Beginners, What do you want to learn next?

[Ms Monny]

@MS Monny - you can alter raw photos in photoshop I know I sure do :P USing a plug in called Camera Raw. I use cs5.1 photoshop. Not sure about older versions Should be fine in them too id say.

Yes, I know but you can't do it in PS WITHOUT a program (or plugin) like LR or Camera Raw. PS alone can't process raw images.

[Tjfrnds]

I'm another for wanting to learn more about OCF. I'm still making my way through 'light, science & magic' and am practicing with manual speedlites...it's a slooooww process

[colinbm]

Yes, I know but you can't do it in PS WITHOUT a program (or plugin) like LR or Camera Raw. PS alone can't process raw images.

What about Adobe Camera Raw ??
Col

[Scotty72]

What about Adobe Camera Raw ??
Col

Yes, it's a free add-on and once installed, it is seamless to use.

[ricktas]

For those wanting to learn about flash, We could enhance the AP Strobist forum or you could pop over to STROBIST and learn, then come back here and show us what you learnt.

[fess67]

I am with Kiwi,

I have the kit, just need to practice more

[ricktas]

You can also try and organise an AP meet in your area that is focused on studio settings, lights. poses etc and learn from the experienced AP members in your area. It has been done in Victoria a couple of times now and the members who went along had a great time. Learning flash on the net isnt as good as learning it by doing!

[Tommo224]

I find I learn best by watching people and trying it for myself! So a "strobist" class (once I have an external flash) would be awesome

[graemelee]

What about the Histogram? I would like to know more of its value and use? and is it useful in camera or should it only be used in post processing.Im not sure how it can improve the photo taking?

[ricktas]

What about the Histogram? I would like to know more of its value and use? and is it useful in camera or should it only be used in post processing.Im not sure how it can improve the photo taking?

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tu...stograms.shtml

[Dizzle]

For those wanting to learn about flash, We could enhance the AP Strobist forum or you could pop over to STROBIST and learn, then come back here and show us what you learnt.

Thanks Rick. I think this is where I am heading next, learning about flash etc. It'll be a good way to add something new into what I am learning about the basics and stretch my knowledge/memory a bit.

[ricktas]

Thanks Rick. I think this is where I am heading next, learning about flash etc. It'll be a good way to add something new into what I am learning about the basics and stretch my knowledge/memory a bit.

We also have our own strobist forum, with plenty of info (but not as comprehensive as Strobist website) but our strobist forum can be used to ask questions, answer others questions, and slowly we can build our own lighting resource, right here on AP.

[danny]

I am trying to develop my skill in taking a multi shot panoramic photo. i have read through the threads here on AP and now need to get out and give it a go. It's the practical things like when people say to overlap the shots by 20-30%. How to set up on a tripod and the moving of the camera that I need to learn next.

Danny

[ricktas]

I am trying to develop my skill in taking a multi shot panoramic photo. i have read through the threads here on AP and now need to get out and give it a go. It's the practical things like when people say to overlap the shots by 20-30%. How to set up on a tripod and the moving of the camera that I need to learn next.

Danny

Couple of hints for you Danny,

1) Don't use a polariser (as you turn, your angle to the sun changes, and thus the strength of the polariser effect, and you end up with a dark blue/light blue striped sky).

2) Turn you camera on it's end. Shoot your pano frames in 'portrait' aspect. This give you more latitude, top to bottom, so that once your pano is stitched you can crop it and retain a lot more height in the end result.

[Papou]

The greatest learning tool at our fingertips nowadays is the PC,Internet & Google. Type Histogrem for instance and peruse or read the variouse explanations regarding histograms and how to read the information they show. Light and the exposure triangle. Sunny 16 rule and how the exposure triangel falls in place with this at given lighting situations of the day and most of all go outside sit on your lawn with your camera and put it to pracrice with your particular camera and see how much leeeway either way with you camera's light meter and cameras histgram readout and you soon can look at a scene and know an emediate starting point for exposure given the the apparture you want to attain a certain depth of field.
Exposure Compensation in Av , shutter speed & Iso in manual etc..
Propably gone the long way around trying to answer the few questions i thought of starting point interest but its what ive been doing and still doing to try improve my Photography and i believe its helped .
As for Photshop?? or simmillar editing software??You do need one to get to open your Photos and edit them whether you shoot jpeg or raw..Shoot in raw which as advised is best way to go then you need a Raw editor within your software program though most software supplied with cameras nowadys will also read raw files. But there's a limit to the editing they can do.
What i will say though , if you learn to use your camera & learn exposure , as well as composition etc your editing time spent on a PC is greatly reduced with more pleasing results.
White balance was mentioned also and another area that need to be read up on and know how to set up within your own camera and understand what colour temperature /white balance is.
Think that was one of the first things i understood properly lol and found the easiest toset up mainly because i shuddered when the temp came out wrong ..
Lastly being a memeber of a Photography site like this one for instance where you can ask what you cannot understand without fear and also putting up your Pics for C&C to help you get to the or a level you wish to achieve.
Mostly though its Practice, practice and more practice or playin with your camera and understanding what you do each time...
Ranted too much i suppose but my two bobs worth if its made sence at all??..

[cfm]

Couple of hints for you Danny,

2) Turn you camera on it's end. Shoot your pano frames in 'portrait' aspect. This give you more latitude, top to bottom, so that once your pano is stitched you can crop it and retain a lot more height in the end result.

Good tip on the portrait aspect, never thought of that! I will go home and try it out!

[Kym]

Luke ... Uee the force Library !!

http://www.ausphotography.net.au/for...re_and_process

[RedSky83]

Resisting the urge to buy more gear and learn to get better photos out of what I have

For me I'm trying to work on sharpness, which is involving experimenting with ISO and aperture mainly. I now shoot almost exclusively in AV mode, although I really don't stray from wide open for portraits and f8 for anything else. Swore off auto-ISO cause I wasn't happy with the grain in some of my 3200 shots but I've gone back to it since a lot of my shots were ending up with too slow a shutter speed.

The bullet list:

When to use what aperture
How to use exposure compensation to avoid slower shutter speeds
How to properly tweak colours in post without using presets

When I finally get around to picking up my speedlite, I'll add some strobist techniques to the list.

[cfm]

Like RedSky83, I am trying to work on sharpness. Most of my photos are hand-held, and pixel-peeping shows a reasonable degree of softness for some shots. So now I'm starting to investigate how sharp my zoom lenses are at different zoom levels/apertures, to find the "Sweet spots"

[JanisMay]

What I mostly need to learn is motivation. It seems to be lacking at the moment. However, just like RedSky83 and cfm, I too am trying to work on sharpness as I take almost all of my shots handheld. I like to photograph birds. Tough subject for a beginner I know but I am practising on my 2 new puppies (tough subjects as well). I have just bought a Canon 60D and a kit lens to use until I get a decent zoom lens. As I understand it a lot of people try to lean on something - a post, a wall, their car, to steady their shots. I also read a post by a gentleman who kneels and uses a monpod. There is so much great advice on this site. Trying to use this as my motivation and inspiration.
Janis
Canon 60D, 35-185mm Canon lens