vettech2112

Heya Folks,
Since I see we have several pro photographers here, I'd like to ask some basic questions.

I only have a basic Kodak DC3200 digital camera - no zoom except at the lowest resolution, no extras at all.

I'd like tips on what I can do to get better pics on my hikes with this basic camera. It doesn't support extra lenses, nor any type of filter. I've tried taking all my shots at max resolution in the hopes of being able to zoom the pics in using my own software but have met with minimal success.

I've been to Kodak's site and read the basic composition concepts but advice for shooting in the varried conditions of a state park, such as sunrise/sunset shots, shooting in the bright light of the afternoon, shooting animals that I can't get close to (and sans zoom no less), etc would be incredibly helpful.

I'd even be willing to attempt to home-build a lens filter or somesuch if y'all think it would be useful to do. (Having images of a glass cutter, an old pair of sunglasses & a roll of duct tape )

Thanks in advance!
Ed

lost_but_found

Shannon would be most helpful on this subject.

Do you have any manual capabilities with your camera? i.e. setting the shutter speed (measured in fractions of a sec), white balance, or aperture (F/stop).

The sun can be your best friend or biggest foe. A good rule of thumb is to try and keep the sun at your back so that it illuminates your subject. Also, mid-day shots aren't always the best. IMO morning and evening shots are the best. You have softer light to illuminate your subject and make it stand out. If you read the basics, then I am sure you are aware of the 'rule of thirds.' Very good technique for setting up a more evocative picture. Also, instead of standing and shooting your subject, try squatting down and getting shots looking up at your subject. I have found this to be a decent way to fight the "pictures just don't do it justice" syndrome. Makes the subject appear a little larger.

Try to find interesting angles and ways to frame your shot, and always keep in mind where your light is. I have found the morning and evening shots give you more vibrant colors and a softer feel with all the shadows. Shooting into the sun is a good way to get your subject to turn out as a silhouette. It is all about trying to make your subject stand out.

www.dpreview.com/learn/
good site to learn some basics

Shannon

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

Purchases in the Wild Texas Gear Shop support our continued operation. Thank you!

backpacker777

Kodad DX...I have my trusty DX3500...Great little camera.

First off, do you have a compact flash card?

The ability to hold more pictures will obviously allow you to take higher resolution pics without worrying about killing all the memory.

Second:

The mini-tripod!

You can buy (or rig up) but recommend buy one of these 5 inch mini-tripods.

This will cut down blur substantially and allow you to take timed shots with you in the picture (if the 3200 has the auto timer)

They run about $15 I think.

Good question.

Jesse
http://www.backpackingsoftware.com

vettech2112

Hmmmmmmmm, will have to check Kodak's site for the mini-tripod you mentioned. No, the DC3200 doesn't have a timer. Its as basic a digital cam as Kodak makes.

Actually, your comment about taking photos with me in them had me wanting to ask Shannon a question:
Shannon - in your trip report for Hill Country SNA, there's a head shot of you in camp. Did you take that solo, with the camera at arm's length? It had me currious enough that I actually played with that idea in my apartment.

lost_but_found

FYI, WalMart sells a mini-tripod for about $5. It works fine if your camera isn't very heavy and bulky. I have one for my A80 and it weighs next to nothing - take it on all my trips. Handy little thing to have. And all tripod mounts are the same - one of the few things in this world that are universal.

Shannon

I took all of the photos of myself at Hill Country using my Canon Powershot G2 digital camera. The G2 has a pivoting LCD screen (scroll near the bottom of the linked page to see it) in back that permits easy handheld shots of yourself -- hold camera at arm's length, facing you, pivot the viewscreen so it's facing you, frame the shot and fire. It's guess-work when you don't have a pivoting LCD, but since you're digital a little experimentation may permit you to do the same without chopping off your own head in the photos.

__________________
- Shannon Moore
Your Host @ WildTexas.com

Purchases in the Wild Texas Gear Shop support our continued operation. Thank you!