Need lots of advice

[wannabatwdw]

My son's scout troop is going on a ski trip this weekend and I need advice. I am a complete amateur at photography. I have a nikon d70s and these lenses, Nikkor 50mm 1.8, Nikkor 18-70 3.5, and a Tamron 18-200 3.5. I was hoping to just put on one of these lens and use it most of the day, which would be best and what camera camera settings would be best to use. To show you how novice I am, I carry the camera instruction book around still, to find out which buttons to push and what dials to turn. I have had the camera since mother's day and seem to be a slow learner. Thanks for any advice you can share.

 

[ukcatfan]

My son's scout troop is going on a ski trip this weekend and I need advice. I am a complete amateur at photography. I have a nikon d70s and these lenses, Nikkor 50mm 1.8, Nikkor 18-70 3.5, and a Tamron 18-200 3.5. I was hoping to just put on one of these lens and use it most of the day, which would be best and what camera camera settings would be best to use. To show you how novice I am, I carry the camera instruction book around still, to find out which buttons to push and what dials to turn. I have had the camera since mother's day and seem to be a slow learner. Thanks for any advice you can share.

With snow, you should have plenty of light. I would go with one of the zooms. Do you think you will need the reach of the 200mm? I would guess not and would personally go with the 18-70mm. It is a Nikkor and likely a better lens that the Tamron. I am a Pentax guy, so cannot say for sure. I cannot help on the setting too much, but I can throw a few things out there. I moved down to FL from Louisville about four years ago, so not much current snow experience.

You should be able to use a low ISO and have less noise. You would probably want to use a custom white balance setting b/c snow is very tricky on the WB. Also, for that reason, I would shoot in RAW to allow room for corrections later. If you want to isolate individuals and blur the background, then shoot at the wide end of the aperture (i.e. f/3.5 on your lens) in your aperture priority mode. To really increase this effect, then use the 50mm f/1.8 lens. Some people like the effect and some do not. Your zoom lens is probably the sharpest around f/8-10 though. I beleive that exposure compensation is useful in snow, so you might want to check that out in order to get the proper exposure. Just make sure you get a shutter speed fast enough to freeze the action.

Good luck.

Kevin

 

[wannabatwdw]

Thanks Kevin,
I am in Louisville, and my husband is a UK fan also. I am a UL grad, so I hope that you won't hold that against me. They are going to Paoli Peaks and I am not sure how far away I will be taking pictures. I can always take all my lenses and change. I got dirt on the sensors in August and it scares me to change lenses outdoors. I am writing your advice on an index card.... I have never tried raw before, or setting white balance, or iso, so I am getting my book out and will write those directions on the card as well. I have practiced the aperture on people standing still. Up until last May I was pretty much point and shoot, but I am trying to learn. I am taking my little Canon A95 as a backup so the scouts will have pictures. I really appreciate the help.

 

[MassJester]

Thanks Kevin,
I am in Louisville, and my husband is a UK fan also. I am a UL grad, so I hope that you won't hold that against me.

UL = University of Louisville or University of London?

Just curious, I've been looking at taking a year off and going to the latter.

 

[mabas9395]

The two things I would add are if there is a lot of snow in your shot, then the light meter can get a little confused so watch be prepared to bump up your exposure compensation a bit or your subjects will be underexposed.

Secondly is that camera batteries HATE the cold. It makes them die in no time. So bring along a few spares and keep them close to your body so your body heat can keep them warm.

 

[ndelaware]

UL = University of Louisville or University of London?

Just curious, I've been looking at taking a year off and going to the latter.

I think the odds are fairly great that she is a Cardinal.

 

[MassJester]

::sigh::

 

[mabas9395]

I have never tried raw before, or setting white balance, or iso

RAW is nice because it lets you correct problems when you get home because the RAW file is the actual data the camera saw, not the data the way you told the camera to look at it. The problem with RAW is that the file sizes are huge and it requires you to process them on your computer before you can do anything with them. If you use RAW, you don't need to fiddle with your white balance.

Setting your white balance manaully is important to learn. The two times I do that the most are shooting in the snow and in a gymnasium under flouresent lights. If your shots have a blue tint in the snow or a yellow tint under flouresent lights, you need to adjust your WB. (a yellow tint in the snow is another problem all together ) If you do this properly, its not as important to shoot in RAW (but RAW can still help fix poor exposure).

The most important one you mentioned is ISO. You are really missing out on one of the key benefits of a dSLR if you haven't learned to adjust the ISO. I'm not saying that to be mean spirited, just to point out which chapter of the manual you should read next. I have been able to take photos by boosting the ISO that would otherwise have been too blurry due to slow shutter speeds.

If you haven't already read it, go out and get Bryan Peterson's book "Understanding Exposure". It will explain how ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed all work together to make a photo. Its one of the best first steps you can take to understanding how to use a dSLR.

 

[ukcatfan]

UL = University of Louisville or University of London?

Just curious, I've been looking at taking a year off and going to the latter.

The University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville are HUGE rivals, esp. when it comes to basketball. The UK fans are safe in Louisville, but the UofL fans tend to stay secretive about it throughout the rest of the state. The only larger rival for UK is Indiana. It is that way because UK and UofL fans have a joint dislike for Indiana. As hard as it is, I will refrain from sharing my Indiana jokes.

I have to say that apart from Cape Coral, Louisville and Lexington were the best places I have every lived. It is beautiful up there, but it is too cold for my FL blood now.


When using the RAW format, be aware that your images will need extra processing back at your computer compared to JPGs. There are auto modes in your processing software that help though. RAW is a life saver if you do not get the correct white balance though. They also take up around four times the space on your memory card, so be prepared if you use it.

Kevin

 

[MassJester]

When using the RAW format, be aware that your images will need extra processing back at your computer compared to JPGs. There are auto modes in your processing software that help though. RAW is a life saver if you do not get the correct white balance though. They also take up around four times the space on your memory card, so be prepared if you use it.

Kevin

Hey Kevin,

I've been hoping to find some good reading on post shooting workflow with RAW images. Can you point me in the right direction?

 

[wannabatwdw]

Wow Thanks for all the information. I really hope to get all this down.

MassJester - Sorry not University of London...ndelaware is right ..I am a Cardinal.

Thanks, mabas9395, I was going to the library to get a book to read while the boys were skiing....I will have to look for the "Understanding Exposure". I can practice what I read on the spot. I only have one battery... so I will have to keep it warm.

ukcatfan - Can Photoshop Elements 3 work with the raw format. That is the software I have. I understand what you mean about the cold. My husband is retired Army and we spent several years in Northern New York, that place made Kentucky feel like Florida. ...Sometimes I feel guilty...and kinda like the Global Warming....

 

[ukcatfan]

ukcatfan - Can Photoshop Elements 3 work with the raw format. That is the software I have. I understand what you mean about the cold. My husband is retired Army and we spent several years in Northern New York, that place made Kentucky feel like Florida. ...Sometimes I feel guilty...and kinda like the Global Warming....

I am not sure on that program, but your camera came with software to convert the RAW files to JPG.

Kevin

 

[wannabatwdw]

Thanks Kevin, I will have to check that out. So much to learn. But I think it is going to be fun.

 

[ukcatfan]

Hey Kevin,

I've been hoping to find some good reading on post shooting workflow with RAW images. Can you point me in the right direction?

I can't help you here. I pretty much learned by trial & error and message boards. I am no expert by any means.

I can give a few pointers. Try to do as much as posible in the RAW program, because once you export, adjustments degrade the quality more. Export out of RAW to TIFF unless you are completely done processing. The last step should be sharpening (if desired) and converting to JPG.

Kevin