Is it me or my camera?

[alacrity]

I have a D3000 and thought that using a better camera than my old point and shoot would make my pictures look heaps better. Is my camera just not capable of taking a shot like this or am I not using it right yet? The settings were F 4.5, ISO 200, 13/10 shutter. I didn't go any higher with the iso as it got too glairy. Is there any way around this when hand held?

[ricktas]

this is motion blur, caused by you moving the camera during the exposure. A faster shutter speed is needed to stop this.

[alacrity]

Can I get a faster shutter speed without changing the ISO?

[rellik666]

Sorry I am not sure I am reading this right, but you seem to have a SS of 1.3 seconds...and I think there in lies your problem. I am assuming that you are the maximum apeture with the 4.5. I would try increasing the ISO and reducing the shutter speed. Do you have a flash?

The other thing would be to try and support your camera with something... move the shoes and rest on the box?

Roo

[bigdazzler]

That's exactly what ISO is for, to help achieve adequate handheld shutter speeds.

A noisy picture (from high iso) is always better than a blurry, out of focus picture. Don't be afraid to increase your iso. Noise can be fixed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ricktas]

there are three things that work together to get a correct exposure. ISO, Shutter speed and aperture. They all work in conjunction with each other and therefore are all related and affect each other. Seeing you are using a wide aperture here (f4.5) you cannot get a faster shutter speed by opening up the aperture more, your other choice is to increase the ISO..or get more light on your subject. The three settings that give you a correct exposure are influenced by one thing, light! Increase the amount of light on your subject and you will get the ability to obtain a faster shutter speed, without increasing the ISO

[OzzieTraveller]

G'day alacrity

Good on you for posting this Q
As others above have mentioned - it is a camera movement issue ... you can always tell movement (versus focus) by the two images of every 'hard-edge' ... in this case the shoes, the straps, the edge of the cabinet, etc

May I suggest several things - to add to others above

Before changing the camera settings too much, move the front shoe towards the rear shoe, and you "tripod youself with your elbows on the front corner of the cabinet" and try again. It seems to me that if you can ground yourself, a large %age of the movement will go

Then as others have said - modify your ISO
Each time you double your ISO, you gain a shutter speed, so if ISO-200 gives 1/13sec, then ISO-400 halves this to 1/25sec and ISO-800 halves again to 1/50sec
Keep trying, keep experimenting & keep having fun :)

Hope this helps a bit
Regards, Phil

[alacrity]

Here is another attempt with a bit more light. The one from the top with no support is looking better, but the one where I used my arms like Phil suggested now brings in too much glare. How do you all make taking pictures look so easy?

[old dog]

the second last shot here is getting a lot better but your shutter speed is still too slow at 1/5s. Maybe raise the iso as in the last shot which is at iso400. That would give you a shutter speed of 1/10s which you might get away with at a wide setting (focal length of say 18mm). Only way to get this right is to get a tripod or increase the lighting. Just experiment, have fun and learn from many here on this site.

[ricktas]

Making pictures look easy takes lot of practice and experience. What you are doing now is what you need to do, learn what doesn't work and what does. We have all been there. As long as you take on board all the advice you get, you will succeed, but take it one step at a time, absorb and learn.

I would like to say well done so far, taking the feedback from this thread and working on your skills, as long as you continue to post and ask for help, and read that help, apply it, you will improve.

[arnica]

wooo .. I can definitely see the improvements you've made ! Well done for going out there and giving it a go.

As many of us have said, photography is a continual learning process, it's always good to put into practice what you've learnt and then pass it onto others.

[farmer_rob]

You appear to be using spot metering mode, and an automatic program setting - is that correct? Is the center focus point on the shoes?

In the last shot, the shutter speed could be faster (was 1/2 s - probably 1/4 or 1/8 s) which would reduce the glare. For handheld shots you should be trying for a shutter speed of 1/60 s, although good handholding technique (as you have learnt and shown) can reduce this considerably.

Also, you are getting reflections from the table into the camera - if you are shooting with the light more behind you (being careful not to shade the subject - the shoes), you might find this also helps.

[CraigP]

I couldn't agree more with all the previous sentiments. You are certainly on the right track. When I started taking "happy snaps" many years ago, I found the best way to learn was to experiment. I would suggest taking the same pic and varying your exposure by 1/2 or 1 stop each time. Write the setting down. perhaps start by varying the time (using the same aperture - f stop). Then do it all over again varying the aperture (time stays the same).
I found by doing this I quickly saw how the relationship between time and aperture will change the pic.
You also start seeing how the aperture affects how much of your pic is in focus.
I know it is a very simplistic solution, but the important thing is to keep taken pics and experiment with your settings (bracketing).
Lastly get yourself a tripod - doesn't have to be expensive, just stable. All the above is so much easier with one. You will then be able to compose your shots and use whatever settings you like.
It's not what's in your camera bag that makes a good photo, it what's between your ears.
Good luck, Craig.