Trip to Louisville Ky

  I realized that this year, the blog has been more commentary and short on photos. I also realized I never posted any photos of the Louisville trip I was one so here is part 1. (Don't groan, I am breaking it into two parts so the Maker's Mark Distillary is in a separate post and it keeps this shorter - yeah! right?)

  Last month my wife and I took a trip I took a trip to Louisville Kentucky for her to speak at the regional Society of Biblical Literature Conference. Other than attending her lecture, that cut me loose for several days to go do photography. So with that in mind, I finished some of my research that I had started at home.
  Some friends on Nikonians.org had provided me with some ideas, one of which was Fort Know. Hey that sounds good so I googled the directions and when I read the comments on several posts, I discovered that almost all of them included the phrase ,"No visitors - No exceptions". Seems you can't get in but you can only get photos from the gate. Then there were the horse farms that there are so many of (Also the Kentucky Derby is held nearby) but the rain arrive when we did so I decided to grab some brochures in the hotel and work from them and the surrounding Louisville area.

  Following are shots of Louisville ( a really interesting place) and later I will post about the Markers Mark Distillery.

 A steam boat down at the Ohio River (We stayed a stone's throw literally from the river). Seems there are two boats and one was in for maintenance and neither were running at that time. Hey, it was still interesting.

 The Ohio River and one of several bridges crossing in Louisville. (No, I didn't get the names) This one is next to the KFC arena.

The Ohio River and one of several bridges crossing in Louisville. (No, I didn't get the names of the bridges) This one is next to the KFC arena.

 That bridge a little later. My wife couldn't believe I stood out in the middle of the road to get this shot. Hey, photographers are known to be a little crazy. Besides, I looked and there was nothing coming from behind me. (I read of a photographer trying to get a shot of some lions drinking from the edge of the river. When he couldn't get what he wanted, he went out into the river in chest deep water. He got the shots. That's getting a little crazy.)

Louisville has different design hourse statues all over the area (you will see another later). Raleigh NC has done something similar with wolves (the NCSU symbol).

 Hey, you read about it here and got it straight from the horse's mouth (all together now - ggrroooaann).

 To digress, a little of the trip there.

 Yes there really is a house under all that. This is somewhere in Ky. No, I don't have GPs on my camera. Funny thing about the trip, the Garmin took us off the main interstates like I-77 on the way up but took us back on I-77 on the way back. (Glad is did as we hit a lot of snow on the way back and we would have hated to have to drive on those four lanes and some two lanes in the snow.

Lovely view of the KFC arena from our room. (How do you type sarcasm?) 

 A geodesic dome. We couldn't find out what it was for but it was interesting to find.

 All that black is the coal in the ground. The operations we passed by were fascinating but the poverty of the places we saw was terrible. I couldn't help but wonder why they don't get more and/or different industry in but I guess the coal operations don't want competition. I could help but think of that old song "16 Tons" and owing your soul to the company store.

 Back to Louisville. Down by the Ohio River (the tip of the steam boat is just in the left edge of the photo I believe.)

 That bridge (next to the KFC arena) again at night. I loved the lighting. No, no cars were coming, and I only paused a moment as a crossed the road.

 An incredible water fountain in front of the KFC arena. The splash of the water as it "dances around" is almost musical. This is a must see at night.

 An interesting night shot.

 Now here is a bicycle rack!! This is in front of an art gallery.

 A disappearing art. Every barber shop had a shoe shine person. I haven't seen one in years. Strange as I have been amazed at how people don't have shined shoes anymore in church, at funerals, etc. (Glad I had my P&S with me for these shots)

 Another horse, this one in front of our hotel.

An interesting church (Catholic I believe) I saw on the way to Maker's Mark Distillery. Sitting up there on the hill it looked beautiful.

Photography Lighting - The Flash Bus tour Apr 4th

Yesterday I managed to go to the Flashbus tour featuring David Hobby (www.Strobist.com) and Joe McNalley (world famous and the last staff photographer at Life magazine among many other things). An incredible experience watching them work. Joe's presentation involved a lot of shooting that had not been prearranged. He said he would make mistakes and he did (hard working at the speed of light (oowww pun intended) in front of a crowd). But emphasized photography is about experimenting and learning. David Hobby led off with a discussion about the 4 types of lighting - (1) Ambient (the light you experience), (2) Fill ( a gentle light), (3) Key (the lighting you add for detail and directionality like a side or overhead light) and (4) Accents (hair highlights, backdrop lighting,  etc.)

