Beginner Dartmoor

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Jason27

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Jason
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I took the dog and camera to dartmoor this morning, sadly it was raining so didn't get the camera out much when we was walking, but managed to get a few when we was back at the car

Here's a few from this morning

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Most of the things I was trying to take a pictures of were out of focus, with it focusing on a different part in the pictures if that makes sense. I was using it on auto, but will start playing with the settings a bit more today :) It was nice getting out though.
 
Grimspound. Know it well. For Dartmoor you need the right conditions, and you didn't have them. You can get good images in poor weather but it has to be the right sort of poor weather. In conditions like you had you'd be better looking at details rather than the grand view. Try Hameldon Cross in black and white to focus on texture, not colour which will just look drab. WRT focusing, on full auto every focus point will be live and the camera will focus where it likes, usually the nearest thing under a focus point. Get off auto, use single point focus and focus-recompose. Also learn about hyperfocal distance. FWIW Dartmoor isn't the easiest place to photograph well. Even having known it most of my life I can still struggle. Some images in my Flickr Dartmoor album - you may recognise some. There are a few sow's ears there because some are record shots I need to revisit, but living a 1 1/2 hr drive away.............. And I take photos when I'm out walking, not the other way round.
 
I love the moor in bad weather - it means we usually have it almost to ourselves! Can live without fog but a drop of rain is just fine by me. Not ideal for photography but I've got so many Mk 1 eyeball memories of it (and scars...) not to need to try to catch it "on film".

If you find your shutter speed is to slow to comfortably hand hold (especially in the car), use a rolled up (dry!) waterproof or something else relatively soft to rest the lens on on a partially wound up window (or, if outside the car, a suitably high rock - plenty around usually!) Or get hold of a walking pole monopod.

Like Jan, I take photos (well, usually snaps!) when walking - keeps the peace with Mrs Nod.
 
Jannyfox said:
Grimspound. Know it well. For Dartmoor you need the right conditions, and you didn't have them. You can get good images in poor weather but it has to be the right sort of poor weather. In conditions like you had you'd be better looking at details rather than the grand view. Try Hameldon Cross in black and white to focus on texture, not colour which will just look drab. WRT focusing, on full auto every focus point will be live and the camera will focus where it likes, usually the nearest thing under a focus point. Get off auto, use single point focus and focus-recompose. Also learn about hyperfocal distance. FWIW Dartmoor isn't the easiest place to photograph well. Even having known it most of my life I can still struggle. Some images in my Flickr Dartmoor album - you may recognise some. There are a few sow's ears there because some are record shots I need to revisit, but living a 1 1/2 hr drive away.............. And I take photos when I'm out walking, not the other way round.
Click to expand...

Pleased to find out it is not just me that finds Dartmoor difficult to photograph. In the conditions the OP experienced I probably would have given up photography for the day. In better conditions it is beautiful.
 
I think these needed a lot more thought of what you wanted to show and then even more compositional thought of how to achieve it. I think you could do worse than look at Neil Burnell's website for inspiration, I've noticed he's posted some super moody Dartmoor images lately (I think it was Dartmoor anyway). Obviously best to find your own style but his 'Bleak' gallery shows what can be done in that area.
 
Great to be out and about.
With a bit of thought to composition the last shot of the tree could have plenty of potential.
Keep trying, you'll get there.
 
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