Greetings from Baltimore

[XopheCasa]

Hi, fellow Alphaheads. My name is Christophe and I live and work in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. I'm very, very new to the digital side of photography (picked up my A7 iv only a month ago), but have been using my iPhone cameras to shoot and edit images with a minimalist and experimental bent. Using a full-on machine has changed the way I "compose" the world, but it hasn't changed my aesthetic (tho it's making me think in new ways about the new problems I'm confronting, all of which will help me grow as an eye and mind behind the camera).

I'll add some images so you can see how I'm coping with the first month of shooting, and welcome critiques and words of caution, and praise too.

One thing I really am having trouble with is shaky photos, camera shake. But I'm shooting a lot inside, or around dusk, and getting shutter speeds (more like "shudder" speeds!) at or below 1/30th of a second, and, as a newbie, I'm thinking I'm doing something horribly wrong and can't get a good image. Is this normal? Do you also have trouble with low shutter speeds indoors? I think pumping ISO up will help, but like I said, I welcome feedback.

One last question: does image stabilization work at such low speeds? In low light? Either I have a really shaky hand or I'm doing something wrong. Please grant me your wisdom.

I appreciate your time, and look forward to conversations in the future.

Best,
Christophe

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• XopheCasa
• Sep 20, 2022

 

[Jeff A]

Welcome to the Forum. Know that you bought a GREAT camera, but maybe i have some pre-concieved ideas.

So the first question is what lens or lenses have you been shooting with that were not clear? Try to learn how to upload your photos so we can see your camera and lens info.

 

[Tim Mayo]

Welcome Christophe and thank you for joining up here. It will be very difficult to get nice sharp photos at 1/30th second if you are hand holding or there's even the slightest bit of movement in your subject. I'd suggest maybe increasing the shutter speed until you get to a level of sharpness that you are happy with. If you are using a lens with OIS built-in this can also help a little more than just replying on IBIS which is the stabilization built-into the camera body.