Struggled with Exposure Compensation

I love my Nikon D7000.  I really do.  I always was a Nikon fan, but in all honesty, sometimes I really, really wish it was more user-friendly.  In some ways it is, I guess, but in other ways it is just about impossible to figure some of the functions out without hours of research.  I have tried using the Bracketing (bkt) function on my Nikon D7000 for about 2 weeks now.  I could not figure it out.  I've searched online for advise, read what the manual had to say several times, asked at camera shops, it was like one of life's great mysteries.  Until today.  A few short minutes ago I came across this site by Steve Tosterud: http://sumptuousart.com/shooting-hdr-with-the-nikon-d7000/

The puzzle has been solved!  Yay!  After many frustrating hours I can finally say I managed to get it right.  Now to go out and try out the new skill.

I've read somewhere that it is advisable not to carry a 'name-brand' camera bag in order not to draw too much attention to the quite expensive camera you might have inside.  This is obviously to prevent thugs from noticing it and realizing the value.  So hubby bought me a very basic 'no-name-brand' camera bag this past weekend.  It was inexpensive and not too bulky.  I like it.  Hopefully my camera will draw less attention than the one of the person who's camera seems capable of taking shots of planet Neptune from their front porch.

Here is a pic of my new bag.  I have used my new bracketing skill there for you!

(-2 EV)

(0 EV)

(+2 EV)

No Sign of the Bug

I finally got my camera back this afternoon after handing it in on Monday for cleaning.  I got a call from the company earlier today asking me to please bring the battery so they can test it....  The only problem was that I didn't actually take it out when handing the camera in.

After me having a slight panic attack and them looking for it everywhere, they found it in their charger.  What a relief.  I haven't played with it much yet after getting it back, but had a quick look and it seems like the bug is gone, although the technician couldn't see it from the time he got the camera.  He checked it several times.  Hopefully the cleaning helped.

So now it is on to the practice assignments to be completed for module three of the course.  Oh by the way, so far got 100 % for each module's theory questions!  Silly as this may sound, I cannot yet figure out the bracketing function on the Nikon D7000 yet.  On the Nikon D50 everything seemed straight forward, but somehow I've been unable to figure this one out.  So tonight I will be searching high and low on the internet for something that actually makes sense to me and that actually works!

Will post again once I've figured it out.

My Camera has a Bug!

No I don't mean "bug" as a technical term, I literally mean it has a bug.  It is somewhere inside my camera and I cannot see where.  I have removed the lens to try and see if it is on the mirror or on the glass on the inside of the lens, but it is nowhere to be found, but lo and behold, when I look through the viewfinder... there it is!  Taking a stroll across the viewfinder.  Only for me to frantically start looking for it again.

So... I've looked it up online and found that I'm actually NOT going crazy and this is something that actually can happen.  I have read some strange replies from people who responded to others experiencing the same.  One of the pieces of advise that was given from various people is to actually freeze the camera!  Whether it is true or not, I don't know, but in all honestly it is not something I will try.  I can just picture my camera being destroyed if I tried.

I don't have any idea on how to deal with this really, but I've handed it in to be cleaned yesterday.  I'm hoping that when I get it back tomorrow, the problem will be solved.

Making Progress - Course Update

Last night I finished summarizing module 2 in the course and now the Practice Assignment needs to be done.  I'm quite excited that I finally made progress as with us moving house, etc. etc. etc. it really took very long to finish this module.  Of course after the Practice Assignment is the lovely little test I need to complete in order to go the next module.  That is the part I always worry about most every time.  I'm already getting nervous just thinking about it.

The Full-Frame Sensor vs APS-C Sensors and their advantages and disadvantages can be quite confusing, or to me anyway.  I decided to see what information on the subject I could find online and found this post by Darren Rowse that clarified it and made it seem less complicated.  Here is the link:  http://digital-photography-school.com/full-frame-sensor-vs-crop-sensor-which-is-right-for-you

One thing I'm still not 100 % sure about and this probably might be a silly question, but what I want to know is if you use an old film camera lens on your DSLR, will the image you see on the view finder be the same as what is actually printed at the end of the day, considering the crop factor?  Or must you in your minds-eye see where the boarders will actually be if you take the picture?  In other words will the actual picture be smaller than what you can see on the viewfinder?

Hopefully someone can shed some light on this for me.

Single-Servo (AF-S) vs Continuous-Servo (AF-C)

On a visit to Hermanus on the Southern Coast in the Western Cape I have taken a couple of pictures of our daughters on a jungle-gym's swings.  Unfortunately, to my frustration, most were completely out of focus.  Of course I only realized this when going through the pictures when we got home.

I have realized two things that I needed to do:

1. Always have a quick look through the pictures on the viewfinder (especially if you are on location and cannot go back to re-do it).
2. Make sure the Autofocus on my Nikon is set correctly.

Since I haven't had a chance to do the 2nd part of the tutorial on the Nikon D7000 yet, I had a look on Nikon's website and came across this link with more information on the AF-S vs AF-C modes:  http://imaging.nikon.com/history/basics/16/03.htm.

This really clarified to me what the difference between the two settings are and which one is best to use under which circumstances.

Course Update

I am not making progress on the course as fast as I would like to due to limited time to spend on this.  However, I do enjoy it and find it very interesting.  At the moment I'm still busy with the second module and find this particular chapter quite daunting.  I'm busy learning about the technical aspects of the camera and it is quite overwhelming and I cannot help but wonder how I will ever remember all of this.

In the meantime I came across an online tutorial on using the Nikon d7000 which I am looking forward to go through soon!  It seems so easy to understand when someone else is explaining how to use each setting on the camera, but I honestly never thought it is possible for one camera to have so many settings to choose from.  I cannot wait to get to a point where I can truly and confidently say I know what I'm doing when I pick up my Nikon d7000 to take a photo!

Nikon D7000

Hubby bought me a Nikon D7000 for my birthday!  I am super excited about this.  In all honesty I find it a bit complicated and not at all as user friendly as my D50 was, but I plan to do a course in how to use it.  Nikon offers free courses.  The next one will be on the 11th of this month, but I won't be able to take time off yet.  I was hoping to be able to go when I'm on leave, but that is probably just wishful thinking.  I doubt that they would have another course until I'm back at work after the holidays.  I will keep an eye on their website for the next date.

I have noticed that the colour of the pics taken with the D7000 is very different to the colour of the pics taken with the D50.  I have sold the D50 to my employer, but still use it for work purposes.  I must admit I really enjoyed using it, but I'm at the same time, having lots of fun figuring out the new camera.  It is amazing what one can do with one camera!

I cannot wait to get some training on using it properly.  I would love to know what other people's experiences are with the D7000 and any handy tips are always welcome :)

We will hopefully be moving soon, ealry next year, and I'm hoping to start a studio from home then.  I have all the equipment, it is only a matter of getting a space where I could work from.  I had a look at possibly renting a spot somewhere, but haven't found anything suitable and affordable.  At the moment, the best option seems to be working from home.  I am looking forward to finally put the equipment and what I've learned so far to good use!

Shutter Count

This is completely new to me.  I never knew such a thing as a shutter count existed until yesterday when my husband handed me a handful of printed pages to read through regarding this subject.  I mean now that I've read about it it makes perfect sense that seeing that the shutter release button is a mechanical mechanism, it will only last so long until it will not function properly anymore.

Here is the link to the website he came across which explains this in detail:  http://photographylife.com/how-to-find-total-shutter-actuations-on-nikon-and-canon-dslrs

It all sounds a bit technical for me, but I think the option 5 referred to in the above link sounds doable.  There is another website he came across which actually makes it even easier to find out the shutter count of your camera.  Go to http://www.nikonshuttercount.com and upload the latest picture taken with your Nikon and it will show you how many times you have pressed the shutter release button.

In the first article it gives you an indication of how many shutter counts you can expect various cameras to be able to get to before the mechanism begins to be less efficient.

I think if you are considering purchasing a used camera, it is a good idea to check the shutter count first.

Course update, Lenses and Even Exposure

I've finally done it!  I've overcome my fear and downloaded the first Module's two tests and passed both!  I'm so happy that I finally had enough guts to go ahead and do it, now I can move on to the next module without being so nervous about the tests again.  May I just add that I got 100 % for both!!  After all the panic before downloading the tests I'm sure a little bragging is in order...

In previous posts I've mentioned how I would like to purchase some Prime lenses, but then came to the conclusion that it would probably be more cost effective to first replace the camera body with something a bit more 'up-to-date' like the Nikon D7000.  I considered the Nikon D5200, but was advised by a supplier of used equipment that they use the same type of lenses as the Nikon D50 and is limited to the G-type lenses with 10 electric contacts where the variety of lenses that can be used with the D7000 is greater.  So instead of purchasing Prime lenses now and then invest in a better camera body I will try to be patient and do things the right way around.  Also, I don't want to spend too much on equipment before I have completed this course.  For the time being I still love taking pictures with the Nikon D50.

