Ranger Adventure

[txpaulranger]

but no cigar......

[tonto2011]

Originally Posted by txpaulranger

but no cigar......

Great shots,seems like we have another great upskirter among us...

[txpaulranger]

Sir, I was inspired by you and others you may recognize easily.

Originally Posted by tonto2011

Great shots,seems like we have another great upskirter among us...

[txpaulranger]

continues.....

[aquavite]

But can you work on the focusing? All are a bit to quite fuzzy. See past posts on this...and good luck and happy hunting....

[AndyR]

Originally Posted by txpaulranger

To be honest, I have totally lost last 1/4 of your suggestions.

This is what I expected, however it's not critical to understand, it's only necessary to plug my suggested settings in as a baseline for configuring your camera. Obviously, it's better if you do understand why certain settings work, and others don't, but you can learn this over time, if you have the desire to do so.

Let me illustrate with some examples. I will be breaking this into multiple posts, since I can't seem to make this forum software flow descriptions around images.


Lets get started with the very first candid shot I ever took on a SLR. Notice I say SLR, not DSLR. This was back in 1995 on a Canon film SLR. Basically, I'd been loaned a basic Canon EOS with a couple lenses, one of which was the 75-300mm Image Stabilized... yep, they really did make that exact same lens for over 10 years (it was replaced by the 70-300mm IS in 2005)!!!

At the time, I'd never used any type of camera at all. Since the camera had a full automatic mode, I just put it in that mode, thinking it would be "good enough"... well, as it turns out, it's wasn't anywhere near good enough. Fortunately for me, in those days there was only ONE auto-focus point in the dead center, so at least I didn't have the camera making bad decisions about that too.

This image you see below is blurry. This particular type of blur is what is known as "motion blur". Motion blur occurs when either the subject or the camera (or both) moves during the time that the shutter is open. The solution to undesired motion blur (some photographers use it for artistic effect) is to raise the shutter speed. I will note that this is a tremendously common type of blur, probably 40% or more of all smartphone camera shots suffer from this kind of blur, but for now lets stay "focused" on (D)SLRs.

The question then becomes, how much do we need to raise the shutter speed to avoid motion blur. The old school textbook rule of thumb is 1/<focal length>. So for example, if you were using a 200mm lens, then 1/200 shutter speed would be required. I have a different opinion on this, especially in relation to candid photography. You are going to be moving quickly, and you are going to be under stress, so the shutter speed needs to be higher than this old school rule of thumb. Hence the values I suggested in a previous post.

My final point regarding this image is this... if someone had said to me, "Andy, if you want to get a sharp, clear photo with a telephoto lens like that one you've got on your camera, you are going to want to set the camera to Tv mode, and set the shutter speed to at least 1/320, preferably more if lighting conditions allow", well how cool would that have been?? My photo would have come out better, and that one tip would have cut months off my learning curve. But back in those days, the internet was just getting started, and there were no forums discussing photography, I didn't know anyone in the real world who was knowledgeable in photography. So I struggled.

[tonto2011]

Originally Posted by AndyR

This is what I expected, however it's not critical to understand, it's only necessary to plug my suggested settings in as a baseline for configuring your camera. Obviously, it's better if you do understand why certain settings work, and others don't, but you can learn this over time, if you have the desire to do so.

Let me illustrate with some examples. I will be breaking this into multiple posts, since I can't seem to make this forum software flow descriptions around images.


Lets get started with the very first candid shot I ever took on a SLR. Notice I say SLR, not DSLR. This was back in 1995 on a Canon film SLR. Basically, I'd been loaned a basic Canon EOS with a couple lenses, one of which was the 75-300mm Image Stabilized... yep, they really did make that exact same lens for over 10 years (it was replaced by the 70-300mm IS in 2005)!!!

At the time, I'd never used any type of camera at all. Since the camera had a full automatic mode, I just put it in that mode, thinking it would be "good enough"... well, as it turns out, it's wasn't anywhere near good enough. Fortunately for me, in those days there was only ONE auto-focus point in the dead center, so at least I didn't have the camera making bad decisions about that too.

