My Hobby: Digital Photography

Things you do at your leisure. Arts and crafts, pets and collections etc.

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BONSAL
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My Hobby: Digital Photography

Unread post by BONSAL »

Let me start this fresh thread by sharing with you my new pastime. It's about Digital Photography. Just started it few months ago when I bought a book entitled "Digital Photography for Dummies." Acquiring a digital pro-camera gadget (Fuji Finepix S5600 DSLR Pro Cam) was my next step. Then, I enrolled in Basic Photography Workshop @ PhotoWorld Manila.

To get good results from a digital camera, you need to understand traditional photography controls, such as exposure and focus options. That’s only half the story, however. You also have to master digital-only features such as white balance, resolution, and image file formats.

Remember that with your digital camera, experimentation is free. If you don’t like the outcome of a shot, just delete the image and try again. Before long, you won’t be pressing that Delete button nearly so much. And for every picture that doesn’t turn out, you’ll take ten that make you stop and say, “Wow, that’s a great picture!”

With this topic, I'll try to condense the most important lessons of digital photography.

Lines and Patterns

Our eyes are attracted to lines and patterns. They guide our eyes to see our destination or make us wonder what is up ahead.

Aesthetically, patterns are simply beautiful.

Samples:

Image
This a simple pattern of lines created by the branches. I took this shot during a nature shoot lesson in PhotoWorld Manila.


Image
This is the museum hall of the San Agustin Church in Manila. Notice the lines on the ceiling and the pattern on the floor created by the open window, they seem to lead our eyes towards the end of the hall.


Rule of thirds

The rule of thirds is a guideline in photography for better composition. I'll try to explain it as much as I can and hopefully you'll be able to compose your images better.

The rule of thirds is based on the theory that the human eye gravitates naturally to a point about two-thirds of the way up an image.

The rule of thirds is basically dividing your viewfinder or LCD into three rows and three columns. and then, put your subject on any of the intersections that were created as shown in the image below.


Image
when i took this silhouette of Cueshe guitarist Jovan, you will notice that while his head does not meet the intersection, his elbow does. I chose to hit his elbow because it is an extended part of his body being attached to the arm holding the guitar. I could've also had his head meet the upper intersection and it would still be a good composition. It's a matter of personal choice.

when following the rule of thirds, you are not obligated to hit only one intersection, you can hit as many as two.

I hope this little tip helps you in composing your shots.

To be continued........i'll post another lesson next week, All about light, shadows, and shades.
Last edited by BONSAL on Tue Feb 27, 2007 3:53 am, edited 1 time in total.

BONSAL
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Unread post by BONSAL »

My Sample Shots

Image
Mother & Son - This shot received numerous appreciation in various photography forum sites.



Image
My Beautiful Wife (20meters away using 12x optical zoom)



Image
My 1st Wedding Photo Shoot




Image
@ Manila bay




Image
Light from Sky
"Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow."
- ronald e. Osborn

BONSAL
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Unread post by BONSAL »

My Sample Shots



Image
@ Enchanted Kingdom





Image
Road to Memorial Park





Image
Brittany Bay (Hang-out of Sen. Villar)





Image
Our Lady of Abandon Church

BONSAL
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Unread post by BONSAL »

My Sample Shots




Image
The Coleto Sisters






Image
Kids on the Block (Kids @ Bantay Bata Foundation)







Image
Nasaan ka na Itay? (This was taken when I passed by @ Luneta)



BONSAL
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Unread post by BONSAL »

My Sample Shots




Image
Sunset @ Manila Bay






Image
World Pyro Olympics 2007 (Mall of Asia, Pasay City)

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kampanaryo_spy
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Unread post by kampanaryo_spy »

bonsal,

very nice, this post.

i like the pics. i've always liked en sepia shots, better than black and white which i also love. the canon that cordaps gave me has black and white and sepia features which i haven't tried yet because lately i've been using the pentax optio that judstump gave me, although it doesn't have the features of cordap's digicam. but then i can always use the PC. maybe i'll try it soon.

digital photography doesn't mean you're always on 'AUTO' mode. take it from me, even manipulating the white balance ALONE can already do wonders to your shots.

the irony of it all is that, digital photograhy will give you better pictures if you set it on MANUAL mode. but of course that requires mastery in handling shutter speed and aperture.

one of the downsides of digital photography is careless creativity----enthusiasts/hobbyists take indescriminate shots knowing fully well that they can hit "delete" anytime or manipulate the shots using PC. and that's bad because it erodes discipline the craft of photography requires. unlike in the days of yore where one must be careful and meticulous before hitting the clicker because the cost of the film was a consideration.

hayyyyy photography, i can go on and on and on and on!
"Most claims of originality are testimony to ignorance and most claims of magic are testimony to hubris." -James March-

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Binignit
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Unread post by Binignit »

