Hey!

[StoryBoutAGirl]

I just joined this forum today in hopes of learning more about photography and my camera. I have a Canon EOS Rebel T5 I bought almost 3 years ago which I am embarrassed to say has not had a lot of use. I would like something better but it seems like a good little entry level DSLR for me to start with. I have been taking photos for years but pretty much just on the basic settings and not really exploring what my cameras can really do.

I am hoping to pick up some tips and techniques and learn when to use what lens, my camera only came with two a EFS 18-55mm lens which says Macro 0.25m/0.8ft on it and a 75-300mm Canon lens. I am interested in learning to take some macro photos as well as other types of photos. I live in Halifax so I have a lot of beautiful oceans, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, flowers and forests surrounding me and have recently taken up hiking with my husband

[theantiquetiger]

Hey Girl!!!

First of all, welcome to the forum, new members must bring pie!!!

As for your needs, learn your camera. DO NOT take another photo with it in automatic, that's what phones and point n shoots are for. Shoot in M, AV, TV, etc. AV is the best mode to learn in. Understand what ISO does. There are basic rules you need to know about shooting in manual, what you can and can not do easily.


Now learn what AV, TV, M do. AV is you setting your camera to the desired f/stop and the camera decides which speed to shoot at. A simple search on YouTube on "Shooting in AV" will be great help. It will explain what happens at different f/stops.


Also learn composition, rule of thirds, leading lines, etc. This is VERY important. Just by learning composition, your images will increase in quality by leaps and bounds (including your phone photo).

As for MACRO, I cannot help you there because I don't shoot it, but would like to start one day.

Simply relax, enjoy it, don't go out and spent tons on equipment, buy used off eBay.

My signature line below about the worse thing about taking a great image is very true.

[theantiquetiger]

One more GREAT piece of advice, which I didn't do when I was learning, you must learn the rules of photography before you can break them, or your will be highly disappointed because you cannot do what you are trying to achieve. You will see an image on the internet that looks amazing and you will want to try the same. You try and try, but realize you cannot figure out how they did that. its because they are breaking a basic rule of photography, but they have mastered that rule breaking.

[StoryBoutAGirl]

Thank you! I had started shooting in AV mode but the time before last I went to a beach and misjudged the settings and all the pictures turned out really faded and white looking. I have Photoshop and Lightroom but am not very experienced with editing them. I plan to take a shot at trying to fix them some but it kind of scared me into shooting in automatic again. I plan to watch some YouTube videos and have been looking for some local photography courses or online ones. Thank you for all the advice!

[Marko]

Welcome to the forum - Now that you're shooting in AV.... you MUST learn about exposure compensation. It's the next youtube video you need.
Basically E.C. Overrides the results your camera gives you.

So if the last shot was too dark....you ADD light using exposure compensation.
If the last shot was too bright, you REDUCE the light entering your camera.

The next shot you take should be much closer to your desired result.

Getting the shot right in camera is the way to go, it makes you a better photographer and yields a superior file 100% of the time... saving the shot in PS will work only some of the time.
For instance....if the whites are clipped - photoshop is useless. Reducing the exposure on the next shot (using exposure compensation in AV mode) is the only way to save the file in that case.

Hope that helps

[Runmonty]

Hey and hello. I am glad you have found us. There is nothing wrong with your equipment, it should serve you well for some time.

Marko & AT give some good advice. May I just add the most important thing is to play around and have fun with photography. I agree that understanding exposure is the real key. Go out in the back yard or street and take lots of shots and try different settings just to see the way it works. Compare the results to the settings used etc.

Finally, everyone here is pretty friendly and will gladly help and comment (and we all have been where you are now). Marko (the site owner) ensures that this forum is a constructive learning environment.Post photos for comment. They don't have to be masterpieces. Even if something goes wrong and you don't know why, post it here and I am sure you will get some constructive feedback. By the way I too enjoy macro photography, so if you have any questions, ask away

Anyway, welcome and I look forward to sharing your photographic journey.

[Robert1950]

Lightroom YouTube videos. I really like this guy's instruction

https://onlinephotographytraining.co...om-classic-cc/