14 year old wanna be photographer in need of help.

[WDWFreakOfOklahoma.]

Hi!
So, i'm 14 years old and I love photography.
It makes me smile.
Every Disney World trip I get so pumped up when I look at the photography boards and want to take good Disney World pictures.
Then when I get to Disney World I can't seem to get it just right..
I also just need some tips on how to make my photography better!
Disney World..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/carajudith/4867101779/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/carajudith/4867103529/in/photostream/
(I don't have many Disney World pictures that i'm not so embarrassed by to show)
Regular pictures..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/carajudith/4939983566/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/carajudith/4939982868/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/carajudith/4939981970/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/carajudith/4939981234/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/carajudith/4939395429/in/photostream/

Thanks for any help!
:]

[AlbertZeroK]

Wow, where to start.

First, you have a good eye, but I yern for more detail in your pictures. They seem either a bit bright or a bit dark. Are you using a point and shoot?

Second, it's not always about the camera, but I have an advantage because I shoot with a DSLR (a couple of them actually) and pro grade lenses. But that doesn't mean you can't get good shots, just that I have an advantage and can get some shots you can't.

Third, photography is about light. Aperture, shutter speed and ISO control light and depth of field. Ever seen someone's picture where the background is blurred, that's controlled by Aperture or the opening allowing light in on the lens. You need to understand the relationship of these three items in order to completely control your camera.

I would look at pictures, a lot of pictures. See what style you like. Pay attention to things like the rule of thirds and negative space. I love negative space! It's my thing!

Try taking your camera out of auto mode. I shoot primarily in Aperture Priority Mode (Av), using ISO to control my shutter speed. Your images are marked as being taken with an Sx120. This camera will allow you to really take control of the camera and how it shoots. Read up on your camera in the manual.

Once you get how ISO, Aperture and shutter speed effect your shooting, you'll understand why it's so important! :)

Good Luck!

[photo_chick]

It looks like you are already looking for interesting shots. You just need to work on your craft. Learning the technical basics will take you to that next step.

Aperture, ISO and shutter speed. Start there. Learn how they work together to make the exposure. It's laid out on several sites already so I won't here. And wikipedia actually has some good articles that people have contributed on the subject as well. Or if you have some money to spend there are several good books out that cover the subject.

[Pea-n-Me]

I like your pictures. :thumbsup2

Keep shooting! And reading! And shooting some more!

[ChiSoxKeith]

I like your shots and your enthusiasm. You made the right first step by asking what you could do to learn more.

Try reading over at www.photofocus.com.

Do you ever listen to podcasts? Try the companion podcast to the site (Photofocus in iTunes). Lots of technical questions answered there and reviews / mentions of photography books and websites.

[VVFF]

I don't think your shots are bad at all. They may be a tad vivid for my tastes but I can tell you have an eye for composition which is probably the hardest thing to learn. Keep taking shots and look at other people's shots as examples. Learn what makes them interesting to you.

[SrisonS]

I don't think your shots are bad at all. ...... I can tell you have an eye for composition which is probably the hardest thing to learn. Keep taking shots and look at other people's shots as examples. Learn what makes them interesting to you.

Ditto!!!

You can already see a vast improvement from 2 years ago... When you were 12!!!!! I wish I had that much skills and determination for photography at that age.

So just keep on shooting, and keep being inspired by the work of others. Sooner or later, we'll be asking you for advice. ;)

"It is not from ourselves that we learn to be better than we are."
- Wendell Berry

[WDWFigment]

You're on the right track; I like what I see. Follow the advice the others gave, and consider getting a tripod for night shots. You might also want to change your camera's internal clock.

[alexensmom]

Here is a website that really helped my daughter. The tutorials are very easy for her to understand and lots of pictures to look at and compare. http://thepioneerwoman.com/photography/

[ssanders79]

Keep experimenting. I wish I started when I was your age.

I saw this in your photostream and thought it was quite unique. Looks like newsprint with selective color.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3276/2637440078_1d9f4fb5f0_t.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/carajudith/2637440078/)
Epcot. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/carajudith/2637440078/) by caraaaaaa. :D (http://www.flickr.com/people/carajudith/), on Flickr

[mrodgers]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/carajudith/4939982868/in/photostream/

I think this is fantastic. I like the composition and the getting in close. I like the exposure. Some folks will say it is over exposed with the blown out sections. I personally like the blown out sections and have many similarly exposed/processed photos like it myself. Perhaps in post processing the mid and low levels can be darkened a little bit more.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/carajudith/4939981970/in/photostream/

This is similar to above. I am also a big fan of partial desaturation and do that a lot. Again I like the over exposure.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/carajudith/4939981234/in/photostream/

Biggest problem with this is too wide of a focal length. See how big her nose, chin, and mouth is in proportion to the rest of the face? That is due to using too wide of a lens.

[Pineapple Whip]

I've always loved photography, but I'm getting into it more because it has become more accessible. I think digital photography has really come a long way in the past couple of years in terms of equipment. So as you'll find with most picture taking... you have to be in the right place at the right time.

