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Any tips when it comes to photography

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221129

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Hi Mate,

You've got some good pics on there.


A few issues i have noticed is the lighting and some blurring.

To combat this during the day at well lit stations would yield the best results. Also if you can get as much of the target object in the picture as possible.

If your trying at night or in dimly lit places make sure your hand is firm and still and the target is stationary. If the target is moving then it may be best to video it.

Ollie.


(PS If you would like to see some of what i mean then here is the link to my Train PIcs: http://www.flickr.com/photos/78727138@N04/sets/72157629577133860/ )
 

GNERman

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Agreed, as much of the target object in the picture as possible...

This photo of mine is an example - http://www.flickr.com/photos/yorkshirerailphotos/6999640690/in/photostream

The set can be fully seen, and is central in the photo (albeit this set was stationary when taken).

Do you have any image editing software? Photos can be edited to look better, even the basic Crop to put the train in the middle is useful.
 

172212

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Hi Mate,

You've got some good pics on there.


A few issues i have noticed is the lighting and some blurring.

To combat this during the day at well lit stations would yield the best results. Also if you can get as much of the target object in the picture as possible.

If your trying at night or in dimly lit places make sure your hand is firm and still and the target is stationary. If the target is moving then it may be best to video it.

Ollie.


(PS If you would like to see some of what i mean then here is the link to my Train PIcs: http://www.flickr.com/photos/78727138@N04/sets/72157629577133860/ )

Thanks, I will try and take more pictures inside of the station where the most light is, if you look at both of my 150 107 pictures, one picture is taken in the light, and the train is harder to see and the other train is taken inside new street station and is a lot clearer.
 

221129

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Thanks, I will try and take more pictures inside of the station where the most light is, if you look at both of my 150 107 pictures, one picture is taken in the light, and the train is harder to see and the other train is taken inside new street station and is a lot clearer.

Also avoid facing into the sun at all costs!!
 

172212

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Agreed, as much of the target object in the picture as possible...

This photo of mine is an example - http://www.flickr.com/photos/yorkshirerailphotos/6999640690/in/photostream

The set can be fully seen, and is central in the photo (albeit this set was stationary when taken).

Do you have any image editing software? Photos can be edited to look better, even the basic Crop to put the train in the middle is useful.

Thanks, no I don't really use any image editing software, would you recommend anything? or would paint be enough?
 

172212

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I would use the FREE image editor that comes with flickr

Ok, I'll get started :)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I've only ever used Photoshop, and that's very good, but costly. Do a search for "free image editors" and i'm sure there'll be some good ones out there...

Something like this - http://pixlr.com/editor/ may be good?

I'll check it out, thanks, I like your flickr page by the way
 

221129

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If you need anyhelp with Aviary just let me know and ill be happy to help :)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Many thanks, practice is what's important. You'll get the hang of it i'm sure...

Indeed when i first started my photos were terrible but now im happy with the results. you will soon get used to what works and what doesn't. And when you feel confident then you can try fancy angles Lol ;)
 

GB

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Photoscape is another decent free editing tool.

As for advice, keep practicing...you will soon get the hang of things and learn what works and what doesn't. The beauty of digital is it doesn't cost anything to develop photos on your computer so you can take as many as you want :)
 

221129

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As for advice, keep practicing...you will soon get the hang of things and learn what works and what doesn't. The beauty of digital is it doesn't cost anything to develop photos on your computer so you can take as many as you want :)

Agreed
 

wensley

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I must say I use photoshop which makes anything else look weedy by comparison...it depends what you want though, I use mine for a lot more than simple crops etc. I find Infranview to be good for basic functions. Might be worth a Google!!

Here's my photostream to add to the sources of inspiration http://www.flickr.com/photos/clagmonsterrail/
(The stuff at the end is when I was a beginner through to present day)

My tips would be to pick a good location (I am gradually trying to stop using stations as there tends to be a lot of clutter!), thne just try different framings, generally central is good but if there is a nice signal or structure maybe include that in the framing for extra interest.

Depending on your camera you can probably be more adventurous, I'd say as a beginner use the auto settings on your camera while you get used to framing etc, to avoid blurring 'sport mode' is good if its available to you.

My photos are all taken with full manual but this isn't for everyone and it takes time, you risk screwing shots up if the light changes at the last minute :D Don't talk to me about that haha It took me ages to start using these settings after I upgraded cameras.

Basically, experiment and keep uploading them so people can give you feedback! It's the way to improve :)
 

Bevan Price

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I just recently started talking photos and videos of trains:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/madabouttransport/

I am relatively happy with the quality of my pictures, lighting, angle, position.
But because I am new to this I think I have a lot to learn, does anyone have any tips for a beginner?

1. Practice, practice, practice. Test the capabilities of your camera -read the manual - how does it behave in various lighting condidtions ? Are your photos sharp and in focus ? If not, use a faster shutter speed, increase the ISO setting if necessary. If your photos are consistently too dark, or too bright, you may need to over-ride automatic exposure settings if your camera allows this.

2. The most important factor is do you like the picture yourself ? Of course it is nice if others like your photos as well. There are commonly accepted "rules" about picture composition - ideally the main focal point of the picture should be one third of the way across the picture, rather than dead centre. However, breaking the rules can sometimes produce a good photo.

