New Photographer Looking for Tips

[Stink and Bunny]

Hi all. I hope you guys would not mind giving me some tips and getting some good shots in Disney. My gear is as follows: Nikon D3200 Camera with 18-55 and 55-200 kit lenses. I have recently upgraded from a point and shoot to this DSLR. I guess first things first what are some good settings for bright sunny days in Magic Kingdom? ISO 200 400? Aperature? etc. Would the 18-55mm kit lens be a good one to go through the parks with all day or should I look into getting a smaller one? What about wishes and nighttime photos in disney? How far of an iso should i go to to get good shots with my camera? I am just worried that I am not going to get any good shots. Obviously its a lot of trial and error but any tips or advice that i could get before we go would be GREATLY appreciated it!!!!!


Also how do you guys protect your cameras at the parks when going on the attractions and such? Do you carry your camera bag with you all day or just be really careful with it without putting in you bag?


Thank You in advance.

Joe

 

[PythonFan888]

... I have recently upgraded from a point and shoot to this DSLR...

...Obviously its a lot of trial and error but any tips or advice that i could get before we go would be GREATLY appreciated it!!!!!

My recommended first step: Read "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson.

http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-3rd-Edition-Photographs/dp/0817439390

Once you've read the book and become more comfortable with the concept of the Photographic Triangle of Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO, the settings should come more naturally to you.

Regarding the kit lens: I think it should be a good starting point. However, as you become more enthusiastic about the hobby I assure you the kit lens will be one of the first things you will look to upgrade.

Regarding fireworks and night shots: The best fireworks and night photos are taken with a tripod as these require longer shutter speeds.

I'm not familiar with the high ISO capabilities of the D3200 but the entry-level models are usually limited in this respect compared to the higher-end models.

 

[havoc315]

Hi all. I hope you guys would not mind giving me some tips and getting some good shots in Disney. My gear is as follows: Nikon D3200 Camera with 18-55 and 55-200 kit lenses. I have recently upgraded from a point and shoot to this DSLR. I guess first things first what are some good settings for bright sunny days in Magic Kingdom? ISO 200 400? Aperature? etc. Would the 18-55mm kit lens be a good one to go through the parks with all day or should I look into getting a smaller one? What about wishes and nighttime photos in disney? How far of an iso should i go to to get good shots with my camera? I am just worried that I am not going to get any good shots. Obviously its a lot of trial and error but any tips or advice that i could get before we go would be GREATLY appreciated it!!!!!


Also how do you guys protect your cameras at the parks when going on the attractions and such? Do you carry your camera bag with you all day or just be really careful with it without putting in you bag?


Thank You in advance.

Joe

You can't generalize settings like that. ISO 100/5.6/ 1/125 may be the perfect setting one second, but then turn to the right where the lighting it slightly different, and you may been ISO 200/ 4.5 / 1/85

In general -- You want to use the lowest ISO you can get away with.
Aperture -- Controls your depth of field. So for example, if you are taking a picture of your family standing in front of the castle, you need a small aperture (large number) like something between 14 and 22, so your family and the Castle both look sharp. If you are taking a picture of your wife standing in front of colorful flowers, where you just want a blur of color behind her, you would use the largest possible aperture (possibly around 3.5 on your lens).

Shutter speed -- You generally want to use the slowest that will also freeze the action and prevent motion blur.
So if you are zoomed out at 18mm, taking a picture of a static scene, you may be able to get away with 1/15. If you are zoomed in to 55mm, taking pictures as you walk, you may need 1/100. Taking a picture of dancers in action, you need 1/400.

So pick your aperture based on your desired depth of field. Shutter speed as slow as you can get away with. In order to achieve the lowest ISO. If you are at ISO 100, and your shots are still overexposed, then you can speed up the shutter speed. (For example, in truly bright light you may NEED to use a shutter speed of 1/1000 or faster).

The 18-55 is a perfectly fine walkaround lens. If you want to photograph fireworks, you will want to use a tripod. You'll find lots of threads and posts about the best settings for fireworks.

The Nikon d3200 should be able to handle ISOs as high as 3200-6400 if properly exposed.

I usually do carry a camera bag, but mostly just careful with the camera.

 

[WDWFigment]

Here are some of my tips for night photography.

 

[Stink and Bunny]

Thanks a lot Havoc. That really helped! So just so I am sure the higher the f stop the sharper everything in the photo will be. the lower the f stop only the focus point will be in focus and subjects in the background will start to be blurred the lower it goes. But I may need to adjust shutter speed and iso to get this f stop to work as well. Correct?

 

[Daisy14'sDH]

First read the manual!

 

[havoc315]

Thanks a lot Havoc. That really helped! So just so I am sure the higher the f stop the sharper everything in the photo will be. the lower the f stop only the focus point will be in focus and subjects in the background will start to be blurred the lower it goes. But I may need to adjust shutter speed and iso to get this f stop to work as well. Correct?

