CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

After almost a year of researching and debate, I picked up my first DSLR camera from another member here on Acurazine. It's a Nikon D60 with the basic 18-55 lens. I plan on getting a different lens later down the road, but I'm going to enjoy this one for now.

My car is filthy, so I ended up taking some simple pictures around my house. The camera was set on Auto, no special settings used. Also, these aren't edited at all, they were simply uploaded from the camera and hosted on Photobucket. I've had quite a few people tell me to get a Flickr account...what's the difference between Flickr and PB?

ALL comments and criticisms are welcome

2001AudiS4

Looks good. I have the D60 also. I love the camera. It is also my first DSLR. It is really easy to use and learn. The only suggestions I have to start is to get yourself a tripod. The guys here will probably tell you to get a really good one. I started with a $40 one and it has served me well so far. I also picked up a IR remote on eBay for like $5 which has worked out great for nighttime pictures. Between the tripod and remote I got some great results. I look forward to seeing some more pictures from another D60 owner. I am sure you can find some pictures I posted but I'll throw a couple in here for you. I really enjoy doing some HDR photography so a lot of mine on here are HDR.





I don't want to throw too many in your thread and as I said they are already on the site in other threads, just wanted to post some I took with my D60 for you. Keep up the good work

princelybug

iTrader: (16)

Nice start, OP!

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

Wow amazing pictures man!

I actually do have a tripod but it wasn't used for any of those pictures. Once I start shooting scenes like you did and also of my car, I'll be sure to grab the tripod.

I absolutely love HDR photos. I have done a few myself but they don't seem as vibrant as yours do, but then again I've only used the software a few times.

If you don't mind me asking, what lens are you using? I have the basic 18-55 as of right now, but I have the itch to buy another one.

Thank you

dom

+ 1 Some nice stuff there.

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

Thank you sir!

This is without a doubt a learning experience for me. I've had it about 30 hours as of right now and taken over 400 pictures. I've been messing with different settings and such, seeing what works and what doesn't. I took some pictures of my girlfriends brother playing in his roller hockey game and they turned out pretty well.

As I mess with it more I'll post more pictures here. I'm no professional but I enjoy it quite a bit

2001AudiS4

It is amazing how much faster a DSLR is then a point and shoot. I bet you captured some nice shots of the hockey game that you never would have been able to get with a point and shoot.

2001AudiS4

Thanks. I have a standard 18-55 and a 55-200. I bought them used so neither is VR. I am also saving up. I want both a 18-200 or 18-300 and a nice macro, most likely a 105mm. Its gonna be a while with my recent employment change.

Don't be shy about posting pics as you go, I know I and I am sure a lot of others would love to see them as you go. Drigo was really influential in my getting started in HDR photography. He has amazing skills.

synth19

My only suggestion is to run your pics through lightroom or pshop. The colors could pop more with some minor editing.... don't forget to shoot in RAW.

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

I've never had anything but a simple P&S, so this is a huge upgrade for me. The only problem I had with the hockey game last night was that I wasn't able to zoom in enough with the lens I have and that I was getting quite a bit of glare and reflection off of the glass.

I'm indecisive on what lens I want to get next. The purchase won't be for quite a while because I want to master this lens first, but I'm still constantly looking around and seeing what's out.

Thanks for the suggestion! I have some minor editing stuff built into my iPhoto; would that be enough? And if I recall properly, isn't Photoshop pretty expensive? How much is Lightroom?

By the way, your NSX is gorgeous and your photography is always top notch

synth19

Thanks dude.... Yeah... sure... some of these programs are expensive, but essential IMHO. As an alternative, you can make some tweaks on the camera itself for each picture, but it is too cumbersome and you won't get the same results. Download the trial versions and judge for yourself. Personally, I do not use lightroom anymore. CS3/CS4 with raw convertor works better for me. Oh, I'm not familiar with iphoto.

