This week I'm working on... (now with a page 1 directory)

[TheGoofster]

This week I'm waiting for my 580EX II Speedlite to come in. Should be here by the end of the week, then I have a whole new can of worms to open up with bouncing my flash.

I haven't touched the whole flash aspect of my camera yet (I've taken a few simple shots using flash, but nothing beyond that). This is a subject I plan (and need) to give a whole lot of time and effort to.

Be sure to post some shots you take with your new flash.

 

[scoot241]

It's Speedlite time.

This is one of the first ones I took yesterday when the flash came in, bounced straight up off the ceiling.



Earlier today, flash bouncing off the wall to the left.



A couple more, don't remember the exact position of the flash, but both bounced.





The 580EX II is amazing. It rotates all sorts of ways and if you keep it in E-TTL II (as I have so far) it exposes the subject properly for you. The meter tells you how well the background is exposed. I've only scratched the surface though. I also bought an Omnibounce (one of those frosted plastic caps that goes over the flash head to diffuse the light) but haven't tried it out much yet.

At some point I'm probably going to get an off-camera cord and experiment more with that, but so far this flash has been great.

 

[TheGoofster]

Nice shots Scoot. Great use of the new flash. I hope to do some basic flash experimenting soon (although I only have the flash that is built into my D5000).

This week I'm doing some work on macro shots. Last week I did some experimenting with macro using a telephoto lens (mostly at 200 mm). This week I'm using my kit lens (18 - 55mm) to try some more traditional macro shots. I would love to use a real macro lens, or even some tubes or adapters, but for right now I'm just doing some basic macro shooting.
Pretty much everything I did today was outside. Some of the best examples I've seen of macro shots are of insects (here's a good web site that gives a lot of advice about shooting macro shots of insects), but I only saw one bee today, and it wasn't in much of a mood to let me take it's picture, so I had to focus more on flowers and objects.
Here are a few of my shots from today:

To be honest, using the 2 lenses I have (the standard kit lens and the 55 - 200mm telephoto lens) I think I prefer using the 200 to get outside macro shots (especially of insects).
I hope to try some indoor macro shots as well this week, and perhaps even some people macro shots (eyes, mouth, etc...)

If anybody else has any examples, advice, comments... about shooting macro please feel free to share.

 

[TheGoofster]

Today I did some experimenting with indoor macro shots. It's really neat how taking a shot of a normal everyday subject can be so different when doing a macro shot of the same thing.

Here are some of my favorites from today's shooting:

This is a shot of a commemorative 9/11 plate I have:

One of my many eagles:

Even crayons take on a new look when shot up close:

And of course here's my icon:

So far I'm enjoying shooting indoor macro shots more than outdoor, when using my standard kit lens. For outside macro, I think I like using my telephoto lens more.

 

[MICKEY88]

It's Speedlite time.

This is one of the first ones I took yesterday when the flash came in, bounced straight up off the ceiling.



Earlier today, flash bouncing off the wall to the left.



A couple more, don't remember the exact position of the flash, but both bounced.





The 580EX II is amazing. It rotates all sorts of ways and if you keep it in E-TTL II (as I have so far) it exposes the subject properly for you. The meter tells you how well the background is exposed. I've only scratched the surface though. I also bought an Omnibounce (one of those frosted plastic caps that goes over the flash head to diffuse the light) but haven't tried it out much yet.

At some point I'm probably going to get an off-camera cord and experiment more with that, but so far this flash has been great.

once you get used to the diffuser, you will always use it

 

[TheGoofster]

Thanks to some great advice from ScottWDW, I decided to give panning a try today at my son's basketball game. All I can say is "Wow", that's a tough thing to try and get right. I took about 100 or so shots panning with my hands (as opposed to using a tripod), and only a small handful were even worth looking at.
I noticed that I had 3 basic results:

1 - shots that were just completely blurred out. Obviously my timing was way off as I tried to move along with the subject. The vast majority of my shots fell into this category.

2- shots that weren't too bad, but still far from being considered keepers. Quite a few of my shots were almost good, but not quite.

3- shots that pretty much gave me what I was looking for. Unfortunately none of my shots came out with that "Wow factor", but there were a few that for the most part captured the panning effect I was looking for.

My son has another game on Thursday, so I hope to try to get some more practice with this procedure. I really need to work on getting my timing lined up better with my moving subject.

Here is the shooting info that I was mostly working with:
shutter speed - I started with 1/60, but moved down to 1/40. 1/60 was easier to capture the subject, but I didn't really get the background motion that I wanted. 1/40 gave me the background motion I wanted, but it made it much harder to clearly capture the subject.
Aperture - since I was shooting in Shutter priority mode, the camera chose the aperture, which was mostly between f11 and f16.
ISO - the ISO was set at Low1 (which I think is about 100)
Focus - was set on auto-area.

