Landscape Tutorial here.
Post your pics in that thread and if you ask I will critique them for you.

This is your challenge.

Find a view that you love or have access too. It could be a streetscape, a seascape, a view from your backdoor to your fence and the sky above it or a park with trees and a playground. It could be standing in the corner of a room and shooting across to the opposite corner. It doesn’t really matter what the subject is, it’s the practice that counts.

Set your camera on the Mountain, AV or I would love you to go onto M.

Set the camera to 2 second delay timer or use a remote trigger.

Lets start with f8.

ISO at its lowest number.

Look at the exposure needle. Is it in the middle on 0??



Adjust the shutter speed so that it is. Check the shutter speed against the length of your lens. Is the speed faster??.

If the shutter speed is lower, then I suggest you tripod or sit the camera on something firm. You can use a jumper or a bean bag or a plastic bag of rice to level the camera and to prevent any scratches to the camera body.

If you have VR (Nikon for Vibration Reduction) or IS (Canon for Image Stabiliser) turn it off. You don’t need it as the camera and the subject is still and if its in use, it will vibrate within the camera and so spoil your shot.

You can go one step further and this is totally up to you, but I do recommend it. Grab your camera manual and find Mirror Lockup. With DSLR’s the slap of the internal mirror moving up and away from the sensor when you press the trigger will vibrate the camera.

Move your focus point if you can (check your manual as this is an important one!!) about 1/3 of the way up into the shot. This ensures that everything should be focused.

Recheck your settings, take the shot.

Now move the f stop to f16. Check your exposure but do not touch the ISO, adjust the shutter so the needle is in the middle, refocus, and take the shot. You should find that the shutter speed is slower to capture enough light coming thru the smaller hole between the aperture blades. You should also see just more of your image is in focus.

Push out to f22. The shutter will be much slower to catch the ambient light. The image will be pin sharp from front to back.

Now that you’ve taken your shot you may want to crop it with your software on your computer.

A pano of 20cms long by 10cm wide is pleasing to the eye. Just make sure you don’t crop out any drama in the sky, or details within the shot. Stay with 10cmx15cm (4x6inch) if you want to keep it all in the shot.

Over in the gallery is a folder to upload your WOW shot to be in the running for a prize. Comp ends on the last day of June at midnight and the winner will be announced on the First Friday of July along with the winners from all the Scrap Therapy monthly challenges.

get out there people and shoot it up!!!!

tiff

Oh Tiff this is a great challenge! and you have been very through explaining how to abtain the best result, well here i go! looking for the perfect shot...hehe

My little point and shoot doesn't let me choose an f-stop, but I do have the mountain icon, can change the shutter speed and ISO. Any hints on the f-stop? buy a new camera???

Helen. can you give me your camera make and details so I can google it?


Go Sam go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Canon IXUS 90IS. Thanks!

Helen. you google it too and we'll see who can find the info first.


and



I'm on dial up speed atm so you should be able to whup my butt!!

helen.

I do suspect that with the mountain icon the camera is doing all the thinking for you, so I dont think you can change the ISO, the fstop or the shutter, but I/we/you will find that out for sure.

Helen. I've found the manual for your camera here

I cant download it tho as it would take until forever on my current internet speed.

Have a look, print it out and keep it with your camera. It'll be pretty much your bible!!

I have the manual Tiff, but I reckon you're right - the camera does it by itself. I have learnt something though in my googling - I should avoid the high ISO. Not that I need worry about that for this challenge.

RE the manual - it's about how to use buttons or features, rather than how to take a photo, so it's a bit back to front for me. Once I've done a few more of your challenges I'll be better armed!

Thanks so much.

do you have any settings like P, TV, AV or M??

not on mine, but I've dug out DH's and it does. We're driving in the mountains for a couple of days, so I'm printing out your instructions and we can play!

oh Helen. what perfect timing. be sure to take the camera manuel for DH's camera. and if you have one, a tripod.

oh and if you can, use your 2 second timer on the camera = less vibration = less blur!!

uhh ohh Tiff... I have a problem.. giggle.. the first time i put my camera on Av i had the little doohdahs to change .. the ftsop etc... but now they have disappeared.... help help giggle..

oh dear Scrapaholic.

Bit hard to say what to do as I dont know your camera at all. I'm not able to download anything very large to find out via google either as I'm on snail internet until the 14th

Try checking that the on switch is on properly. Some Canon SLR's come with a dial that has 2 stages of turning on. One will stop you changing anything and the other will let you play with your settings.

or

Perhaps try taking the battery out and see if it will reset when you put it back in. Or look in the manual to trouble shoot.

or find out how to factory reset.

with these last two you'll need to reset the date, time and any other personal settings you have on your camera.

hope this helps a bit.

tiff

My ex has taken possession of our DSLR I'm just left with a point/shoot digi-cam and a film SLR.

One day though....