Nikon D300

DSLR Photography Lesson with Chris & his Nikon D300 & Nikkor 70-200mm lens

in

Chris, now a Nikon man - DSLR Photography Lessons in St. Petersburg Florida - SETUP: f/2.8 ISO 800 1/100th natural lightHaving DSLR Photography Lessons at 7pm during the Florida summer are great because they offer relief from the intense heat.  However, the mosquitoes are now out in full force causing me to wonder, as ever, how they can survive when there are so few people around?  If anyone knows please tell me in the comments below!

Chris had had a Canon Xti that was not getting much use over the past few years.  Recently he was given a great offer to get a Nikon D300 (same DSLR I shoot with!) and a Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm VR f/2.8G lens, a fantastic combination.  He still has the Canon, but since the buttons and nomenclature are basically all different between the systems, I told him he could leave the Canon in the car.  Ah, his car is not just any car actually, it is the awesome Lexus IS F!!

Now the Nikon D300 is not for someone just getting into DSLR photography as it is sparse on explaining what its buttons do, but for someone who knows something about photography, that is a plus as there are no useless buttons or settings on it.  So if you do find yourself with a D300 as your first DSLR, then I would recommend taking a lesson with someone, as Chris chose to with me, in order to get over the initial steep learning curve.

Chris is also wisely choosing to learn how to edit digital photographs at the same time as he learns to shoot.  He got my special discounted 4-pack of lessons so it seems we will alternate between a shooting lesson and an editing lesson as Thursday morning we are all booked to dive into Photoshop CS5!

  • Reserve your own 1-on-1 DSLR Photography Lesson with Jason today!
  • Learn more about the lessons
  • Browse past lessons with all of my students

    •  

    --Professional Model DSLR Photography Lessons now available!

    DSLR Photography Lesson with Aaron and his Nikon D300

    in

    Nikon D300 Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D @ f/4 ISO 400 1/200th Strobist: Nikon SB-600 Speedlight with diffuser cap in TTL mode triggered by commander mode handheldAaron used some bargain hunting skills to get himself a used Nikon D300 for a very good price.  He then went and got the well received Nikkor AF-S 35mm f/1.8G lens.  Since I have shot with a Nikon D300 myself for the past year and half I know the DSLR very well.  We started the lesson going through very specific menu settings that I have honed over time via my own experiences with the camera and things I heard from other photography podcasts.  

    As always, weather was an issue, but we got really lucky with the rain.  It was raining before the 5:30pm lesson, and poured at 7:45pm, but in the middle there was only a slight sprinkle for a few minutes, so no real threat to our gear.  

    Nikon D300 Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D @ f/4 ISO 400 1/200th Strobist: Nikon SB-600 Speedlight with diffuser cap in TTL mode triggered by commander mode handheld

    Since Aaron was using his fast 35mm and I was using my fast 50mm, we spent a lot of time talking about DoF (depth of field) and controlling the background in shots.  We did not stick with large apertures though as Aaron was also interested in how to use his 35mm lens for landscapes.  I just had him use f/11 and showed him very steady handholding techniques (since he had no tripod with him) as well as where to set his focus (1/3 of the way into the shot) and in the overcast conditions he was still able to produce some nice landscapes of the harbor in front of The Pier.  

    I also stressed the rule of thirds composition guidelines, especially for when using one's camera in portrait orientation.  Basically that means not putting the horizon in the dead center, but rather the upper or lower third of the frame.  

    Aaron has an interest in portraits which will probably be the focus of our next lesson.  

  • Reserve your own 1-on-1 DSLR Photography Lesson with Jason today!
  • Learn more about the lessons
  • Browse past lessons with all of my students

    • DSLR Photography Lesson with old high school buddy Mark

    in

    The familiar downtown St Petersburg background - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/11 ISO 200 1/200th SB-600 Speedlight handheld off camera to the left

    Had a special DSLR Photography Lesson today which was part high school reunion as well.  Mark and I had not seen each other since we graduated, nearly 18 years ago!  We spent a good part of the lesson catching up on what we had been up to for nearly two decades woven in between lots of photography talk.  He just got a good deal on a Nikon D300, the same camera I shoot with.  We had nice sunny, though as usual blustery, weather.  

    It was of course easy for me to show Mark his way around his D300 as I can change many of the settings on mine without even looking.  We covered many of the usual settings for a first lesson (aperture, ISO, white balance, focus mode) and also dabbled a bit in exposure compensation for helping us shoot in harsh Florida sunlight.  

    Mark wanted to use the palm frond as a prop, here on this bench in Vinoy Park

    We ended up in Vinoy Park practicing off camera flash.  Mark even tried out my "quick and dirty" method of shooting.  As you can see in the above shot, Mark's head does not overlap with any background object nor is any background object sprouting from his head.  This is not a coincidence.  I shifted my position so that neither the tree nor the sculpture was touching Mark's head.  This is something to always look for when making a portrait.  

