Picturing Change

Doug's Guide to Better Travel Photography - Part 1

dojoklo — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I was hesitant to make this a post, since it seems like my photo tips care pretty common and not so revolutionary, so I originally hid it away in the Resources section. But I just ran across yet another new travel photo tips article with vague, general tips and very little useful information, so I've decided to post this, along with some sample photos. They are really just topic notes as part of a lecture, where each tip and slide would get discussed further, but they are generally basic enough that if you look at a few photo books, you can find further information. While these can be just as helpful to a compact digital camera user, they will be most beneficial to someone with a digital SLR. If you are coming back with good photos, but wondering why they still haven't captured that look and feel of the ones you admire online or in magazines, I truly believe these tips will help bring you there. Tip #1 alone will dramatically improve your photos. In reference to previous posts, keep in mind that these tips focus on the how, and not really explicitly the why - these are the actions and techniques that need to become intuitive as you shoot, and then they can be used at the service of the why. What does that mean? It means once you get these down and they are second nature, it frees you up to think about what you are trying to communicate as you are taking pictures, such as the specific relationships you are aiming to create within the frame, or the mood you are trying to convey. For example, Tip #1 will help you to draw out the subject of your photo. Once you get the camera mechanics of that down, then you can begin to think about what that subject should be and why you wish to accentuate it. camera settings

Selective focus – Blur the background through a low aperture settings to better draw out your subject (start with f/5.0 and experiment from there), or put everything in focus with a high aperture setting (f/11, 16 or 22). Use aperture priority mode in order to do this. (Aperture is vital to understand, so if you don't fully grasp it, read a good how-to book such as Understanding Exposure to learn it inside and out.) Portrait mode will automatically chose a low aperture, while landscape mode uses a higher aperture.
Capture action – Freeze, blur, or pan using appropriate shutter speed (start with 1/250 or 1/500 to freeze action, 1/30 to blur). Pre-focus compacts (by pushing the button half way down) to avoid the focus lag time when you are ready to shoot. Understand the inverse relationship of shutter speed to focal length to avoid blur: for 100mm focal length use 1/100 (or 1/125) or faster shutter speed to avoid blur (or use sports mode).
Keep lens and sensor clean
Understand the Histogram (and blinking overexposure warnings) – avoid clipping the information, especially at the right/ white side of the graph. Use exposure compensation -/+ settings to compensate: (-) to make a darker exposure, (+) to make a lighter exposure. Bracket (take 3 versions) to ensure the right exposure. Again, look in the how-to books for further explanation of the histogram.
Have your camera settings ready and check them often. Have your camera on your typical settings or maybe even in an automatic mode when you are not using it. That way when you see an amazing sight out the bus window, you can just grab it and quickly get a shot. Also, if you are changing or experimenting with the settings, like the exposure compensation, the ISO, etc. for a certain shot, make sure you check your settings regularly to ensure you are not walking around all day accidentally underexposing all your shots.
Take lots of pictures and use continuous shooting drive mode for action. That doesn't mean just going around taking pictures without putting thought into it, but rather when you encounter a subject or scene you like, don't hesitate to capture different angles and perspectives, or experiment with different aperture settings, etc. When taking photos of something moving, use the mode that lets you shoot several in rapid fire succession to better ensure you get a keeper.
Get lucky. Sometimes your camera was accidentally left on a slow shutter speed setting and a kids suddenly runs across the frame as you're taking a boring photo of a wall...
Use filters. The circular polarizer, neutral density, and graduated neutral density filters are the most useful ones in the digital age. Along with the protective UV filter on the front of your lenses.
Experiment with black and white, either in the camera or better yet in Photoshop.
Use highest resolution setting your camera allows. Learn about RAW format if you are going to be using Photoshop for post-processing work.
Use lowest ISO setting possible for the situation to avoid digital noise (auto ISO will do this for you).

