I wasn't ready for WDW

[BigRedDad]

Well, I tried to learn as much as I could about my Canon T1i before I left for WDW. I did not know nearly enough as I needed to. I tried to stay away from auto as much as possible. I also tried to compose my shots better.

Issues I found in the pictures when I got home:
1. I found myself in the wrong place taking pictures. Many times, the sun had flare in the lens because I took pics from the wrong spot.
2. Focus was sometimes off. I need to learn to change which dot gets the focus.
3. Need for a faster lens. I found many opportunities needed 1+ second to expose properly. I cannot hold still long enough for a clear picture. I may need to learn more about this.
4. The little popup flash proved to be nearly useless. I now see why a better hot shoe flash is necessary.
5. I shot in Raw and JPG. For some reason, my laptop severely crashes when trying to run the pictures in slide show for the JPGs. I have to move them to my desktop system.
6. Fireworks were too difficult with DD in tow. Managing the tripod, holding her, worrying about others was too much to manage. I also found that I need to be much further back than I was. The only firework pics I took were at Illuminations. I was at the wall at the Rose and Crown. I could not get a wide enough angle to take good pictures. The ones I got were pretty impressive, but the explosions are out of the range of the picture.

I will be spending far more time before my trip in October to learn how to better use my equipment.

 

[RiversideBunny]

Here's a link to a Canon forum that is very good.
You can pick up a lot just from reading the postings.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/

I have my camera, a 50D, set to use just the center spot for focus.
I usually leave it in arpeture priority mode (Av). Auto White Balance. Auto ISO.

You may want to look at getting a wide angle lens. Or more lenses, plural- like potato chips, you can't have just one.

I have the 17-55/2.8 (with lens hood which helps with lens flare),
an 85/1.8, and the 70-200/f4 IS.
Flash unit is a 580EX II.

Good luck.
:king:

 

[SRisonS]

I have a T1i as well. As mentioned above, a lens hood should help with the flare.

To change which dot gets the focus, you'll notice 2 buttons right below your power switch. Hold down the one on the right, and rotate the dial near the shutter release button. When looking through the viewfinder, you'll see the camera cycle through the dots as you turn that dial. Just stop when you get to the one you want to use. That's it!!! But when all the dots are lit, that means that they are all enabled (the defalut setup too). I'd recommend mainly sticking with the center dot (just seems more natural). Having them all enabled makes it unpredictable on what the camera will focus on (try shooting something through the trees); although, this might be useful when shooting a moving subject.

 

[WDWFigment]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't like the brand-specific forums. They just seem to be a breeding ground for animosity towards the other brand.

I am weary of taking advice from anyone whose pictures I have never seen, and so many people on the brand-specific forums never post their images. They just gush over the technical details. To me, that suggests that are overcompensating. Maybe that's just my take...

I would open a Flickr account and join groups that solicit feedback, or maybe just add folks as contacts who are pretty knowledgeable.

 

[JROK]

I agree about the brand forums sometimes being stuck on trying to put down other brands. I prefer the FredMiranda.com boards personally. Also, sometimes lens flares can be cool and add a bit of "flare" to the photo.

The more you shoot, the better you'll get!

 

[BigRedDad]

I will be doing far more practice and learning before our trip in October. I don't foresee myself being able to get much more equipment before that trip. It will be a stretch to even be able to go. As soon as I get the pictures moved to my other computer, I will be able to see more of what I did wrong and learn how to fix it.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[RiversideBunny]

Here's a link to a popular Nikon web site, Nikon Cafe.

http://www.nikoncafe.com/vforums/index.php

This site, like the Canon one, has good tips on photography in general and can help with the specific equipment and settings.

Good luck.