so i've got a good eye (i think) for pics and all. i see the moments. i can envision the results in my head. but the pics never turn out how i like. does it absolutely require lots of photoshopping to make a great picture?
if not, where can i start in learning more about aperture, ISO, etc.?? thanks!
j
Originally posted by: johnb.
does it absolutely require lots of photoshopping to make a great picture?
No. Great photography doesn't require lots of photoshop.
Sometimes its necessary - depending on client needs and your preference, but I always like to get it as close as I can in the camera first.
There are lots of good online resources - tutorials at photo.net and the luminous-landscape are pretty good - and randomly wikipedia has some good entries too.
Books by Ansel Adams, Bruce Birnbaum, and others have lots of great material.
People here are also more than willing to answer specific questions when we can. Check out the Technical Discussion thread in this forum - mixed in with all the product questions, you'll find technique too.
capturing what the minds' eye see's is an art in itself. It also helps to be in the right place at the right time. And then there are those who have the natural ability of being able to make a silk purse from a sows ear.
If you really don't know where to start, pick up a simple book "digital photography for dummies" or something like this, particular to your camera. This'll give you the basics: what is ISO, how do I control depth of field (blurred backgrounds, etc.), what is white balance, etc.
My 35mm OM-10 came with a great basic photography book which sadly fell apart and became lost over the decades.
It's frustrating, cuz things still come out looking like 'snapshots', even when you've figured all that out. It takes practice to start getting the results you want.
Could you, would you, with a goat?
In my experience the cheaper the camera the more I'm compelled to photoshop.
For instance, with my SLR I can actually get a decent range of depth of field, but with my old point and shoot I found myself doing my best to fake it in photoshop.
