On Sat, 15 Dec 2007 09:08:00 -0500, "Reginald P. Smithers III"
[email protected] wrote:

HK wrote:
JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 15 Dec 2007 03:02:13 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

You have to learn to take pictures which are 99% correct when you
click the
shutter, and forget that there's software, the modern equivalent of the
darkroom. Shut of ALL focus and exposure automation, and never mind
the bad
eyes excuse. Alfred Eisenstadt took nice sharp pictures with a
manual focus
camera until he was much older than you.
I disagree with that approach.

In my opinon, you start with the automagic components and see what the
camera is using as a base line for most of the images you take.

Once you get a feel for how the camera looks at the world, then you
start experimenting with the manual functions bracketing the auto
features base settings.

You have to have a feel for it first.

Admittedly, John is using a hammer to drive a stick pin approach when
he'd probably be better off with a really nice point-and-shoot, but he
has it, so coaching him through the proess is the better way to go.


OK, but one needs to understand what light meters can and cannot do.
One thing they can't do is know what you're photographing. An
interesting exercise is to evenly light 3 different flat objects: One
black, one grey, one white. Fill the viewfinder with each object and
take a picture, letting the camera choose the exposure. Of, if in
manual mode, "obey" the exposure meter. The results should raise
questions in the user's mind immediately.





I don't see how you can take decent indoor portrait shots without a good
flash meter or difficult outdoor shots without a light meter. There are
some combo units that do the job.

Harry,
You seem to know a lot about photography, but all I have seen you post
are really crappy snapshots. I know I take some really crappy photos,
but I am just learning. Why don't you share some of your better photos
where you have used a good flash meter or light meter. Since you have
said that you really use your point and shot for almost all of your
current photos, does your point and shoot allow you to manually adjust
your settings to take advantage of the additional metering info? I am
looking for a point and shoot, just to carry in my pocket, but have
never thought about carrying a flash and light meter along with my P&S.
Do you find the P&S easy to manually adjust?

I thought the picture of the HP printer with the WalMart coupon was a fine
example of the photography Harry is discussing.
--
John H