- What mode do I want to shoot in? Manual, AP, SP, Auto or a pre-programed mode?
- If I’m using a pre-set, what F-Stop or Shutter Speed am I going to use?
- What format do I want to shoot in RAW or jpeg?
- What’s my ISO? Is it fast/slow enough?
- Too grainy for the shot?
- What White Balance am I set on?
- Do I need to set custom White Balance?
- Did I bring my 18% Grey Card?
- What Metering Mode should I be on?
- What Colour setting do I need?
- Am I going to use Manual or Auto Focus?
- Do I want to Bracket the shot?
- Am I going to use a Flash?
- And how am I going to use it?
- What story am I trying to tell?
- Do I need to change lenses?
- If so, which one?
- Am I shooting in Landscape or Portrait perspective, or even a jaunty angle?
- Do I need to use a Tripod?
- Will I use the Rule of Thirds or break it?
- What other rules should I be following?
- Are there Leading Lines I can use in the shot?
- What about finding an S-curve for the leading line?
- Is there any thing I can use to Frame my picture? e.g. Tree branches.
- Will I change this to B&W, Sepia or something else post production?
- Do I have a Focal Point?
- Is my subject Moving or Stationary?
- For Moving Subjects, do I want to Pan the shot, Blur the background or Blur the subject?
- Is there a Pattern I can pick up on?
- How’s the lighting? Are the shadows strong or weak?
- Do I want to emphasize them?
- Is the light too strong?
- Will it wash out detail?
- Is my horizon straight?
- Can I get this at a better angle?
- Should I wait for better lighting?
- What does the light meter read?
- Should I increase shutter speed or open up the aperture?
- Is it in focus?
- Did I just miss a great shot?
Showing posts with label pixelchasers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pixelchasers. Show all posts
Monday, May 24, 2010
Before I Hit the Shutter I Ask Myself (oh really!!) :
Monday, April 5, 2010
Points to keep in mind for amature photographer
These are some of the notes I took few years back... still I forget these points quite often. I guess practice is the key. Sharing with others,
1) Automatic is OK
While you can get some great results by changing your camera’s settings, remember to set it back to automatic mode especially when you are new to photography or if the camera is supposed to be used by others. Taking a great photograph is often about capturing a moment, so don’t lose it!
2) Spot metering for vivid backgrounds
If you’re shooting a person against a bright background (the sky, for instance), set your exposure meter mode to “spot” and focus on the person. This prevents the subject being under exposed. If the background is of particular interest, try using a standard metering mode and turning on the flash to light up your subject.
3) Get closer
In photos of people, the subjects can often be lost amidst too much background. Get close to your subject to make sure they are the focus of your shot, and position them to one side of the frame, not dead center. This will give your frame a non-amateur look.
4) Use the rule of thirds
For landscape shots, try to fill the frame with one third sky and two thirds land. Or if the sky is really interesting, do it the other way. Half-and-half never looks quite right.
5) Shutter Speed
Play around with shutter speeds. Anything slower than 1/60th of a second will give some blur (depending on the speed of the action) -- and blur conveys a sense of movement. Try 1/30th to capture the movement of car wheels.
6) Taking portrait
If nothing else, the person’s eyes should be sharp, as they’re the first things we look at. If your subject is off-center, choose the focus point nearest their eyes. Blurry eyes don’t make for great pics.
7) Shooting in sun
Don’t shoot pictures with the sun directly behind you: first, you might cast a shadow across the frame, and second, the person in the shot will probably be squinting.
If you have to shoot into the sun, put the flash on so you don’t get a dark subject – this is called “fill flash.”
1) Automatic is OK
While you can get some great results by changing your camera’s settings, remember to set it back to automatic mode especially when you are new to photography or if the camera is supposed to be used by others. Taking a great photograph is often about capturing a moment, so don’t lose it!
2) Spot metering for vivid backgrounds
If you’re shooting a person against a bright background (the sky, for instance), set your exposure meter mode to “spot” and focus on the person. This prevents the subject being under exposed. If the background is of particular interest, try using a standard metering mode and turning on the flash to light up your subject.
