New to Photography! - Zilvia.net Forums | Nissan 240SX (Silvia) and Z (Fairlady) Car Forum

jimmytango00 · 09-06-2007, 12:42 AM

Well i just bought my first camera after messing around with my buddies for a few weeks now. I've been taking pictures of a few of my buddies car's to practice...im a newb to photography so feel free to criticize and give me some pointers if your good at this. Im also hoping to practice a little more so if any of you guys need any pictures of your cars and your in the los angeles area hit me up. Anyway here are some pics ive taken so far.....

luisgonz · 09-06-2007, 12:46 AM

Oh man Is that,, Is that.....No...Wait .....Let me get a closer Look..........Holy Mother of God....It is........I forgot what I was going to say.

Wow Too much car Porn there Buddy.

2iv0 sx · 09-06-2007, 12:47 AM

What camera do you have?

jimmytango00 · 09-06-2007, 01:01 AM

Its a Nikon D40x

2iv0 sx · 09-06-2007, 01:25 AM

Sick! thats the one I'm getting

Whered you get yours from?

adrians_s13 · 09-06-2007, 01:30 AM

eeeyy... i know that car....

jimmytango00 · 09-06-2007, 01:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2iv0 sx

Sick! thats the one I'm getting

Whered you get yours from?

I got those package deals on ebay ..store was called Barclay's photos. Its a great camera man you should get it...super easy to use.

ramblux · 09-06-2007, 01:46 AM

Pointer: set camera to manual mode and learn how every aperture and shutter change affects your images.

jimmytango00 · 09-06-2007, 01:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ramblux

Pointer: set camera to manual mode and learn how every aperture and shutter change affects your images.

So far thats where im at right now.. i started taking them on auto first and then no flash... but all these pics i posted were taken on manual mode. I dont really understand the ISO though i dont know when it should be changed or if it should be set to one setting.

ramblux · 09-06-2007, 04:12 AM

Basically, you want to keep your ISO at 100 or 200 whenever possible. The higher the ISO, the grainier the images will be. I raise the ISO whenever I can no longer hand-hold a shot (too slow a shutter speed due to light conditions) and can't compensate by using a larger aperture (smaller f-stop number).

Cliff's notes: If you can't get a shot in focus and have tried everything else, raise the ISO (but as little as possible).

cleantune · 09-06-2007, 05:50 AM

lighting is KEY. Pictures taken early in the morning (sunrise) and close to night (sunset), tend to look sick.

TheTimanator · 09-06-2007, 06:46 AM

get a tripod, especially for night shots so you can have longer exposures.

Take pictures in raw mode so that you can change white balance as well as change other settings without affecting the quality as much as a jpeg. Along those lines, get decent editing software.

**mrmephistopheles** · 09-06-2007, 08:21 AM

research composition as well.
hint: rule of thirds.

kyoru · 09-06-2007, 08:56 AM

pretty good for a beginner, the composition and lighting of the cars need some work.

this was a really good picture though

jimmytango00 · 09-06-2007, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrmephistopheles

research composition as well.
hint: rule of thirds.

I'll look into this, thanks. I have a cheap tripod but i figured i didnt need anything fancy while im learning. Thanks for all the tips guys..oh and for editing i have photoshop CS2 which im completely clueless at but im messing with it aswell.

Pank · 09-06-2007, 09:51 AM

this was bugging me about your first few shots:

KEEP YOUR HORIZONS LEVEL

KEEP YOUR HORIZONS LEVEL

KEEP YOUR HORIZONS LEVEL

KEEP YOUR HORIZONS LEVEL

KEEP YOUR HORIZONS LEVEL

KEEP YOUR HORIZONS LEVEL

KEEP YOUR HORIZONS LEVEL

other than that, shoot in full manual mode. Immersing yourself is the best way to become accomidated.

jimmytango00 · 09-06-2007, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pank

this was bugging me about your first few shots:

KEEP YOUR HORIZONS LEVEL

KEEP YOUR HORIZONS LEVEL

KEEP YOUR HORIZONS LEVEL

KEEP YOUR HORIZONS LEVEL

KEEP YOUR HORIZONS LEVEL

KEEP YOUR HORIZONS LEVEL

KEEP YOUR HORIZONS LEVEL

other than that, shoot in full manual mode. Immersing yourself is the best way to become accomidated.

