Candid photography is not always easy with a DSLR.

[Class A]

Very nice shots, Richard. Well done.

[William W]

Great stuff Richard.

WW

[Camellia]

Good evening.
You have an awesome lens collection – I expect you are a very keen Photographer.
The 10 to 22 would be good to practice hip shooting – I expect a good shot of Julia next week, please.
I did not use any light meter whatsoever for the Cat – that was the point of directing you to that link: to show you that a light meter is not necessary for every shot. The Cat is Front Lit by Sunlight. The shot was taken between the hours of 10:00am and 4:00pm in Summer time – if you can’t work it out I will tell you the answer, but just think on it a bit longer.
Yes, good memory: Norman Lindsay’s Garden. With the utmost respect, I choose disagree with those folk who made that choice for you – Lindsay was not rude – he was indeed, a genius.
If you feel inclined I would like to “check out” some of your photos – if not that’s OK too.

Nice chatting, you seem a very pleasant person.

WW

Thanks Bill. I'm going out this morning and again at lunchtime with the camera to practice.

My mother tells me that when we went to Norman Lindsay's house, there was a bus load of old ladies on tour who thought it was dreadful that my parents had taken a child there! This was in the 1970s.

You can see my photos at www.raylee.jablum.net and www.flickr.com/photos/raylee_aka_camelllia.

R

PS Did you have the camera on auto for the white cat?

[imagema4]

The great "street" photographer
The truth about Cartier Bresson was that he "stalked " his subjects. He had been a professional game hunter and he used the words ''until i could trap them in my little box". In short he controled the candid. He would choose the place and then wait for the subject to past in and out of the frame. I recall the "shot" of the man jumping and the bicycle passing a set of stairs.

This is a "controlled candid. I use a sharp 35 mm f2 lens on a Sony 850. getting the weight down. Pre-focus the lens a and wait with the camera not at to your eye. Use both eyes open when you use your camera. So many people use slow zooms. Photographers use prime super fast glass. It is the glass that gives you class.
This provides the "stalker" three major advantages.
1. Predictable composition and image content.
2 A sharp image at wide open.
3 the ability to "see" what is passing outside of the viewfinder.

Mod note: Ros, let me know if I included too much in the quote, after doing it, I wasn't sure if the 1,2,3 bit was yours or not

Try all this with your stripped down SLR.

Hopes this helps

[William W]

Thanks for the links I will have a detailed squiz at you pictures later today – bit busy ATM.

Lots of comments I could make about you Norman Lindsay journey – suffice to say I understand your Mum succumbing to pressure from an hoard of Old Ladies.

Did you have the camera on auto for the white cat?

You mean the Green Rectangle Auto?
Nope: it was in Manual Mode for those three shots

WW

[tom059]

I just want to say for feeling suspicious go out at night to take astrophotography pictures without an obvious astronomical telescope. I have to do it in the street in a residentual neighborhood because my back yard has so many trees.

[Noice]

as for manual, i think the sunny 16 is your best friend. works well with hip shots.
i dont completely remember how it goes, so someone feel free to add on/correct me
its f16 on a sunny day, f8 with clouds/overcast and faster indoors.
i guess the standard shutter speed for that setting is 1/128

ive never really practiced this as im rarely out and about during the day because of work...
when i do come out the odd time, ill still use manual 90% of the time.
i set the aperture to f8, and change the shutter according to the scene. (shots will never really drop slow enough that ill get a blurry photo. given that its day time)
ill always leave it on Center-Weighted Average metering as its the closest i have to spot metering in my camera.
if im relying on AF, ill leave it to the center AF point only. lock it, and recompose.
if im going to try hip shots or any other shot i cant look though the viewfinder, ill just switch to MF and use the distance scale (this was what i hated about the EF 50/1.8)
using the distance scale and getting used to estimating a focused shot with it is really fun IMO
i also leave the zoom locked to 17mm as its easier to compose a shot and its got the fastest aperture, should i need it.

i only have a Rebel 1000D and a Sigma 17-70/2.8-4 OS HSM

these are before i replaced the kit lens so no distance scale...all AF
mostly Aperture priority mode and just used the exposure compensation
(i also think i was scared of iso 800 noise cause exif tells me theyre 400 at most)

Shutter Speed:1/22 second
Aperture:F/3.5
Focal Length:18 mm
ISO Speed:400


Shutter Speed:1/1024 second
Aperture:F/3.5
Focal Length:18 mm
ISO Speed:400
while walking ahead of her


Shutter Speed:1/32 second
Aperture:F/3.5
Focal Length:18 mm
ISO Speed:400
while walking

[William W]

as for manual, i think the sunny 16 is your best friend. works well with hip shots. i dont completely remember how it goes, so someone feel free to add on/correct me

The F/16 Rule is a "Rule of Thumb".
It is used by many Experienced and Novice Photographers alike.

