "now the old man starts throwing the math book at us ?

Now I know I should not have given out my age !
I am too young to have 8 grandchildren ! BTW my 2 week
old granddaughter Lucy is doing well.

And what math ? 1. slow down the shutter speed
2. get steady somehow and 3. push the button
Where's the math ?

[GitteK]

randy - there are NUMBERS in it......... that IS math.......

>>>1/8 at f/22 is the same correct exposure as 1/125 at 5.6.<<<

Hey, girls, back me up here: does THAT look like math or not ??!

[Becky (Berkeleytravelers)]

I agree with Gitte on this one! Numbers = math!

[sistereurope]

You lost me at 1/8 at f/22

(Oh, and I used to be an Economist ;D)

[Becky (Berkeleytravelers)]

Sis - that may confirm things we always suspected about economic pronouncements!

[geordy]

I don't believe I'm getting in on this thread(Ms. never owned a camera) but when I first started as an Investigator. we had to take surveillance photos with a Canon or Olympus 35 Mil.(?) I usually let my partner handle that part, I..."with the degrees" as the cops would say would be the note taker/report writer...but I remember the F stops and other numbers from the courses we had to take. When they came out with "point and shoot" I almost..mind you almost..wanted a camera!

But I adore looking at great photos! Just like I like eating macarons and truffles but this small kitchen can't handle making them!

[sistereurope]

Becky, believe it or not, the only math course you HAVE to take to earn a BS in Economics is statistics...I never took anything beyond that and the basic college math and algebra (no calculus or anything)... Kinda proving your point... ;D

But getting back to the math of photography...do digital cameras even HAVE things like f-stops?!?!? I only know those stupid little diagrams on the top, like the sun...

[Becky (Berkeleytravelers)]

Sis - I think that depends on whether it's a digital SLR, or the "point and shoot" variety. Randy will know more, of course, so you may need for him to see this and respond.

[rssilverandlight]

Gitte, Becky and Sis -

It's not fair to get together and gang up on the old man !

Sometimes,in a photograph you want to take, there are moving
things like cars and people that you don't want to detract
from your photograph. If you don't want to wait for 45 minutes
or tilt your camera up or zoom in, you want to take the photograph
with a slow shutter speed (any math here, NO !) :)This will blur
those things moving (any math here, NO) Just make sure you
don't move the camera, like after 3-4 glasses of Bordeaux ! ;D

I would be willing to bet that if the ringleader of the group looked
in her manual, she would find this problem/solution.

Do know that apologies will be gratefully accepted

[Shoesy]

Randy - Don't take it so hard. Little Gitte thinks that anyone over the age of 50 is "old". I remember occasions where she referred to me as an "old lady", so you're in good company. ;D

[rssilverandlight]

Becky and Sis -

Digital cameras have f/stops. The difference between models
is that some can be changed and some can't. (I won't go into
that because some people may get on my case about math)

The amount of light that enters the camera is 1 thing that
determines the exposure of the photograph.

Number 2 is the speed that the light is dealt with (used to
be called "shutter speed" in film camera, now done electronically.

Number 3 used to be called ASA, the sensitivity of the film
100-200-400 etc (don't call this math)
Now it is called ISO and it is determined by what you set on
your camera.

My digital cameras are SLR (single lens reflex) meaning that
I have a view finder that sees what the camera sees. I can
control the f/stop from 4-22. I can control the shutter speed
from 30 seconds to a 4000th of a second.

Non- SLR cameras have monitors and some also have viewfinders.

Instead of f/stops and shutter speeds there are symbols -
(flower, mountains, 1 person, 3 persons, person running, etc).

They are not as specific and accurate as more expensive
digital SLR's but you don't need to know or understand as
much, you just go take pictures.

When I photograph a wedding, do a family reunion, a
portrait, a special corporate event or photograph for my book
in France, there are many elements involved. The camera equipment I use makes it possible for me to successfully meet
the challenges.

For now, given the types of photographs you want to take,
a smaller camera will meet your needs. You have discovered
the grid so now your photographs don't lean. You have
seen that you can crop out things you don't like.

The more you photograph you will begin to see the pluses
and minuses of the equipment you are using and hard as
it seems, you will be amazed at all the things in your camera
manual you have left to read.

I may or may not buy the new Nikon D300 body. The ticket is
$ 1800 USD. Again, that's only the body !

[Becky (Berkeleytravelers)]

See, I knew Randy would know! I have a digital SLR (Nikon D70) but have never applied myself enough to learn about things like that (it has the symbols as well, and I generally just go with those).

[Shoesy]

You're right, Randy. That's not math. All that lingo sounds more like rocket science.

[sistereurope]

Randy,

You have been so kind in assisting us, and here we are, giving you a hard time! NO offense intended...but it DID look rather confusing to see all of that f-stop shutter speed lingo in print!!

And since I have the basic vanilla digital model and not the SLR, I was even more confused. Of course, if I read the manual it might help

Shoesy, my hubby IS a rocket scientist...I think you may be right there! Because when he tries to explain this kind of stuff to me my eyes glaze over in just the same way. ;D

[andi]

Cannon....why did I write Cannon? For the last 2 years we have had an Olympus SP500-UZ!!!! Talk about "old age" I think it is me who is suffering the most! Randy, whatever age you are, at least you talk sense! Could you please tell me whether you think this is a good camera or not in your opinion ;D

[rssilverandlight]

Andi -

I don't know specific models but my impression is that the top
manufacturers are Canon, Nikon, Olympus and Sony.

People should purchase cameras based on the photographs they
plan to take. Considerations are size, the zoom capabilities,
special features they will use. Always try to get as much OPTICAL
zoom as possible; it give you better photographs and, of course,
price. If you are going to take a lot of flash photographs, find
out how far the built in flash will work.

A good source of comparisons is bhphotovideo.com
You can check out on the wew the specs and details on all the
cameras they sell.

[trechic]

I just saw what you did to this photo, Gitte! Nice job!!