Photography tips needed

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Mister Bill
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Photography tips needed

#1

Post by Mister Bill »

My pictures suck.

I have a good point and shoot camera.

Does anyone have any brief, useful tips, like lighting.

Natural light, sun up, sun down, high noon, shadey areas, kitchen table, incandescent lights, led lights, etc?

Thanks.

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roycestearns
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Re: Photography tips needed

#2

Post by roycestearns »

Natural light always beats artificial.

The more the better, you can't have enough light. Cloudy bright natural light reduces shadows.

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PlaneOldMike
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Re: Photography tips needed

#3

Post by PlaneOldMike »

Backlighting ruins good photos. Be sure your light source is behind/ even/ beside the lense, never behind the subject.
Just a guy, trying to build a tool.

photoguy
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Re: Photography tips needed

#4

Post by photoguy »

Take a class. Lots of community colleges, art schools, etc. have adult ed classes. They're fun and you'll learn way more than you can here.

Chased
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Re: Photography tips needed

#5

Post by Chased »

I make a significant portion of my income from photography of various sorts. I will echo what has already been said, find a class. Local camera stores often do very economical hands on classes targeted at varying degrees of skill levels. You mentioned point and shoot...in the grand scheme of things, a point and shoot should do just that, point AND shoot. No thinking or advanced photography knowledge needed. Youtube is also a a godsend when it comes to learning. I'd start with a brief Google of your specifc camera model, from there dive down to specifics. Often overlooked is editing software. Adobe has a chokehold on the market with Lightroom and Photoshop. There are others, but Adobe does have some of the best products.

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ibookje
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Re: Photography tips needed

#6

Post by ibookje »

Additions to the tips above try not to put the subject in the center. A bit to the right or left of the center makes a more interesting picture.
Look up about the rule of thirds.

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GerardH
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Re: Photography tips needed

#7

Post by GerardH »

Get to know your camera and its functions. Also learn composition and lighting -- this was mandatory back in the film days but seems to be a lost art 20 years into the digital photography era. Know the exposure triangle and the relationship between shutter speed, aperture, and ISO -- that is a basic requirement if you want to move beyond snapshots.

I don't think you tell us what kind of photography you're struggling with -- landscape? sports? wildlife? indoor? architecture? portrait? macro? Each one of those have their own elements that you need to recognize and account for with your photography equipment.

Mister Bill
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Joined: 12/25/11 08:20

Re: Photography tips needed

#8

Post by Mister Bill »

I am just trying to photo my rods, reels and fishing accessories to sell here and ebay.

I have been having a lot of trouble with glare and things like wavy lines in the varnish picture when there is nothing wavy going on.

Thanks, everyone.

Bill

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GerardH
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Re: Photography tips needed

#9

Post by GerardH »

Try using indirect lighting -- natural would be best -- to avoid reflection or glare. Shoot without a flash, which may require having to employ a tripod for stabilization. Use a higher aperture (if it's adjustable on your camera) to get more of the subject in focus unless you're going for a limited depth of field for effect. If you're shooting closeups, see if your camera has a macro setting and learn how to use it to your advantage. Most modern point & shoot cameras have a lot in-camera features and maybe play around with settings that offer more saturation and contrast for extra punch. Film is cheap with digital, so shoot a ton of images with different lighting, angles, and distances to figure out what works best.

Good luck!

chugbug
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Location: New Orleans

Re: Photography tips needed

#10

Post by chugbug »

"Neewer" puts out some nicely priced dimmable led lighting. Here's a two-pack on Amazon with stands for under $50. Aim them at angles to eliminate shadows and not head on with either (to avoid glare).
https://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Dimmable- ... 518&sr=8-4
The wavy stuff is just a phenomenon of digital capture. Try lower iso, higher resolution, backing away or going closer, changing point of focus, angle of attack, etc. Here's an article
https://photographylife.com/what-is-moire/amp

NewUtahCaneAngler
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Re: Photography tips needed

#11

Post by NewUtahCaneAngler »

I have an orphan tip from an unknown 8' rod that I'm willing to sell cheap ;-)

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lfentfish
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Re: Photography tips needed

#12

Post by lfentfish »

Bill,
Most sellers in those markets are using some form of light tent to avoid glare, etc. You can make your own, but many can be found online for under $20 and would be perfect for reels, lures, etc.
Larry

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Brian K. Shaffer
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Re: Photography tips needed

#13

Post by Brian K. Shaffer »

Thank you all very much for your wonderful advice.
I will read and read this page many times over.
" There's no such thing as a fly fisherman wholly satisfied with his casting performance. " ~ Jim Green (1971)
" Just once I wish a trout would wink at me. " ~ Brian Shaffer

Use the SEARCH for justification and reasoning.

TFHough
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Re: Photography tips needed

#14

Post by TFHough »

Advice from a 30 year pro... While making an image, follow the rule of 3rds and, more importantly, imho, pay particular attention to your backgrounds. What is behind your subject? What distracts? Many pix are ruined, not because the subject is not worthy, but because there is too much unwanted, unnecessary "stuff" drawing viewers attention away from what you want them to see. Isolate your subject. If you can't, don't make the image.

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