3) Get closer
In photos of people, the subjects can often be lost amidst too much background. Get close to your subject to make sure they are the focus of your shot, and position them to one side of the frame, not dead center. This will give your frame a non-amateur look.
4) Use the rule of thirds
For landscape shots, try to fill the frame with one third sky and two thirds land. Or if the sky is really interesting, do it the other way. Half-and-half never looks quite right.
5) Shutter Speed
Play around with shutter speeds. Anything slower than 1/60th of a second will give some blur (depending on the speed of the action) -- and blur conveys a sense of movement. Try 1/30th to capture the movement of car wheels.
6) Taking portrait
If nothing else, the person’s eyes should be sharp, as they’re the first things we look at. If your subject is off-center, choose the focus point nearest their eyes. Blurry eyes don’t make for great pics.
7) Shooting in sun
Don’t shoot pictures with the sun directly behind you: first, you might cast a shadow across the frame, and second, the person in the shot will probably be squinting.
If you have to shoot into the sun, put the flash on so you don’t get a dark subject – this is called “fill flash.”
Saturday, April 3, 2010
ISO Aperture and Shutter Speed
The first thing to understand when you move into the manual / creative zones of your camera the the relation to the three primary factors.
1. Shutter Speed
2. Aperture
3. ISO
The shutter speed relates to the time which the camera opens up to allow light inside. It is measured in units of time. For e.g. 1/125 secs means that the camera will open for that small amount of time to allow light to fall on the censor / film.
The aperture relates to the size of the opening in the lens. The wider the opening the more light that comes in, the narrower the opening the less light that comes in.
Both the shutter speed and the aperture go hand in hand to determine the right exposure. If you let in light though a bigger opening then you would need a faster shutter speed and vice versa.
The aperture is measured in f stops, The lower the number the bigger the opening. e.g. f1.8 has a bigger opening than f5.6.
The ISO is how sensitive the senor or film is to light. It is measured as ISO 100, 200,400,800,1600. The lower numbers indicate a lower sensitivity and the higher numbers a higher sensitivity. The lower number require more light to expose the film and the higher number require lesser light to expose the film.
ISO settings have a direct effect on the quality of the photograph. The lower the ISO the smoother is the resolution and the high ISO setting yield grainier images. Think of it this way, when you are studying a book, if you skim though the book fast, then you have an overall understanding but loose out the details, but a more thorough study takes you more time and will give you a finer understanding.
1. Shutter Speed
2. Aperture
3. ISO
The shutter speed relates to the time which the camera opens up to allow light inside. It is measured in units of time. For e.g. 1/125 secs means that the camera will open for that small amount of time to allow light to fall on the censor / film.
The aperture relates to the size of the opening in the lens. The wider the opening the more light that comes in, the narrower the opening the less light that comes in.
Both the shutter speed and the aperture go hand in hand to determine the right exposure. If you let in light though a bigger opening then you would need a faster shutter speed and vice versa.
The aperture is measured in f stops, The lower the number the bigger the opening. e.g. f1.8 has a bigger opening than f5.6.
The ISO is how sensitive the senor or film is to light. It is measured as ISO 100, 200,400,800,1600. The lower numbers indicate a lower sensitivity and the higher numbers a higher sensitivity. The lower number require more light to expose the film and the higher number require lesser light to expose the film.
ISO settings have a direct effect on the quality of the photograph. The lower the ISO the smoother is the resolution and the high ISO setting yield grainier images. Think of it this way, when you are studying a book, if you skim though the book fast, then you have an overall understanding but loose out the details, but a more thorough study takes you more time and will give you a finer understanding.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Photo Samples
I found a very nice website of a photographer. I am impressed by the quality and simplicity of these pictures.
http://www.salleephotography.com/
Don't forget to volume down this beautiful song on the website.
Comments are welcome.
http://www.salleephotography.com/
Don't forget to volume down this beautiful song on the website.
Comments are welcome.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Quality Slimming
Very important and common area of mistakes. When we slim the size of an image, we don't generally include the quality aspect. Size reduction of image is by the size of image (length & width), it reduces the file size too, however we can also reduce the size of file by reducing the quality of image (Color depth). Mostly all software programs do both (picasa being worst). They would reduce the width and length and reduce the jpg quality without asking further details. You will get pretty small size making email servers happy, but the photo quality will be very bad.