    I had a great time catching up with Mark and introducing him to his D300, and going for a little spin in his Jeep Wrangler.  I look forward to catching up more and meeting his family in the near future.

    Classic Ford Galaxie mini shoot

    in

    Nice chrome fenders on this classic Ford Galaxie

    I went to Crescent Lake Park with the fam to check out a community yard sale in search of a cheap tennis racquet and beyond hope an old, sturdy tripod that could tie me over until I get my dream Gitzo carbon fiber tripod.  I found neither, but there was something unexpected, a classic Ford Galaxie.  It was owned by a retired gentleman from my home state of Rhode Island!  I struck up a conversation with him about this and that.  

    the front end of a classic Ford Galaxie with sweet antique Rhode Island license plate

    Naturally I asked him if he minded if I took a few photos.  He said not at all.  So I whipped out the D300 which had my Nikkor 105mm VR Micro f/2.8G lens on it, not the ideal lens for photographing a car in whole.  Also, it was sitting in the middle of a huge grass field in the bright noon Florida sun.  So I just made the photos I could in that situation with the gear I had.

    left tail-light of a classic Ford Galaxie

    I gave the owner my business card and said I'd love to have another chance to photograph his classic ride for free with my usual car photography kit with me.  I'm not sure if he'll take me up on that offer, but I do know he and some other old-timers hangout at this donut shop on 9th Avenue where all kinds of stories are told.  So I will most definitely go and check out that place because I of course love donuts, and I would really like to hear stories about the old days and what they used to do in their cars.

    the interior of a classic Ford Galaxie -- she was a beauty inside, and out for that matter

    Free iPhone Wallpaper Monday: Myakka Alligator

    in ,

    Start your work week off with a free new wallpaper for your iPhone or iPod touch!

    This alligator was photographed in Myakka River State Park.  It was the most thrilling photography I have ever made.  Why?  Because I was in a kayak just a few feet away from this smiling (?) alligator.  It was also my very first time to shoot from a kayak and I was quite concerned about dropping my Nikon D300 and Nikkor AF ED 80-200mm F2.8D lens right into the shallow Myakka River.  

    After a short time, however, I was able to develop a technique of paddling toward a subject and then just letting the kayak drift past it while I wielded the D300.  I had no idea I had actually gotten so close to the alligator this time though because I was intent on getting the low angle and straight horizon I wanted.

    As mentioned before, the water was really shallow, which caused a harmless accident a little bit later.  This alligator eventually slid into the river and as I paddled to see where she or he had gone off too I actually paddled the kayak right over it!  At first I felt great fear as I saw only an alligator leg over the side of the kayak and thought, will it seek revenge?  But I never even saw it surface again until I was well far away.  I related this story to the kayak rental staff person, and she told me not to worry and that this happens all the time and the alligator was no worse for wear from such an incident.  I was relieved.

    *********

    My full (and growing) collection of iPhone wallpapers can be viewed HERE and are available for just $1 each.

    *********

     To Install the wallpaper onto your iPhone:

    1. Right-click or control-click on the image.

    2. Select “Save as…”

    * Mac users:  save the image to a folder or add it to your iPhoto library.

    * PC users:   save the image in your “My Pictures” folder.

    Connect the iPhone/iPod Touch to your computer and do the following:

    1. Launch iTunes, click your iPhone icon on iTunes, choose the Photos tab, and select “Sync photos from:”

    2. From the pop-up menu, do one of the following:

    * If your using a Mac, choose iPhoto or your Pictures folder.
    * If you’re using a PC, choose My Pictures folder.

    3. Choose Folder, then choose any folder on your computer that has images.

    4. Choose “All photos,” or choose “Selected folders” or “Selected albums” and choose the folders or albums you want to sync.

    On your iPhone:

    5. Launch the Photos app. Browse through the albums or Camera Roll until you find the picture you wish to use.

    6. Select the picture so it is displayed full screen.

    7. Tap the icon in the lower left corner of the screen. If you don’t see the icon, single tap the picture to display the menus.

    8. A menu pops up with three options: Email Photo, Use as Wallpaper, or Assign to Contact.

    9. Choose “Use as Wallpaper"

    Thanks to Photo Focus and Scott Bourne for the directions above.

     

    All iPhone/iPod Touch Wallpapers are provided without any technical support. Each image is a 320×480 jpg file. All images are Copyright Jason Collin Photography, All Rights Reserved. You are granted a single use, non-exclusive, perpetual license to install this wallpaper on any iPhone or iPod Touch personally owned by you. This license grants you the right to use the wallpaper for non-commercial/personal use only. You may not re-sell, distribute, print or otherwise publish the image without the express written consent of the Copyright owner: Jason Collin Photography