# Confused



## kitty_kat

Hi there.
I have a strange question... 

I am somewhat new to DSLR photography. I know my camera terms and how my camera works, but I am just struggling to feel the confidence in using anything other than Auto...
Reason being is due to time. 
I do a lot of kids parties and wedding in a particularly awkwardly-lit church. I am known for getting the best facial shots and emotions and just basically getting perfectly timed shots that other photographers miss by a second. 
The thought of missing a shot because I am trying to sort out my ExComp etc just freaks me out. 

As an example. In the church where I shoot, there is a huge stained glass window up in the front of the church and depending on where I'm aimed at for the couple, the difference in light is crazy. Then if I turn to view the congregation or the front of the couple, the room is extremely dark. So if I'm going back and forth, changing my settings is just so time consuming, and I'll be staring at my little screen more than taking pics. If time were not an issue, I could set up the shot with no problem... but these are moments that cannot be put on hold.

Maybe someone will tell me I don't know my camera settings well enough. Maybe I am just doomed to shoot in auto forever... but like I said, although I know my camera, I am not fast at calculating DOF in my head and figuring out the best ISO:Fstop:Shutter value for that particular shot when the moment is only a second long. 

How the heck do pro's do it? Do the pro's mentally know their DOF ranges with the different lenses they use at different F stops etc? Do they turn on and off the manual focus for high speed moving subjects (no flash). Do they just have trigger happy fingers and hope for the best? (chuckling at the daggers being thrown at me with that comment lol)

I'm just feeling a bit daunted, cause I really want to be the best in my field, but I feel like there is a piece of the puzzle missing for me to open that next door.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Claire


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## KmH

First.
For a lot of people, big solid blocks of text are difficult to read online.
You might edit post #1 by adding some carriage returns to make paragraphs/blank lines.

Make time to practice using aperture, shutter priority, and manual modes.
Photographers had time before digital cameras were invented, plus they had to change film rolls too.
Having a very sound understanding of how your tools work, and having experience using the main camera capabilities, features and functions goes a long way to speeding up making appropriate adjustment.
In general, exposure adjustments only need be changed when the light in the scene being photographed changes.
No doubt, depth-of-field is a concept just about everyone needs to study to come to grips with, but I don't know anyone who calculates DoF in their head.

By relying solely on AUTO mode you give a majority of the artistic photography control to the camera software engineers that programmed your camera.
Relying on AUTO is like an artist using a paint-by-numbers kit.
You have no control over selective focus, lighting ratios, or subject motion control.

Lots of wedding venues are not lighted for doing photography, and many wedding venues prohibit using flash during the wedding ceremony.
In that case you need to use photography tools that can perform well in low light situations. Full frame camera bodies and fast lenses are the kind of tools needed, but the more capable they are the more they cost.

Frankly, it sounds to me you aren't as familiar with how your tools work as you need to be the primary camera operating decision maker.


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## nycphotography

TWO BODIES.  One that you can experiment and be creative with and one "go to" setup that you can "just get the shot.  always."

The go to body will initially be auto, but you'll probably end up with two different manual (or A or S mode + flash) settings eventually.

Plus, one body will eventually end up with a 28-70 lens and the other with a 70-200 lens makes it easier to get the close and d


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## IByte

Welcome to the forum.  I am still learning the exposure tri-angle due to my limited free time.

I know I maybe beating a dead horse, but take a step back and just focus on one part of the triangle at a time.  
As stated above, it's to learn each mode, their and how they interact so that jump to full blown manual. 

There's nothing wrong with learning in auto mode, or semi-auto modes.  Throw yourself outside your comfort mode zone an enjoy what your equipment has to offer.   This is a great forum to ask questions if something you researched doesn't make sense. 

Also ask one of the mods who's participating in the mentor program which is free. Absorb the critique, laugh at the smart ass remarks(going to be a lot) and hope ya stick around.


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## 12sndsgood

How is the camera coming up with the perfect DOF in Auto mode?  it doesn't know what kind of DOF you want all it is doing is looking for the right exposure, so saying that your better in auto because you can't calculate it in your head fast enough isn't entirely accurate. The way I overcame the auto versus manual is I set the camera on Manual and just left it there. it felt really awkward in the beginning, I missed some shots but before you new it I was changing settings without much thought, one day I just looked down and noticed it didn't bother me, that I was no longer worried about it.

 When I had that done I started thinking about what I was shooting and then used the shooting mode that suited the condition.  Shooting drift cars going 60-70mph and panning I new I wanted a slow shutter speed 1/60 sec. so I just set it on shutter priority and let the camera adjust the apature as need be. different condition where my DOF is more important I may set it on A and let the SS adjust as need be to keep things fast. Just because you have learned manual doesn't mean you have to keep it on that all the time.


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## tirediron

kitty_kat said:


> ...How the heck do pro's do it?


Simple.  Practice!  LOTS and lots of practice!  A few years ago, I attended a talk by Dr. Ted Grant, and at one point he explained how he prepared for an upcoming race he was going to shoot; by spending every free evening for TWO WEEKS sitting on the side of the freeway photographing cars going by until he could without fail, aim, focus, and expose for exactly the shot he wanted every time.  Set aside 1-2 hours a day and practice; go to the church, go into your basement.  PRACTICE!  You will find that fairly quickly setting will become second nature to you.


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## Derrel

A couple things. You use the term "AUTO" as if it means one thing, but it can mean Aperture-priority, Shutter-priority, or Programmed automatic modes. Plus, there are also "scene mode" types of automatic setting, where a pre-established set of routines are programmed into the camera, based upon various parameters that the meter measures. So... there is more to "AUTO" than just four letters! Aperture-priority automatic can, with the best cameras today, be combined with AUTO ISO shift to work near miracles.

The church and stained-glass issue you mentioned is a pretty simple case of "people situated in front of a window", which is something that can be shot in Aperture priority automatic and EASILY taken care of with say, a Nikon D600 by just pointing the metering circle downward, eliminating the influence of the stained glass window, and pressing in the AE-L button with the right thumb, and then shooting. Aperture priority automatic is probably the easiest AUTO mode to employ, and the one actually used by most pros and advanced shooters.

