![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)

Activity: Ask and Answer
Points: 10 points participatioon
Dates: NOW until Thursday, July 1 at 22:00 PDT.
Details: Since this is a photography club and we have members of all skill levels, for this activity, you're going to have the opportunity to ask or answer photography questions you've always wondered!
FOR QUESTIONS: Be sure that it is a question of substance. Asking, "What's a camera?" will not get you points, but asking something of more substance, such as "What is the rule of thirds?" or "What's the difference between digital cameras and film cameras," will count towards points. If you are only planning on asking questions, you must ask THREE questions to get participation points.
FOR ANSWERS: If you know the answer to a question you see, feel free to respond! In order to get participation points, you must answer one question with at least five, complete sentences. It is encouraged that you post an example of what you're talking about, to make your answer totally clear.
Of course, feel free to go beyond the minimum! You may ask more than three questions or answer more than one, or any combination thereof.
If you have any questions for me, please respond to the thread below!
Shoot things, legally! Join The Shutterbug Society today!
no subject
Date: 2010-06-21 04:13 pm (UTC)Okay, now. If you're using a DSLR, you'll definitely want a wide-angle lens. Basically, this lets you capture MORE of the landscape in the frame than a normal or telephoto lens does. If you really want to capture an entire landscape, you can get a super-wide angle or fisheye lens to get a panorama style shot. This will let you get more of the landscape in the frame, instead of having to focus on a really small spot.
The next thing you want to do (if your camera has control over this) is use the smallest aperture (biggest f-stop) possible. This will make your depth of field (the amount of the frame that is in focus) be very long, meaning that your camera won't just be focusing on the foreground, but the ENTIRE image. This will make more of it in focus, whereas your camera might be getting hung up on one image.
Thirdly, what time of day are you taking the photos? If you're taking them at night and using a small point-and-shoot that can't handle lowlight situations well, that might account for the blurriness. If you can, try to bump up the ISO a bit so the auto-setting on your camera compensates.
Fourthly, don't be afraid to use a tripod. I always use a tripod with landscape photos, simply because ANY amount of shake can ruin them. Even in the middle of the day, I have my tripod with me. If I'm just taking a quick shot maybe I won't, but since I'm usually doing longer exposures (I just find them more pleasing for landscapes) I need to have a tripod so it's not blurry. Even if you're using a small camera, do not be afraid to break out a similarly small tripod.
As for drab, that can just be the camera. Even my camera makes things look flatter than they really are, and if you're using Photoshop to post-process your photos, there are a few things I can teach you that will tell you how to bump up the sharpness and saturation at the same. time. :].
Hope that helps some! If you tell me what type of camera you're using, I can help a little more.
no subject
Date: 2010-06-21 07:43 pm (UTC)I'm pretty sure most of the shots were taken during the day, or sunset. (Why anyone would wander around the Grand Canyon in the middle of the night puzzles me lol *falls off edge of the cliff*)
I actually hadn't thought about human-induced blur, though. Thanks!
I don't even have Photoshop lol XD (I have GIMP, though)
Anyway, thanks for the advice! :D
no subject
Date: 2010-06-21 08:51 pm (UTC)I would suggest the tripod as a solution for the blur! I have a tiny little digital camera I take to concerts and outings (I don't want to haul around the monster I use for actual photography) and that thing is CRAZY when it comes to human-induced blur. XD. Another thing you can do is tuck your arms into your body really tightly; this helps reduce shaking.