How to take a good picture - Saxperience

JoshB · 10th March 2011, 16:11

Dear SaxP advanced photographers,

Can you please give me some pointers when it comes to taking pictures please?

I've got a Fujifilm Finepix J40 (shitty compact thing), but the quality it churns out really shouldnt be as bad as it is.

I've recently discovered a manual mode, so I can set the ISO level, white balance and the exposure, thats it...

Anyway, see the pic below.

That was taken with the ISO at 200 and the exposure at +2/3, which according to manual is about right for a bright shot. I left the white balance on auto.

Its supposed to be at 11Mpxls, although I know this has been uploaded to photbucket, but please understand that the raw file is no better.

What should I be doing with these settings? Or is my camera just indescribably shite?

Trackday_Addict · 10th March 2011, 17:50

No idea on settings etc. but i think pointing the camera directly at reflecting sunlight like that will always come out poor, you want light coming in from outside the view

Ryan^p · 10th March 2011, 18:55

shooting into the sun will give the shadows and the car is in them.

You dont have lights etc so let the sun do things for you and light the car.

gazwhittle · 10th March 2011, 19:34

Shoot at 45 degrees to the sun so it lights the car but doesn't burn the image.

Prob with the compact just shoot auto the exposure will prob be very vague and basic.