What makes a great pic?

[ramoth41]

I have a have cheapy camera and can't change much in the way of settings... heck it's only a 3meg camera!! Anyway most of the time it's luck and photoshop that I get anything worth keeping...
My camera is a Cannon 210... any suggestions?
here is one of my lucky shots!


heres one that was lucky and photoshop'd

[dakar]

Overall taking tank pictures is always going to difficult, for the huge amount of light we *think* we may have in them it can be hard to actually have enough light to get shutter speeds faster than 1/30 of a second with a 'point and click' type digital camera. Having the abililty to goof around with manual settings is a 2-way street...more things to play with can equal more things to mess up a good pic or they can get that once in a lifetime shot. Tracey's overexposed frame above (which is a great pic) was too often commonplace with a manual analog camera but not easily duplicated with a modern point and click digital, they are just too automagical, by design.

Gimp/Photoshop can sure turn a lousy pic into a great one, even at "lower" resolutions... it wasn't that long ago when 2Mpix cameras were out of reach for most to spend on just a camera. When you really only want/need 800x800 pixels out of a frame 2-3Mpix is often more than enough for a detailed crop pic.

Although if I put my mind to it I could rationalize out the need to spend 2K+ for a new SLR digi, back in the day I spent 3-4 times that much for things like wide angle, macro, telephoto lenses, doublers, filters, autowinders, flashes, etc, not to mention the fortune on film, paper, chemical and other darkroom supplies. Guess that investment in becoming a famous photographer hopping all over the world to get paid big bucks to take pictures didn't quite pan out the way I'd hoped

But until I get hit by a money truck I'm content with our 6Mpix Kodak point and click, it takes very nice shots in dozens of auto modes, and when I feel like wasting electrons I can still play with the ISO, shutter speed, F-stop controls, and all the other built in gadgets.

Somewhere I have some info I started writing up about all of the manual controls and how to get a little more from a lower end digi.

I'm not sure if there was really a point to this post at all... I'm pretty sure I started out with one in mind... So keep taking and sharing pics!!

[perpetual98]

This is my favorite Depth of Field picture:

[ramoth41]

ok so this one would be a DoF example yes?



does it have a different name if the it's "backwards" forground out of focus background in focus?



And what about things that are anomolies?? such as my gost in the tank??? I know that face is there but I couldn't see it when the pic was shot?

[Sweetpea]

Sarah, I think your pics are really nice, especially for a "cheapy" camera (lol) with few options to play with. You're obviously doing something right!

I remember reading in a photography book a couple of years ago about "bad" shots sometimes becoming favorites. At the time, I didn't really understand what the guy meant (how could you love a bad picture?), but now I do. The "whitewashed" effect (thanks Greg ) focuses my attention on Kaitlin and Okie and all but eliminates the icky, ugly lake water that would have been the background in that shot. I didn't intend to start posting non-reef related pics, but I just wanted to share my mistake and suggest that you double-check those bad pics before you delete them... you may surprise yourself!

[Reef_Angel]

Wow folks! There are some awesome shots here. A great way to talk photography is using a photo demonstration, and give the tips used to get the shot! I love photography, and the healthier I get, the more you'll see from me. Let's continue to show aspects of good photography and our mistakes. In the long run we'll all be able to fix our photo taking flaws. It doesn't matter if you only have an inexpensive camera. I've seen some awesome shots with just general tips like the lighting in the room, where the sun is outside, etc. So much can be done...awesome stuff!

[lReef lKeeper]

here is one of my pink skunks and his host BTA ...

Attachment 2367

[Reef_Angel]

...and as for what makes a good photo.....My Grand Daughter Jorden! This shot happened to be a quick casual shot I wasn't even prepared for. I just called her name on the boat and shot! I could have taken the time to change settings for portrait quality, but all I saw was her beauty...so I snapped it! I am stuck on the adorable face there. Smooth baby soft skin is captured, and it doesn't even matter that her hair is wind whipped. It's so natural, we are having a portrait made! It will be the one on the wall that stands out against all the pose photographer's shots. I double shot this photo, and both shots are awesome. It's hard to choose the one that goes on the wall. For uploading, this was saved at a med/low resolution. That's it for now! ...Angel

[davejnz]

The pics posted above by Eric and Sarah are examples of lack of D.O.F.
That can be both a good thing as well as bad.When the WHOLE subject is in perfect focus and the background is blurred,then that would be a good example of lack of D.O.F. and how it can be used to make the subject stand out.
Sarah,your last(clown pic)shot is an example of good D.O.F. The whole picture is in focus,unlike the examples I posted above.

[lReef lKeeper]

we have some great photographers around here. i never knew you were so into pics DJ !!