Mastering the Canon 60D

dojoklo — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

the same way you master any other dSLR camera: set the custom settings and learn the ones you need to change - put them on My Menu learn to use Av, Tv, M modes metering modes - learn to see and capture light previsualizing, determining the image set focus point - learn to see and capture moments and peak of action composition - determining subject of image, framing, dof, foreground/ background, POV, color, balance, contrast analyzing, adjusting

Canon 5D vs 7D vs 60D vs 50D vs 550D / T2i

dojoklo — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I previously wrote a post to compare these cameras, the Canon 5D vs.7D vs. 50D vs. 550D / Rebel T2i - with the exception of the Canon 60D - which you can read here: http://dojoklo.wordpress.com/2010/05/03/canon-7d-vs-5d-vs-50d-part-ii/ It still applies to helping you make the decision between these cameras, including the 60D, but it doesn't yet address its specific new features. Those can be read about in this post. So I hope those two posts together can start to answer your questions. And until I rewrite it to include the 60D, here is some additional input. image swiped from www.dpreview.com When you are trying to determine which camera to purchase or upgrade to, you need to first consider and determine your needs, and then see which camera fills those needs. Not the other way around where you look at the new features and determine if you really need or will use them. I will discuss how to go about this in more detail below. Canon 60D vs. 50D: Since the Canon 60D basically replaces the Canon 50D (well, replacement isn't exactly the right word because the 60D doesn't really follow the 20D to 50D progression of improvements...), the 60D or 50D decision is an easy one. The 50D shouldn't really be considered anymore. While the Canon 50D does hold a couple interesting advantages over the 60D (faster FPS in continuous mode, stronger construction, more comprehensive buttons and controls, complete lack of fun filters like "grainy black and white"), the sensor and exposure metering system have been greatly improved in all the newer cameras (7D or 60D or 500D/ T2i) and I feel these features, along with the increase in mega pixels, outweigh any other 50D advantages. I would definitely choose a 60D instead of a 50D. Or a 7D instead of a 50D if your needs require it and budget allows it. (Find out below if your needs require it!) So the decision now comes down to the Canon 7D or 60D or 550D / Rebel T2i. (What about the 60D vs. 5D Mk II? Just wait, I'm getting to that!) This decision has become infinitely more difficult (or perhaps infinitely simpler?), as all three of these cameras now share so many specifications and features. And because they share an image sensor that is very similar, and all with 18 MP, the image quality of these three cameras will be nearly identical. The Canon consumer/ pro-sumer lineup has never been so alike as it is now. So as I like to profess, you need to choose which camera is best for you based on your needs and experience as a photographer and based on how the advanced features, controls, and customization options fit those needs and serve the way you work. Here is a brief, mostly serious summary to help you make this decision: Get a Canon 550D / Rebel T2i if you are new to photography or to digital SLR photography, or want to upgrade from an older Rebel because you want higher image quality and more mega-pixels (or HD video). If you have been happy with the features and controls of your previous dSLR camera and have not discovered the need, in your use of it, for any specific additional features, there is no need to look beyond the 550D. Get a Canon 60D if you have outgrown the capabilities of an older Rebel like an XTi or T1i due to your greater experience and more demanding shooting needs which require more direct or sophisticated controls and customization options. Or you have been pretty pleased with your 20D or 40D and its features but wish to upgrade for the increased image quality and mega pixels (or HD video). And/ or you need a more rugged camera for your frequent and demanding shooting and off-the-beaten-path traveling needs. Or you really like swiveling LCD screens. If you typically shoot on Auto or Program mode, you do not need a 60D. If you do not manually select your own focus point and have never used exposure compensation you do not need a 60D. If you have never used the AE-Lock [*] button to lock exposure you do not need a 60D. Please save the money or use it towards a better lens. Get a Canon 7D if you have extensive experience with a Rebel (xxxD series like 350D, 400D) or with an older xxD series (20D, 40D) camera, and you know and understand most of the 7D's controls and advanced custom features, and you specifically need some of them for your demanding shooting needs. If you have never used Av aperture priority mode or M manual mode, you do not need a 7D. If you have never used autofocus tracking settings to track a moving subject across your frame and worried how an interfering object would affect your focus you do not need a 7D. If you have never used spot metering to determine a critical exposure level or experimented with back-button focusing you do not need a 7D. Please save the money or use it towards a better lens. However, if you often need to take 126 consecutive photos at the rate of 8 frames per second, you do need the 7D. Immediately. Even if you just sometimes need that. Totally worth it. That's 15.75 seconds of continuous shooting. Who doesn't need that? You'd make Eadweard Muybridge proud. (Please note, the 550D, 60D and 7D all have these features I just listed: manually selected focus points, exposure compensation, AE-Lock, auto-focus tracking, spot metering, and back-button focusing. I'm just using them as a determination of your experience level and needs) The Canon 5D Mark II is in a separate league than the other cameras, being a full frame professional camera, and thus I'm not going to compare it to the others in this context. As I said in a previous post, If the 5D Mk II fits your expanding and demanding needs as a photographer, you would already pretty much know that you needed a 5D after your extensive time using a Rebel or a 20D, 40D, etc. Otherwise, getting a 5D means most likely you’d be investing in far more camera than you will actually need or use. If you don't already know that you need a 5D, you probably don't need a 5D. Plus, as is often the case, those who could really take full advantage of a 5D are those who can't afford a 5D. (I'm thinking about the talented photographers I come across on Flickr, etc. who are making amazing images with entry-level Rebels.) Feel free to spend $2,500 on a 5D Mk II if you want, but unless you have extensive experience with photography and with a digital SLR, using a 5D is completely unnecessary and is unlikely to help you take "better" pictures than you will be able to with a 550D. And besides, it is becoming old technology. You should wait for the 5D Mark III. As I said above, when you are trying to determine which camera to purchase or upgrade to, you need to first consider and determine your needs, and then see which camera fills those needs. Not the other way around. For example, I began shooting with a Rebel XT and took it on an extended trip where I shot lots of travel photos, plus outdoor festivals and dance (see the Peru and Dance galleries here for the results - those are all shot with a Rebel XT.) I soon discovered this camera wasn't fulfilling my growing needs and I made a mental list of what my next camera needed to serve me better in the specific ways that I work and take photos:

more focus points which are more strategically positioned (the Rebel XT only has 7 focus points in a simple cross pattern which did not suit the way I focus and compose)
faster frame rate in continuous shooting mode (it only has 3 fps which wasn't good enough for catching a good burst at the peak of action)
better sealed body (I ended up in several very dusty or wet situations)
integrated sensor cleaning (see "dusty" above)
more megapixels (the 8 MP of the XT just weren't sufficient when it came to cropping and post-processing)
battery with longer capacity (I used it on weekend trips to the middle of nowhere but didn't want to have to buy and take more than 3 batteries)
larger LCD screen to better review photos (the XT has a tiny screen)
grid in the viewfinder (I just can't keep it straight sometimes)

These are the features I looked for in my next camera. I didn't work backwards and wonder, "Do I need or will I ever need auto lighting optimizer and highlight tone priority?" If I had exposure issues on my list, I would have looked for these kinds of features, but I didn't. I didn't wonder, "Do I need multiple flash remote firing? Should I worry about that?" That wasn't on my list because it wasn't a need I ran into, ever, in months of daily shooting. I don't even own multiple flashes and wish to minimize using the one. I didn't ask myself, "Do I need an extensively redesigned focus system with AF Point Expansion and Zone focusing?" I nearly always choose my own focus point - I don't want the camera choosing the closest point which is bound to be a dancer's flying hand and not their face, so I don't need that. No matter how awesome and advanced it is. Even if the subjects are moving. I'm pretty quick with the focus point selection. I just need more and better placed focus points. If you haven't run into a need for certain features in your months or years of extensive shooting, you aren't going to suddenly need it just because it is now offered on a camera. Sit down and make your list, then look at the cameras' offerings. And please be aware, none of these cameras will help you instantly create better photos. Or better yet, all of these cameras will help you take better photos, but equally so, none any better than the others. If you wish to take better photos, just chose one of the cameras and get out and shoot. Learn how to use the basic settings (aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focusing modes and focus points, exposure metering modes, histograms) and then concentrate on composition and telling a story through your images. See the posts listed below to help you on your way, or if you are in the Boston - Cambridge area, take a one-on-one lesson with me! How Pros Photograph Deconstructing the Shot Need a lens to go with your new camera? Read about choosing a lens other than the kit lens in this post Why You Shouldn't Buy the Kit Lens, and learn about the Best Lenses for Travel Photography here. If you do choose the 60D, it is always wise not to buy a Canon dSLR or lens in the first several months after it is introduced. They have a solid history of quality control and design flaws in early models, including, most notoriously, their top of the line offerings (autofocus issues with cameras, flare issues with lenses). I myself took this risk with the 7D, brought it on a trip, and suffered the consequences (see the bottom of this previous post). If you are interested in researching or purchasing the equipment or books I use, discuss, or recommend, please have a look at the site I've set up on Amazon.com. Please leave a comment and let me know if my posts have been helpful, and what you'd like to learn more about.

