Photography

[Eve]

Wasn't quite sure where to put this!

Just wondering if there are any other keen photographers out there and if they have any good tips.

I have a Panasonic Lumix TZ3 normal digital camera which is fab (chickened out of an SLR cos of the price).

Love photography especially wildlife but looking for some ideas to get a bit more adventurous.

Have to admit I am more of a zoom and point and shoot and don't know much about the more technical bits and using screens and flash and such.

Bought some magazines but they are more for SLRs with different lenses and such. Are there any good websites out there?

Any suggestions or general love of photography chat welcome :)

[logic]

Jenna, the TZ3 is a very good camera, at the price,I also wanted the SLR lumix, but i honestly could not justify the cost,
the best thing you can do, without spending a lot of money on magazines, which are very expensive, is practise a lot with youre camera, after all digital photography is very cheap as long as you don't print them all out. you can click away to your hearts content, and just analise the results on your computer, then erase and start again, just keep the ones that you like most,
The biggest problem with this type of camera, is the comparatively slow shutter speed wich can give unsharp images unless you use a tripod, and if you don't use one , i would certainly consider it, you will be amazed at the diference,
Gosh i'm waffling too much, just practise,
good luck.
pete.

[SKA]

Do you know of any photography courses for wildlife ect?

[Eve]

Awww it's a really good idea and having a google.

Found a local one to take pics of Manchester so may give that a try, trying to find one for wildlife.

[Eve]

Thanks Pete too :)

I have a mini tripod which came as part of the camera deal but not used it yet so may give that a try.

Previously had a Nikon Coolpix and that was a nightmare for blurring. This one is a lot better and will try out the tripod.

[SKA]

I was going to do an evening course at city college in Manchester but they put me down for the wrong course so ended up not doing it.

[jno]

TZ3s have image stabilisation, which helps with blurring. The zoom function is great and would be useful with wildlife. The weakness with them is not coping very well with sharp contrasts - blacks come out very black, whites come out very white and washed out. You'll get more detail (though less vibrant colour) if you shoot things not in direct sunlight.

I don't use many of the functions on my camera either but a couple I use quite often. One is switching between indoor and outdoor modes (indoor makes the scene look a bit yellower, otherwise they come out chilly blue); there's an automatic white balance that's supposed to do it but doesn't always get it right. The other is to lengthen or shorten exposures if it looks as if it's going to come out too dark or too light.

I used to have an SLR print camera - but I just put a zoom lens on it and left i there, so I never used the SLR fucntions much; so I haven't bothered with and SLR digital. I'm told they give better picutres, but are dearer and heavier. I love the lightness of the Panasonics. Even the TZ3 will fit into a normalish-size pocket.

[Eve]

I need to get to grips more with the functions.

I love the high ISO setting (fantastic in aquariums) and was playing around with the baby setting and macro when my colleague and her sister brought their babies into work the other week.

I may go out and practice with the night function round the city (we have a big wheel that's lit up at night and makes a fantastic subject).

There are so many interesting people about but I'd be scared of getting lamped these days! I do like candid hots though, just people doing their thing and not posing as such.

I'll have to look up about exposures and white balance and such!

Hoping to get out for a bit tomorrow to get some practice in.

[SKA]

I took a picture of the reflection of the wheel on the glass shops opposite it. It's one of me favourite pictures!! I also like taking pictures of shadows that�s look like something else. For example a pile of cds gave the shadow of a head once at home so I just had to snap it!!