Here are some of my more usable results (again, nothing great, but not too bad for a first attempt I guess):

This was my first attempt at 1/60. I wasn't crazy about how much background motion there was:

This was taken at 1/40. I like the background motion better in this one:

Interestly, one of my best results wasn't even of the game, but of a little girl who was running across the court at half time:

 

[SrisonS]

It's Speedlite time.

This is one of the first ones I took yesterday when the flash came in, bounced straight up off the ceiling.



Earlier today, flash bouncing off the wall to the left.



A couple more, don't remember the exact position of the flash, but both bounced.





The 580EX II is amazing. It rotates all sorts of ways and if you keep it in E-TTL II (as I have so far) it exposes the subject properly for you. The meter tells you how well the background is exposed. I've only scratched the surface though. I also bought an Omnibounce (one of those frosted plastic caps that goes over the flash head to diffuse the light) but haven't tried it out much yet.

At some point I'm probably going to get an off-camera cord and experiment more with that, but so far this flash has been great.

Great pics!!!! I seriously need to look into getting a speedlite for my camera. The built-in flash just isn't doing it. And with the length of the lens that I mainly use, it sometimes creates a big harsh shadow in the bottom of close range shots. I've had my dslr for a little less than a year, and am finally getting all the basic gear I want. Just last week, I finally got a decent bag (instead of my little ugly walmart shoulder bag) and a pretty nice tripod. The flash will complete my purchase of the essentials.

The jump to a dslr just gets pricier and pricier..... But I love it!!!!

 

[NateNLogansDad]

A couple questions for the guys that are decent as panning.

1. Is it even possible to get a decent shot at a basketball game right out of the camera? It would seem that cars on a track would be 100x easier as they don't have arms and legs moving in different directions.

2. For what the Goofster was trying to do, would the situation be different if the conditions were more ideal? I.E. would it have been better for him to be closer to the players, for the players to be further from the background,etc,etc.....

3. Would a different faster lens have helped him achieve the look he was going for?

 

[mom2rtk]

You know what drives me nuts more than anything in a basketball game? That stupid ball! It seems like every time I get a good shot, the ball is on the floor part of the bounce!

 

[scoot241]

Great pics!!!! I seriously need to look into getting a speedlite for my camera. The built-in flash just isn't doing it. And with the length of the lens that I mainly use, it sometimes creates a big harsh shadow in the bottom of close range shots. I've had my dslr for a little less than a year, and am finally getting all the basic gear I want. Just last week, I finally got a decent bag (instead of my little ugly walmart shoulder bag) and a pretty nice tripod. The flash will complete my purchase of the essentials.

The jump to a dslr just gets pricier and pricier..... But I love it!!!!

I couldn't stand the pictures I took with the XSi's built in flash. Turning the flash exposure compensation down a couple of stops helped, but this is so much nicer. With the push of one button on the 580EX II you can tilt and turn the flash head all sorts of ways (90 degrees vertically and 180 degrees horizontally in both directions). I thought about getting the 430EX II but could see myself ending up wanting the 580 eventually anyway, so I spent the extra $100 or so up front.

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

In preparation for our June WDW trip, I worked on my night shooting while in DC this weekend. These are JPEGS straight out of the camera with no PP. I have them in raw and will work on them when I return home.

 

[Scottwdw]

A couple questions for the guys that are decent as panning.

1. Is it even possible to get a decent shot at a basketball game right out of the camera? It would seem that cars on a track would be 100x easier as they don't have arms and legs moving in different directions.

2. For what the Goofster was trying to do, would the situation be different if the conditions were more ideal? I.E. would it have been better for him to be closer to the players, for the players to be further from the background,etc,etc.....

3. Would a different faster lens have helped him achieve the look he was going for?

1. You are correct, people in motion will have blurred legs and arms. The photo I posted yesterday of a rollerblader had slightly blurred arms. I caught her gliding so her legs weren't moving much. To me, blurred arms and legs is okay as long as you get the head and upper body fairly sharp. Yes, cars on tracks are much easier as they have to travel in the same direction and are very predictable. They are excellent subjects for panning practice.

2. Yes, it is possible. Closer is better but I thought the ones he posted were great. He could crop them if he wished to cut down on the background. He might even try slower shutter speeds to blur the background even more. It takes a smooth motion and keeping the subject in roughly the same place in the viewfinder. Not so easy when a player may shift positions in a split second. When going up court and not being pressured is the best time to catch them. The photo of the running girl is very good.

3. IMO, the speed of the lens wouldn't have mattered much. The apertures he got in S mode indicated he had plenty of light to work with.

 

[TheGoofster]

1. You are correct, people in motion will have blurred legs and arms. The photo I posted yesterday of a rollerblader had slightly blurred arms. I caught her gliding so her legs weren't moving much. To me, blurred arms and legs is okay as long as you get the head and upper body fairly sharp. Yes, cars on tracks are much easier as they have to travel in the same direction and are very predictable. They are excellent subjects for panning practice.