Make sure when you reduce the length and width of picture, you do not go overboard with quality of jpg to reduce the file size. Photoshop gives very good options and another hidden option is well explained here.
http://photonaturalist.net/how-to-resize-your-photos-the-sharp-way/
Enjoy quality slimming down.
Make sure when you reduce the length and width of picture, you do not go overboard with quality of jpg to reduce the file size. Photoshop gives very good options and another hidden option is well explained here.
http://photonaturalist.net/how-to-resize-your-photos-the-sharp-way/
Enjoy quality slimming down.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
My assignment of Marathon photos
Got another photography assignment to cover Ekalwalk Marathon.
- Got up early and reached before time, took a tour of places I need to be.- Made a scheme in my mind on what to cover and by which lens.
- Get my gear ready according to situation.
- Covered preparation, warm-up session, stalls, marathon, awards, dance, yoga and food.
- When people reach the final spot, make sure no one comes on your way and select right spot.
- Check background when you shoot people running. Good contrast is needed.
- Compile your pictures after post processing quickly.
- Don't forget to shoot interesting people.
- Don't forget to enjoy yourself too :)
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Happy Diwali
To all the readers:
For this, is a special time when family
And friends get together, for fun.
Wishing laughter and fun to cheer your days,
In this festive season of diwali and always!!!!!! !!
“Happy Deepavali”
Why Diwali / Deepawali??
Its Deep's (small lamps) Awali (rows and rows)
Lord Ram returned to rule "Bharat" country which would certainly bring prosperity for sure was the general feeling in everyone's life. He would accept the kingdom from his brother Bharat. Since supreme Lord Vishu's avatar Ram is coming back, rest of Gods will come to you as well. This made entire Bharat country celebrate and lit lamps to welcome. How this day turned in to worship of Laxmi (Lord of money) and Ganesh (Lord of prosperity) is not known to me but I feel this must be related to the reason for people welcoming Lord Ram at the first place.
We not only clean the houses and shops, but also decorate them to lure Lord Laxmi. My childhood memories remembers Diwali as entire joint family gathering, entire city decorated with small lamps, market decorations and obviously fire crackers :)
http://picasaweb.google.com/sachindevji/Diwali09#
And friends get together, for fun.
Wishing laughter and fun to cheer your days,
In this festive season of diwali and always!!!!!! !!
“Happy Deepavali”
Why Diwali / Deepawali??
Its Deep's (small lamps) Awali (rows and rows)
Lord Ram returned to rule "Bharat" country which would certainly bring prosperity for sure was the general feeling in everyone's life. He would accept the kingdom from his brother Bharat. Since supreme Lord Vishu's avatar Ram is coming back, rest of Gods will come to you as well. This made entire Bharat country celebrate and lit lamps to welcome. How this day turned in to worship of Laxmi (Lord of money) and Ganesh (Lord of prosperity) is not known to me but I feel this must be related to the reason for people welcoming Lord Ram at the first place.
We not only clean the houses and shops, but also decorate them to lure Lord Laxmi. My childhood memories remembers Diwali as entire joint family gathering, entire city decorated with small lamps, market decorations and obviously fire crackers :)
http://picasaweb.google.com/sachindevji/Diwali09#
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Review Gear Series: Tripod Manfrotto 785
I love this tripod, it has everything i need (with a little twist).
Good:
- Very compact (ideal for travel).
- Very light and rigid.
- Easy clamps and very good head.
- It stands tall for me enough (5feet and 10 inches).
- Its had also has video and camera mode. In video mode the only moments allowed is horizontal & vertical, nothing in btw.
- $60 on amazon.com
- I use it for 3 kg gear.
But what is the twist here. Its head is not good to hold heavy camera. So twist is to open the head and place a plastic sheet on the rubbing surface to make it more resistant. Bingo. I used the packing cover it came with to make a small piece of plastic slit.
