Photography

[PFactorDave]

I don't shoot weddings, I haven't had the chance (I'm only a kid).  The lighting completely covers the arena (I shoot robotics competions), but the drivers stations on either side are dark.  Getting the robots is not the problem.  The problem is that I need to immediately switch between a very bright subject (the arena) and a very dark subject (everywhere else is unlit) very quickly, and still freeze the action in both conditions.  I have around five seconds to switch settings, and anything longer than that will cost me some great shots.

How do I spot meter?  I'm a bit confused on that issue.

-Penguin

Using the spot meter on AV or TV mode will help you with the switching between different lighting.  Look for these symbols on the control screen...



You should know though, no flash indoor photography without professional grade lenses (f2.8 or better) can be a lot like banging your head on the wall.  You need to set your ISO to the fastest speed your camera is capable.  I would then suggest setting to TV (shutter priority) with a shutter speed of 1/90th.  If your pictures are dark, you probably can't effectively shoot in that location.  If they aren't dark, then you have hope and can bump your shutter speed up one notch at a time until you get it fast enough to stop the action you are shooting.  Next, get closer if you can.  Your lens has a lower f stop at lower magnification.  Meaning it will give you better low light images if you aren't using the zoom.  Zooming raises your f stop, which means less light is getting to the imaging sensor per seconds.  Darker pictures.

There is a good reason why we pros will spend $4000 on a 300mm f2.8 lens.  Low light, no flash...

[saggs]

I don't shoot weddings, I haven't had the chance (I'm only a kid).

Don't do it, it's a miserable job.     Seriously, shooting weddings wouldn't be bad if it where only the bride and groom, that part I quite enjoy actually, they are always willing and easy to pose, plus happy people are always more photogenic, and who's more happy then the bride and groom.  It's when you get to the group photos of the whole extended family that it sucks, and people have big families around here.  After spending 10 minutes yelling and gesturing to get everyone in the right spot, and looking forward, there is always some aunt or mom or grandma that gets all upset because a toddler is crying, or little Billy or Suzy has there finger up their nose, or a frown during the group photo.  Then they always come to me and say, "You can photoshop that out right?"  to which I reply "Sure, I charge $100 an hour extra for photoshop manipulation" then they storm away angry with me.

If somebody approaches me, I will do a wedding, (just because I can make more on a wedding then anything else I do) but I don't advertise I do them, just word of mouth.

How do I spot meter?  I'm a bit confused on that issue.

-Penguin

EDIT: Dave beat me to this explanation and his pictures make more sense them my words, only thing to add is that there should be a button somewhere to let you spot meter a subject, then hold down or push this button and it holds that metered exposure setting while you recompose and release the shutter.  Of course the other option is to just set it manually.

Penguin-

If you are really interested in learning photography I highly recommend reading some of the articles and tutorials on this site:    http://www.cambridgeincolour.com

 Start with the articles listed under "Photo Essentials."  I have no affiliation with them, don't know anything about them, I just stumbled on it a few years ago from another photography forum, and it is by far the best photography learning website I've found.

[PFactorDave]

If somebody approaches me, I will do a wedding, (just because I can make more on a wedding then anything else I do)

I do advertise for weddings.  Because they are the most $ per hour I can make legally with a camera, and repeat it 2-3 Saturdays each month.  I have a friend who doesn't like shooting weddings, so he charges $5000 to shoot one.  He has effectively priced himself out of most of the wedding market.  But there are enough people who will pay that much for a good photographer that he does 4 or 5 a year at that price.

I have my price set so I can pretty easily book 20-30 weddings a year.  If I did nothing else, I would make a modest living working about 2 days a month.  But I do a lot of sports too.  

(call AEL on mine for auto-exposure-lock, I don't recall what Canon calls it) that you can push and/or hold down when you spot meter, and it will hold that exposure setting while you recompose and release the shutter.

It's AEL on Canon also.  It's the button easily reachable with your right thumb that has an * symbol.

[saggs]

Been working in Photoshop in between wasting time on the interwebz tonight.  Here's one I took last summer but finally decided to do something with:



200° Panorama, it's actually 8 shots taken vertically with a 24mm prime stitched in CS4.  I like it but there is so much detail (the full JPEG came out to 43mb in color and 30mb in B&W) no computer screen can do it justice, I'm thinking of ordering a 30 or 40" print of it.

EDIT:  Color version

[PFactorDave]

Been working in Photoshop in between wasting time on the interwebz tonight.  Here's one I took last summer but finally decided to do something with:

(Image removed from quote.)

200° Panorama, it's actually 8 shots taken vertically with a 24mm prime stitched in CS4.  I like it but there is so much detail (the full JPEG came out to 43mb in color and 30mb in B&W) no computer screen can do it justice, I'm thinking of ordering a 30 or 40" print of it.

Very nice