2018 New Years Photography resolution

[twtex85]

Playing around yesterday trying to get a black background. Subject was a bottle stopper from an empty Blanton's bottle. (My favorite bourbon). I heard you can collect them and when you get all the series it shows the horse in a full gallop. I'm working on it but finding a new bottle is getting harder to do these days .

 

[M38A1]

I like a couple of the California bike shots.... Maybe consider shooting them in a field or in a not so cluttered sub-division background?

 

[twtex85]

Yea you got that right. Background is distracting but it was too cold to get out on it the day I shot them. Really was just playing around with composition and different angles. Can't wait for it to warm up some so I can try it again in a different setting.
Have been reading and learning quite a bit while the weather has been cold though

 

[Tourmeister]

Yea you got that right. Background is distracting but it was too cold to get out on it the day I shot them. Really was just playing around with composition and different angles. Can't wait for it to warm up some so I can try it again in a different setting.
Have been reading and learning quite a bit while the weather has been cold though

I hear you. We've had several really pretty days, but I am a wuss when it comes to cold. I've been wanting to get out with my daughter and do some shooting, but she's a lot like me when it comes to cold So we spent time going through Woodbutcher and M38A1's bird pics talking about how the different light affects the shots, proper shutter speeds and apertures, and the effects of different focal lengths. She seems to be picking it up pretty quickly. She's the more artsy oriented of the three kids.

 

[twtex85]

Yea, I am amazed at how a minor change in the light or the camera parameters can provide a totally different picture outcome. I'm finding out the key is shooting some test shots and then change the parameters slightly based on the results until you get the look you want. Digital's instant gratification is ideal for this. I couldn't imagine doing this the old way with film.

I really enjoy working thru the mechanics of the shot and then seeing the end results and find myself looking at good pictures differently now. Instead of just enjoying the picture I am thinking in my head as to how they did the shot.
.

 

[twtex85]

Water

 

[Tourmeister]

I am thinking your White Balance might be on the cool side for those shots. They have a pretty heavy blue tint to the whole image. Do you shoot with WB set to "Auto"? I almost never worry about WB because I fix it in Lightroom during post processing. But I don't know if you are using Lightroom.

 

[Tourmeister]

Make NIKON CORPORATION
Model NIKON D40
Software Photos 3.0
Exposure Time 0.100s (1/10)
Exposure Manual
ISO equivalent 200
Exposure Bias none
Metering Mode Spot
Light Source Incandescent
Flash Fired No
Focal Length 55.0mm
Color Space sRGB
Exposure Mode Manual
White Balance Manual
Date 2018-01-20 13:46:37 (no TZ)

Looks like you were on "manual" and "incandescent" for WB. You probably needed "daylight" or maybe "cloudy". This way the rocks would have more grey in them and the water would have more white in the bubbles.

 

[M38A1]

Looks like you were on "manual" and "incandescent" for WB. You probably needed "daylight" or maybe "cloudy". This way the rocks would have more grey in them and the water would have more white in the bubbles.

I concur....

Shoot RAW/.NEF all the time as well.

 

[twtex85]

Actually , I was playing around with the white balance and i liked the blue look of the incandescent setting in these shots which to me better represented a cold winter look. I shot some with the white balance at daylight and cloudy also but it wasn't as dramatic and I liked the winter look of these pics better. Here are the shots with the cloudy and sunny white balance

 

[Tourmeister]

That is the beauty of shooting in RAW. You can totally play around with the look/feel of the image in post processing, including playing with different WB settings. So you don't have to shoot different images at different settings. Get the exposure and composition mostly right and you are good to go.

 

[twtex85]

Currently I am not using anything for post processing but I think if I keep shooting on a somewhat regular basis I will most likely spring for lightroom and try to learn how to use it.

 

[Tourmeister]

Currently I am not using anything for post processing but I think if I keep shooting on a somewhat regular basis I will most likely spring for lightroom and try to learn how to use it.

I was skeptical for a long time. But, once I started using it, I was amazed at the difference it made in the quality of my images. I am by NO means an expert at using LR either. I just do pretty basic stuff with it.

One issue I did run into pretty quick was color calibration when printing. I did not have my monitor properly calibrated. So when I went to print (using Walgreens online service), the images did not look like they had on my monitor. They all had a nasty and harsh orange tint to them. I got a Datacolor Spyder5PRO and it made all the difference in the world!

 

[twtex85]

Thats good information to know . Thanks One thing i wanted to ask was what are you guys using for your tripod? I have a cheap one I bought several years ago and am thinking about upgrading to a better tripod. Was looking at some of the 3 legged things that are small enough to use for travel and or put on a camera backpack.

Also any recommendation on a good camera backpack that would hold the camera and 2-3 lenses would be helpful. Thanks in advance for your input and tips.

 

[M38A1]

Tripod discussions are like oil discussions....