3. Visit a variety of locations, stations, open countryside, etc. Also try photos of non-railway subjects - nature, scenery, flowers, portraits, buildings, etc. - whatever interests you.

4. Once you have plenty of experience, resist the temptation to upload every single photo to the internet. A few varied exposurss have more impact to site visitors than lots of similar views.
 

172212

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1. Practice, practice, practice. Test the capabilities of your camera -read the manual - how does it behave in various lighting condidtions ? Are your photos sharp and in focus ? If not, use a faster shutter speed, increase the ISO setting if necessary. If your photos are consistently too dark, or too bright, you may need to over-ride automatic exposure settings if your camera allows this.

2. The most important factor is do you like the picture yourself ? Of course it is nice if others like your photos as well. There are commonly accepted "rules" about picture composition - ideally the main focal point of the picture should be one third of the way across the picture, rather than dead centre. However, breaking the rules can sometimes produce a good photo.

3. Visit a variety of locations, stations, open countryside, etc. Also try photos of non-railway subjects - nature, scenery, flowers, portraits, buildings, etc. - whatever interests you.

4. Once you have plenty of experience, resist the temptation to upload every single photo to the internet. A few varied exposurss have more impact to site visitors than lots of similar views.

I did a bit of spotting today, I think my snaps are looking a lot better, I'll have them uploaded in the next few hours :D

http://www.flickr.com/photos/madabouttransport/
 

NY Yankee

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I'm not a photography expert, but I have a few general tips:

Hold the camera steady. Shaking it will make the picture blurry

Use a camera that's at least 6 megapixels

Do not use flash to take pictures of a train or bus

Do not aim directly in the sun or a bright light.

Make sure nothing is obstructing your picture. It is annoying when I have the perfect picture of a train and I see half of a leg or head in the picture.
 

Pen Mill

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I'm no experton this but I follow a couple of guidelines given to me by a very good photographer :-
1) Try to get the whole subject (unit) in the photo.
323201 & 150107 don't do this.
2) The subject should start about 1/3rd in from either side and 1/3rd from the bottom edge of the photo.
153364/170505 is getting there but 170630 is too far to the right and 323211 is too far from the side and the bottom.

You can probably achieve this by editing the photo most times.
Good luck
 

GB

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I'm no experton this but I follow a couple of guidelines given to me by a very good photographer :-
1) Try to get the whole subject (unit) in the photo.
323201 & 150107 don't do this.
2) The subject should start about 1/3rd in from either side and 1/3rd from the bottom edge of the photo.
153364/170505 is getting there but 170630 is too far to the right and 323211 is too far from the side and the bottom.

This.

It makes such a difference to get the whole train in the shot rather than having half of it suddenly chopped off. Get the composition right and your onto a winner, get it wrong and you will already be on the back foot.
 

221129

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This.

It makes such a difference to get the whole train in the shot rather than having half of it suddenly chopped off. Get the composition right and your onto a winner, get it wrong and you will already be on the back foot.

I 100% agree! A bit of simple cropping can achieve wonderful things.
 

telstarbox

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Use a rigid object to rest your arms on where possible to minimise blur - for example a horizontal railing (like these people if you can imagine them taking pics) or the top of a platform bench. If there's nothing around or the level is wrong, then keep your elbows touching your chest while you take the shot as this will reduce shaking.

Avoid shooting through glass but if unavoidable ensure the flash is off.

(These aren't in reference to your photos by the way but is worth remembering!)

I've borrowed from the library a short but very useful book called Compact Digital Cameras by Arnold Wilson. It has lots of useful advice for using a "basic" camera well. Think it's out of print but there are second-hand copies available - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Digital-Compact-Cameras-Great-Photos/dp/1861085273

As for editing software - I find the inbuilt editor in Windows Vista/Windows 7 is good for the basics of cropping and adjusting the brightness and contrast. It also has a Straighten button which is quite effective and an Auto-Adjust button - this doesn't always improve the photo but you can undo any changes instantly.
 
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wensley

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My other top tip...do not go to stupidly out of the way stations chasing heritage traction in only shorts and t-shirt then find out of the train is late and that you are still at said shack three hours later, landing home at midnight :lol:

God I love this hobby!!
I wouldn't have missed my nighttime trip to BTT for anything haha
 

Temple Meads

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I've been properly "photting" for about a year now, and if I do say so myself, I'd say I've improved over time, so my main piece of advice, you can only truly improve through practise.

A good camera also helps, one that can accurately freeze a moving train is best, as then you can graduate away from just photting on stations.

As others have said, the front cab of your subject should ideally not be in the centre of the picture, but 1/3rd from the edge of the picture.

I'd say this picture best illustrates how I like to do it: http://www.flickr.com/photos/71526779@N07/7368954182/in/photostream

Also think of the background, a great picture is rarely a 3 quarter on a platform, unless the station buildings are of interest, try to get an interesting backdrop if you can.

If you've got a camera that has optical zoom, you can use it to good effect with this sort of picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/71526779@N07/7242346864/in/photostream

If you don't mind kneeling down, putting your camera close to the ground to take the picture can provide an interesting view, as I did here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/71526779@N07/6836250752/in/photostream

Finally, your pictures are "good" when you're happy with them, not when others say so.

Good luck :)
 
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