Namibia by Light

[Helen Kolb]

I know absolutely nothing about photography, have no idea what anyone is talking about (mostly), have borrowed camera's (husband's) but am open to learn and how better than to plunge in and do it! First image of sunrise in fog, am trying to hand-hold a 100-400 lens (not a great idea evidently). The image is straight out of the camera (no adjustments - don't really know how!) I love the idea that photography can 'paint' with something so elusive as light, and Namibia has fabulous light (twilight). C&C very, very welcome!

So how do I get the photo posted.........:confused

[bnnrcn]

Welcome Helen Great photo for a start! You are right about the light , it looks lovely. I think you didn't use a tripod with your huge lens and that's why I can see some blur in the image. I leave the other comments to the other members, but just want to say that reading tutorials in CinC helps a lot technically and I would also suggest you should read some books about composition if you are into photography. Watching videos and viewing images through the internet are also helpful. Those are my ways of learning and I'm sure you will find your own way too. Have fun in your adventure

PS. If you add the exif data for the image it might be very helpful to make more precise comments. It might be motion blur in the image instead of the camera shake but it is difficult to say without the exif data.

[Shadowman]

You know something about photography. Nice capture.

[Manfred M]

Hi Helen. Welcome to CiC.

This shot brings back some very nice memories of the few days my wife and I spent in Swakopmund a few years ago. The German colonial architecture and the sand and palm trees seemed somewhat incongruous.

[Ziggy]

Welcome Helen. Like those colors.

[jcuknz]

A great shot to start with and when you, if you go down this path, get more familiar with the other tool at your disposal, the editor, there are two things which perhaps you could return to this shot in the future and sharpen the left hand tree as it is so dominant on the left and the second would be to adjust the white and black points inwards to add vibrancy to the sky. But for now be happy with what you got ... its a nice one

[IzzieK]

I saw your EXIF, this means the details of the shot you made set at Shutter Priority, ISO 100...etc., etc. and you have Photoshop CS6 as your editor. Who posted this image for you? Could it be your husband?

Welcome to CiC. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask away. This is a learning community so hopefully you will learn a lot here, just as many of us did. Even if you do not know photography terminologies right now, if you look and read at some posts here and join us in our conversation (the easy to understand ones), you will find that you will gain some knowledge of the terms we use here. If anything, google any term you do not understand that you come across and it will show you links to pages where the explanation is simple enough for you to deal with.

For someone who do not know photography the image you uploaded is a good one, good colours too...Love it.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Helen,

Welcome to the forums from me too!

You may find the first post in this thread helpful:
How to Get Effective Feedback for your Posted Images


To expand on the EXIF data for your image;
Canon 7D with EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens at 235mm.
Shutter Priority: 1/1600s at f/5 and ISO 100 with +1 stop Exposure Compensation.
PS CS6 (on Mac).
Uploaded (probably at full size) but limited by TinyPic to 1599 x 1066px, in Adobe RGB colourspace.

Re: settings ...

If I were shooting that scene, I think I would be using Aperture Priority and setting something like f/11, since there's nothing in the shot that warrants that fast a shutter speed, but you do need more Depth of Field.

If you had set f/11, the shutter speed would have come out to about 1/250s, which with a focal length of 235mm (x 1.6 crop factor) and lens IS 'on', should be OK.
Or you could have increased the ISO one stop and shot at 200, giving a shutter speed of 1/500s.

I appreciate that in the early days, all that may seem like too much to take in, but just ask us to explain (any bits you don't understand) here - and we'll do our best to help.

You may find the first batch of tutorials in this link helpful: https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/le...y-concepts.htm (the 'Basics' ones)

Cheers, Dave

[bnnrcn]

Hi Dave. I think you meant 1/160 for the shutter speed but wrote 1/1600 by mistake . I'm posting this just to make it clear for the beginners who might get confused about the exif data

Hi Helen,

Welcome to the forums from me too!

You may find the first post in this thread helpful:
How to Get Effective Feedback for your Posted Images


To expand on the EXIF data for your image;
Canon 7D with EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens at 235mm.
Shutter Priority: 1/1600s at f/5 and ISO 100 with +1 stop Exposure Compensation.
PS CS6 (on Mac).
Uploaded (probably at full size) but limited by TinyPic to 1599 x 1066px, in Adobe RGB colourspace.

Re: settings ...

If I were shooting that scene, I think I would be using Aperture Priority and setting something like f/11, since there's nothing in the shot that warrants that fast a shutter speed, but you do need more Depth of Field.

If you had set f/11, the shutter speed would have come out to about 1/250s, which with a focal length of 235mm (x 1.6 crop factor) and lens IS 'on', should be OK.
Or you could have increased the ISO one stop and shot at 200, giving a shutter speed of 1/500s.

