Going backwards to go forwards.

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stratocaster72

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Hi

Well, about 2 months now with my Canon, and im enjoying it loads.
However, i've noticed that strange phenomenom again.

When i first got my dslr, i put it in auto, used the on camera flash, did lots of shots in the house with my girlfriend and got some really nice pictures (and some good sexy poses and portraits too). I then ran outside and took pix of buildings and those looked pretty decent.

Next i thought to myself i better figure out what im actually doing as i wanted to get into full manual so i knew how the camera actually worked.
So.... lots of reading and searching, visits to the libraby, books bought online, lots of new gear ordered, the works.
This was great, i got the basics sorted fairly quickly, figured out the technical side and set about taking more pictures.

Then it went weird, i got a few rubbish pix (to be expected) while i was figuring it all out, soon though i was getting better results than the auto modes were and i was trying some advanced techniques and things. This was good.... i thought, so i got brave and did more model shoots.
These were toally mixed, from the odd good one to lots of not so good ones.
I found out that my composition needs a lot of work as do my ideas for posing and framing.
In order to apply the techniques i was learning about focal length, correct apertures, lighting etc i found that it was getting more difficult to get the angles and things for the shots i wanted.... i was either too close, too far away, not filling the frame, cutting people off at joints and all sorts of things. I was however using the rule of thirds and all that, but it was just hit and miss trying to get "the shot".

Then today, i did another shoot, one light with an umbrella and a reflector (which was too far away to be honest, but didnt have a handy stand or helper). Suddenly i saw things take shape, the lighting was great in some of the pix, i had framed them better, there was more sense to the pictures.

I know its only been two months, but it was a relief to actualy see some progress after thinking i had gone backwards from the point and shoot auto shots i did at first. Strangely those auto shots where i had no idea about anything were good, sort of breaking rules i didnt know existed. I look at them now and can see why some of them worked, and i can replicate that.

Well, i expect it to continue like this for the next 30 years, learn and move forward, then find im lost and its all rubbish, before actually getting the little light bulb moment where it falls together...... but its really enjoyable so far.

Is this the normal experience for you guys? I imagine its pretty similar, but it is kind of disappointing when you hit those fail moments, good to see that it can be overcome with enough persistence though :)

I have a hell of a long way to go..... and im still making basic errors here and there, but thankfully i sort of see why they are errors, which means i can work on them.
 
I don't as a photographer you ever quite get their, it's just learn, try and adjust... Learn, try and adjust

Keep on at it sound like your making good progress
 
Took me a couple of years to get out of auto mode.. ddint see the point.. the camera was tkaing good pictures ...silly me.. then it took me ages to learn.. especialy aperture.. you seem to be learning a lot quicker than I did..

But.. I am still learning all the time :) Would be a brave photogrpaher to state they had learnt photography...
 
The one thing i've learned over the last 10 months or so, is that you never stop learning
 
If you managed to create incredible photographs consistently, it wouldn't make you a good photographer it would just make your luck seem more apparent than others.

I've done shoots before and taken 300+ photos, and then only used around 15-20 of them to actually publish. I can honestly say though that I've never used the sport preset on my 500D, it's either P, Av, Tv, M or Video mode.

Very good thread though, it's nice to hear someones story behind the images they've taken.
 
I had a small studio setup at work which had some tape marks in strategic positions and I could repeat my lighting time after time which made for quick and consistent shooting, but some ideas I've had about lighting I've had to shoot several times until I get it right. As you try different things or push more it'll take a little trial and error sometimes to get what you expect.
 
You never stop learning - ever.

Some people learn better from books, others online, others by having the camera in their hands and learning from making mistakes and of course from doing it right.

Don't stop enjoying it though. It can get frustrating at times, as your learning curve increases but being a photographer is a hugely rewarding job. :)
 
thanks all :)
next thing to get my head round is photoshop..... I know the basics again, but there are times I wish I could do more (getting rid of shadows is my current pest... I'm using clone and exposure settings and stuff but gaps in hair where the original shadow still shows are annoying me).
 
Have you got cs5? Try marking the area and shift f5 (content aware fill).
For learning, the photoshop for photographers book by Martin evening is great
Is this shadows from flashguns? Have a look at the Gary Fong lightspheres which are brilliant for killing harsh shadows.
 
Last edited:
artyman said:
I've been taking photographs for over fifty years, and do you know what.... I can still take some rubbish shots from time to time :D
Click to expand...

:agree: , although not 50+ years :D

As others have said, still learning and still enjoying ...:thumbs:
 
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