I like some of the creative shots you have, like the one with the open book. I also like that you were able to catch the skywriter over the castle on a day he was able to get out a complete word... and then it is a good word right over the castle. There is a lot of luck and planning involved, being in the right place at the right time. Also, when in doubt, take the shot and you might be surprised. With that, if you can't get the shot but it involves position of the sun or something that occurs on schedule, make notes of the time, location, etc... and come back prepared for the shot.

I'm shooting with an SX1 and was able to tell the moment in your photostream when you began to use that SX120... or at least got really good at using it.

AlbertZeroK has some really good advice. I went with an SX1 because of cost and learn-ability, and I'm sure your 120 is in the same field. I wanted a D90 at the time, but I could not justify the price of a DSLR to my experience level. Instead I took the SX1 because it was an elevated point and shoot with a CMOS sensor and electronic viewfinder to show me the shot from the lens' perspective (know what SLR means, it has to do with a mirror and the viewfinder.) When it comes to lenses, my camera had the ones I needed most built in. I'm also looking for a pocket Canon since I frequently have great shots happening right in front of me, without having my bulky camera with me. Eventually, I'll need to decide on about $2,000 worth of DSLR to buy, but even then, I won't want to lug all that gear around and will still take the SX1 or pocket rocket to most places. There is also a feel to pulling the trigger on an SLR that is addictive.

Now I'm glad I went the cheap route because it forced me to work on my skills over the camera's features. I had to learn why my shots were bad and how to fix them. As with most things in life, it is never the equipment, but the user that makes a difference... and this is evident from some amazing pictures I have seen by a pro using a cell phone camera. If you train hard, then you'll play easy when it matters. The best equipment can only complement a skilled user, it can't make one.

In addition to lighting, framing shots, and all of your camera functions... learn to shoot in imperfect conditions. You did well on the jungle cruise where you were in motion and getting good shots, that's where the IS in your SX120 IS comes into play. Practice breathing, moving, targeting, and footwork while taking shots, because 90% of your subjects are moving and going about their real life, not in a studio or set up just for you. You have to work for your shots as a photographer, and usually that means shooting from the position you have, not the best one. That is where you make the shot. If you hold your camera freehanded and zoom out fully, use the viewfinder... you'll notice your breathing, heartbeat, and pulse as your image shakes (this gets worse the older you get).

Practice "snap shooting", where you look at your subject and can quickly bring your camera into position and take the shot in a smooth motion. Hand-eye coordination is important, and video games do help in this respect. Know the buttons on the camera and how to change settings without moving the cam or looking at buttons. Let your fingers do the work and keep your eye on the subject.

As for WDW, most things are in motion. All the action is what makes the place fun. Film is cheap and reusable these days, so don't be afraid to use it up. I recommend you get an 8GB or 16GB SDHC card and start using the continuous shot features to shoot in bursts of pictures. When you're on your computer later, you can pick out the best one from each sequence of shots.

Shoot in "Superfine+Large" to get the most from your shots. If your camera supports RAW, it is a waste unless you plan to do after shot photo processing (photoshop, etc..) on your computer later. I would rather get better at taking good pictures on the spot which don't require editing later. If you want to add effects later or "enhance" your photos, you'll want to shoot RAW. It's a digital world, so it pays to know how these things work.

For the fastest action shots, you'll need to use manual focus and skip the auto-focus. Try keeping a moving subject in focus... you'll see pros at a racetrack preparing for their shots with tripods and then shooting rapid-fire as the cars are whizzing by.

Remember that you could snap 1000 shots and only have 1 truly great picture. It's like finding a rare gem, and what makes it worthwhile.

Most of all... have fun! Don't forget to take snapshots for memories and candids as well. Don't get all bogged down in taking perfect pictures and forget you're there to have a good time. I often see the "pros" lugging tons of gear around and setting up perfect pictures... then forgetting to snap pics of their family on vacation. You want to look back and have photos which trigger memories, not subjects that look perfect. "Oh look the castle" sometimes means less than "mom or dad with a facefull of turkey leg at frontierland".

Also, try not to be annoying... some people don't like to turn around and have a lens in their face every moment. Work on balancing out your efforts and making people look good in your pics. If you appeal to their vanity and only show them pics where they look good (teach them to pose), they'll like you taking their picture. Find their "good side", and trash the pics where they look funny... unless there is a good story behind it.

[Geoff_M]

Hi!
So, i'm 14 years old and I love photography.
It makes me smile.
I'm glad you're enjoying the hobby... I think you have talent and potential. A non-standard angle is one of the best ways to draw attention to an image. However, you need to expand your horizons in terms of composition. A lot of your examples are firmly in the cell-phone-camera-extreme-close-up-Facebook-profile-photo genre on composition. Like they say "Not that there's anything wrong with that...", but if you're not careful you risk turning out photo cliches. We all do it at some point, but don't get bogged down in it.

As others have mentioned, the best thing you can do is study the fundamentals of light, exposure, in addition to studying composition.

[seashoreCM]

Practice your composition some more at home, at school, in town, in the country, etc.

At Disney you will of course get better pictures if you concentrate on composing them as opposed to thinking about what ride you are going on next or how to rack up high scores on Buzz Lightyear etc.

Because the screen viewfinder on a digital camera shows exactly what you will get, you can even do your composition on the spot using the viewfinder.

[spinetnglr]

You've got a really great eye and perspective. Keep shooting, reading, shooting, reading, shooting ........... you get the idea!