Could i have done better?

[khussein]

Hi,
I took these shots late this morning using shutter priority mode, iso-200,pattern metering and daylight white balance for all shots but it look like i missed it up.
So could i have done better if changed the settings or the drive mode to aperture priority?

f/16 1/250 s


f/11 1/500 s


f/9 1/800 s


f/5 1/2500 s


f/3.5 1/4000 s

[dubaiphil]

Typical Middle Eastern light and skies - what are you looking for exactly?

Personally I'd only use shutter priority for moving subjects. If you're shooting shutter priority then you may risk the camera selecting an aperture which is too small (f16+) which can compromise image quality.

I'd stick on Aperture Priority and between f4 and f11 on something like this. f11, focusing on the tree, should give plenty of depth of field if that's what you're after.

[Stagecoach]

Hi Khalid, I would agree with what Phil has said.

You say "but it look like I messed it up", what exactly do you think you have done wrong or would have expected to see ?

[khussein]

Typical Middle Eastern light and skies - what are you looking for exactly?

I'd stick on Aperture Priority and between f4 and f11 on something like this. f11, focusing on the tree, should give plenty of depth of field if that's what you're after.

Hi Phil,
I see you know a bout Middle East weather, most of the time it is dusty.
Exactly focus and depth of field is my concern.
Thank you so much, and really i like your work here in cic.

[khussein]

Hi Khalid, I would agree with what Phil has said.

You say "but it look like I messed it up", what exactly do you think you have done wrong or would have expected to see ?

Hi Grahame,
As i mention Phil above i was not convinced by the focus and depth of field, but now i know how to improve it.
Thank you for assistant.

[Stagecoach]

Khalid, I opened the f9 version in PS Elements and with very minor work, contrast, saturation and sharpening it is fine. There really was not any scope as far as I can see where you could have improved it in camera.

Grahame

[khussein]

Khalid, I opened the f9 version in PS Elements and with very minor work, contrast, saturation and sharpening it is fine. There really was not any scope as far as I can see where you could have improved it in camera.

Grahame

I appreciate Grahame,
You know i am trying to get the most benefit of it to learn how to take the image correctly in the first place by choosing the right (settings).
Also i am not expert in photo editing software and this i will do later on after improving my photography skills.So its just for practicing.
Once again i appreciate your help.

[AB26]

Hi Khalid,

I hope I get this right. My math’s is no good. What you have done is to basically get the same exposure in every shot by only changing Shutter Speed in Shutter Speed Priority. If you turn up Shutter Speed the Aperture opens up to compensate for exposure. If you bring down Shutter Speed the Aperture will “close down” (the hole will get smaller) to compensate for exposure.

In Shutter Speed Priority the camera is in semi automatic mode. Change the shutter speed and the computer in the camera will compensate for Aperture to get the “correct” exposure. It will keep compensating until it runs out of Aperture changing possibilities, then it will start compensating by changing ISO. If you want to change the effect, you have to “freeze” two of the “legs” in the exposure triangle. The triangle being Shutter speed Aperture and ISO – see the tutorial on exposure.

What I think you tried to achieve was to get different effects by changing the shutter speed. There should be a little button somewhere on your camera with a little ± on it. If you were to do the same exercise again and you adjust Exposure Compensation you would get a different effect every time you adjust the Exposure Compensation. Otherwise keep the Shutter Speed the same and adjust the Aperture, in Manual Mode. Or keep Aperture and Shutter Speed the same and adjust ISO.

Keep two of the settings the same, change the third and the effect will change. In the Menu Bank of your camera you can also adjust for Colour Vividness, Contrast and you can also change White Balance to get different effects. Try setting the White Balance in Manual to 6700K and your picture will go yellow (richer) in sunlight. Change the White Balance to 3700K and the Picture will turn blue (colder) in sunlight. (If you want a really red sunset just turn the White Balance up to 8000K and see the result.)

Khalid, you did not mess up anything. You showed us a couple of pictures what it really looks like at that time of day in Saudi Arabia (I can almost feel the heat and I need a drink now ).
Put your camera on a tripod and play around with different settings in all modes to see how the effect changes.

Good luck.

