New Cam - New Pics
 

Just testing some pics out from my new Cam, Wondered what people thought? I'm a Novice.

Camera is a Samsung Digimax S700 7.2 MP

:dmonk:

Re: New Cam - New Pics
 

Damn I think 1 of them was done on my Cam Phone

Re: New Cam - New Pics
 

Perhaps you could post them in the photo competition thread?

Re: New Cam - New Pics
 

Russ i posted 2 in there, im only allowed to post 2 :)

Re: New Cam - New Pics
 

I like the rose, nice colour. A couple of points, watch out for spurious things around the object you're trying to capture (there's a chain hanging down behind the rose). That camera has a manual function, use it to set the f-stop wide open to reduce the depth of field and throw the background out of focus so the eye doesn't wander around the image.

Re: New Cam - New Pics
 

I will try that Delta. I'm off to practice it lol.

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the F is 2.8 and will only goto 7.1 is this correct?

Re: New Cam - New Pics
 

Yes, that's the widest aparture the camera can achieve. The lower the f number the more light can get through to the sensor and the smaller the depth of field is. Try an experiment, pick an object about 5 meters away with other well defined stuff in front and behind it. Take an image at all available f stops and see if you can see the depth of field changing.

I've had a play with your image in Elements 5 to simulate what I was talking about.

You started me off with that YouTube video of yours, I've now opened an account and uploaded my Red Arrows vid. :D http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtwOjMQUqO8

Re: New Cam - New Pics
 

Top vid Delta, I added you on youtube. *Kassponia*

LOL@ me getting you in to youtube.

Red arrows always fly past here when woodford air show is on. Top Pilots.

---------- Post added at 20:39 ---------- Previous post was at 20:38 ----------

PS I commented and rated it, *Hint* lol

Re: New Cam - New Pics
 

The rose is absolutely beautiful :tu:

Re: New Cam - New Pics
 

That was subtle. :D Reciprocated.

Re: New Cam - New Pics
 

:D Cheers, I am going to take another picture in a minute but took some last night and it didnt come out like you said Delta. The background seems clear and the image i am shooting seems blurred lol. Hmm.

Re: New Cam - New Pics
 

Not sure if this is what you meant?

I tool the F to 7.1, It goes higher if I zoom in. I also selected the Macro setting, and had flash on.

Re: New Cam - New Pics
 

Good work. :)

First two look fine, the last one (yellow flower) has lost focus to the plant on the left. Use the focus lock to select the main object you want and then recompose the scene for artistic balance (see page 21 of your manual for Focus Lock). Your camera doesn't appear to have manual focus which is a shame, it can be useful to focus manually when the light is too low for the auto focus to work correctly.

Re: New Cam - New Pics
 

Ive had some fun outdoors with it too, managed to get some good shots for my blog.

Re: New Cam - New Pics
 

I loved the last shot of the wet marigolds. I hope you don't mind but I've used it as my desktop picture. Will take it off if you object.

Re: New Cam - New Pics
 

I dont object Jo.

:)

---------- Post added at 16:30 ---------- Previous post was at 16:29 ----------

Poor 98, hehe. Ahh the memories

Re: New Cam - New Pics
 

Excellent work, you've picked that technique up very quickly.

Have a try at cropping the images to see if you can improve the image, I've had a play with them and my take is below. You of course should crop them to suit your taste, there is no right or wrong, only what you like.

Re: New Cam - New Pics
 

They look good Delta. I have been in a very artistic mood recently for some reason. I think it's the change in climate lol.

I am glad I know how to do this now, it will make taking pictures more fun, its amazing what you see just in your garden. I guess you have to have a good eye to be able to capture things you think are nice. Being an artist makes it easier I guess.

Re: New Cam - New Pics
 

You have a good eye, must be all the drawing you've done. :)

Re: New Cam - New Pics
 

Now all i need to do is find a good woman to put my eye on lol, Fat chance. Back to the flowers and rain. :D

Re: New Cam - New Pics
 

Just a quick hint on f Stops and depth of field....

Your first shot was at a wide aperture (i.e the shutter was open wide, like holding your eyes open), this is a low f/stop (f/2.8). From the looks of it, it was a shot that was not zoomed in, so most of the shot is almost or completely in focus.

Using a higher f/stop number reduces the size of the shutter's aperture (like squinting with your eyes) which lets less light in. That means you might need a longer exposure to get a 'correct' exposure, but it also has the effect of increasing the depth of field, which means the foreground and background will be more in focus.

However, using the zoom lens does change things a little; when you zoom in on a subject you are also reducing the depth of field....think of the sports pages of a newspaper, look at a photo of action in a football match, you'll see that the subject is clear and in focus and the whole of the background is completely blurred...that's becuase of a few things:

1. Wide aperture, you need to shoot fast in a football match, so the photographer will use a wide aperture (low number) to get a faster shutter speed. This reduces depth of field.

2. Huge focal length, these guys could be using 400mm lenses, perhaps more - thsi reduces depth of field too.

3. Distance between subject and background, focussing on the main item in your frame (in this case a footballer) will start to throw the background out of focus, especially when combined with the two previous factors. But the further away the subject is from the background, the more the background will be out of focus.

If you wanted a shot where the footballer and the grass and the stadium were all in focus, you would have to use a narrow aperture (high f/stop number), which will mean more of the frame, including the background will be sharp.

Sounds to me as if you've discovered what I wrote about avove there, but unfortunately your camera is focussing on something in the background of the shot, which means the foreground will be out of focus. If you do the same shot again, put your focussing point on the thing you want in focus, and the background should be more blurred, which is a very attractive thing for things like flower shots.

Hope this helps