My first DSLR pictures...Audi A3...be kind!!
My first DSLR pictures...Audi A3...be kind!!
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Hard-Drive

Original Poster:

4,291 posts

259 months

Monday 4th February 2008
quotequote all
OK I was lucky enough to be blessed with this little beauty to roadtest, a bit of time over lunch, and my new camera. These are my first proper shots with my EOS350, any comments really appreciated. I'm a total newbie to this, so be as honest as you want!









I know that the sky's too light and the car's too dark in the first one...in fairness a lot of them were not that good at all, I thought that a nice sunny day would be just what the doctor ordered, however the car came out so white that you could not really see the shape of it at all. In real layman's terms, what am I doing wrong?

And also, many were not that sharp, is it a case of really needing a tripod for these kind of shots, do I need to really read the EOS manual properly (I will do it, but I'm just being a bloke and using the new toy, or is it that AF is easily fooled and I'm better on manual?)

By the way the car is very good indeed...I'm still undecided about the DSG gearbox, but it really is rather good!

Edited by Hard-Drive on Monday 4th February 13:24

theRossatron

1,032 posts

262 months

Monday 4th February 2008
quotequote all
All quite nice shots in my opinion. As you say the first one is a touch over-exposed. Nice though! smile

Andy M

3,755 posts

289 months

Monday 4th February 2008
quotequote all
Hard-Drive said:
I thought that a nice sunny day would be just what the doctor ordered
This is where you went wrong. The camera simply can't handle such deep shadows and highlights together.

Try shooting within an hour of sunrise, and/or an hour before sunset - the light will be a lot more forgiving smile

The other option is to shoot the same shot twice, once concentrating on exposing the sky properly, the other concentrating on the car. You'd need a tripod for this, or exceptionally steady hands. The two shots can then be brought together in post processing on the computer.

Edited by Andy M on Monday 4th February 13:58

Altrezia

8,742 posts

241 months

Monday 4th February 2008
quotequote all
The angles and what-not are all nice though, and the car looks great.

Good work smile

V6GTO

11,579 posts

272 months

Monday 4th February 2008
quotequote all
Your sensor needs cleaning biggrin

stigmundfreud

22,454 posts

240 months

Monday 4th February 2008
quotequote all
theRossatron said:
All quite nice shots in my opinion. As you say the first one is a touch over-exposed. Nice though! smile
first shot is always going to be hard as the sky light was crappy (light by the looks of it) so the camera exposed to that (hence grey car). The 3rd image is very nicely exposed on the white of the car.

Hard-Drive

Original Poster:

4,291 posts

259 months

Monday 4th February 2008
quotequote all
Thanks for the tips and comments guys!

V6GTO, how do you know that? (although according to the camera's previous owner, you're right...or are you just referring to a previous topic??)

Jenx (V6GTO)

11,579 posts

272 months

Monday 4th February 2008
quotequote all
I can see the dust specks in the sky of #3 biggrin

Hard-Drive

Original Poster:

4,291 posts

259 months

Monday 4th February 2008
quotequote all
Thanks for that! Time for a clean then!!

stigmundfreud

22,454 posts

240 months

Monday 4th February 2008
quotequote all
[quote=Jenx (V6GTO)]I can see the dust specks in the sky of #3 biggrin
[/quote]

oh purlease, one ickle and it is ickle dust spec and even at that, its more a dust almost spec at that wink

hawkaye

4,505 posts

241 months

Monday 4th February 2008
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nice shots! #2 is my favourite wink

jagdpanther

19,633 posts

249 months

Monday 4th February 2008
quotequote all
V6GTO said:
Your sensor needs cleaning biggrin
Thats the first thing someone said about my first shots with a DSLR too laugh



The shots look fine barring the over exposure which you've already pointed out

Try some lower angle shots too, should work well with the shape and colour of the car





*resists the urge to ask whether OP is shooting in RAW or jpg*hehe

Edited by jagdpanther on Monday 4th February 17:26

Hard-Drive

Original Poster:

4,291 posts

259 months

Monday 4th February 2008
quotequote all
I did get some lower ones, however the background was a bit rubbish but the car looks OK...I left them out of the original post as I preferred the first 3, I thought the composition was a bit better. But out of 47 shots 3 is a rubbish hit rate! More practice required!




jagdpanther

19,633 posts

249 months

Monday 4th February 2008
quotequote all
Hard-Drive said:
I did get some lower ones, however the background was a bit rubbish but the car looks OK...I left them out of the original post as I preferred the first 3, I thought the composition was a bit better. But out of 47 shots 3 is a rubbish hit rate! More practice required!

IMO If it consisted of more car, less background it would've been a hit

It takes a little time to get the hit/shot ratio up, but it comes yes

MotorFocus

2,359 posts

229 months

Monday 4th February 2008
quotequote all


The poor exposure of this shot detracts from a well composed image.

If you took the same shot round about sunset when the sun's gonna be further to the right of the frame, you'll get better light on the side of the car, the sky won't white-out and, if you shoot long exposure using a tripod, you might luck-in with some light trails from a passing car.

blondemoment

712 posts

284 months

Monday 4th February 2008
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Nice pics - but take the tax disc out for the shoot - it always ages a shot and gives a cleaner photo!

GFWilliams

4,949 posts

237 months

Monday 4th February 2008
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hi,

I had a quick play with the first one in photoshop - might not be for some, but I personally think it is an improvemnet:



George

jagdpanther

19,633 posts

249 months

Monday 4th February 2008
quotequote all
GFWilliams said:
hi,

I had a quick play with the first one in photoshop - might not be for some, but I personally think it is an improvemnet:



George
How did you get the grad filter effect on the sky??

Hard-Drive

Original Poster:

4,291 posts

259 months

Monday 4th February 2008
quotequote all
Motorfocus...thanks for the tips...I'll try again at some point. Light trails there...no chance, but there might be a passing bunny!

Blondemoment...I did think about the tax disc but as it's not my car I thought I'd leave as is. Probably a fairly easy PS job I guess...

GFWilliams

4,949 posts

237 months

Monday 4th February 2008
quotequote all
or if you don't like the sky, how about this? :



George