FIRST STEPS....

[Janet]

The day after buying my new camera, I went away for a long weekend on a narrowboat with friends. I dithered about taking the new camera with me, as it was unfamiliar and I was supposed to be just boating and enjoying the company...still, I couldn't resist, and on the first morning I was up with the dawn, and a beautiful sunny day.

 

I'd only had half an hour with the camera the previous night, so I wasn't sure what to expect as it all seemed so complicated.

 

These are just a few shots from the first hour...

 

 

 

The macro lens let me get closer than I could with my Samsung....

 

 

 

I finally got a bee to pose!

 

 

 

I chased this thing for half an hour before it opened up its wings.

 

 

This one just point blank refused to play!

 

 

Not the best, but I was highly delighted with the results. If I can get this sort of shot within the first hour, and with a completely new and strange camera, I hope to get much better when I learn more about it and get to grips with all the different settings.

 

I'm glad I went with my instinct when I bought it, as it was a delight to use.

 

I'd be very interested in your comments? Colour, sharpness etc....are there any settings I should be changing to get better results? Your input would be appreciated!

 

Janet

[Sutton Warrior]

The day after buying my new camera, I went away for a long weekend on a narrowboat with friends. I dithered about taking the new camera with me, as it was unfamiliar and I was supposed to be just boating and enjoying the company...still, I couldn't resist, and on the first morning I was up with the dawn, and a beautiful sunny day.

 

I'd only had half an hour with the camera the previous night, so I wasn't sure what to expect as it all seemed so complicated.

 

These are just a few shots from the first hour...

 

 

 

The macro lens let me get closer than I could with my Samsung....

 

 

 

I finally got a bee to pose!

 

 

 

I chased this thing for half an hour before it opened up its wings.

 

 

This one just point blank refused to play!

 

 

Not the best, but I was highly delighted with the results. If I can get this sort of shot within the first hour, and with a completely new and strange camera, I hope to get much better when I learn more about it and get to grips with all the different settings.

 

I'm glad I went with my instinct when I bought it, as it was a delight to use.

 

I'd be very interested in your comments? Colour, sharpness etc....are there any settings I should be changing to get better results? Your input would be appreciated!

 

Janet

 

 

I like the way the camera presents colour Janet, really nice, sharp to, especially like the butterfly with its wings open! but . . . as there are no Exif details embedded, cant see how, so unable to make further comment other than 'I think I like them', prefer to see them at 800 pixels wide as well, just my view of course.

 

SW

Edited August 5, 2009 by Sutton Warrior

[Janet]

I'm still unsure of how to best resize for the forum. I just went for the option on Flickr that didn't involve having to scroll to see the full picture.

 

The Exif details are here.

 

It's all gobbledegook to me!

 

Janet

[Sutton Warrior]

I'm still unsure of how to best resize for the forum. I just went for the option on Flickr that didn't involve having to scroll to see the full picture.

 

The Exif details are here.

 

It's all gobbledegook to me!

 

Janet

 

Interesting Exif Janet, will be very useful to you in time, when you start to understand your camera and wish to experiment. However, for now, I like the reality, the way those black berries are captured, almost look 3D to me. The other pictures have that solid feel about them as well . . . you are going to get some great pictures as time goes by, the 'eye' is coming on nicely.

 

To me, it begs the question; 'JPEG straight from the camera, or shoot RAW and tart it up after'? Those Exif details indicate it will be possible to set the camera for natural quality JPEG straight from the camera? RAW will be a complication a long way down the road? This is only my humble opinion, I know, not agreed with by all. I would still like to see the Butterfly at 800 pixels.

 

By the way Janet, what new screen did you get? and I still dont understand how you are transferring information from Flickr????

 

SW

Edited August 6, 2009 by Sutton Warrior

[Janet]

This is the nearest I could get with Flickr....you only have set sizes to choose from.

 

[Sutton Warrior]

This is the nearest I could get with Flickr....you only have set sizes to choose from.

 

 

Wow!! if those Black berries were ripe Id be picking them . . . Nice one Janet, a competion picture if ever I saw one?

 

. . . . 5.30pm home from work, showered time to be a bit more picky?

