Photographers: tips, tricks, equipment, etc

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by doc73

Whose Doug?? Is that your alter ego?
J/K by the way...

Ssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhh! Don't tell!

[Platokidd]

Originally Posted by ependydad

I have a secret identity that I can't share. But here's my Flickr account with a fake name:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dougsetzer/albums

Some way cool pics

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by Platokidd

Some way cool pics

Thanks! I try to be mindful of what photos I take. But I can't say that I'm really good at it. If you take enough photos, one or two is bound to be passable.

[EJM4]

Delaware Seashore State Park


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

[Oakman]

When the Goldfinches lose their winter feathers and get their beautiful summer plumage I know freezing weather is a thing of the past.

[doc73]

Guess the server glitched.. Never posted.

Love the photos! Glad to see this thread going again.

A few of my own.. I tried some simulated long exposures using photo stacking and adjusting their opacity to make it look like it was shot with the long exposure.

First two are good, I think with the 2nd being my favorite. The last one I dunno, I think it is a bit over exposed in the right foreground rock. Took them at a local water fall by the Holtwood Dam area is York County.

[Oakman]

Sometimes it helps to put out a little bribe is get a picture of a bird.

Clark's Nutcracker

[doc73]

Originally Posted by Oakman

Sometimes it helps to put out a little bribe is get a picture of a bird.

Clark's Nutcracker

Nothing wrong with that.. Win win, you get the shot they get a meal.

[Teamfour]

A couple of my favorites.

[Oakman]

I always take early morning walks when I’m camping and I always have a camera with me since you never know what you might see. This morning was no different. I had my Fuji S8200 bridge camera with me and I’m so glad I had the long zoom. It’s tough getting photos of wildlife without a long lens. Don’t critiques these pictures since I had to take them in low light, handheld, and full zoom (I always make excuses for myself.)

The two photos of the Blue Herons in a tree is a first for me. Normally you see these birds fishing at the water’s edge not roosting in a tree.





I also came across a flock of Turkey Vultures on the rip-rap of the lake where we are camping.

[BamaBob]

Bob,


Some nice photos brother!!

[Oakman]

Originally Posted by BamaBob

Bob,


Some nice photos brother!!

Thank you sir. I appreciate the comment.

Seeing the Blue Herons in the tree was a real treat but this is my favorite heron shot. I was relaxing on a recliner under a palapa in Mexico (Akumal) when this fellow came strolling by at the edge of the ocean and caught a Sergeant Major fish in the surf right in front of me. Sometimes dumb luck is better than skill.

[Wobbles]

Originally Posted by Oakman

Thank you sir. I appreciate the comment.

Seeing the Blue Herons in the tree was a real treat but this is my favorite heron shot. I was relaxing on a recliner under a palapa in Mexico (Akumal) when this fellow came strolling by at the edge of the ocean and caught a Sergeant Major fish in the surf right in front of me. Sometimes dumb luck is better than skill.

Attachment 112050

You have been posting some fine pictures, so go with the timing thing.

[itat]

I just found this thread so maybe I can ask for some advice on a new camera. We've had our Canon SX110is for several years and it takes decent photographs but I want to replace it with something with more zoom and that won't eat batteries for breakfast! We attending our oldest DS's university grad last month and really wished we had a better zoom for the dark auditorium shots. The lens on the SX110is says it's a 6.0-60.0mm and 1:2.8-4.3.

I'll likely never be into manual photography since I find f-stops, apertures, etc. to be very confusing, so the vast majority of my photography would be using the Auto-mode. I'm considering a basic DSLR like a Nikon D3300 with the standard "AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR II zoom lens". Is this a good choice for a very amateur photographer? Would I need a longer lens for more zoom (for indoor and outdoor shots)?

I just posted some shots, taken with the Canon SX110is, here:
http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ml#post1238737

[BamaBob]

Originally Posted by Oakman

Thank you sir. I appreciate the comment.

Seeing the Blue Herons in the tree was a real treat but this is my favorite heron shot. I was relaxing on a recliner under a palapa in Mexico (Akumal) when this fellow came strolling by at the edge of the ocean and caught a Sergeant Major fish in the surf right in front of me. Sometimes dumb luck is better than skill.

Attachment 112050

HOLY CRAP that is ANOTHER awesome shot!!! WOW!!

[Oakman]

Originally Posted by itat

I just found this thread so maybe I can ask for some advice on a new camera. We've had our Canon SX110is for several years and it takes decent photographs but I want to replace it with something with more zoom and that won't eat batteries for breakfast! We attending our oldest DS's university grad last month and really wished we had a better zoom for the dark auditorium shots. The lens on the SX110is says it's a 6.0-60.0mm and 1:2.8-4.3.

