I'm not sure what I am doing wrong :(

[Altair]

Number 3 is very close, try cropping out some of the parking lot and see what you think.

 

[Groucho]

Changing the metering mode can make a huge difference in the exposure; if there is just one bright thing with a lot of dark around, you will want spot metering in order to get accurate exposure for that. Worst case, you can manually set exposure compensation.

If your camera has a two-second timer, you may want to use that - on mine, it automatically does mirror lock-up and turns off the IS in 2-second mode. Very nice to tripod shooting.

Your next step is probably to play with white balance a little - ideally, shoot in Raw and adjust it later; if you're not ready to do that, try setting WB to Tungsten for your night photos and see if you like that. Your shots are a bit "yellow" which is usually when happens with most DSLRs when presented with tungsten light (like indoors without a flash) - changing the white balance will give you much truer colors.

 

[tlcmommyx4]

Changing the metering mode can make a huge difference in the exposure; if there is just one bright thing with a lot of dark around, you will want spot metering in order to get accurate exposure for that. Worst case, you can manually set exposure compensation.

If your camera has a two-second timer, you may want to use that - on mine, it automatically does mirror lock-up and turns off the IS in 2-second mode. Very nice to tripod shooting.

Your next step is probably to play with white balance a little - ideally, shoot in Raw and adjust it later; if you're not ready to do that, try setting WB to Tungsten for your night photos and see if you like that. Your shots are a bit "yellow" which is usually when happens with most DSLRs when presented with tungsten light (like indoors without a flash) - changing the white balance will give you much truer colors.[/QUOTE]

Thank you so much, that is so true about the yellow in the pictures. I looked twice on my WB last night and was just not sure so I set it to Auto. I think tonight I am going to be brave and try mirror lock, I am going to have to find a new shot I'm sure that everyone is tired of seeing the same shot. I will change my metering as well. I don't know why I was thinking that if I used spot metering that it would only really focus on that one thing.

I really am learning, I promise, sometimes I think I am learning so much at one time and then forget to put into practice when I'm ready to take the picture:rotfl2.
One more request please, we are going Bowling on Thursday and I am sure that I will need a faster shutter speed to get some action shots, but the lighting in there will be horrible I'm sure. Can you send me in the right direction for some how to "In a Bowling Alley{

 

[Groucho]

One more request please, we are going Bowling on Thursday and I am sure that I will need a faster shutter speed to get some action shots, but the lighting in there will be horrible I'm sure. Can you send me in the right direction for some how to "In a Bowling Alley{

Make sure to turn your ISO up (you can leave it in Auto as long as you can adjust Auto or make sure that it goes it pretty high, at least 1600) and hope for the best! You might be able to get some fun photos setting the camera to use "fill flash" or "trailing curtain flash" if that is an option - that will usually get you slightly blurred background but the flash will fire, giving you a pretty sharp look at the subject of the photo.

 

[tlcmommyx4]

So I have a Canon T1i, and so I need to put it into Auto? Do you think that I should be in AP or TV mode. Well you will get to see the trail and error tomorrow night!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

So I have a Canon T1i, and so I need to put it into Auto? Do you think that I should be in AP or TV mode. Well you will get to see the trail and error tomorrow night!

I believe he meant Auto ISO.

 

[tlcmommyx4]

That makes more sense. Sometimes I think I should never post anything when I am so tired. I did get my flash set to 2nd curtian and I hope we get some good shots!

 

[ThurlFan]

I went bowling on Tuesday, and found that the darkest part of the alley was right at the foul line. The first pictures I took were basically silhouettes of the bowlers against the pins at the end of the lanes. Fill flash will probably be needed. I was playing with depth of field on my 50mm fixed f/1.8 and got some fun shots alternating between the bowlers and the pins being in focus. Shutter speed of 1/200 will likely stop the action sufficiently for you. Also, be aware that in league play (if that's going on) flash may be frowned upon as a distraction to other bowlers. For recreational bowling it should be fine. I also took some shots with the kit lens (18-55) just for general snapshots.

I'm a newbie too, so I got a lot of throwaway shots, but some nice ones also.

A couple other tips:

If there's an open spot a couple lanes down from your group you might get some good shots where you can see peoples faces instead of backsides

I had my autofocus on Servo, which meant it autoadjusted as my subject moved toward the foul line.

You could try spot metering on the bowler if you are trying to get a closer in shot of the bowler at the point of release. I wouldn't use it for wider shots where you get the pins and everything.

Try to compose without the ball return in your shot if possible. That really messed up my lighting because it reflected a lot of the flash back at the camera and played heck with my exposures - it was the brightest thing in the picture, when I didn't at all want it to be the focal point of the image.


Good luck!

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

I just did a bowling alley outing for my DGD's school. Lowest aperture lens I had with me was a f2.8. I tried to keep the noise down so I used 400 ISO. I probably could have gone higher. Using 2.8 caused a short DOF, so I spot focused on the bowler, ball or pins. This caused a bokeh effect around the others. It has a nice effect. Since it was a school outing, I was able to use my flash. So I had both w and w/o flash. I was able to close down the aperture with the flash to give greater DOF. So I ended up with a variety of images. With the varied lighting in a bowling it was a difficult shoot and made me think creatively.