 

Looked at the Exif again, taken on the 31st!!!! You will have to find one in the garden Janet

 

Zoomed in on the white of the wings, I would have thought there should been more detail, although there are vains showing!! The white looks bleached out? perhaps a tad over exposed? I suspect there might be a case for RAW here? Steve will put us right . . .

 

Even so, I still like it as a picture, and in any case I rarly 'pixel peep', thats my limited two peneth, nice one Janet,

 

SW

Edited August 6, 2009 by Sutton Warrior

[Janet]

time to be a bit more picky?

 

Yes please! Be as picky as you like - I'll never learn otherwise.....it's all very well folk saying "well done, nice shot" etc (and believe me I really appreciate those encouraging remarks!) but without constructive criticism, I'll never improve, will I?

 

I tried to focus on the head and body, sort of hoping the wings would follow! I do seem to struggle to get detail in anything white or yellow? We have some rather nice bindweed intertwined with ivy down by the river, but although I can see the detail, the camera doesn't pick it up.

 

It was a very bright, sunny day - would it have made any difference if I'd taken it later when the sun wasn't so intense? However, I had to grab the chance when I could - and I'm glad I did....it was a very breezy morning and later in the day it got very windy, so close-ups were nigh on impossible! I am SO disappointed with the pictures I took of the poppies...I don't think I had a single one that was clear and sharp, out of about the 50 or so I took! It was the first time I've ever come across a cornfield full of poppies, and this was my one chance to capture it...but now I know where they are, I'll be back next year! I'm sure they'll be gone by the time I go back at the end of August.

 

As for RAW? I don't understand it - I'm afraid it goes way over my head! If someone can give me a simple explanation as to the merits, I'd be very interested. I believe this camera can shoot RAW? I made sure it did, even though I'm just beginning, as I wanted to make sure that I got a camera that would give me the opportunity to grow as I learn without having to pay out too much.

 

If I'm right in what I've read, RAW requires a lot of post-processing, so please bear in mind that I'm still also on a very steep learning curve with E7! I tend to do no more than crop and possibly adjust the levels slightly or maybe remove a small defect....anything else is beyond me at the moment, and my time is very limited.

 

I don't know if I'm going about it the right way, but I'm trying to make sure I capture the image I want without having to do too much messing around.

 

Still, I'm loving every minute of it, which is what it's all about, isn't it?

 

Janet

[Sutton Warrior]

OK lets be picky on the poppies . . . again my limited experience??? Shot could have been from a lower angle, and tighter in, perhaps at a wider angle to include some sky, an aperture to blur the background. Thats my initial reaction, is the picture cropped or is it full frame? If cropped, a full frame would help to be able to play with? Just my humble opinion . . .

 

SW

[Janet]

Any lower and I would never have got up again! I am of a certain age, you know! The sort of age when you bend down to tie your shoelaces and wonder what else you can be doing whilst you're down there....

 

Yes, the picture is cropped in - the skyline appeared to me to be a distraction. I wanted to concentrate on the poppies.

 

I really did struggle, as by this time although the sun was still shining, it was blowing a hoolie! I couldn't spend too long on composition, as I was with a non-fishing, non-photographic companion! I had a couple of seconds to try and grab something before I was playing catch-up with him on our walk! I found him walking along talking to himself on several occasions as I had been delayed with a "must have" shot, most of which turned out to be useless! Luckily he humoured me for a while, but eventually he got fed up!

 

 

As for aperture and blurring the background....I know what you're saying, but as this was my first couple of hours with an unfamilar camera, I let it do all the settings on automatic. I would have liked to have had the background much less obtrusive, but I really didn't know what setting to choose...hopefully that knowledge will come in time!

 

Janet

[Sutton Warrior]

Any lower and I would never have got up again! I am of a certain age, you know! The sort of age when you bend down to tie your shoelaces and wonder what else you can be doing whilst you're down there....

 

Yes, the picture is cropped in - the skyline appeared to me to be a distraction. I wanted to concentrate on the poppies.

 

I really did struggle, as by this time although the sun was still shining, it was blowing a hoolie! I couldn't spend too long on composition, as I was with a non-fishing, non-photographic companion! I had a couple of seconds to try and grab something before I was playing catch-up with him on our walk! Janet

 

 

You did ask . . .

 

". . . . Yes please! Be as picky as you like . . . "

 

SW