[TheUNZippee!]

Erin, if you have a couple minutes I'd like you to check these
pictures out. I was outside at work yesterday morning just prior
to dawn, and on the spur of the moment took these shots,
using the new Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28. It's a 10 mp
p&s with 18xoptical on it.

This is the camera if it matters in your opinion making:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28: Digital Photography Review


I took the majority of these shots with no tripod in Automatic mode.
I took a handful of them in manual mode.

My main questions are:


-Is it possible to have the subject appear lighter, more natural (as it
appears to the eye),
while keeping or improving the background quality and focus/sharpness?

-If so, what techniques, settings, or equipment would you suggest
for shooting under these conditions?



I'm aware of the basic things like using more manual mode and a
tripod will help... I just wonder how far I can go utilizing any methods
you may suggest with a point and shoot camera.

I love having a point and shoot for it's versatility. The question is,
with how far technology has come, do you think that I can use an
SLR as easily as I do a p&s? IE: I pick my p&s up with one hand, and
without looking at it or at the lcd/viewfinder, I point it and shoot,
relying largely on the unit's built in IS to overcome my one-handed no-look style of shooting.

Can an SLR be as effective with this style of shooting, and if so, is there
one you would suggest?

I do love the ease of use the p&s provides for the majority of my shots,
but I feel I'm sorely lacking the ability to take nicer shots with it
when the opportunities arise and I am not bouncing down the
road in the truck, such as with these sunrise shots.


Sorry if some of this seems convoluted, and I realize I'm asking you
to do some of my homework for me. But you've clearly advanced
your learning curve, and I'd love to take advantage of your knowledge
and opinions. : )





Anyway. In no particular order, the shots. As stated above, I
kept most of them, only deleting the ridiculously over/under
exposed or completely out of focus shots. So there are a
bunch. 64 to be precise.

lol

[TheUNZippee!]

[TheUNZippee!]

[TheUNZippee!]

-

[TheUNZippee!]

[JakeM]

I know you asked for Emay, but I hope you don't mind my opinion. I think a DSLR can be just as easy to shoot with as a P&S and then you get the extra settings for times like these when you have something really specific you want to shoot. The automatic settings on DLSR's are great, especially if what you want to do is pick it up and shoot. Leave it on a automatic mode, pick it up flip it on and you are ready to shoot at any moments notice. I think the key would be to find one that displays live on the LCD what your shooting and is light. My D40 is super light and I use it everywhere like I used to use my P&S. The only thing is, it won't display live on the LCD so its probably not for you.

What your looking for is called "Live View" or "Live shoot" style DSLR's. Found a link with a little review on a good selection of Live View DSLR's here: What is a Live View LCD for a Digital SLR

Not knowing what your price range is or your personal preferences, I'm not going to reccomend one. Also, I've never owned one.

My $.02

P.S. - For improving your shots I would say, use a tripod next time and step your shutter speed way down with as little ISO as possible. Keep your apature way open if you want the backround to stay sharp and close it down if you want more focus on your subject. Emay will probably have way better advice for you here though. He is without a doubt better at shooting than I am.

[TheUNZippee!]

Awesome info Towelly. Thanks man I guess I could have worded the thread title better to ask for help. lol


I don't know what my price range is yet, as this will be something for down the road perhaps. I just got this p&s, so it'll have to last me a while. But I figured 'd start asking now and start learning more about things I may not have heard or know of yet (like 'Live View LCD')

So thanks man.

[Matt.]

sun rise pictures what are you ? haha jk, looks good man. The frost on your car is cool

[TheUNZippee!]

lol thanks Matt.

[Emay]

Zip, couple things to mention just so you know where the problem arises in the sunrise/sunset shots.

The first problem is a black car. Because it's so damn dark if you meter the car in these situations the background sunlight is way over exposed and not very appealing. The reverse also happens, if you meter the sky the car has no features and is kind of a siloette. You cannot fill flash a black car as it generates tons of reflections that are very undesireable.

So the fixes without buying equipment are as follows:

1. Decide if you want the car to be a siloette or show physical highlights.

2. If silloette, shoot the car from lower, so that you get the majority of the cars silloette at or above the horizon line. You had a couple come close to that with the head on shots and the orange glow just above the car. Get a little lower and those will become stellar shots.

3. Try to shoot at 100 or 200 iso always with sunrise shots, I say this because when going from dark to light you are going to get a ton of noise in the darker shots until the sun gets up to provide some light.

4. If you want the car features to show and not silloette, meter the car alone, but expect some very powerful blown out horizon in the back ground. Physically impossible to get both with a single shot.

5. More to the point of your question on how to get a kick ass sunrise glow, and a car rich with it's body lines and features. Easy answer is buy a white or silver car. Now that we are done being silly yet sincere I'll get a bit more real.

You will have to take two if not 3 exposures and merge them together. Tripod mandatory. take one metering the sky direct, one metering the car direct, and one dead center of those shots to get the mid tones and highlights.

Last fix that requires equipment and a DSLR is to get a nuetral density filter mount and several neutral density filters. These are slightly tinted on half the glass, you put the tinted half in the mount so the sky sits in the tinted section and the car is not. This allows you to meter the car, the tinted half of the filter knocks down the sky overexposure and by taking a single shot, you get pure sex.

Probably not exactly what you wanted to hear. The killer sunset shots with well exposed surfers on a beach are either fill flashed, multiple exposures merged, or taken with filter as mentioned. Can't get the shot right out of the camera without assistance.

[TheUNZippee!]

Define metering for me Erin? Is this the simple act of having a particular part of the photograph you want to be clearly focused appear in the crosshairs (focal point) of my camera? Or are you referring to light evaluation? Or am I way off. lol

Awesome information. I'm going to bookmark this thread.

And duh.... how the obvious eludes us sometimes... of course a black car will be difficult to make show up in these shooting conditions. I'd not have realized that until you pointed it out... I guess I'm overthinking sometimes and missing out on basic things like remembering my f'in tripod and using proper ISO, basic things I know.... and not realizing that a black car won't show up well in poorly lit settings. lol

Also, what is' fill flash'?

[Lefty]

Erin what shitty info.







Not. Great info man.

[1rnkpny]

Zip, your car looks so cold.

[TheUNZippee!]

lol frosty mornings up here at this time of year. It was about 38 outside at the time of those shots.

[Emay]

Metering is evaluation of light, if when you half press the shutter in most any auto type camera, it meters the light to get it's settings.

In manual mode you can control it even further by selecting spot meter. Spot meter is exactly what it states, you meter a spot, at which point you can meter the sky or car and compose your shot.

Does that help in understanding?

I know what you mean about forgetting the little things. I was a victim several times and because I missed out on stellar shots, my lessons get learned the hardway too.

edit: You asked about fill flash-

It's essentially using a flash in traditional terms, but rather than using it as the sole light source, your using it to fill the darkest areas with some light. Example would be suns on right of frame, left side of black car is unlit, with a hot shoe flash or any external flash you fill the dark side of the car only. Maybe even use a white bed sheet or something to reflect light in.

[TheUNZippee!]

Yes, that clears it up Erin. Thanks

I really appreciate you letting me pick your brain.

I think however when it's time for a new camera, I'm going to try my luck with an SLR, and figure out how to make it work for me. Surely I'm not inventing the idea that someone uses and SLR camera to take pictures from a moving vehicle. lol

[StutteringStang06]

every time you post up picks of your car zip there is always at least one or more picks of you car wet..... just thought id throw that out there

[TheUNZippee!]

I have no idea what you are talking about, you Stuttering Stang.



















it was asking for it every time