I'll likely never be into manual photography since I find f-stops, apertures, etc. to be very confusing, so the vast majority of my photography would be using the Auto-mode. I'm considering a basic DSLR like a Nikon D3300 with the standard "AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR II zoom lens". Is this a good choice for a very amateur photographer? Would I need a longer lens for more zoom (for indoor and outdoor shots)?

I just posted some shots, taken with the Canon SX110is, here:
http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ml#post1238737

I consider DSLR cameras to be the realm of serious photography hobbyists. Since by your own admission you will probably only be using Auto-mode on your next camera you might consider the Panasonic Lumix FZ-200 while they are still available for purchase. It has a long zoom of 24X (25mm-600mm) and a fixed f2.8 aperture across the entire zoom making it great for low light situations. While they are still available you can pick one up for around $300. The newest version of that camera is the FZ-300 and costs about $300 dollars more.

By the way I have a Canon SX110is and I still use it for my backup camera. It’s a great little camera with a 10X zoom lens which is the DSLR equivalent of a 36mm – 360mm lens. The DSLR Nikkor lens you mentioned is only an 18-55mm lens. A 50mm lens basically produces what your eye sees (excluding peripheral vision.)

To be quite honest with you, I think you should just continue to use your Canon camera.

[itat]

Thanks for the reply and advice, Bob. If the SX110is didn't eat batteries so quickly I would stick with it for a while longer but it's just ridiculous how often we have to put new AA batteries in it. That and the little CR1220 just died (although that's not a big deal) and I can't find a replacement locally.

If I'm going to spend some money on a new camera it has to have a lot better battery life and I'd like to get something that takes even better pictures in Auto mode.

I'll have a look at the Panasonic Lumix FZs.

[Oakman]

Darn, I meant to address the issue of batteries. Energizer makes an Ultimate Lithium AA battery that lasts up to 9 times longer than regular energizers. The Lithiums aren’t cheap but I can vouch that they do last a lot longer. I can usually find a 4 pack for around $10 at Home Depot. These are the batteries I use in my SX110, my SX160, and my Fuji S8200.

The beauty of using AA batteries is you can buy them anywhere in the world. The only disadvantage to having a camera that uses a dedicated battery is if the battery goes dead you can’t use your camera unless you have a spare battery.

[aufinger]

Originally Posted by itat

I just found this thread so maybe I can ask for some advice on a new camera. We've had our Canon SX110is for several years and it takes decent photographs but I want to replace it with something with more zoom and that won't eat batteries for breakfast! We attending our oldest DS's university grad last month and really wished we had a better zoom for the dark auditorium shots. The lens on the SX110is says it's a 6.0-60.0mm and 1:2.8-4.3.

I'll likely never be into manual photography since I find f-stops, apertures, etc. to be very confusing, so the vast majority of my photography would be using the Auto-mode. I'm considering a basic DSLR like a Nikon D3300 with the standard "AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR II zoom lens". Is this a good choice for a very amateur photographer? Would I need a longer lens for more zoom (for indoor and outdoor shots)?

To get those indoor graduation shots, you're not going to be able to shoot AUTO and get the results I think you'll be happy with. Because you will most likely be out of flash range, you'll want to set the aperture at the camera's lowest (widest) setting in Aperture Priority. Note that in the Nikkor 18-55 lens you list above, the aperture for the lens when zoomed to 55mm is 5.6 (3.5 when set to 18mm). That's a very slow lens. In order to get the shot, you're going to have to jack up the ISO (light sensitivity) up - WAY UP. Otherwise, with a regular ISO setting, the shutter speed will be too low for good hand-held shots. The good news is that with each new camera model the quality of very high ISO pictures is amazing better then their predecessors. As far as the zoom, 55mm will most likely give you pictures of the entire stage. Ideally you should have a lens in the 100 to 200 mm range. Again, the good news is that many of the newer cameras are in the 18 to 24 megapixel range. These larger megapixel cameras will allow you to crop the picture and get decent close-ups without using a long telephoto lens.

[itat]

Originally Posted by Oakman

Darn, I meant to address the issue of batteries. Energizer makes an Ultimate Lithium AA battery that lasts up to 9 times longer than regular energizers. The Lithiums aren’t cheap but I can vouch that they do last a lot longer. I can usually find a 4 pack for around $10 at Home Depot. These are the batteries I use in my SX110, my SX160, and my Fuji S8200.

The beauty of using AA batteries is you can buy them anywhere in the world. The only disadvantage to having a camera that uses a dedicated battery is if the battery goes dead you can’t use your camera unless you have a spare battery.

Thanks for the tip!