New to SLR cameras

[Fletch 219]

I still haven't messed with video on my 5D....I'm sure I'll end up using it someday though!

[Eddie20 0]

Full Auto mode can still lend itself to great pictures, I just wouldn't count on it. My wife and I both use our Rebel XTi. She takes some great pictures, I take some great pictures. But we get there by totally different means. We usually shoot hockey games, or dance performances...both with tough lighting conditions. She shoots in P mode usually, and shoots EVERYTHING. She'll fire off 400 shots in an hour. Then we have to whittle down what she shot into useable pictures. I am just the opposite. Everything is shot in M mode, and I pick and choose my shots carefully. For me, her methodology is just crazy. P mode puts you at the mercy of the camera almost as much as full auto. And the spray and pray shooting drives me bonkers. But it works for her, so I guess thats all that matters.

Even full auto isn't idiot proof though. It just set the exposure. It doesn't consider what's going on in the scene, so you are stuck with whatever metering it gave you. And if you are using a long lens, whatever shutter speed it came up with, which is usually far too slow for the 1/focal length rule.

I can't say enough about learning to use the manual modes. When you start to understand the relationship between shutter speed, aperture, and iso speed, you can start to put things together to get better results. While you can still come back to the auto modes when you need a quick shot without any thinking involved, after time, I think you'll find the manual modes will become the go-to option.

[Fletch 219]

I finally got the blog portion of my site up, in case anyone wants to take a look. Right now I am doing quite a bit of portrait work but eventually will work my way into doing full-time Wedding Photography. I have assisted on a couple now and it's actually really fun. And the pay is amazing, once you establish yourself.

Here's the link - thoughts/comments/suggestions welcome! :)

Brian Fletcher Photography

(there's quite a few images on there, so it may take a little bit for everything to load)

[Officer Dangle 0]

Fletch, you have some really awesome stuff. I wish I had the time shoot more. I always toyed with the idea of starting a small sports photography gig using zenfolio.com, I just can't take the time off of work to establish myself :/

I'm not too sure I agree with the person who posted the shoot on full manual hing. I totally agree that everyone even remotely interested in photography should learn the principles of exposure/shutter speed and aperture/18% gray and at least look into the zone system, but, IMO, priority modes and setting your meter to underexpose a stop or two can yield excellent results. I set my D80 to underexpose 2 stops and keep it in aperture priority almost exclusively. Underexposing insures I never have any blown out highlights and I can chose the depth of field I want and the camera can just give me a shutter speed. I'll play with curves in Photoshop or GIMP to get the exposure correct. I could always just look in the viewfinder and turn two dials instead of one, but the generation I'm growing up in is full of laziness I suppose, lolol.

Anyways, OP, Sony will be overpriced usually. Nikon and Canon are the most readily available most likely. You may have to look a little harder to find Pentax/Sigma/etc. accessories. Take out a basic photo book at your library. Check out strobist.com and photo.net. There are some unreal photographers on those sites. And KEH has amazing deals on used gear. Oh yeah, if you like photography, don't stop at digital. Film is amazing.

[Fletch 219]

Thanks for the compliments! Much appreciated.

Oh and BTW, I was the one who said to shoot on full manual....haha. Just my opinion ;)

[McDougalfaschnitzer 32]

My 20D's shutter release is starting to fade after over 4 years of good use, with no where near enough money to get a replacement, so that's going to suck when it finally kicks the bucket. Anyway, I use Manual and AV mode mostly, but depending on what I'm shooting I won't have enough time to switch things around so I'll stick with AV. Camera aside, my setup isn't that great but I get by.

Some stuff: http://www.bmgfx.net/gallery

[Eddie20 0]

Thanks for the compliments! Much appreciated.

