Thursday, November 22, 2007

Lessons for me...

Am reading the online tutorial on this website by Geoff Lawrence.

Some tips (solely for me to remember...am sure this is all very common knowledge to the experienced lot).

Rule of thirds: Put the object of interest on some "third" of the picture. (Not explained very well, will add more once I use this tip!) There is a lone orange hanging on a branch of my orange tree, will try using this tip on it!

This one is straight from the tutorial:
Using auto exposure to your advantage.

If you have a modern camera, the chances are that the default metering system is 'centre weighted average', which means that, although it takes an average reading of the whole scene, it takes more notice of what is in the middle of the frame. Which is good news for us. The other good news is that it takes this reading at the time when you take 'first pressure' on the button to take your picture. When you push it halfway down and it beeps at you, not only is the focus now set (on an auto focus camera) but the exposure reading is taken and the aperture and shutter speed are set. So, if your main point of interest is not in the centre of the frame, it's a good idea to put it there temporarily while you focus and take your light reading, then move the camera whilst still holding the button halfway down and compose the picture the way you want it to be. A common use for this technique is when you are taking a close up shot of two people and there is space between their heads, if you're not careful the camera will focus on the wall or trees behind them. If the background is very dark or very light this can alter the exposure significantly and result in faces that are too dark or too light.

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My notes: I did not know this!!! Wow, this can make quite a difference!

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Got a new toy!!!!

Got a new Nikon D200 as a gift from my sisters!!!! How cool is that!
Now if only I knew how to use it to its full potential!

Added 11/22/07
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So apparently the serious photographers don't use the LCD display to frame and shoot pictures! Huh! I wish they atleast had the option to turn the LCD on if someone wanted to. It has a huge screen...to be used for playback only. I guess the use of the viewfinder for taking pictures makes sense...so that you can see only what is going to be in the picture, and nothing else. Makes sense.

Learnt a new photography term today..."chimping"... check the picture immediately after taking it. Thats what the whole world does!!! And the "serious" ones look down upon it! Me just a mere mortal..I need my LCD screen. Chimping shld be allowed...nothing to frown upon!

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Fall Colors

I totalllllly love fall colors. Its like I am in heaven when I see them.
Thats the only thing I miss about the midwest, the heavenly colors! I love it so much, I even had those fake fall leaf garlands hung on my living room walls at one point in time! And I collected leaves and made stuff out of it. I guess you get the idea...

So this year, I got a small camera to carry in my purse all the time, so that I can click it at anything I fancy :)

Here are a few pictures I took. But before my own, the first pic is one my fiance took of me in
a small town, Niagara-On-The-Lake last Diwali...he's pretty good at taking pictures, and especially good when I am somewhere in there :) This one is taken with the V3.



And here are some of my own attempts...all of these are in the Avaya campus. Its actually quite beautiful...all of these are taken with the W90





These next ones are in a trail behind Avaya...




The view was awesome, the picture...so boring :(