Marisa & Randy

[klpurkett]

Very sorry for being late Kristy As Manfred already mentioned it is always better to keep the ISO as low as possible while shooting the image so that you wouldn't deal with noise reduction in PP. For sharpening my images, I like unsharp mask in PS and I do most of my sharpening with it. It is likely that PS Elements has some sharpening tools too. So if I were you I would give them a go

No apology needed! Thanks for responding! Yes, Elements does have an unsharp mask function, as well as a sharpening tool. I will play some more with them. Somehow, it seems like when I have tried to sharpen images in the past, they end up looking even noisier or grainier than when I started! That seems a bit counter-productive. I'll give it another go and see what happens. I agree, though, that my ISO needs to be much lower. Lesson learned!

[klpurkett]

Here's a question for whoever feels inclined to answer. When shooting portraits in natural light, early evening (golden hour or there abouts), handheld, no flash, cooperative subjects (not young children): what is the slowest shutter speed you would consider appropriate? Looking for ways to use a lower ISO without ending up with motion blur problems. Thanks! Kristy

[Digital]

Here's a question for whoever feels inclined to answer. When shooting portraits in natural light, early evening (golden hour or there abouts), handheld, no flash, cooperative subjects (not young children): what is the slowest shutter speed you would consider appropriate? Looking for ways to use a lower ISO without ending up with motion blur problems. Thanks! Kristy

Kristy, this in part depends on what lens you are using.

Bruce

[klpurkett]

Kristy, this in part depends on what lens you are using.

Bruce

Good point. Here are the lenses I currently own:

Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 GII ED

Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1:4-5.6G ED

Thanks!

[IzzieK]

Here's a question for whoever feels inclined to answer. When shooting portraits in natural light, early evening (golden hour or there abouts), handheld, no flash, cooperative subjects (not young children): what is the slowest shutter speed you would consider appropriate? Looking for ways to use a lower ISO without ending up with motion blur problems. Thanks! Kristy

My normal outside is either 100 or 200 ISO since there is still light...the darker the environment is, the higher I go, but that is just me...With my crop camera I can go 800 without any problem with noise at all...now with my FF, it is a different story altogether that I must remember not use my auto-ISO at all. Noise doesn't bother so much nowadays as I know how to tame that down in pp...I should not even think of that either as natural shoot is better.

[klpurkett]

My normal outside is either 100 or 200 ISO since there is still light...the darker the environment is, the higher I go, but that is just me...With my crop camera I can go 800 without any problem with noise at all...now with my FF, it is a different story altogether that I must remember not use my auto-ISO at all. Noise doesn't bother so much nowadays as I know how to tame that down in pp...I should not even think of that either as natural shoot is better.

Ok, thanks Izzie. That makes sense. What is the slowest shutter speed you typically use for these kinds of scenarios on your crop camera? (Hand held, no flash, around sunset.) I might be assuming I need a faster shutter speed than is actually the case for avoiding motion blur.

[Digital]

n

Good point. Here are the lenses I currently own:

Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 GII ED

Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1:4-5.6G ED


Thanks!

Kristy, a "general'' rule to get acceptable results handheld with your camera is that your minimum shutter speed should approximate the focal length of your lens-e.g. a 200mm lens would need an approximate minimum shutter speed of 1/250 to get acceptable results handheld.
I believe that this "general rule" would apply to zoom lens as well.

Bruce

[IzzieK]

Ok, thanks Izzie. That makes sense. What is the slowest shutter speed you typically use for these kinds of scenarios on your crop camera? (Hand held, no flash, around sunset.) I might be assuming I need a faster shutter speed than is actually the case for avoiding motion blur.

You know what the right SS you will need depends on your triumvirate combination of ISO then Aperture then SS, not exactly in that order...once you set your ISO to either 100, 200 or 400, then you make up your mind on how you wanted your Aperture to be. Usually with still lots of lights you can get away with F/8 or F/11...then you sort your Shutter Speed.

Mind the needles going to the right or left...of the Exposure Compensation scale...as this takes care of the lightness or darkness of your image. Scroll your Shutter Speed to the left or right depending on how bright or how dark or how median you want your image to look like. Center doesn't always cut it for me. Moving that needle to the left (-) it makes the picture darker; to the right, brighter. Take a shot when the scale is in the middle.

Then move your shutter speed to the left by two marks, take another shot. Time to look at your highlight windows to see if there are some clippings there that blinks. If there is, move your shutter speed one more or two more to the left...look at your highlight clippings. You shutter speed will go down as you move it to the left. If you have no more space to move it, increase Your ISO or lower or Aperture. Either way will work to make your image darker or brighter too. Increasing your ISO increases the amount of light in the camera....even just one increment...or use the Aperture. The lower your aperture, the easier it is for your camera to speed up.