Without giving all my notes -

FROM Hobby (yeah, a little blurred. These two never stop moving, especially the hands)  - Ambient is your ground floor. It what you have no matter what. You build lighting based upon it. The picture won't get any darker than ambient so take an initial shot at the shutter and aperture you want to use and get your ambient setting. Adjust setting as necessary. (The idea is to not have to Photoshop i a photo but get it right to start with).

Use the picture on the LCD screen in the back of the camera to see relationships of lighting and contrast. Use the histogram (that funky graph most cameras have) to see if you are clipping off at either end of the light spectrum. (Note from me - If you are shooting something against a large dark or a large bright background, you will have clipping (the graph against the end of the chart), expect it. Back to Hobby).
Sometimes you don't want the light pointed at the object but slicing past it to glance off of it.

A lot of discussion on umbrellas vs softboxes. Seems the future is going softboxes. (Easier to carry and less fragile among other things).

BIG POINT - LET GO OF ABSOLUTE PERFECTION! Especially if you only have one light (other than ambient). I agree. Yo can drive your self nuts going for the perfect photo. Hobby showed photos we thought were fine but then he started picking at his own work. We thought they were fine anyway.

A big difference between Hobby and McNalley - Hobby sets his flash to manual and uses TTL (Through the Lens Metering) if necessary. McNalley uses TTL and goes to manual if necessary.

Another thing I learned - Canon folks can only use TTL on all flashes or manual setting mode on all flashes. Nikon folks can set one group of flashes to manual and another group to TTL! Some of the Canon folks there were amazing once they understood what was happening!   BTW McNalley and Hobby are both Nikon folks.

FROM McNalley - When you go on a shoot, expect things to be difference that what you were told or what you anticipated or planned on, they will be different.
Flash lighting should be invisible to the person looking at the photo. They should never say "What great flash" but rather "What a great photo."
When using lighting, remember that the apparent size is critical. The sun is fairly small from our perspective. That's why the lighting can be so harsh in the daytime and why outdoor photographers try to shoot 45 minutes before and after sunrise and sunset. Larger light is better light. That is why photographers put those umbrellas right up near you, it makes the light appear to be larger than thus softer.

Watch out for really dark or really bright background when using TTL.

Start with a shot at no compensations and then add or reduce the settings on your camera and flash separately.

Remember that the flash affects the subject primarily. Ambient light affects the background. A long shutter speed will brighten up the background. Adjusting the shutter does not affect the flash as the flash only lasts 1/1000 of a second and most cameras will not synch faster than 1/250 of a second.

Big thing out of all this beside the technical stuff. New ideas to play and experiment with. If you have a chance to go - GO!

This is the food line at one of four food trucks after 30 minutes!

The view behind me.

The infamous Flash Bus.

The view looking up the stairs going to the meeting.

A little tighter view. I loved the old wood and brick.

Of course if you take a shot looking up from the bottom, you have to get a shot looking down from the top. Wish I had leaned out a little further from the edge. (My wife's secret voice in my head stopped me.)

 Another view from the bottom of the stairs.

 And the subject is about controlling light!! I bet Hobby and McNalley passed out when they was the room they had was not only full of windows on the sides but the roof was also! Hard to demo things with that much light. McNalley commented that when a client offers to turn on the lights, he tells them no, its better with the lights off. (Remember, ambient is the base you work with. You can always add more but you can't take away.)

Note the curtains on the left trying to reduce the light.

Jedi Master McNalley hard at work.

Time Keeps on Slippin, into the future...

Would make a catchy song. Sorry I haven't been on this blog for a while but time has been precious, which I decided is what I wanted to talk about tonight. Time is a photographers worst enemy (Ok, the worst is subject to debate). When is the best time to photograph 45 minutes before and after sunrise and 45 minutes before and after sunset. (I plan on doing a blog specifically on this to show what happens but my beagles go out about sunrise every morning. Working on that.)

Anyway, time is something that it is easy to forget and clients do not see. Why do you charge $1000 or more for 4 - 5 hours for a wedding. Well let's see - there's the initial phone call, the initial meeting, maybe a couple of more meetings, travel time to and from and at least two hours post production for every hour of shooting. THEN you have another meeting to discuss the photos and the album layout. You get the idea. I did some work for somebody on the cheap once and I now say that it would have been cheaper for me to do it for free than to charge them. (I know that makes no sense but it feels that way.)