Seriously, buy the absolute best one you can afford up front. We've all been down the path of a cheapie, then a newer one, then upgrade that until we've got four or five of them and only use the best/latest iteration. Just suck it up and purchase big up front. One and Done.

There's three pcs to the equation. The tripod, the ball head and the mounting system.

Tripods, you can think about metal or composites, overall height, does the center section extend vertically higher, does the head allow to re-orientate the shaft to shoot horizontal, clamps or flip levers to open/close the legs and will the legs go really really really wide to get the camera down on the ground.

Ball heads, you can think about x, y and z movement capability, micro adjustments, locking mechanisms

Mounting systems, you can think about standard Bogen plate types, quick releases, ARCA Swiss and others.

Yeah, it's a lot to take in......

 

[Tourmeister]

Most of my tripods came as part of a "kit" when I bought other stuff, so they aren't real high end... Tripods, like other accessories, can range in quality and price MASSIVELY! You pay for compactness and lightweight. Basic functionality is not that expensive. Basically, I look for a good secure mounting mechanism because I don't want a $100 tripod letting $3000-4000 worth of lenses and camera body hit the ground.

As for backpacks, I would head to a decent camera shop and just see what they have. Like many things, there are several top brands. But, you can get decent bags for not too much. Amazon has TONS of bags and backpacks. However, if you find one you like at the camera shop, I would encourage you to buy it there even if you can find it slightly cheaper on Amazon (unless the price difference is really big). After all, maintaining all that stock for you to physically put your hands on comes at a cost that Amazon doesn't have to deal with.

I have a Tenba top loading shoulder bag that I bought back in 1998. I still use it for my newer gear and it shows no appreciable wear despite its age and use. It is also very well padded.

https://www.tenba.com/

I also have a basic "Nikon" bag that came with my D7200 kit. The Amazon Basics line of bags has one that is the exact same bag, just without the Nikon badge. It is good for holding a single body, lens, and flash with a few small extras like batteries and memory cards. I use it a lot as well. I often carry my D750, 24-70mm, and 70-200mm in the metal top case bag of my 1200 GS. The body and small lens go in the Nikon bag and the 70-200 in its own case, then I tuck a towel around them to keep them from bouncing around in the tail bag. I tend to use the bigger Tenba for storage and taking ALL my stuff with me.

I've not yet tried a backpack because I've not yet really needed one

 

[M38A1]

I use several of the ThinkTank "StreetWalker" line in various sizes. They seem to do well for carrying 'most' of everything, or what I call my 'hurry up' bag with the basics.

 

[twtex85]

Thanks, All good information. I agree with the philosophy of spending a little more up front for equipment if it is something that you are going to continue to pursue and use regularly. Im already going thru that somewhat now as eventually I will upgrade my camera and lenses as I get more experience and it is probably better and cheaper in the long run to buy more expensive accessories now and then I don't hopefully have to do it all over again when I upgrade the camera.
I liken it to buying too little truck when you first start RV'ing and then eventually you want a bigger trailer or toy box and you don't have enough truck to pull it.
Better to get the bigger truck up front even if it is overkill as sooner or later your hobby will expand to the limit of the truck. Seems to apply to most things we choose to do and I don't having too little truck.

 

[Tourmeister]

The same principle applies to gun safes and garages...

 

[twtex85]

Persuaded a couple of models to let me take their pics last week.

 

[M38A1]

You're on to something here as I can see you have these shots in your head and you know what you want out of it.

You might consider a couple things in the future with a re-shoot of these if you have the opportunity. I'm only one perspective, so there's lots of ways to go about this. Heck - you might love them just the way they are.

#1
That sunset is AWESOME and I see where you were going with this. Next time, consider a little 'fill flash' in the front to bring out your subject/kill off the dark shadows. You got the exposure right for the background, so all you needed to do was fill her in a bit. This can be done a couple ways. If you were using the pop-up flash, I believe on the D40 you can control flash EV. So what I tell folks is, expose for ambient light then bring your fill in to illuminate the subject. You got the background right, so bring in fill. This can be done via the pop-up flash EV button - a little +/- somewhere on that body when the flash is used. That would give you the opportunity to go from laser blast all the way down to just a 'poof' of light to fill in those little shadows. Secondly, I'd have tried to frame that just a bit differently if possible to remove what appears to be the hook over her head. Or eliminate that in post-processing.


#2
A cute concept shot indeed. Like above, light and little details seem to be the minor things to consider in a re-shoot. This light appears to be a tad harsh for such a cute subject. Not user-harsh, but just a tad. Again, if using the popup flash, you can dial that down a bit via the flash EV button control. If you're using an external speed light, you can also adjust the power setting manually to bring it down. If you don't yet have any type of lighting modifiers (umbrellas, soft boxes etc) you can always find a white sheet and put it about a foot off the speed light to 'soften' the hard light. There's lots of ways to skin this cat. And like above, I'd be a bit more aware of the background. I can't tell if this is indoors or not, a real tree stump or not or what the background is, but I see the background. That should either be part of the image or so innocuous you don't even realize it's there. Finally, check for all the digits, i.e.: fingers and ears. The fingers are outside the frame and her ear sort of stands out as it's a bright object in a dark area. Consider shooting wider so you can always crop down.