What I do, when I pick up my camera, depending on how much light there is, inside or outside, I decide how high or how low I wanted my ISO. Then my aperture (unless otherwise I am in an airshow); then I scroll my Shutter Speed button fast to the left and if it moves left or right, then I know I am on my way to determining the correct shot.

Sorry for the long response but this is the only way I can explain in detail my way...ask anymore questions if you are more confused about other things. In the meantime, in between, read about the Exposure Triangle. Google it. There are lot of good explanations about it that will suit your understanding better. Here are two simple articles to start you off...If I am able to find what article I used when I sat down in my deck to study my camera, I would have send that article to you, but I can't...

http://www.steves-digicams.com/knowl...-use-it.html#b

http://www.slrphotographyguide.com/c...ure-tips.shtml

Hope this helps...forgive my spellings and tenses, I am writing this response off my head and sometimes my fingers are faster than my brain...ain't it always?

[Manfred M]

n


Kristy, a "general'' rule to get acceptable results handheld with your camera is that your minimum shutter speed should approximate the focal length of your lens-e.g. a 200mm lens would need an approximate minimum shutter speed of 1/250 to get acceptable results handheld.
I believe that this "general rule" would apply to zoom lens as well.

Bruce

Bruce - that's an old "film"; i.e. full frame rule and had a number of assumptions built in. It was generally applied to holding an 8" x 10" (~A4 size) at "normal" viewing distance (around 18" / 45cm) in front of you. It also did not apply to very long lenses (which were fairly rare in those days as well).

Throw in image stabilization plus crop frame and viewing on a screen versus a print. Again really large prints were not that common in the pre-digital days, with 16" x 20" (A3 or A2?) being the pretty well as large as one commonly went.

[Digital]

Bruce - that's an old "film"; i.e. full frame rule and had a number of assumptions built in. It was generally applied to holding and 8" x 10" (~A4 size) at "normal" viewing distance (around 18" / 45cm) in front of you. It also did not apply to very long lenses (which were fairly rare in those days as well).

Throw in image stabilization plus crop frame and viewing on a screen versus a print. Again really large prints were not that common in the pre-digital days, with 16" x 20" (A3 or A2?) being the pretty well as large as one commonly went.

Manfred, thanks for the correction. I am dating myself.


Bruce

[klpurkett]

You know what the right SS you will need depends on your triumvirate combination of ISO then Aperture then SS, not exactly in that order...once you set your ISO to either 100, 200 or 400, then you make up your mind on how you wanted your Aperture to be. Usually with still lots of lights you can get away with F/8 or F/11...then you sort your Shutter Speed.

Mind the needles going to the right or left...of the Exposure Compensation scale...as this takes care of the lightness or darkness of your image. Scroll your Shutter Speed to the left or right depending on how bright or how dark or how median you want your image to look like. Center doesn't always cut it for me. Moving that needle to the left (-) it makes the picture darker; to the right, brighter. Take a shot when the scale is in the middle.

Then move your shutter speed to the left by two marks, take another shot. Time to look at your highlight windows to see if there are some clippings there that blinks. If there is, move your shutter speed one more or two more to the left...look at your highlight clippings. You shutter speed will go down as you move it to the left. If you have no more space to move it, increase Your ISO or lower or Aperture. Either way will work to make your image darker or brighter too. Increasing your ISO increases the amount of light in the camera....even just one increment...or use the Aperture. The lower your aperture, the easier it is for your camera to speed up.

What I do, when I pick up my camera, depending on how much light there is, inside or outside, I decide how high or how low I wanted my ISO. Then my aperture (unless otherwise I am in an airshow); then I scroll my Shutter Speed button fast to the left and if it moves left or right, then I know I am on my way to determining the correct shot.

Sorry for the long response but this is the only way I can explain in detail my way...ask anymore questions if you are more confused about other things. In the meantime, in between, read about the Exposure Triangle. Google it. There are lot of good explanations about it that will suit your understanding better. Here are two simple articles to start you off...If I am able to find what article I used when I sat down in my deck to study my camera, I would have send that article to you, but I can't...

http://www.steves-digicams.com/knowl...-use-it.html#b

http://www.slrphotographyguide.com/c...ure-tips.shtml

Hope this helps...forgive my spellings and tenses, I am writing this response off my head and sometimes my fingers are faster than my brain...ain't it always?

Thanks for the additional information, Izzie! I think I'm starting to get the idea concerning exposures, but my thought process was perhaps a bit backwards. For portraits I was starting with my aperture (to get the desired depth of field), then setting my shutter speed (to hopefully avoid motion blur), and then using whatever ISO I needed to keep the other two settings where I wanted them. Sounds like I need to put ISO more at the top of my priority list rather than the bottom! Or am I still not thinking of all this quite right? Thanks for helping me sort this out.

