DSLR Camera settings?

[MillenniumCP]

The difficulties I have encountered so far are backlist subjects, especially coasters against a bright sky (train and riders are all in shadow). Need more practice here. Each time I encounter this situation I try different techniques but this one is proving a bit hard for me to master currently and also shots in dark areas but I know that is an entirely different ballgame!

 

Always try to shoot with the sun behind you or no more than 90 degrees to either side. The sun infront is too harsh and will confuse with the cameras light sensor and you will never get a perfectly balanced shot unless you try a HDR shot (High Dynamic Range). Starting off, try to keep the f stop or aperture f11 or higher number (smaller opening) on a sunny day. That will keep the majority of your shot in focus with a deep depth of field (more areas of the frame in focus). For shutter speed, when enough light is available higher number ("400" displayed on camera is 1/400 of a second (On my nikon at least)". That will "freeze" everything in the shot usually pretty crisp depending on the cameras stability at the time of the shutter release.

 

For shots with minimal light or a single light source, it comes down to how you want your shot to look. Tripods are ALWAYS recommended for longer shutter speeds but your focus may be off. Boosting up the ISO (camera's sensitivity to light) will allow hand held shots with higher shutter speed but will create noise or grainy look on images.

 

It all takes practice and patience. Editing helps if you know what your doing. When you understand composition, lighting and your camera you can create some stunning images.

 

Good luck and have fun!

Ride On!

[Angry_Gumball]

I know I'm a little late to the party here but there's a lot I can relate to and answer...which a lot has been answered already. Just play with your camera, learn the fundamentals of photography (shutter speeds and f-stops, along with ISO). I've had my DSLR for almost 3 years and there's still a lot of things I'm still learning. I however haven't taken any photography classes so this is pretty much just a hobby for me.

 

When I get lazy and don't feel like fiddling with settings, I'll just switch to auto and if taking photos becomes too much of a chore, I just put it away and ride.

 

If you're feeling bold and got the idea down on using your camera, you may look into shooting RAW...I've been doing that a lot and have not looked back since.

[Werner]

^Auto function on a DSLR is just lame.

 

Well for me i've sold my DSLR(Nikon D700) last year and got myself a Fujifilm Supersoom(X-S1). So far it does what it needs to do, just point and shoot! It's just as good as any 'low-budget' DSLR, the only thing is: it has more zoom and better minimal F-stops. Can't wait to try it out this summer...(Hi Hanno! Click and run ) Might even check out if i can get the manual options to work, if i take the time for it.

[hyyyper]

^Auto function on a DSLR is just lame.

 

Well for me i've sold my DSLR(Nikon D700) last year and got myself a Fujifilm Supersoom(X-S1). So far it does what it needs to do, just point and shoot! It's just as good as any 'low-budget' DSLR, the only thing is: it has more zoom and better minimal F-stops. Can't wait to try it out this summer...(Hi Hanno! Click and run ) Might even check out if i can get the manual options to work, if i take the time for it.

 

You can do so much more if you know how to setup your camera properly. I've made better pics with a point and shoot on manualy than my friend with an DSLR on full auto.

 

Plus, if you invest time in getting to know your setting, you can switch, adapt and predict lighting conditions to set up your camera real fast.

 

EDIT: Just to give you an example, the following two pictures are literally 1 minute apart.

 

 

[Werner]

^ That is so true! When i walk to an shop and i see a family who's getting told by a sellsman to go for an DSLR for holiday photo's. That kind of always bites me, becouse ot's kind of a rip-off. That's why when i see people looking for a camera like that and they get talked into buying a DSLR, sometimes i ask them what they are going to use it for. But somehow it seems to be a thing to have nowadays...

[Bilby_AUS]

^ That is so true! When i walk to an shop and i see a family who's getting told by a sellsman to go for an DSLR for holiday photo's. That kind of always bites me, becouse ot's kind of a rip-off. That's why when i see people looking for a camera like that and they get talked into buying a DSLR, sometimes i ask them what they are going to use it for. But somehow it seems to be a thing to have nowadays...

 

It is definitely a thing to have these days. In Australia, you see so many people with their entry level DSLR's (nothing wrong with owning an entry level DSLR by the way) walking around just doing happy snaps and then getting frustrated with having to carry them around, and getting even more frustrated when they look at the photos and see that they could have gotten better shots on a point and shoot... It definitely takes a strong commitment to image making get to a point where you can use a DSLR to it's full potential easily, and most people are not prepared for that...

 

I was definitely one of those people in the beginning. I had my D60 walking around and at most, using aperture priority mode would take shots and then load them on my computer and that was it. But what changed the whole thing for me was when I started shooting in RAW, got a better understanding of histograms, and was bracketing everything... On top of the fundamentals, when I got my head around that, there was no looking back!

 

I am heading to the US this Autumn and will be hitting several parks and cannot wait to get some great shots with my new Nikon D7100 and new Nikkor f2.8 and f1.8 glass. I wont be without my point and shoot though (still in RAW format for PP) as I wont have my DSLR with me for the full day... perfect for candids and happy snaps, because lets face it, no matter how many beautifully executed images we get of Coasters and parks, people back home will always want to see some nice smiley shots of you and the other people you are with...

 

[A.J.]

I definitely haven't learned to use a DSLR to its full potential, but I'm getting there! I really need to learn to use the lighting properly. I just don't get enough time out in the field to practice, let alone in amusement parks.

 

One thing that I really like is how immediate the shutter reacts. Cranking up the shutter speed and fiddling with the other settings lets me capture facial expressions on rides, which is always hilarious - even more so when you actually know the people you're taking a photo of.

Like this one here, this photo of Stratosfear at Knoebels was taken just as the carriage hit the brakes.

[Bilby_AUS]

Well I think you are almost there! Try shooting in RAW format next time and tweaking the colouring, contrast etc, It all adds extra richness, creativity and character to the Image. And try cropping/zooming right in on the riders faces to make it even more of a focus! I don't know many pro photographers that don't do post processing. Most DSLR cameras will come with processing software and Nikon have a good one that is a free download from their website.