But man-o-man that first shot and the sunset/reflection on the water...

 

[twtex85]

Great comments and suggestions. I shot the first pic a couple of different ways and they both came out about the same. The suggestion for the fill in flash is spot on. I didn't use the pop up flash and was trying the get the exposure I needed with aperture and shutter speed only. Against the bright light of the sunset a low fill flash would have done the trick.
I do have the one pop up flash on the camera and also have a SB600 that I haven't used much. Will try that out next time.

On shot #2 we were at an outside park with our granddaughter and it was about dusk and the sun was sinking fast. She's a hard one to catch as she moves around quite a bit and getting her to sit still is a challenge. The tree she is hugging the pic was part of a monkey/ gym bar set that was there. I was trying to catch her before she moved and didn't notice her hand being cut off until afterward. This shot was shot with the flash at full power and by this time it was getting pretty dark. Adjusting the power of the flash would have helped tone down the brightness. Good suggestion. I did get one more pic of her that was a candid shot . I've added it to this response.

I seem to be able to come up with concepts pretty easy and I really appreciate the feedback as it helps me with the mechanics as this is where I struggle sometimes. Getting the ideas in my head to come out on the photograph the way I want them to. Thanks again.

 

[M38A1]

Glad to help....

There's a couple ways to shoot stuff.

First is a total control setup shot where you direct every component. That's easy to do when you know what you want, know how to accomplish it, and the people are willing to sit there for periods of time while you 'fiddle' to get it right. Yet with time, this becomes seamless and your subject never notices the fiddle aspect.

The second type of shot is the candid one where you have very little - if any - time to actually get setup. In these cases, having some general ideas and settings dialed in helps greatly. Burn a test shot of the area and chimp it just to see where you are for exposure, aperture and lighting. Then just wait for the opportunity while continually adjusting a parameter as the light fades. It's a guessing game, but just think of it like this.... you have an exposure formula that will work, it's getting darker, so start bumping your ISO, or opening your aperture, or increasing the exposure time. Conversely, if you shoot in the morning and it's getting brighter, reverse the above.

This is where shooting RAW helps too. There's a LOT of data to play with if you make the shot but miss the technical aspects a little.

 

[Tourmeister]

The SB 600 is a good flash. One of those diffusers that clip over the head of the flash would be good, or you can make one.

They help get rid of the harsh/sharp edges to shadows.

I use an old white film canister, of which I have many still. When one wears out, I just make another in a few minutes. But they do last a long time.

https://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Film-Canister-Pop-up-Flash-Diffuser

It works amazingly well, is easy to put on and take off in a hurry, and is small enough that having it on hand all the time is not an issue. The only difference is that I only cut three sides of the hole so that I have a flap. That flap creates enough pressure on the back of the pop up flash to help hold the canister in place. I glued the lid in place as well because they really helps with the rigidity of the canister.

When shooting, I use the flash +/- adjustment like Scott mentions to tweak it. One you practice doing that a few times, it gets to be second nature and you don't have to fiddle with it as much. Also, keep in mind that the closer you are to your subject, the harsher the flash effect will be.

Mark Wallace has a ton of GREAT free videos here,

http://blog.snapfactory.com/digital-photography-one-on-one/

I watched all of them, many several times. They are not long and he does a great job of really explaining stuff and then showing how it actually works.

 

[twtex85]

That's a great idea.!!!! . I have several of the old film canisters that I can modify to slip over the built in flash like the pic you posted. I can see where it would soften the light coming from the flash.Thanks for the tip on the Mark Wallace site also . I will look at some of those tonight.

Just ordered a new tripod (3 legged thing Travis)and light meter over the weekend. Planning to use the light meter to confirm my internal light meter readings on my film camera. Last time I used it the pictures were really underexposed but I found out that the battery I was using was rated at a higher voltage than the original mercury battery and it caused the internal light meter to read a higher amount of light than what there actually was. Got a different battery that is supposed to have the same steady voltage as the original mercury battery but the trade off is that they don't last as long. Additionally the film i shot was really old so I have a fresh roll of Kodak Ektar 100 to use up. Anxious to see how the pics come out compared to the digital pics. I know Digital cameras have surpassed the resolution obtained with film but shooting film gets you back to the basics of exposure and lighting. Probably won't do much with film this year other than maybe shooting some black and white pics but we will see how the images come out and if the camera needs some additional refurbishment.

On a side subject I was able to get out on one of the Guzzi's this weekend. Weather was really refreshing and it felt good to be out on the bike after all this cold weather we have had and being sick last week. Really looking forward to spring and the upcoming wildflower season .