Settings

[Glenron]

Am a complete beginner. Is there a book/website where I can see the settings used for shots? Have seen superb pictures of waterfalls and streams but no mention of settings used nor the time when the pictures were taken. I was bought a Panasonic Bridge camera which I'm sure could do similar.

 

[steve_lyt]

for waterfalls you need a small aptature eg f22 and a long expose depending on the light available, i don know if its available for bridge cameras but a nd filter will also help

Cheers Steve

 

[Smeghead]

Yeah, try and look for the Exif data of a photo. For example on Flickr, you can press Actions > View Exif info, and it'll tell you the settings used to take the photo. Of course, it won't tell you things like what filters they have installed. That just takes a bit of research into what each type of filter does what.

I assume by pictures of waterfalls and streams, you mean that flowing water look. Usually that's done with a neutral density filter (in lamens terms, acts as sunglasses for the lens, so you can get longer exposures to capture movement, even in bright daylight).

 

[kokakaste2]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Understandi...9390/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307193237&sr=8-1 This is a good book, worth the £10. It should give you basic understanding how photography works so you can achieve the results you are after.

 

[Tokkelossi]

Bridge camera should be fine. You just need to play around with settings because the speed of water, height and lighting means there are no standard settings.

http://jalbum.net/en/browse/user/album/929691/

However, a tripod, ND filters will only help. There is a fine line between flowing water to mist to fog.

As with most things, just get out and play. The penny will drop

T

 

[On the Huh]

use shutter priority mode. practice using different speeds, eg half sec to 1 sec. Make sure camera is steady on a tripod. Try to take in shade/overcast or water will blow too hot on the image, ie no detail just white. You may find you need a polarising filter or an ND filter to stop down the light to a) get a slow shutter speed and b.) reduce glare.

Tutorial here:
http://matsonadventuremedia.blogspot.com/2008/12/waterfall-photography-tutorial.html

 

[DoubleTaker]

Scott Kelby has a great range of books out, in which he shows a picture, and then explains the settings used to take it. He thinks its the best way to learn.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Scott-Kelby...=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1307223712&sr=1-1

 

[Glenron]

Thank you all - much obliged. I said that I was a complete beginner - took a bit of time to work out what an "nd" filter was but got there by bedtime. Your replies have satisfied this beginner's "state of darkness". Many thanks.

 

[*Babs]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Understandi...9390/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307193237&sr=8-1 This is a good book, worth the £10. It should give you basic understanding how photography works so you can achieve the results you are after.

+1

A great book if you're a complete beginner who barely knows one end of the camera from the other (like I was when I got a copy of this book! )

 

[AndyB1976]

Also have a play around on this simulator, you can quickly see what changing all the given parameters do without the bother of setting up ..

http://camerasim.com/camera-simulator.html

 

[Craikeybaby]

Don't get too hung up on settings, it's more the technique! Light etc changes, so there is no magic setting, its all about experimentation.