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quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
Your equipment is fine.

Probably.

If your camera or camera/lens combination is "front-focusing" or "back-focusing," it can result in undesirable softness at all focal lengths. Here's how to check it: Easy way to check front/back focus

Make sure to follow all the steps, otherwise you might be led astray.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
I agree with those who say to learn more about how cameras work. "Understanding Exposure" is excellent.

Yup. Understanding Exposure, Bryan Peterson is required reading, IMO.

Assuming your hardware is functioning correctly: You have all you need. In particular: No lens is magically going to result on wonderful photos.

Btw: Those of y'all recommending nifty 50s and the like: Note the OP's camera is a crop sensor (1.5).

Primes (non-zoom) will generally take sharper pictures than zooms. However, unless it's a garbage lens, or defective, most people wouldn't be able to tell the difference. If ALL your pics are fuzzy, maybe something is wrong with the camera or lens. Nikon makes good lenses, so if focused properly, their zooms should look sharp enough to the naked eye.

I've used zooms ever since I shot 35mm film as a teen (I could never afford 3 prime lenses when I could get by with one zoom), and I've never thought I needed a prime. I took yearbook camp between my 11/12th grade years (yeah, I was a nerd), and the professional photographer we had teaching us photography always harped that zooms were "jack of all trades; master of none." However, that's easy for a pro to say when he has a comparatively unlimited gear budget. I never had the money to spend on all the separate prime lenses. My zooms have always worked great for me, and it's not like I was shooting for National Geographic. . .



Your D90 with the 18-105 will take great pictures. Learn about composition. Some easy pointers that I remember from way back in Yearbook Camp:

Don't ever use the center reticle as a 'bulls-eye' for portraits. This results in the person taking up maybe a quarter of the photo, with the majority of the frame empty space. Fill the entire frame with the subject. I also don't like cutting off peoples' feet if I have a chance (back up or zoom out slightly).

Give your subject 'somewhere to go.' For example, if photographing a runner facing towards the right, put him/her on the left side of the image, so that they look like they have room to run across the image. Putting this subject against the right side makes it look unnatural, and the photo doesn't 'flow.'

Break the image up in 9ths. Taking a landscape photo, for example, never put the horizon right across the middle. Put it across the top or bottom third horizontal line. Same thing with vertical stuff; say a big tree. Put the tree on the left or right 1/3 vertical line. This just looks better, for some weird artistic reason.


Again, I like Ken Rockwell's site. Here is the link to "How to Take Better Pictures:"

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech.htm

There are numerous sub-headings for more specific issues.

As stated, get Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson & read it. Not only does it explain the exposure triangle, but also demonstrates the effects focal distance & F stop have exposure and depth of field.

Learn your lenses. You don't necessary;y need another lens. Every lens has its sweet spots for sharpness, pincushioning, barrel roll, and chromatic aberration.

A couple of online resources for lens information & reviews:
DPReview
Fred Miranda

Hope this helps.

As already suggested, a prime lens will give you great pictures. You lose the zoom ability but for most shots such as people, stationary objects fairly close shots all you need do is walk closer or further away a few steps to compose the shot.

I recommend the Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G Lens. Just shy of $200 it's a great walk around lens. Light weight, takes crystal clear images and is fast enough so you don't need a flash with normal room lighting in most cases. Programmed Auto is a good starting point to get away from full Auto mode or the pre programmed scene modes. I will say however, the D90 auto mode takes fairly good images and is pretty much full proof if you don't have the time to select manual settings.

Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G is a good lens.

Like Ensigmatic mentioned, the D90 is a crop sensor. A 50mm "Nifty Fifty" would be the full frame equivalent of a 75mm on that camera, and would be too narrow for a general use lens, and better suited as a portrait lens.

For sharp pictures, just make sure that you've got the shutter speed fast enough to compensate for hand shake. Inverse focal length rule is handy: if your focal length is 35mm, then your minimum shutter speed should be 1/35 of a second. HOWEVER: you have to remember your crop factor on the smaller D90 sensor, so a 35mm lens is closer to a 53mm full frame equivalent (35 x 1.5 = 52.5), so your inverse focal length rule would mean you should use 1/50th of a second or faster with a 35mm lens.

quote:

Originally posted by B92F:
"Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson. One of if not the best book on esposure.

I believe I have this book and the OP is welcome to have it. Email is in my profile. I'll ship it on my nickel.

Several members have touched on these two suggestions:

1. Learn your camera. That means spending time with it, taking photos, before going on that trip.
2. Look at others' photos. See what you like and what you do not, and why.

