4 Day old Occelaris

[FB]

Was playing with my camera trying to get some nice shots of my little occelaris (4 days old). Let me know what you think.

I'm having a hell of a time getting nice pics of my juvenilles it always wants to use the flash and looks like crap.

you can see my breeding log here. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1289236

Nikon D40
2008/06/19 21:24:42.1
JPEG (8-bit) Fine
Image Size: Large (3008 x 2000)
Color
Lens: 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 G
Focal Length: 55mm
Digital Vari-Program: Auto (Flash Off)
Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern
1/15 sec - F/5.6
Exposure Comp.: 0 EV
Sensitivity: ISO 800
Optimize Image:
White Balance: Auto
AF Mode: AF-A
Flash Sync Mode:
Flash Mode:
Auto Flash Comp:
Color Mode: Mode IIIa (sRGB)
Tone Comp.: Auto
Hue Adjustment: 0°
Saturation: Auto
Sharpening: Auto
Image Comment:
Long Exposure NR: Off
VR Control: Off
High ISO NR: Off

Nikon D40
2008/06/19 21:32:38.7
JPEG (8-bit) Fine
Image Size: Large (3008 x 2000)
Color
Lens: 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 G
Focal Length: 55mm
Digital Vari-Program: Close Up
Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern
1/15 sec - F/5.6
Exposure Comp.: 0 EV
Sensitivity: ISO 800
Optimize Image:
White Balance: Auto
AF Mode: Manual
Flash Sync Mode: OFF
Flash Mode:
Auto Flash Comp:
Color Mode: Mode IIIa (sRGB)
Tone Comp.: Auto
Hue Adjustment: 0°
Saturation: Auto
Sharpening: Auto
Image Comment:
Long Exposure NR: Off
VR Control: Off
High ISO NR: Off

Nikon D40
2008/06/19 21:35:23.7
JPEG (8-bit) Fine
Image Size: Large (3008 x 2000)
Color
Lens: 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 G
Focal Length: 55mm
Digital Vari-Program: Close Up
Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern
1/15 sec - F/5.6
Exposure Comp.: 0 EV
Sensitivity: ISO 800
Optimize Image:
White Balance: Auto
AF Mode: Manual
Flash Sync Mode: OFF
Flash Mode:
Auto Flash Comp:
Color Mode: Mode IIIa (sRGB)
Tone Comp.: Auto
Hue Adjustment: 0°
Saturation: Auto
Sharpening: Auto
Image Comment:
Long Exposure NR: Off
VR Control: Off
High ISO NR: Off

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

I found your problem!
Digital Vari-Program: *Auto* (Flash Off)
Digital Vari-Program: Close Up *aka Auto*

DSLRs are not made for auto. You need to read about exposure, throughly understand it, and use the manual modes. If you are going to leave the camera on Auto then you should have just bought a Cybershot.

If you don't want to use flash then you should look into a better lens that will let you get higher shutter speeds without it.

Cool fry though.

 

[FB]

I bought and have read "Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera" by Bryan Peterson. It all makes sense reading it but getting it work the way he explains it on my camera is another thing.

I have played with the manual modes a lot but can never get what I am looking for. A new lens would be a good thing

Thanks for your help

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

Everything in your shots is currently revolving around shutter speed. 1/15 isn't cutting it. The rule of thumb recommendation would be at least 1/50 @ 55mm (3 times faster that what you've got). Your auto mode sees this and says "oh gosh we better get that shutter speed up UP UP, so it fires the flash. Another way to do it would be to up your ISO (which was already at an unhealthy 800) or increase the aperture (with your lens it was at its max f/5.6. I would recommend using the lens at 18mm f/3.5 instead of 55mm f/5.6.
My mom gave me that book for my birthday one year. It is pretty interesting. Shutter Speeds, Aperture, and ISO are everything. You must fully understand what they do, how they do it, and what will happen if you alter one before actually doing it. This is your homework. Until you have this down, your just doggy paddling in the Atlantic ocean without a life boat. I don't want you to ever use Automatic mode again. From now on you don't even have the option. M, A, S, and P are the only settings your dial has.

 

[FB]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12784060#post12784060 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TitusvileSurfer
with your lens it was at its max f/5.6. I would recommend using the lens at 18mm f/3.5 instead of 55mm f/5.6.

I think this may be the piece of the puzzle I am missing.

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

Yes but that is elementary in DSLR's-the very basics. You have a lot of research ahead of you.
Join a Nikon forum and start digging!

PS
I don't want you to use "P" either. Use "A" and "S", if your feeling very confident check out "M". Once your to the stage where you can use "M" with predictable results then your allowed to use "P" if your feeling lazy.