This image you see below is blurry. This particular type of blur is what is known as "motion blur". Motion blur occurs when either the subject or the camera (or both) moves during the time that the shutter is open. The solution to undesired motion blur (some photographers use it for artistic effect) is to raise the shutter speed. I will note that this is a tremendously common type of blur, probably 40% or more of all smartphone camera shots suffer from this kind of blur, but for now lets stay "focused" on (D)SLRs.

The question then becomes, how much do we need to raise the shutter speed to avoid motion blur. The old school textbook rule of thumb is 1/<focal length>. So for example, if you were using a 200mm lens, then 1/200 shutter speed would be required. I have a different opinion on this, especially in relation to candid photography. You are going to be moving quickly, and you are going to be under stress, so the shutter speed needs to be higher than this old school rule of thumb. Hence the values I suggested in a previous post.

My final point regarding this image is this... if someone had said to me, "Andy, if you want to get a sharp, clear photo with a telephoto lens like that one you've got on your camera, you are going to want to set the camera to Tv mode, and set the shutter speed to at least 1/320, preferably more if lighting conditions allow", well how cool would that have been?? My photo would have come out better, and that one tip would have cut months off my learning curve. But back in those days, the internet was just getting started, and there were no forums discussing photography, I didn't know anyone in the real world who was knowledgeable in photography. So I struggled.

motion blur also occurs when one gets really excited when an opportunity of a great uppy shot presents itself...in the heat of the moment you really start rushing to get the shot,or you wanna get the shot before anyone else notices and most of all the HEART starts pounding faster due to the RUSH....its a combination...one has to remain calm,relaxed and one will obtain a good SHOT...

[AndyR]

Thank you for that great observation, Tonto. However, I'm sure that Paul knows *EXACTLY* how he feels when he is shooting. As one person on these forums is fond of pointing out in his sig, we are all unique.

It was my intent to stay focused on the technical aspects here to try to help Paul figure out how to get the most out of his DSLR, which is considerably more difficult to use than your little point & shooter pocket cam. But you make a valid point. Emotions are part of shooting, and it's worth a quick mention.

You may remember a few posts back I talked about moving from being a newbie private to an elite spec ops sniper. This analogy holds true not just for technical operation of the equipment, but for your emotional state as well. Most experienced military people will tell you that emotions will get you killed (for this analogy killed = in jail, in court, beat up by a hero, or other unpleasant result).

Well, if you are feeling excited, and in this case, we'll define excited as "all the blood leaving your brain & rushing to your pee-pee", then you are not paying attention to your camera, and most importantly, you are not paying attention to your surroundings. This WILL get you KILLED. PERIOD.

Situational awareness. If you don't have it, you will end up in trouble, sooner rather than later. Emotions destroy situational awareness. Especially letting yourself eroticize over your subject like one of the visual voyeurs who sit there staring up a skirt, burning the image into their brain and fingering themselves through their pockets.

Pretend you are a professional photographer doing a job. You are taking pictures of towels and sheets for a "Bed Bath & Beyond" catalog. Study meditation. Meet with a Buddhist monk. Whatever it takes to rid yourself of emotion. Save the emotions for when you are SAFELY home with a GREAT collection of pictures.


I'll leave you with this one image. If you are smart, it will scare the crap right out of you...

One fine day in France in the 2000's, some kind of BIG "problem" came up at the Eiffel Tower. The whole place was evacuated in minutes, leaving a crowd of thousands of confused tourists being told to leave the area quickly by the Gendarmes.

For me, the light-bulb moment, the realization that "oh, crap, I need to be much more careful EVERYWHERE I go" came when I saw, quite literally, HUNDREDS of people whom I'd presumed to be tourists & locals slipping on orange POLICE arm bands. Rastafarians, hippies, businessmen, CUTE BABES, **homeless dudes lying on rags** and many, many more, all of them jumping into action like a suddenly awoken zombie army. If that cute blonde woman didn't have the orange police armband on, and I didn't have a big pink arrow pointing to her, you'd NEVER know she was a cop would you?