Lately things have been quite hectic so I haven't had as much opportunity to go out and take pictures as I would have liked to.  There were a few opportunities to take pictures of interiors of properties and some family pictures at least.

I was (and probably still am) getting a bit confused about setting the camera to the correct exposure manually.  Little did I realize that if I look through the viewfinder, there is a little meter reading indicating whether it is an even exposure or  not!  Until now I've been guessing what I think it should be and then see whether the results were as I have hoped.  I've noticed it before, but didn't know how it worked.  I always thought you only use it when you want to deliberately over-/under-expose a picture.  Now I know better.  I've come across a very helpful article:  http://photography.tutsplus.com/tutorials/perfect-exposure-every-time-a-guide-to-metering-in-the-viewfinder--photo-3158.  After reading the comments from other readers I realize that more research is needed to make sure I completely understand how to use the meter even in harsh conditions, but at least for now, it help me a great deal to begin to understand the metering system.

Candid Shots

Progress has been slow with the new (not-so-new-anymore) photography course I'm busy with.  The first time I went through the study material I've made a few notes here and there, but looking at it again it doesn't really resemble a summary of any sorts!  The result is that I am terrified of downloading the first test!  I've done the first Practice Assignment which was fun, but the theory I haven't had the guts to do yet.  So instead, I've started going through the study material of the first module AGAIN, making what I hope will be proper summaries of each little section.  I got half-way through the first module on Friday which I'm very pleased about.

I was hoping to do a little bit every evening, but time didn't allow it.  Hopefully I will get a chance to finalize the first module within this week still.

In the meantime, I'm feeling more and more confident shooting in manual mode.  In fact, now it really feels like I'm cheating if I'm using the Auto-functions!  On a couple of occasions I've taken pics in Auto-mode then ended up deleting them because I didn't choose the settings myself!  Hopefully this is just a phase I will grow out off soon and consider the benefits of shooting both in Auto and Manual-focus!

One thing I've realized again after studying part of the first module again is that I really really really want a new lens... or two...  There are so many nice lenses out there!  I want to be creative and really take pictures with a difference.  I've been thinking a lot about what I can do to take 'different' pictures that has a positive feel to it.  I think there is so much negativity published that something a bit more positive is definitely more appealing to me.  With the right lens one can be so creative.  

I came across this very interesting tutorial by Peter Hurley Photography on how to take candid shots of strangers:  http://fstoppers.com/the-wonderful-world-of-candid-portrait-photography

The pictures shown in this link are stunning!  

I've considered trying this for a few moments, but the amount of horrible scenarios that played out in my head about how this will turn out should I try it made me cringe!  At times I can be a very outgoing person, but honestly don't know if I have the guts to walk up to a stranger to ask if I can take a photo just yet!  This being said, I think it is a brilliant suggestion to do in order to gain more confidence and experience.  Also, if someone is being told that you're trying to build up a portfolio or adding to your experience it might be easier to convince them.  Generally I can be a bit shy so this is easier said than done for me, but definitely worth considering.

Importance of Lighting in Photography

Exploring with the manual settings on my camera I have seen for myself what a difference the amount of light you allow to reach your picture can make.  I have also noticed that the camera's automatic exposure setting is not necessarily the best option to use to take creative shots.

Not only does the amount of lighting you allow according to the apperture setting you use influence your depth of field, but it also effects how much of the actual colour of your subject you will capture.  It could also create a mood in your picture.

I came across this interesting webpage by National Geographics which provides good lighting tips:  http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-tips/light-tips-simply-beautiful-photos/

Two weekends ago we visited the Waterfront in Cape Town and we went on the 'big wheel'.  Here are a few pictures I took using the manual settings:

Manual Focus vs Auto Focus

I personally very seldom make use of my camera's manual focus setting, simply because I find it terribly time-consuming to get it to focus perfectly.  In the past when trying using the Manual Focus setting I used to get so frustrated when I couldn't get it to focus, that instead of keeping on trying, I just switched over to Auto Focus anyway.

On the other hand there were those situations where the camera simply refused to focus when set on Auto Focus.  This usually happens where the lighting is a bit tricky or when the subject is moving.  Usually when the camera would not focus when set to Auto Focus, I simply gave up on the shot and snapped something else.

