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Nikon D3200 Help

I have  a Nikon D3200 with a 18-55 and 55-200 lenses. I would like to take pictures of people like an eye or smile close up, as well as pictures of cars with an emphasis on the emblem or headlight. I also want to take picture of nature like snow covered trees. I've been messing around with the two lenses and settings without much luck. I bought the camera used from friend of a friend who does semi-professional photography and have seen the potential. Also what would be the best program to touch up these pictures? I have a Dell XPS 9570 with a 4K display, so processing power and screen resolution shouldn't hold me back. I'm also looking into taking lightning or storm pictures, any recommendations for additional equipment would be greatly appreciated.

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5 hours ago, Boeckel911 said:

I have  a Nikon D3200 with a 18-55 and 55-200 lenses. I would like to take pictures of people like an eye or smile close up, as well as pictures of cars with an emphasis on the emblem or headlight. I also want to take picture of nature like snow covered trees. I've been messing around with the two lenses and settings without much luck.

I'd suggest watching a walkthrough/tutorial for your specific camera, and generally getting to know how all the settings work.

After that, take some time to learn about aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and light. Understanding exposure and your camera's settings is informative, freeing, and will set you up to exercise your creativity with a lot less frustration.

5 hours ago, Boeckel911 said:

 Also what would be the best program to touch up these pictures?

BEST is pretty subjective, and I'm sure there will be alot of other members on here who each have their own preferences. There are myraid options to choose from, depending on your preference for ease of use, inter-app communication, budget, and desire for features.

For free, take a look at GIMP, Photor, Pixlr, Photo Pos Pro, or Nikon's own NX-D Capture.

For paid, take a look at Adobe Lightroom, Capture One, Luminar, or Affinity Photo.

5 hours ago, Boeckel911 said:

I'm also looking into taking lightning or storm pictures, any recommendations for additional equipment would be greatly appreciated.

One thing at a time, but you'll definitely need a tripod for this.

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Total agree with @LyondellBasell, learn the basics first that will help a lot. 

My favorite resource to tell people is FroKnowsPhoto on Youtube. He's a little abrasive and has some strong opinions I don't necessary agree with about editing style, but he goes very deep into some basic topics that is hard to find. He's done an in-depth walk through of almost every Nikon camera model including the D3200 so check that out. 

 

As Far as editing software, In my opinion the Lightroom/Photoshop bundle from Adobe is the best, but it is a monthly subscription. Whenever I use to the free editors it always feels like there are features missing, but if you are just playing around or starting out the free options are great. 

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On 7/13/2019 at 4:46 PM, Boeckel911 said:

I have  a Nikon D3200 with a 18-55 and 55-200 lenses. I would like to take pictures of people like an eye or smile close up, as well as pictures of cars with an emphasis on the emblem or headlight. I also want to take picture of nature like snow covered trees. I've been messing around with the two lenses and settings without much luck. I bought the camera used from friend of a friend who does semi-professional photography and have seen the potential. Also what would be the best program to touch up these pictures? I have a Dell XPS 9570 with a 4K display, so processing power and screen resolution shouldn't hold me back. I'm also looking into taking lightning or storm pictures, any recommendations for additional equipment would be greatly appreciated.

You don't need editing software, you need practice.

I am a professional photographer and I've been published internationally with a near 16 year old dSLR (Canon 10D) with a 50mm lens.

It's not about the gear, or the software, it's about knowing how to get the most out of what you have.

While your lenses are considered "kit" lenses, they should give you enough flexibility to get most of what you are looking for.

 

Start with the basics like understanding the relationship between aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.

Move on to how to maximize the use of existing light (the hardest part for any photographer to understand)

Then master the subject matter you are interested in.

NOTE: I no longer frequent this site. If you really need help, PM/DM me and my e.mail will alert me. 

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1 hour ago, Radium_Angel said:

You don't need editing software, you need practice.

I am a professional photographer and I've been published internationally with a near 16 year old dSLR (Canon 10D) with a 50mm lens.

It's not about the gear, or the software, it's about knowing how to get the most out of what you have.

While your lenses are considered "kit" lenses, they should give you enough flexibility to get most of what you are looking for.

 

Start with the basics like understanding the relationship between aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.

Move on to how to maximize the use of existing light (the hardest part for any photographer to understand)

Then master the subject matter you are interested in.

Summer here is a bit like trial by fire, as far as light mastery is concerned. Not a cloud to even have a hope of softer light. ?

My eyes see the past…

My camera lens sees the present…

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Just now, Zodiark1593 said:

Not a cloud to even have a hope of softer light.

So hit the area with golden light (dawn, and dusk) those are excellent times to work with. Hard shadows can be used quite creatively.

(I'd post examples of my work on that, but I"m a fetish photographer so it's all NSFW)

NOTE: I no longer frequent this site. If you really need help, PM/DM me and my e.mail will alert me. 

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9 minutes ago, Radium_Angel said:

So hit the area with golden light (dawn, and dusk) those are excellent times to work with. Hard shadows can be used quite creatively.