Few people can pick up a tool of any kind and be accomplished with it right out of the gate, without practice/experience with it. The camera is no different.

quote:

Originally posted by Skull Leader:
Nifty 50. Good all around lens. Will require a little more effort out of you when composing your shot, but that will help you in the long run. They are also great in low light conditions as they have larger apertures to let in more light normally.

And shoot everything in RAW and invest in lightroom.

You notice he has a two month window before leaving? Its highly unlikely he's going to learn post-processing RAW images in Lightroom or any other package in that amount of time.

ador...There's nothing wrong with the camera you have (I have a bit older D80). As others here will note for you, its simply your lack of knowledge and experience that will handicap your efforts. Given your time table, I'd suggest you find a good local camera shop and see if they do DSLR classes. You'll want to focus specifically on 'exposure' and 'composition'. They should be able to help you better understand the parameters and requirements for shooting better pics. Then take what you're learning in class and practice it at home or work. Shoot as many pics with as many settings as possible to learn how they play together. Do this right up until the time you leave on vacation.

I've been shooting for several years and I'm still learning, so don't get frustrated.

Oh, and if you have a good cellphone (i.e. iPhone 8 or X, Samsung 8, 8+, Note 8, Pixel 2, etc), make sure to take lots of pics with it on your vacation as well just as backup to the pics you take on your camera.

Thank you very much to everyone who took the time in responding to my post. I just got home from work. I will have to read all responses thoroughly tomorrow morning to have a better understanding of all suggestions and comments. I really appreciate your time.

Veeper, thank you very much for your kind offer. Let me first check our local library to see if that book is available. If not, I will take you on your offer. Thanks again.

As far as our trip, we will be heading to Japan (Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto) for a week. I asked my wife and our 13 y/o son to make a list of places they want to see. We will try and see as much as we can, with the time we will be staying there. So, I would say most picture will be outdoors. I would like to take good pictures of my wife and our son. And some pictures of our family. My wife will love the flowers as we heard that Spring is the best time to see the Cherry Blossom trees.

From Japan, we will head down to the Philippines to visit relatives. Last time we went there was 6 years ago. I remember during our last visit, I carried that big Nikon bag and all the accessories. I do not want to do that with this trip. I just want to take the camera, 1 lens and a small tripod. Of course, we will also be taking our smart phones as back up cameras.

Thanks again for your responses folks. I really appreciate it.

“The quality of the pictures are not sharp” can mean many different things to different people. Can be anything from poor focus, dirty lens or sensor, less depth of field than desired, too slow shutter speed, flat color, poor contrast, or camera movement while taking the picture. Also many digital photos can pretty "ho hum" straight out of camera yet really pop with minimal post processing.

What does it mean to you? Any chance you could post a pic and describe what you are not happy with on that pic?



The Nikon D90 is a great camera, even if a bit long in the tooth. It was my favorite camera when I shot Nikon and had I not been forced to sell my DSLR gear for financial reasons I would probably still be shooting Nikon today instead of Canon. I have several "personal favorite" photos that were taken with my D90, here are a couple...


PPMarket by Wayne Wilson, on Flickr


Lobster by Wayne Wilson, on Flickr

Both of these shots straight out of camera were so-so. Dull colors, not great contrast, etc. A little sharpening and adjustments, not more than about 10 minutes work on each and they are now framed prints in my family room.


The 18-105mm lens doesn't have the best reputation. It is a kit lens and they tend to be of lower quality and build with more distortion and optical issues over stand alone higher line lenses. 18mm isn’t exactly “wide” by todays standards and maybe a little tight for some interior shots, but it should be fine for the outdoor shots you describe. Being a kit lens, it suffers at the short and long ends for clarity and distortion.

I would strongly suggest replacing it with the much better Nikon 16-85mm that is head and shoulders a better lens and really shines on the D90. New, it is outside your price range at just under $700, but BHPhoto currently has a used one in good condition for $420. There may be one available in your budget locally on the used market. Selling your 18-105mm would help to make up some of the cost as it would be replacing that lens.

A little shorter on the long end, but a little wider on the short end. You'll likely appreciate the 16mm more than you will miss the 105mm, especially since you also have the 70-300mm. I know how hard expensive glass can be to justify, but going up one or two steps in lens quality can really make a big difference.



As for ”taking better pictures” good pictures come from a combination of composition and exposure.