As to knowing DOF ranges for various lenses, yes, experienced people know their lenses and the basic DOF concepts. It's almost entirely about image magnification; a 200mm lens can NOT "pull depth of field" on a group of people that is four ranks deep unless the camera is wayyyyyy back, but a 35mm lens can easily do it from a closer range with the people rendered smaller. Same thing with blurring and slow shutter speeds; you can get away with hand-holding a 35mm lens at 1/15 second and make a lot of very useable photos; with a 200mm lens shot at 1/15 second, the MAGNIFICATION of the image means that MANY shots will be blurred at 1/15 with the 200mm lens. This is very basic technical and practical knowledge.

No offense intended Claire, but you have a ways to go before things get easier. You do as Tirediron suggested, need practice. It sounds like you need personal instruction and more learning about the nuts and bolts issues underlying advanced photography. There are many very basic ways to achieve good results. You've been focusing on TIMING, and "*getting the shot*", which are pretty closely related issues, and very important things to do, but seem to be worried about the technical side of photography. You've got to establish mastery over the simple stuff by learning the fundamentals, the mechanics, the simple theories, the basic operating procedures that advanced shooters know. It's not rocket science. You can do it if you want to.


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## AdamJones

The best piece of advice I could offer is to practice. You would never want to shoot a wedding whilst trying new things out. Professionals and semi-pro's will use all the options available to them - using aperture priority  or shutter priority modes will give you the speed whilst offering control over your exposure. Exposure compensation can be used when you know the metering won't give you the correct reading ( eg the lighting in your church) but if auto gives you the right exposure then so will the semi auto settings - you will just have control over depth of field or motion blur.

www.adamjonesphotography.co.uk


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## kitty_kat

Thank you so much to everyone's reply. 
You have all given me something to think about.
Main thing to start is a bit more theory, and practice, practice, practice... and when I'm done practicing, I think a little more practice might help...
I like the idea of 2 bodies. It could help the transition from Auto to other modes, especially on a job that a client is paying for... but I'll have to see how kind Santa is at xmas. 

Thanks again all.
Fingers crossed.


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## Steve5D

kitty_kat said:


> How the heck do pro's do it?



I've got news for you: If you're getting paid to shoot (and that's the sense I get), you're the pro. The question then becomes "Why don't you know?"

The reality is that it takes practice. It takes a lot of practice.

When I started concert shooting, I should've been cited for littering. The results were horrible. So, I shot more. And more. And more.

I do pretty good now.

Practice, and learn not only the limitations of your equipment, but the capabilities, as well.

Then go practice more...


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## imagemaker46

I posted a reply on this thread and it has been removed, is there are reason why? Perhaps one of the admins could answer this question


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## gsgary

imagemaker46 said:


> I posted a reply on this thread and it has been removed, is there are reason why? Perhaps one of the admins could answer this question




And mine has ****ing gone


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## nycphotography

Oh, I dunno..... perhaps because the responses, rather than being helpful in any way, were merely denigrating the OP for needing the help in the first place?  Maybe?


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## imagemaker46

It just sounds like opinion editing from a self proclaimed higher power.  Is this how the forum is going to be run now, when someone disagrees with an opinion they simply delete it?


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## gsgary

kitty_kat said:


> Thank you so much to everyone's reply.
> You have all given me something to think about.
> Main thing to start is a bit more theory, and practice, practice, practice... and when I'm done practicing, I think a little more practice might help...
> I like the idea of 2 bodies. It could help the transition from Auto to other modes, especially on a job that a client is paying for... but I'll have to see how kind Santa is at xmas.
> 
> Thanks again all.
> Fingers crossed.



There is no point having another camera you don't know how to use learn how to use the one you have first


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## nycphotography

gsgary said:


> kitty_kat said:
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone's reply.
> You have all given me something to think about.
> Main thing to start is a bit more theory, and practice, practice, practice... and when I'm done practicing, I think a little more practice might help...
> I like the idea of 2 bodies. It could help the transition from Auto to other modes, especially on a job that a client is paying for... but I'll have to see how kind Santa is at xmas.
> 
> Thanks again all.
> Fingers crossed.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> There is no point having another camera you don't know how to use learn how to use the one you have first
Click to expand...


Unless the first one is not available for playing around as it's fully booked making money.  In which case there is a point, as the other camera just might be useful as being available to learn with.


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## gsgary

nycphotography said:


> gsgary said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> kitty_kat said:
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone's reply.
> You have all given me something to think about.
> Main thing to start is a bit more theory, and practice, practice, practice... and when I'm done practicing, I think a little more practice might help...
> I like the idea of 2 bodies. It could help the transition from Auto to other modes, especially on a job that a client is paying for... but I'll have to see how kind Santa is at xmas.
> 
> Thanks again all.
> Fingers crossed.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> There is no point having another camera you don't know how to use learn how to use the one you have first
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Unless the first one is not available for playing around as it's fully booked making money.  In which case there is a point, as the other camera just might be useful as being available to learn with.
Click to expand...


If its fully booked how can you play with another camera


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## nycphotography

gsgary said:


> nycphotography said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> gsgary said:
> 
> 
> 
> There is no point having another camera you don't know how to use learn how to use the one you have first
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Unless the first one is not available for playing around as it's fully booked making money.  In which case there is a point, as the other camera just might be useful as being available to learn with.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> If its fully booked how can you play with another camera
Click to expand...


you're right. the world is binary.  good or evil.  black or white.  there is no gray, no nuance, and time does not exist.

Now that you get to be right, are you happy?


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## cgipson1

nycphotography said:


> gsgary said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> kitty_kat said:
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone's reply.
> You have all given me something to think about.
> Main thing to start is a bit more theory, and practice, practice, practice... and when I'm done practicing, I think a little more practice might help...
> I like the idea of 2 bodies. It could help the transition from Auto to other modes, especially on a job that a client is paying for... but I'll have to see how kind Santa is at xmas.
> 
> Thanks again all.
> Fingers crossed.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> There is no point having another camera you don't know how to use learn how to use the one you have first
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Unless the first one is not available for playing around as it's fully booked making money.  In which case there is a point, as the other camera just might be useful as being available to learn with.
Click to expand...


Lets see.. the OP is stating she barely knows how to use her camera.... so I don't see that having a second body because the first body is " not available for playing around as it's fully booked making money " is in anyway possible!  lol! 

But then again.. it is in the Aspiring Pro forum... so not knowing how to use a camera is not necessarily an impediment.... I guess!


