Seiko Club Singapore

Wade wrote:Try Sunset shooting at Mount Faber; shot taken at 18:55pm with Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8.
Manual Mode, Focal length: 24mm, ISO100, 1/30s, f/16.0, OEV Direct Sunlight.
Lens is set to Manual Focus & set to infinity.

why not try aperture mode first? Using a DSLR does not mean u have to be using manual mode all the time especially when u are just starting out. Aperture/Shutter mode can teach u on wat aperture to use depending on the light availability.

Apologies if Im too blunt on the sunset pic above. Colors and contrast are flat, the foreground are too dark, there's no clear subject on what u want to achieve. U may want to read more about exposure and composition in order to improve on the pics. Photgraphy is not about inputting certain settings to get the pics that u want because that will NOT work. Practice, practice and more practice. Good luck

yup a lot of times friends beside me force themselves to use full manual mode when they bought their DSLR. Not sure why they just felt it is necessary to use manual mode on a complicated camera.

I still remember when I just got my first camera (a prosumer model, that time DSLRs do not exist and even a 300D cost a bomb), I always force myself to use manual mode; somehow the mode button set to "M" makes it uber cool for a uni student. Then when I progress to entry level DSLR, semi-pro, pro models I find myself using aperture priority more and more especially when I have a lot of quality lens in my bag.

Fast forward 10 years later... I can basically grab any camera with manual settings and use with ease. Just need to know how to set the ISO, aperture, and focus points. And give me a good subject with plenty of good light

Some photos I took last week:

Fujifilm x-pro1 w/ XF60mm. ISO200, f/5.6 shot on a tripod.
Setup: black reflective acrylic as base to get the reflection, black matte cardboard at the back for the dark background. IKEA desk clock at the back


Fujitilm x-pro1 w/ XF60mm. ISO200, f/2.4 shot on a tripod
Setup: black reflective acrylic, some of my Fuji lenses as props

hisokaka wrote:

Wade wrote:Try Sunset shooting at Mount Faber; shot taken at 18:55pm with Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8.
Manual Mode, Focal length: 24mm, ISO100, 1/30s, f/16.0, OEV Direct Sunlight.
Lens is set to Manual Focus & set to infinity.

why not try aperture mode first? Using a DSLR does not mean u have to be using manual mode all the time especially when u are just starting out. Aperture/Shutter mode can teach u on wat aperture to use depending on the light availability.

Apologies if Im too blunt on the sunset pic above. Colors and contrast are flat, the foreground are too dark, there's no clear subject on what u want to achieve. U may want to read more about exposure and composition in order to improve on the pics. Photgraphy is not about inputting certain settings to get the pics that u want because that will NOT work. Practice, practice and more practice. Good luck

Then filters come into the picture or HDR.

I'm not pro but I once chase sun rise/set, the manual settings doesn't matter anymore. Steady shot, tripods, long exposures, filters to sort out shots like that.

I agree, don't fuss around so much about the settings. Getting the right exposure is pretty useless if the photo doesn't have any stand out feature. Composition is something that's hard to practice. Some just have an eye for things.


Via a mobile device

It ok hisokaka bro. It good to have comment coming in then I can improve my photography skill.
I have reduced the Exposure comp; my whole idea to highlight the sky which doesn't seem on the right track.
Let hope the below photo have improved on the photo Colors, contrast, foreground and clear subject on what I want to achieve.

Wade wrote: I have reduced the Exposure comp; my whole idea to highlight the sky which doesn't seem on the right track.
Let hope the below photo have improved on the photo Colors, contrast, foreground and clear subject on what I want to achieve.

you need to ask yourself: what is interesting in your photo? If it is the sun then there are too many unnecessary foreground items (thick bushes) and the building at the left is an extra. What are you trying to portray? I would suggest another vantage points where you can find more interesting foreground, or perhaps do a tighter crop with a telephoto lens emphasising the cable cars hanging in front of the setting sun. If you need to include large amount of foreground, do consider using GND filters or exposure compensation (later merge multiple photos into a HDR-like photo).

I have to agree with roo7; composition and creativity is the most difficult aspect to pick up in photography.

Some of my archives, I don't really shoot much anymore (work caught up on me):

LongJi Rice Terrace (2010)


Marina Bay Sands (2012)


ArtScience Museum (2012) *ignore the white strip at the left, not sure how it got there

wow nice shot bro yrh0413 and really need to learn from you.
If can't success then have to give up photography.

