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Shannon · 05-03-2004, 09:30 PM

Despite all the talk from professionals about bigger zoom lenses, newer camera bodies and other gear, the most valuable and readily accessible tool any photographer has is their way of seeing the world and communicating (call it "creativity", "vision", "inspiration").

I still keep some photos around from my first digital camera because they are spectacular photos -- not because of their resolution (which is quite low) but because of excellent composition and lighting combined with a little luck.

O.K., hold on because this is going to be a rambling ride... I tend to ramble on a bit (NO!? Say it ain't so?! )

One of the first rules is do NOT use your digital camera's digital zoom. The DC3200's "zoom" sounds like it may be a digital rather than visual/optical zoom, based on my quick scan of the the owner's manual (PDF). Digital zoom was created by digital camera manufacturers to provide a means for people to bring their subject's closer (and thus, fill more of the frame), but this is at the expense of image quality. You want the camera to capture as much information as it can, and digital zoom kind of negates that by literally "blowing up" a portion of the image. It's faking it, basically. Instead, stick to using the camera's native optical/visual capabilities and find unique ways to document what you see.
Try to hold the camera as still as possible no matter what lighting conditions you have. Even though I have an image stabilized zoom lens that allows me to hand-hold photos I'd otherwise need to take using a tripod, I still hold my breath when I'm pressing the trigger on most photos (well, except maybe at airshows, when I'd pass out due to the high volume of shots I'm taking )

I personally find a tripod stifles my creativity and makes me end up with shots that are "rote", particularly if they're of landscapes. I'm trying to get more comfortable using a 'pod for wildlife work. Anyway, if your camera can attach to a tripod and you want to experiment, a tripod can help eliminate shake which results in deadly blurring and loss of sharp focus. Otherwise, just hold your breath and if possible, steady yourself and the camera before pressing the shutter... don't let the heat of the moment make you forget the fundamentals: See -> Compose -> Focus & Fine-Tune -> Fire!
One of the greatest things about camping and backpacking is that you get to stay in an area for at least 24 hours and see its moods throughout that time. The longer you stay, the more you'll get to know the place and its photographic opportunities -- the way the morning light bathes a rock face, the way the grass looks when the wind picks up lightly, the way the setting sun acts like a filter ... Take a sheet of paper or small notepad and jot down notes about the way the light, weather and environment change throughout your visit. Make notes of places or things you'd like to photograph and note when they look best -- especially with scenics, there are definitely set times of day when they are best photographed. A rock bluff may be in shadow in the early morning, lit too harshly at noontime, but look absolutely heaven-sent at dusk.
The beauty of digital is you can potentially shoot many more photos than you would ever have wanted to using a film camera. Your only limitation is battery power (bring extra batteries; they're worth the weight.) and your skill at editing photos in the camera (it can be a challenge, since all digital camera viewfinders are small and you're trying to look for sharpness, as well as ideal composition.) Take LOTS and LOTS of photos, and then take LOTS MORE. Keep deleting photos that don't measure up, and retake the photos while you're in the same area or near the same subject.
Experiment -- if you can't manually control things like depth of field, exposure, shutter speed, then vary what you can control, like your camera angle and position in relation to the subject, the time of day, composition (not all horizons have to be horizontal... flowers can grow out of the side of your frame... real life doesn't necessarily have to constrain your image -- capture what you see in your mind's eye!)
Here's one I'm not very good at, but that I've seen incredible results from in people who do it (namely, Justin): As soon as possible after taking the photos, view them on your computer and start working on them. One reason this is beneficial is you're still in the picture creating frame of mind AND you still have the place and subjects fresh in your mind. If you've had a particularly enjoyable or productive trip, you also have that wonderful untapped energy -- a "magic ingredient" to making memorable photos. So, open the photos and start viewing them. Play around with cropping, sharpening, hues/saturation changes. Like successful film/slide photographers, digital photographers know their photo creation work isn't done when they click the shutter -- post-processing in your image editor can make a great image even better, and yes, it can correct flaws in an otherwise good image (red eye, poor exposure, slightly out-of-focus, bad composition [telephone pole sticking out of anyone's head? strange blur situated over your tent? etc.]

If you'd like a truly wonderful print resource, I highly recommend Scott Kelby's Photoshop books for digital photographers. We use Photoshop CS, which he just released a digital photography book for -- I admit, I haven't been able to let this book wander too far out of my line of sight when I'm editing digital photos, now! It simplifies many of the things that, through painful, time-consuming trial and error we've stumbled upon ways to accomplish. Kelby's books are many, and all are wonderful resources. If you don't have Photoshop, don't worry -- while it is a fantastic application, any decent image editor provides all the capabilities you'll need; the key is learning how to apply them wisely to your images. The experimentation I urged in taking your photos extends to the post-processing work. Fiddle around and just observe how your photos evolve with subtle changes in input, like increasing saturation or cropping the image in different ways.

There are many useful online resources, tutorials and discussion forums. If you need links, I'll be happy to pull a bunch together in a post or email... my fingers are tired, now, so I'll shut up for a bit until you can digest some of this.

Most of all, HAVE FUN!