Composition is the “art” side, it comes from a skilled eye who sees the picture they want to take in their mind and then makes it happen with a camera. Subject placement, perspective, depth of field, rule of thirds, etc. Planning the picture, not taking the picture.

Exposure is the physics part of getting the right amount of light on the sensor to capture the image. BUT, exposure can also be part of composition in that intentionally have a darker or brighter exposure can be part of the “Art” of the shot.

Some folks are natural at composition, some have to put in a lot of effort to learn.

As for exposure, it all starts with a basic understanding of the triangle of Shutter speed/Aperture/ISO. In “Auto” or “Program” mode your camera is figuring these things out and while it will generally work, you frequently can do better by setting one or two of the three to the specific shot based on how you want the picture to look and let the camera pick the third to have semi-auto exposure. Or you can go full “Manual” and set all three.


Think of exposure as the recipe to create a picture and a picture is the recording of light. For a good picture you need the right amount of light, but how that light gets recorded (based on the recipe) can markedly change the outcome of the picture.



Aperture (“f” number)- The hole in the lens that lets light in. This is an inverse of 1 so the smaller the number, the bigger the hole. The bigger the hole the more light it lets through.

Shutter Speed- Amount of time the light has to come through the hole to expose the sensor.

ISO (“speed”)- Sensitivity of the sensor to light. The higher the ISO, the more sensitive it is to light.


That’s all simple enough, where it gets tricky is how the three all have pros and cons and are interconnected:

Shutter -

You need a fast shutter if you have a moving subject that you don’t want blurred, even with a VR lens as VR only compensates for camera movement. If you have a still subject, you can use a longer shutter speed up to the limitations of your VR or ability to hold the camera still. If you use a tripod, you can all but ignore motion with long shutter speeds for static scenes with no movement.

You may at times want motion to be blurred, such as a waterfall for that dreamy look to the flowing water while the rocks and trees are nice and sharp. In such case you need to select a slow enough shutter to blur the motion, but fast enough that static elements are still sharp and not affected by camera movement.



Aperture -

The size of the hole determines more than just how much light is coming through the lens. It has an impact on the perspective of the picture and the “look”. A large aperture (small f) of say 1.4-4 has a narrower depth of field (range close to far of objects that are in focus) when compared to a smaller aperture of say 8 or more.

Most portraits are taken with a large aperture which result in a narrow DOF. This is what causes the separation of the subject and background and leads to the out of focus areas beyond the subject. Landscape photos are meant to capture a broad scene with everything in sharp focus and are generally taken with small apertures to increase the DOF.



ISO -

The final (and in my opinion least important) element is the sensitivity of the sensor to light. The higher the sensitivity, the less light needed to capture the image. Nothing is free though and using too high of a sensitivity has it’s drawbacks as does too low of a sensitivity.

The primary problem with too low sensitivity is unless you have a large aperture, you might not be able to let enough light through to get a picture within the limitations of your shutter speed.

Example- Indoor art gallery with poor ambient light that doesn’t allow use of flash and you don’t have a tripod. You can only go so big with your aperture and so slow with your shutter before worrying about camera shake. Only way you will get a usable picture is too increase ISO sensitivity.

Nothing is free however, and if you increase sensitivity too much it introduces “noise” into the digital picture. Think of “noise” as digital “static”, little random dots of color that are sometimes referred to as making a picture look “grainy” (or “not sharp”?...)



I was taught to think of light as a fluid. The shutter speed is the facet and the aperture is the diameter of the hose. You need to fill a bucket (the sensor) to make a picture.

So in regards to the amount of light coming in, I think of it as a matter of “Time” (shutter speed) x “Flow” (aperture) to fill the “bucket” (ISO).

If you have the faucet on twice as long, you can have a smaller hose or fill a larger bucket (lower ISO).

If you have a bigger hose, the faucet can be left on for less time or you can use a smaller bucket (higher ISO).



So once you understand all this, it comes down to composition (what is where in the frame), deciding what result you want, then tweaking the exposure recipe to get that result.


Just a couple examples -

Outdoors candid shots of family enjoying the Japanese gardens:

You want a large depth of field so people and background are in sharp focus. This means Aperture is the priority. Set a smaller aperture of 8-16 and everything more that a few feet away should be in crisp focus.

In most cases you are not going to want to be messing with a tripod, especially as you are moving about and trying to capture moments of your family enjoying the vacation. To make sure nothing is blurred, you want to keep your shutter speed above a certain “minimum”. The long standing rule of thumb for a static subject (before image stabilization technology) was 1/Focal length. So if you have a 50mm lens you can probably get away with a 1/60 second shutter and not worry about camera shake, if you are using a 300mm lens you need to be shooting 1/250 or faster.