I appreciate that in the early days, all that may seem like too much to take in, but just ask us to explain (any bits you don't understand) here - and we'll do our best to help.

You may find the first batch of tutorials in this link helpful: https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/le...y-concepts.htm (the 'Basics' ones)

Cheers, Dave

[Helen Kolb]

Very incongruous indeed! How about the Norfolk Island Pine..... what is that doing here!

[Helen Kolb]

I saw your EXIF, this means the details of the shot you made set at Shutter Priority, ISO 100...etc., etc. and you have Photoshop CS6 as your editor. Who posted this image for you? Could it be your husband?

Welcome to CiC. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask away. This is a learning community so hopefully you will learn a lot here, just as many of us did. Even if you do not know photography terminologies right now, if you look and read at some posts here and join us in our conversation (the easy to understand ones), you will find that you will gain some knowledge of the terms we use here. If anything, google any term you do not understand that you come across and it will show you links to pages where the explanation is simple enough for you to deal with.

For someone who do not know photography the image you uploaded is a good one, good colours too...Love it.

[Helen Kolb]

Sorry, posted reply without replying! Will get the hang of this - and learning the terminology! Many thanks for overwhelming response, all very helpful. Google it I will! Thanks again, hk

[Helen Kolb]

So kind, thank you Dave. When the sun shines again in this foggy place, I'll try your suggestion. Spend every spare moment doing your tutorials, but all a bit overwhelming at the moment! Thanks again, hk

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Dave. I think you meant 1/160 for the shutter speed but wrote 1/1600 by mistake . I'm posting this just to make it clear for the beginners who might get confused about the exif data

Nope; I just rechecked (on two EXIF viewers) and it was 1/1600 - or 1/1579 to be precise.


This may be overwhelming to beginners; Jeffrey's Exif Viewer for the image.

Most of the useful stuff is in the first box on left, plus repeats, with more detail in the tables below.

BR, Dave

[Dave Humphries]

So kind, thank you Dave. When the sun shines again in this foggy place, I'll try your suggestion. Spend every spare moment doing your tutorials, but all a bit overwhelming at the moment! Thanks again, hk

That was something I forgot to ask you about - there's no hint of fog in this image, at least, not for me, who has never been there. Perhaps you took the shot because that was unusual at that time of day?

[bnnrcn]

Sorry Dave, a shutter speed of 1/1600 with f/5 , +1 exp.comp.and ISO 100 seemed too fast for a sunset shot to me. After reading your reply I looked at the image again and now I think that it might be possible because the sun can still be seen at that time of day. Sorry for the confusion again

Nope; I just rechecked (on two EXIF viewers) and it was 1/1600 - or 1/1579 to be precise.


This may be overwhelming to beginners; Jeffrey's Exif Viewer for the image.

Most of the useful stuff is in the first box on left, plus repeats, with more detail in the tables below.

BR, Dave

[Helen Kolb]

That was something I forgot to ask you about - there's no hint of fog in this image, at least, not for me, who has never been there. Perhaps you took the shot because that was unusual at that time of day?

Hi again Dave

Had a look at the photo EXIF (still working out how to include it with the upload) - the shutter speed was 1/1600. It is actually sunrise and Swakopmund is a very foggy place indeed. It almost never rains, so no nice clouds to make skies interesting.

I actually would like to learn to take marketing shots for the company I work for which does horse riding safaris across the desert. It is a challenge indeed as the desert light is somewhat unforgiving. Am a bit intimidated by this all but eternally grateful there is a site such as yours to learn form. Thank you again. Helen

PS, will use the tripod in future!

[IzzieK]

Helen, can you just imagine your image here with the silhouette of the horses with it? Since you are using PSCS6, if you have some separate images of the horses in action, we might be able to help you make that. I know I will...with imagination running wild on what you can achieve....

[Helen Kolb]

Helen, can you just imagine your image here with the silhouette of the horses with it? Since you are using PSCS6, if you have some separate images of the horses in action, we might be able to help you make that. I know I will...with imagination running wild on what you can achieve....

Gosh Izzie, you are all so very kind and helpful!

I know what you meanI However looking at the image riders might wonder where the hell they rode past palms in the sunrise! Need 'true' pics for marketing - however will have some next week to share. Any advice for camera settings for taking shots in a glaring desert. Its very white/pale surfaces and forever horizons. Have the 100-400 lens, a 10-24mm wide angle, and hubby has a fixed 400 mm (or something like that - big thing, too heavy to lift). I'll get there with the terminology!

Thanks again all of you for your generosity. Hope one day I can reciprocate. Helen

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Helen,

The 10-24mm should allow some interesting close ups with background for context.

Good luck with the endeavour, Dave