SeilerBird
Well-known member
Five years ago my cell phone saved my life so it is always either in my pocket or within easy reach. I still miss a lot of shots but I do get quite a few.
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVingMN Blue Skies said:Bird. I wish you would give it up. A cell phone will never replace a DSLR with good glass and a pro who is great at post processing.
MN Blue Skies said:A cell phone will never replace a DSLR with good glass and a pro who is great at post processing.
SeilerBird said:Speaking of cell phones, I was out wandering around my yard yesterday and spotted a cool looking mushroom. I got down on the ground, turned on the flash and took a shot. I just looked at it after it was automatically uploaded to my Chromebook and a message appeared on the top of the page asking me if I wanted to fix the brightness since I was a bit too close and blew out the mushroom. I clicked OK and it fixed it. I don't miss the old days of having to use Photoshop or Lightroom to do the same thing. Now Google does it for me.
I am the one who really messed this shot up. I only took one shot instead of several. I didn't take any time at all focusing and composing. I have bad knees and a bad back and I got down on the ground and I was in pain so I was in a hurry. The flash was not chosen by the cell phone, I switched the flash to On because it was not going to use the flash. The whites were not blown out at all, they weren't even washed out, just dull. The whole point of my post was not to judge anything other than my shock that software could perceive a fault and fix it. 99% of my shots don't need correcting. The Pixel does an amazing job of figuring things out. It was a mistake for me to post it and I am sorry I did because several people are trying to defend DSLRs and using this photo to do so.Hammster said:Tom, I'm glad you posted this. To keep this on topic, meaning basics for beginners, your picture is a prime example of how completely blown out whites can't be recovered. The only direction one can go from completely blown out whites is gray and that's exactly what has happened with the auto picture correction. There is still no detail in that, now gray, area. The total frontal blast of the flash makes everything else appear harsh with very harsh shadows. This was not a prime subject for a cell phone used with flash and then some software manufacturer's idea of how to "correct" it. The cell phone's metering system can't handle this situation nor should it have been forced to by trying flash. Software correction made a bad picture no better.
This is not necessarily a knock on cell phone photography, but is a comment on what happens when trying to correct a completely blown out image especially allowing software to fix it "automatically". Hoping to keep this in the tips for beginners category.
Tom said:Aye Larry, and that's one of the challenges with a "add your tips" topic such as this. Another challenge is knowing when/where to split the discussion. In some casess, a neophyte such as I will ask a simple question, but the answer may be more complex than I thought.
FWIW I already split a bunch of messages into a separate topic just a month ago. I'm always open to suggestions on where to split a topic.
If you're going to take that tack, it should be dedicated camera devices vs cell phones (which are really multifunction pocket computers), but the original purpose of this topic was to aid folks in a very basic understanding of photography for beginners (as the title says), similar to the more simple parts of the Kodak "How To" series, rather than to get into the more advanced topics. Advanced amateurs, semi-pros and pros don't need this topic at all, and those parts should go into a topic for more advanced photography, IMO. Granted there will be a little overlap, but debates over the "best way," "the best camera," or "my favorite procedure" and such should be a separate topic, it seems to me.MN Blue Skies said:Hi Tom, maybe one way to split the topics would be one for Cell Phone Photography and another for DSLR Photography. Just a thought.
I don't feel the need for another topic for advanced photographers. There are dozens of web sites and blogs that cover the subject much better than I ever could.Larry N. said:Sometimes more advanced folks lose the perspective of what's really needed for beginners (rule of thirds, steadiness, etc.), so perhaps Tom could create another topic pinned next to this one for "Photographic knowledge and tips for advanced photographers" and move portions of this topic into it. Or perhaps there should both a cell phone topic and an advanced topic.
Larry N. said:If you're going to take that tack, it should be dedicated camera devices vs cell phones (which are really multifunction pocket computers), but the original purpose of this topic was to aid folks in a very basic understanding of photography for beginners (as the title says), similar to the more simple parts of the Kodak "How To" series, rather than to get into the more advanced topics. Advanced amateurs, semi-pros and pros don't need this topic at all, and those parts should go into a topic for more advanced photography, IMO. Granted there will be a little overlap, but debates over the "best way," "the best camera," or "my favorite procedure" and such should be a separate topic, it seems to me.
Sometimes more advanced folks lose the perspective of what's really needed for beginners (rule of thirds, steadiness, etc.), so perhaps Tom could create another topic pinned next to this one for "Photographic knowledge and tips for advanced photographers" and move portions of this topic into it. Or perhaps there should both a cell phone topic and an advanced topic.
True, Tom, but note that a number of advanced subjects are in this topic. But the main reason I suggested that was the suggestion of one topic for DSLR and one for "cell phone." There are a large number of ways things could be split up, probably none of them needed.SeilerBird said:I don't feel the need for another topic for advanced photographers. There are dozens of web sites and blogs that cover the subject much better than I ever could.
jymbee said:I've taught a number of photography classes for years-- many with very new amateurs and have never had a class where I didn't learn something myself!
MN Blue Skies said:Jymbee, do you teach ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed (Exposure Triangle) in your photography classes that include new amateurs or do you think that is that too advanced for beginning photographers?
jymbee said:One of the most fascinating photo classes I've seen while not taught by myself but rather my partner was a photo class for special needs students. These folks were given cameras with not much more instruction than to go out and take some photos. When they turned in the media cards I wasn't actually expecting much but as it turned out I was amazed at many of the images! I would not be surprised if some of them would have placed very high in a photo contest (but don't get me going about photo contests!). Another case of me learning what can be done from the students.
jackiemac said:A young guy in the UK with Downs Syndrome is making a living doing photography:
https://www.oliverhellowell.com/gallery.php
Everyone has a speciality!
Welcome to our forum.harrington63 said:@SellerBird - Your post on Photography Tips For Beginners motivated me to join this group; well that and I occasionally look for answers to my rv questions... Anyway I wish I could say in a positive way, but unfortunately I have to disagree with many of your initial "tips."