2018 New Years Photography resolution

[M38A1]

How's that film experiment working? I've been tossing around digging up some of my old film bodies for a few weeks this year...

 

[twtex85]

Thanks for asking . I am still working on it. I finally got camera batteries with the correct voltage rating and a hand held light meter so I could compare the light meter reading in the camera to the hand held light meter reading to confirm that they were consistent between each other.

Surprisingly they were very close after I put a battery in the camera with the correct voltage. I also have a fresh roll of Ektar 100 to shoot and all I need now is some decent weather to get out and do some shooting. Between work, getting motorcycles ready for spring trips, along with the weather it has been hard to find time to get out and shoot. Looks like we may get some sunshine and decent weather Sunday so I hope to get out and shoot some film and digital pics this weekend.

On a second subject I decided I wanted to update my DSLR so I just bought a Nikon 5600 and it came in yesterday. The reviews I read on several photography sites all gave it a big Thumbs up so I decided to go ahead and bite the bullet and buy it. The fact that the controls and menus are very similar to the D40 was another plus so it will speed up the learning curve. I shot a few pics last night and I liked what i saw.

I seriously considered one of the Fuji and Olympus mirrorless cameras as I like the size of them and the control layout as they are laid out like old film cameras but with all the modern technology. The build quality is also an attraction (metal cases). The only drawback I read about them was the auto focusing is still not up to the DSLR standards and a much smaller selection of lenses. I still may pick one up a little later to carry with me on motorcycle trips and other times when space is a premium. I really like the size and weight of the Nikon 5600 though so it might not be needed and I could always use my D40 on trips as it is not much bigger than the 5600. I will know more after I get out and do some shooting with it
Stay tuned and I will post some pics from the film camera and the 5600 soon. I really want to see how they compare.

 

[twtex85]

The sunset was nice tonight. Was able to finally get out and shoot some shots. Also was able to get some shots from the film camera also . Won't know how they came out until I shoot up the rest of the roll which may take a little while. Digital is so instant gratification and you can see what you need to do without risking a poor picture.

 

[Adan]

California dreaming on a cold winter day.

That's a real beauty David!

 

[twtex85]

Thanks Adan. Heard rumors you got a new addition to the family. Any truth.

 

[Adan]

Thanks Adan. Heard rumors you got a new addition to the family. Any truth.

Yeah, gone the "dirt-bag" route with an Africa Twin

 

[M38A1]

I like bare trees at sunset.....

 

[twtex85]

Playing around with the new camera during the blue hour just after sunset. Shot from Hickory Creek Campground on Lake Lewisville this past weekend. Also shot some more pics using the Canon film camera. Still got a few more shots left on the roll before I can get it developed. Looking forward to seeing how they came out.

 

[twtex85]

Was up early this am to catch the sunrise coming up. Went down to White Rock to get some shots and caught some early morning scullers on the lake. Probably was about 30 minutes to late to catch the pre dawn blue hour but was worth getting up.

 

[twtex85]

Had the day off so my wife and I went and drove the north loop of the Ennis bluebonnet trail today. The bluebonnets we're out in force and going on a Monday we didn't have much competition in the way of traffic. I think they are at the peak bloom so if you want to catch them you need to go this week. Anyway here's a few shots from today. Enjoy

 

[WoodButcher]

Very nice shots. Excellent job getting the color on the bluebonnets too.

 

[Tracker]

the flag shot is my favorite. nice job all around.

 

[twtex85]

Thanks for the feedback and positive comments. I think the shot with the flag in the background is one of my fav’s too. It was really a good showing of bluebonnets this year and the ones along Sugar Ridge Road were some of the largest fields of bluebonnets I have seen in quite a while.
I may try to go back and hit them again in the early am or late evening when the light is better.

 

[Tourmeister]

So for the portrait shot, I have a few simple suggestions.

1. She is facing into the sun and having to squint. Have your subject pose, then close her eyes. Have her open them when you count to three. You will get a more relaxed look around the eyes if you get the shot off before she reacts to the bright light of the sun.

2. Use of the flash for fill was good. However, she still looks a bit over exposed. Maybe pop a test shot, then adjust flash compensation as needed to bring down her skin tones. A reflector low and right pointing back up at her head would help soften the shadow from the sun (a nit pick ). What would really work well is an off camera flash on the right, dialed down as needed to soften the shadows.

3. Unless you just needed that background, you might also have tried turning her so that the sun is more behind her, providing rim lighting, and then using flash to fill in her face. This way you can expose the background as you like and use the flash to balance the light on her with the background.

Using the flash can do amazing things for pictures where you might not normally think of needing a flash. Here is a really good source of info on using flashes (and light in general),

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html

 

[twtex85]

Thanks Scott.All good suggestions. Thanks for the feedback.I’ll take a look at the link as I haven’t played around with the flash much on this camera and need to use it more to get comfortable with it.

 

[Tourmeister]

Even something as simple as this,

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

makes a big difference in the quality of the light from the built in pop up flash. I have one in my camera bag and it gets a lot of use. It just softens the transitions from bright to shadow and helps keep the skin tones a bit more natural.

There are tons of other options here,

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/53128470574472174/

For the off camera stuff, check out the equipment mentioned on the Strobist link I posted previously. You can get a nice setup without spending a major wad of cash.

 

[twtex85]

Tried some nighttime photos this weekend . Shot on Lake Cypress Springs. After looking at the pic I don't remember seeing all these stars in the sky while I was taking the pic but there camera picked them up anyway.

 

[M38A1]

Stars/night shots are one of my favorite "results" oriented subjects. I don't do them near enough, but when I do I'm always amazed at what that sensor picks up. Keep at it. You'll get a jet, shooting star or the space station some day.

Nice job....

 

[twtex85]

Thanks Scott. The number of stars it picked up really blew me away. Colors in night shots look different also but in a good way in my opinion. Playing with the white balance on night shots makes quite a difference.

 

[WoodButcher]

Yep, I'm always amazed at what the camera picks up at night. Nicely done.

 

[twtex85]

Been awhile since i posted. Cooler weather makes me want to go out and shoot more. In the heat of the summer i just don't want to deal with the heat. Gonna try a couple night shots later tonight.

 

[M38A1]

Nice!

 

[twtex85]

 

[twtex85]

Thought these cranes and lights looked pretty cool against the night sky.

 

[M38A1]

They do!