Not a wedding photographer? Then it gets even worse. Travel time goes up. It takes time to think up creative shots. Time to get to the location (climbing down muddy embankments to get a shot that won't work out), etc etc.

Oh yeah, family time. Since Jan 31st, (1) my brother-in-law passed away (four days traveling to and back); (2) my workplace declaring bankruptcy and beginning to look for a job, (3) job interviews (hey folks, $8/hr with no health care is not going to hack it if you really mean it when you say you want dedicated, responsible, self-motivated, initiative etc.; (4) drive to Louisville Kentucky on a four day trip (+ one for recovery) to attend a conference my wife was speaking at; (5) get the lawn mower running (hasn't been cranked since las fall) and go out and cut the weeds (don't even ask about that).

I'm not looking for sympathy, rather I am merely showing that life for a photographer is demanding. It is almost impossible to be a professional photographer and hold a 40 hour week job. If you get into wedding for example, it wont take long to max your schedule out and falling asleep at the wedding while the minster quietly talks won't hack it.

Oh, don't forget the twice a month camera club meeting and running around getting frames and pictures mounted. (Harder when you have to travel 50+ miles to get to civilization and camera related stuff).

There is a reason Scott Kelby warns about the number of photographers with family problems. If time with your family is they are outside or in the living room watching a movie and you are in your study banging away on a computer or reading a book, you have a time bomb ticking and you need to go defuse it. (Hint Photoshop is NOT the answer).

And then there are those blogs. I have two currently (I think) plus a website for showing my work www.hldphotos.com) . The blogs are this one and another for posting on a Project 365 where you take a photo everyday (www.hldphotosproj365.blogspot.com)  (no you can't take two one day can't sleep the next). Sounds easy but when you crawl in from work at 11:30 you have to get creative quick (if you have integrity).

Oh and reading the three inch book by Martin Evening on Photoshop CS5 that you have been working on in your spare time?

BTW I have been thinking about creating another blog for non-photo things I want to comment on - in my spare time!!

Photography is great, it is the love of my life (after my wife, two kids, and the two beagles). Don't let your love turn into a labor. I have encountered photographers whose love turned sour as it became a task instead.

Mastering your equipment and software are important. Improving you skills like composition are important. BUT the most important thing is managing your time, not just your photography time but YOUR time, your personal time. There are times when you have to step out from behind the camera and the computer screen and enjoy life while you can.

Photographer's Rights

This is not a comprehensive discussion, the subject is too wide, but he subject keeps appearing in the news and on professional camera forums like Nikonians.org so I thought I would post links to various sites that have information and then make my own comments on them. Before we get started, it must be noted that there is no case that has gone through the judicial system that applies at a federal level to all people. The matter of fact is that the digital life has progressed faster than the laws have and most laws at a local level are reactions to local events or reactions to the infamous "I heard about it on the Internet".Also, I am not a lawyer and nothing here should be taken as legal advice. These are merely references and comments on those references.

  Also, Being "in the Right" doesn't mean taking the photo is the right thing to do. Generally speaking, if somebody asks a photographer to not take a photo, they don't (wives and kids excepted - grins). Generally, even if a permission to use form or release was signed, if the person asks for a photo to be removed from a site, any good professional photographer will remove the photo.

Also be aware that the right to take a photo does NOT mean you have the right to use the photo. I am currently working on a book and every photo I have taken has a release or permit to use form for it. For any photos taken with a view to using them in the book, if I can't get a signature, I don't take the photo. One older gentleman (95) looked me in the eye and asked, "Isn't my word good enough for you?" I told it sure was but the people I wold be working with wouldn't take my word. It has been problematic at times on that project as most of the property owners are older and lived in an age where a handshake was your word and that was all you needed, legal documents and contracts are seen with a degree of distrust. Generally, you don not have to have a release form for photos to be used for news and commentary purposes.

1) http://www.krages.com/phoright.htm  An excellent reference with a downloadable document. This is one of the most widely known and cited references. Every photographer should have a printed copy of this in their camera kit. Take note of the restriction "You may distribute the guide to others, provided that such distribution is not done for commercial gain and credit is given to the author" The author is Bert Krages II. Also, note that he is a lawyer from Oregon and as noted above, what he says does not necessarily apply everywhere. There are no national precedents yet that I can find.

2)  http://content.photojojo.com/tips/legal-rights-of-photographers/   Comments: Commandment 2 - Remember that being able to take the picture doesn't mean you can print it or publish it. You may be able to take a photo of a man cutting his grass but that does not mean you can use it without his permission in a book on"Men cutting their Grass". // Commandment 5 - This can be subjective. Exercise caution. // Commandment 8 - You may not have to explain what you are doing but it sure looks odd if you don't. I will discuss this further with a news story. I highly recommend explaining what you are doing in a courteous manner. An attitude will get you nowhere fast.

3) Andrew Kantor  http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/andrewkantor/2005-12-29-camera-laws_x.htm  Comment - An excellent article with many valuable links. Check them out. (http://www.rcfp.org/pullouts/photographers/index.php)

4) http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4705698

NOW - WHY ALL THESE RIGHTS HAE TO BE TAKEN WITH A GRAIN OF SALT so to speak.

The following are news stories concerning photographers and the issues they have run into. They may not have the right to take your camera and you may be reluctant to let some rent-a-cop take your photo kit worth several thousands of dollars (sit down some day and add up what you have spent it may surprise you.)

A) New York Times Oct 18, 2010 http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/18/you-can-photograph-that-federal-building/?ref=todayspaper  Unfortunately, it didn't go through the courts to make a precedence, it only resulted in a settlement.

B)  Copy of the Settlement  http://www.scribd.com/full/39623305?access_key=key-21nlcq8q54dwdoa8ofbr

C) New York Times http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/27/see-officer-i-can-too-take-that-picture/


 NOW A POST THAT ERRONEOUS REPORTED A MAN ARRESTED FOR TAKING A PHOTOGRAPH

D) http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21003309015872/#?hpt=T2    Comment - First he was taking photos in a sensitive area of the airport including restricted areas. You can't do that! Next, he remained silent when questioned. See my comments about about not having to explain what you are doing. Silence here is dumb. Explain courteously. Also, he acted suspiciously and became evasive. A big no-no. My comment? This guy deserved what he got. I would have arrested him if I was law enforcement. He didn't get arrested for taking a photo, he was arrested for acting suspiciously and refusing to answer questions.

E)  Banned for Life From Miami Metro http://verystretchy.com/blog/2010.07.01/banned-from-metro/ Comment: He had permission from the Chief of Safety and Security but the workers didn't want to hear or read it. Watch the videos. Quote from the Chief of Security, "He explained that while commercial photography on Metrorail property is prohibited without a permit, there is no such prohibition against photography that is personal, journalistic, or, in his words, “Johnny Tourist” photography. When I asked him how his officers distinguish between commercial photography and personal photography, he said, “If you tell us that you’re not using the pictures for commercial work and they’re (for) personal use, at that point in time the security officers, and/or the MDT representative should feel that his question is answered and at that point you’re free to take pictures until the next train comes or whatever.”Shame that isn't what happened.

F)  Miami-Dad Metrorail Update  http://stretchphotography.com/blog/2010.11.20/metrorail-update/#more-399

G)  National Press Photographers Association http://nppa.org/news_and_events/news/2010/07/miami.html

H) New York Clarifies Guidlelines http://www.nikonians.org/forums/dcboard.php?az=set_threaded_mode&forum=190&topic_id=62216&prev_page=show_topic&gid=62216#62311

I) Story from a friend on professional photography forum - "I just got lit upon by a police officer and a bailiff in Raleigh, NC, last week for taking photos of the Wake County Courthouse. It seems that it was a suspicious act on my part! These people actually saw me taking photos outside the building while they were inside. They came running out of the courthouse to confront me. The cop made me delete the photos I took. Fortunately, she didn't know that I had taken others from a different angle, and I kept them (and am posting one now because I guess I am rebel). When she asked me what I was doing and why, I said, "Taking pictures. Because I want to."It seems that wasn't the proper response. But, to be fair to her, she did have a sense of humor. When I asked if I could take a photo of the Federal Building, she said that she wouldn't--she said they have snipers posted on the roof, just waiting for photographers. I THINK she was kidding."

Here is my shot of the NC State Capital at night.
All in all, the legal status of photography is fuzzy gray at best. As I said at the top, there is no federal statute yet. Until somebody with enough fortitude and money is willing to get arrested and push it to the federal courts, there will be no definitive answer for everybody.

P&s vs DSLRs Pt 3 The intangibles

The last time I discussed this (Jan 22) I focused mainly on technical differences. But over the last few days I have made some observations I want to pass along. Part of the difference between the two are intangible things.

