City traffic

[Murray Warner]

Hi
I am trying to go beyond point and shoot picture taking.
I do enjoy looking and reading everyone’s post of their get works though at times putting all the right ingredients into taking the great shot is confusing to remember.
This is a picture I took through a hotel window of the morning traffic and the evening traffic. There is most likely a lot wrong with these shots but one thing I notice is when I zoom in they get quite grainy. Is this partly because they were shot through a window?
I took this with a Canon XS and a tamrom 18-200 lens focal length was 42mm F number F/22 Exposure time 1/125. for the daytime one
For the night one a canon XS a tamrom 18-200 lens focal length 60mm F number F/5 Exposure 1/40. these were shot in manual or av I think.
Thanks for looking.
I just take pictures for fun so I am here to see if I am having any.

[flytyer57]

For the time of your exposures, any grain should not be from a long exposure. That usually starts around 3 seconds and longer. You didn't say what you ISO setting was. Having an ISO of over 400 could start to cause grain. Shooting through a window should only show reflections and the dirt on the window, not grain. Check your ISO settings and let us know what that was.

[Murray Warner]

Thanks Flytyer57 for the help. My camera properties don't show an ISO but I do believe the night shot were taken at 800 ISO and the daylight may have been 100 ISO or maybe 200 ISO at the most
Murray

[Corey Thompson]

I can't really comment on what is "wrong" without knowing what you're looking to accomplish with the photos. What was your vision when you looked out the window? Does your photo mirror your vision? Were you wanting to capture motion from headlights at night?

[Krusty79]

Whenever someone starts out by saying they took the shot from their balcony/porch/window/car, my expectations immediately drop. I almost never see a good, artistic shot taken that way. It's just not that easy. You have to work for a composition that emphasizes the correct elements and removes the distractions. Sorry if this sounds harsh, but these look like snapshots to me, like all the other shots I've seen from balconies/windows.

Like Corey was alluding to, you have to decide what made you want to take the shot and choose your settings and composition to emphasize that. It is not really evident to us what you wanted to convey in your shots. You're going to have to rely on luck if you want to get a good shot from your window/balcony - not recommended. However, if you are happy with your shots, then mission accomplished, I'm just trying to get you think differently.

I'm not sure about the grain or noise either, but I would suspect a dirty window or ISO setting could be the cause.

[Murray Warner]

Thanks Corey and Krusty
I am a very early beginner and I thought about your comments some, and I do realize what both of you are telling me. I was just thinking about traffic movement and I was trying to get a crisp clean shot.
Yes I guess they are just snapshots as I did take them that way. I think I would be way too self conscious to be out around with a camera in the street and taking random pictures of people and vehicles seems to be a bit forward of me. I guess I just try to take the private snapshot.
I will have to keep your comments in mind for the next shot such as why do I want to take that picture, what do I see and what do I want the viewer to see.

[Corey Thompson]

I can totally relate. I get self conscious at times too when i go shooting. When I first started shooting at Disneyland for fun I was extremely self conscious. I had all my camera gear and a full size tripod with me. I'll tell you what, I couldn't have felt more uncomfortable about being there. After about an hour I had people approaching me asking me how i was able to bring a tripod into the park. I was like i dunno I just walked in like I owned the place and security cleared me. Then next thing I knew people were standing behind me trying to see the photos that were being previewed on my lcd. I ended up getting some fantastic shots that night despite how uncomfortable it was. Every time i go out shooting in a new place I feel a bit weird but it goes away after I start shooting. Good luck, never be afraid to pull out your gear and take a shot, especially if you're out in public and there aren't any laws that prohibit it.

[Krusty79]

That may be part of the reason I like landscapes. I don't have to worry about people around me wondering what I'm up to and I don't have to direct anyone.

There have been other threads on DPS about photographers trying to overcome their shyness when shooting in public. You are definitely not the only one. I think the more you do it, the more comfortable you will become. Others have said it helps if you develop some rapport with your subjects before you shoot them. Someone even said you look more official if you wear one of those construction vests! If you want to improve, you're going to have to eventually get down on the streets and start shooting. Good luck.

[Murray Warner]

Well Cory and Kusty
I thought I was about the only shy person here. I think I am mostly because I am learning slowly and am not very good and also I am 62 years old.
Maybe I will be suited to practice in more remote surroundings such as walks in the woods, the beach on a cold day etc. As my skill improves I may feel more at ease to carry a camera around people.
Thanks for all this help.
Murray