BUT - for candid photos, you need to be prepared for the subjects to be moving and have a fast enough shutter to freeze the motion so they are not blurred. For general walking around type things, I would say 1/125 or so should be fine. If you have faster moving subjects or kids that tend to dart about, double that to 1/250 or so. Remember, VR does nothing to stop motion of your subject, it only compensates for camera shake as you hold it.

Outdoors, should be plenty of available light so can probably do well with a relatively low ISO, but if you are working with smaller apertures for depth of field and/or faster shutters for handheld candid shots you may need to go up to a mid-range ISO of 400-800. No noise worries in this case as noise generally becomes an issue with darker pictures and higher ISOs of 6400 or more (depending on the camera).


Same Japanese garden, but portrait of wife with flowers:

Open up that aperture as wide as it will go (preferably 1.8-2.8, if the lens goes that big), this narrows the DOF so she is in focus and there is separation from the background and it becomes softly focused but you can still make out the flowers. The other tourists 15’ behind her are sufficiently blurred that when someone looks at the photo they are drawn to the main subject of your wife and they are just an obscure blob.

Bigger aperture allows for a lower ISO (100) which gives best image quality. Keep the shutter speed at 1/125 or so so it can be sharp handheld with no camera motion worries.



Indoor family dinner in restaurant, posed picture:

Less ambient light, less movement/more static with a posed shot, shorter range/smaller area captured in photo.

Shutter speed can be slower, 1/60 second is fine. Aperture can be wider 4-5.6 depending on how spread out the people are and still have everyone within the depth of field. ISO will need to be higher due to lower ambient light, say 800-1600, or maybe even 3200 in a dim setting if no flash avail.


It all comes back to understanding and application of the basics.

You have a great camera, you have an adequate lens. If you really want another lens, I’d suggest a fast (large aperture - f/1.8 or 2.8) prime somewhere between 24mm to 35mm. As another poster noted, 50mm on a crop body is really getting into short telephoto range.

I realize you don’t want to lug a lot of gear around, but most prime lenses in that range are pretty small and won’t add too much to your kit. New, Nikon 35mm 1.8G is less than $200 and the older 24mm 2.8D is under $300


While not really a "Tutorial" I am a big fan of www.Photography-on-the.net website, for info on how to improve and understand photography better. It has a wealth of info on styles, techniques, etc. It is slanted towards Canon in regards to equipment, but for composition/exposure brand is irrelevant. For info on the “how” side, look at the “Talk” forums, for amazing photos look at the “Sharing” forums.



For tripod “techniques”, I’d say first is it really needed? If so when possible use the 2 second delay on your shutter. This ensures that your punching the shutter button doesn’t create motion. Also, if using a tripod turn OFF any VR your lens may have have. The tripod means no camera movement and lots of lens actually create problems when VR is on and the camera is on a solid support.


One more thing a lot of folks don't understand at first when getting out of "Auto" mode- Exposure metering on the camera. DSLR cameras have an indicator that most people THINK tells you if the shot is under/over/properly exposed. That is NOT what is it telling you. It is analyzing the scene and deciding how much exposure is needed to make everything an "average" gray (the middle between black and white).

You need to understand your actual composure when relying on this exposure indicator. If set to "0" it will make a picture of a black screen gray and a snow drift gray. You need to allow for that and learn when to be zero on the indicator and when to be + or -. A dark or dimly lit scene should be "under" by the meter if you want to capture it accurately and a bright scene will likely be "over" by the meter when captured accurately.



Now, with all of that said, I'd suggest the following specific things to try and see if you start to get the improvement you are looking for:

Shoot in RAW+JPG.
RAW files contain the maximum amount of digital information and will yield the best results after a little bit of post processing. JPG files are essentially "quick edits" done by your camera and once it converts, the left over data is lost. You can't go back. You can still edit JPG in post, but you may not be able to recover a blown out highlight or a dark shadow that might otherwise be salvageable working with the RAW file. Shooting with both you have JPG for quick and easy but when you have the really great shot that you want to print big, you have the RAW file to make the most of it.


Quit using "Auto" mode.
Use Shutter Priority, Aperture priority, or Manual and set the camera based on what you want for a result. If you are taking lot of pictures with differing priorities, go manual set shutter and aperture and put your camera on {b]Auto-ISO mode[/b] to let it select the best ISO given your manual settings.