05-03-2004, 09:30 PM	#3
Shannon Founder, WildTexas.com Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 1,404	Re: Help for a Newbie Despite all the talk from professionals about bigger zoom lenses, newer camera bodies and other gear, the most valuable and readily accessible tool any photographer has is their way of seeing the world and communicating (call it "creativity", "vision", "inspiration"). I still keep some photos around from my first digital camera because they are spectacular photos -- not because of their resolution (which is quite low) but because of excellent composition and lighting combined with a little luck. O.K., hold on because this is going to be a rambling ride... I tend to ramble on a bit (NO!? Say it ain't so?! ) One of the first rules is do NOT use your digital camera's digital zoom. The DC3200's "zoom" sounds like it may be a digital rather than visual/optical zoom, based on my quick scan of the the owner's manual (PDF). Digital zoom was created by digital camera manufacturers to provide a means for people to bring their subject's closer (and thus, fill more of the frame), but this is at the expense of image quality. You want the camera to capture as much information as it can, and digital zoom kind of negates that by literally "blowing up" a portion of the image. It's faking it, basically. Instead, stick to using the camera's native optical/visual capabilities and find unique ways to document what you see. Try to hold the camera as still as possible no matter what lighting conditions you have. Even though I have an image stabilized zoom lens that allows me to hand-hold photos I'd otherwise need to take using a tripod, I still hold my breath when I'm pressing the trigger on most photos (well, except maybe at airshows, when I'd pass out due to the high volume of shots I'm taking ) I personally find a tripod stifles my creativity and makes me end up with shots that are "rote", particularly if they're of landscapes. I'm trying to get more comfortable using a 'pod for wildlife work. Anyway, if your camera can attach to a tripod and you want to experiment, a tripod can help eliminate shake which results in deadly blurring and loss of sharp focus. Otherwise, just hold your breath and if possible, steady yourself and the camera before pressing the shutter... don't let the heat of the moment make you forget the fundamentals: See -> Compose -> Focus & Fine-Tune -> Fire! One of the greatest things about camping and backpacking is that you get to stay in an area for at least 24 hours and see its moods throughout that time. The longer you stay, the more you'll get to know the place and its photographic opportunities -- the way the morning light bathes a rock face, the way the grass looks when the wind picks up lightly, the way the setting sun acts like a filter ... Take a sheet of paper or small notepad and jot down notes about the way the light, weather and environment change throughout your visit. Make notes of places or things you'd like to photograph and note when they look best -- especially with scenics, there are definitely set times of day when they are best photographed. A rock bluff may be in shadow in the early morning, lit too harshly at noontime, but look absolutely heaven-sent at dusk. The beauty of digital is you can potentially shoot many more photos than you would ever have wanted to using a film camera. Your only limitation is battery power (bring extra batteries; they're worth the weight.) and your skill at editing photos in the camera (it can be a challenge, since all digital camera viewfinders are small and you're trying to look for sharpness, as well as ideal composition.) Take LOTS and LOTS of photos, and then take LOTS MORE. Keep deleting photos that don't measure up, and retake the photos while you're in the same area or near the same subject. Experiment -- if you can't manually control things like depth of field, exposure, shutter speed, then vary what you can control, like your camera angle and position in relation to the subject, the time of day, composition (not all horizons have to be horizontal... flowers can grow out of the side of your frame... real life doesn't necessarily have to constrain your image -- capture what you see in your mind's eye!) Here's one I'm not very good at, but that I've seen incredible results from in people who do it (namely, Justin): As soon as possible after taking the photos, view them on your computer and start working on them. One reason this is beneficial is you're still in the picture creating frame of mind AND you still have the place and subjects fresh in your mind. If you've had a particularly enjoyable or productive trip, you also have that wonderful untapped energy -- a "magic ingredient" to making memorable photos. So, open the photos and start viewing them. Play around with cropping, sharpening, hues/saturation changes. Like successful film/slide photographers, digital photographers know their photo creation work isn't done when they click the shutter -- post-processing in your image editor can make a great image even better, and yes, it can correct flaws in an otherwise good image (red eye, poor exposure, slightly out-of-focus, bad composition [telephone pole sticking out of anyone's head? strange blur situated over your tent? etc.] If you'd like a truly wonderful print resource, I highly recommend Scott Kelby's Photoshop books for digital photographers. We use Photoshop CS, which he just released a digital photography book for -- I admit, I haven't been able to let this book wander too far out of my line of sight when I'm editing digital photos, now! It simplifies many of the things that, through painful, time-consuming trial and error we've stumbled upon ways to accomplish. Kelby's books are many, and all are wonderful resources. If you don't have Photoshop, don't worry -- while it is a fantastic application, any decent image editor provides all the capabilities you'll need; the key is learning how to apply them wisely to your images. The experimentation I urged in taking your photos extends to the post-processing work. Fiddle around and just observe how your photos evolve with subtle changes in input, like increasing saturation or cropping the image in different ways. There are many useful online resources, tutorials and discussion forums. If you need links, I'll be happy to pull a bunch together in a post or email... my fingers are tired, now, so I'll shut up for a bit until you can digest some of this. Most of all, HAVE FUN! __________________ - Shannon Moore Your Host @ WildTexas.com http://www.twitter.com/ageekgal Last edited by Shannon : 05-03-2004 at 09:52 PM. Reason: grammar, formatting, you-name-it, this email had it...