What are you up to?

[Hazel Grant]

At a marina in Utah, many gulls filled the air. This one seemed quite wary of my intentions. Are the feathers too soft? I realized later I had the iso at 400 and maybe that should have been 100-200 because it was a bright day.
Aperture mode: F32.0 (maximum aperture 5.6, the info says and I don't know what that means in relationship to the 32. ) (still learning!)
1/125. iso 400

[David Thomasson]

At a marina in Utah, many gulls filled the air. This one seemed quite wary of my intentions. Are the feathers too soft? I realized later I had the iso at 400 and maybe that should have been 100-200 because it was a bright day.
Aperture mode: F32.0 (maximum aperture 5.6, the info says and I don't know what that means in relationship to the 32. ) (still learning!)
1/125. iso 400

Yes, probably 100 ISO would have been fine, and maybe f8 or so. It's pretty underexposed as it is. I brightened it up a bit and replaced the sky. (Blues tend to get especially noisy when underexposed.) Interesting perch ... and it does seem to have it's eye on you. ;)

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/1323/gullfrx.jpg

(http://profile.imageshack.us/user/peano)

[Lance Peters]

Hi Hazel - as David mentioned this is underexposed -- also F32 would really only be used for landscapes. Generally you would be at F11 or under -- The f number controls the depth of field - a high number like F32 is a small opening in your lens that lets light into the camera andresults in a great depth of field. IE-- Foreground objects and background objects sharply in focus. A smaller number like F8 is a bigger opening in your lens that lets light into your camera which results in a smaller depth of field - only parts of your main subject may be in focus depending on what F number you choose.

Of course it is a little more complicated than this - your F number and the shutter speed and the ISO combine to give you a correct exposure.

This is how I would set your camera up for a start at least...

Aperture Priority mode
Matrix Metering
Over exposure blinkies turned on
400 ISO
Learn to interpret your Histogram
Learn to use your exposure compensation

There is a lot of info under the ETL educational resources foruum ;)

[Hazel Grant]

thanks. I'm still learning. There is so much to think about before pushing that button to take a shot! This was taken "on the fly" excuse the pun as I was walking down the dock. I liked the resulting eye of the gull, etc. and from the comments here, am more aware in developing my eye. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Juan Aragonés]

Instead of the fact that the image is underexposed you have to consider that composition would be much better if you avoid to put the main subject in the middle of the frame. More room at the left would produce a better result. The eye contact is very good and the shooting angle is a bit steped. Keep them coming