OMG......

[Pudda]

I took near 600 pics at an indoor wedding reception with my D7000 in Aperture priority and only got 60ish keepers.... I was using a 1.8 50mm lens, no flash. All pictures were either out of focus (Dof is practically zero I found at low fstop) or blurred (shutter speed was too slow at higher fstop)........ very nearly tossed the camera in the punch bowl... any advice would be appreciated...

[MarkChap]

I think what Darren was trying to say was,

That before actually taking the photograph you need to take note of what shutter speed you are achieving when in aperture priority mode and then adjust as needed by either increasing your iso to get a higher shutter speed or by adding some flash to the mix.
If want to use natural light only then that only leaves ISO to control your shutter speed, you don't tell us what ISO you were using ??

Depending on how close you were to your subject the DoF even at 1.8 should not have been so shallow as to be the sole cause of out of focus images.

[Ms Monny]

what ISO did you have it set at?

If you are indoors with no flash it is probably better to use a high ISO, even with the aperature wide open.

What aperature did you have it mainly on? Was it always about 1.8 or smaller? I don't think wide open would be too good though, as it wouldn't give you a good dof and is harder to get an area which you want to be sharp (eyes especially as it could be only the ears or the nose in focus if the focus is not spot on). With people moving around I think it would be harder too with a wide aperature. The blur with the smaller aperature (higher number) can be corrected by using a higher ISO (which would make the speed faster). I have learnt that to take photos whilst hand holding your camera, use the same (or a bit faster with crop sensor cameras) number as the lens. You used a 50mm, so your speed should be approx. 1/60 or more to safely hand hold. Works for me.

Don't forget, even pro's have duds! Maybe others who have done Weddings or Events can help out better than I.

[ricktas]

Post some of the photos in the members photos forums and let us critique and guide you. The best way to learn is to fail and get advice, then use that advice to improve. Failing teaches you what not to do, next time.

[Ms Monny]

... any advice would be appreciated...

I am sorry Kiwi but this is what he said. Yes, he wanted to throw the camera but probably due to frustration. He probably thought he was doing everything right and found out most of the images were useless.

Oh, and sorry Pudda, I presume you are a guy!!!

[ricktas]

I don't think that this is constructive. He is actually asking for help, isn't he??

He is, but at the same time saying' very nearly tossed the camera in the punch bowl' suggests that he is blaming the camera, rather than the operator. Whilst Kiwi's comments are blunt, he has a point.

We cannot help unless we see some photos with EXIF intact, so we can see exactly what settings were used and then we can guide the member with constructive advice on how he can gain control over the way his camera works. Without knowing all the information (and EXIF doesn't lie) we cannot help!

[kiwi]

Post removed by kiwi.

[Grumby]

Just another thought on the focus aspect for you to consider, is what focus 'mode' you were using.

The choice between manual and auto for me is mostly a no-brainer... I just can't see well enough through the viewfinder to cope with manual focus these days, so I generally let the camera do the work. Now, this is where the other focus mode decision may have an influence on your very shallow DOF images...

My camera (Nikon D3000) allows me to use a tiny spot in the middle of the image to control focus (well, actually I can choose a tiny spot in any one of eleven positions around the image), or base the focus on a block that is about 1/4 of the size of the whole picture - but centered... or base it on an 'average' over the whole image. The bigger the area you give the camera to choose from, the greater the risk of it choosing the wrong thing within that area to focus on - especially if you are at f/1.8 and have minimal DOF. Personally, I tend to always use spot focusing and use that to focus specifically on a person's eyes, or the particular item that I want in focus, above all others.

Having said that, even with an f/1.8 lens... the combination of indoor lighting, no flash and (assumed) ISO at 100, you are likely to be getting fairly slow shutter speeds, and being susceptible to camera shake... That is probably going to be the biggest contributor to your failures, I'm afraid.

Increase the ISO (experiment to see what works for your camera - I won't take mine over 400 unless I really have to - but cameras with better sensors than my entry level camera can go to 1600 or better with minimal noise), use available light to the max by moving people where you want them instead of just accepting the light where they are, or consider using bounce flash...

All sound advice, but often difficult to remember or put into practice in the heat of the moment ;-) I make exactly the same mistakes time and again. Still, even though it was disappointing, at least with digital, you didn't have to get over 500 negatives printed to find that they were no good - imagine the cost!
Grum

[Kym]

Indoors with no flash is hard work.
The D7000 has the same sensor as my K-5 and can deliver good low light results, but you really have to experiment and practice.

shoot raw for a start, you can pick up details in PP that JPEG loses
use up to ISO 12,800 but not higher
use around f/4 if you can to have some DoF
try to keep your shutter speed @ at least 1/80th
use a tripod or monopod to reduce camera shake, or learn to brace and hold your camera steady
learn to finger roll the shutter for smoothness



Eg: http://www.ausphotography.net.au/forum/showthread.php?81735-Kym-s-April-52-2011

[Pudda]

true..... I'm glad I went through the painful experience as I learnt a lot in the process..... i will post some photos soon...I cannot blame the camera, it will always be the operator

[Pudda]

thanks for the advice.....

[jim]

How many posts are missing from this thread?