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## cgipson1

gsgary said:


> nycphotography said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> gsgary said:
> 
> 
> 
> There is no point having another camera you don't know how to use learn how to use the one you have first
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Unless the first one is not available for playing around as it's fully booked making money.  In which case there is a point, as the other camera just might be useful as being available to learn with.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> If its fully booked how can you play with another camera
Click to expand...


Very true... if all these "PRO's" were busy.. they wouldn't be here saying silly things, would they?


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## imagemaker46

It's an aspiring something forum, in this case, not much different than an aspiring amateur with a camera.


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## nycphotography

OP said she's shooting the events she's paid to shoot.  Doing it in auto mode, but knows she should be learning more / better.  But is afraid if she starts fiddling with the camera during said events she may miss the shots she needs to get as it could be in some unknown / not usable state of failed experimentation when she really needs it.

So in the context of those events, that camera is fully booked and is 100% off limits for experimentation.

Thus I suggested a second body... so that expermentation and learning could occur in a *risk reduced* manner.  The second body is not there as a productivity enhances... it's there as an insurance policy.  

It's easy to sit here and say "you shouldn't be doing what you're doing because you don't know enough".  Yet she obviously knows SOMETHING most people don't because she's able to convince people to pay her to do it.  Maybe she doesn't know her camera that great, but she has a great eye for color, composition and capture.

And she came down off her high horse to ask for help in learning.  Why can't this forum come down off it's high horse and help w/o the rude obnoxious snarkiness?


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## Steve5D

nycphotography said:


> It's easy to sit here and say "you shouldn't be doing what you're doing because you don't know enough".  Yet she obviously knows SOMETHING most people don't because she's able to convince people to pay her to do it.



Quoted for truth...



> And she came down off her high horse to ask for help in learning.  Why can't this forum come down off it's high horse and help w/o the rude obnoxious snarkiness?



Because, by and large, rude and obnoxious is the status quo here...


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## Tiller

nycphotography said:


> OP said she's shooting the events she's paid to shoot.  Doing it in auto mode, but knows she should be learning more / better.  But is afraid if she starts fiddling with the camera during said events she may miss the shots she needs to get as it could be in some unknown / not usable state of failed experimentation when she really needs it.
> 
> So in the context of those events, that camera is fully booked and is 100% off limits for experimentation.
> 
> Thus I suggested a second body... so that expermentation and learning could occur in a risk reduced manner.  The second body is not there as a productivity enhances... it's there as an insurance policy.
> 
> It's easy to sit here and say "you shouldn't be doing what you're doing because you don't know enough".  Yet she obviously knows SOMETHING most people don't because she's able to convince people to pay her to do it.  Maybe she doesn't know her camera that great, but she has a great eye for color, composition and capture.
> 
> And she came down off her high horse to ask for help in learning.  Why can't this forum come down off it's high horse and help w/o the rude obnoxious snarkiness?



It takes less than 2 seconds to switch from manual to auto mode. It takes at least 5 or 6 to switch bodies.


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## imagemaker46

nycphotography said:


> OP said she's shooting the events she's paid to shoot. Doing it in auto mode, but knows she should be learning more / better. But is afraid if she starts fiddling with the camera during said events she may miss the shots she needs to get as it could be in some unknown / not usable state of failed experimentation when she really needs it.
> 
> So in the context of those events, that camera is fully booked and is 100% off limits for experimentation.
> 
> Thus I suggested a second body... so that expermentation and learning could occur in a *risk reduced* manner. The second body is not there as a productivity enhances... it's there as an insurance policy.
> 
> It's easy to sit here and say "you shouldn't be doing what you're doing because you don't know enough". Yet she obviously knows SOMETHING most people don't because she's able to convince people to pay her to do it. Maybe she doesn't know her camera that great, but she has a great eye for color, composition and capture.
> 
> And she came down off her high horse to ask for help in learning. Why can't this forum come down off it's high horse and help w/o the rude obnoxious snarkiness?



You're right, lets give the op the credit she deserves, after all she is getting hired to shoot weddings with a camera that is pre-set so as not to screw anything up. When she gets a second camera then she can  play around with it until she learns how to use the first one.  Is that about right?  But why does she need the second camera if she is already working as a pro and has acquired the colourful eye for capturing composition that everyone else misses by a second.


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## Steve5D

imagemaker46 said:


> But why does she need the second camera if she is already working as a pro and has acquired the colourful eye for capturing composition that everyone else misses by a second.



Because it's an ill-equipped "pro" who doesn't have a back-up...


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## Steve5D

Tiller said:


> nycphotography said:
> 
> 
> 
> OP said she's shooting the events she's paid to shoot.  Doing it in auto mode, but knows she should be learning more / better.  But is afraid if she starts fiddling with the camera during said events she may miss the shots she needs to get as it could be in some unknown / not usable state of failed experimentation when she really needs it.
> 
> So in the context of those events, that camera is fully booked and is 100% off limits for experimentation.
> 
> Thus I suggested a second body... so that expermentation and learning could occur in a risk reduced manner.  The second body is not there as a productivity enhances... it's there as an insurance policy.
> 
> It's easy to sit here and say "you shouldn't be doing what you're doing because you don't know enough".  Yet she obviously knows SOMETHING most people don't because she's able to convince people to pay her to do it.  Maybe she doesn't know her camera that great, but she has a great eye for color, composition and capture.
> 
> And she came down off her high horse to ask for help in learning.  Why can't this forum come down off it's high horse and help w/o the rude obnoxious snarkiness?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It takes less than 2 seconds to switch from manual to auto mode. It takes at least 5 or 6 to switch bodies.
Click to expand...


Five or six seconds to switch bodies??


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## Tiller

nycphotography said:


> It's easy to sit here and say "you shouldn't be doing what you're doing because you don't know enough".



That is the correct thing to say! Should I let somebody work on work on my car that doesn't know how to open the hood?

It's not mean to say she shouldn't be charging for services. If anything, it's nice because we could be saving her from a potential lawsuit.

I would also bet money that she doesn't have a legitimate business set up. Which can also lead to a world of trouble.