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

^Since I don't have any editing software, I haven't been shooting in RAW, but rather JPEG I do believe. RAW files take up a shit ton of space on my little 2GB memory card, so that's why I haven't stayed away from them. Also I have no idea what the difference is But if you suggest it, then I'll have to try it out.

And it sounds like I need to get PS sometime and maybe take a class to learn all of it's capabilities. I know the basics.

iPhoto is just the photo album software that came on my MacBook Pro almost 3 years ago. It has minor editing stuff like color boost, B&W, antique, etc etc. Everything is already built in and pretty basic.

I'm going up to the NC State campus this afternoon with my camera and I'll mess with the settings and see what happens. I'll post them here sometime later tonight. Any input would be greatly appreciated

wrxyboy

iTrader: (2)

When shooting in Raw it just means that the camera doesnt process the pixels of the photo. Lightroom or PS will put the pixels together to create the picture and allowing more room for editing. A lens can make a huge difference but learn all that you can with the stock lens. I just got a new lens for Christmas and it has really enhanced the photos that i have been taking.

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

^Thanks for the explanation! Which camera body/lens are you currently using?

Here are a few from last night at my girlfriends house and today. I was up at NC State while my girlfriend was in class so I put the camera to work...













































These two made me




Once again, nothing special, but still fun to take and show off. And like before, these weren't edited whatsoever. Comments welcome

ScottayHiFive

iTrader: (2)

Pretty darn nice man!

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

^Thanks man! I took about 150 pictures today but the ones I posted were my favorites.

I'm looking forward to getting a new lens down the road

badazzTL-S

Damn Tyler, excellent stuff!

badazzTL-S

now go take pics of your TL

drigo

i like this pic a lot...looks like you're off to a great start...keep shooting and most of all...have fun!

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

Good job man...very nice pics. This will be a hobby I pic up sometime down the line. I've always been fascinated by this stuff. ESPECIALLY learning HDR.

stogie1020

OP,

Take a look at the book "understanding Exposure" by Peterson. See if the library has it.

For free image editing software, download Gimp. Open source tool similar but not equal to Photoshop.

Overall composition is important. Shoot a lot of pictures, but when you see something you want to take a picture of, walk around it a bit and evaluate it from a number of different perspectives. High, low, different angles, different backgrounds, etc... As an example, the picture you have of the three yellow 'vents' is a cool subject, but the van and parking lot behind it detract from the impact of the image. Maybe a different angle would have been better. Maybe not. It's all in the eye of the viewer.

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

Haha thanks Aaron! My car is too damn dirty to take pictures of right now. I'll be cleaning her up tomorrow so maybe I'll take a few shots

Thank you! I could have spent an hour in the tunnel taking pictures but there were quite a few people walking through and I wasn't trying to get in the way

I'm really enjoying photography right now and I'm hoping it continues

Thanks! After having a shitty P&S for years and years, the DSLR makes me love photography even more. I've tried HDR in the past and I enjoy that quite a bit. I should have some new HDR pictures within the next week or so

Thanks for the great advice! I'll be sure to see if that book is available at my local and school libraries. Is Gimp compatible on Mac's as well? I have a MacBook Pro.

And there was a huge dumpster to the left of the yellow vents so that's why I stood where I did...but I understand what you were saying. I'll be sure to try everything you mentioned and see what I come up with. Thanks again!

wrxyboy

iTrader: (2)

what settings are you shooting with? I reading on how to shoot with time value. There is just so much to learn and soon this hobby will be getting quite expensive.

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

^It depends on what I'm shooting. I've been messing with the shutter speed more than anything. Usually it's just set on Auto or Auto with no flash.

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

Here's a few from this past weekend's AZ meet in VA:

















My friends 2000 323i:











My dog Moose:



And finally a thingy in my kitchen:

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

Here are a few more!

jupitersolo

Remember when you shoot an image and the image has mostly white, your camera will underexpose everytime. You have to add at least one maybe two stop to get proper exposure.

