Sunday, July 27, 2008

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Which Camera should I buy?

Canon G3 This is a question I am asked frequently. And although we were taught never to answer a question with a question, that's exactly how I reply - with more questions! There are so many options out there: by category, (point and shoot, bridge or DSLR); by price; by brand (Nikon, Canon, Panasonic, Pentax, etc.); and of course, what kind of photographer you are matters immensely: what do you want to shoot, how experienced are you... and so on. There's no one right answer that applies to everyone.  The key is to know what best fits your needs, talents, plans and pocketbook. 

I think this article on CNET.com does a good job of guiding you to the camera that's right for you.

The article starts by asking you what type of shooter you are. If you already know, you can jump to that section, if not, see how CNET defines each and go from there. My advice - be honest with yourself: don't say you're a Serious Amateur if you're really a Snapshooter - we all start out at the beginning. On the other hand, if you have a passion for photography and are committed to growing your skills, you might want to stretch yourself by purchasing a camera that's a little ahead of your current skills but that you can grow into.

This piece won't tell you that you should buy the Splinky 9000x digital camera, but it will tell you what features would be important and what to look for. Armed with that information, you can scan the Sunday flyers or better yet, go online to one of the reputable retailers such as Amazon, to make your selection and purchase.

Good luck and if I can help, drop me a line.

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Sunday, July 20, 2008

Friday, July 18, 2008

My new ride - or - Wow, you took that with a cell phone?!?

My new ride

The cameras found in cell phones are getting better and better all the time. A recent Wirefly.com Survey reports that:

  • "A whopping 96.3% of adult cell phone owners report that they have a cell phone with a camera, and
  • 19% of adults prefer to use their cell phone as their primary camera for all photography".

    That's stunning when you consider that cell phones have had built in cameras for only the past few years.

    This photo is not intended to show off my new car (although I do love it!) but to demonstrate what you can do with a cell phone camera. This was taken with my Blackberry Curve which sports a 2 megapixel camera. Now granted, it has no manual controls, the lens is tiny, and it's biggest shortcoming is it's softness. This shot was edited slightly in Photoscape and sharpened but it's still pretty soft. But in a pinch, when you really want to capture a picture, what could be more convenient?

    If your cell phone has a camera, you might want to check out this post from the Digital Photography School on taking better pictures with your cell phone. You may not capture a contest winner, but you may also be surprised at just how useful it can be.

  • Wednesday, July 2, 2008

    Chesapeake Bay from 35,000 feet

    Chesapeake Bay at Sunset These two photos were taken during a recent flight home from southeastern Florida north to Boston.  We took off through low clouds and most of the flight was above the clouds.  I was disappointed, having brought my Nikon with great hopes for a interesting shot of something.  We were heading N-NE and from my left side window seat, I could see the setting sun just off my left shoulder, once we got above the clouds. 

    After about two thirds of the flight, a bright red light caught my eye from the window and I was pleasantly surprised to see that we were flying over a break in the clouds.  The setting sun, still directly to my left, was casting a golden red light on the water below, and cleanly defining the terrain.  I hurriedly put away my novel and set my Nikon D50 to a fast shutter speed (1/2000 in one picture, 1/3200 in the other) due to the very bright sunlight and in order to be free of any effects the vibrations of the plane might have.  I also set the white balance to cloudy, not because of any clouds but because I know that that setting tends to warm the picture a bit, which would enhance the golden colors.  I was using the very versatile Nikon 18-200 VR zoom lens, so I was able to compose the shots without any part of a wing or window frame getting into the scene.  My first few snaps were too bright (you have to love digital cameras for the instant feedback), so I set the exposure bias down by one stop. 

    Later on the computer, I could see some unwanted haze in the pictures due to the sunlight reflecting off Chesapeake Bay from 35,000 ft the plastic (double) windows.  I would have backed away further from the window and then zoomed out a bit more, but I doubt the woman in the seat next to me would have appreciated me in her lap, even if it meant a great picture!  I used Paint Shop Pro X2's brightness and contrast curves to clear up the photo and enhance the contrast. 

    Thanks to the TV screen in the back of the seat in front of me, which was set at the Live Map channel, I was able to see that we were roughly over Salisbury, MD at an altitude of 35,000 feet when I took these shots.  West of Salisbury is the Chesapeake Bay.