Photography Question From An Amateur

[GroobyKrissy]

Soooo...

Mostly, this is directed towards one person (Tate07) but since I don't really PVT people that I don't know... you all get to read it too. Anyone else with input is welcome as well.

Is it impossible to get crystal clear clarity when using a tripod / timer like I do when taking pictures? (see the Krissy4u thread for samples)

I use a Nikon D5100, usually just the auto-settings on a Vanguard ABEO Pro Series tripod. It is not that I am unsatisfied with the picture quality, but it just seems that this camera should be able to take better pictures. Are the auto-settings just not good enough or am I doing something wrong to get the washed out places and grainy pictures? I am not a big believer in heavy post-production besides adjusting colors a bit. I shoot on the highest quality JPEG setting. Is RAW that much better?

Just curious and it is a question that has been bothering me recently as I've thought about upgrading to a different model to try and get different / better results. I've done some research and gotten a wide variety of replies. Input?

Thanks and welcome to the forum!

[Jamie French]

It's all about your lighting. Even a shitty camera kit with the all purpose 55mm zoom lens it came with can take decent pictures so long as your scene is properly lit. The first 4 years of my content were all shot on an entry level SLR, a Nikon D40. That was $400 well spent but the more important purchase at the time was the Smith Victor light kit that I bought. 500 watts of pure amateur lighting action that, when set up properly, took my pictures to professional levels of clarity, depth and white balance.

Also, do take the time to learn how to use your camera's manual settings. So much more control is at your fingertips and all you have to do is crack open the manual and read how to do it. Or YouTube tutorials if you're a more visually oriented learner.

[bluesoul]

Soooo...

Mostly, this is directed towards one person (Tate07) but since I don't really PVT people that I don't know... you all get to read it too. Anyone else with input is welcome as well.

Is it impossible to get crystal clear clarity when using a tripod / timer like I do when taking pictures? (see the Krissy4u thread for samples)

I use a Nikon D5100, usually just the auto-settings on a Vanguard ABEO Pro Series tripod. It is not that I am unsatisfied with the picture quality, but it just seems that this camera should be able to take better pictures. Are the auto-settings just not good enough or am I doing something wrong to get the washed out places and grainy pictures? I am not a big believer in heavy post-production besides adjusting colors a bit. I shoot on the highest quality JPEG setting. Is RAW that much better?

Just curious and it is a question that has been bothering me recently as I've thought about upgrading to a different model to try and get different / better results. I've done some research and gotten a wide variety of replies. Input?

Thanks and welcome to the forum!

are you also trying to get hired by kink.com? me too

eh yo kink.com? you need any professional males to have relations with women in front of the camera? i got pictures but i ain't pulling a jamie incase someone starts telling me what to fix.

credits: banged lots of chicks (1991-present)

agent: current gf (satisfied and currently sleeping it off)

other talents: you heard that banger 'all gold everything'? i wrote that joint

mission objective: you'll see

pm me here for more details

be easy

[GroobyKrissy]

are you also trying to get hired by kink.com? me too

eh yo kink.com? you need any professional males to have relations with women in front of the camera? i got pictures but i ain't pulling a jamie incase someone starts telling me what to fix.

credits: banged lots of chicks (1991-present)

agent: current gf (satisfied and currently sleeping it off)

other talents: you heard that banger 'all gold everything'? i wrote that joint

mission objective: you'll see

pm me here for more details

be easy

Are you drunk? Usually you're much more cohesive.

I admire Kink's work but no... they would not be interested in me and I have no interest in shooting content for any other sites anyway.

[GroobyKrissy]

It's all about your lighting. Even a shitty camera kit with the all purpose 55mm zoom lens it came with can take decent pictures so long as your scene is properly lit. The first 4 years of my content were all shot on an entry level SLR, a Nikon D40. That was $400 well spent but the more important purchase at the time was the Smith Victor light kit that I bought. 500 watts of pure amateur lighting action that, when set up properly, took my pictures to professional levels of clarity, depth and white balance.

Also, do take the time to learn how to use your camera's manual settings. So much more control is at your fingertips and all you have to do is crack open the manual and read how to do it. Or YouTube tutorials if you're a more visually oriented learner.

That is typically the answer I have received. Lighting. However, I don't think that is the case here. Some of my galleries are shot in evening light but even the ones I take in broad daylight will either have grain or washed out spots in them.

When I actually shoot indoors in my little studio, I have almost 10,000 lumens of LED / daylight lights. Even then, the pictures don't have the detail that I think they should when cropped and resized even at 100% quality in CS6.

Anyway, thanks for the input... I'll check out the YouTube vids.

[bluesoul]

Are you drunk?

working on it

[Willie Escalade]

I've been told as well the lighting makes the difference more than the equipment. Take the picture below; I snapped it back in 2010 with my Canon SX10is...which is basically a fancy point-and-shoot. I lucked out with the light; it had rained the previous evening and the skies were clear. No tripod, but I did (just recently) fiddle around with the colors and such in Adobe Lightroom.

Eventually I'll get a good light kit for shooting portraits and such.

I'm STILL practicing with the manual settings on my camera. I have a long way to go, but I'll get there. Krissy, so will you!

[GroobyKrissy]

working on it

LoL... I thought so . Have fun! I'm just burning time waiting for a midnight showing of Superman ... or I guess more accurately, Man of Steel.

[GroobyKrissy]

I've been told as well the lighting makes the difference more than the equipment. Take the picture below; I snapped it back in 2010 with my Canon SX10is...which is basically a fancy point-and-shoot. I lucked out with the light; it had rained the previous evening and the skies were clear. No tripod, but I did (just recently) fiddle around with the colors and such in Adobe Lightroom.

Eventually I'll get a good light kit for shooting portraits and such.

I'm STILL practicing with the manual settings on my camera. I have a long way to go, but I'll get there. Krissy, so will you!

The real problem is that I just have no patience for settings and such. Plus, typically when I shoot outside it is much more of a run out of the car, snap a few pictures, and then run back in before a large crowd gathers .

BTW... is that SFO? I think I have been pretty close to that exact spot if so . I love that little grassy hill.

[Willie Escalade]

The real problem is that I just have no patience for settings and such. Plus, typically when I shoot outside it is much more of a run out of the car, snap a few pictures, and then run back in before a large crowd gathers .

BTW... is that SFO? I think I have been pretty close to that exact spot if so . I love that little grassy hill.

Alamo Square. I hope to take an updated version of this picture next month.