Since you asked...

I think you're thinking of the zoom function "wrong". The zoom function is not an impediment to taking the picture you want because the subject is "too close". For the subjects that are "too close" to easily use the zoom function, ... just don't zoom. Really. Just take the picture with the wider lens setting (less or no zoom), and voila', your picture.

Now, what I think is probably happening is that you're just enjoying playing around with your new camera, exploring all the features and functions of the toy machine. And the zoom is a cool part of that. So you see something interesting to photograph, you think you'll try the zoom feature, and unfortunately, it's "too close" to easily use the zoom for *that* subject. In this case, pffft, let the "rules" go out the window. Zoom in on something close up, knock yourself out. It's your camera, it's your artistic vision, if the plebs don't like it, tough. Your muse, your pictures.

Anyhow, you're doing great, the pictures are nice and you look like you're having a lot of fun. *THAT'S* the main point, and you're totally getting that one. Well done. :)

Congrats on your camera :)

Try not to use up all the film in one pass!! (It can be tempting)

V - thanks for the advice. The issue isn't the zoom function, it's a zoom lens. The normal lens stops at 55mm and the zoom lens starts at 70mm. Because it starts there, it just takes a bit of planning since I can't pull the lens in any further than 70mm

Thanks for the compliment :) I am very proud of my pictures. I wish I could post them all here - lol!

A 70mm lens is the preferred "portrait lens", which seem counter intuitive. But if you think about it, a portrait is usually head and shoulders, think school pictures, without the camera being right in the subjects face. Try it with your friend, seeing how close you have to be to get the same school picture with the 50mm and 70mm.

Now if you apply that same reasoning, you can take a sort of fearless squirrel, or cowardly flower, filling the frame without being on top of it. Then you can take same wider shots as the 50mm, without walking way over there, 'cause walking is so 20th century, plus really hard walking up a tree trunk. :haha:

Did you ever say what model your camera is?

I have fun with my macro lens... They can be expensive, but you can get a usable one under $200...

That lets you get right up tight on your subject, and you get lovely bokeh to contrast.

I think the composition of a photo is half of the game. Try to keep it in mind as you shoot, or crop after. You want the eye to be led around by the contrasting lines or colors. Don't put the subject dead center. Use thirds and triangles. Horizons should not be in the middle.

lumberjim - thanks for the tips. I will keep those in mind.

I don't know if I mentioned the model, either. I got a Nikon D3300 Digital SLR Camera with a 18-55mm VR II Zoom Lens and a Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di LD Macro Zoom Lens (BIM).

I got a bundle cause I didn't know what I needed. I chose this model because it looked kind of like the middle ground. Not completely manual, but still some manual features like focus. And because it came in red. Yep.

That camera's got a pretty good sensor and should be able to take nice star pictures, like of the Milky Way.

Night photos would be fun :D Is that with the zoom lens or with the normal lens?

Experiment! But I'd try the normal lens first. It lets in more light. It would be good for wide shots of the milky way. You would want a tripod though. Do you have one?

Yes! My package came with one! Man, I think I did good on choosing the package....

I made dis. It's a padded lens case. It doesn't stand very well, but I'm hoping that it will be better than having to lug my whole camera case around every time I go out. It was made specifically for my zoom lens, but I am hoping that it can work for the normal camera until I get that one made.

It's in the bag, Baby. :thumb:

nice

I (or it may be Popdigr's) have a really old Tamron telephoto lens around here somewhere...

I said really old...it probably dates to the early-mid 70s.

Some more pics for ya

Let's not discuss how long I stood there for the web picture

Webs are hard if the light doesn't cooperate. Try using a mister (not a Mr.:D)to cover the web in tiny water droplets.

Webs are much easier to see than to photograph. You might also try the manual focus on something you *know* is in the same focal range, like the spider or a branch the web's attached to.

A can of white spray paint can help reveal webs against a darker background, like in a barn, etc

Went on another walk today

Can you find the rock I call jabba?

Nice turts!

Turtles good.

Thanks! Got them with my zoom :)

Fargon, I particularly liked your two middle pics in Post#80

... in pic#2, the hiker is still in the light, but just at the edge of dark.
Somehow, that seems to me to be more interesting that just being in full light, or full shade.

... in pic#3, the point of interest is at about 1/3 of the vertical height.
Again, somehow, that seems to me to be a more interesting composition than in the middle.

:thumb:

That was not me. It was Bbro.

Geeez, I'm doing that all too often lately. I need a secretary.

No worries :) Thanks for the compliments!

I tried to get a shot out of the airplane window recently and failed miserably. I got an okish shot with the auto feature and couldn't get diddly with the manual settings no matter what I tried. Came home and was brainstorming about getting some practice. I bought a set of lights on sale - scored with amber lights - and googled. I was doing ok, but the color was off. Apparently, you should adjust the white balance to correct the color. I think I am getting a hang of it :)

It's still out of focus, but the color is right and the lights are showing. I am going to try again at night when there is NO residual light. Also, have some pictures from my trip home!

Doggies and Pgh weather when I landed

So you did fly.

Always

To Colorado?

No - childhood home for the holidays.

OK, I thought I'd missed some juicy stuff. :blush:

Thought the steam capture looked pretty cool. I think I got some good shots

maybe weighing in late, but another reason for a longer focal length lens for portraits is less distortion. A 135 is also a nice portrait lens.

The ideal (in my opinion) beginner's phalanx of lenses would be a 35mm, roughly equivalent to our field of vision when scanning a scene, a 70 to 135 zoom which somewhat replicates what we see when we focus on things that are distant. This has to do more with what we edit out in our brains and not what our eyes actually see:
Normal lens

I have a 15-55mm lens as my "regular" lens. I don't do many portraits. I've been doing mostly nature photos and food :)

Here are some photos I took of the storm and clouds that came through NC today. I had a total of 16, but managed to narrow it down to 3 of my favorites.

...maybe I should do a thread of all my photos over in Images....

They look like after clouds, after the storm when it's moving on.
Matters not where you post 'em, we'll find 'em. :eyeball::eyeball:

Yep, they were after clouds. I couldn't get any during because I don't have a protector for my camera.

Usually not before either, as that kind of storm usually builds up instead of a defined front. Like seeing a skunk, it gets bigger and bigger then all hell breaks loose and you can't see shit until the tail is moving on.

It was a tornado, hail, and high wind laced storm that cut across multiple states. It was ugly, but I didn't get too bad. It was more sudden, so I think I would have been able to get some pics. I think I have some of the sky dark on one side, but clouds like these on the other

Nice pics. Keep posting them. Wherever.

Perfect for nature and landscape stuff. Also good for food depending on what you are shooting and the style you are looking for.

this

Thanks guys :) I will definitely keep posting!

http://cellar.org/showthread.php?t=31784 for photos :)