(I'd post examples of my work on that, but I"m a fetish photographer so it's all NSFW)

I agree, though nowadays (I live in rural California), everything here is pretty much a lovely shade of golden brown. I tend to love dark, dreary, and rainy/snowing days by contrast.

 

Not that I can't figure something out here. I've a few ideas to pursue. 

My eyes see the past…

My camera lens sees the present…

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2 minutes ago, Zodiark1593 said:

rainy/snowing days by contrast.

Can't help with snow, but making your own rainmaker is a snap.

Then you get some friends together, a model, and go to town!

NOTE: I no longer frequent this site. If you really need help, PM/DM me and my e.mail will alert me. 

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Just now, Radium_Angel said:

Can't help with snow, but making your own rainmaker is a snap.

Then you get some friends together, a model, and go to town!

Willing friends and model are pretty insurmountable for myself (I'm about as introverted as it gets), but a 5 gallon bottle of water was involved in one of said ideas for a night shot.

My eyes see the past…

My camera lens sees the present…

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7 minutes ago, Zodiark1593 said:

I'm about as introverted as it gets

I can help you with your photography skills, but this part I cannot do anything about.

NOTE: I no longer frequent this site. If you really need help, PM/DM me and my e.mail will alert me. 

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1 hour ago, Radium_Angel said:

I can help you with your photography skills, but this part I cannot do anything about.

If I were to do photography for a job, the social bit would probably be no more problem than my current job. ;)

My eyes see the past…

My camera lens sees the present…

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1 hour ago, Zodiark1593 said:

If I were to do photography for a job, the social bit would probably be no more problem than my current job. ;)

The field is waaaaay to crowded to allow photography as a career. Unless you hit upon a very rare niche. While there are tons of (bottom of the barrel IMO) wedding photographers, when was the last time you saw a "divorce photographer"? It's a totally untapped market I tells ya! ?

NOTE: I no longer frequent this site. If you really need help, PM/DM me and my e.mail will alert me. 

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32 minutes ago, Radium_Angel said:

The field is waaaaay to crowded to allow photography as a career. Unless you hit upon a very rare niche. While there are tons of (bottom of the barrel IMO) wedding photographers, when was the last time you saw a "divorce photographer"? It's a totally untapped market I tells ya! ?

Prisoners might want to dress nicely for picture day too. ?

How about photographing the moment people unbox their brand new phones. Those memories, I tell ya. 

My eyes see the past…

My camera lens sees the present…

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On 7/14/2019 at 7:46 AM, zdog16 said:

Total agree with @LyondellBasell, learn the basics first that will help a lot. 

My favorite resource to tell people is FroKnowsPhoto on Youtube. He's a little abrasive and has some strong opinions I don't necessary agree with about editing style, but he goes very deep into some basic topics that is hard to find. He's done an in-depth walk through of almost every Nikon camera model including the D3200 so check that out.

His photo critiques are a goldmine of information, too. The Northrups are also a good channel, since they put out a lot of practical information that ties into their book.

 

@Boeckel911, learning the basics absolutely is necessary here. I kept wondering what I was doing wrong with my photos as well. I mean I had a DSLR, so shouldn't great photos come with the territory? Why was I getting better pictures with my cell phone? I also had the D3200. I thought buying primes (35mm DX and 50mm FX f/1.8) would make a difference, but they didn't. Because I didn't really know what I was doing. So I took the time to actually learn.

 

As @Radium_Angel said as well, practice, practice, practice as well. The kit lenses you have will give you decent results once you get to know the camera, the exposure triangle, how to meter your exposure, etc. You're about to find out what your camera can really do. Sure it was the lowest-level DSLR that Nikon offered at the time, but it can still do great things once you learn how. As an example, the attached photo was taken with my D3200 with the 50mm f/1.8 (resized down, obviously) and only lightly corrected for exposure after the fact.

bridgette.jpg

Wife's build: Amethyst - Ryzen 9 3900X, 32GB G.Skill Ripjaws V DDR4-3200, ASUS Prime X570-P, EVGA RTX 3080 FTW3 12GB, Corsair Obsidian 750D, Corsair RM1000 (yellow label)

My build: Mira - Ryzen 7 3700X, 32GB EVGA DDR4-3200, ASUS Prime X470-PRO, EVGA RTX 3070 XC3, beQuiet Dark Base 900, EVGA 1000 G6

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On 7/14/2019 at 7:46 AM, zdog16 said:

Total agree with @LyondellBasell, learn the basics first that will help a lot. 

My favorite resource to tell people is FroKnowsPhoto on Youtube. He's a little abrasive and has some strong opinions I don't necessary agree with about editing style, but he goes very deep into some basic topics that is hard to find. He's done an in-depth walk through of almost every Nikon camera model including the D3200 so check that out. 

 

As Far as editing software, In my opinion the Lightroom/Photoshop bundle from Adobe is the best, but it is a monthly subscription. Whenever I use to the free editors it always feels like there are features missing, but if you are just playing around or starting out the free options are great. 

@zdog16Thanks for the link, I watched his video on the D3200 and learned so much about what my camera can do!

