Guide to taking photos, Learning and expert's opinion's Options

[Rusty]

Carry on from this thread GUIDE: How to get your car to calendar


This isn't a smarta$$ thread to people to laugh at, its to help people improve their skills.

taking photo's
Guide to taking photo's
Guide to taking photo's
those sites do explain alot and are worth a good read.

I'm no professional or anything, so this what camera I'm using a Kodak C743 (7.1 mega pixel, 3X optical zoom)

>>(apart from getting a "better" camera what else can help?)

OK when I took these photo's at was about 11am (which apperently you shouldn't do between 10am and 4pm)

so I chose a simple place, tidyed it up abit (You dont want a distracting background that takes the focus any from your celica.)


and now add a clean(ish) Celica, washed yesterday




doing a bit of photoshoping I tidyed up the lawn (not perfect, but does look nicer)



Changing the exposure compensater (or lighting*?)




this is apperntly another no no having the sun in front of your celica, too much glare and shadows.

will put more up

[97lestyousay]

You start getting into arguements on what is acceptable. Personally if the shot above had was sharpened
a little bit and the sky wasn't totally blown out, I would really like it.
I shoot different if the background is very scenic compared to just so so.
If the backgound is boring I will try to blur to the point the car starts losing
too much sharpness then stop.

Some people find scenic stuff in the background a distraction. If I am in
hells canyon, by a big Mtn. or in front of the ocean I am not likely to try
and blur them.

Straight on front rear or side you can cut depth more than an angled shot.
When I am shooting an angled shot I usually put my af (auto Focus) point mid
point between front and rear of visable area on the car.
Other things influence depth as well like distance to subject and magnification.
Here is an online depth of field calculator.
A subject at 10 feet with a 400mm lens has an extremely small depth of field,
compared to the same subject and distance with a 16mm at the same aperature.(f stop)
Play with the numbers and you will seewhat I mean.

Depth of Field Calculator

The 2 shots below are at f9. and f2.8 aside from the shutter speed change to keep exposure level
close to the same they are very similar including the auto focus point which is the low beam rubber bottom.



f9.
f2.8


Full Crop
Even at a distance of 3 ft between the auto focus point and the dragon with a small
magnification the 2.8 is much softer than the f9.

F9.
F2.8

This post has been edited by 97lestyousay: Oct 18, 2009 - 2:02 AM