 

[FB]

I have my camera glued on "M" now. Here are some pics I took yesterday. They are not of fish but figured I would post them anyway. Any tips you could give would be great. Oh and I finally found my aperture button .

Nikon D40
2008/06/21 17:38:58.1
JPEG (8-bit) Basic
Image Size: Large (3008 x 2000)
Color
Lens: 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 G
Focal Length: 18mm
Exposure Mode: Manual
Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern
1/60 sec - F/3.5
Exposure Comp.: 0 EV
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Optimize Image: Normal
White Balance: Auto
AF Mode: AF-A
Flash Sync Mode:
Flash Mode:
Auto Flash Comp:
Color Mode: Mode IIIa (sRGB)
Tone Comp.: Auto
Hue Adjustment: 0°
Saturation: Auto
Sharpening: Auto
Image Comment:
Long Exposure NR: Off
VR Control: Off
High ISO NR: Off

Nikon D40
2008/06/21 17:41:21.7
JPEG (8-bit) Basic
Image Size: Large (3008 x 2000)
Color
Lens: 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 G
Focal Length: 55mm
Exposure Mode: Manual
Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern
1/125 sec - F/5.6
Exposure Comp.: 0 EV
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Optimize Image: Normal
White Balance: Auto
AF Mode: AF-A
Flash Sync Mode:
Flash Mode:
Auto Flash Comp:
Color Mode: Mode IIIa (sRGB)
Tone Comp.: Auto
Hue Adjustment: 0°
Saturation: Auto
Sharpening: Auto
Image Comment:
Long Exposure NR: Off
VR Control: Off
High ISO NR: Off

Nikon D40
2008/06/21 17:47:43.1
JPEG (8-bit) Basic
Image Size: Large (3008 x 2000)
Color
Lens: 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 G
Focal Length: 52mm
Exposure Mode: Manual
Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern
1/50 sec - F/5.6
Exposure Comp.: 0 EV
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Optimize Image: Normal
White Balance: Auto
AF Mode: AF-A
Flash Sync Mode:
Flash Mode:
Auto Flash Comp:
Color Mode: Mode IIIa (sRGB)
Tone Comp.: Auto
Hue Adjustment: 0°
Saturation: Auto
Sharpening: Auto
Image Comment:
Long Exposure NR: Off
VR Control: Off
High ISO NR: Off

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

The last one looks pretty darn good, the middle shot is slightly under exposed. The first was over exposed but your subject and composition of it was wonderful. I would save M for once you master S and A. Underexposing is much easier to fix in Photoshop than overexposure.

I want you to turn to "Understanding Exposure" and read up "The Sky Brothers" and "Mr. Green Jeans". This will keep your cute little dog from looking so pure white and add some detail! Point your meter at all that tall grass and underexpose -2/3 I'd guess.

Important things to note:
Your maximum achievable image quality is at its worst zoomed all the way in or zoomed all the way out on any lens.
The sharpness of the photograph is effected by the aperture. Wide open (for you f/3.5) will give a softer image than f/5.6 for example. Around f/11 or so the quality will start to fade again. Every lens is different but I believe the sweet spot for yours to be between f/5.6 and f/8.


For the first shot I would:
1) Set my camera to "A" or "M"
2) Set aperture to f/5.6 (this is a good, general, not trying to blur anything out setting which isn't going to happen anyway at such a wide angle)
3) Set ISO to 400 because you weren't getting very high shutter speeds
4) *Take an exposure reading off of the grass next to your kid, choose a shutter speed -2/3 of what the camera thinks is correct, and lock it. (Mr. Green Jeans)
5) Compose (just as you did) and shoot

 

[FB]

Thanks

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

You have to think about what in the picture you want to be properly exposed. You can't have the bright sky AND the black dog, you have to choose one or the other. This is where automatic really botches things up. Explore your different metering options (unknown to me). I like spot metering myself. Not evaluative at any rate.

If your metering something that should be bright (white), +1
If your metering something dull (black), -1
If your metering something grey (18% grey to be percice), then leave it at 0

With experience you will understand when to use -1, -11/3, , -2/3 ect. For now lets stick with the basics as they can be confusing enough. I want you to meter and take a picture of a white piece of paper. I bet the image will be under exposed and that paper will look grey. ~ +1 will make it white.

Check out this thread on my favorite Canon Forum

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=89123

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

He explains all of this much better and more thorough than I ever could here...and I've held some pretty lengthy discussions on these boards. THIS is why you don't want to use automatic modes, this is why the cameras screw up and you take 10 bad pictures for every good one. THIS is what you need to know inside and out. I'm serious, understand everything in that thread or come back here with questions until you do. Everything in photography revolves around exposure. If you can't get it right, you'll never get anything right.
(I would put that link in your favorites and refer back often)