Amber in AUS Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 I would LOVE to be able to take beautiful pictures of my DC. Where do i start? How do i learn to do that? Can you help me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber in AUS Posted March 1, 2011 Author Share Posted March 1, 2011 I don't have a DSLR, i have an old Pentax MZ50 film camera which i don't really use anymore, but could use and i have a new Panasonic DMC-TZ7 point & shoot. I guess for now i'd like to get some decent shots of them, but i could see it turning into a hobby if i get the results i'd like. So where do i look online? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 If she doesn't see this thread, you should PM Heidi @ Mt. Hope. She takes the most gorgeous pictures of her children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi @ Mt Hope Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Well, I posted a few tips on my blog (a few years ago) at this link, but my most favorite inspirational and instructional book on the subject is Expressions: Your Behind the Camera Guide to Taking Extraordinary Photos of Ordinary Life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi @ Mt Hope Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 If she doesn't see this thread, you should PM Heidi @ Mt. Hope. She takes the most gorgeous pictures of her children. LOL! I was posting at the same time. You made my day, Jean. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber in AUS Posted March 1, 2011 Author Share Posted March 1, 2011 Thanks Heidi i will take a look at your post and that book. Infact is was looking at your blog which was part of my inspiration :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber in AUS Posted March 1, 2011 Author Share Posted March 1, 2011 Can i link to other forums here? Try http://www.ilovephotography.com it might be more than what you're looking for, or it may get you inspired (or even obsessed ;)). Otherwise, you might just look for some general photography tips. Without the ability to take manual control of your camera, it seems you would mostly focus on your compositions and knowing the basics of where to position your subjects relative to the light. The first tip i can give you with a point and shoot camera is to turn your flash off! Thankyou :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellowperch Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 1. Take millions of pictures of a situation and edit out the bad ones quickly (so you don't bog yourself down) (but not while you are still in a situation worth photographing). For this reason you should shoot digital, especially while you are in an intense learning phase. 2. Get close. I mean closer. 3. Turn off the flash. HTH Going to check out Heidi's pix! thanks for the link. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lailasmum Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 My advice is to really fill the frame with your child, not miles of space with a tiny kid in the middle and really focus on the eyes, if they are in the frame that is. Shooting from above works really well too. You could learn some basic rules of composition too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k2bdeutmeyer Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Does your point & shoot have the option to shoot in manual? If so, read, read, read and learn to shoot in manual! Learn everything you can about aperature, shutter speed, and ISO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyLittleWonders Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Here's a great website that has a lot of good stuff on it: i heart faces. I've been poking around in the tutorial section, which has helped me learn about shooting in manual. Plus they have fun weekly challenges to help spur you on to trying different things. I am still quite a beginner, but the website has been inspirational to me in terms of trying new things and playing with the settings. Definitely look at the menu and function options of your point & shoot to see if it can shoot in manual. A whole new world opened up to me when I started taking control of the aperture, shutter speed and ISO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 My absolute favorite tips are simply get down low and zoom in tight! Obviously there are more in-depth tips online about lighting and whatnot, but those two will take you far! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 my most favorite inspirational and instructional book on the subject is Expressions: Your Behind the Camera Guide to Taking Extraordinary Photos of Ordinary Life. I'm sure the answer will be yes, but is this book worth getting if one's children are older, as are mine? I used to take far, far more photos, now I'm so lazy and quite disgusted with myself. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucy in Australia Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 1. Take millions of pictures of a situation and edit out the bad ones quickly (so you don't bog yourself down) (but not while you are still in a situation worth photographing). For this reason you should shoot digital, especially while you are in an intense learning phase. 2. Get close. I mean closer. 3. Turn off the flash. Oh, this is so freaky :001_huh: You basically wrote exactly what I was preparing to write :D And I'm off to look at those links, too :leaving: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Does your point & shoot have the option to shoot in manual? If so, read, read, read and learn to shoot in manual! Learn everything you can about aperature, shutter speed, and ISO. This. My friends take beautiful pictures. Several of them are semi-professionals with side businesses doing weddings, family portraits, etc. They have all told me that turning off the automatic function and doing it manually is the most important thing. We have a fancy DSLR camera just like them but my pictures never look that great because I always use automatic. One o my friends took a picture in manual and then quickly did the same shot with the same camera on automatic and the difference in photo quality and impact was huge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi @ Mt Hope Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 I'm sure the answer will be yes, but is this book worth getting if one's children are older, as are mine? I used to take far, far more photos, now I'm so lazy and quite disgusted with myself. :glare: Yes. The book is about photographing people, but not children in particular. It talks about photos that are beautiful and emotional in a universal sense, rather than 'this is my kid at Christmas when he was 2...' The book also has a LOT of wonderful information about how to use your camera (that even I could understand, and that is saying something). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Yes. The book is about photographing people, but not children in particular. It talks about photos that are beautiful and emotional in a universal sense, rather than 'this is my kid at Christmas when he was 2...' The book also has a LOT of wonderful information about how to use your camera (that even I could understand, and that is saying something). Great, thank you so much. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 If you are really serious, I'd look into getting a reasonably priced dSLR with a 50mm 1.8 lens to start. And then if you that, read Bryan Peterson's book Understanding Exposure. And once you understand it, go play, and shoot in Manual! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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