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tut...a-metering.htm

wackjum

https://acurazine.com/forums/cameras-photography-44/%2A%2Adigital-slr-faqs%2A%2A-372410/

Read the last post, which will help you understand what exposure means.

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

Nice pics. Ive been meaning to upgrade lately as well. Ive got my eye on the Nikon D5000.

How do you like the controls of the Nikon?

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

Thanks for the tip man! I'm still experimenting with different settings and such but all of these pictures were taken with the "AUTO No Flash" setting.

That was a great link you posted. It's bookmarked

Thank you! That page is now bookmarked as well.


Do either one of you have any suggestions for me and my photography? I'm more than willing to experiment with settings and such.

Thanks Morgan! I've only had the camera for about two weeks now and I'm really happy with it so far. It's really easy to use and it isn't stupid heavy like some other ones I've messed with in stores.

Before I found my D60 in the BM, I was about to buy a D5000. For what I wanted in a camera and what I wanted to spend on one, it was perfect. The only other camera I was considering was the Canon T1i.

Don't you have a Sony Alpha DSLR or something along those lines?

wrxyboy

iTrader: (2)

I have a few questions about exposure. Let just say for the sake of these question that we are shooting in a perfect world. So i were to shoot with a shutter priority at 1/100th and the camera does an auto f10 aperture or something of that nature. Would i be able to produce the exact same image with a f10 aperture priority and whatever the camera decides to use for auto shutter. Im just trying to understand what would be better to shoot with shutter priority or aperture priority. Obviously shutter priority is the best in low lighting situations.

jupitersolo

It depends on what you are shooting, if you are shooting movement, you want shutter priority. If you're shooting landscape, people or are bracketing for HDR you'll want aperture priority.

While with that keep, in mind that shutter be equal length of lens. And even this has it's allowances to break this rule.

wrxyboy

iTrader: (2)

so shutter priority will yield a cleaner picture for movement and low lighting situations, while aperture priority will yield a cleaner picture for static items. That makes alot more sense. thanks

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

Those pics look great. Is this your first DSLR?

Yea, Ive got a Sony, and it sucks Im looking to upgrade and the D5000 shoots 720p video too, so I think thats a winner. The price isnt too bad either, I found a brand new one on Newegg.com for $689, with lense.

Majofo

Get the d90.. you won't regret it. For argument's sake their almost the same dslr.. but the differences are where it really shines. The top mount lcd is great for on the fly setting changes. The rear lcd is crisp & clear.. real nice for checking the shot focus, etc. I've honestly haven't touched video. You should also check the ad, I heard newegg / amazon with the good deals on the d5k's were selling the recalled models, and several people had to send theirs into Nikon right after purchase.

btw.. the thread title does say.. "Got My First DSLR!"

jupitersolo

In low light you will have to adjust ISO to get the shutter speed or aperture you want to use.

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

Yep it sure is! All of my pictures before my D60 were taken with an old ass Kodak Easyshare P&S. The front facia was falling off and there was tape holding the battery in place, but it still took awesome pictures. It was just time for an upgrade.

What's wrong with the Sony?

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

Thanks for the heads up on that. Ill check out the D90.

The Sony really isnt that bad. I was just thinking about getting something new. However, I have thought about just picking up another lense and calling it a day. The Sony has some pros and some cons. Its got image stabilization built in. But the ISO settings only top out at 1600. The colors it captures are pretty nice, but at the same time its very grainy (could be the lense, but most likely its just me).

Im still not sure though. The electronics hoard in me is saying buy the Nikon but the sensible economic side is saying get the lense and hone my [lackluster] skill.

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

Understandable.

I don't know what to say Morgan

A part of me wants to say buy a new DSLR, but then again I want to say don't lose money on the Sony and keep using that.

wackjum

You are not understanding the principals of what is happening when you adjust aperture or shutter.