Business of Humanitarian Photography

dojoklo — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

cards, forms, stock, doing business, marketing organizations forums learn flash blurb book

dojoklo — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Nikon D7000 Experience The Still Photographer’s Guide to Operation and Image Creation with the Nikon D7000 by Douglas J. Klostermann Full Stop. good writing for better photography All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically or in print, without expressed permission from the author. The author takes no responsibility for the use of any of the materials or methods described in this book, or for the products, Internet web sites, or links mentioned. Douglas Klostermann is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. All contents including cover design, images and text Copyright 2011 Douglas J. Klostermann Cover design and cover photograph by the author. Nikon D7000 Experience The Still Photographer’s Guide to Operation and Image Creation with the Nikon D7000 by: Douglas J. Klostermann Mobi Version 2.0 February 2011 www.dojoklo.com Author’s blog: http://dojoklo.wordpress.com/ Published by Full Stop. good writing for better photography Cambridge, MA 02138 USA http://www.dojoklo.com/Full_Stop/

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION MENUS and CUSTOM SETTINGS Menu Settings Custom Settings My Menu CAMERA OPERATION JPEG vs. NEF (RAW) Focusing Using Autofocus Autofocus Modes Autofocus Area Modes Locking Focus Release Modes Exposure Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO Aperture-Priority Auto Mode (A) and Shutter-Priority Auto Mode (S) Full Stops Manual Exposure Mode (M) Metering Modes Matrix Metering Center-Weighted Metering Spot Metering Manual Metering Exposure Lock Histograms Exposure Compensation Auto Bracketing for Exposure Active D-Lighting White Balance Picture Controls Flash Sensor Cleaning COMPOSITION THE IMAGE TAKING PROCESS VIDEO – AN INTRODUCTION PHOTOGRAPHY ACCESSORIES CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION

The introduction of the Nikon D7000 created great excitement, especially for photographers who were awaiting a successor to the D90. Its features and capabilities exceeded expectations by providing users with an advanced, more sophisticated autofocus system, a ruggedly built body with a professional feel, and an improved sensor, processor, and exposure metering system. Its great image quality at high ISO settings, dual memory card slots, big and bright viewfinder, high capacity battery, video capabilities, customization options, and fast continuous frame rate make it one of the finest dSLR cameras in its class. Not only is the Nikon D7000 a significant upgrade to the D90, but it also rivals the more expensive semi-professional Nikon D300s in performance, construction, and image quality. The Nikon D7000 is clearly a powerful, advanced tool for digital photography: 16.2 megapixel sensor, 39 point autofocus system, 6 frames per second (fps) continuous shooting speed, and high ISO capabilities. It is fully capable of capturing professional quality images in most any situation you wish to use it. But it is merely a tool. It is up to you to make use of its features and capabilities to create the images you envision. While the camera’s manual can tell you about all the settings and controls and how they function, this guide will build upon that and tell you when and why you want to use them. Every button, menu item, and Custom Setting of the D7000 is there for a reason: to help you capture the images you want. Some of them are more useful to different types of photographers and shooting situations and you don’t need to learn and use them all, but this guide should help to give you the knowledge to confidently use the ones that turn your Nikon D7000 into an image capturing tool that works best for you. There are many different ways to use a digital SLR (dSLR) camera and its controls to capture images, and I’m not going to attempt to explain them all. I am going to concentrate on the ways that I believe are the most practical, useful, and effective. The settings and techniques I discuss apply to general photography, which includes most travel photography. I will point out other options for users who might wish to work differently and I encourage you to experiment and find the techniques that work best and are most comfortable or intuitive for you. If you typically shoot very specifically, say macro photography or studio photography with complex lighting, some of what I discuss may not apply. But if you are that specialized, I’m sure you are skilled enough to know when and how to adapt what I say! Since this guide is intended to help you get the most out of your D7000, I will not discuss or go into detail about many of the automatic features or Auto and Scene Modes. The D7000 is a sophisticated tool that deserves to be used to its full potential, and that means taking control of the camera and its functions. And since this guide is about image creation – the capturing of a photograph – it will not discuss features that deal with image processing, such as the Retouch Menu. And finally, while it will discuss basic video settings and options to get you started, the guide will focus on still photography and image creation. However there is a great deal to be learned about everything else including the autofocus system, the elements of exposure, exposure metering, white balance, and even basic composition. This guide is intended to be used in conjunction with the camera’s manual, not to replace it, so every bit of information in the Nikon D7000 User’s Manual will not be repeated here. For example, I may explain the use of Single-point AF (Auto-Focus), but not explain how to change to this setting on your camera. If you don’t know how to change it please read the manual where it will tell you to make sure the focus mode selector is set to AF, then press and hold the AF-mode button as you rotate the Sub-Command Dial until Single-point AF is displayed on the top Control Panel screen. As you can see, there is a lot to make sense of regarding terminology and controls, so I recommend that you familiarize yourself with the controls and displays of the camera body, as shown on pages 2-12 of the D7000 User’s Manual, as well as read through the manual and attempt to understand as much as possible. Yes, much of it may be complicated and confusing at first, but this ebook guide will attempt to cut through the numerous buttons, controls, menus, and settings and concentrate on the essential ones to get you started taking great images. Various settings of the Nikon D7000 can be controlled in multiple ways including using the buttons and dials on the camera body while reading the settings on the top LCD Control Panel or in the Viewfinder, or through the menus on the rear screen accessed with the Menu Button and read on the rear LCD Monitor. Explore the options and find the ways they work most quickly and intuitively for you. Any time I capitalize something in the text, it is a proper term that can be looked up in the Nikon D7000 manual. I will capitalize the names of actual buttons, controls, camera parts, and menu items, such as Delete Button, Main Command Dial, Monitor, and Format. Again, please review the camera body and display diagrams in your D7000 User’s Manual to familiarize yourself with the names of various parts, controls, and displays, as I will use these proper names in this text. Generally the menu settings and instructions I discuss involve taking full control of the camera for yourself, which means taking it off Auto, off Programmed Auto, off automatically selected autofocus points, off Auto ISO. While this may be more challenging at first, these are the techniques that are necessary to take full advantage of the capabilities of any digital SLR (dSLR) including the advanced D7000, and will lead you to having more control over your image making. Hopefully this will inevitably lead to better images! Getting Started Batteries The first thing to do, if you haven’t done so already, is to fully charge the battery. The first couple times you use it, I recommended that you fully drain it through use before you fully recharge it again. While some claim current batteries don’t require this, others claim it prolongs their life or capacity, so it is best to just do this for a couple cycles to be safe. You will probably want a second battery, the EN-EL15, so you should get that right away. There is an optional battery pack and grip, the MB-D11 Multi-Power Battery Pack, which will allow you to use an additional battery or AA batteries. The grip also increases the size of the camera which may make it more comfortable for some users, especially when using the camera in the vertical position. At the end of the book I will provide Amazon.com product links to some of these accessories and items I mention throughout the text, as well as other Photography Accessories, if you wish to view or purchase them. There is also a full version of this list, with Amazon links, on my blog: http://dojoklo.wordpress.com/2011/02/10/gear-accessories-and-books/ Memory Cards You will also need an SD memory card or two or three. Since the D7000 contains two SD memory card slots, you might as well start with at least two memory cards. I recommend the SanDisk Extreme cards or the equivalent in another major brand like Lexar, and at least 8 GB or 16 GB capacity. Check retailers’ ads or websites to see if there are any rebates, which there often are and which will save you some money, especially if you buy 2 or 3 cards at the same time. If you intend to shoot still photos, a class 6 card will be sufficient, but for shooting video, a higher speed class 10 card is recommended. Some people advocate the use of several small capacity memory cards (4 GB) so that if you lose a card or lose all the images on one due to card error, then you don’t lose all your vacation or event photos at once. However, if you are taking many images of an event or activity, smaller cards may unexpectedly fill up, causing you to miss the action as you switch cards. So I take the opposite approach and use larger capacity memory cards (16 GB), then back up the images in two or three places each night after shooting. If I feel I have taken a potentially incredibly important shot that I don’t want to lose, however, I may safely store that card for the rest of the day and start using another. So perhaps the use of a few 8 GB cards is a good compromise. Be sure to always insert and remove a memory card only when the camera is turned off. When downloading the images from a card to a computer, use a card reader and simply copy the images, then remove the card once the card reader has been stopped and you are sure it is no longer being accessed by the computer. Do not add or delete photos or files to a card via the computer, and only erase or format a card in the camera itself. This will all help to prevent card errors or corruption. If a memory card has functioned properly after several uses, it is likely to continue to work properly for a long time. See the Format section of the Setup Menu below for more information on using your SD memory cards.

