my 1st post of a few photos advice welcome

[stardelta]

hi guys took me a while to work out how to post my photos.
here are a few from about 400 taken this morning
would love advice on improving ,although i am quite happy with them all i have done is trim them down to how i think they should look.
my best friend jackjpg[/IMG]

ps i am a beginner and am trying to keep away from full auto mode ,these are straight from the camera apart from trimming them down in my camera software.
many thanks .glenn

[Loose Canon]

Looks like your getting the hang of it, Glenn.

Might I be allowed one more suggestion please?

If, in the future, you will take Mr. Jack and post him in the "People and Pets" category in a new thread, I think it would be a better place for people to find him and comment on your photos.

Now that you're getting it, Glenn, let 'er rip!

[Geoff F]

Just a couple of thoughts, Glenn.

With bright light on one side of your dog and deep shadow on the other you are bound to suffer a bit of exposure problems. Which gives the dog something of a 'split personality'.

But from that angle there wasn't any other option; and possibly another angle wasn't available.

Secondly, a shutter speed of 1/200 on #1 is a bit on the slow side for a running animal. I would have preferred something around 1/500. So this appears to have caused a little motion softness. This would have increased the ISO but I would sooner risk a little bit of background 'noise' to get the main subject sharp.

And don't worry about having uploading problems; that is something which many of use suffered initially.

[stardelta]

Just a couple of thoughts, Glenn.

With bright light on one side of your dog and deep shadow on the other you are bound to suffer a bit of exposure problems. Which gives the dog something of a 'split personality'.

But from that angle there wasn't any other option; and possibly another angle wasn't available.

Secondly, a shutter speed of 1/200 on #1 is a bit on the slow side for a running animal. I would have preferred something around 1/500. So this appears to have caused a little motion softness. This would have increased the ISO but I would sooner risk a little bit of background 'noise' to get the main subject sharp.

And don't worry about having uploading problems; that is something which many of use suffered initially.

thankyou geoff,i get your point about the shutter speed and will try to incorporate it next time.
regards glenn.

[Jim B.]

Hi Glenn,

Doing good! I think the softness in the 1st shot is due to missed focus.
Second is much sharper.Look at the water splashes in front of your dog in both.
As Geoff said.Tough lighting to deal with.
With this type of shot you want to use center focus point only.Keep the focus point on the dog's eyes.
Also,make sure your IS is engaged and settled.It takes a second or so after you 1/2 press the shutter.

[stardelta]

Hi Glenn,

Doing good! I think the softness in the 1st shot is due to missed focus.
Second is much sharper.Look at the water splashes in front of your dog in both.
As Geoff said.Tough lighting to deal with.
With this type of shot you want to use center focus point only.Keep the focus point on the dog's eyes.
Also,make sure your IS is engaged and settled.It takes a second or so after you 1/2 press the shutter.

thankyou jim and i will try to hold off a sec after focusing.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Glenn,

I am not a Canon DSLR shooter, so I may use the wrong terminology here ...

~ I will try to hold off a sec after focusing.

Just a thought on this, if your AF is not in "AI-servo" mode, the one where it continuously focuses, and Jack is running toward you, he'll have shifted way past where the focus was set by the time you click.

So; half press and get the IS running, while letting the AF follow Jack as he approaches, then gently finish the pressing of the shutter to take the picture.

To clarify, if you have the focus in the mode where it gives a confirmation beep, that is not what you should be using for this kind of target tracking photography.

Cheers,

[stardelta]

Hi Glenn,

I am not a Canon DSLR shooter, so I may use the wrong terminology here ...



Just a thought on this, if your AF is not in "AI-servo" mode, the one where it continuously focuses, and Jack is running toward you, he'll have shifted way past where the focus was set by the time you click.

So; half press and get the IS running, while letting the AF follow Jack as he approaches, then gently finish the pressing of the shutter to take the picture.

To clarify, if you have the focus in the mode where it gives a confirmation beep, that is not what you should be using for this kind of target tracking photography.

Cheers,

hi dave i do have it in ai servo all the time when im with jack.

[rpcrowe]

I like to use fill flash whenever I photograph dogs outdoors. The flash would have filled in the shadows; which, I guess, is why it is called: "fill flash"

Using HSS, there is no problem with shutter speed...

It also produces nice catchlights in a dogs eyes - even from quite a distance.

[stardelta]

I like to use fill flash whenever I photograph dogs outdoors. The flash would have filled in the shadows; which, I guess, is why it is called: "fill flash"

Using HSS, there is no problem with shutter speed...

It also produces nice catchlights in a dogs eyes - even from quite a distance.

thanks for that richard i will do some investigating on fill flashes.
regards glenn

[jprzybyla]

Hi Glenn,

Here is an example of how your image can look with post processing in Adobe Photoshop Elements and Adobe Camera Raw. I opened up the shadows and sharpened it as best I could.