I use this for Nikon D300s + Nikon 80-200 mm F2.8. and NIkon SB 600 Flash. Just to give you idea. we are looking at 1 kg of camera, 1.4 kg of lens and app .3 kg of flash without any problem here.
Bad: You will need more sturdy tripods at some point of time.
Ugly:
Be careful for jerks when this baby is fully stretched, Your body or even wind can give you heart beat spike. Its very light.
A word of caution: Never leave camera on tripod (any tripod).
HAPPY SHOOTING.
- Very compact (ideal for travel).
- Very light and rigid.
- Easy clamps and very good head.
- It stands tall for me enough (5feet and 10 inches).
- Its had also has video and camera mode. In video mode the only moments allowed is horizontal & vertical, nothing in btw.
- $60 on amazon.com
- I use it for 3 kg gear.
I use this for Nikon D300s + Nikon 80-200 mm F2.8. and NIkon SB 600 Flash. Just to give you idea. we are looking at 1 kg of camera, 1.4 kg of lens and app .3 kg of flash without any problem here.
Ugly:
Be careful for jerks when this baby is fully stretched, Your body or even wind can give you heart beat spike. Its very light.
A word of caution: Never leave camera on tripod (any tripod).
HAPPY SHOOTING.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Review Gear Series: Nikon D300s
On popular demand, I am posting my reading of this new Nikon D300s. This is a excellent camera and better than D300. All reviews apply on D300 apply here (I would recommend www.bythom.com for D300 Review) with extra tweak in performance. Apart from the obvious review items of what has changed or what has been introduced (widely available on lots websites), my focus is on my readings. Video feature has some work pending, however over a course of time it should get corrected. I have nothing but 5 star for this hardware. But...
Bad:
- No camera control software to connect with PC (optional), Canon has it free.
- It comes with ViewNX but that can't crop the pictures. hence you will have to convert RAW (NEF) pictures to JPEG to crop in third party software. This is pity feature which must have been in the software.
- In camera video editing is basic (poor than Canon).
- Nikon should have a Video for every new camera as option to read its thick manual.
- No cheap remote for this camera from Nikon.
- No screen brightness adjustment based on ambient light.
- No auto rotate in live view mode.
- No way to take picture while video is ON.
- No way to pause the video in recording mode.
- Charger still has an extra cable.
- No button for picture control.
- No Auto mode.
- Wireless trigger of flash is on in built flash only.
- ISO performance is not better than D90
Good:
- Sturdy, strong, weather sealed. (I have personally observed its advantages).
- Live view, movie mode, user friendly buttons, quiet mode and best of all, mirror delay mode which reduces vibrations.
- Amazing fast, 51 point focus, exposure accuracy and fine tuning of 48 parameters.
- Sticky handling, wireless flash trigger and dedicated button for Exposure mode is best for me.
- Good screen, 1 button zoom, picture control features and very nice menu system I like the most.
- Best of class battery life. I have tested this for 1100 pictures without recharge.
Ugly:
- Where is my Nikon D400????
Bad:
- No camera control software to connect with PC (optional), Canon has it free.
- It comes with ViewNX but that can't crop the pictures. hence you will have to convert RAW (NEF) pictures to JPEG to crop in third party software. This is pity feature which must have been in the software.
- In camera video editing is basic (poor than Canon).
- Nikon should have a Video for every new camera as option to read its thick manual.
- No cheap remote for this camera from Nikon.
- No screen brightness adjustment based on ambient light.
- No auto rotate in live view mode.
- No way to take picture while video is ON.
- No way to pause the video in recording mode.
- Charger still has an extra cable.
- No button for picture control.
- No Auto mode.
- Wireless trigger of flash is on in built flash only.
- ISO performance is not better than D90
Good:
- Sturdy, strong, weather sealed. (I have personally observed its advantages).
- Live view, movie mode, user friendly buttons, quiet mode and best of all, mirror delay mode which reduces vibrations.
- Amazing fast, 51 point focus, exposure accuracy and fine tuning of 48 parameters.
- Sticky handling, wireless flash trigger and dedicated button for Exposure mode is best for me.
- Good screen, 1 button zoom, picture control features and very nice menu system I like the most.