Handling: The other day as I came in I needed to make a quick pit stop. As I went into the bathroom, I simply placed my P&S down on the sink, lens down. I then realized, I would never have done that no matter what with my DSLR. It isn't just a matter of the cost of the equipment. It is also a mental thing, The DSLR is the "good" camera. The point and shoot takes great pictures but still it isn't my DSLR.
    I realized the other day when I came in the house, I had tossed the P&S on the bed. Again, I never would have done that with my DSLR.

Cleaning: I reach for a clean T-shirt to wipe the lens of my P&S, on my DSLR I use a microfiber cloth that is stored in a clean place. (No I would never use a Kleenex or napkin on either camera. That ruins any glass over time, eyeglasses included.) I put my P&S in my coat pocket (with all the crumbs and stuff down there.) but I do keep it in a case to help keep it clean. My DSLR I on me or in the bag and I keep the bag clean.

Do I sound like I don't like my P&S? No, I love it. I was able to easily take some movies of my father -in-law while I was down there. It is easier to have all the time and I can take shots I couldn't take (or wouldn't try to take with my DSLR). Here is one I took of my rental car for my Proj 365 photos while my wife's car was in the shop. Warning! Do not try to take a shot like this Leave this to professional idiots (photographers) . This was dumb trying to get the shot. It is difficult to hold the wheel, hold and aim the camera, keep the car in the lane, etc. and oh yeah, focus the camera.

Here is one I wanted to get of the snow on the side of the road as I passed by Fayetteville and Lumberton NC  on my way to Georgia on Jan 16th. The snow was all gone up in the Raleigh - Rocky Mount area but was still there in spots further south. Again, this was dumb trying to shoot while driving alone. And I got it as a movie also!

The Time Required for Photos

Time is a critical thing in photography. Not only how long the shutter is open or what time of day the photo is taken (Yes, it matters) but how long photograph takes to produce. It used to be that time was how long it took you to take the film to the photo lab and for them to process it. Now it is how long it takes to process in Photoshop, Lightroom, NX Capture, or whatever you use to process the photo. The speed of the computer processor will have an impact on this but one of the main things that impacts your time is how many photos you took and how you prioritize them (in taking them and in processing them).
   
In the old days, you had 36 photos on a roll of 36 exposure film (maybe 37 if you were lucky). Now you can take hundreds and thousands of photos with a digital camera. Hey, it doesn't cost anything? Sadly, yes it does. It costs on the wear and tear of the camera. (My D300 shutter is rated for 150,000 clicks) and it costs time to process them. If you take 5 or 6 of everything (just in case) you are killing yourself on time management. You have to prioritize as you take the photos. Experience helps here greatly which is why you need to keep shooting all the time.
    
BUT This doesn't mean to take only one shot of a setting. If you are a long ways away (in either time or distance) and may never get back except at great expense, take some extra shots at various setting. I worked on a year round set of photos for a particular scene and later thought I would go back and reshoot the fall scene. The colors were not as bright the following year and I don't know if I will be able to go there the next fall.
    
When I started, I uploaded everything (Use a card reader instead of loading from the camera, it saves the drain on your camera battery). and then processed everything and eliminated the worst. That took TIME and it filed my external drives as I shoot RAW instead of JPEG (larger files but more flexible to work with).
    
My next stage was to load everything and then eliminate the worst (will come back to further eliminate others later - yeah, right).
    
Now I have gotten to the point I can limit the number of shots and can tell pretty much what has potential and if I want to work with it or not so now I pick and choose as I import from the memory card to the computer. Things are going a lot quicker. Do I always do this? No. For family shots and all I still upload everything and then choose what is workable and what to toss BEFORE I actually work on any photos.
    
If you are just starting out, don't fret, it takes time to learn "see" how a photo will come out and if it has potential. It also takes time to see how much time it takes to process a photo with your software. Try to only take the shots you need. Only load the ones with potential. As you gain experience with your equipment, you will not have to take as many shots to get "the good one".

Point & Shoots vs SDLRs The Equipment

Pt 2 OK, in the previous post, the odd number photos were taken with the Nikon D300 and the even numbered shots were with the Canon SX 219 IS Point and Shoot (P&S). Is there a difference? Yep, but like I said, it is primarily due to the differences in post processing. With some extra effort the could be matched more precisely. BUT my point is that both cameras produced very good photos. And I still prefer my Nikon DSLR over the P&S, but the both have advantages and there are times I prefer the P&S.