Really basically, yes. But remember, a lower f stop aperture number is actually a larger aperture, letting in more light.

"Understanding Exposure" is a good recommendation.

You can also google a depth of field calculator to see how it is affected by aperture, focal length, and distance to subject. (At wide angle, from far away, everything will appear sharp, even with a fairly small aperture number. A telephoto close up will have an exceptionally narrow DOF, even with a small aperture (high number))

 

[whoiscliffwang]

http://canonoutsideofauto.ca/play/

Although this is link is for a Canon, the same principal of exposure applies to all photography. Check this link out. Should help you understand exposure.

 

[havoc315]

http://canonoutsideofauto.ca/play/

Although this is link is for a Canon, the same principal of exposure applies to all photography. Check this link out. Should help you understand exposure.

Neat little toy. Though it does not demonstrate the effect of focal length, and distance to subject. It's still a really good demonstration of some basics.

 

[photo_chick]

Thanks a lot Havoc. That really helped! So just so I am sure the higher the f stop the sharper everything in the photo will be. the lower the f stop only the focus point will be in focus and subjects in the background will start to be blurred the lower it goes. But I may need to adjust shutter speed and iso to get this f stop to work as well. Correct?

As far as a higher f stop number/smaller aperture meaning a sharper image... what it really means is greater depth of field. There is only one plane of focus that will actually be perfectly sharp. The areas in front of and behind that point of focus are the depth of field which is the area that is acceptably sharp. And what is acceptably sharp can vary depending on display size, print size and even the viewer. It's one of those little distinctions that if you don't understand in the beginning can frustrate you down the road when you're getting really nit picky about focus.

Get Understanding Exposure that was mentioned. That with the manual can help give you a good technical foundation. And once you have that you'll know what to do in any situation.

 

[fractal]

One of the things that helped me when I first started was just practicing. I did read Peterson's book ( very helpful ) and then I would put my camera in full manual setting and just try to take different shots to attain certain results. In fact, I had my camera with me while reading the book and would occasionally stop to "try out" what I just read.

I would then spend time shooting things in and around the house. My wife thought I was nuts shooting pictures outside in the dark or taking 20 pictures of the candle on the table.

Shooting in Manual I think gives you a good feel of how everything is interconnected. Then you can try the other modes. The point is, play around, experiment and practice plenty before your trip.

 

[AmyB2006]

I agree with above poster... You can read all you want, but what helped me to understand it is getting out there and shooting in manual. Trial and error. It takes time, obviously. Even if you do read Peterson's book you won't be able to go out and shoot in manual like a pro overnight. KWIM? LOL

But it definitely gives you a better understanding of exposure.

 

[photo_chick]

I agree with above poster... You can read all you want, but what helped me to understand it is getting out there and shooting in manual. Trial and error. It takes time, obviously. Even if you do read Peterson's book you won't be able to go out and shoot in manual like a pro overnight. KWIM? LOL

But it definitely gives you a better understanding of exposure.

True... it takes years to get to the point where you don't even have to think about settings on the camera. Your fingers just start flipping things because it's become automatic. You do have to put the knowledge into practice. But without that basic understanding just going out and shooting isn't very effective as far as learning goes for most people.

 

[PythonFan888]

I agree with above poster... You can read all you want, but what helped me to understand it is getting out there and shooting in manual. Trial and error. It takes time, obviously. Even if you do read Peterson's book you won't be able to go out and shoot in manual like a pro overnight. KWIM? LOL

But it definitely gives you a better understanding of exposure.

I agree that practice is essential but so is proper coaching. Consider Peterson's book as your personal coach and trainer. When you do make errors the book usually has the explanation on where you went wrong and how to correct yourself. It does take time but with the proper understanding of the basic principles the learning curve is less steep and you can get there in less time.

I consider myself as semi-capable when it comes to a camera but I still go back to Peterson's book once in a while to get fresh perspective on things.

BTW - Congrats on graduating Danielle.

 

[gilby]

Subscribing

 

[photo_chick]

I agree that practice is essential but so is proper coaching. Consider Peterson's book as your personal coach and trainer. When you do make errors the book usually has the explanation on where you went wrong and how to correct yourself. It does take time but with the proper understanding of the basic principles the learning curve is less steep and you can get there in less time.

I consider myself as semi-capable when it comes to a camera but I still go back to Peterson's book once in a while to get fresh perspective on things.

BTW - Congrats on graduating Danielle.

I just saw this when this thread popped up to the top. THANKS! I still can't believe I'm finally finished with my BFA work. Now that it's time for school to start I feel like I'm supposed to be out buying film and paper or something to get ready for class.

And I know that was way OT.. so to get back on topic.... I too pull out books for reference once in a while. More for a new perspective on what I'm doing when I get stuck but a lot of times I find I don't know as much as I thought I did when I go back to the books. The biggest thing I learned in school is that you will never know everything so just plan to keep on learning.