- Best of class battery life. I have tested this for 1100 pictures without recharge.
Ugly:
- Where is my Nikon D400????
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
My trip to Crater Lake by Amtrak
- Joined Ravi, Anagha and Tushar last minute on Friday morning when we were expected to start same evening. Anita was excited about this trip and Sahadev was only for TRAINS (gigi).
- Booked Amtrak tickets online with hotel and rental car.
- Reached station 2 hours before train departure (asmentioned on the website) but I don’t see any reason to be there so early. You can be there 1 hour before which is pretty safe considering you need to collect tickets and check in baggage. They need photo ID to issue ticket for which you will be carrying confirmation printout.- Started at 8.30 PM from
- Booked Amtrak tickets online with hotel and rental car.
- Reached station 2 hours before train departure (asmentioned on the website) but I don’t see any reason to be there so early. You can be there 1 hour before which is pretty safe considering you need to collect tickets and check in baggage. They need photo ID to issue ticket for which you will be carrying confirmation printout.- Started at 8.30 PM from
- Booked shuttle to pick us up from
- Went to diamond lake and did boating, came back around 6.30 to crater lake for dusk photography. Started back and reached at dinner time. Lots of restaurant so no issues in
- Came back to see downtown and boarded train back at 10 pm after dinner.
- Reached back at 9.45 am to
Remember: Train is not as smooth as in Europe or
- Amtrak stops a lot. But not many people so kinda safe.
- Amtrak stops a lot. But not many people so kinda safe.
More pictures can be seen on Picasa GalleryNice pictures can be seen on Flickr Gallery
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Question of the Month
Can absence of ND filter be compensated by lowering the exposure compensation values??
Monday, July 20, 2009
Amazing effects with your pictures
Have you tried this??
http://www.photofunia.com/
Just select a picture out of many styles, add your picture and it will appear in any of those style, cool thing is you can copy this picture.
And by the way I know this lady :)
http://www.photofunia.com/
Just select a picture out of many styles, add your picture and it will appear in any of those style, cool thing is you can copy this picture.
And by the way I know this lady :)
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Sunday, July 5, 2009
List of features requested
I got a list of features from (www.bythom.com) requested by multiple users, so publishing it here. very interesting list. This might have some features specific to Nikon cameras.
Camera Features:
a.. Auto ISO on/off assignable to a button (Command dial then changes min shutter speed?) (jb, am)
b.. Auto ISO shutter speed/focal length dependency (min shutter speed = 1/fl for FX 1/fl*1.5 for DX) (js)
c.. With Auto ISO make it dependent upon focal length (ad)
d.. Dedicated ISO button (or ability to assign it to an assignable button) (rg)
e.. Set the clock from the GP-1 if connected. (jc)
f.. Built-in GPS (ah)
g.. Sunrise/Sunset calculation (from GPS) (pa)
h.. Ability to upload a small text file to the camera and pull it up on the color LCD. Suggested by a wedding photographer as a way to keep shot lists. [I'd add that it really should be a ToDo file: you should be able to put a check mark next to any individual line of text.] (mo)
i.. Firmware updates to allow bracketing in steps larger than 1. (nw)
j.. Store and edit camera settings files on a PC (ah) [We sort of have that with Camera Control Pro]
k.. Combine SHOOTING and CUSTOM SETTINGS banks (many) [I'm not so sure about just combining them, but I do want the option to combine them, so that the camera can be completely set in one selection]