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## gsgary

nycphotography said:


> OP said she's shooting the events she's paid to shoot.  Doing it in auto mode, but knows she should be learning more / better.  But is afraid if she starts fiddling with the camera during said events she may miss the shots she needs to get as it could be in some unknown / not usable state of failed experimentation when she really needs it.
> 
> So in the context of those events, that camera is fully booked and is 100% off limits for experimentation.
> 
> Thus I suggested a second body... so that expermentation and learning could occur in a risk reduced manner.  The second body is not there as a productivity enhances... it's there as an insurance policy.
> 
> It's easy to sit here and say "you shouldn't be doing what you're doing because you don't know enough".  Yet she obviously knows SOMETHING most people don't because she's able to convince people to pay her to do it.  Maybe she doesn't know her camera that great, but she has a great eye for color, composition and capture.
> 
> And she came down off her high horse to ask for help in learning.  Why can't this forum come down off it's high horse and help w/o the rude obnoxious snarkiness?



But doing this she would miss the split second shots that other photographers cant catch but she can


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## nycphotography

Tiller said:


> nycphotography said:
> 
> 
> 
> It's easy to sit here and say "you shouldn't be doing what you're doing because you don't know enough".
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *That is the correct thing to say!* Should I let somebody work on work on my car that doesn't know how to open the hood?
> 
> It's not mean to say she shouldn't be charging for services. If anything, it's nice because we could be saving her from a potential lawsuit.
> 
> I would also bet money that she doesn't have a legitimate business set up. Which can also lead to a world of trouble.
Click to expand...


No it is not the correct thing to say.  It is rude and presumptuous of you to give that answer in that way. 

While it may be correct from YOUR point of view, it is not correct from HER point of view and you already know as much from the context established w/ the original question.  

Your refusal to put it in terms that respects her point of view and could actually help her to consider the idea... generally indicates that you are not saying it in a genuine attempt to be helpful.

Rather it generally indicates that you (and you, and you there) are saying it just to be an ass.  

It is seldom correct to be rude.


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## TCampbell

kitty_kat said:


> Hi there.
> I have a strange question...
> 
> I am somewhat new to DSLR photography. I know my camera terms and how my camera works, but I am just struggling to feel the confidence in using anything other than Auto...
> Reason being is due to time.



But that sounds like you really _don't_ know the ins and outs of how the camera works.  Perhaps, when you're not shooting something where you're under pressure, you should take your camera and go shooting and *force* yourself to think through each shot.  Ask yourself if you should give priority to aperture vs. shutter for the shot which aperture or shutter would work best, and make sure you're easily able to find the complementary exposure settings to make your primary setting and still render a good exposure.



> I do a lot of kids parties and wedding in a particularly awkwardly-lit church.


Correction... that would be "normally-lit" church.  ;-)

What's unusual is to walk into a church with fabulous lighting.  Almost every church is much much less than ideal for photography.



> I am known for getting the best facial shots and emotions and just basically getting perfectly timed shots that other photographers miss by a second.


That sounds great.  It sounds like you're good at picking the "decisive moment" to shoot.


> The thought of missing a shot because I am trying to sort out my ExComp etc just freaks me out.
> 
> As an example. In the church where I shoot, there is a huge stained glass window up in the front of the church and depending on where I'm aimed at for the couple, the difference in light is crazy. Then if I turn to view the congregation or the front of the couple, the room is extremely dark. So if I'm going back and forth, changing my settings is just so time consuming, and I'll be staring at my little screen more than taking pics. If time were not an issue, I could set up the shot with no problem... but these are moments that cannot be put on hold.



Ahhh... there's a secret to this.  When I did weddings, I didn't actually meter the shot, then set the exposure, then take the shot.  It's much much faster than that.  I was shooting with a camera that didn't have any form of auto-mode (Hasselblad 500 CM)... it was an entirely manual film camera.  We know, even before shooting, what the exposure settings need to be.  We even know the focus based on the intended framing we plan to use.  The camera is actually pre-focused and the exposure settings are already dialed in.  We walk up, frame the subject -- we might need to touch-up the focus or exposure slightly, and then take the shot.  But it all happens very quickly.

The main point to stress here is that the shooting is primary proactive and not reactive.

But keep in mind that as a pro wedding photographer, there's a point where you've done so many weddings, that you know the shots by rote.  This is where the practice comes in... drill yourself.

Without looking at your meter, "guess" at what you think the right exposure will be.  Then meter it and correct yourself.  Do this and over and over and in enough situations and you'll get to a point where you're actually pretty good at guessing at what the exposure is going to be.  I'm not saying you don't check the meter... my point is that you pre-set the camera before you even walk up to take the shot.  Then the only thing you have to do is dial in the correction and that can be done rather quickly.  

I think everyone should learn and be comfortable shooting entirely in manual... but that said I actually use most of the modes on the camera and I don't just stick to manual.  I might look at a dimly lit church and decide that based on my subject and depth of field needs, that I can get away with f/2.8 which will collect as much light as possible and still get a single subject distance in tack-sharp focus (but blur the background).  Since it's a church, I'm probably going to have the ISO cranked up a bit if I'm doing natural light photography... so maybe it's somewhere between 3200 and 6400 (not a problem for a modern full-frame camera).  So now the _only_ thing I need to dial in is the shutter speed and I might have a good guess that it'll be somewhere around, say... 1/60th (again... I might be wrong, and need to change it.  But I can change that very quickly.)

For even faster peformance, I might use Av mode, set my ISO to whatever I want (say 4000), set my aperture to f/2.8, and then let the camera pick the shutter speed for me.  



> Maybe someone will tell me I don't know my camera settings well enough. Maybe I am just doomed to shoot in auto forever... but like I said, although I know my camera, I am not fast at calculating DOF in my head and figuring out the best ISO:Fstop:Shutter value for that particular shot when the moment is only a second long.
> 
> How the heck do pro's do it? Do the pro's mentally know their DOF ranges with the different lenses they use at different F stops etc? Do they turn on and off the manual focus for high speed moving subjects (no flash). Do they just have trigger happy fingers and hope for the best? (chuckling at the daggers being thrown at me with that comment lol)
> 
> I'm just feeling a bit daunted, cause I really want to be the best in my field, but I feel like there is a piece of the puzzle missing for me to open that next door.
> 
> Any help will be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Claire



As mentioned above, the pros have shot these shots so very many times that it becomes habitual and they can guess the correct (or pretty darned close to the correct) exposure settings before even lifting the camera to their eye.