Until recently I never even considered just switching over to Manual Focus to try and take the picture.  About two weeks ago I started focusing more on Manual Mode, setting the aperture, shutter speed and ISO manually and realized that very often I get more desired results than when using the Auto settings.  I must admit, at the best of times, I still prefer using Auto Focus though, however, I firmly believe there are times that you simply cannot get the same result using Auto Focus as you would when using Manual Focus.

I came across this webpage when doing some research online on the subject:  http://digital-photography-school.com/5-situations-when-manual-focus-is-better-than-auto-focus

Using Juxtaposition in Landscape Photography

What does juxtaposition mean?  In short, it is placing two objects together to either create comparison or contrast.  Using it correctly it can draw a person's attention to your photographs for example in landscape photography you could perhaps have a half-demolished building in the foreground and a newly built skyscraper in the background.

In landscape photography it could also help with adding depth of field to your photograph.  By placing an object in the foreground i.e. a man sitting on the rock on the beach with a beautiful mountain range in the background.

You could also compare people, young and old, parent and child, etc.  You could use it for comparison by taking a picture of twin babies playing or an elderly couple sitting on a bench in the park, etc.

Here is an example of a picture I took using contrast:

I searched online for more information using juxtaposition correctly and came across this website:  http://www.archimediastudios.com/corporate/2011/08/photographic-juxtaposition/

Landscapes and Lens Flare

Last week Sunday we took a drive to the beach where I was able to take a couple of landscape shots.  It was just before sunset so it was already getting darker outside.  Here are a few of the pictures I have taken:

The last picture was taken directly into the sun which caused flare in the photograph.  Although flare can be used creatively, it is not something you always want in your pictures.  I had a look online and came across this article by Andrew S Gibson which I found helpful:  http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-prevent-lens-flare

In the case, like the photo above, where you take a picture directly into the sun, it would have helped to use a coated filter as Mr Gibson has suggested.  Although in this case I didn't want to prevent the flare in the picture.  You can take very creative shots if you use flare to your advantage. 

Correct Aperture and Shutter Speed Combinations

Setting my camera to the right aperture and shutter speed combination manually is something that really puzzles me.  I know for example which aperture I would like to use to create a certain effect, for example to let a flower stand out from a blurred background, I would use a setting of f5.6 of f6.3 like in the picture below shot at f6.3:

What puzzles me is that if I had to set the shutter speed manually I wouldn't know what speed to select to get the correct exposure.  So I tend to let the camera select the shutter speed automatically.  It saves time and frustration that way, but ideally I would like to know how to do it manually.  I came across this very interesting article which clarified at least some of what I wanted to know:  http://photo.net/learn/basic-photo-tips/correct-exposure/

The exercise mentioned at the bottom of the article is definitely something worth doing regularly in order to get to know the correct aperture to use with which shutter speed under whichever conditions.  The article definitely explained a lot to me which I couldn't quite understand previously.

Nighttime Landscapes (3)

In my previous message I mentioned the lovely view from Plattekloof of the city lights.  I went back yesterday evening to take some photos.  Although I was using the tripod I still see some camera shake looking at the lights.  It seems like there was the ever-so-slight movement, maybe when I pressed the shutter.  I think it might be better to use the remote next time to release the shutter to avoid this from happening.

Another thing I realized is that I didn't know how to set my camera's shutter to stay open for longer than 30 seconds as I have never used this function before.  So once I set the shutter speed past 30 seconds it shows "bulb" instead of the time the shutter will be open.  So I had a look online and found out that once the camera is set to the "bulb" setting, you can actually do exposures for longer than 30 seconds.  On the Nikon D50, you need to press the shutter once to open the shutter and press it for a second time to close it again.  Apparently the maximum period it can stay open is 30 minutes.  It is best to use the remote for this as you will have camera-shake even when using a tripod, as I have experienced with the pictures above.

I will have to try using the remote as I have seen mixed reviews on the different types of remotes that one can use.  Some people say that you need to keep the shutter release button pressed until you are ready for the shutter to close again, while others say that you press it once to open the shutter and press it again to close it.  The best way is to find out for myself I guess.

To set the camera to "bulb" you simply need to choose the 'M-setting' on your Nikon D50 and select the shutter speed at the highest end of the range.  It will follow directly after 30 ".