l.. Save/Load SHOOTING bank settings, Save/Load CUSTOM SETTINGS bank settings (sg)
m.. Restore to Saved settings option (not default) (sg)
n.. Restore to Saved after time period (sg) [could also be Restore to Saved on On/Off]
o.. High/Low DOF limits for current settings in viewfinder/info screen. Also, set hyperfocal button, set infinity button. (jc)
p.. Pressing AE-L in Manual exposure does nothing now, should do "quick set" to 0 (via Program). (jc)
q.. Trap focus as a setting, not a group of settings. (jc)
r.. Improve contrast detection AF speed (cw)
s.. HDR support (many) [Comes in many forms, but the most common request is three-image bracket 2 stops apart; also in-camera HDR assembly to JPEG ala Pentax K7]
t.. Integrated meter and sensor for HDR. Essentially use metering to determine where to do early read and reset on sensor pixels to create HDR data. (lk)
u.. M-UP allows Self Timer (many), M-UP has always up (tm)
v.. PSAM in Custom Setting or Shooting banks (am)
w.. Limit Program exposure mode to subset of available apertures (js)
x.. Scriptable Program or exposure modes (pa)
y.. Set hyperfocal distance (eg)
z.. Trap focus that works with MF lenses (al)
aa.. User-definable Programs for Program exposure mode (eg)
ab.. Reset to a user-definable state (cs)
ac.. AF button + dial changes AF mode (ka)
ad.. Get strap lugs positioned so camera hangs properly (ka)
ae.. Panorama assist mode (ka)
af.. Built-in WiFi (ah)
ag.. Built-in hard drive (ah)
ah.. Display blinking highlights when zoomed (or zoom highlights page) (am)
ai.. Custom threshold for highlights (am)
aj.. Stop showing file name, date, time, quality, etc. on every review page; only needed once (many)
ak.. Histograms with exposure stop markers (am)
al.. Accurate raw data histograms (UniWB) (many)
am.. Real DSLR Color Space (sRGB, AdobeRGB too small) (lk)
an.. D300 CompactFlash door opens unintentionally too often; needs a lock release (ala D3) (fk)
ao.. Fix the SCM (AF mode) focus switch so that it can't easily be jarred to a different position (many)
ap.. D300 needs a dedicated bracketing button (cw)
aq.. Fast frame rate at 14-bits (D300, D700) (several) [This is one of those gain some, lose some scenarios. I'd just suggest you use 12-bit on those cameras if you need fast frame rate.]
ar.. Better viewfinder (many) [Seems to be some disagreement on what that means: brighter, 100% always, and better manual focus assist are the three most common suggestions]
as.. Swivel LCD (many) [most don't like D5000 swivel position]
Flash Features:
a.. Radio style wireless control (ah)
b.. Built-in Pocket Wizard (many)
c.. SB-700 (update to SB-600 with SB-900 style controls) (many)
d.. Remove aperture restrictions in Program/Scene exposure modes (many)
Software Features:
a.. A decent way to print (with borders) from Capture NX2. (jb)
Lenses:
First, let's get some obvious stuff out of the way. We need to fill out the DX line and update a number of outdated lenses in the lineup. Basically we take the current 50 AF lens lineup, add three lenses (one of the back), and then perform 12 updates to make the line reasonably complete and current:
a.. 16mm f/2.8G DX (or other wider DX prime)
b.. 50-150mm f/2.8G VR AF-S DX
c.. Redo 18mm, 20mm, 24mm, 28mm primes (G, AF-S, Nano)
d.. Redo 85mm f/1.4 (G, AF-S, Nano, VR)
e.. Redo 105mm and/or 135mm DC (G, AF-S, Nano, VR)
f.. Redo 17-35mm f/2.8 (G, AF-S, Nano)
g.. Redo 24-120mm f/3.5-4.5G VR (better optics)
h.. Redo 200mm Micro-Nikkor (G, AF-S, Nano, VR)
i.. Redo 300mm f/4 (add VR, Nano)
j.. Redo 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D (G, add AF-S, Nano)
Okay, with the obvious out of the way, time for your user input.
a.. make all PC-E lenses so tilt and shift can be same axis or different axis (many)
b.. 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 AF-S lens update. (gv) [Actually, why not just reintroduce it?]