So what are the differences? Beyond the obvious ability to change lenses. (I will probably have to extend this over several posts)
1) Ergonomics. The Images Doctors (Rick Walker and Jason ODell - great resource, google Image Doctors) recently had a podcast and the comment was made to the effect that the larger heavier cameras are easier to stabilize and shoot with; and I agree (but you can get too heavy). The Canon P&S has Image Stabilization (compensates for shaky hands, NOT subject movement or gross camera movement). but when I extended the lens to its full out zoom (386 mm IIRC) it usually required I prop it against something or get a tripod. A tripod for that little camera looks crazy but it is necessary. -- On the other hand, I find the Nikon D300 much easier to brace and stabilize using proper techniques (No elbows sticking out but rather tucked in.) even using an 80-200 mm f/2.8w/o VR (Vibration Reduction). The 80-200 is a big heavy lens but not the most by any stretch).  VR is Nikons name for the same thing as Canon Image stabilization. I.E. VR = IS.
  -- Even with IS, the P&S is difficult to stabilize at times.

2) Quality of sensor. There are basically three sizes of sensors out there. (A) Newer DSLRs like the Nikon D3 and D700 have a full size sensor, approximately the size of of the 35 mm film size.  (I would name a Canon model but there numbering system is worse than Nikons if that is possible, its all a matter of what you are used to really. Canon folks have difficulty figuring out the Nikon numbering system.) (B) Most other DSLRs which have a smaller sensor called APS-C. (C) Point and Shoots which have an even smaller sensor. No, I don't know the name for that size.
 - The result is that if a full size, a regular DSLR, and a P&S all have 12 Mega Pixels (MP), they don't have the same quality. Imagine a sensor with four rectangular pixels. Around the edge will be a little bit of "noise". Now have the same size sensor but with 8 MP instead. You have the same area of image capture and more resolution to differentiate with but also you have more noise. The end result is that a P&S with 14MP will not have the same quality image as a DSLR with 14 MP because the P&S has a very small sensor and thus will have a lot of noise since the pixels are smaller and the noise represents a greater percentage of the sensor size.
  -- The impact here will be noticed in the size of the print. If you are shooting for the web or 8x10s, a good P&S will be just fine. If you want to shot large shots (most folks don't) it may become a factor.

3) Portability: Here the P&S wins hands down. When my old P&S died, I missed having something in the console of my vehicle to capture those spur of the moment shots. I have some great snow shots that if I hadn't had the P&S, I wouldn't have captured the image. Even the smallest kits for a DSLR are a littel too awkward or large to carry on a day to day basis. That and the cost of having a DSLR kit even in the truck of the vehicle is not something most want to risk.

4) Interface: The DSLR has an optical viewfinder to look through. Most view about 97% of the actual image. I believe the D300 is rated at 100%. Most P&Ss don't have an optical viewfinder but rather rely on the LCD screen on the back. Viewing the screen can be an advantage when working at awkward angles but generally they result in the photog holding the camera in front of themselves several inches in front of their eye and the camera is not stabilized. Also, the glare of bright sunlight can make the LCD viewfinder also unusable. At times I have had to take the shot and hope I got what I wanted.

5) Interface again: Most DSLRs have major selection controls (such as white balance, ISO, etc) built around the camera body. Most P&Ss require you drill through layers of menu selections. (But DSLRs can have several layers of menus to work though also, but the major controls are readily accessible). a quick example. The White Balance and ISO controls are right on top, a quick reach and a spin of the dial and they are set. On my P&S, you have to select one of three buttons (hopefully the correct one), push it, turn the dial, select the setting, push the button again. you will know what this is when you try it in practice.

6) Features: P&Ss used to lag behind DSLRs but now they seem to lead the way in innovation. P&Ss had the ability to shoot movies before DSLRs. (the D300 is currently the top of the line APS sensor DSLR for Nikon. My D300 doesn't have a movie option, the D300s does.) My Canon P&S has an option for a fisheye lens effect. I can't afford a fisheye lens for my Nikon. And now that my Canon P&S had it, I imagine it will serve my needs. If I find a really need a DSLR fisheye, I will rent one, but for now, the P&S serves my needs.