[IzzieK]

Thanks for the additional information, Izzie! I think I'm starting to get the idea concerning exposures, but my thought process was perhaps a bit backwards. For portraits I was starting with my aperture (to get the desired depth of field), then setting my shutter speed (to hopefully avoid motion blur), and then using whatever ISO I needed to keep the other two settings where I wanted them. Sounds like I need to put ISO more at the top of my priority list rather than the bottom! Or am I still not thinking of all this quite right? Thanks for helping me sort this out.

Look around you...study the brightness of the light around you, or a room...then decide what ISO you want to use...actually it does not have to be your first choice. It is just how I think for a good while so I am used to using. You can start from where you are used to using but also remember that ISO is also for brightness or darkness of the atmosphere, light around you...

Look at these cheat sheets and google any terminology you do not understand and it will take you to an article that will suit the way you understand and think. We are all different...in understanding so take it easy. It is a crawling experience at first but as you get along, it will become all automatic...

Hope these all make sense now...and oh, while you are at reading and understanding, keep your manual beside you too with your camera and tripod and all those kinds of equipment you will need...I do not know what camera you are using but I use a Nikon (for a long time) and the manual is pretty good to follow...

Happy 4th....we are having a backyard party at the deck complete with doggies and kids younger than us. So I will prepare their goodies and foodies and go out for dinner...as long as they do not burn the house...

[klpurkett]

Look around you...study the brightness of the light around you, or a room...then decide what ISO you want to use...actually it does not have to be your first choice. It is just how I think for a good while so I am used to using. You can start from where you are used to using but also remember that ISO is also for brightness or darkness of the atmosphere, light around you...

Look at these cheat sheets and google any terminology you do not understand and it will take you to an article that will suit the way you understand and think. We are all different...in understanding so take it easy. It is a crawling experience at first but as you get along, it will become all automatic...

Hope these all make sense now...and oh, while you are at reading and understanding, keep your manual beside you too with your camera and tripod and all those kinds of equipment you will need...I do not know what camera you are using but I use a Nikon (for a long time) and the manual is pretty good to follow...

Happy 4th....we are having a backyard party at the deck complete with doggies and kids younger than us. So I will prepare their goodies and foodies and go out for dinner...as long as they do not burn the house...

Thanks for the advice, Izzie.

Hope you had a good 4th! We had lunch at the in-laws, dinner with my side of the family, then watched the firework display in Spokane. My 4 year old loves fireworks... The 4th of July beats Christmas in his opinion! Gotta love the enthusiasm! My 13 month old, on the other hand, clung to my neck the whole time. Soooooo... I didn't get to play with my camera at all during the display. I had it all set up ahead of time, though, so my hubby took some pictures for me.

[D L]

Nice series Kristy. You are good at getting good poses and moments out of your subjects.

I love the kissing behind the dandelion (is that what it is?) shot. Great concept.

As for your shutter speed question. I'll take your question that you're asking about shutter speed to freeze any subject movement, rather than asking about blur due to camera movement.
I can't give you a definitive answer as I am not experienced enough but...
Recently I was trying to get a good shot of buskers. It was a man on guitar and woman singing. On my Nikon D3000 I was at 1600 ISO, f/5.6 and around 30mm focal length. I think about 1/40 second was giving more good exposure. They were relatively static while performing, so I thought that would be fine. However, every time I brought my camera up to my face, the guitarist, who was watching me, would play up to the camera and start moving around (throwing back the dreadlocks, rocking the guitar a bit, etc.) I took lots of frames, but pretty much every one has a sharp singer with motion blur guitarist.

My point is, 1/40 was fine for the static subject, but the spontaneous movement is blur. In your question you're assuming cooperative subjects, so 1/40 or possibly even a bit slower I imagine would be fine (ignoring any camera movement).

In this case here, it looks like your couple were interacting with each other and I think I'd prefer to push up the ISO (and potential noise) and capture those natural moments and gestures, but that's just me.

[klpurkett]

Thanks for your comments, David. Your example makes a lot of sense. Sometimes I was asking my subjects to pose a certain way, but sometimes I just asked them to do whatever they would normally do and just clicked away. So, sometimes they were "static" but sometimes (especially the hanging upside down over the water type shots) they were a bit more active. So yes, you interpreted my question more accurately than I framed it. Thanks! I think one thing I take away from this discussion is that I need to be comfortable making quick decisions about what settings I want to use for each part of a shoot. Maybe a lower ISO and shutter speed for these still kissing shots, but totally different settings for these active ones. I am learning so much right now through each experience like this, and I so appreciate all I'm learning afterwards here on CiC! Thanks again!

[IzzieK]

Kristy, I just re-read my last post here and I realized I did not include this link...

http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/20...-cheat-sheets/

[klpurkett]

Kristy, I just re-read my last post here and I realized I did not include this link...

http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/20...-cheat-sheets/

Thanks Izzie! Looks like there's some great stuff here! I look forward to taking more time to read through it all! Thanks for sharing this...