The macro setting will require an even steadier hand (or a tripod), but can result in nice shots. I very, very rarely take my DSLR off the "auto" setting. My husband does the "burst" thing, but I prefer to take single shots at a time...dozens of them.
I do not have the first clue about photo editing, so any decent pic I get is straight out of the camera. I envy people with PhotoShop skills. Some tricks to getting decent shots of animals, from a rank amateur who manages to get lucky sometimes:
Get down on their level, and let them get used to you being there. At first, they'll probably mob you. This is where an assistant comes in handy. But even without an assistant to "herd" your subjects, if you're patient, you'll eventually get lucky.
Whatever lens you have, zoom it to about the halfway point of its capability, and focus on your subject. That will automatically give you a soft, magical, "bokeh" effect of blurring out the foreground and background, while keeping the subject in sharp focus. You can really play around with this effect.
Natural light, natural light, natural light! Unless you get really advanced with expensive flash attachments, light boxes, reflectors, etc., natural light is your best friend. I love partial shade or better yet, a slightly cloudy day for outdoor shots.
Try different angles--you can make a totally pedestrian photo into something special just by changing the perspective to something unexpected.
Practice on inanimate objects--they don't move, and you can really play with focus, distance, settings, etc., and see first-hand how your camera interprets various situations.
Take your camera with you EVERYWHERE. Seriously. You'll find photo ops where you never imagined them before, and that will increase your awareness of photo ops at home.
I have so much to learn about how to use my camera, but at least my "eye" is improving as I continue to take pictures every day, everywhere.
(Oh, and clean your lens, so you don't have a dark spot like in the middle of that horse picture.)
I do not have the first clue about photo editing, so any decent pic I get is straight out of the camera. I envy people with PhotoShop skills. Some tricks to getting decent shots of animals, from a rank amateur who manages to get lucky sometimes:
Get down on their level, and let them get used to you being there. At first, they'll probably mob you. This is where an assistant comes in handy. But even without an assistant to "herd" your subjects, if you're patient, you'll eventually get lucky.
Whatever lens you have, zoom it to about the halfway point of its capability, and focus on your subject. That will automatically give you a soft, magical, "bokeh" effect of blurring out the foreground and background, while keeping the subject in sharp focus. You can really play around with this effect.
Natural light, natural light, natural light! Unless you get really advanced with expensive flash attachments, light boxes, reflectors, etc., natural light is your best friend. I love partial shade or better yet, a slightly cloudy day for outdoor shots.
Try different angles--you can make a totally pedestrian photo into something special just by changing the perspective to something unexpected.
Practice on inanimate objects--they don't move, and you can really play with focus, distance, settings, etc., and see first-hand how your camera interprets various situations.
Take your camera with you EVERYWHERE. Seriously. You'll find photo ops where you never imagined them before, and that will increase your awareness of photo ops at home.
I have so much to learn about how to use my camera, but at least my "eye" is improving as I continue to take pictures every day, everywhere.
(Oh, and clean your lens, so you don't have a dark spot like in the middle of that horse picture.)