c.. 24-200mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S lens for FX. (bl)
d.. 35-135mm (suggestions ranging from f/2 to f/4). (various)
e.. 180mm f/2.8 Micro-Nikkor (replaces both 200mm f/4 and 180mm f/2.8). (jc)
f.. Galen's favorite 20mm f/4 refreshed. (kh) [Any small, very wide prime would be nice]
g.. A DX portrait lens: 60mm f/1.4G (ab)
h.. Redo 85mm f/1.8 (G, AF-S) (kh)
i.. 135mm f/2.8 (G, AF-S, VR) (kh)
j.. 400 f/5.6 (G, AF-S, VR) (kh)
k.. 14mm or 16mm PC-E DX (er)
Comments are welcome
Camera Features:
a.. Auto ISO on/off assignable to a button (Command dial then changes min shutter speed?) (jb, am)
b.. Auto ISO shutter speed/focal length dependency (min shutter speed = 1/fl for FX 1/fl*1.5 for DX) (js)
c.. With Auto ISO make it dependent upon focal length (ad)
d.. Dedicated ISO button (or ability to assign it to an assignable button) (rg)
e.. Set the clock from the GP-1 if connected. (jc)
f.. Built-in GPS (ah)
g.. Sunrise/Sunset calculation (from GPS) (pa)
h.. Ability to upload a small text file to the camera and pull it up on the color LCD. Suggested by a wedding photographer as a way to keep shot lists. [I'd add that it really should be a ToDo file: you should be able to put a check mark next to any individual line of text.] (mo)
i.. Firmware updates to allow bracketing in steps larger than 1. (nw)
j.. Store and edit camera settings files on a PC (ah) [We sort of have that with Camera Control Pro]
k.. Combine SHOOTING and CUSTOM SETTINGS banks (many) [I'm not so sure about just combining them, but I do want the option to combine them, so that the camera can be completely set in one selection]
l.. Save/Load SHOOTING bank settings, Save/Load CUSTOM SETTINGS bank settings (sg)
m.. Restore to Saved settings option (not default) (sg)
n.. Restore to Saved after time period (sg) [could also be Restore to Saved on On/Off]
o.. High/Low DOF limits for current settings in viewfinder/info screen. Also, set hyperfocal button, set infinity button. (jc)
p.. Pressing AE-L in Manual exposure does nothing now, should do "quick set" to 0 (via Program). (jc)
q.. Trap focus as a setting, not a group of settings. (jc)
r.. Improve contrast detection AF speed (cw)
s.. HDR support (many) [Comes in many forms, but the most common request is three-image bracket 2 stops apart; also in-camera HDR assembly to JPEG ala Pentax K7]
t.. Integrated meter and sensor for HDR. Essentially use metering to determine where to do early read and reset on sensor pixels to create HDR data. (lk)
u.. M-UP allows Self Timer (many), M-UP has always up (tm)
v.. PSAM in Custom Setting or Shooting banks (am)
w.. Limit Program exposure mode to subset of available apertures (js)
x.. Scriptable Program or exposure modes (pa)
y.. Set hyperfocal distance (eg)
z.. Trap focus that works with MF lenses (al)
aa.. User-definable Programs for Program exposure mode (eg)
ab.. Reset to a user-definable state (cs)
ac.. AF button + dial changes AF mode (ka)
ad.. Get strap lugs positioned so camera hangs properly (ka)
ae.. Panorama assist mode (ka)
af.. Built-in WiFi (ah)
ag.. Built-in hard drive (ah)
ah.. Display blinking highlights when zoomed (or zoom highlights page) (am)
ai.. Custom threshold for highlights (am)
aj.. Stop showing file name, date, time, quality, etc. on every review page; only needed once (many)
ak.. Histograms with exposure stop markers (am)
al.. Accurate raw data histograms (UniWB) (many)
am.. Real DSLR Color Space (sRGB, AdobeRGB too small) (lk)
an.. D300 CompactFlash door opens unintentionally too often; needs a lock release (ala D3) (fk)
ao.. Fix the SCM (AF mode) focus switch so that it can't easily be jarred to a different position (many)
ap.. D300 needs a dedicated bracketing button (cw)
aq.. Fast frame rate at 14-bits (D300, D700) (several) [This is one of those gain some, lose some scenarios. I'd just suggest you use 12-bit on those cameras if you need fast frame rate.]
