Show Us: Improvement!

[Pea-n-Me]

One of the great things about this board is how we're all inspired to take better pictures, especially at WDW.

I thought it would be fun to share some of our older shots, then newer ones in the same, or a similar, setting.

Feel free to share technical or other information if you want to.

I'll start.

Fantasmic, 2005

Fantasmic, 2007

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I know you have some - let's see 'em!!

 

[Master Mason]

July 06

Sept 07

 

[Master Mason]

July 06

Oct 07

 

[cc1075]

OK - - I will keep practicing - I will keep Practicing - - I feel like I did when I first started piano - - so all things are possible!!

Great Board - - - but share how you did it do improve - - - if it is just a better camera - - well - - but please - share your secrets!!

 

[Master Mason]

I learned how to use the camera. The July 06 ones were taken on P mode, with little thought, it was just shoot and pray.

With the improved ones, I knew what adjustments to make and how to maximize the camera to take low light shots.

And about 10K pictures later as well

At this point, the before ones would be ones that I would delete but back then almost everything was just kept as well.

ETA: The blue fairy ones were with the same camera body, although a different lens. The fantasimic ones had a different lens as well as a different body.

 

[DizneyNutz]

OK - - I will keep practicing - I will keep Practicing - - I feel like I did when I first started piano - - so all things are possible!!

Great Board - - - but share how you did it do improve - - - if it is just a better camera - - well - - but please - share your secrets!!

Especially for us novices, that we all take many many more bad ones or not like we wished, than the keepers that we delight in! That makes them so much more special when someone says WOW to a photo you took (makes you feel good that someone was especially pleased with a photo you took). Keep plugging away at it and do like I am doing trying to read up on photography. I am doing things the hard way trying to self teach by reading books and internet info on photography, but I am getting better at it as will you! I am looking forward to my trip in less than two weeks, with my new camera. It has way ore potential than I have knowledge at this point, but I am looking forward to the possibilities.

 

[cc1075]

Thank you - - - I have a Nikkon D40 - is this possible for me also??

 

[DizneyNutz]

Thank you - - - I have a Nikkon D40 - is this possible for me also??

I am not familiar with your camera, but learn to use the settings it has available to your best advantage for the different types of scenes you are trying to capture ie: still night photos of the castle vs. moving night photos like the parades, etc.

P.S. Just looked at your camera and I would say that it has all the capabilities to capture the photos that we (us novices) have the knowledge to take with them. I am in the same boat as you, but with a different camera. It looks like your lowest ISO is 200, so for example, set the ISO at 200 and your F-stop at around F/8 for the fireworks for about 1.5 to 2 seconds. Try to time the shot to trigger at burst either by using the time or preferred a shutter realease. Definately use a tripod whenever possible for night shots to eleminate shaking while the shutter is open for those long exposures. If you have BULB mode try that setting and you can hold the shutter open from burst until they start to fade.

 

[Master Mason]

The D40 is a fine camera, it has all the controls you would need to be able to take good to great shots. Work on learning how to control it. Practice raising the ISO as high as it will go and opening the apeture to get the sutter speed up.

Practice opening the apeture up and focusing close to blur the back ground etc..

These are all techiques you need to know how to do to take creative control.

But the number one thing you can do is shoot, take pictures of everything and anything. Change the settings so you can see what they will do when you change them etc... It is a learning process for all of us, but it sure is fun

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Walt Disney Theater, Disney Wonder, 2004

Walt Disney Theater, Disney Wonder, 2007

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Great examples, Gregg.

share how you did it do improve - - - if it is just a better camera - - well - - but please - share your secrets!!

For myself, I've been really inspired just hanging out here. I know when I see a great shot of, say, a flower in a field, I don't always relate to that too much because that's not what I generally shoot. When I see, OTOH, a great shot of something at Disney, that really gets my attention! I know I can do that (or at least try )! So - seeing so many great shots from Disney around here make me realize I can always strive to do better.

Investing in a better camera with a longer zoom definitely helped - but it increased the complexity of what I needed to know in order to get decent pictures, too. I also wanted to finally learn the ins and outs of photography so I began to study the basics which helped me understand what settings to pick, how to get those tough low light shots, etc. I'm still on the learning curve, but it's been fun and challenging just to do even a little better.

 

[rtphokie]

2001: Canon G3

Silly me, thinking I could take a picture inside without a flash. EXIF data is long gone so your guess on the settings is as good as mine.


2007: Canon Rebel XT, 50mm 1.8

The camera is more expensive but it's a dirt cheep lens. Who needs a flash when you can up the ISO crank the f number down. Still a bit over exposed on the bird's chest but those lights are VERY bright.

50mm, f2.2, ISO 800, 1/60s

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Wow, dramatic improvement, rtphokie!

 

[Groucho]

I've got plenty, of course my worst previous shots aren't online.

Here's a quick one...
Disneyland 2005, Minolta Z5:

Disneyland 2007, Pentax K100D:

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Another Wow, groucho.

 

[gokenin]

first trip with my SLR so still think there is lots of room for improvement but here is my shot from a P&S

and my SLR shot

 

[Gdad]

Alright- not Disney related but the biggest single eample of improvement I have for myself...

June 2006 - The best dance recital picture I have- Pre-DSLR Point & Shoot Jones- Nothing on the stage was even close to being usable.

June 2007 - My Favorite of many keepers- D50 w/ 105/2.8vr wide open.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Very nice, guys!

The intricate color on the tile work is amazing in the second picture, gokenin.

And Gdad, what a beautiful picture of your daughter!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Just a reminder to those reading/posting: your improvement doesn't have to be from a point and shoot to a DSLR (though you can see how dramatic the differences can be). Improvement from point and shoot to point and shoot, or point and shoot to bridge camera, is also fun to see! Let's see them all!