[Glenn NK]

Hi Glenn,

I am not a Canon DSLR shooter, so I may use the wrong terminology here ...



Just a thought on this, if your AF is not in "AI-servo" mode, the one where it continuously focuses, and Jack is running toward you, he'll have shifted way past where the focus was set by the time you click.

So; half press and get the IS running, while letting the AF follow Jack as he approaches, then gently finish the pressing of the shutter to take the picture.

To clarify, if you have the focus in the mode where it gives a confirmation beep, that is not what you should be using for this kind of target tracking photography.

Cheers,

I don't have a dog, but have a very quick moving granddaughter; with both my Canons, I use AI-servo mode.

BUT: I set the camera up to use the "star" (*) button on the back for focusing. This way I hold the button down with my thumb so the camera is continuously tracking focus, and use my right index finger to trigger the shutter. I know from discussions other forums that many use this method.

Glenn

[stardelta]

Hi Glenn,

Here is an example of how your image can look with post processing in Adobe Photoshop Elements and Adobe Camera Raw. I opened up the shadows and sharpened it as best I could.

hi joe thanks for that yours looks much better how you have reduced the shadows on jack i can see him a lot clearer.

[stardelta]

I don't have a dog, but have a very quick moving granddaughter; with both my Canons, I use AI-servo mode.

BUT: I set the camera up to use the "star" (*) button on the back for focusing. This way I hold the button down with my thumb so the camera is continuously tracking focus, and use my right index finger to trigger the shutter. I know from discussions other forums that many use this method.
from one glenn to another thankyou i also heard someone use this method.as i said before i do have it in ai servo,as i read this was the best way,but will try holding the button aswell.

Glenn

from 1 glenn to another hello , as i said earlier i do have my canon set to ai servo,as i thought this was the way to go,but will have to try holding the * button as i take the shots of jack.

[Geoff F]

Glenn, if you keep the shutter button half depressed while tracking in AI Servo mode it will work fine. Just make sure you wait very slightly for the lens to lock onto your subject and the IS to stabilise.

The * button, etc, can be useful but I always forget about it until too late or miss the best shot because I'm fiddling about trying to locate that button.

[stardelta]

Glenn, if you keep the shutter button half depressed while tracking in AI Servo mode it will work fine. Just make sure you wait very slightly for the lens to lock onto your subject and the IS to stabilise.

The * button, etc, can be useful but I always forget about it until too late or miss the best shot because I'm fiddling about trying to locate that button.

thanks geoff i know what you mean.when jack comes hurtling towards me and catches me off guard im fiddling for buttons ,it can be hard work.

[Soma Jones]

Glenn NK:

BUT: I set the camera up to use the "star" (*) button on the back for focusing. This way I hold the button down with my thumb so the camera is continuously tracking focus, and use my right index finger to trigger the shutter. I know from discussions other forums that many use this method.

I've heard about this method. What is the advantage to doing this as opposed to focusing with the shutter release?

[jprzybyla]

Glenn I used the Fill Light slider in Adobe Camera Raw that is part of my Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 software.

[dan marchant]

I've heard about this method. What is the advantage to doing this as opposed to focusing with the shutter release?

It isn't a universal panacea but is useful in certain situations such as when shooting sports. I use back button focus all the time because I sometimes shoot sport - using BBF as my standard method means that it is completely natural for me when I come to shoot sports.

It is good because it allows you to focus on someone and shoot, but then if someone else comes into shot (another player) between me and my subject there is a risk they might steal the focus so I take my finger off the back button but keep shooting by holding the shutter release. Obviously if the subject keeps moving you will need to restart focusing but it is still useful.

It also means that AI servo doubles as single shot. If you hold down focus while pointing at a stationary target AI servo can sometimes hunt around as it is expecting movement. With BBF you can focus then release the back button and then take multiple shots by pressing the shutter.

[stardelta]

It isn't a universal panacea but is useful in certain situations such as when shooting sports. I use back button focus all the time because I sometimes shoot sport - using BBF as my standard method means that it is completely natural for me when I come to shoot sports.

It is good because it allows you to focus on someone and shoot, but then if someone else comes into shot (another player) between me and my subject there is a risk they might steal the focus so I take my finger off the back button but keep shooting by holding the shutter release. Obviously if the subject keeps moving you will need to restart focusing but it is still useful.

It also means that AI servo doubles as single shot. If you hold down focus while pointing at a stationary target AI servo can sometimes hunt around as it is expecting movement. With BBF you can focus then release the back button and then take multiple shots by pressing the shutter.

thanks for that dan i will have to give that a try,sounds like a good idea.
cheers glenn