The Photography forum

Gotta Be In It to Win It

So, of course, my new 600 mm lens exceeds the weight load for my existing tripod.  Therefore, another B&H purchase was in order.  The tripod that seems the most "carry-on'able" and can handle the weight load of a 600 is the Gitzo GT5541LS tripod.  It is really nice.  My friend, Jim, has it and it is quite a workhorse.

Check it out.

Not much going on today

Well....  I am kind of in a holding pattern.  I am waiting for a new book to show up called, "Learning to See".  I will be reviewing that book when it shows up.

I am also learning Lightroom.  Pretty cool program.  I am accustomed to using Adobe Bridge and Photoshop for doing my photos, but Lightroom seems a little more geared towards the photographer so I am making the big switch.  As I take photos, I will be sharing my experiences with that.

So, far, the only thing I learned in Lightroom is that it is very powerful when it comes to organization of your photos.  I also like that it has an option to create a watermark on the photos so they can't just be used indiscrimenently.

New Toys - First Images

So, I went out with the 600 yesterday and took my first shots.  I am amazed how fast the lens is.  There is still some break in time on my part.  I have to get used to it a little more. 

Here's my first two images from the 600.  Nothing earth-shattering, but I am pleased. 

I am trying to learn Lightroom at the same time, so these images aren't necessarily as good as they could be (I didn't want to develop them in Bridge and Photoshop so I could learn).

Photographing Nature: Review

I thought this was an excellent book!  I can't say for sure if it would be my first choice if I were just starting to learn about photography.  It is not very technical and doesn't offer much by way of learning the camera.  However, if you are familiar with your gear and want to learn more about how to photograph certain situations, this book is perfect.  It offers lots of thoughts on situations, the gear to have an use and ideas on how to proceed.  This book was a fast read and never got boring or long-winded.  I highly recommend this book.

New Toys

Well, I am proud to say that I am finally the happy owner of a Canon 600 F4 lens.  I just got it yesterday so I didn't get a chance to take it on a test run.  However, I promise, I will be out just as soon as I can.  YIPEEE!!!!

I also finally broke down and purchased Adobe Lightroom.  Nancy (wife) has been singing its praises for some time now and I have been meaning to get away from using just photoshop and migrating over to it.

B&H offered some pretty sizeable discounts on Lightroom.  I decided to buy a second 7D body as a back up and, with a $200 instant rebate, it was cheaper than buying one used.  Then, they gave $100 off the $259 price of Adobe Lightroom.  SWEET!

Photographing Nature: Learning to See

I really like what the author says about learning to see.  Again, this reminds me of something Arthur Morris was trying to convey in one of his books.  I think that, along with patience, learning to see is one of the hardest things to do in photography.

As with most things done well, you have to do the work yourself.  You have to make the photograph - not just take it.  When you stop to take a picture, go ahead and just take it.  Push the button, get it out of your system.  Then take the time to figure out why you to took that picture.  What's interesting in the scene?   Why did you stop there?  You need to "see" the photograph in front of you, not just the scene or subject.  This technique works with close-ups, landscapes wildlife-everything.

I think that doing this is the difference between taking pictures and photography.

Photographing Nature: Back-button to focus

Here's a tip that I had read in the book that is very interesting.  I believe I had read Arthur Morris doing the same thing from time to time....

While there are times when using the shutter button to trigger AF works fine, there are some important advantages to back-button auto-focus.  Locking focus is much easier using the back-button.  If you're shooting something that's not moving, and your camera isn't changing distance, just focus on the subject with the back-button, release it, and recomposed the subject off-center.  With the focus now gone from your shutter button, your lens will stay focused on the subject no matter how you frame. 

Let's say you're photographing a bear in a meadow.  The bear isn't moving but there are leaves between you and the bear....  You want your focus to stay on the bear, even when the leaves blow around in front of the lens, so by using the back-button you can focus on the bear and remove your thumb from the button;  the lens will stay locked on the bear no matter what.  If you use the shutter button, when you take the picture the lens might try to refocus on those moving leaves....

 

 

Photographing Nature: Right Angle Finder

Here's an excerpt from the book I found intriguing.  Based on this, I may purchase a right angle finder.

I've spent a lot of time lying flat on the ground with my head cranked sideways, trying to see through the camera viewfinder to focus on a tiny subject.  If you're going to do a lot of low-level photography, not just macro, check out a right-angle finder. 

After reading this, I went to B&H Photo and found one for the Canon there for about $185.  Not too bad.

Here's what it looks like.

Photographing Nature: Extension Tubes

In the book, the author recommends that, if you don't have a macro lens (I don't) then use extension tubes.  Extension tubes are hollow metal rings that come in different lengths.  Their purpose is they allow the the lens to focus more closely on the subject. 

For example, a 50 mm lens typically has a focus range of 1.5 feet to infinity.  With a 50 mm extension tube attached, the focus range becomes 3 to 10 inches! 

Photographing Nature: Not Quitting

While reading the book, Photographing Nature, the author writes the following...

...if you're not physically prepared for weather, you're going to miss these chanes at capturing amazing light....This is one of the biggest lessons my students learn on field trips.  When they're cold an miserable, they get impatient, they don't make good pictures, and they quit.  When their cameras get wet in the rain and stop working, or their batteries die, they quit.  If you and your stuff aren't prepared, you're not going to make images - you're going to quit.  Nature seldom gives you a second chance.

I think this may be the most challenging thing that I face in photography.  I am impatient by nature and want to get the shot.  These are some serious words to live by when it comes to photography.