First Photoshoot --- New Camera (56k beware)

[02z28]

I just purchased a new camera, a Canon Powershot A570. I was just testing it out, so I haven't even become accustomed to all the features and whatnot. I saw GTPson made a thread a while back asking for some criticism on his techniques, so I guess I'm here for the same.

The pictures literally took ten minutes to upload onto PhotoBucket which turned out a little grainy. I know the angles, tire alignment, background, scenery, and parking lot can all be improved on. I just did this in a rush. Anyways, here they are.

Edit: It looks a little better if you click to make it bigger.

[WMCC Dino]

Nice job,car looks great.

[phoenix_rising]

Nice looking shots. Man that car is shiny!

Now for the criticism, Car looks great. You've got some nice angles, but there is a lot going on in the background. I know it is hard in the city to find country settings for photos, but this location is not your friend. Look for a nice metro park or country road. That is unless you want a more modern look. Have you ever seen those shots from on top of a parking structure or in front of graffiti or a train. Those are cool because they are intended to have those features in the background. Where as I don't think you meant to catch a tennis court, or Jesus, or even the transformer in you background. Other than that it looks good, you might want to carry a small broom around with you to get rid of some of the debris on the ground. Good luck

[randall814]

definitely agree, the setting is everything on a photo. as you said though, it was just a quick test, so perhaps there wasn't much thought to the background.

choosing a simple background helps point and shoot style cameras like yours achieve better depth of field, because point and shoots have such a shallow depth of field and lens length. this means they can focus in on pretty much everything in the shot. depth of field helps put emphasis on certain parts of the picture you want people to be looking at first when they see your photo, in this case and most, your car.

use low angles. the angle of your car is good, but don't just shoot standing up next to your car. it looks like you're taking auto trader pictures that way. get as low as possible, or on a much higher plane than your car.

try not to shoot in direct sunlight or on gray overcast days. closer to sunset works the best, because the light isn't directly overhead, so it gets diffused by the surroundings, and the light is gentler which brings out a lot of color depth instead of just washing out all the colors.

if you're shooting in a limited amount of light or at night, get a tripod! tabletop tripods are cheap and awesome for those low angles. your camera will automatically leave the shutter open to try to suck in as much light as possible, so tiny movements become blurry pictures. on point and shoots, this also adds a lot of RGB noise (you can already see it starting to speckle your pictures a little bit).

its definitely a matter of preference and taste, but i find these very useful ways to shoot and the results are pretty good for me. good luck!

[BP_Z28]

love the licence plate!

[02z28]

Thanks for the opinions, guys.

I was definitely thinking about getting a tripod, so I'll have to do that next time I come home. As for background settings, Sterling Heights is a pretty suburban city with no abadoned buildings, bridges, lakes, etc. I was thinking of going to Stoney Creek or Metropark, but I didn't have the time to go. Do you guys know of any good places in the Macomb Township vicinity?

Again, thanks for the good feedback.

[02z28]

love the licence plate!

Thanks.

[meissen]

Thanks for the opinions, guys.

I was definitely thinking about getting a tripod, so I'll have to do that next time I come home. As for background settings, Sterling Heights is a pretty suburban city with no abadoned buildings, bridges, lakes, etc. I was thinking of going to Stoney Creek or Metropark, but I didn't have the time to go. Do you guys know of any good places in the Macomb Township vicinity?

Again, thanks for the good feedback.

Personally, I love going to the park on Ryan Road just north of 18 Mile Rd, north of the firestation and basically across the street from 18.5 mile road. Some of my all time favorite pictures are from that park:





Stony Creek also has some good spots.. this was taken at one of the picnic areas... can't remember the name, but remember it was "B" out of A-G and if you head west once you enter the park it's past the golf course: