Help me take better pictures...

[EnchantedPrincess]

Ok, I am embarassed to be even posting my pictures here but I figure this is the only way for me to learn how to use my camera! I am shooting with a Canon XTi and a Tamron 28-75mm lens. Up until recently I have always use the automatic mode so I don't have to mess with the different settings. I read the thread on exposure and it really helped me understand exposure.

Anyway, so I tried to take some practice pictures today and my dd is my subject (excuse the messy and goofy look! LOL). My picture just aren't as sharp as I would like for it to be...they are actually blurry when I have it on any setting other than automatic. OK, so I took some pictures with the Av, Aperture Priority setting - if I understood correctly, I set the aperture and the ISO, and the camera handles the shutterspeed, right? All the following pictures are taken at ISO 400. It is taken indoor in our living room. The first two I took without flash - seem like there should be enough light but maybe not?

The first picture I took turned out blurry (well, I think they are allblurry and not sharp!): (No flash, at 60mm, f/2.8, 1/15)

Then I tried this one and set the aperture to 4.0 (no flash, at 56mm, f/4.0, 1/10)

Then I took this next one with the flash on with aperture of 4.0 (flash, at 56mm, f/4.0, 1/25)

So what can I do to take great pictures like the rest of you? Thanks!!!

Jenny

 

[DVC Jen]

I would say in the first two your shutter speed was too slow.

Have you heard about the book Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson? It is awesome - very easy to understand and read - and a huge help. You can get it on Amazon.

I sat there reading it - checking my manual - checking my camera - until i understood what he was talking about - then I would move on.

 

[handicap18]

What ISO were you using? The shutter speeds are way to slow for handheld and a moving subject. You'd want at least a 1/60th shutter. The fastest you have here is the last one at 1/25th.

 

[EnchantedPrincess]

That's what I thought - the shutter speed is too low, but do I have control of the shutter speed when I am in Aperture Priority mode? All the above are at ISO 400. I tried ISO 200 as well and they were also blurry. What is the best mode to be shooting in?

I just ordered the Understanding Exposure book from Amazon.com and should have it Monday.

 

[Furgus]

I would try shooting in P mode, look at the aperture and shutter and think why is the camera choosing these settings. P mode it like full auto but you have a lot more control. You can change the shutter,the ap will change too, and you can tell it when to fire the flash. There are A LOT of awesome photographers that shoot in P mode. A good rule of thumb is also, keep your shutter speed around the same as your focal length. So if you are shooting 200mm your shutter should be 1/250. Your first pic, if it was 1/60 you would have gotten a very clear picture.

I mostly shoot in A mode cause I want to control my DOF and could care less about my shutter since most of my work is in sunlight or off camera flash,and if I can't get a fast enough shutter speed then I get the tripod...which I mostly do anyways if I am doing landscape work. If I was shooting Hockey Games, then I switch to P or shutter cause I want stop the action. Understanding Exposure is a good book, but there are better ones out there. The Moment it Click by Joe McNally is one of them. Very technical, but best photography book I have ever read.

 

[DizneyNutz]

I would say in the first two your shutter speed was too slow.

Have you heard about the book Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson? It is awesome - very easy to understand and read - and a huge help. You can get it on Amazon.

I sat there reading it - checking my manual - checking my camera - until i understood what he was talking about - then I would move on.

Understanding Exposure is going to "Turn on the lightbulb" as to what you are seeing and what the camera is telling you your settings will capture. I believe you will find the book to be an asset.

 

[DueyDooDah]

Try shooting in Tv mode for an indoor shot. Although not the usual way of shooting, you can control the shutter speed then. Try shooting at least as fast 1/50th (depending on your focal length) and see if exposure remains OK. If so, try increasing shutter speed to see if you get a sharper picture.

The real answer though is to use a stable platform. It's not alway practical but it will surely give you a sharp phot in nearly any condition (except high wind, earthquakes, nearby explosions, etc.) If you have a small tripod, you can use it against a wall to have more portability than setting it on the floor.

 

[Master Mason]

That's what I thought - the shutter speed is too low, but do I have control of the shutter speed when I am in Aperture Priority mode? All the above are at ISO 400. I tried ISO 200 as well and they were also blurry. What is the best mode to be shooting in?

I just ordered the Understanding Exposure book from Amazon.com and should have it Monday.

So your in AV mode. That does mean your setting ISO and Apeture, and the camera picks shutter speed. If you look at the shutter speed the camera is chosing, you can do this by presing half way down on the shutter button. If you notice it is not fast enough you have 2 options. 1 bump up the ISO, in your case you were shooting at 400 so if you went to 800 you gain an extra stop in shutter speed, if you increase it to 1600 you gain 2 stops.

When you tried it at 100 you were actually making the shutter go slower.

Second option is to open the apeture up. If you were at f/4 you could go to f/2.8 and gain an extra stop of shutter speed as well.