HELLLLLP!!!

[Joelski]

After a lifetime of using sub- par cameras (phone, instamatic/110, Sony early gen Mavicas), I am diving into DSLR photography (albeit, somewhat modestly), and I am here to admit that I have not the first effing clue what I’m doing! I know that several of my friends here are far ahead of me in terms of experience, and I’m asking for gentle help for a beginner. The last thing I want is for my investment to become an expensive point and shoot outfit!

My base is a Rebel T7 kit with 18-55, and 75-300 lenses. I bought an accessory kit mainly for filters, knowing that the wide angle and telephoto lenses are likely learning items at best. I I stand from reading talk here that light is more important than everything else, and for editing, I have Lightroom, which has already done some nice things for my “crappy cell phone pics”.

I am a learner as a pastime, and hope to soak up any tidbits you care to drop. I humbly thank you in advance and hope this will give me impetus to increase my presence here, although I still have plenty of life challenges, mainly taking care of my mother and maintaining my professional life. Thanks fellas. I look forward to anything I can learn as I make the transition from auto to manual settings!

[alamo5000]

Just take it bit by bit and know what to pay attention to. We will help when and where we can.

As far as equipment goes it really just depends on what you want to do. For me I have taken exactly one video using my camera and that was just to test it out. I do stills only.

I mentioned that because why invest in all the extra stuff that in reality is designed to be good for say, a YouTuber, when you really just want to take pictures? That said 'ratings' especially online should be qualified. For example a 'camera' that is rated 6/10 could get 9.9/10 for stills but will suck at video, so almost all of the detractors are looking at it from the perspective of making videos.

There is a lot of red meat and a lot to go over but again, step by step and don't get lost in the 'tech'. Sometimes you need to know how tech works (basically) but you don't need a PhD in it to take photos. However where it does matter is say something like dynamic range. That means the difference between the lightest part and the darkest part of a picture (much more complicated than that but just for now think about it that way).

With film you always take pictures exposing for the highlights. Meaning, if you want your exposure to be better, make sure you don't over expose the sky. With digital it's opposite, hence you will expose for the shadows while keeping in mind that you can only have so much contrast between the shadows and the brightest areas.

That basically means when examining a potential photo take into account those contrasts before clicking the button.

Another thing to know is that in general if you see something with your naked eye and there is contrast involved, your eyes are amazing about detecting that stuff. With the camera sensor though, shadows will be -2 shades darker than what you perceived and lights will be +2 shades lighter than what you perceived.

Just as a training method, get whatever camera you have whether it be the phone or your existing camera and just walk around your house or yard capturing the light and those different contrasts.

Keep in mind that many phones now will automatically digitally alter the image before it's actually recorded. It can trick you into thinking they have better dynamic range. That said it still will help trying to just understand how contrast works in whatever camera you use.

[alamo5000]

If you decide to do the above mentioned practice, start out in manual mode if it's available. When you are done just send everything to the trash bin.

The reason I say use manual mode is because I don't want you to get confused about how the camera is behaving vs what I am trying to convey.

After you get a sense of how it works, you can test out the various modes and see if they make any sense for you, or, if you just want to set everything manually.

[Jerry R]

I agree with alamo on setting the dial to manual. A lot depends upon what you want to shoot. Product photography, landscapes, people, scenic towns/villages, etc. Since light is very important, I normally set ISO to automatic. Then I consider whether I want aperture or shutter speed to be dominant. Example, I am shooting a landscape, and doing it handheld. I would pick a shutter speed that I could hold with minimal shake, say around 1/500 or greater. Then pick an aperture that would provide the depth of field I wanted. Snap it, look at the image. If it is too dark, or too light, adjust either the shutter or aperture. ISO will try to take the image as best it can, but the scene may be slightly out of "range", hence the slight changes may be necessary.

Having said that, for product shots (usually with a tripod) I always set the ISO to 100 and make the light provide enough brightness (unless outside) to get a sharp image. This forces me to pick shutter and aperture to make the image clean. I do that only because higher ISO setting can introduce grain into the image. It's a lot of fun learning the camera, and manual is the way to learn. Auto will take nice snapshots, but manual is the learning tool for photographs.

Start a thread, and show us some of the shots. Include the settings for each shot, and we can (maybe) provide some insight.

Following with great interest.

[alamo5000]

I agree with alamo on setting the dial to manual. A lot depends upon what you want to shoot.

With so much technology involved I have the idea to start out basic and work up. Some people think those automatic modes are "the most basic" but I don't agree with that at all. People shoot with those modes for 20 years and still really don't know what they actually are doing (the mode or the person). To me it's way more confusing to try and learn all this other stuff and then add numerous mode options on top of that.

Again it all depends on the goal. To me it's sort of like trying to teach a brand new driver how to use paddle shifters in a high end sports car. I like paddle shifters but we are not at paddle shifters yet.

