[tintin]

my uncle gave me his old Nikon 5700 the other day as a present.

these where the 1st pics that i have taken. i am still learning all the settings and busy making my way through the owners manual. there was a bunch of flowers around the house and tried out my camera for the 1st time.

comments welcome.

cheers

[chrisa]

Hi

Nice set of shots to start off with. I particuarly like #5 and #7 as the main flower almost fills the frame. As that's the way I prefer flower shots personally.

Is this Nikon a film camera ?

[tintin]

Nice set of shots to start off with. I particuarly like #5 and #7 as the main flower almost fills the frame. As that's the way I prefer flower shots personally.

thanks a lot!

no it is not film, it is an old Nikon digital SLR, i think one of the 1st that came out. i am only 22, so am a new bee to photography and my uncle thought it would help me get into it. he also gave me a SB-22 speed light with it.

[chrisa]

Looks like a good starting camera, no need to get all expensive at the start. Money is better spent on lenses, and once you've learnt the camera and find you get into photography then maybe think about a different body.

Hope you enjoy it.

[Slade]

Well done tintin, a very nice set, and welcome to Pixalo

[tintin]

Looks like a good starting camera, no need to get all expensive at the start. Money is better spent on lenses, and once you've learnt the camera and find you get into photography then maybe think about a different body.

Hope you enjoy it

thanks for the reply, unfortunately i cant change the lenses on this body. it is however helping me understand the manual settings better.

Well done tintin, a very nice set, and welcome to Pixalo

thanks a lot for the kind comments and thanks for the welcome.

i am quite into my little project car that i have and would like to get a couple nice shots of it. i live in cape town south africa and there are many nice places to shoot.

can you guys give me any tips to help the pics come out nicely, or should i just try and get the best pics that i can trying different settings?

i understand that shooting at sunset will work well as the car is white.

where can i get a Guide to understanding aperture and when and what conditions i should use the various settings on the camera?

i am going to browse the forum and see what i can learn from you guys.

cheers

[dabhand16]

Originally Posted by tintin

where can i get a Guide to understanding aperture and when and what conditions i should use the various settings on the camera

Pixalo is your friend.

So is Rob Barron

http://www.pixalo.com/community/tuto...ing-10500.html

http://www.pixalo.com/community/tuto...des-20198.html

http://www.pixalo.com/community/tuto...ial-21121.html

http://www.pixalo.com/community/tuto...deo-21190.html

http://www.pixalo.com/community/tuto...ial-23879.html

http://www.pixalo.com/community/tuto...ial-24960.html

http://www.pixalo.com/community/tuto...ial-24960.html

http://www.pixalo.com/community/tuto...nce-27649.html

http://www.pixalo.com/community/tuto...ial-23879.html

[tintin]

Pixalo is your friend.

So is Rob Barron

thanks for the help, i am going to check those threads out ASAP.
What a grand post count you have

[chrisa]

Originally Posted by tintin

thanks for the reply, unfortunately i cant change the lenses on this body. it is however helping me understand the manual settings better.

Sorry I hadn't realised exactly what that camera was (not being up on Nikon kit). I've now googled it and seen what it is. You should be able to get some good pics with it. Has a good optical zoom length on the camera.

I'd also recommend that you start to shoot in RAW format if you're not doing that anyway. That way the white balance is not key to be set at time of shooting and you can adjust later on, and you have a bit more leeway with exposure too as that can be adjust a small amount later (obviously best to get this right in the camera tho). The only down side is that you'll need a RAW converter software - probably supplied with that camera, and they take up more space on your card than a jpeg.

Also worth experimenting with exposure compensation. I note on your camera you can auto bracket this. Could be helpful when shooting your white car.

Also to help

[tintin]

Sorry I hadn't realised exactly what that camera was (not being up on Nikon kit). I've now googled it and seen what it is. You should be able to get some good pics with it. Has a good optical zoom length on the camera.

I'd also recommend that you start to shoot in RAW format if you're not doing that anyway. That way the white balance is not key to be set at time of shooting and you can adjust later on, and you have a bit more leeway with exposure too as that can be adjust a small amount later (obviously best to get this right in the camera tho). The only down side is that you'll need a RAW converter software - probably supplied with that camera, and they take up more space on your card than a jpeg.