 

[tlcmommyx4]

All I can say is I though about throwing in the white flag! That was for me by far the hardest place to take photographs. I only have a couple of shots that I even like and I'm not sure that those were not the ones I tryed on Auto. I tryed both lens that I have the kit lens and my 50mm 1.8. Its a good think that we don't do that very often. Here are a couple of the ones that I would even post.
I think this is the truest color of the Bowling Alley

This would be my second

And the next two are just to meet my Daugher Timber, who just happens to be Deaf/Blind and I would like you to look who came in second that would be my big girl Timber.

I think I will stick to shooting outside for a little while, that really made me crazy.

I have one really stupid question, when you are getting all your settings ready for a shot and someone says to meter the blue sky and then recompose the shot, how do you meter the sky? If you have you camera in M and you know what Aperture you want, when you look in the view finder and get the exposure for the sky, if you keep the button half way will it keep that exposure? I'm sorry that might seem silly but I really don't see how that works because, mine is always bouncing back and forth while the button is pushed half way down.

 

[DznyFan]

Michelle, do not throw the white flag!! First off, the color was great! You shot again, in a challenging location, and frankly, you did fine! you took your f/1.8, did you open it up? Bumped your ISO in the bowling alley? take note of your settings, see what you can do to shorten your shutter speed a tad and try again! I see big leaps and bounds here, so keep up the good work.
And your daughter is beautiful! Congrats to her on an awesome score!

 

[tlcmommyx4]

Thank you so much DznyFan, I am going to our Oklahoma National Refuge tomorrow. I hope I get some good outside pictures. Thanks I think that Timber is just beautiful too. To think that she can't see anything or hear anything and see just loves to bowl. She loves Disney very much too, if fact that is why we go every year.

 

[DznyFan]

You're welcome! Hope you get out to shoot before our cruddy weather starts moving in... ugh.
Timber must be a very remarkable young lady.

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

When you said you were going to shoot at a bowling alley, I thought uh-oh. I agree that the bowling alley was a very difficult shoot. At ours, everywhere I stood or tried to shoot the light was different. That caused constant adjustments and compromises. If I never shoot in a bowling alley again it will be fine with me!! I got some halfway decent shots, but not without a lot of consternation.

 

[tlcmommyx4]

Just wanted to let you now how beautiful it was here in Oklahoma today 75 so we went to our National Wildlife Refuge today, before we get our BLIZZARD tomorrow. How crazy is that.

So here are some shots from this morning. We left our house at 5:00 am so that we could be there for the sunrise.

Here are some of the anamials

I'm not sure how I did this, but I like it

Tell me what you think

 

[Groucho]

I have one really stupid question, when you are getting all your settings ready for a shot and someone says to meter the blue sky and then recompose the shot, how do you meter the sky? If you have you camera in M and you know what Aperture you want, when you look in the view finder and get the exposure for the sky, if you keep the button half way will it keep that exposure? I'm sorry that might seem silly but I really don't see how that works because, mine is always bouncing back and forth while the button is pushed half way down.

By and large, you really don't need to be shooting in "M" unless you have some very specific need. If you want a specific aperture, use Aperture Priority mode... and Shutter Priority if you want a specific shutter speed.

One of your photos in the most recent shot is there twice in a row, did you mean to post a different one for the second shot?

FWIW it looks like you're doing fine for now! The white balance in the bowling alley looks spot-on.

The last shot looks the way it does because of excessive flare caused by shooting into the sun. Usually flare is something you don't want but it sometimes can give a shot a nice "look" as in your photo. A lens hood would cut down on the flare but there's only so much it can do when shooting almost straight into the sun.

 

[mom2rtk]

You're doing great. Keep it up!

We're having the same shift in weather in MO. It was 65 today and we're due for 3-6 inches of snow tonight.... Could be a great photo op..... you know.... if I wanted to go OUT in it...... NOT!

 

[DznyFan]

nice work, you're definitely getting there! I REALLY like the first (second) one of the cattle and the one of the calves in the road - yes, you were shooting into the sun, and yes, a hood would serve you well, but you'd be surprised at how much you can correct these in PP. Especially the first one of the cattle. Beautiful sunrise, too - I was watching out of my office window and wishing I'd packed my gear. The colors were amazing this morning.
We're getting our rain now, and the temp is dropping - instead of going out shooting on this gorgeous day, I gave my car a thorough and much deserved wash. It's nearing car show season... I guess I'll hold out till our next nice day to run to the botanical gardens or the zoo. Keep up your good work - show us your snow tomorrow and I'll show you how much we get in T-Town.

 

[mom2rtk]

What I want to know is... how'd you get the cow to look right at you???

 

[mom2rtk]

And BTW..... I thought your bowling alley shots were pretty good. Nice white balance, good color. Like everyone said, just go for a slightly faster shutter speed and you're good. Bowling alleys are tough... and you did well.

And thanks for introducing us to Timber. What a special girl. It's great she did so well!