Those with a passion for detail and testing refine the F/16 rule (and also other “rules of thumb”) to suit their own personal tastes / equipment / location.

As such, amongst Photographers, there are many personal expressions of the F/16 rule, but basically they are are all very similar, because they all are based in the same principle.


***

Here is the F/16 Rule I use for Canon DSLR:
Front Lit Hard Sunlight,
AUSTRALIA (except Tas),
Between 2hrs after sunrise and 2hrs before sunset.

Exposure is: F/16 @ 1/ISO @ ISO
(e.g. F/16 @ 1/400s @ ISO400 or F/8 @ 1/800 @ ISO400 . . . etc)

Side Lit – Open up one – maybe open, one and a third stop
Back lit - Open up two – maybe open, two and a third stop
On sand or surf or snow – close down half or two thirds, maybe close one stop.

My rules are different for Film.

I know a Professional who works in San Francisco and we have identical DSLR gear, and have extensively compared files of images taken in direct sun . . . the rule there is ⅓ stop open – across every setting I would use in Sydney or Brisbane or Melbourne.

Then the list goes on:
“Open Shade”
“Light Cloud – distinct shadows”
“Heavy Cloud - indistinct shadows” . . . etc.

WW

[photohaydn]

Candid photography can be difficult and I can sometimes feel self-conscious myself depending on my mood but generally speaking if you want the shot you just have to get on with it and shoot regardless. If anyone ever does take exception to being photographed, as can happen, I politely desist and move on. I use a Nikon D200 and an 18-200mm VR lens pretty much as standard as I hate being cluttered with lots of gear. Traveling light is always the best option!

[Wirefox]

Well no sign of Becki - either here or on CiC. Last night was live music at a coffee bar in town and tonight its the Wombats live in between she's a blur. I will point her back to HER thread there is some good discussion on here.

Russell, I would just like to welcome you to CiC. Its good to see another member from the north of England. Nice work above and I have had a quick look at your website. Superb use of smugmug and the content looks very promising. I will take a closer look later - now who is sounding like Becki Blur

[photohaydn]

Thanks for the welcome Steve I see you are based in Warrington so I guess we are neighbours! I see you use SmugMug too, with some very nice work on it, as do one or two others on here. Although, I'm currently considering switching to Photoshelter as I like the great templates they have. But thanks for the compliment! Not sure who Becki Blur is but I do know Betty Boop...

[Shadowman]

Great set, you can see the joy in their faces.

[rebeccalouisephotography]

I am back for now, such a busy weekend. Like my dad states I was at a live music open mic night which I religiously attend the first Thursday of every month, then Friday I was at a gig in Manchester (The Wombats - I was right at the front, within touching distance and people were crowd surfing and mosh pitting; I have bruises but it was amzing) then i went on to a party straight after, Saturday I went for a meal at the beloved Nandos and straight after I went on to a friends house. And sunday in not called the day of rest for no reason! I had worked then slumped out on my bed for the night.

But some really good shots the Bill, Richard and Russell. And some great advice, I will be sure to take it into consideration when I venture into my second shoot. I have also been asked to do a make-up shoot and a wedding. Amazing.

[Camellia]

I am back for now, such a busy weekend. Like my dad states I was at a live music open mic night which I religiously attend the first Thursday of every month, then Friday I was at a gig in Manchester (The Wombats - I was right at the front, within touching distance and people were crowd surfing and mosh pitting; I have bruises but it was amzing) then i went on to a party straight after, Saturday I went for a meal at the beloved Nandos and straight after I went on to a friends house. And sunday in not called the day of rest for no reason! I had worked then slumped out on my bed for the night.

But some really good shots the Bill, Richard and Russell. And some great advice, I will be sure to take it into consideration when I venture into my second shoot. I have also been asked to do a make-up shoot and a wedding. Amazing.

How were The Wombats?

R

[jconti3]

, I stopped to take a few shots of this shop keep painting over the words "emancipate yourself" on the back of his shop. After I took a few and sat to watch ,these two fellows strolled up and took a few also.

[Wirefox]

How were The Wombats?

Furry?

[Camellia]

Furry?

Not always...