[Pyzik]

You already stated the first thing to learn, so you're well on your way. "Lighting is everything". Almost as a rule, more light = better.

Others may disagree but depending on what your subject is, I would say rather than jumping right into manual, try other priority modes such as "aperture priority" and "shutter priority". I use shutter priority when shooting birds and aperture priority when taking most pics that don't require flashes or strobes.
You can set the ISO to "auto" as well. Then you can take photos and observe what the camera is doing as far as adjustments to get a feel for what the camera things you should be doing. Let it teach you. Then take more control as you start to get your "style". Maybe you like your images darker or lighter than the camera thinks is "right".

My $0.02, and worth what you paid.

[gatordev]

You already stated the first thing to learn, so you're well on your way. "Lighting is everything". Almost as a rule, more light = better.

Others may disagree but depending on what your subject is, I would say rather than jumping right into manual, try other priority modes such as "aperture priority" and "shutter priority". I use shutter priority when shooting birds and aperture priority when taking most pics that don't require flashes or strobes.

I'm in this camp as well. Since I started in video years ago, I like setting "shutter priority" because it makes more sense in my head. If you decide to go that route, you can then see what the camera comes up with for the aperture setting and that will help you learn the relationship between the two. If you wanted to start in "aperture priority," the concept is still the same.

I'd also be careful with kit lenses, as they can be very slow (read: they need a lot of light). Canon does have a telephoto kit lens that's also relatively fast for what it is and isn't that expensive (relatively), but it's usually not sold with a body as a kit. Link for examples. (https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?q=canon%20efs%2018-135&sts=ma)

[Joelski]

If you decide to do the above mentioned practice, start out in manual mode if it's available. When you are done just send everything to the trash bin.

The reason I say use manual mode is because I don't want you to get confused about how the camera is behaving vs what I am trying to convey.

After you get a sense of how it works, you can test out the various modes and see if they make any sense for you, or, if you just want to set everything manually.

Great advice, and 100% agree with everything. I was an early adopter of digital photography simply because cause of the “clock is right twice a day” rule; keep what turns out good and chuck the rest. To your point about video, I also concur as that was never a consideration. I believe a video cam should be a dedicated device, not a compromise as in a phone, or DSLR camera, although they do well, and my phone shoots 8k, I don’t want to fall back into the “good enough” trap. That said, there’s a strong reason I don’t reload, with all of its trinkets and gadgets, my squirrel brain would stop at nothing short of a complete setup, not even knowing if I’d stick with it. This is how my OCD works: “ I think I’d like to learn some basic, manual photography.” This is the result, 2 days later:


https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20250205/ae305cbbbdfe0eaa33ca8f145d16669e.jpg

WTF do I need with a 6’ tripod? But I has it! [emoji1787]And yes, my ADD is going batshit trying to neatly organize the stuff.[emoji91]

[Joelski]

You already stated the first thing to learn, so you're well on your way. "Lighting is everything". Almost as a rule, more light = better.

Others may disagree but depending on what your subject is, I would say rather than jumping right into manual, try other priority modes such as "aperture priority" and "shutter priority". I use shutter priority when shooting birds and aperture priority when taking most pics that don't require flashes or strobes.
You can set the ISO to "auto" as well. Then you can take photos and observe what the camera is doing as far as adjustments to get a feel for what the camera things you should be doing. Let it teach you. Then take more control as you start to get your "style". Maybe you like your images darker or lighter than the camera thinks is "right".

My $0.02, and worth what you paid.

My old Sony does “bracketed” shooting, which I love. 3 variations of the original with processing chosen by the software based on conditions. I don’t want to have a crutch like that, but it was a nice fallback when my choices weren’t working (which was most of the time I attempted manual mode). I had kind of an AHA moment when I saw the “Exposure Triangle”. That bit of graphic presentation jumped the gap for me and I plan to do lots of experimenting my next free day.

Good stuff, fellas! You are EXACTLY the people I was hoping to hear back from! Thank you all so much! If life has taught me anything, it’s that humility and pragmatism will attract more/better help than trying to sound like I know anything about this, or any other subject I could improve upon.

[Joelski]

I agree with alamo on setting the dial to manual. A lot depends upon what you want to shoot. Product photography, landscapes, people, scenic towns/villages, etc. Since light is very important, I normally set ISO to automatic. Then I consider whether I want aperture or shutter speed to be dominant. Example, I am shooting a landscape, and doing it handheld. I would pick a shutter speed that I could hold with minimal shake, say around 1/500 or greater. Then pick an aperture that would provide the depth of field I wanted. Snap it, look at the image. If it is too dark, or too light, adjust either the shutter or aperture. ISO will try to take the image as best it can, but the scene may be slightly out of "range", hence the slight changes may be necessary.