I don't memorize the DoF table... but I know the character of the focal ratio and focal lengths.  I know that with a normal to long focal length that I wont get much background blur at f/8 (it'll be more like soft focus than blur), a tiny bit softer at f/5.6, but f/4 will be pleasantly blurred, f/2.8 will be strongly blurred, and f/2 will be so gosh-darned sweet and creamy as to induce diabetes just by looking at the photo (don't shoot at f/2 if you have a heart condition!)  ;-)

You need to practice, but don't just practice by shooting randomly... practice with a goal of learning to just one aspect at time.  Practice learning the relationship of f-stop to background blur... imagine in your head how much blur you'd like (if any) and then set the appropriate f-stop you think you need to use to achieve that goal.  Take the shot.  Then see if you got the result you wanted.  Keep doing that for a variety of wide and narrow depth of field targets.  Keep your focal length constant (e.g. shoot everything at 50mm).  Then start to vary the focal length (but keep the f-stop constant... say, f/2.8 or f/4 for every shot) and you'll notice that there's a relationship with the focal lengths (and subject distances) as well.

You can do the same thing for shutter speeds... decide when you want to "freeze" action vs. "imply motion" (let it blur).

Do the same for lighting... as mentioned above, "guess" what exposure you'll probably need and try it then adjust as necessary.

Notice, for example, that while I wasn't in YOUR church, I'm guessing settings such as ISO 6400, f/2.8 and 1/60th... that's because after enough weddings, you start to get a feel for what you can expect.  If I'd actually seen the church in question I'd have a pretty good idea if it was brighter than normal, or normal, or darker than normal (all of which will tend to be on the dark-ish side.  It's exceedingly rare that a church is nicely lit for photographic purposes.)


----------



## terri

A refresher of the forum's guidelines:



> _To Our Working Pros:
> 
> _* You know better than anyone how hard it can be to get started! Every working professional and experienced photographer had to start at the beginning at some point. Here is your chance to offer tips and advice to those just coming up in the field.
> 
> ** This is a place to offer advice and encouragement. Rudeness, snide remarks and 'newbie bashing' will not be tolerated.*




  To Imagemaker46, CGipson and gsgary:

  Your comments are all in violation of the above guidelines.    The intent and spirit of this forum is for those working pros to contribute to someones photographic knowledge, someone who does not know, admits they dont know, and comes here for HELP.

  It makes me sick to read the continuous newbie-bashing that you three gentlemen continue to engage in, towards anyone who does not have the same level of experience and knowledge that you all claim to have.    It must be wonderful to be you, and know it all, so you can sit around on this forum and amuse yourselves by bashing those lesser beings.

  I deleted your first snarky comments, but I will leave the ones you followed up with since, despite your worldly expertise in the area of photography, you are greatly lacking in enough common sense to take a hint when you see it.    I will tell you publicly that from here on out, I and the rest of the moderators will, in fact, delete each and every comment of yours that is less than helpful, and aimed only at making newcomers feel stupid, demeaned and incompetent.    

  Enough deletions and we'll grow tired of it, and bounce you all out of here like red rubber balls.     So straighten up and play nice in this forum, or simply STAY OUT.


----------



## imagemaker46

I realize that this thread and forum is for people that are hoping to or are just becoming professional photographers, but the Op has a camera that she is afraid of, it's really just that simple.  She gets stressed at the thought of moving from full auto to manual, how does this say professional photographer, that too is very simple.  She is charging money for her work and it doesn't matter if she is afraid of the camera she uses. As long as she is capturing those magical wedding moments, who really gives a sh*t. It doesn't affect my life or anyone else on this forum, it doesn't matter if I say she's an amateur with a camera she's afraid to use for fear of screwing up the magical settings.


----------



## terri

imagemaker46 said:


> I realize that this thread and forum is for people that are hoping to or are just becoming professional photographers, but the Op has a camera that she is afraid of, it's really just that simple.  She gets stressed at the thought of moving from full auto to manual, how does this say professional photographer, that too is very simple.  She is charging money for her work and it doesn't matter if she is afraid of the camera she uses. As long as she is capturing those magical wedding moments, who really gives a sh*t. It doesn't affect my life or anyone else on this forum, it doesn't matter if I say she's an amateur with a camera she's afraid to use for fear of screwing up the magical settings.



It's all in how you deliver your opinion, which in this forum actually _does_ matter, which is why we have the guidelines you are in violation of.    

In fact, the OP made several comments about the need for her to "practice, practice, practice".  She admitted her faults and is eager to learn.   SHE GETS IT.    Lay off.


----------



## imagemaker46

So you decide who's opinions are valid and who's are not.  So when all the rude and snide comments are directed at me, one of the working pros, as have been for several months,  you decide that they are ok? The thread is locked, but the comments are not deleted. Lets play fair. :er:


----------



## pixmedic

Just so everyone is aware, in case it was not made clear enough in the forum description.... This particular section is specifically for aspiring pros, or new pros that want advice or to present business ideas without fear of disparaging comments.  This includes, but not limited to, "telling it like it is"  and "not sugar coating things"... 

In THIS section only, comments will be more closely monitored, and non helpful or disparaging/inflammatory comments WILL be deleted with extreme prejudice, and without warning. 

The rest of the forum will continue to operate as per usual. If you are not able to offer advice in a "nice" manner, please refrain from commenting in this section and stick to the other forum sections. 

Again, this is a special "protected"  (so to speak) section, with different moderation rules than the rest of the forum, and was implemented with the full support of the moderation team. 

Thank you for your cooperation.


----------



## imagemaker46

On behalf of myself I would like to apologize for statements that I made regarding anything negative towards anyone that has posted a question looking for help. While I stand by my comments I will show more restraint in the future. I would also appreciate  if the same courtesy was attached to the comments made by certain members on this forum that are directed to the working professionals, including snide comments  directed from several of the moderators. 

"It must be wonderful to be you, and know it all, so you can sit around on this forum and amuse yourselves by bashing those lesser beings"

Shall we all play fair now?


