Need Some Photography Help!!

PaulKreider · Dec 12, 2015

So I finally made the choice to stop using an iphone to get pictures and I picked up a DSLR.

The camera is a Pentax k100d, 18-55mm lens and that's about all I've got.

I really need some beginner tips because when i take pictures, everything is dark, and when I edit the brightness on my computer the images get all fuzzy. I'll upload some examples.

I've tried adjusting the white balance but its not quite working or so I'm assuming. I'm really new at this so any help would be much appreciated.

I'll post some examples. My main problem is when brightening the photos on my computer they get so fuzzy its odd. The detail looks like it's there in the original photo but just gets all kinds of distorted when I brighten them.

Bunnee911 · Dec 12, 2015

What format are you shooting in? Raw is best if you can.

PaulKreider · Dec 12, 2015

Those were in jpeg, i'll try raw, but will it get rid of that inability to change the brightness?

hatfielj · Dec 12, 2015

No, quite the opposite. Shooting in raw allows for full control over editing. JPEG greatly limits what you can do in post processing.

PaulKreider · Dec 12, 2015

Awesome, I'll give that a try

PaulKreider · Dec 12, 2015

It's still giving me really fuzzy images

saltyfilmfolks · Dec 13, 2015

Raw does not solve it. Raw only helps later get correct exposure first.

Your color temp seems perfect.
Go to manual mode.
Keep auto focus on.
Set Asa to 1000
Set apature to 3.5
Set shutter to 1/50
Keep camera flat to glass.
Take picture
Iff too bright increase shutter speed.
If too dark increase Asa Iso
If you have to increase iso so much pictures appear grainy
turn Asa down
Get tripod set shutter to 1/30.
This also means you don't have enough light to photograph

maroun.c · Dec 13, 2015

Even in Raw beyond a certain limit increasing brightness will boost the noise.
Checkout the histogram (light intensity curve ) in your camera and try to avoid having to correct too many stops (curve being too much on the right) in that case try to use with a wider aperture (smaller Number) or slower shutter speed or increase your iso. If shooting in automatic or other automatic modes then try to increase the intensity compensation...

PaulKreider · Dec 13, 2015

Thanks for the tips guys, I'll have some time tomorrow to sit down and take some shots. It definitely seems like I could benefit from a tripod, as most photos are still a bit shaky. But I'll give those tips a go tomorrow!

saltyfilmfolks · Dec 13, 2015

Shutterspeeeds lower then 1/50th will give you shakes. Guessing iso above 1200 may produce grain. I dont know the camera though. Higher end cameras will give you about 2000 even 4000 with minimal grain.
Kit lenses usually only have an f3.5 max apature.

PaulKreider · Dec 14, 2015

Popped a few off in Jpeg and with auto settings, I can't find a good place to convert raw images into jpeg form, and would you edit the raw image prior to converting to jpeg or after?

saltyfilmfolks · Dec 14, 2015

Hey those came out pretty darn good!
Edit in raw. It has more latitude as far as colore and exposure. Then export to JPEG.
If raw is too hard to edit JPEG actually has enough latitude to handle the correction now that your exposure is better.
Raw is overrated.
Did you use a tripod for those?

Latinreefer · Dec 14, 2015

PaulKreider said:
Popped a few off in Jpeg and with auto settings, I can't find a good place to convert raw images into jpeg form, and would you edit the raw image prior to converting to jpeg or after?

Nice job, looks like the changes made a huge improvement, congrats

PaulKreider · Dec 16, 2015

I'm probably gonna pick up a tripod to make life easier and be able to grab better pictures.

saltyfilmfolks · Dec 16, 2015

Yep, a slower shutter speed will give you more light.

ReefConcept · Dec 21, 2015

Photos look much better and great!

If you are using PS, you could edit directly from the RAW and then save out as a TIFF for original file archiving.

Once downsampled for internet or mobile viewing, save for web as JPEG.

Raw will retain the original pixel information while JPEG compresses the image with the requested settings. You have more WB and dynamic range flexibility with RAW format which is also why the files are larger.