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On 7/13/2019 at 9:38 PM, LyondellBasell said:

BEST is pretty subjective, and I'm sure there will be alot of other members on here who each have their own preferences. There are myraid options to choose from, depending on your preference for ease of use, inter-app communication, budget, and desire for features.

For free, take a look at GIMP, Photor, Pixlr, Photo Pos Pro, or Nikon's own NX-D Capture.

For paid, take a look at Adobe Lightroom, Capture One, Luminar, or Affinity Photo.

@LyondellBasell I downloaded the free options, I'm going to try and see if I like any one over another. I want to try a paid version, but I think waiting until I practice more with my camera. 

Thank you!

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On 7/17/2019 at 1:46 PM, Radium_Angel said:

So hit the area with golden light (dawn, and dusk) those are excellent times to work with. Hard shadows can be used quite creatively.

(I'd post examples of my work on that, but I"m a fetish photographer so it's all NSFW)

@Radium_Angel  This is one of the areas I wanted to jump into. I'm new to this forum, but if possible, you could DM me and we could talk more about this. You know what camera I have, and I have a model, now its just time to practice. I have no interest in doing any professional photography, just do it well as a hobby.

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On 7/17/2019 at 8:00 PM, Zodiark1593 said:

(I'm about as introverted as it gets

I’m very much like yourself. People scare the crap out of me to be honest. I stick to sport (Windsurfing mainly), wildlife and macro photography as a result. Even then I still don’t get my camera out of the bag if too many people are about at the local Reservoirs, beauty  spots etc. Missed a lot of opportunities because of that.

 

I am also not too comfortable around spiders yet once I have a macro lens between me and the creatures that nervousness vanishes and all I can think of is the shot. Some photographers I know feel the same with people, they are also nervous but the camera is like a shield protecting them from the nasty germ ridden humans the other side.

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On 7/23/2019 at 11:48 PM, Boeckel911 said:

@LyondellBasell I downloaded the free options, I'm going to try and see if I like any one over another. I want to try a paid version, but I think waiting until I practice more with my camera. 

Thank you!

Use Nikon's software for doing your initial cull through of the files: getting rid of images that are out of focus, doing bulk-rotate on the files if you don't have auto-rotate enabled in your camera, etc. Though it allows for some light editing beyond that - exposure compensation, white balance adjustment, etc. - I don't use any of those options unless I forgot to double-check my camera settings before shooting. It's fast for culling through a lot of files for weeding out what is definitely not a keeper, and it's always my step 1 after backing up the original files.

 

If you then want to use something that doesn't support the RAW files for additional editing (such as GIMP for any "photoshopping"), export them as TIFFs since that is lossless compression, whereas JPEGs are lossy compression. Only use JPEGs for the final result.

 

On the free front there's also darktable, which is developed to be a lot like Lr. But you can get a Lr-only subscription with 1TB online backup storage for only $10/mo, so consider giving that a shot, even if only for a month or two.

Wife's build: Amethyst - Ryzen 9 3900X, 32GB G.Skill Ripjaws V DDR4-3200, ASUS Prime X570-P, EVGA RTX 3080 FTW3 12GB, Corsair Obsidian 750D, Corsair RM1000 (yellow label)

My build: Mira - Ryzen 7 3700X, 32GB EVGA DDR4-3200, ASUS Prime X470-PRO, EVGA RTX 3070 XC3, beQuiet Dark Base 900, EVGA 1000 G6

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On 7/23/2019 at 11:43 PM, Phill104 said:

I’m very much like yourself. People scare the crap out of me to be honest. I stick to sport (Windsurfing mainly), wildlife and macro photography as a result. Even then I still don’t get my camera out of the bag if too many people are about at the local Reservoirs, beauty  spots etc. Missed a lot of opportunities because of that.

 

I am also not too comfortable around spiders yet once I have a macro lens between me and the creatures that nervousness vanishes and all I can think of is the shot. Some photographers I know feel the same with people, they are also nervous but the camera is like a shield protecting them from the nasty germ ridden humans the other side.

It's not that people scare me. Rather, I find it tiring to be around people for very long stretches of time. In general, so long as I get some solitude at the end of the day,, and things aren't too noisy (because me and excessive noise mix as well as Sodium and water) I'm fine.

 

What I really need to address though is directing the subject. I can take shots of people that "look" good, but often have some small flaw, whether the composition is just a bit off, I missed the focus by mere inches, or if the subject was in motion and my shutter speed just wasn't fast enough. Ideally, a photographer would ask the subject to repeat said action to get another chance at a good photo, or for a different pose perhaps. I find it horribly awkward to make such requests though. This has cost me on some shots that I otherwise really liked, so I need to fix it.

My eyes see the past…

My camera lens sees the present…

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3 hours ago, AnnaLudvigovna said:

Hey all,
I thought you guys would be the best to ask about cameras. Im thinking the canon T4 rebel. any thoughts? And what would be comparable to this in a Nikon?

Thanks

The t4i is getting on a bit in age, I'd go for the t7i if you want a starter Canon body.

 

I don't know that there's a direct Nikon equivalent, but the D5100 would be a small step down, and the D3200 would be a step up, in terms of resolution.

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