----------



## terri

imagemaker46 said:


> On behalf of myself I would like to apologize for statements that I made regarding anything negative towards anyone that has posted a question looking for help. While I stand by my comments I will show more restraint in the future. I would also appreciate  if the same courtesy was attached to the comments made by certain members on this forum that are directed to the working professionals, including snide comments  directed from several of the moderators.
> 
> "It must be wonderful to be you, and know it all, so you can sit around on this forum and amuse yourselves by bashing those lesser beings"
> 
> Shall we all play fair now?



A bit late to be acting like the wounded party here.       Playing fair kind of means that you don't apologize in one sentence then say you stand by your comments in the next.   All that is asked and expected from you is to abide by the posted guidelines.     When that happens, there are no reported posts, and no one taking offense.   

Let's keep the thread from going any further off the rails than it already has, please.   We would like to keep it open, so further comments about guidelines should be made via PM if deemed necessary.     Thanks!


----------



## imagemaker46

That is my best political apology. I would just like everything on a level playing field, and as Forrest Gump says "and that's all I have to say about that" :er:


----------



## Steve5D

imagemaker46 said:


> That is my best political apology. I would just like everything on a level playing field...



I think the point being made by the moderators is that this area of TPF is not a level playing field with regards to the rest of TPF. Pixmedic pretty much laid it all out.

I'm sure you'll be treated equitably here, in the "Aspiring Pros" section. Elsewhere, though, it's been made pretty clear that different rules apply.

As for you taking exception to the comment about you "bashing lesser beings", frankly, Terri's comment was warranted.

When I saw this forum, I knew what was going to happen. I've a long history here of having a problem with people who demean, deride and prove to be unhelpful, and I've often been called on the carpet for my comments regarding that. When I saw the rules for this particular area, I knew it wouldn't take long before someone ran afoul of those rules. 

Belittling people who are trying to get started accomplishes nothing, and I applaud the mods for making special considerations...


----------



## Devinhullphoto

You don't need to look at your screen. You can see all the important info through the viewfinder. Personally using manual focus takes longer for me and if the subject is moving, forget about it especially depending on the f stop you're at. 

You said you aren't sure about calculating DOF quickly. The smaller the number (ex. F2.8 )the less in focus and the more open the lens is. The bigger the number (ex. F11) the more in focus and the more close the lens is.


----------



## gsgary

I'm going to be a brown noser from now on


----------



## tirediron

Steve5D said:


> imagemaker46 said:
> 
> 
> 
> That is my best political apology. I would just like everything on a level playing field...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I think the point being made by the moderators is that this area of TPF is not a level playing field with regards to the rest of TPF. Pixmedic pretty much laid it all out.
> 
> I'm sure you'll be treated equitably here, in the "Aspiring Pros" section. Elsewhere, though, it's been made pretty clear that different rules apply.
> 
> As for you taking exception to the comment about you "bashing lesser beings", frankly, Terri's comment was warranted.
> 
> When I saw this forum, I knew what was going to happen. I've a long history here of having a problem with people who demean, deride and prove to be unhelpful, and I've often been called on the carpet for my comments regarding that. When I saw the rules for this particular area, I knew it wouldn't take long before someone ran afoul of those rules.
> 
> Belittling people who are trying to get started accomplishes nothing, and I applaud the mods for making special considerations...
Click to expand...


Well put Steve, thank-you!  

This is exactly right.  This forum was created specifically to provide an area for those who have recently started or are thinking of starting a business to ask all of those questions that to some seasoned veterans may seem stupid or pointless, but........ if you think back, are they all so far wrong from the questions you had when you started?  Probably not!  You can still give honest, and straight-forward answers to questions in here, but keep them helpful and respectful!


----------



## gsgary

tirediron said:


> Steve5D said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> imagemaker46 said:
> 
> 
> 
> That is my best political apology. I would just like everything on a level playing field...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I think the point being made by the moderators is that this area of TPF is not a level playing field with regards to the rest of TPF. Pixmedic pretty much laid it all out.
> 
> I'm sure you'll be treated equitably here, in the "Aspiring Pros" section. Elsewhere, though, it's been made pretty clear that different rules apply.
> 
> As for you taking exception to the comment about you "bashing lesser beings", frankly, Terri's comment was warranted.
> 
> When I saw this forum, I knew what was going to happen. I've a long history here of having a problem with people who demean, deride and prove to be unhelpful, and I've often been called on the carpet for my comments regarding that. When I saw the rules for this particular area, I knew it wouldn't take long before someone ran afoul of those rules.
> 
> Belittling people who are trying to get started accomplishes nothing, and I applaud the mods for making special considerations...
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Well put Steve, thank-you!
> 
> This is exactly right.  This forum was created specifically to provide an area for those who have recently started or are thinking of starting a business to ask all of those questions that to some seasoned veterans may seem stupid or pointless, but........ if you think back, are they all so far wrong from the questions you had when you started?  Probably not!  You can still give honest, and straight-forward answers to questions in here, but keep them helpful and respectful!
Click to expand...


Trouble is it looks like most of the posters have just bought their cameras and come here instead of beginners forum, i think people are going to get fed up of answering stupid questions that an aspiring pro should know


----------



## The_Traveler

kitty_kat said:


> Hi there.
> Maybe someone will tell me I don't know my camera settings well enough. Maybe I am just doomed to shoot in auto forever... but like I said, although I know my camera, I am not fast at calculating DOF in my head and figuring out the best ISO:Fstop:Shutter value for that particular shot when the moment is only a second long.



This statement is what I focused on.
If I have to shoot in a dim environment, I use aperture preferred, set the shutter speed lowest bounds to be what I can hand-hold and that will be satisfactory for the situation. The iso is set on automatic to float as is needed and I use EC when necessary.   I take a few shots before action time so I know how much ec I'll need for the various sites.

In shooting, I vary the aperture for depth of field, let the camera manage the shutter speed and iso and use ec to compensate when the camera is being misled.
Not much thinking is necessary because I know what ec settings I will be using in which areas and I am only resetting the 

If you shoot raw, you'll be close enough to correct when the ec is a bit off.


