Alternative & inexpensive ways to learn photography?

[Little Firewall]

Can I suggest the obvious?

Have you been on to Canon's own web site? There I found a video tutorial (for the 350D in my case) and it showed you the different settings and what they did.

Hope you have lots of fun and success with your new machine.

[RedAdmiral]

Hi,

My first post on this site! I have had my 400D for 9 months now but seem to really struggle getting sharp hand held shots - every so often I will get one just right but mostly they seem to suffer from camera shake. What do people do to ensure they get mostly sharp pictures? (apart from use a tripod - my speciality is butterflies so tripods are not always very practicle). I use a Canon 100mm 2.8 Macro lens and 100-400 L.

Thanks for any tips!

Cheers
George

[willing to learn]

Originally Posted by RedAdmiral

Hi,

My first post on this site! I have had my 400D for 9 months now but seem to really struggle getting sharp hand held shots - every so often I will get one just right but mostly they seem to suffer from camera shake. What do people do to ensure they get mostly sharp pictures? (apart from use a tripod - my speciality is butterflies so tripods are not always very practicle). I use a Canon 100mm 2.8 Macro lens and 100-400 L.

Thanks for any tips!

Cheers
George

welcome

[willing to learn]

Originally Posted by RedAdmiral

Hi,

My first post on this site! I have had my 400D for 9 months now but seem to really struggle getting sharp hand held shots - every so often I will get one just right but mostly they seem to suffer from camera shake. What do people do to ensure they get mostly sharp pictures? (apart from use a tripod - my speciality is butterflies so tripods are not always very practicle). I use a Canon 100mm 2.8 Macro lens and 100-400 L.

Thanks for any tips!

Cheers
George

Hello George and welcome I have my 400D around the same time. I know nothing about photographing butterflies. But the 100-400 should have Image stabilisation which should do away with camera shake. I take pics of birds and been advised by members of this forum to shoot in AV use the centre spot focus, and seem to get best results when set to partial metering. I know slow shutter speeds are worst for camera shake so a higher ISO may also help. I am sure someone will answer with a lot more knowledge.
Regards
Colin

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by RedAdmiral

Hi,

My first post on this site! I have had my 400D for 9 months now but seem to really struggle getting sharp hand held shots - every so often I will get one just right but mostly they seem to suffer from camera shake. What do people do to ensure they get mostly sharp pictures? (apart from use a tripod - my speciality is butterflies so tripods are not always very practicle). I use a Canon 100mm 2.8 Macro lens and 100-400 L.

Thanks for any tips!

Cheers
George

Not very technical, but I hold the camera close to my body and set the camera to take multiple shots and hold my breath...I'm learning to hold the camera quite still now as I cannot get on with a tripod..especially for insects and birds that keep moving..

[coasty]

Originally Posted by mhc-art

thanks for all the advice!..

The message coming through is that I just need to get out there and snap away, trial and error I guess..

I have been taking lots of pics with the new camera, all sorts, portrait and some wildlfie but it's just frustrating when you don't know why it is doing what it is doing, I think I'll buy a couple of the publications mentioned and hopefully it all becomes a bit clearer..

Cheers all!

You sound to me as though you are already doing all the right things.. There are many knowledgable and remarkably helpful photographers on the site. and I look at their work with admiration however I bet all of them have spent years perfecting their skill.

I think the way cameras and the like are advertised these days leads people to beleive buy an expensive camera and you will take great pics straight away.. Its like a lot of things you will find the more you learn the more you will be critical of your own results.

As people have said above read, practice, and look for advise.. Exactly what you are doing...

Andy