2. Yes, it is possible. Closer is better but I thought the ones he posted were great. He could crop them if he wished to cut down on the background. He might even try slower shutter speeds to blur the background even more. It takes a smooth motion and keeping the subject in roughly the same place in the viewfinder. Not so easy when a player may shift positions in a split second. When going up court and not being pressured is the best time to catch them. The photo of the running girl is very good.

3. IMO, the speed of the lens wouldn't have mattered much. The apertures he got in S mode indicated he had plenty of light to work with.

First of all, thanks for the kind words, as well as the great advice.

I'm glad you said this (the part I bolded). I think this is something I need to work on much more. I was so concerned about keeping the moving subject in the frame, that I don't think I paid enough attention to keeping it in the same place in the frame.

When I took these shots I was actually right on the sideline, so I was about as close as I could get. The sun was very bright (it kept me from shooting from the other side, because it would have washed out my shots) so like you said, thankfully there was plenty of light to work with. I imagine that trying to get panning shots during an inside sporting event provides another whole level of challenge (one that I'll pass on until I get a much faster lens).

It is definitely going to take a lot more practice to get to the point where I will feel at least somewhat comfortable trying to get good panning shots. I need to look for other things to practice on as well. As you say, a basketball game might not be the easiest thing to work with because there is a lot of stop and go motion, and lots of arms and legs flailing around. But I will get another chance tomorrow, and I'm going to try and focus more on not just matching the subjects movement, but, as you mentioned, keeping the subject in the same place in the viewfinder as much as possible.

I'll see if tomorrow I can post a few more examples (hopefully a bit better) of this neat yet very difficult procedure.

 

[TheGoofster]

@GiannasPappa

Those are some really great night shots! Did you use a tripod with these, or did you pull them off as hand held shots? (and if so what settings did you use)?

I love night shots. I think you can get such a great look at night that you just can't seem to match during the day.

Keep practicing every chance you get, and have a wonderful trip in June!

 

[disneyboy2003]

It is definitely going to take a lot more practice to get to the point where I will feel at least somewhat comfortable trying to get good panning shots. I need to look for other things to practice on as well.

There are plenty of great subjects that are ideal for panning. When you look for examples of panning photos, you typically see shots of speeding cars, motorcycles, or bicycles. You can try going to a busy street and practice your panning technique on cars that pass by.

There's also a whole technique to panning, too. As you track your subject, you should move your entire upper body, not just your head and hands. Essentially, you are turning at your waist, and your entire upper body (chest, arms, hands, head) should track your subject smoothly.

You can also try using a monopod so that you don't introduce any vertical movement during your panning technique.

As you've already found out, panning takes a lot of patience and practice. But when your photos do turn out, they uniquely convey a beautiful sense of motion.

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

Goofster:

Those were all taken with a tripod. I used the bulb mode and aperture priority in most with a wireless remote. The Capitol Building shot was taken at f32, ISO 400, 20 second exposure with a Sigma 100-300mm lens. That was taken from the steps area of the Lincoln Memorial. The Wall picture was with a Sigma 28-70mm, f11, ISO 200, 44.86 second exposure. The Jefferson Memorial was the 28-70mm, f11, ISO 200, 8 second exposure. The Kennedy Center, again with the 28-70mm, f11, ISO 200, 6 second exposure.

I have to thank this forum, because I took the knowledge learned here, applied it and it worked. I have a few more things I want to practice before the trip so I will be able to bring back images similar to what I have seen posted here.

 

[TheGoofster]

OK, I thought I'd try to take some panning shots of something other than basketball. From my balcony I have a view of a stretch of road. I only have about 50 feet, and it's not the clearest view, but I was able to get some practice shots in as cars drove by. Here are the 2 best shots that I got:

This was taken at a shutter speed of 1/13:

And then I pushed it down to 1/10:

Obviously I still have a long way to go, but I did find it easier trying to pan with vehicles rather than erratic basketball players.

 

[Scottwdw]

You sure you live in Mexico City? I have a Mustang just like that I was driving around today. Oh, yeah, you have no snow.

You are going a lot lower than I have tried it and getting good results. The second one is great only because you can see the truck better. Both have good sharp subjects and blurred backgrounds.

 

[TheGoofster]

You sure you live in Mexico City? I have a Mustang just like that I was driving around today. Oh, yeah, you have no snow.

You are going a lot lower than I have tried it and getting good results. The second one is great only because you can see the truck better. Both have good sharp subjects and blurred backgrounds.

We don't see too many Mustangs here, but there are a few.

I went with such a slow shutter speed because the cars are moving pretty slow when they go by this point. There is a speed bump right before this, so they are normally going really slow as they pass by. I did try a couple at 1/60, but there wasn't much background blur, so I decided to try slower speeds.
I'm sure the VR is helping a lot in getting clear pictures at this slower speed.

 

[Altair]

Here's a real Mustang: