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Anonymous
photography classes
vs
learn-as-you-go

discuss.

OP is beginner. shitty picture is evidence.
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>> Anonymous
Used the on board flash?
Didn't reach far enough.

I recommended photography classes for the time poor. Seriously if your time poor having classes will make sure you fit photography into your schedule no matter that you learn or didn't learn it will have you taking pictures even if you like it or not and have you gain experience you need.

For those who have alot of time and is committed to bring a camera around when they go out incase of a photo op, even making trips JUST to take photos, I recommend learn as you go.
>> Anonymous
>>121895

I tried (tried being the operative word) going for that Silent Hill effect, but meh...

Hmmm... but I've no one else to turn to for advice and tips...

...no one but /p/, which makes it all the more depressing.
>> Anonymous
>>121899
/p/ has alot of tips if you can read between the lines.
Eg. Vincent I think was the one that showed you can make a flip book action sequence with the ghetto technique of cutting and pasting.
Also he deals with panoramas and shows that you can achieve good handheld stitched panoramas without investing in a panohead. Just a few weeks ago a program was thrown around that'll auto stitch several shots to make a large photo.

There is also the occasional torrent thread of photography books.

As for your silent hill look I recommend more post processing, even add more noise. Don't think you can faithfully recreate the silent hill look just with a camera but I can now see the potential of the picture of reaching what you want to achieve with post processing.
>> Anonymous
Learn as you go, but you have to put effort into it. Read things, look at photographs.
>> Anonymous
>>121903
yeah, I've been bringing it around with me ever since I got it a few weeks ago. Trying to get away from cliche shots and everything but damn! even our school paper's full of it.

Where do you find inspiration, anon? I'm trapped in school and in a dorm.
>> Anonymous
>>121901
Vincent's the one with the snowboard pics right? His panos are awsome, if yeah. Aside from the tripfags, though, /p/ has been full of haet the past few days. It gets old really fast.

Ooh, now I gotta try playing around with PP, now that you said that.
>> Anonymous
>>121908
Shoot the people who live with you in your dorm.

Go to magnumphotos.com, jamesnachtwey.com, and http://www.masters-of-photography.com. For general philosophy-of-photography and technique, read David Alan Harvey's blog. For technical information, read the Luminous Landscape. Unless otherwise instructed, stay away from Ken Rockwell. He only knows what he's talking about about 5% of the time.

If you can, buy a nice prime at a focal length you like. Good for practicing composition; it forces even experienced photographers to work for it instead of just fiddling with the zoom.
>> Butterfly !xlgRMYva6s
>>121909
Some newguys have decided to prove a point. I havent taken any photos for a while (i've also being trying to lay off the trolling). I should spend the rest of today doing so.

I'm from the learn as you go camp being an engineer by training. I know quite a few engineering/science guys who are photographers, I think its quite a popular thing for us.
>> Ken Rockwell
>>121910
Just because I spend my time making photographs rather than shooting test charts doesn't mean that I don't know what I'm talking about.
>> ac !!VPzQAxYPAMA
>>121908
>I'm trapped in school and in a dorm surrounded by hot college girls.
Fix'd. You should have no problem finding good subjects to photograph.
>> Anonymous
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>>121908
I'm just getting into as well though I only have the g9 (So far...) been practicing with macro photography with figurines in my room. Maybe you can make your own macro studio.

>>121915
Pfft. As soon as girls see a camera pointed at them they tend to strike a pose. While men when involved in a little friendly competition will be totally oblivious to the person in the corner with the massive camera giving you more natural photos.
>> Anonymous
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>>121913
have fun with the photos, haha.
i'm a science guy, so yeah, popular indeed.

>>121910
>>121915
good point

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>> ac !!VPzQAxYPAMA
>>121916
There are some obvious ways to deal with them striking poses.
1. Take a *lot* of pictures. Eventually they'll stop posing every time.
2. Treat them like models. Direct the poses to how you want them.
3. Don't let them see you taking the picture. This is the creepystalkerish way to do things, so I'd only recommend it after using the first few so they don't get all weirded out if they catch you.
>> Anonymous
Good pic for /x/
>> Anonymous
>>121919
Will try your advice in Japan as I'm leaving tomorrow... hopefully I won't be arrested as voyeur or a stalker.
>> ac !!VPzQAxYPAMA
>>121921
It's Japan. They love that sort of thing there. You may be legally required to pull down the panties of any women you take pictures of and then run away screaming something, though.
>> Anonymous
>>121919
Shoot from the hip too.
>> Anonymous
>>121926
As the newbie photographer... I can't shoot from the hip.