Landscapes in misty weather (2)

The fog yesterday afternoon at sunset gave opportunity for some lovely shots to be taken.  The weather conditions created a 'sepia' color on some of the pictures like on the 3rd picture below.  If it wasn't for the fact that I prefer not to damage my camera in the damp and sandy environment I would have stayed longer to look for more photo opportunities on the beach.

 

When driving home from the Northern Suburbs back to where we live we drove past Plattekloof which is situated on a hill from where you have a lovely city view.  At night you see thousands of lights and I think if done correctly it will produce the most beautiful pictures.  It certainly is worth a try.  When I go past that area in the evening again, I will make sure to take my camera and tripod with.

Landscapes in misty weather

Yesterday late afternoon, although it was quite warm for a winter's afternoon in Cape Town and the sun was still shining, the ocean and Table Mountain lay underneath a sheet of fog.  Table Mountain was barely visible in the distance with Signal Hill to it's right and Devils Peak to its left.  Yet there were still surfers in the water and people running on the beach.  The sun was about to set when I took these shots of Table Mountain to see what the outcome would be using different f-stops and shutter speeds and the camera set to ISO 200 (the lowest ISO setting on my Nikon D50):

This shot was taken using an aperture of f14 and speed of 1/125sec.  There was still enough daylight not to have to keep the shutter open for long.

I have tried halving the amount of light entering the lens by using a smaller aperture of f/16 and a speed of 1/100sec.  There is a little more detail, but not a major difference int he outcome compared to the first picture.

In order to make Table Mountain a little more visible I have tried increasing the shutter speed allowing less light to enter the lens.  I have used an f-stop of f16 and a speed of 1/160sec.  The picture came out darker than what it was in reality, so not really what I had in mind.  I wanted to capture the shot with the misty atmosphere.  In my opinion the 2nd shot gave a clearer picture of what the actual surroundings looked like at the time.

I have done some research online on how to take good photos in misty weather and came across this website:  http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/fog-photography.htm.  Instead of always having to wait for better weather conditions one can actually take brilliant photos in all kinds of weather conditions.

It is best to be prepared for whichever weather condition you need to take the photographs in as it will save you time and a lot of frustration.  Care must be taken when taking pictures on the beach as see sand can really damage your camera and lens.  The same goes for wet or foggy weather.  I already lost one camera due to sand getting into the lens (It was a Fuji Finepix and I couldn't just exchange the lens).

Landscape Photography Continued and Reading Histograms

Searching online for a few more tips on taking better landscape shots, I came across this website which gives really useful tips:  http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2012/07/20/the-only-landscape-photography-tutorial-you-will-ever-need/

I'm not 100 % sure how to read a histogram yet, but found this link on the same website: http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2012/04/18/how-to-read-a-histogram-photography-cheat-sheet/.  It made it a bit easier to understand.

On the page mentioned above they say that one should always check the histogram after taking a picture in order to adjust it if necessary.  This made me realize that I am usually in too much of a hurry to stop and look at it first.  Instead I usually just look at the picture on the LCD screen, which is so small anyway that you cannot really say whether it is 100 % correctly exposed.  I will really have to slow down and check the histogram before aiming for the next shot.  Occasionally I did gave the histogram a quick glance but didn't understand how it works so I never paid much attention to it.  

After reading the page mentioned above about reading a histogram I realized it is more important to understanding in order to take better photos than I had initially thought, so I have done some more research on the subject.  I came across this webpage which explains it further:  http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/understanding-histograms.shtml

My Nikon D50 does have the ability to show the histogram directly on the LCD screen after a photo has been taken.  Where I have found this a bit annoying in the past if the histogram pops up automatically, I now see it as a very useful tool and will definitely be changing the camera setting back so this.  This will save time from having to select the option to view the histogram every time and I will immediately be able to look and see if the exposure was done correctly.

Visit to Napier

The past weekend we visited Napier which is situated between Caledon and Bredasdorp in the Cape Agulhas region in the Western Cape.  It is a picturesque little town with warm-hearted and friendly people. Here is a link with more information on the area we have visited:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napier,_Western_Cape

During our visit I took a couple of pictures at The Red Windmill Restaurant and Nursery.

On our way back to Cape Town on Sunday we drove past the most beautiful Canola Fields and how I wished I could stop and take some pictures.  Unfortunately the rainy weather did not allow for that to happen.  Hopefully on our next visit I will get  the opportunity to take a couple of pictures.