Shooting Wide Open

<p>I need help understanding what "<strong>Shooting Wide Open</strong>" means. I have a <strong>Nikon D-80</strong> and use a <strong>50mm 1.8 lens,</strong> when I shoot a scene, let's say of my grandbaby, the camera just focuses and automatically shoots. I am shooting in either Auto or Program, usually indoors and I use my flash, if I don't the picture comes out to blury and dark. <br>

Are there any videos for "dummys" lol that give you step by step instructions, like: first turn the camera on, second, put a lens on, etc. I know that this question might sound elementary, but I'm really having a hard time understanding my camera and the basics. I have literally spent weeks and weeks of practice and I still can't capture a beautiful picture. Thanks</p>

<p>Try putting the camera in Aperture Priority mode, and then use the camera's command wheel to set the aperture to f/1.8 (which is the widest aperture that that lens can support). When the lens, indeed, "wide open" like that, it will gather a lot of light, and allow you to shoot at a higher shutter speed. It also means that you'll get a very shallow depth of field.<br /><br />That DoF will be SO shallow, in fact, that if you're relatively close to your subject, you might easily get the eyes in focus, and the nose <em>not </em>so. It can take a little practice to put that capability creativly to work for you, but it's how you get those images you see where the subject is nicely in focus, and the background is thrown nicely <em>out</em> of focus. <br /><br />The best way to get control of the camera is to get OUT of those program/auto modes. Set the ISO at something the camera can handle reasonably well without producing a lot of image noise (say, ISO 400), set the mode to Aperture Priroty, and set the aperture to something wide (f/1.8, or f/2 or so). The camera will choose a shutter speed to go with what you've done. If the shutter speed the camera's choosing is still providing too little or too much overall light (because you're confusing its meter by shooting something complex, like a back-lit scene near a window, etc), then just go ahead and put the camera in [M]anual mode, where you can set the shutter speed manually, too. <br /><br />While doing this tests and learning, make sure you have Auto ISO turned OFF so that the camera isn't playing around behind your back, and trying to "help" you, by fiddling with one of the three variables that affects the exposure. Also: do you have a decent tripod? That can go a long way to helping you reduce the variables while you're learning how to get your head around setting up the exposure you want.</p>

<p>Matt is right. If you allow your camera to make all the choices for you, you will find that the engineers seem to like "average" photos, since that is all you will get when you accept their decisions about what settings are needed. The key to good photography, and the only reason to buy a DSLR of any kind, is to get YOU in control of the photography.</p>

<p>Good photography cannot be bought, it must be learned. There are no Steps, or Rules that can be printed out. You have to think about it as a process that will take years to master and lots of genuine effort. There are many people who have bought a DSLR thinking it will make their pictures better and found out that it actually makes them worse in some ways, because the versatility and adaptability of a DSLR demands knowledge to make it work well. </p>

<p>Start reading. The web has hundreds of very good sites to start the process of understanding your camera and photography itself. Libraries are also vital sources, even in the digital age. </p>

<p>Try some of these for a start:<br>

Read the manual of your camera again. And again.<br>

take a look at the "Learning" tab on this site<br>

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials.htm<br>

http://www.lexar.com/dp/tips_lessons/index.html<br>

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/02/welcome-to-strobist.html<br>

http://www.cs.duke.edu/~parr/photography/faq.html#legal<br>

http://photoinf.com/</p>

<p> </p>

<p> Why would you surrender you individuality to a tiny chip & program? All it does is produce viable but generic results. If one is happy with that, so be it, but using the big chip inside one's skull leads to pictures that are truly your own. It's going to take more than weeks to come into your own, but I guarantee it will be worthwhile.</p>

<p>Larry makes a good point. This is a craft learned over time. I can't buy a video that teaches me how to paint like Rembrandt either.</p>

<p>One of the best places to start is the manual that came with your camera. I use Canon so I'm not sure how the settings work on your D80. But I would start with figuring out how to dissable the flash. Then try the steps that Matt outlined. </p>

<p>I'll also recommend a book. "The Camera" by Ansel Adams. It was written long before digital cameras were invented. But the basics of photography still apply. This will teach you about DOF depth of field, exposure settings and such in a very simple way.</p>

<p>You should stat to see some different results. Have Fun!</p>

<p>I think you miss Yolanda's point completely.<br>

For such a beginner, I advice sticking with the program modes, like Auto, Portrait, Landscape etc. See the description in the manual. Just practise a lot, and enjoy photographing the things you like. The Nikon will do wonderful things, even in automatic mode. Do not use the 50mm until you are ready to, especially not "wide open" at F1.8. Use a zoom! Experiment!<br>

After a while, you will want to read a book or two.</p>

Yolanda, the term 'shooting wide open' basically means shooting at the wider or widest aperture setting that the lens on your camera is capable of. In your case and the lens mentioned, it is f1.8. The lower the f/number equals the wider setting of the aperture (window) in your lens. <br><br>This lens is considered and mentioned as a 'fast lens' too. Faster lenses than yours can open to f1.4 or f1.2 or even wider.. Larger window opening = more light = faster (also more expensive!).

<p>Yolanda: My 2 cents, unless you are a natural, it is not un-common to take years to get good at it. This is one reason why it is not good to rush and buy a lot of equipment all at one time. Before you tackle natural lighting, have you work with bounce flash? I would tackle that first before dealing with issues like depth of field, color balance, metering, focus compensation, reflectors, ISO noise management, slow shutter speed, motion blur and other controls that you may need and haven't learn yet.</p>

<p>I would consider reading about bouce flash and shutter draging. These are more simple ways of including some natural environment factor in yet keep the flash to make life easier. Consider getting a simple $200 SB-600 or an used SB-800 and start shooting with it. </p>

<p>Yolanda, try to take a class in basic photography or find an experienced photographer to help you. Matt, Larry and Bob all have good advice. You need to learn the basics before the advanced stuff. If you understand depth of field, you'll understand what "wide open" means. I guess you could shoot everything with a flash but that doesn't make much sense for someone who's trying to learn basic photography, it just complicates things. But to each, his own. Good luck.</p>

<p>Yolanda, all good advice above. I would reiterate that shooting "wide open" would give a very shallow depth of field (DOF). Additionally, shooting indoors will result in soft pictures as the lighting is simply not strong enough. Investing in a stronger flash and bouncing off the celing might help but initially I would advise capturing the majority of your images outside (in good light) and practising with narrower apertures. It will help build confidence in the long term. Hope this helps.</p>