I still go to the long thought process of "will there be action, shutter speed = 1/100", do I want a shallow depth of focus "aperture set to 2.8", is there enough light, "set ISO to 200" and takes me at least 5 seconds to set up the camera before I can shoot.
>> Anonymous !SDPEsPMnww
>>121922
Shit, I'm probably breaking the law, then. Well, best to fix that problem as soon as possible!
>> Anonymous
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>>121916

Believe it or not, having the subject look at the camera can really add to it. I've found most people stick to candid photos due to the whole interaction and confrontation aspect of it.

Now there are cases where candid shots can look better overall, but from my experience, having them look at the camera usually works just as well if not better.

To get them to not strike a pose, you need to time it right. For candid, it's easy. To get them to look at the camera though, you need to shoot at that very moment where they first make eye contact. The expression on the subject's face at this moment is more in line with how they're feeling / what they're thinking.

Also, in some cases, striking a pose can produce an equally good shot. Take this guy for example: http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/
>> Liska !!LIVFOETqL8j
>>121893

I'm completely self taught, and still learning. I'm not saying i'm the best here by any means, i'm not, but it does help me to study other photographers & photographs to try and look at lighting techniques, poses and approaches. I am all for the learn-as-you-go technique, with one class in the beginning to learn the technical stuff.

>>121908
There's plenty to do in your dorm. Still lifes-cliche, i know, but photographing peppers, apples, oranges, etc will help you learn lighting & color, you can also get backdrops, bring in a lamp with different types of lights and fool with the different settings on your camera.

You're at a school- so you have to have old, Ivy covered buildings around, or at the very least some brick building somewhere with cool textures you can play with.
>> Anonymous
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hay did i make an art?

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>> Anonymous
>>121957
Needs more lens flare
>> Vincent !!8LCSE0Zp1mL
>>121901
>>121909
Man you guys are too nice, This isn't the 4chan I remember!
Also PTGui and Autostitch both do decent jobs of automatically stitching panoramics together. though PTGui is by far the best!

I'm self taught, I was going to take a photography class at the University I go to, but I realized I have more fun with trial and error anyway.
/p/ has a lot of good info on it, I wouldn't trust /p/'s judgement on photo's sometimes, BUT most tripfags have their own niche of a photo genre, so even trying to imitate their work will teach you a lot.
>> Anonymous
>>121927
For candids and rapidly changing lighting conditions, just go on /p/ mode. You're not Barry Allen, you won't be able to change your camera settings in a jiffy when the unexpected happens.

I'm also self-taught, started out with a point-and-shoot that's much more shittier than the one that you have (I now have a better point-and-shoot, but still shitty). At first, I learned by reading on the basics online and imitating how good photos work.
>> Anonymous
>>122133You're not Barry Allen

hay /co/
>> Anonymous
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>>121926

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>> Anonymous
>>121893
What continent is this?
I haven't seen those types of window shades since I left a third world country...
>> Anonymous
I would recommend a class or two to learn basic composition and how to shoot manually. Tossing th camera on program from time to time for easy shots is well, easy.

Once you understand the rule of thirds, leading lines, giving anything with action a place to move, how much of a face is needed, depth of field, and so much more, you'll really notice the difference. Also, a class will let you compare with other students and a teacher, not so much as what is correct, but why other people did what they did. Any good picture has a reason behind it.

Once you get the basics, find a good lens you love and have at it. My favorite is always an extreme wide angle. Sure, I have to be right on top of the subject, but I get to incorporate the background a lot more. Also, learn to shoot without a flash. Controlled breathing, locking your body down and finding props helps. A flash isn't good for more than 15 or so feet anyhow.

The biggest thing is take a class, show interest and learn as much about the camera, rules and styles. Then take what you know, go out and try to use them or abuse them as much as you can. here's a freebie, whenever you are taking a picture of a person who is the subject of the photo, always focus on the eyes and adjust the shot from there.
>> Anonymous
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>>122245
This is Asia.
And yeah, I'm currently in Third World (the only reason we're labeled that is because of the country's OMGHUGE foreign debt. Stupid government).

Anyway, took some snaps while in school.

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>> Anonymous
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>>122250
oops.

here is resized.

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>> Anonymous
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one last.
genetics is fun.

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>> Anonymous
>>121910Shoot the people who live with you in your dorm.

That's priceless.

This should be in /k/.
>> Anonymous
>>122320
Yeah, because Garry Winogrand was a mass murderer on the streets and James Nachtwey killed more Tutsis than the Hutu did.
>> OPFOR !8vKpfCqy8A
I would say do a combination of the both. Also, shadowing a photographer isn't a bad idea.
>> Anonymous
>>122557
as long as you don't get trapped in that shadow
>> Anonymous
>>122250
let me guess, Indonesia?