[khussein]

Hi Khalid,
What I think you tried to achieve was to get different effects by changing the shutter speed. There should be a little button somewhere on your camera with a little ± on it. If you were to do the same exercise again and you adjust Exposure Compensation you would get a different effect every time you adjust the Exposure Compensation. Otherwise keep the Shutter Speed the same and adjust the Aperture, in Manual Mode. Or keep Aperture and Shutter Speed the same and adjust ISO.

Hi Andre,
I feel that you read my mind like slideshow.
Really what you explained up is a good lead for me and putting me in the right track, so i will work hard to apply what you taught me and i hope you will see good results of me here.
Maybe i am not expressing in a good English language, because its not my mother tongue, but anyway everybody understanding me here .
Thank you

[AB26]

Broken Eenlish is beter tan a broken Photographic Spirit.
Khalid keep trying, posting and asking. Best way of learning.

Good Luck.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Khalid,

Firstly; welcome to the CiC forums from me.

I would probably shot this at f/11.
I would have given it a half to one stop less exposure to get more saturation in the sky, so the conditions you had f/11 at 1/750s to 1/1000s.
I would have framed the shot differently than the f/11 example, I want to see all the trunk and the shadow on the sand.

Some things to bear in mind;
There's only one 'correct' exposure for a scene and that is a combination of a shutter speed, an iso and the aperture

It doesn't matter how you arrive at this exposure; Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority or Manual, or even Program mode as long as you consciously twiddle the controls to get the most suitable pairing of aperture (for the DoF) and shutter speed (for any subject, or if hand held, camera, movement).

You should work with whatever mode seems the most instinctive for you at the time.

You didn't specifically mention it, but the same applies to metering; as long as you understand what's going on, it really doesn't matter whether a person uses average/matrix, centre weighted or spot - although when you want to apply Exposure Compensation, these things may make a difference to which way you turn the wheel to get to the correct exposure from what the meter is telling you.

If you are not PP'ing these images and I suspect you uploading at full size - this is causing TinyPic to downsize (and soften) them for you, it is no surprise you are a little disatisfied.
Even though effectively test shots; with some PP, these could look better, especially if shot RAW.

I am encouraged by your responses, and am sure if you stick around here, you will soon make progress. Your Engish is fine too.

All the best,

[khussein]

I would probably shot this at f/11.
I would have given it a half to one stop less exposure to get more saturation in the sky, so the conditions you had f/11 at 1/750s to 1/1000s.
I would have framed the shot differently than the f/11 example, I want to see all the trunk and the shadow on the sand.

Some things to bear in mind;
There's only one 'correct' exposure for a scene and that is a combination of a shutter speed, an iso and the aperture

It doesn't matter how you arrive at this exposure; Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority or Manual, or even Program mode as long as you consciously twiddle the controls to get the most suitable pairing of aperture (for the DoF) and shutter speed (for any subject, or if hand held, camera, movement).

You should work with whatever mode seems the most instinctive for you at the time.


If you are not PP'ing these images and I suspect you uploading at full size - this is causing TinyPic to downsize (and soften) them for you, it is no surprise you are a little disatisfied.
Even though effectively test shots; with some PP, these could look better, especially if shot RAW.

All the best,

Welcome Dave,
Thank you for your support and the nice words.
I already made some changes in the settings to find the right exposure and i think i made some progress, but still not the right exposure, you can see i took this nearly as what you said above ( f/11, 1/800 sec, iso-200, -1 step exposure, pattern metering )


As you see the picture is looking little under exposed probably i need to to over expose it by half step, what do you think am i right?
Because i shot one more in different settings (f/13, 160 sec, iso-100 ) and it seems to be over exposed and here it is


Finally regarding what you said a bout (pp), i think you mean post processing, really i didn't get the point can you explain more to me.Because i am nearly illiterate in editings softwares and my camera can shoot in RAW file but i dont know how to deal with it after shooting, so i didn't try it.
Thank you again for feeding me back.

[AB26]

Hi Khalid,
You are progressing. You have now seen how different settings can change the appearance of the image. If you use Manual White Balance and tune it to different K settings you will also see big changes. If WB was set to say 4700 in the first shot you will see the richness in the picture getting less. If WB was tuned to 8700 it would have been even richer.

Keep doing what you are now doing and keep posting. You are learning - GREAT!

[khussein]

Keep doing what you are now doing and keep posting. You are learning - GREAT!

Hi Andre,
Thank you, i promise you i will do so.
My eager and passion for it is driving me on.