7) Batteries: Most all digital cameras use proprietary batteries. It used to be P&Ss used AAs or AAAs,but now the trend seems to be to use proprietary batteries. The companies make more money that way. A WORD OF WARNING - DO NOT buy off brand batteries, at least for DSLRs. This is the voice of experience. I bought a back up battery for my D300 from an E-Bay vendor in hong Kong. The battery worked until I tired to charge it and it wouldn't recharge. I thought it might just not be showing the charge but it kept getting lower and lower. The cost of returning the battery almost made it not worth it to return. I got my money back and bought a Nikon battery. Most DSLR users buy brand name batteries. It doesn't make sense to spend the money you spend and then trust a cheap battery when you need it.
  -- BUT on my P&S I took a chance and bought a non-Canon battery from Adorama (great place to shop - I'll discuss shopping in another post). The battery was significantly less than the Canon version and it works fine. for a backup on a P&S, it is great.

Bottom Line - It sounds like a like my DSLR more and don't care about my P&S. Yep and Nope. I do prefer my DSLR but I love my P&S. The portability an features on it make it an invaluable tool in my photography kit. Sometimes you need a hammer and sometimes you need a screwdriver. (I can't resist - Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't Almond Joys have nuts, Mounds don't!)

In the end, it doesn't matter what brand you have or if it is a DSLR or a P&S, the camera you are comfortable with and love using is the camera for you. It isn't the equipment, its the skill of he photographer.

Point & Shoots vs DSLRs Pt 1 The Photos

I went home to Georgia last Sunday to see my father in law, pop, a truly amazing person. For one story about him, go to my project 365  http://hldphotosproj365.blogspot.com/2011/01/jan-17th_21.html to see a story about him.

But now, let me show you some photos I made on the trip. Some were made with my Nikon D300 using a 17-55 mm f/2.8 lens. Others were made using a Canon SX 210 IS Point and Shoot (P&S). The Nikon has 13 megapixels, the Canon has 14 but not all pixels are equal as the saying goes. but more on that in following posts. For now, let's just look at the photos for now.

Not a lot of difference. In fact the differences are more from the individual psot processing in Lightroom 2 than the camera. There were differences in the initial photos between the two cameras but careful adjustment can make them nearly the same. (depending upon how badly you want them to match). I shot the Nikon in RAW format, the Canon P&S only shoot jpeg. I shot the Nikon in aperture priority and left the P&S in Program mode. The Nikon was set to ISO 400 and the Canon to 200 (no particular reason) other than to see how the Canon did at lower ISO. I used ISO 400 on the Nikon to obtain faster shutter speed to counteract any hand shake.  I didn't worry about the white balance on the Nikon as I was shooting RAW format while the Canon jpegs where shot using auto white balance. Generally speaking, Auto White Balance works well outside in sunlight but not so well inside. (I suspect part of the issue is that inside you may have a mixture of light (tungsten, sunlight, and fluorescent). The issue with setting the white balance manually (even using Photoshop's eyedropper methods) is what is the "right color" temperature? Aahhh, the joys of digital photography (Film had these issues also but not as obviously to most as with digital's instant feedback on the LCD viewer.

 

Project 365 underway.

Well, I finally got started on Project 365 the other day. Basically it is a project for each person to take a photo each day for a year forming a basis of what their life is about. Do a google search for details from any of a dozen sites.

To keep this blog for discussing photography, I created a second blog at http://hldphotosproj365.blogspot.com/

As I just got a new Point and Shoot for Christmas (Thanks kids) I am trying to use it primarily instead of my Nikon D300 DSLR. Some of the things I have learned:
1) after you get used to a DSLR, the shutter lag of a P&S is VERY noticeable.
2) Knowing the camera is important. When you are trying to get the shot is no time to have to learn how to do it.
3) Yes there is a difference in snapshots and photographs.

A photo from Jan 12th The shot looks easy but what you don't see is the time spent at 38 degrees with a wind chill that had to be in the upper twenties at best. I read of a photographer that sat in a African river for 2 hours to get a shot of lions drinking at the river bank. He couldn't get the shot any other way.

Also, so say that inexperience shooters take hundreds of shots hoping a few come out good. Maybe so but it also takes a lot of shots to get the one you want, especially when the subject is moving in a non-predictable manner.

The best thing I can say to anybody is if you or your spouse like the shot, then smile and enjoy it. There are too many that will find technical fault or room for improvement as the saying does.

Have fun with whatever camera you use. The main thing is to use it.

Life has been busy.

Time slips away and suddenly you realize its been too long. Well, enough, a few thoughts as we go into the new year.