----------



## pixmedic

gsgary said:


> tirediron said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Steve5D said:
> 
> 
> 
> I think the point being made by the moderators is that this area of TPF is not a level playing field with regards to the rest of TPF. Pixmedic pretty much laid it all out.
> 
> I'm sure you'll be treated equitably here, in the "Aspiring Pros" section. Elsewhere, though, it's been made pretty clear that different rules apply.
> 
> As for you taking exception to the comment about you "bashing lesser beings", frankly, Terri's comment was warranted.
> 
> When I saw this forum, I knew what was going to happen. I've a long history here of having a problem with people who demean, deride and prove to be unhelpful, and I've often been called on the carpet for my comments regarding that. When I saw the rules for this particular area, I knew it wouldn't take long before someone ran afoul of those rules.
> 
> Belittling people who are trying to get started accomplishes nothing, and I applaud the mods for making special considerations...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Well put Steve, thank-you!
> 
> This is exactly right.  This forum was created specifically to provide an area for those who have recently started or are thinking of starting a business to ask all of those questions that to some seasoned veterans may seem stupid or pointless, but........ if you think back, are they all so far wrong from the questions you had when you started?  Probably not!  You can still give honest, and straight-forward answers to questions in here, but keep them helpful and respectful!
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Trouble is it looks like most of the posters have just bought their cameras and come here instead of beginners forum, i think people are going to get fed up of answering stupid questions that an aspiring pro should know
Click to expand...


the solution is simple. Don't answer any questions you do not want to. Don't respond to any posts that you feel you have seen too many times before. If you really want to avoid the whole situation, we have made it very simple for you....we have wrangled all of the annoying posts you dont want to deal with anymore into one easy to find area, so just avoid this particular forum section all together. anyone and everyone that does not want to deal with "questions that aspiring pros should already know the answer to" are more than welcome to just not answer them. problem solved!


----------



## tirediron

pixmedic said:


> gsgary said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> tirediron said:
> 
> 
> 
> Well put Steve, thank-you!
> 
> This is exactly right. This forum was created specifically to provide an area for those who have recently started or are thinking of starting a business to ask all of those questions that to some seasoned veterans may seem stupid or pointless, but........ if you think back, are they all so far wrong from the questions you had when you started? Probably not! You can still give honest, and straight-forward answers to questions in here, but keep them helpful and respectful!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Trouble is it looks like most of the posters have just bought their cameras and come here instead of beginners forum, i think people are going to get fed up of answering stupid questions that an aspiring pro should know
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> the solution is simple. Don't answer any questions you do not want to. Don't respond to any posts that you feel you have seen too many times before. If you really want to avoid the whole situation, we have made it very simple for you....we have wrangled all of the annoying posts you dont want to deal with anymore into one easy to find area, so just avoid this particular forum section all together. anyone and everyone that does not want to deal with "questions that aspiring pros should already know the answer to" are more than welcome to just not answer them. problem solved!
Click to expand...

Additionally, remember that "aspiring professional" can easily be someone who literally bought their first camera last week and has decided they want to shoot the next swimsuit cover for SI - at this point all they know is that they think they want to do this...


----------



## Devinhullphoto

tirediron said:


> Additionally, remember that "aspiring professional" can easily be someone who literally bought their first camera last week and has decided they want to shoot the next swimsuit cover for SI - at this point all they know is that they think they want to do this...



Not a bad goal!


----------



## kitty_kat

LOL!! 
Thank you guys for an entertaining, yet annoying, 21 out of 47 comments about how this forum should run...
For those who gave advice, much appreciated. For those who backed me up to the bashers, thank you. For those who bashed me a bit... thank you, but I am woman, I bend, I do not break. 
Anyone who feels they need to belittle another for any reason (not saying this happened here), clearly has either small-man-syndrome or suffers from the classic psychological case of projection. It's ok though. I forgive you.

I will now proceed to give replies to a few of my 'followers' (hahaha)

I do know how my camera works. I might not know it as a professional would, where all the settings used come to mind in a fraction of a second, as you pros do, but i know how it works. I know how to drive a car and when my driving skills are good or bad... that doesn't mean I'm a racing driver or a mechanic. I never said I was a professional. 
Yes I do charge. I live in a country that is 34 x 11 miles... tiny armpit of hell... but this is where I am... we do not have lawyers contracts for photogs etc in order to charge to take photos. Unless I'm doing corporate jobs, which I don't, we don't need to have a registered company even. This is a country where pretty much anything goes. This is not USA. So payment is purely 'appreciation payment'. There are professional photographers here of course, but who charge $3000 and up for weddings. Not everyone has that kind of money lying around. And if someone offers to pay me $100 here or $200 there, why on earth would I say no. I have told every one of my clients that I am an amateur. They choose me nonetheless, because of my 'portfolio'. They could easily choose the 'professionals' or the 'cheapest', but they don't - they choose me.

That said, this initial message was written in the beginners section, and was moved to the 'aspiring photog' section by the site. I class myself as a beginner with a good eye and a dream to become the best, as mentioned in my very first line.

I still like the idea of a 2nd body at a job, but after more thought, it would rather be to have a different lens on. Say having a wide angle on one body and a zoom lens on the other. 



Devinhullphoto said:


> You said you aren't sure about calculating DOF quickly. The smaller the number (ex. F2.8 )the less in focus and the more open the lens is. The bigger the number (ex. F11) the more in focus and the more close the lens is.


I am happy to let you know that I know what DOF is and how it works, but in terms of Hyperfocal Distance and Depth of Field Calculator - DOFMaster..., I was wondering if the 'pros' actually use this, or have it memorised or just wing it...

All in all, I know I need to practise a lot more. Without saying it directly, professionals have practised so much and done it for so long that the settings needed for any respective shot, are almost innate. It might take me a long time to become as professional with my image taking as some of you out there, but I am trying. And I will keep on trying, on my own, and hopefully with the full support, critical responses or not, from this site. 

Thank again guys.
Claire

Anyone is welcome to pm me with their advice or even bashing... I'm a big girl now... but keep it clean for public viewing.


