Getting great pictures with a Nikon D5000?

[zo6dude]

Hey guys, as some of you may know I take alot of pics with my Nikon D5000, I quite like the camera but after seeing some stuff you guys did on here and on Flickr, I want to know if there is a way to improve my skills or whatever I need to do in order to get them up to better standards. Some examples of what I'm after are in my favourites list on my Flickr. Any help would be greatly appreciated:)

[Mb]

1: What lenses do you have?

2: Do you have a polar filter?

3: Do you photoshop?

4: What settings do you shoot on?

 

Those are probably the key things.

[zo6dude]

1. Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm and Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm

2. I don't know what that is, so no I don't have one. Care to explain?

3. Not yet, but I will fairly soon

4. Automatic,Sport,Scene(Low Key, Silhouette,Pet, Autumn colours) and sometimes closeup

[Penfold]

Personally, I just taught myself how everything worked, in the manual settings rather than automatic setting, by just playing with it and trying lots of stuff out. A quick touch up in photoshop afterwoods always helps the photo look even better, again I taught myself this by getting photoshop and just trying different things. You just need to do some experiments :)

 

Edit: Just looked at what you've favourited, obviously you need to have the subject to get the photos like that and nice seting always help, with things lke supercars it just luck if they're parked in a nice place. The angle and composition of the photo is also very important, so always take a few different angles. Remember it doesn't matter how many pictures you take, the more you take the more really nice ones you get and you can delete the bad ones :D

[zo6dude]

Thanks guys, I try experimenting and I'll mess around in Photoshop when I get it:)

[t.]

Camera buddy *high 5*

 

In the auto modes you'll find the images can often look pretty washed out and lack rich colour. I generally use Aperture priority and Shutter priority and occasionally Manual. (A, S & M on your mode wheel)

 

I have a UV filter and a Polariser on the front of my lens and believe me they help a lot, the Polariser is a hinderance in low light but I just unscrew it.

 

The following two were taken with my D5000 in Aperture Priority and both with the UV filter and Polariser attached. I was using my Nikkor 18-200 VR II lens but neither of these shots exceed 55mm so far as I can remember so you'd be able to achieve the same results.

 

This had the levels adjusted in Photoshop as the green just wasn't coming out right. It was also sharpened using "Smart Sharpen"

 

 

 

This one is exactly as it came off of the camera in terms of colour, all I did here was crop and straighten. So that's a good example of how a UV and particularly Polariser can balance the contrast for you.

 

As for deciding what modes to use.. play around. I have hundreds of photos of the most boring things that I took just to get an eye for what I needed to do in certain light levels etc. 90% of what I take is still sub par, so don't worry.

[zo6dude]

I see, I guess alot of this is done in photoshop:) I'll have to pick up a Polarizer, any suggestions?

[t.]

I use a Hoya Polariser, it's decent. There are others though, I believe Nikon make some but I'm told they are pricey.

[Mb]

B+W or Hoya. Don't get a cheap japanese thing, quality of those suck and they aren't that good.

 

1. Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm and Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm

2. I don't know what that is, so no I don't have one. Care to explain?

3. Not yet, but I will fairly soon

4. Automatic,Sport,Scene(Low Key, Silhouette,Pet, Autumn colours) and sometimes closeup

1: Ok, not to bad, but not the best either, but that's just with the kit lenses, you'll do just fine with those in the first 1 or 2 years.

2: Reduces reflections in window/water/etc when used right, adds color and sometimes a bit of vignette.

3: Good! In the start you'll be struggling with all the options, but you'll find that out.

4: Never shoot on pre-set settings. Always use the Aperture or Shutterspeed setting as that gives better results and gives you the ability to choose your colors/contrast etc.

[t.]

Just to give you an idea of why we all use polarisers I'll post these so you can see the difference. Although both were taken with it attached the first had it turned to the point of having minimum effect, the second taken with it set up for the scene.

 

Low

 

Set

 

Not a perfect example but you get the general idea.