Who here is into Photography?

[Chickerdoodle13]

Start a class Two Creeks! As always, your pictures are gorgeous. I think I asked before, but what kind of lens are you using? Your pictures are so crisp and clear, though I'm sure that also has a lot to do with your technique as well!

I have a bunch of photos on my camera that I haven't loaded to Facebook yet. Unfortunately my camera is home and I wont be going back home until next weekend!

 

[peewee]

Fantastic shots again TwoCreeks!!!
I would love to have a class on focus and exposure as well if you are willing.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Peewee, very nice lizard pictures!

 

[tazcat70]

Quote:
VERY nice!!!

 

[Cats Critters]

Some berry pictures I just took:

 

[Two Creeks Farm]

peewee, your shots are about as close to dead on as far as exposure goes according to the histogram. Focus is good, its the depth of field that throws it off enough to appear defocused, however the eyes are fairly sharp at this size. A few tweaks in post processing would be purely subjective.

Its very hard to critique a small image online, I have some that look iffy but are incredible at full resolution.

I will help all I can, when I have time. Im on the road shooting non stop so I hate to commit to anything.

chickerdoodle (hope thats right) I use all Nikon Prime lenses ranging from wide angles to 300mm. Most carried daily...17-35 2.8...70-200 2.8 and a 300mm 2.8

 

[MaggieRae]

Here's a heron on the shore by my dock. I'm a little unhappy with this photo. The bird appears blanched out to me... My lighting wasn't so great and I didn't have much time to snap the picture before he flew off.

One more, still blanched out, I'm afraid.

 

[Two Creeks Farm]

This is where setting your exposure manually will out preform auto settings. You can use program modes with some exposure compensation if your camera has that option. In most auto modes, the meter see's all that dark area and raises the exposure, washing out the mid tones and blowing the highlights.

Not sure I could shoot wildlife in a program/auto mode

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I often have the same problem with washed out bird subjects and my meter is often the issue. I don't usually shoot on "P", but I'm not sure how I would go about fixing that washed out look, especially when I have a darker background like you mentioned. What is it exactly that you are adjusting? Sometimes I will fiddle with the shutter speed and aperture, leaving my setting on priority of one or the other, but I would love to learn how to correct the color and lighting in my photos.

 

[Two Creeks Farm]

I shoot for the highlights. I base my metering off the brightest thing in the scene that I want to hold detail. I shoot in full manual 99% of the time so its a quick spot meter and adjust from there.

If your using a shutter or aperature mode, you will need to adjust the exposure using exposure compensation to allow more light in or take light away. I dont know every camera out there so I cant say what to do or how to adjust it without knowing what control options it allows you.

In this shot, I metered towards the brightest object (besides the sun) which would have been the yellow leaves high in the canopy. The tree was actually almost black but was brought back in photoshop.

Much easier scene here, even diffused lighting thanks to the overcast sky. Metered the brightest leaf.

Same here, metered some light colored branches that were close to the off white of the birds that were coming in to feed.

Here im sure I used shutter priority mode. Evenly lit scene with a mostly neutral Dove.

When it comes to snow....you really have to pay attention to metering. usually I will set the camera up to make sure I have as much detail in the snow as possible and adjust anything else in post workflow. If you blow your highlights you will never get them back. You can save the shadows more so then blown whites or highlights. Thats not to say that blown highlights are bad in certain images, but for teh most part, in general photography, you really want to base your metering for them