----------



## Steve5D

gsgary said:


> tirediron said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Steve5D said:
> 
> 
> 
> I think the point being made by the moderators is that this area of TPF is not a level playing field with regards to the rest of TPF. Pixmedic pretty much laid it all out.
> 
> I'm sure you'll be treated equitably here, in the "Aspiring Pros" section. Elsewhere, though, it's been made pretty clear that different rules apply.
> 
> As for you taking exception to the comment about you "bashing lesser beings", frankly, Terri's comment was warranted.
> 
> When I saw this forum, I knew what was going to happen. I've a long history here of having a problem with people who demean, deride and prove to be unhelpful, and I've often been called on the carpet for my comments regarding that. When I saw the rules for this particular area, I knew it wouldn't take long before someone ran afoul of those rules.
> 
> Belittling people who are trying to get started accomplishes nothing, and I applaud the mods for making special considerations...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Well put Steve, thank-you!
> 
> This is exactly right. This forum was created specifically to provide an area for those who have recently started or are thinking of starting a business to ask all of those questions that to some seasoned veterans may seem stupid or pointless, but........ if you think back, are they all so far wrong from the questions you had when you started? Probably not! You can still give honest, and straight-forward answers to questions in here, but keep them helpful and respectful!
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Trouble is it looks like most of the posters have just bought their cameras and come here instead of beginners forum, i think people are going to get fed up of answering stupid questions that an aspiring pro should know
Click to expand...


For a moment, let's assume that's exactly what happens.

Do you lack the self control to simply walk away?


----------



## Steve5D

kitty_kat said:


> LOL!! This is a country where pretty much anything goes... Not everyone has that kind of money lying around.



Really?

Because, when I was in Bahrain in '91, everyone there pretty much _did _have that kind of money lying around...

:mrgreen:


----------



## kitty_kat

Steve5D said:


> kitty_kat said:
> 
> 
> 
> LOL!! This is a country where pretty much anything goes... Not everyone has that kind of money lying around.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Really?
> 
> Because, when I was in Bahrain in '91, everyone their pretty much _did _have that kind of money lying around...
> 
> :mrgreen:
Click to expand...


hehe... glad to hear someone knows where this place is.
A lot has changed in 22 years. Economic crisis and political unrest being the latest...
But it's mostly the well-to-do arabs from neighbouring states who have the most dosh to spend. Here, more average families are on wages of around $1500 a month. Even a $500 photoshoot for your daughters wedding isn't always on the budget, when you could get some guy from the local photolab to do it for $50.
As for me. fingers crossed, 'ensh'allah' as they say, I'll be assisting one of Bahrain's top photogs in Saudi very soon, and learn through her. That's where the unreal amounts of money are... :hail:


----------



## amolitor

DoF can be managed in a couple of ways:

- experience. If you're doing roughly the same shots much of the time, you should learn what apertures to use.
- calculation. If you're doing shots which permit a lot of setup time (landscapes, product photos) you can use a depth of field calculator to get it right. [*]
- looking. You can use liveview on your camera to inspect the actual depth of field (well, MY camera stops down when I do a live view, anyways)

or some combination of the three.

[*] Note that using a calculator is actually a bit fraught with danger, since to actually get it right you need to know how large you're going to print, how much cropping you're planning to do, and what sort of viewing distance the viewers will be seeing the picture from. These tools will trick you by giving you super-precise answers, leading you to think you're Really On Top Of It. In reality you should use them either to experiment and get a rough handle on how DoF is going to work, OR you should use them with great care, learn about circle-of-confusion and its uses, and compute your DoF from that.


----------



## kitty_kat

Thanks amolitor. That's actually quite helpful. :thumbup:


----------



## gsgary

kitty_kat said:


> LOL!!
> Thank you guys for an entertaining, yet annoying, 21 out of 47 comments about how this forum should run...
> For those who gave advice, much appreciated. For those who backed me up to the bashers, thank you. For those who bashed me a bit... thank you, but I am woman, I bend, I do not break.
> Anyone who feels they need to belittle another for any reason (not saying this happened here), clearly has either small-man-syndrome or suffers from the classic psychological case of projection. It's ok though. I forgive you.
> 
> I will now proceed to give replies to a few of my 'followers' (hahaha)
> 
> I do know how my camera works. I might not know it as a professional would, where all the settings used come to mind in a fraction of a second, as you pros do, but i know how it works. I know how to drive a car and when my driving skills are good or bad... that doesn't mean I'm a racing driver or a mechanic. I never said I was a professional.
> Yes I do charge. I live in a country that is 34 x 11 miles... tiny armpit of hell... but this is where I am... we do not have lawyers contracts for photogs etc in order to charge to take photos. Unless I'm doing corporate jobs, which I don't, we don't need to have a registered company even. This is a country where pretty much anything goes. This is not USA. So payment is purely 'appreciation payment'. There are professional photographers here of course, but who charge $3000 and up for weddings. Not everyone has that kind of money lying around. And if someone offers to pay me $100 here or $200 there, why on earth would I say no. I have told every one of my clients that I am an amateur. They choose me nonetheless, because of my 'portfolio'. They could easily choose the 'professionals' or the 'cheapest', but they don't - they choose me.
> 
> That said, this initial message was written in the beginners section, and was moved to the 'aspiring photog' section by the site. I class myself as a beginner with a good eye and a dream to become the best, as mentioned in my very first line.
> 
> I still like the idea of a 2nd body at a job, but after more thought, it would rather be to have a different lens on. Say having a wide angle on one body and a zoom lens on the other.
> 
> 
> 
> Devinhullphoto said:
> 
> 
> 
> You said you aren't sure about calculating DOF quickly. The smaller the number (ex. F2.8 )the less in focus and the more open the lens is. The bigger the number (ex. F11) the more in focus and the more close the lens is.
> 
> 
> 
> I am happy to let you know that I know what DOF is and how it works, but in terms of Hyperfocal Distance and Depth of Field Calculator - DOFMaster..., I was wondering if the 'pros' actually use this, or have it memorised or just wing it...
> 
> All in all, I know I need to practise a lot more. Without saying it directly, professionals have practised so much and done it for so long that the settings needed for any respective shot, are almost innate. It might take me a long time to become as professional with my image taking as some of you out there, but I am trying. And I will keep on trying, on my own, and hopefully with the full support, critical responses or not, from this site.
> 
> Thank again guys.
> Claire
> 
> Anyone is welcome to pm me with their advice or even bashing... I'm a big girl now... but keep it clean for public viewing.
Click to expand...


I use hyperfocus all the time when i am shooting on the street with my Leica M4 i can get the shot far quicker than someone with a DSLR i never use mine on the street


----------



## amolitor

Well, with a manual focus lens with proper lens markings the hyperfocal distance is more or less marked on the lens. For some default reasonable assumptions. You might choose to go a little up or down from the marked setting, based on experience.

MF lenses aren't really used much these days, though.


----------

