Beginner Newbie... new blog created, pictures uploaded, advice appreciated!

T

Tim F

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Tim
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Hi all,

I'm two weeks into photography having only taken a few basic shots with a camera phone. Picked up an LX100 and thought I'd start learning from scratch. Could you give me some tips and pointers based on my photos so far? I've taken quite a few shots on my blog, but I'm aware that I have a lot to learn!

https://beginningphotographytoday.wordpress.com/

Thanks all! Tim
 
Hello Tim and a very warm welcome to you.

Useful Sections for New Members (click links)

> The Help section contains some good general information about how we do things around here and how the forum works.
> FAQs and Guides can be found here.
> Forum Help and Support is there for you to ask questions and get one to one support if you're having problems finding your way around or working out how to do things.
> Link up with other photographers in your area for local events and days out in Meeting Place.
> Or maybe you fancy a challenge . . . Take a look at some of the organised TP challenges and competitions here.
 
Had a quick look at some of your shots and you have made a good start. Try concentrating on the genre you like most. As you say, macro is your main interest I would concentrate on that. The macro shots on your first blog post are among the best shots, the others are let down by there composition and framing. Getting the shot is the half of it, but processing the image to really make it shine comes with practice, a good start though, keep posting.(y)
 
My camera too is the LX100. May I ask what settings you've used for JPEG (if you don't shoot RAW that is)? I've found Contrast 0 Saturation 0 Sharpness 0 and Noise Reduction -5 for the Natural colour style is best for me.

I find some of your shots are a little soft, and wonder why you select MF instead of AF ? I used manual for one or two shots when I really had to, but the AF is so fast and so reliable I generally stick with it now; the few manual shots I've taken are also a bit soft. Remember too that our camera has a vastly bigger sensor than a camera phone (4/3" compared to 1/2.3" - or even smaller) and that means you will get much shallower depth of field at wider apertures; you really need to stop down quite a lot, to f5.6 or f8 or even f11, to get decent DOF. But I can see from the shot of the squirrel in front of a tree what your lens is capable of : that's a good sharp image of your subject.

I'm not blown away by any particular shot, except the macros. However, they're good shots for a beginner if that doesn't sound patronising. You can only get better, which I wish I could say for myself after using a camera for 40 years!
 
exposure
composition
processing

all are at your finger tip and tips

my advice is dont ever stop taking pictures...throw the bad one away...they just get in the way
its the only way to learn...show and be shown
 
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