ar.. Better viewfinder (many) [Seems to be some disagreement on what that means: brighter, 100% always, and better manual focus assist are the three most common suggestions]
as.. Swivel LCD (many) [most don't like D5000 swivel position]
Flash Features:
a.. Radio style wireless control (ah)
b.. Built-in Pocket Wizard (many)
c.. SB-700 (update to SB-600 with SB-900 style controls) (many)
d.. Remove aperture restrictions in Program/Scene exposure modes (many)
Software Features:
a.. A decent way to print (with borders) from Capture NX2. (jb)
Lenses:
First, let's get some obvious stuff out of the way. We need to fill out the DX line and update a number of outdated lenses in the lineup. Basically we take the current 50 AF lens lineup, add three lenses (one of the back), and then perform 12 updates to make the line reasonably complete and current:
a.. 16mm f/2.8G DX (or other wider DX prime)
b.. 50-150mm f/2.8G VR AF-S DX
c.. Redo 18mm, 20mm, 24mm, 28mm primes (G, AF-S, Nano)
d.. Redo 85mm f/1.4 (G, AF-S, Nano, VR)
e.. Redo 105mm and/or 135mm DC (G, AF-S, Nano, VR)
f.. Redo 17-35mm f/2.8 (G, AF-S, Nano)
g.. Redo 24-120mm f/3.5-4.5G VR (better optics)
h.. Redo 200mm Micro-Nikkor (G, AF-S, Nano, VR)
i.. Redo 300mm f/4 (add VR, Nano)
j.. Redo 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D (G, add AF-S, Nano)
Okay, with the obvious out of the way, time for your user input.
a.. make all PC-E lenses so tilt and shift can be same axis or different axis (many)
b.. 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 AF-S lens update. (gv) [Actually, why not just reintroduce it?]
c.. 24-200mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S lens for FX. (bl)
d.. 35-135mm (suggestions ranging from f/2 to f/4). (various)
e.. 180mm f/2.8 Micro-Nikkor (replaces both 200mm f/4 and 180mm f/2.8). (jc)
f.. Galen's favorite 20mm f/4 refreshed. (kh) [Any small, very wide prime would be nice]
g.. A DX portrait lens: 60mm f/1.4G (ab)
h.. Redo 85mm f/1.8 (G, AF-S) (kh)
i.. 135mm f/2.8 (G, AF-S, VR) (kh)
j.. 400 f/5.6 (G, AF-S, VR) (kh)
k.. 14mm or 16mm PC-E DX (er)
Comments are welcome
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Black & White Photography
Here is 1 article which tells you the steps to achieve best black and white results in post production. I will be trying it soon too.
http://digital-photography-school.com/an-adjustable-black-and-white-c...
Monday, June 15, 2009
Time Lapse Photography
Ross Ching is well known for his time lapse movie. Do see his Electric series along with his latest Little Bribes. Please remember, every creation is only photographs and no video at all.
It's a must see and he also has a video on how he has made it.
Steps:
- Use interval-o-meter (build in camera or remote or manually). Take multiple shots with same exposure.
- Put all these pictures in a movie making software with a music file.
- Bingo.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Question of the Month
A little exercise to do with a question.
Cameras have face detection these days, however If I select my focus point away from face, how will face detection (which in this case will still happen) work and how will it affect my picture?
Have a blast long weekend. Do share camera work you do during these days. Also please share if you guys read any of these emails and If we should continue with this group.
Cameras have face detection these days, however If I select my focus point away from face, how will face detection (which in this case will still happen) work and how will it affect my picture?
Have a blast long weekend. Do share camera work you do during these days. Also please share if you guys read any of these emails and If we should continue with this group.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Finally I found it...
I was trying to do this effect for a long time but finally I found it.
Steps:
- Take multiple shots with your multiple locations with camera on tripod and exposure value set at manual. (make sure exposure in these pictures is same).
- Open these pictures in photoshop in different layers.
- Erase the layer to expose lower layer and show you at different location.
Try multiple times to get the right picture.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Photo Samples
A must see article (you can ignore to read but see the result).
http://digital-photography-school.com/shooting-portraits-like-a-pro-o...
http://digital-photography-school.com/shooting-portraits-like-a-pro-o...
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Photo Samples
I came across a website which is quite good in terms of information, video blogs, reviews and photos. (Video blog link is on right side)
http://www.arcurs.com/
http://www.arcurs.com/
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