Beginner portraits

[FM1981]

yes it shoots in raw and the files are supported. I noticed that I was previously using the auto white balance setting.

These are the white balance modes that the camera gives me:
White Balance Mode

• Auto (3000 - 7000 K)
• Daylight (approx. 5200 K)
• Cloudy (approx. 6000 K)
• Tungsten (approx. 3200 K)
• Fluorescent (approx. 4000 K)
• Flash (approx. 6000 K)
• Custom (2000 - 10000 K)

should I chose the mode based on what my shooting conditions are?

[w349]

I tend to shoot in AWB (auto white balance) most of the time because that way, in post, I get all of the pre-set white balances, and the raw converter's auto white balance option, and the camera's auto white balance option. Usually if I'm shooting with flash though I'll set it (Daylight, Cloudy or fluorescent ... ironically not flash).

This is up to you though. I'll usually tweak all of my white balances in post regardless of what I shoot.

[FM1981]

^ I'll give that a try. I was just wondering if they pictures would come out the same if I originally had my settings with AWB and JPG images but changed the settings to AWB and RAW.

[HDNitehawk]

If you shoot in RAW and AWB the camera will still do the same thing it does now as far as white balance goes. The only diffrence is with RAW format you have to convert your images to JPG and when you do convert you can adjust the white balance at the computer if it is wrong.

If you are going to use JPG you can work out the white balance using those settings you described.

[Joel Eade]

just wondering what temperature do you think would make the picture better?

Depends on the light source .... try somewhere around 5400K

[FM1981]

thank you for all the input and information, I will be taking more pictures this weekend since we are taking him to county fair in our area. I only have a 50mm lens. What lens would you guys recommend for shooting at a theme park or carnival/fair?

[Busted Knuckles]

1st, I didn't see anything off w/ the metering and exposure of your shots. Check off 1 of the 3 primary elements (Exposure, focus, framing - shooting in RAW we do white balance later)

As to the lens for street/carnival/fair. Outside the 15-85 is the #1 choice, great image quality (IQ), decent price - little slow f stop wise. #2 choice is the 17-55, better IQ, f2.8, pricey. #3 18-55 "kit lens" for the current for Canon rebel line up - OK IQ, little slow f stop wise, super cheap. Although having said this, I am not sure they will fit on your camera and not have very dark corners. I did the look up on DPReview to get the specs. If these are unacceptable/won't fit the mirror movements, the discontinued 24-85 might be a good solution, the step would be the 24-105 L series or the 28-135 (which might not be wide enough).

yes I have the OLD canon D60. (didn't canon recently make a newer d60 also?)

I bought it used off ebay many years ago. I just started using it since my son was born. So I'm still on the dslr learning curve. The point and shoot pictures didn't really do it for me. It's an old camera but gets the job done.

This was released in 2002 - and priced basically where the 5D Mark II is priced new today. It has 3 focusing points, ISO up to 1000, and 6.3 JPG 7.4 Raw?? megapixels. Sensor looks like APS-H size.

This might sound odd.... but..... rather than buy a lens, I would consider a more recent body something like a t2i or 50d - the focusing, image quality, ISO gains are rather substantial. Looks like these are going for the low $550 w/ the 18-55 kit lens. For the extra $100 the T3i is available.

much improved focusing, ISO up to 6400 and 12800 in a "push", and 2-3x pixels and access to the EF-S series of lenses that are pretty darn good image wise and less expensive than their counterparts built for the full frame/APS-H sensor.

I don't want to push hardware, but the reasonably current stuff has features/capabilities that just makes things easier, etc.

Mike

[FM1981]

Yea it doesn't sound odd. I will eventually upgrade to a newer camera body. This old camera is mainly for practice. Thank you for the lens & camera model suggestions, I will look into those options.

[jrw]

One thing I did notice is that the shots are dominated by the landscape orientation of the camera. When you are wanting a person, or any other mostly vertical subject, to fill the frame and be the dominant, perhaps only, item shown in the photo it can be very helpful to rotate the camera around when taking the shot so that the photo is in portrait mode for viewing. It is a little thing that can sometimes make a big difference in certain situations.

[FM1981]

I could never get a decent picture in the portrait view. But I will try to get more.