Pushing up daisies?

[atcdan]

Hi all,

Everyone starts somewhere, right....

Been doing this for a total of 3 months, but really enjoying it.

No Flickr account, hope I uploaded this correctly.

Canon S3 IS

[subrataofkris]

Hi atcdan,

Welcome to the forum. The main daisy is so beautiful in the green. Why not go close, focus on it a little more and keep it filling your frame. The little yellow pollens in the center can also be so bright in such milky white.

Cheers,

[atcdan]

Subrata,

Thanks, good advice, nice to know someone is thinking along the same lines cause I actually tried to get closer to the one flower, but couldn't get the hang of focusing in Macro. I'll need to do some more reading up on it, but if I remember right on this shot I didn't have enough light when I got in closer?

Oh well, like I said I'm pretty much a noob here.

Thanks again. And does this look like too much adjustment in PS? I try to keep a light touch but it's so cool when (I think) it makes it look better!

Dan-

[jiminyClickit]

atcdan, Welcome

Whites can be tough to control, but since you did post processing, it's not certain where that control was lost. Since I tend to shoot towards the darker side, this one really feels lost to my eye. You are right about everyone starting somewhere, and the beginning is all about learning. Whether you learn the camera first and then composition, or vice versa, it's good to experiment, ask questions and certainly read everything you can find about all of it.

If, in another 3 months, you are still enjoying it, what more could we want?

[atcdan]

Hey thanks for taking a look.

I guess I'm trying to learn the camera and composition both as I go

So could you explain a little more about the control getting (being?) lost? Does that mean focus? or exposure? When I look at the photo I guess I'm just happy I got some colors that looks nice to me... I have a feeling that in 3 months I will look back on this with a somewhat different view.

But right now I guess I would like to know what you think is the first thing you would say to work on.

Thanks again,

Dan-

[jiminyClickit]

atcdan,

You can be certain your view will change, most likely for the better. Just from observing how it works here, and in using my simple Fuji, people tend to have little "Aha!" moments along the way. I'm violating one of my personal complaints (for the second time today) by posting a photo of mine (unlike an edit) to illustrate the point of losing control of white:



These blooms were taken late in the day so the sun is very low and filtered through pollution. In the large version on Flickr, the details are still there, not blown away by a brighter sun or settings that allowed too much light to hit the white for too long.

Believe this, credit goes to the camera and to DPS for pointing out a few simple factors. I was happy to get good focus at first. Then I started to see better color. Then composition became more important. A momentum can build as each area becomes stronger and you begin to recognize the changes in what you see on your monitor. For now, you could go back to the daisies and use them as a guide for different setting choices you make, to learn what your Canon is capable of.

[atcdan]

Well, how about 3 minutes later...

Looking at your photo and then going back to mine really helped. Maybe a 'little' aha moment for me...thanks so much.

And now I get to go back and try again! This is so cool!!

Dan-

(50 years young. An old dog learning some new tricks...)

[jiminyClickit]

atcdan,

You're barking to the choir . . . old is never appreciated until it's achieved.

Also, to have something to compare, this was taken at 7:30 PM at ISO 100, f/2.8, 1/170sec, in Macro mode.