It is finally starting to feel like spring here so what better things to do with a camera than to go out and snap shots of the blooming flowers (beside shooting gunpla)? So here are some shots taken by my friend over the weekend with my camera. It’s her first time using an SLR so please provide some constructive criticisms and feedback (be nice).
It’s been over a year since I’ve bought the XSi and not once have I taken it outdoor to shoot flowers so seeing such photos from my own camera is new to me too >_>.
Photo dump
I don’t know anything about looking/shooting at flowers nor taking shots outside so I’m clueless here ^^;. Now here’s a few from yours truly (first time for flowers!)…
I’ll gladly I admit that I don’t know the names of any of the flowers haha…
And that was our little hanami (“flower viewing”). Hope that wasn’t too boring for you ^^;. I’ll resume regular Gunpla stuff (as in finish Cherudim’s review) on Saturday.
Thanks for looking!
ガンプラ命 
The shots makes my jaw dropped…
*fixes jaw back*
Seriously, they looked like high-quality clipart photos from the likes of iStockphoto.com. It’s that good.
couple of pics were a tiniest bit fuzzy but over all great pic i think the bottom ones a cherry blossoms but not totally sure
very relaxing to look at i like it man keep it up
For a second there I thought you are going to take pics of those flowers that names used for those UC Gundams (Physalis, Gerbera, or Stamen) XD
hehe i knew they were flower names but i have no clue how they look like xD
I liked 2,6 and 10 the best. The colors are very vivid and it captures the gradient of the flowers very nicely.
I know next to nothing about photography, played with uncle’s slr once and took pics of flowers too. Only used auto settings though.
They look really great, though I’m not sure if it was intended, but a couple of them looked over exposed?
i can assume most of the over exposed shots belongs to me xD
the photos are nice.
Does she really a first-timer? That’s much better than mine for my first photographs.
Wowza…
Seriously, I only wish I could do that. A couple could use a little work but the others…
WWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWZA
HOSHI!!!! *copy, paste, change tags*^^
Aside from that; I know nothing and have no experience with photography apart from some concepts but I know shiny pictures when I see them.
;-; such pretty flowers.
Nice ;)
I swear the last 2 images were either real or stolen from chun.
Girl(F) who borrowed your cams, pics have reduce light and blur and Image 4 wowed me the most, by darkening the background, it highlighted the flower itself beautifully .
Ps I aint a cam expert, dont take this seriously\
Yours need reduce lighting, and Im gonna steal one of those DSLR if you show us another one of these filler post.
haha they’re real but for you think that i stole them from chun, I’ll take that as a compliment ^^;
this post is not as “filler” as it seems… it’s photography. ;)
Its a good change in pace from everything OTaku and Fun to something more serene.
Wow…. The SLR really is amazing… Even a newbie can make magazine quality pics…
I think picking the right flower with the right ISO is very important, #4, 5, 10 shoulda been shot with less clarity because when the rough surface of the flower shows and it feels like it’s quite old as opposed to just blooming, so a positive motive would turn out negative. Pic number 8 seems quite busy, I don’t like clotting all the flowers in one place without focusing on one blob or so, I mean you need a focus in the picture, if everything’s all over the place it’s messy.
I know your buddy’s a newb but thing is the centre of focus(e.g. your main object, in this case flower) doesn’t have to be close to the centre all the time. Try playing around with the positioning of the objects, create positive space(space filled by objects) and negative space (space for background, etc). This creates balance and imbalance in the picture depending on how you put your objects, and it’ll help you achieve the emotion or feeling you want to get through by the picture. (conflict, harmony, etc)
Another thing is colouring, I see quite a pallet of colours in the pics but I think you’re just trying to look at professional works and imitating them. Contrasting colours and contrasting brightness really helps make your work stand out and also achieve that vigour of spring you’re trying to capture. Sunlight gives a warm feeling and flourescent gives a cool feeling. Warm colour and cold colour. Although you think that warm and cold are seperated, they are actually not. Blue can be a warm colour, and orange can be cold. It’s in the lightness, see the pastel coloured 00 designer’s ver, that tone feels a lot warmer than the normal 00, doesn’t it? But enough about my blabbing, just remember this: if it looks right to you then it probably is right.
A photographer is the same as an artist. You try to depict something, to tell a story, to get a thought across. Professional photography is different from your usual camwhoring and taking pictures of things just because you see it. You have to get in a state of mind, you know? Visualize in your head how it’s gonna come out, and then realize it to see if it actually works to your satisfaction, if not, try to perfect it. Some pros out there snap pro pics in a matter of seconds because they’ve been taking millions of pictures already and have honed their skill to such a level. It’s a long road, but it’s a rewarding hobby since you get to awe your friends and family as well as acquaintances.
Sigh…Sorry for the wall of text but if it’s anything involving fine art I just blurb on and on, it’s even worse than when i talk mecha…But yeah in a way the difference between Z and friend is quite ambiguous. Think it’s the thing with experience using the camera
So… OUT WITH IT! You digging her? Is she cute? You think you’ll have a future with her? Wish you luck!
*applauds* I thank you for the insight and lecture. I’ll keep the “fine arts” aspects in mind next time if I ever decide to shoot flowers again (highly unlikely unless I go to a botanical garden haha).
I know exactly what you mean in your fourth paragraph. I think I can kinda accomplished that with my gunpla shooting but this flower stuff is totally new to me ^^;. Gunpla shooting is so much easier because i can control everything (lighting, background and all) but flowers… i am at the mercy of nature ^^;
Well, thing is that practicing photoshooting things you can’t manipulate is better for your overall development as an artist. Not to be critical of your skills, Z. I think you get to learn a lot more when you can’t play around with your object. You know, same pose looks different from different points of views and different lighting.
It doesn’t have to be just flowers. You can take pics of the city and animals. So long as you have the soul, you can make anything work.
Anyways, I’m kinda stuck on whether to by the rx-78-2 2.0 or the rx-78-3 2.0 TT_TT I like them both but I don’t wanna build two of the same thing. TT_TT Building rx-78-4 and rx-78-5 had been a pain…
Another thing I’m stuck in is whether to grab the MG red frame or MG blue frame. I love the blue frame with all the military style knives, but the red frame is swords swords swords. TT_TT Oh yeah props for the imitation of Soulgain with the BF.
Oh just forgot an important hint. Z, tell your friend to start out with something lesser than the SLR. Weak amateur digital cameras don’t work.
Start with a nice film Canon or Nikon. Everything starts with the BASICS. And don’t get an intermediate one, just get one that’s formal enough to use. Once you mastered the basic concepts of photography then you can move on to a better camera.
It’s also insurance measures so you won’t have spent too much money and realize that you didn’t like to carry on with it any more. That’s really what’s important.
*Weak amateur digital cameras don’t work THOUGH!
I see tulips! ^o^ Also, orchids, but I’m not so sure. Those are pretty shots, but some of them look too bright or burned. O_o
partly my fault for trying to shoot them as if they were gunplas…
Some of the flowers need some panel lining and a good dose of top coat lol :D
Great photos for a first timer!
Thank you everyone for the feedback!
I think I’ll just stick to gunpla photoshooting for now since that’s where I’m at right now… xD
Hanami and Christmas are the best times of year in Tokyo
http://www.japansugoi.com/wordpress/hanami-party-in-springtime-japan/
site not loading for me ^^;