Having said that, for product shots (usually with a tripod) I always set the ISO to 100 and make the light provide enough brightness (unless outside) to get a sharp image. This forces me to pick shutter and aperture to make the image clean. I do that only because higher ISO setting can introduce grain into the image. It's a lot of fun learning the camera, and manual is the way to learn. Auto will take nice snapshots, but manual is the learning tool for photographs.

Start a thread, and show us some of the shots. Include the settings for each shot, and we can (maybe) provide some insight.

Following with great interest.

Jerry and Alamo,

The Manual mode is the sole intent for the investment so far! Naturally, since making this post, I've either worked on sunny days, or been off-work on crappy days. Today continues that tradition as it's wet, cold and the light outdoors is horrible. Spring will come, and with it many trips to the woods and other outdoor areas, but for now, all I can do is practice indoor shots. To Jerry's point about ISO, I think I am making the connection to what he's saying by compensating with shutter speed and aperture adjustments at an extreme low ISO setting. I'm basically learning with garbage shots, moving through max, and minimum settings to help understand the interrelationship of these settings before moving on. I must admit, parts of the reading and sitting with the camera are enlightening, and others are less than thrilling, but I recognize the need to lay a good base and am dutifully not skipping ahead. If any of you have good resources, please share them! It's a new wing to my library. Breaks are necessary for my ADD, so I am working in some checkering work on my commander project and getting ready to switch to the vertical grooves, which mandates installing grip bushings to attach the marvel checkering fixture to. All-in-all, it beats just sitting around and watching movies on a rainy Sunday.

I hope y'all are having a great weekend!

[alamo5000]

Jerry and Alamo,

The Manual mode is the sole intent for the investment so far! Naturally, since making this post, I've either worked on sunny days, or been off-work on crappy days. Today continues that tradition as it's wet, cold and the light outdoors is horrible. Spring will come, and with it many trips to the woods and other outdoor areas, but for now, all I can do is practice indoor shots. To Jerry's point about ISO, I think I am making the connection to what he's saying by compensating with shutter speed and aperture adjustments at an extreme low ISO setting. I'm basically learning with garbage shots, moving through max, and minimum settings to help understand the interrelationship of these settings before moving on. I must admit, parts of the reading and sitting with the camera are enlightening, and others are less than thrilling, but I recognize the need to lay a good base and am dutifully not skipping ahead. If any of you have good resources, please share them! It's a new wing to my library. Breaks are necessary for my ADD, so I am working in some checkering work on my commander project and getting ready to switch to the vertical grooves, which mandates installing grip bushings to attach the marvel checkering fixture to. All-in-all, it beats just sitting around and watching movies on a rainy Sunday.

I hope y'all are having a great weekend!

Bad weather can be one of the best times to take photos! Of course that depends on what you want to shoot. Exceptions could be most product photography or weddings or something, but I don't do any of that stuff. The stuff I like to do is more street style or travel and culture stuff.

When the weather is bad you can get some of the absolute best lighting situations possible for the given situation. I actually like shooting in bad weather (which also lends to my brand of camera gear-- most of my stuff is fully weather sealed). I have had more than once when I got home that I and my gear was filthy so I just went straight to the shower clothes, camera and all and left a mud puddle.

Anyway, not to get sidetracked but as far as resources are concerned I have a whole library of books on photography. Most of them are basic but not all that great to help improve a person's level of shooting. You might understand how your camera works a lot better but most of them are super dry and I personally lost interest in them because they are more geared to the technical side vs the artistic side.

That said I have one series of books by a guy named Michael Freeman that are absolutely amazing and perfect for me and how I learn. I don't know if they are in print still or not but you can get them second hand on Amazon or elsewhere. One of my favorite ones is a book that details all the different types of light. It's hundreds of pages of almost a picture book (probably 80% pictures) showing and explaining various lighting situations and conditions.

Keep in mind that if you want to set up an artificial lighting studio that book won't be very relevant but for outside stuff, it's good. A link is below. I have several other books of his as well.


https://a.co/d/c0Cx07X

[Pyzik]

Bad weather can be one of the best times to take photos! Of course that depends on what you want to shoot. Exceptions could be most product photography or weddings or something, but I don't do any of that stuff. The stuff I like to do is more street style or travel and culture stuff.

When the weather is bad you can get some of the absolute best lighting situations possible for the given situation.

I was going to reply nearly the same!

[Joelski]

I know a little about flat light, I think gloomy weather has more of an impact on me. Ive been diagnosed with a crapload of blood/bleeding disorders since the PEs and its hard to get excited about going out in shitty weather. Thats with megadoses of D3.

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[Joelski]

And just like that, everything is normal, except for bleeding like stink at the smallest nick! I've digested several books as recommended and have a ton of things to try and assignments to complete. Been playing with Lightroom again, and my biggest beef currently is that offloading files from the camera is nowhere near as convenient as it is with your cell phone! FTP? Really???

Thank God its at least simple to take the damn card out and pop it in the slot on my lappy.

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