Also worth experimenting with exposure compensation. I note on your camera you can auto bracket this. Could be helpful when shooting your white car.

Also to help

no worries, i wish i had a body that i could interchange lenses.. one day!

can you give me a bit more in depth info on

1. getting the white balance right in the camera

2. Also worth experimenting with exposure compensation. I note on your camera you can auto bracket this. Could be helpful when shooting your white car.

snapped a couple more pics in the garden at home, just after the rain. nor sure if i am happy with the pics. i am still going to make a flash diffuser.























thanks for looking.

[dabhand16]

Originally Posted by tintin

can you give me a bit more in depth info on

1. getting the white balance right in the camera

thanks for looking.

Here is the white balance tutorial

http://www.pixalo.com/community/tuto...tml#post231489

Nice set of pictures

[chrisa]

Definitely worth making a diffuser for your flash, especially where macro/closeup is concerned. It would help tone done the harshness of the flash. Most visible in your 3 image.

Not sure what aperture you used in first two shots. I'd like them to be either giving more limited dof so the flower in the background blurs out, or conversely more depth of field so it's in focus too. You may need some support (tripod) to do the later esp if not using flash.

The last shot is the best of your shots, but you have clipped just the edges of the petals. To make it better you need either to give the plant space so it all fits in or conversely crop in much tighter so the lack of edges looks more deliberate.

Also the berries could be better placed in the frame ( they're a bit central at the mo).

Good start with the pictures tho. The above critique is just meant as things to think about as you learn. Getting good colours and focus from the start.

Your camera has an exposure compensation dial that lets you alter the exposure of the shots if the meters got it wrong. There should be a setting that lets you set a bracket of 3 or 5 shots that shoot a range of exposures. Normally fires all off one after the other if you use with the self timer. This would shoot shots for example +2 +1 0 -1 -2 exposure compensation values from the cameras metered shots.

This can be used to get one shot that works best or can be used to create hdr or merged exposure images.

Here's a couple of tutorials on HDR for your camera on the web after a quick search.

How to Take HDR Pictures With a Nikon 5700 | eHow.com

How to make an HDR time-lapse - TimeTraveler

Not macro I know, but might be something to play with on your car shots

[tintin]

Definitely worth making a diffuser for your flash, especially where macro/closeup is concerned. It would help tone done the harshness of the flash. Most visible in your 3 image.

i am defiantly going to investigate this and make something up.

Not sure what aperture you used in first two shots. I'd like them to be either giving more limited dof so the flower in the background blurs out, or conversely more depth of field so it's in focus too. You may need some support (tripod) to do the later esp if not using flash.

The camera only shoots from F2.8 to F8, which is not a very big range. I do need a tripod, but i am on a student budget and will acquire one soon.

Also the berries could be better placed in the frame ( they're a bit central at the mo).

how should they be placed? i was struggling big time to get them in focus, that is why they are not sharp.

Your camera has an exposure compensation dial that lets you alter the exposure of the shots if the meters got it wrong. There should be a setting that lets you set a bracket of 3 or 5 shots that shoot a range of exposures. Normally fires all off one after the other if you use with the self timer. This would shoot shots for example +2 +1 0 -1 -2 exposure compensation values from the cameras metered shots.

i am going to read the manual more closely and see if i can figure out how to do this.

Not macro I know, but might be something to play with on your car shots

thanks, yea i will be needing this in order to get some good pics of the car.

thanks for all your help, i appreciate it.

cheers

[chrisa]

Originally Posted by tintin

The camera only shoots from F2.8 to F8, which is not a very big range. I do need a tripod, but i am on a student budget and will acquire one soon.

I did say I wasn't a Nikon expert! Still a reasonable range to start with, obviously you can get the narrow DOF with the F2.8. The F8 will mean on closeup/macro you'll have a more limited amout of depth to get in the shot. But shouldn't be too much of an issue. I rarely use anything more that F11 at the most personally, and much more is under. And on non-macro the F8 will be workable in most instances.

how should they be placed? i was struggling big time to get them in focus, that is why they are not sharp.

Main thing to work on at first in macro is getting your shots in focus and sorting out the exposure, whether it be natural light or flash. I think most of use start by placing them central.

I can't tell you exactly where they should be. Some people will point to "the rule of thirds" as a starting point. Looking at others shots and seeing what they've done is I think the best starting point. Then develop your own style.