1) Read an interesting post in Strobist (an excellent site on photography lighting and photography in general). The post is to the effect Forget the Critics - Enjoy what you do. (Not quite in those delicate terms.) And they are correct; one judge may love it and the next hate it. I have had several prints that my wife loves but the "judges" didn't. Who is to say my wife (or anybody is wrong). The bottom line is somebody likes it, enjoy it. Its great to receive constructive criticism and to have things to reflect on and consider if they are valid and could possibly make a better photograph but in the end, if the client or recipient of your work likes it, its good.

https://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#inbox/12d711e26982ba69

2) I found out about a project called "Project 365". Basically you take a photo everyday,maybe more than one but at least one a day. At the end of the year you have a journal of your life and you have had a year to grow as a photographer. I will post the photos periodically.
http://content.photojojo.com/tutorials/project-365-take-a-photo-a-day/

3) My laptop of 7+ years died suddenly on Jan 2nd  (The logic board that failed). As I struggled with no computer and all my prints trapped on external hard drives (luckily I kept good backups) that were formatted in Apple format and my old Windows machine couldn't read, I had time to reflect on how computers have impacted my life, not always positively. I realized the amount of time I spent on computer instead of being outside or doing something. I saw how much stress they introduces as I tracked tons of email a day. Suddenly I couldn't read then and I saw how unimportant they were.

I now have my son's old iMac running for most work and the old Windows laptop for Photoshop CS5. But I will not be spending as much time on computers. (Yeah, right)
(BTW, Apple computers can read Windows format but Windows cannot read Apple format.)

KEEP GOOD BACKUPS. I lost everything after Nov 12th 2010 until Jan 3rd (except my photos on external hard drives.) I may be able to recover the hard drive info from the Apple laptop.

Published in Cary Today magazine!!

The Raleigh News & Observer newspaper had requested photos of Cary for their upcoming Cary Today magazine. It's a magazine insert appearing only in subscribers papers, not in the newsstand papers. I submitted a batch of low resolution photos (easier to email and load). They contacted me and asked for some of the photos in high quality which I submitted. They used 6 of my photos for a half page spread on page 15! Yeah! 

Here is the link to Cary Today on line.

Link to page 15: http://ads.carynews.com/SS/Page.aspx?sstarg&facing=false&secid=86494&pagenum=15

Link to the Cary Today magazine:http://ads.carynews.com/SS/Tiles.aspx

The photos are from the Kelby Worldwide Photo walk in 2009 that I went on in Cary. Glad I kept them. You can see all of the Cary photos at my website www.hldphotos.com, go to the projects gallery.

Happy Fourth of July

Just a quick post to share some of the flag photos I have been collecting.

This one really kicked off my collection as I kept going past this one in Raleigh NC and I kept thinking that would make a good picture. Finally it hit me like Homer, "Duh - Go take the picture!" so I did and that stated me collecting flag photos.




Here's one of the national flag and the Georgia flag.

I found this one while working on another project. The house was completely burnt up but the flag survived. There was virtually nothing else left except for a few small odds and ends.

It spoke to me of how our flag survives through it all. Thought it would be appropriate for the fourth of July.

Special Olympics of North Carolina 2010 My MVP Pick

I was part of a group of photographers shooting the 2010 Special Olympics of North Carolina (SONC). All I can say is WOW! If you have never been to a Special Olympics event, you need to go. they had golf, softball (the two events I shot), aquatics, and a bunch more. It was something else to watch the athletes (and they truly are) pour their hearts into these games.

All of them were truly amazing but there was one that really touched my heart. this girl hit the softball and it was a bunt and landed right in front of her. She hesitated for a second and then the coach was yelling "Run!". She took off.

The catcher threw the ball to first but they missed it and she poured on the steam and took off for second and then Third.

When she gets there, she squats down and holds her side/hip/leg.














She is hurting. Her parents were directly behind me and I heard them say something about she had hurt a muscle. BUT she doesn't come off third base. She STAYS! I went to the side of home plate and lined up to see her come in.

When the next batter hits the ball, she if off and running like a pro. Whatever pain there is, for now all that matters is the running.

But when she crossed home plate and one more step, her face shows the pain!











Talk about seeing a great player. The entire game was great but her run to home made her my personal MVP pick.

If you want to see some amazing sports, go watch the Special Olympics next time.

Photos of the Golf games can be seen here http://www.hldphotos.com/Galleries/Sports/SONC2010GolfFull/12513813_xfZbss#!i=901634406&k=7w3Qr

Photos of the Softball games can be seen here http://www.hldphotos.com/Galleries/Sports/Special-Olympics-of-NC-2010/23622648_D8mdg6#!i=1911413199&k=hLbM9gG

SONC Photos can be seen here http://www.sonc.net/news/photo_galleries.asp