Oh and BTW, I was the one who said to shoot on full manual....haha. Just my opinion ;)

there is a time and a place for full manual. Av and Tv can be great from time to time, but sometimes you need to be able to lock in your settings a bit better. For instance, at the hockey rink if I am shooting Av, my shutter speed will likely vary from 1/160 to 1/500. At 200mm, 1/160 isn't even close to appropriate. So I lock in around 1/400, and if I underexpose a shot or two, I can at least mostly bring em back, whereas, I can't pull out the blur at 1/160.

And in some conditions where you have some tricky lights or darks, and depending on your camera, and its metering ability, you might be fighting with exposure. So aside from bracketing your shot and doing HDR, you might need to make a sacrifice and crush some blacks, or blow a highlight here and there. With the Av/Tv modes, you might end up under/over exposing a part of the frame that you did not intend to, if the camera so decides to meter off that tricky area that you didn't care about. Using the manual mode is one way to get around such a problem (in some cases).

You just can't rule it out. Once you know how to use it to your advantage, its a great tool to have. Av and Tv have their place, and are very useful, but you can just squeeze a bit more out of your camera if you can use the M mode.

[Fletch 219]

I totally agree, Eddie. Well said...

[Hockeyman11385 1]

Eddie, very well said.

Fletch, those are some great pictures. You are very talented with portrait photos. I struggle with them, although it definitely shows that "candid" shots are the way to go when shooting people (something that I have always thought). The one that really stuck out was the group beach shot from the wedding. That is a great pic and I'm sure was very popular.

[Fletch 219]

Thanks for the compliments!

Actually I was only assisting the main photographer with that wedding, so the wedding party never even saw my photos...haha. I assisted with one yesterday again and somehow managed to snap off 1500 shots while holding his lenses and second body (I had my 5DmkII on me too). I think I got a few decent ones but I couldn't get the angles I wanted obviously because I had to hang back and stay out of the shot.

I hope to start second shooting for him soon, then be out on my own for the most part. I don't mind the portrait stuff but shooting kids is hard because they don't stand still or smile (my son is the worst...heh).

[AHF 1]

A (stupid) question for the more experienced folks:

When shooting at a sporting event, what mode to you guys use?

I've had my D40 for a lil' while now, but I haven't mastered it by any means. I don't shoot nearly as often as I should/want, so I'm still getting familiar with it. As such, I've been shooting in Auto for the most part. I've started experimenting with the other modes, without much success, so I figure this would be a good place to get a few tips...photography message boards can be a little intimidating.

What settings would be 'ideal' for fast sporting events?

Any tips/tricks for learning to shoot manual, besides trial and error?

[Hockeyman11385 1]

The biggest question is whether you are inside or outside.

That will make a big difference. Also, what kind of lens do you have?

The biggest tip is that you have to go 1/focal length to get sharp pictures (in general) in terms of shaking blur. For freezing action you may have to go faster than that.

For example:

A picture taken at 200mm will need a shutter speed of 1/200 s to get a sharp picture.

[AHF 1]

I've got the kit lens that came with the camera: AF-S DX 18-55 mm

I wish I had a better zoom, but I figure I should master this one before making the step up to something better...

Here's a sample of my work. It pales in comparison to yours, but whatever. ;)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mario-949/sets/

(Most of those were shot in Auto, with a few exceptions, those being the most recent ones.)

My biggest struggle at the moment, while shooting in Manual, is blurriness. I shake a fair bit, so unless I shoot with a tripod or shoot in auto, my pictures will be blurry.

As far as my original question is concerned regarding sporting events...let's say indoors, say...a hockey game. This past weekend, I had the opportunity attend the Brick Tournament at West Edmonton Mall, and the photographer on hand had his pictures displayed on a monitor, and I was amazed at how crisp and clear his pictures were. I understand that a lot of it has to do with experience and practice, but man...I was jealous! :lol:

(...and yes, I know he had much better equipment than I did. Haha.)

[Fletch 219]

I added some new photos of my kids that I shot as well as some photos of a Wedding I assisted on a couple weeks ago, in case anyone is interested :)

http://www.brianfletcherphotography.com/blog/