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Is your photography FAST?

I have been photographing various subjects for many years, bought and sold equipment and read more product reviews than I can remember. One word which keeps popping up in articles and my discussions with friends is “fast”. My camera body is “fast”, my memory cards are “fast”; my shutter speeds are “fast” and my lenses are “fast”. Really? Can everything be fast? And just what the heck does fast even mean?

Composition

I just had an interesting conversation with a colleague. He showed me an image he had captured of a landscape just before the morning sun broke the horizon. In the bottom left corner was a fisherman in a small boat facing diagonally to the right. The sky was reflected in the water and it was just after the “blue hour” so there was some yellow/red brightness in the sky. My comment was that it was “well composed”.

Know your camera...

How many times are we told to be sure to understand our cameras and all of the settings? Many times! Many many times!! Well today I fell victim to unfamiliarity. On the way to Portland, Oregon from Seattle, Washington we stopped at Panther Creek Falls. A very impressive natural cascade, to capture some images. It was late afternoon of a very overcast, typical rainy Pacific Northwest day. The Falls are in a heavy forested area and the natural light was was quite poor.

Zoom lenses and aperture

Many people just getting into photography will buy a good quality camera body and a versatile zoom lens. Usually 5hese are bundled as a “kit” and represent a good value. These lenses are designed for the consumer market, have good optical quality but a less robust build than more expensive glass. They will also have a variable aperture such as f/3.5~f/5.6. Since aperture is one of those ‘things’ that has to be learned, let’s do a short review.

Nikon vs Canon - use of older lenses

I am writing this article solely to address the use of older lenses (aka “legacy glass” on newer, current Nikon and Canon digital bodies. Whenever, people hear about a Nikon vs Canon debate, the first reaction is “oh no, not THIS again”, but there really are some distinct differences between the two systems that should be considered when making an investment into one or the other system. The only difference that I am addressing in this article is the lens mount.

Used Gear - Yes or No?

I have been a proponent of buying good quality, pre-owned equipment for quite a long time. Most of the “stuff” I have is used and performs exceptionally well. I have bought from dealers, on ebay and from local sellers using Craigslist. I’ve been lucky and never had an issue. For some advice, take a look at this recent article: https://www.lightstalking.com/10-important-tips-purchasing-used-camera/

Ouch!

I went on a photo safari in Botswana this past September (2016). I took my D810 and a few lenses - AFS 300mm f/4; AF 80-200mm f/2.8D; AFS 24-70mm f/2.8 and AFS 17-35mm f/2.8 as well as my trusty AF 50mm f/1.4D. I also made good use of a TC17EII. I am still reviewing the images and selecting the ones worthy of post-processing. Shooting birds in flight and animals on the move translates to a large number of images to review and discard!

What do I use for my image captures?

This is a question that I am asked when people see my work. I will answer the question, but I just want to stress that a simple camera in talented hands will produce amazing photos and expensive equipment in the hands of someone who has no “vision” will render outstanding crap. Although I was using 2 older Nikon bodies, a D300s and a D700, I recently decided to “upgrade” and acquired a D810.

Nikon vs Canon Which To Buy?

Here is a repost of a recent Video and Text which addresses this continuing query. http://froknowsphoto.com/nikon-vs-canon/

Who makes the BEST camera?

This is a long standing question and the subject of never-ending debate. Everyone has an opinion and most are valid. In the days of 35mm photography the frontrunners were Canon and Nikon for many years joined by Pentax, Olympus and Minolta. When digital technology started to supplant film, Canon and Nikon developed their entries with Nikon joining up with both Kodak and Fuji to provide not only choice, but also technologicl innovation.