DO YOU KNOW WHO IS WATCHING YOU ???

If you are grooving to the sensation of your pee-pee throbbing in your pants, I' SURE you don't...

(and if you think this only happens in France, I've got bad news for you)

(NOTE to Mods: I've blurred out everyone who is possibly under 18, and also a portion of the undercover officer's face. Please allow this image stand as is for educational purposes)

[tonto2011]

Originally Posted by AndyR

Thank you for that great observation, Tonto. However, I'm sure that Paul knows *EXACTLY* how he feels when he is shooting. As one person on these forums is fond of pointing out in his sig, we are all unique.

It was my intent to stay focused on the technical aspects here to try to help Paul figure out how to get the most out of his DSLR, which is considerably more difficult to use than your little point & shooter pocket cam. But you make a valid point. Emotions are part of shooting, and it's worth a quick mention.

You may remember a few posts back I talked about moving from being a newbie private to an elite spec ops sniper. This analogy holds true not just for technical operation of the equipment, but for your emotional state as well. Most experienced military people will tell you that emotions will get you killed (for this analogy killed = in jail, in court, beat up by a hero, or other unpleasant result).

Well, if you are feeling excited, and in this case, we'll define excited as "all the blood leaving your brain & rushing to your pee-pee", then you are not paying attention to your camera, and most importantly, you are not paying attention to your surroundings. This WILL get you KILLED. PERIOD.

Situational awareness. If you don't have it, you will end up in trouble, sooner rather than later. Emotions destroy situational awareness. Especially letting yourself eroticize over your subject like one of the visual voyeurs who sit there staring up a skirt, burning the image into their brain and fingering themselves through their pockets.

Pretend you are a professional photographer doing a job. You are taking pictures of towels and sheets for a "Bed Bath & Beyond" catalog. Study meditation. Meet with a Buddhist monk. Whatever it takes to rid yourself of emotion. Save the emotions for when you are SAFELY home with a GREAT collection of pictures.


I'll leave you with this one image. If you are smart, it will scare the crap right out of you...

One fine day in France in the 2000's, some kind of BIG "problem" came up at the Eiffel Tower. The whole place was evacuated in minutes, leaving a crowd of thousands of confused tourists being told to leave the area quickly by the Gendarmes.

For me, the light-bulb moment, the realization that "oh, crap, I need to be much more careful EVERYWHERE I go" came when I saw, quite literally, HUNDREDS of people whom I'd presumed to be tourists & locals slipping on orange POLICE arm bands. Rastafarians, hippies, businessmen, CUTE BABES, **homeless dudes lying on rags** and many, many more, all of them jumping into action like a suddenly awoken zombie army. If that cute blonde woman didn't have the orange police armband on, and I didn't have a big pink arrow pointing to her, you'd NEVER know she was a cop would you?

DO YOU KNOW WHO IS WATCHING YOU ???

If you are grooving to the sensation of your pee-pee throbbing in your pants, I' SURE you don't...

(and if you think this only happens in France, I've got bad news for you)

(NOTE to Mods: I've blurred out everyone who is possibly under 18, and also a portion of the undercover officer's face. Please allow this image stand as is for educational purposes)

well said and.....will keep an eye out also,thnx

[txpaulranger]

I am trying. To be honest, I am still an amateur level to shoot with a bit of courage and determination. I truly appreciate you, Tonto, Andy and other's efforts. At the beginning, it was erotic thing I admit, but now it became more of the good shooting right moment at right place. I want to execute shooting exactly what I want to capture the prey I found attractive.

Originally Posted by aquavite

But can you work on the focusing? All are a bit to quite fuzzy. See past posts on this...and good luck and happy hunting....