New Learner..kindly help

[soestranged]

Hi all, I'm a beginner and I'm using a Nikon D300 and a Nikkor 16-85mm lens.

This weekend i went out to take photos of a beautiful temple in my city. I took shots, got back home and then I compared them with the same temple's photos on the Internet by some other user on some other website.

The difference is huge. Can u experts pls suggest me from the following "similar scene" photos as wat went wrong in my photos or what better I could have done to match the professional photos here.

Thanks a lot guys, would be eager to hear from you.


MINE

Flash = Used default flash (which warms up the colour of the entire picture)
Focal Length = 42mm
Aperture = f/4.8
Shutter speed = 1/250
ISO = 200
Metering = Matrix metering.
Focus point = On the temple.




Other User's

[AnnaV]

The perspective is different. The other has been taken from a higher angle.

Also the second looks like it's been taken with a high f stop (aperture), that's how it's crisp all the way through.

Play around with white balance - it looks like yours had added warmth where you didn't want it.

The second looks like it has been post-processed too - horizon straightened, sky made bluer, image sharpened probably. Although it could have just been a clearer sky on the day, rathher than your overcast sky.

[soestranged]

Hey Anna, thanks for the reply....but what could be the reason for the crisper visible lines on the buildings which are not clear in my image......is it the aperture which needs to be increased ??

And where should be the focus selector in this kind of image....shall i be using the all 51 point focus and let camera focus majority of the area or use it at any specific area in the image?

[Trader]

I also have a D300 and they do require a little getting used to. Did you use the matrix metering system? If you would have used a smaller aperature (larger number like f/11.0 or smaller) it would improve the overall softness you are seeing in your image. Another thing to do to improve this image would have been to use a UV filter to bring out the sky. Hope that helps.

[cphoniball]

Apart from the things that AnnaV listed, they other shot was taken on a clear day as opposed to your overcast one - on a building like that, the shadow's added depth, and the blue sky contrasted with the white, rather than blending in like it does in your picture.

As for the lines being more visible in the other picture, I would imagine the harsher light made them a tad more visible, but you could probably replicate that effect with some sharpening - either with an unsharp mask or a high pass filter. If you search for either of those on the main page of DPS you should be able to find a tutorial on how to use each one.

Also a note on what you said about your flash - what did you mean that the default flash warms up the picture as a whole? The white balance of the picture is determined by ambient light and your camera white balance setting (or whatever you set it to after the fact). In any case, an on camera flash (or just about any flash, for that matter) doesn't have the range to do an architectural shot of this scale... I'm really not trying to be obnoxious or anything, I'm just curious where that idea came from. Maybe there's something unique to the D300 I don't know about?

[wulf]

The other shot looks more like a graphic than a photo. Are you sure it was taken with a camera and not created as a visualisation, perhaps even before the temple was built? Look how even the grass is, for example.

A brighter day and higher perspective would help though. Your shot has a dull sky and lots of people in the foreground, not quite in focus, both of which make the view less impressive.

Wulf

[soestranged]

Hey guys really good to hear your observations...i think - yes i took the picture at the bad time of the day, really wanted some light and other things as mentioned by you all, would def take them up next time...

cphoniball; ....In any case, an on camera flash (or just about any flash, for that matter) doesn't have the range to do an architectural shot of this scale... I'm really not trying to be obnoxious or anything, I'm just curious where that idea came from. Maybe there's something unique to the D300 I don't know about?

Yes cphoniball, you are right. Flash really doesnt have the range - but I too have never experienced this on any other camera but on my D300....whenever I use the fill flash on D300 (which is the default setting on the camera for flash) it will not only lit the objects in the range but warms up the entire picture...check these two images at the same settings for example...(only difference the first one is without flash)

[soestranged]

Also, Where should be the focus point (or shall i use the 51 point auto focus in such scenarios) and what metering should be used apart from a lower aperture for better sharpness ???

[cphoniball]

Is your camera set to auto white balance? Maybe your camera is trying to compensate for the different color temperature of the flash. If you were to set the white balance to one of the cameras presets it would fix the problem I think - and there should be one for overcast days.

Someone else will have to answer your metering question, I know nothing about how the D300 in particular works.