Wade wrote:wow nice shot bro yrh0413 and really need to learn from you.
If can't success then have to give up photography.

please don't say that, photography is just a hobby... a passion to take pretty photographs. The way you put it is like saying "I should give up Seiko if I cannot afford a Grand Seiko"

my mentor (a commercial landscape photographer) once told me, a powerful photograph is one that capture attention of viewers of all ages.
A photo that people will pause for a while when they saw your photo on the billboard;
A photo that people will stop scrolling their mouse when they saw your photo on a website

I'm still learning, but gone are the days where I am passioned enough to lug 20kg cameras and lenses on every overseas trip.
Nowadays I just travel light and no longer bring my tripod. Somehow I kindda into B&W journalist-style these days, the trills of poking a camera at one's face is both daring and rewarding

Siem Reap (2012)


Little India (2012)

yes, pls give up Seiko, if you can't offord GS...
No la, just a joking. Thk and will take your advise.

really great pics and even greater advice u have there, yrh0413 bro. im just not good with my words in tutoring people.

No no no, hisokaka bro, u have given out many good advice.
Not to forget yrh0413 & christcentro bro too.

Just to illustrate one of the situations when you want to use full manual mode – in very dim light.
1.Took the first shot in Aperture priority mode, I set the aperture to f1.8 and ISO 200, the cam gave me a shutter
speed of 1.6 sec.

Nice exposure but too bright for the effect i want, big camera shake, it’s a disaster


2. 2nd shot, in manual mode – I set f1.8, ISO 200 and shutter 1/25 sec
Came out too dark


3. 3rd shot, to get a brighter picture I up the ISO to 400 instead of slowing down the shutter speed as it will cause camera shake. f1.8, shutter 1/25 sec.

Got the shot i want.

chriscentro wrote:Just to illustrate one of the situations when you want to use full manual mode – in very dim light.
1.Took the first shot in Aperture priority mode, I set the aperture to f1.8 and ISO 200, the cam gave me a shutter
speed of 1.6 sec.

Nice exposure but too bright for the effect i want, big camera shake, it’s a disaster


2. 2nd shot, in manual mode – I set f1.8, ISO 200 and shutter 1/25 sec
Came out too darkM


3. 3rd shot, to get a brighter picture I up the ISO to 400 instead of slowing down the shutter speed as it will cause camera shake. f1.8, shutter 1/25 sec.

Got the shot i want.

Thanks for useful tips ... Learning from bros here.

No problem Bro

3rd photo is nice...

Wade wrote:3rd photo is nice...

Thanks Bro, the watch needs a new bezel insert lol

chriscentro wrote:

Wade wrote:3rd photo is nice...

Thanks Bro, the watch needs a new bezel insert lol

i thou you did some trick on the bezel to make it look faded

chriscentro wrote:Just to illustrate one of the situations when you want to use full manual mode – in very dim light.
1.Took the first shot in Aperture priority mode, I set the aperture to f1.8 and ISO 200, the cam gave me a shutter
speed of 1.6 sec.

Nice exposure but too bright for the effect i want, big camera shake, it’s a disaster


2. 2nd shot, in manual mode – I set f1.8, ISO 200 and shutter 1/25 sec
Came out too dark


3. 3rd shot, to get a brighter picture I up the ISO to 400 instead of slowing down the shutter speed as it will cause camera shake. f1.8, shutter 1/25 sec.

Got the shot i want.

Bro. Upping the ISO will cause more noise for the photo. Ideally would be better using a tripod. Adding two more stops to your aperture to make it sharper and decreasing the shutter.

But if cos as long as you get the shots you wan, whatever setting works. Lol

Yes you are right but I didn't have a tripod as I took the shot in office.
If tripod was used, the shutter speed is probably slower and one would not be able to freeze the second hand, hence, it depends on what effect one is after.
In this case, noise is not a problem as it's a modern cam with great iso capability

chriscentro wrote:Yes you are right but I didn't have a tripod as I took the shot in office.
If tripod was used, the shutter speed is probably slower and one would not be able to freeze the second hand, hence, it depends on what effect one is after.
In this case, noise is not a problem as it's a modern cam with great iso capability

Normally if the watch I'm shooting has hacking, I would just pull the crown to stop it and shoot it slightly slanted so the crown poping out doesn't show. I still don't really trust the in-camera noise reduction, as I always think noisy reduction as sharpness reduction. Old man thinking I know. Lol.

Oh Ya, if without tripod and I need to shoot with below 1/60 shutter. I would shoot in burst mode to compensate for my shaky hands. Hoping one of the burst shot will be sharp enough.

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