I think i know what you mean... some of the shots make my eyes hurt cause of the way the lines travel...but i guess thats where composition comes into play.

pinkarrowsnow · 09-06-2007, 01:10 PM

Hey guys I'm starting to take a class in school for photography can anyone recommend a good digital cam like but on the cheaper side not like 900-1000 bucks. Sorry for the threadjack

TheSquidd · 09-06-2007, 01:25 PM

Low end of Nikon's line is great, but aren't photography classes done in Film?

D40, d40x, d50.

pinkarrowsnow · 09-06-2007, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheSquidd

Low end of Nikon's line is great, but aren't photography classes done in Film?

D40, d40x, d50.

Thanks thats what ive been looking at, but nope its not in film school doesn't have a dark room so they rather digital and you learn some advanced photoshop stuff.

luisgonz · 09-06-2007, 01:53 PM

This might sound weird But i love the smell of the dark room's.HHMMMMMM

TheSquidd · 09-06-2007, 03:18 PM

I wrote a whole bunch of technique crap here :

http://www.zilvia.net/f/showthread.php?t=140879

jimmytango00 · 09-07-2007, 01:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheTimanator

get a tripod, especially for night shots so you can have longer exposures.

Take pictures in raw mode so that you can change white balance as well as change other settings without affecting the quality as much as a jpeg. Along those lines, get decent editing software.

i tried shooting in raw mode today but i cant open the files to view them. I tried opening them with Photoshop CS2 but it say's its not the right kind of document...? am i doing something wrong?

anyways i took a few more pics today with the tips you guys gave me ...check them out and give me some feed back.

TheSquidd · 09-07-2007, 01:30 AM

Great color and exposure on #1.

I like the composition of #2.

atom · 09-07-2007, 04:08 AM

Are you doing any post processing? The colors in the car photos seem a bit oversaturated, especially the mustang. I guess some people like that though.

TheTimanator · 09-07-2007, 06:14 AM

http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/cameraraw.html

It's a plugin you have to download to be able to edit them in Photoshop. Trust me, if you do any post processing, shooting in raw mode is a good idea.

Just so you know, after you are done editing your pictures in raw format you have to convert them to jpeg so anyone can see them. In Photoshop elements you have to click Save for web to convert them. It does take longer to finish a picture than it would if you shot in jpeg, but the outcome is worth it IMO.

Pank · 09-07-2007, 11:20 AM

plus, with the adobe raw app, you can change exposure and saturation after you take the picture. its pretty fucking cool, actually.

Also, the picture of the kid by the pool is spot on, great job.

take a look at strobist for information on off camera lighting when you advance, its a great site to start from.

jimmytango00 · 09-07-2007, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pank

plus, with the adobe raw app, you can change exposure and saturation after you take the picture. its pretty fucking cool, actually.

Also, the picture of the kid by the pool is spot on, great job.

take a look at strobist for information on off camera lighting when you advance, its a great site to start from.

cool thanks man i'll def. check that out..yeah the pool shot is pretty cool one of my favs. Thanks for all the tips guys this stuff is really helping me out... its kinda cool how i drive around now and im always looking at places and thinking "shit that looks like a good place to shoot"

well i'll post up more pictures as im learning, you guys should post up some of your shots aswell.

jimmytango00 · 09-12-2007, 02:16 AM

got a few new shots in yesterday and today ...I'm getting alot more comfortable with the camera so thats a +. Well here are the pics and let me know what im doing wrong or right ....

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

kdashy · 09-12-2007, 02:19 AM

Lookin' good.

09-06-2007, 01:30 AM	#6
adrians_s13 Post Whore! Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: long beach, CA ^_^ Age: 36 Posts: 2,877 Trader Rating: (29) Feedback Score: 29 reviews	eeeyy... i know that car.... __________________ @adrianfromthecastle

09-06-2007, 06:46 AM	#12
TheTimanator Post Whore! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Nashville Age: 38 Posts: 2,535 Trader Rating: (1) Rides Gallery: TheTimanator Feedback Score: 1 reviews	get a tripod, especially for night shots so you can have longer exposures. Take pictures in raw mode so that you can change white balance as well as change other settings without affecting the quality as much as a jpeg. Along those lines, get decent editing software. __________________ 89 S13 hatch/////98 Subaru 2.5RS

09-06-2007, 08:56 AM	#14
kyoru Zilvia Addict Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 880 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	pretty good for a beginner, the composition and lighting of the cars need some work. this was a really good picture though __________________

09-06-2007, 09:51 AM	#16
Pank Post Whore! Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Charlotte, NC Age: 38 Posts: 3,627 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	this was bugging me about your first few shots: KEEP YOUR HORIZONS LEVEL KEEP YOUR HORIZONS LEVEL KEEP YOUR HORIZONS LEVEL KEEP YOUR HORIZONS LEVEL KEEP YOUR HORIZONS LEVEL KEEP YOUR HORIZONS LEVEL KEEP YOUR HORIZONS LEVEL other than that, shoot in full manual mode. Immersing yourself is the best way to become accomidated. __________________ high performance driveway photography zenki s14---v8 fc rx7 my crappy flickr page (drift cars whoo)

09-06-2007, 01:25 PM	#19
TheSquidd Post Whore! Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Where dirt goes to die. Posts: 3,165 Trader Rating: (7) Rides Gallery: TheSquidd Feedback Score: 7 reviews	Low end of Nikon's line is great, but aren't photography classes done in Film? D40, d40x, d50. __________________ www.squidd.org www.violent-running.org

09-06-2007, 12:42 AM	#1
jimmytango00 Users Awaiting Email Confirmation Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Los Angeles, CA Age: 36 Posts: 2,249 Trader Rating: (14) Feedback Score: 14 reviews	New to Photography! Well i just bought my first camera after messing around with my buddies for a few weeks now. I've been taking pictures of a few of my buddies car's to practice...im a newb to photography so feel free to criticize and give me some pointers if your good at this. Im also hoping to practice a little more so if any of you guys need any pictures of your cars and your in the los angeles area hit me up. Anyway here are some pics ive taken so far.....

09-06-2007, 12:46 AM	#2
luisgonz BANNED Join Date: May 2004 Location: los angeles Age: 38 Posts: 2,761 Trader Rating: (6) Feedback Score: 6 reviews	Oh man Is that,, Is that.....No...Wait .....Let me get a closer Look..........Holy Mother of God....It is........I forgot what I was going to say. Wow Too much car Porn there Buddy.

09-06-2007, 12:47 AM	#3
2iv0 sx Zilvia FREAK! Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Lng Bch Calfna Posts: 1,442 Trader Rating: (20) Feedback Score: 20 reviews	What camera do you have?

09-06-2007, 01:01 AM	#4
jimmytango00 Users Awaiting Email Confirmation Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Los Angeles, CA Age: 36 Posts: 2,249 Trader Rating: (14) Feedback Score: 14 reviews	Its a Nikon D40x

09-06-2007, 01:25 AM	#5
2iv0 sx Zilvia FREAK! Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Lng Bch Calfna Posts: 1,442 Trader Rating: (20) Feedback Score: 20 reviews	Sick! thats the one I'm getting Whered you get yours from?

09-06-2007, 01:46 AM	#8
ramblux Zilvia Addict Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 735 Trader Rating: (1) Feedback Score: 1 reviews	Pointer: set camera to manual mode and learn how every aperture and shutter change affects your images.

09-06-2007, 04:12 AM	#10
ramblux Zilvia Addict Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 735 Trader Rating: (1) Feedback Score: 1 reviews	Basically, you want to keep your ISO at 100 or 200 whenever possible. The higher the ISO, the grainier the images will be. I raise the ISO whenever I can no longer hand-hold a shot (too slow a shutter speed due to light conditions) and can't compensate by using a larger aperture (smaller f-stop number). Cliff's notes: If you can't get a shot in focus and have tried everything else, raise the ISO (but as little as possible).

09-06-2007, 05:50 AM	#11
cleantune BANNED Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: downingtown Age: 33 Posts: 268 Trader Rating: (4) Feedback Score: 4 reviews	lighting is KEY. Pictures taken early in the morning (sunrise) and close to night (sunset), tend to look sick.

09-06-2007, 01:10 PM	#18
pinkarrowsnow Zilvia Addict Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: NJ Posts: 639 Trader Rating: (2) Feedback Score: 2 reviews	Hey guys I'm starting to take a class in school for photography can anyone recommend a good digital cam like but on the cheaper side not like 900-1000 bucks. Sorry for the threadjack

09-06-2007, 01:53 PM	#21
luisgonz BANNED Join Date: May 2004 Location: los angeles Age: 38 Posts: 2,761 Trader Rating: (6) Feedback Score: 6 reviews	This might sound weird But i love the smell of the dark room's.HHMMMMMM

09-06-2007, 03:18 PM	#22
TheSquidd Post Whore! Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Where dirt goes to die. Posts: 3,165 Trader Rating: (7) Rides Gallery: TheSquidd Feedback Score: 7 reviews	I wrote a whole bunch of technique crap here : http://www.zilvia.net/f/showthread.php?t=140879 __________________ www.squidd.org www.violent-running.org

09-07-2007, 01:30 AM	#24
TheSquidd Post Whore! Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Where dirt goes to die. Posts: 3,165 Trader Rating: (7) Rides Gallery: TheSquidd Feedback Score: 7 reviews	Great color and exposure on #1. I like the composition of #2. __________________ www.squidd.org www.violent-running.org

09-07-2007, 04:08 AM	#25
atom Zilvia FREAK! Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: San Francisco Posts: 1,196 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Are you doing any post processing? The colors in the car photos seem a bit oversaturated, especially the mustang. I guess some people like that though.

09-07-2007, 06:14 AM	#26
TheTimanator Post Whore! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Nashville Age: 38 Posts: 2,535 Trader Rating: (1) Rides Gallery: TheTimanator Feedback Score: 1 reviews	http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/cameraraw.html It's a plugin you have to download to be able to edit them in Photoshop. Trust me, if you do any post processing, shooting in raw mode is a good idea. Just so you know, after you are done editing your pictures in raw format you have to convert them to jpeg so anyone can see them. In Photoshop elements you have to click Save for web to convert them. It does take longer to finish a picture than it would if you shot in jpeg, but the outcome is worth it IMO. __________________ 89 S13 hatch/////98 Subaru 2.5RS

09-07-2007, 11:20 AM	#27
Pank Post Whore! Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Charlotte, NC Age: 38 Posts: 3,627 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	plus, with the adobe raw app, you can change exposure and saturation after you take the picture. its pretty fucking cool, actually. Also, the picture of the kid by the pool is spot on, great job. take a look at strobist for information on off camera lighting when you advance, its a great site to start from. __________________ high performance driveway photography zenki s14---v8 fc rx7 my crappy flickr page (drift cars whoo)

09-12-2007, 02:16 AM	#29
jimmytango00 Users Awaiting Email Confirmation Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Los Angeles, CA Age: 36 Posts: 2,249 Trader Rating: (14) Feedback Score: 14 reviews	got a few new shots in yesterday and today ...I'm getting alot more comfortable with the camera so thats a +. Well here are the pics and let me know what im doing wrong or right .... 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

09-12-2007, 02:19 AM	#30
kdashy Zilvia FREAK! Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Been here longer than you bitch! Posts: 1,296 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Lookin' good. __________________

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