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Newbie to photography

camera lenses first project

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3 replies to this topic

#1
Stevie1967

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Hi all, i am a newcomer to photography, i was recently offered a hardly used Nikon D5300 (211 actuations) for what i thought was a very good price (£300.00), it came with the 18-55 vr lens and a few bits like a Hoya polarising filter, two spare batteries, wireless remote, tripod, etc. I am slowly beginning to understand it's features having taken it on holiday recently although mainly using Auto mode. I joined this forum as I have a few questions and need help with my first attempt at using the other modes, firstly i am thinking of purchasing the af-s 50mm 1.8g and would like opinions if possible please, also would i be better keeping the 18-55 and buying a seperate lens for wildlife/birding like the 70-300? or because i often take the bike and carry my kit in a rucksack buy the 18-300 f/3.5-6.3 ED VR as an all in one type of lens. Also without wishing to sound boring going on and on, i would like some advice as to my first "project", i would like to try long exposure, no real reason why i just like the look of it so help and advice would be appreciated on that subject, settings and stuff! Thanks in advance for any help, like i say i'm learning so numbers and letters would be better as easy to understand terminology, so it sinks in!!



#2
Wadoka

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Photography is an art, art is subjective... If you like the photos you take, DON'T care what anyone else thinks... You are your own blank canvas... Shoot at will... If it's blurry, think "was it supposed to be?" if not, take another... i have deleted MANY  pictures of my feet and will delete many more... Welcome to the world of photography...



#3
deano

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I agree with Wadoka, enjoy.  Waterfalls and streams make good practice for long exposures, getting that silky look.  Interestingly enough, my wife likes waterfalls that are shot at a higher speed giving that power of motion look.  If that's all that comes between us I am blessed.



#4
nbanjogal

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Welcome to the forums, Stevie. Since you're a newcomer, I'm guessing you may not know how to use your camera in manual mode yet? It can be a bit overwhelming at first, so maybe start with one of the priority modes first. Since you're interested in long exposure, you could try using shutter priority for awhile to learn how shutter speed works.

 

Since you asked for settings and stuff on long exposure, here's a simple way to get you started:

 

1) As deano points out, moving water is a great place to try long exposure, so find a stream or waterfall or fountain as your subject.

 

2) On the top of your camera, you should have a rotating dial that has (among other things) A, S, P, M on it. Set it on "S". This means you can adjust your shutter speed as you see fit, and your camera will do the rest of the work on getting a good exposure. (Not always perfect though, so learn manual as soon as you can so you can completely control exposure.)

 

3) Now you should be able to adjust your shutter speed--I think on the D5300 it is the dial on the top right on the back of the camera. Not 100% sure though since I use a different model. Anyhow, use a slow shutter speed for long exposure. Shutter speeds are given in fractions of a second, so maybe start with 1/4 and see what that gets you. Experiment with different shutter speeds and just see what happens.

 

Starting with the A and S priority modes is a good way to learn some basics.







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