Nice Topic. Photography is one of my many off and on hobbies (naman way kwarta). Started with SLR and learned from the old school. I still have my old camera which is a Nikon AE1 and could not part since the trade in value is only less than $ 100. Three years ago I ventured in digital photography and owned a Nikon Coolpix 5700. A year later, I traded the 5700 to another Nikon, this time a D70. I enjoy it and I love taking pictures of kids. I agree with K-Spy that a lot of enthusiast now are just using the Auto mode and let the camera do the work. Sometime I feel guilty because I try to do the same if the conditions is not favorable for good and deep compositions. I have an Adobe Photo Shop but find no time to really delve into it. Maybe one day I can find that elusive time again. I remember a few years back when me and K-Spy did a photo shoot for a brochure of the DTI. It was an experience working for a director that has a lot of creativity. I know I need to hone my skills and only time can do that.

tab_lover
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Unread post by tab_lover »

admin nice pix..specially the sunset..wow..im actually a fan of this field..like binigs, its my on and off hobby..i will post later the sample shots..nothing special pero im so proud na sa ako kaugalingon :-D :-D :-D .an ako sab camera is specially designed for beginners like me..it was the latest model of olympus by the time i bought it a year ago..

tab_lover
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Unread post by tab_lover »

Image
empty chairs

Image
just bored..but i find it interesting :-D

Image
villa don lino..taken from the restaurant while having lunch..just bored

tab_lover
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Unread post by tab_lover »

admin inday paga uno ko ini..nanga na ka gamayi?grabe an ako pag edit kay sobra da ka dako an size..i made sure na less than 1MB..pero nanga na kagamay?i dnt know..first time to upload pix here..hope u can teach me how..THANKS..

BONSAL
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Unread post by BONSAL »

Tabs,

Nice pics. Good start for a newbie like you. Allow me to comment about your shots.

Your photos are over exposed. the camera saw most of the dark highlights, hence it either far the aperture or decreased shutterspeed (making the photo lighten).

for correct exposure, i suggest you set your camera on manual mode and lock the aperture and shutter speed. especially when the lighting condition is constant (e.g. photo 1 or 2), try googling for "proper camera exposure"

also, exposure is computed by your camera's light meter. this light meter measures the reflected light from your subject and based on this, it adjusts the aperture and shutter speed accordingly. but the camera meter is stupid. it doesn't know what you're trying to take a photo of.

camera meters always look for a middle tone (18% gray), which is somewhere between black and white (should be 50% gray but scientifically, 18% is a middle tone). samples of mid-tones are your skin, green grass, or the gray dividers in camera bags.

what you can do is, set your camera on manual, point it at your skin and adjust the aperture and shutter speed such that the meter reads "0.0" if it's +, it means it's over exposed, - underexposed.

I hope this little tips will help you in composing your shots.

BONSAL
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Unread post by BONSAL »

kampanaryo_spy wrote:bonsal,

very nice, this post.

i like the pics. i've always liked en sepia shots, better than black and white which i also love. the canon that cordaps gave me has black and white and sepia features which i haven't tried yet because lately i've been using the pentax optio that judstump gave me, although it doesn't have the features of cordap's digicam. but then i can always use the PC. maybe i'll try it soon.

digital photography doesn't mean you're always on 'AUTO' mode. take it from me, even manipulating the white balance ALONE can already do wonders to your shots.

the irony of it all is that, digital photograhy will give you better pictures if you set it on MANUAL mode. but of course that requires mastery in handling shutter speed and aperture.

one of the downsides of digital photography is careless creativity----enthusiasts/hobbyists take indescriminate shots knowing fully well that they can hit "delete" anytime or manipulate the shots using PC. and that's bad because it erodes discipline the craft of photography requires. unlike in the days of yore where one must be careful and meticulous before hitting the clicker because the cost of the film was a consideration.

hayyyyy photography, i can go on and on and on and on!


Thank you K-Spy! I agree with you. Although, the best way to improve your photography...shoot, shoot and then shoot some more. Sige lamang kay mag photo shoot kita ngad-on sa Tago kun puhon makauli ako. :-D :-D :-D

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kampanaryo_spy
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Unread post by kampanaryo_spy »

bon,

amo da gihapon. unhon sa iton SHOOT, SHOOT, and SHOOT tapos an ending IKAW gihapon astan si CORDAPS an mag post! hahahaha

nanga dili mo anad kanako ini na site when posting of pictures is concerned? =P~
"Most claims of originality are testimony to ignorance and most claims of magic are testimony to hubris." -James March-

BONSAL
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Unread post by BONSAL »

More of My Sample Shots



Image
Jungle Outpost @ EK








Image
Ortigas Area









Image
Makati Area
"Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow."
- ronald e. Osborn

BONSAL
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Unread post by BONSAL »

kampanaryo_spy wrote:bon,

amo da gihapon. unhon sa iton SHOOT, SHOOT, and SHOOT tapos an ending IKAW gihapon astan si CORDAPS an mag post! hahahaha

nanga dili mo anad kanako ini na site when posting of pictures is concerned? =P~


Amo lamang....hehehe! Anay sige ako isip nan iban pa na alternative para makapost na kaw gayud nganhi. Sige lamang kay ako e update an Image Attachment feature nan ini na forum para masayon na an pagpost nan mga pics. =P~

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