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.