Most of my photos are landscapes or real estate listings. As such, I am using a tripod at most times and depth of field along with image quality are the primary concerns. I set to Aperture priority, fixed ISO of 200 and let the camera pick the shutter speed.

When I am trying to get a picture of a bird in flight, depth of field and freezing motion are the main concerns. I go to manual and pick 1/500 second and f/8 and set ISO to auto. It may end up with a faster ISO and a little more noise than wanted, but noise in focus is better than out of focus any day.


Regardless of mode or setting, as you compose your shot, you can adjust one or another setting to tweak the exposure meter one way or the other as needed or you can even set your camera to "Bracket" the shots automatically to have a set of shot taken at what the camera believes is under exposed, exposed correctly, over exposed. Of course bracketing exposure is restricted to a static scene, as it is taking multiple pictures in quick succession. for a moving subject, the scene will be different in each shot as well. Finally, with the advent of digital, bracketing is less important because similar exposure adjustments can be made in post processing so long as the original is close.


Get photo editing software, learn to use it.
Digital is great, but very few straight out of camera shots are really "WOW!". Cropping, correcting color balance, saturation, exposure, contrast, etc. is what turns a snapshot into a photograph. You can go simple like Photoshop Elements for $50 or so or if you have an iPad Adobe has a free Photoshop and LightRoom apps that do a LOT for no cost at all.

For basic editing, they aren't that complicated and aren't to difficult to pick up.

Here is an example of what the camera captured and after post processing. Notice the detail in the ivy and bark on the tree, the straightened vertical lines, the contrast and clarity in the water and distant shoreline. That is editing the RAW camera data to get the best of the shot.

Disregard the sky replacement, greening of the grass, and removal of the fat FAA Licensed UAS pilot on the dock, that was more than just "editing"


Untitled by Wayne Wilson, on Flickr





Hope this helps, sorry for being so long winded, but working a slow overnight shift and like to help others where I can.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 911Boss,

+1 to 911Boss.

What is "not sharp"

That sounds like an amazing trip.

Make sure you have at LEAST one spare battery. Preferably, two, with the ability to recharge them (being in foreign countries, you can't count on good old USA voltage everywhere you go).

Also, I recommend you take spare memory cards or a means to back them up. Modern cards can store thousands of photos, but if you only use one, that means the loss or corruption of a single card can cost you ALL your photos (I would rather have two 32Gig cards than one 64Gig card). I routinely back up my pics to my laptop AND an external hard drive before I wipe them off my camera's card. That way, I have them stored in at least 2 different places at all times (one of my brothers-in-law lost ALL his wedding pics due to loss of a hard drive).

It only takes one instance of losing data to really drive home the importance of backing up photos/data.

quote:

Originally posted by Hound Dog:

Make sure you have at LEAST one spare battery. Preferably, two, with the ability to recharge them (being in foreign countries, you can't count on good old USA voltage everywhere you go).

Also, I recommend you take spare memory cards or a means to back them up. Modern cards can store thousands of photos, but if you only use one, that means the loss or corruption of a single card can cost you ALL your photos (I would rather have two 32Gig cards than one 64Gig card). I routinely back up my pics to my laptop AND an external hard drive before I wipe them off my camera's card. That way, I have them stored in at least 2 different places at all times

EXCELLENT Advice! I do exactly the same thing. Never erase any pic you don't have backed up on at least 2 other places. Storage media is getting almost cheap NO reason not to have plenty.

I also have to second the idea of a 50mm equivalent lens for all around. On a Crop sensor camera maybe a 24 or 35mm will be just about right. Better to crop a bit that miss something important in the pic. Prime lenses are just sharper and there are some very good ones for a LOT less than good zooms.........dj

If you are going to buy a new lens to replace the 18-105, I suggest an 18-55: http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/18-55mm-af-p.htm .

It will probably run you around $250, and it's an excellent 'all around' lens (I have the older version, and I love it - when I want to 'go light,' I put my 18-55 on my D300 and I'm good to go for almost anything (and the D300 is larger than the D90) ). It may not be as sharp as a prime, but I doubt anybody would notice the difference. At 18mm, you can fit in a lot of landscape (it's not quite 'wide angle,' but it's close). At 55mm, you can zoom in a bit for more details, as it's not always practical or possible to 'just move ' to your subject.

It's also small, and a LOT easier to lug around with you for weeks than larger lenses (and it's really not that much bigger than the prime lenses people have recommended).

18-105 should be all you need. Otherwise a 35 or 50. You want genuinely better pictures, buy a better lens. Glass is where the magic happens.

