landscape: subtle colours

[Catalina]

fmkg2x.jpg

subtle colors, its like a watercolor

[Catalina]

A subtle landscape

[Manfred M]

Actually Catalina - this is a good example where the dynamic range in the scene has resulted in your highlights being blown out (all detail having been lost). If you look at the histogram, the fact that there is a bar of data all the way to the right is how one can tell.



From a technical standpoint, the image is overexposed as well, so not something I would classify as a "good image".

[Catalina]

This is a situation of non giving all my attention to the camera while I was shotting, not the "good luck" good shot.In a good histogram the highest part of the curve is in the middle.
Any way in my ignorance, I liked it,but I am learning,it is possible that this will be one of my worst among my first thousands. So you reccomend to compensate, the next time and it will look better.
Thanks for your c & c.
It helps me to learn.Catalina

[Glenn NK]

In a good histogram the highest part of the curve is in the middle.

There are many exceptions to this, so I suggest that having the highest part of the histogram in the middle does not necessarily make a good image. It depends on the subject.

What's more important is that neither the left nor the right of the histogram is off the left or the right edges (blown out).

One of my favourite sunset images has quite a bit of the histogram grouped to the left (dark shadows in the foreground), and quite a bit grouped to the right (the brightly lit sky). And it has a "lump" in the middle.

Glenn

[Stagecoach]

Hi Catalina,

Having viewed all your posts, images and comments here over the past few days I will attempt to summarise things with an aim to assisting your present learning progress based on where I see some of your problems lie. Firstly, I'm no pro photographer but a hobbyist, self taught, certainly no expert, not a technical wizard and learn each day from others on this site and practising.

Firstly, focusing. You have mentioned that your AF (auto focus) is not working so it is essential that you learn to manually focus, it's not difficult but requires practice. To practice I would recommend that you simply sit on a chair outside look for subjects around you, aim at what you want to be the sharpest part within the image depth and adjust focusing accordingly.

Whilst practising your 'focusing' you can also use the opportunity to master the basic settings and indication tools of the camera as follows;

a) Exposure.

I would recommend that you switch to using 'Aperture Priority' for the type of shots you have been posting so far. My reasoning here is that it will give you control over at least one of the three main variables of aperture, shutter speed and ISO. For the type of images we have seen I would suggest setting an aperture somewhere between f5.6 and f11, these will give a reasonable DoF for starters.

The camera will then determine the 'shutter speed' based upon the 'ISO value' you have set. Your aim will be for the camera to choose shutter speeds which are adequate for hand holding which are roughly from 1/125th upwards. (Of course some of us can shoot handheld at 1/40th but that comes after lots of practice). So when you are in 'Aperture Priority' and see that the camera is selecting too slow a shutter speed raise the ISO to compensate. The lower we can keep the ISO the better but it's no good keeping it low if you are going to end up with a blurred image because the speed was way too slow.

b) Histogram. The histogram is you friend and will immediately show you if you have a correct exposure or not. After taking the image check the histogram and you are checking to see that it is not climbing the right had side as the example above. Ideally it should slope down and come to the horizontal just before the right hand end vertical. Should the histogram be as the example above you would set - negative Exposure Compensation, take the shot again and re-check.

This explanation is simplified somewhat but it is good enough at present to ensure you achieve acceptably well exposed images.

If you follow the above and practice by taking shots of anything (a chair, a bush, a window handle etc) from the comfort of a chair outside, checking the results and practising more you will very soon be in a position where you can be confident when photographing images such as you have posted they will be sharp and exposed well.

There are very few images ever shot that if not sharp where they should be, or, exposed reasonably correct are acceptable whatever the subject and composition.

Grahame