New toy and probably stupid question Forums

geraldandannie · Moderator

In what will no doubt turn out to be a vain attempt to raise the standard of my photography to something approaching 'weekend snapper', I've gone and bought a new toy - a Canon EOS 400D Shocked

Reading the quick guide (I'm not really brave enough to try the big manual yet), it obviously does a heap of things I know next to nothing about.

Anyhoo, I opened the box when we were visiting friends, and he and I took some pictures in his garden. One thing I've found is that the grass particularly looks a bit 'washed out'. Would a filter of some kind help me? It was a very sunny afternoon, and I know I can manipulate them in Photoshop, but I'd like to get a bit of a head start.

I'm attaching a couple of photos to show you - they've had nothing done to them, apart from the resolution being reduced in Photoshop to save Nuke's bandwidth.

Gerald

Jiggles

Gerald, from one to another, they look acceptable to me. You have to realise that your minds eye does not always perceive reality but the camera does. In the grass one, you could have adjusted the exposure which have given the grass more colour but you would have lost the depth, you can see what's in the darkness behind. I like the flower one because it focuses on the one flower and only gives an idea of what's behind, it's particularly effective with portraits.
Before taking a photograph, especially if you can tripod the camera, have a really good look at what you are photographing, be really critical, then you wont be quite so disappointed with the result.
John

peejay

JockandRita

artona · Moderator

Hi Gerald

Did you have a Fuji Camera before at all. Fujis have always intensified greens.

With the camera you have now there are a lot of adjustments you can make for different subjects

You do not say what the grass was like in real life or what time of the day it was. Certain things reflect light differently at different times of the day. Has the camera recorded the scene accurately. It is also worth asking Annies opinion. Women have a better naturally trained eye for colours, men need to train theirs.

If the camera has washed-out the colours it could be a number of things. What is the colour balance set for, have you any exposure corrections on, what asa (iso) have you set

I have changed the green grass, looking at this and yours what do you remember as being the more accurate. Your eye and your subconscience play silly games Gerald and often see the colour you want to see, the camera is a computer without such emotion and records faithfully inline with the operators settings.

stew

garye14

Hi Gerald,

I have the same camera & it has the facility to "enhance" the characteristics of the pictures.

Setting the "Picture Style" allows you to achieve different colour response effects. Sharpness, contrast, colour tone and saturation, there's even customised options where these are individually adjustable.

The only problem I found was that you have to remember to set it before you take your shots!!

I now shoot in RAW & process with Lightroom - means I can concentrate on the subject & its composition & worry about t'other bits later.

cheers

G.

artona · Moderator

Hi

Thats a good plan G. Shooting in raw basically gives you a digital negative that the camera settings have not effected in the same way they do to a jpg or to a lesser degree a Tiff.

This is an interesting thread. Many say today's cameras do the work for the photographer. For the snap photographer using one of todays compacts or even mobile phones this is true in a way but cameras like you have Gerald are quite complicated and need operating correctly but the results can be fantastic.

What lenses do you have?

stew

Kelcat

Hi Gerald,
I think the difference between your shot & Artona's edit clearly show how differences can be perceived when looking at colours. One of the 'easiest' ways of learning about your new digital camera is to set up a still shot (either of yours would do) & take a picture with every setting of the camera (I'm not familiar with the 400D - but you can defo do that with the older 350D and label the pics on screen) - then simply choose which one looks best.
As Artona says modern cameras will try & do everything for you - and in alot of instances the few basic programs (scenery, portrait, natural light etc) will give good results - however a camera such as yours literally has 1000's of combinations that can be adjusted - it's part of the fun.

Kelvyn

geraldandannie · Moderator

Questions, questions Sad

In answer to the technical questions - I turned it on, and pressed the button Embarassed

It has the 18mm - 55mm lens it came with