You want to make better photos? Go shoot lots of photos. Want to learn composition? Watch movies, those guys are experts in comp and movies are only a long line of stills played quickly.

Go to Flickr or whatever photo posting site. Look for what you want out of a camera and copy while trying to understand how it was done. Read the EXIF for aperture and speed. Study how they composed and follow what you like.

I'm an Americana shooter. I get better every time I head out. You can do a better than average job if you understand exposure, how aperture and speed work together, exposure comp, and the RULE OF THIRDS.

The Badlands

DRINK COCA-COLA
Oklahoma City Memorial

Blairstown, Iowa

Coit

Gilboe the Clothier

The Lincoln? Take the next right...

Sunflower Coal

Chuckwall, those are AMAZING photos (and the rest of the other pictures posted by other members). That is what I am talking about. The previous photos I have taken are nowhere near those colors and sharpness. Mine were not as colorful (that’s what I meant by NOT sharp).

Again, those are beatiful pictures.

quote:

Originally posted by ador:
Chuckwall, those are AMAZING photos (and the rest of the other pictures posted by other members). That is what I am talking about. The previous photos I have taken are nowhere near those colors and sharpness. Mine were not as colorful (that’s what I meant by NOT sharp).

Again, those are beatiful pictures.

Those are indeed great pics, but you might also inquire as to how many went through post processing. As Chuckwall noted, the glass hanging off the front of your camera is very important, followed closely by your ability to match the correct camera settings with it, but learning post processing with Photoshop or Lightroom is also essential in getting everything possible out of your pics. And when you get good at it, you can also correct for imperfections.

Maybe find a friend who's good with one of these photo editing programs and see if he would be willing to process your vacation pics with you when you get home.

quote:

Originally posted by ador:
Chuckwall, those are AMAZING photos (and the rest of the other pictures posted by other members). That is what I am talking about. The previous photos I have taken are nowhere near those colors and sharpness. Mine were not as colorful (that’s what I meant by NOT sharp).

Again, those are beautiful pictures.

I swear, it's not that hard. Books on comp are OK, get them at the library. The best way to learn comp is by doing and copying and studying. I've been at it so long, I have my own style now. You will, too, if you want it.

I can pretty much guarantee that your lens is the problem. Its a jack of all trades, Swiss Army Knife. It covers a lot of range, but not that well.

It will be softest at the extremes, wide and far. Avoid those if you continue to use it. Test for your "sweet spot" where the aperture is sharpest. Likely that is between f5.6 to f11. Set up some object and shoot it at the various apertures from your minimum to f11, above that, I wouldn't bother.
Once you have that, your sharpness issues should ease up. I'll bet it's f8.

Color? See if you can have the body saturate more. Cut noise reduction, that softens photos. In fact, shut it off.

This pic was soft through my error.
Mickey's Dining Car

But soft can work and it did for me.

One of my favorites because I just like it. f10 and fairly sharp to the horizon.
Two Guns, Arizona

Depending on what you want to shoot, go around town and practice your sweet spot f-stop and comp.

You're desert I see. Go to Kingman, a great place to shoot. Head out to Cool Springs or Seligman. But Vegas is on my lest for all the quirkiness and neon. A great place to learn shooting urban.

Welcome to Kingman

Cool Springs, Arizona

Seligman
The Survivor

Truxton, AZ beteween Kingman And Seligman.
The Wild Frontier

Or a trip to Hackberry, AZ between Kingman and Seligman. Hackberry is a photo extravaganza of quirky and unusual.
Hackberry

quote:

Originally posted by bigdeal:

quote:

Originally posted by ador:
Chuckwall, those are AMAZING photos (and the rest of the other pictures posted by other members). That is what I am talking about. The previous photos I have taken are nowhere near those colors and sharpness. Mine were not as colorful (that’s what I meant by NOT sharp).

Again, those are beatiful pictures.

Those are indeed great pics, but you might also inquire as to how many went through post processing. As Chuckwall noted, the glass hanging off the front of your camera is very important, followed closely by your ability to match the correct camera settings with it, but learning post processing with Photoshop or Lightroom is also essential in getting everything possible out of your pics. And when you get good at it, you can also correct for imperfections.

Maybe find a friend who's good with one of these photo editing programs and see if he would be willing to process your vacation pics with you when you get home.

Fine suggestion. Adobe Elements is not that expensive and does everything you'll need. Using that means you're able to fine tune contrast and saturation and improve sharpness. Still, its only as good as you can shoot.