MENUS and CUSTOM SETTINGS

Setting up the D7000 The Menus and Custom Settings of the Nikon dSLR cameras allow you to have greater, more precise control over how your camera functions. They are an important part of what makes the D7000 a much more powerful and exacting tool than the Nikon D3100, and they allow you to customize the camera to work for you, to work how you work. Using them you can fine tune settings and operations including white balance, metering, exposure, and autofocusing. I highly recommend that you dig into these menus and change the settings to the options that allow you to use the camera in the manner that works best for you. Some of the Menu items are only used when shooting, reviewing, or processing images, but several of them should be set up in advance. Below are brief explanations and recommended settings for the Menus and Custom Settings of the Nikon D7000. Please note that this guide will go into further detail about many of these settings and functions later, so don’t get overwhelmed if you don’t yet understand the settings or terminology used to describe the Menu and Custom Settings and their options. You might wish to return to them later after you have begun to better understand your camera and its controls and start to determine how you want to work. If you don’t yet understand some of the settings or why you might wish to change them, leave those on the default settings for now. Place your Mode Dial on A before you go through these settings because they may not all appear in the Menus if your camera is set on one of the Auto or Scene Modes. Many of these items are self-explanatory, and thus I won’t go into detail about them.

Menu Settings

Playback Menu Delete Use this to delete a single image, a selected group of images, all images taken on a specific date, or all images in the current folder or the selected card if you have two SD cards inserted in the two available memory card slots. However, if you are deleting all the images on a card, it is better to use Format Memory Card (see Setup Menu below). Playback Folder This sets which images will be visible during Playback. Leave on the default setting, D7000 and all the images taken with this camera will be visible. If you are sharing memory cards between different cameras (which is not at all recommended) then you can select All. Hide Image This is used to hide images from view during playback, which could help prevent accidental erasing of that image. Hidden images can be deleted by formatting the memory card. It is best not to use this feature so that you don’t lose track of any of your images. Display Mode This is used to select what information is shown along with your image during playback. I recommend that you select all of these options. Focus Point will show you which focus point was active and will thus verify if you properly focused where you intended (unless you recomposed after locking focus). Highlights will show if you have overexposed the highlights (something you typically want to avoid) by having those areas of the image blink during playback. RGB Histogram will also help show if an image’s exposure is correct, or if you have overexposed or underexposed it, through the use of a graph. Data will display detailed data of the camera settings used for each image. This guide will go into more detail about all of these items later in the Exposure and Histograms sections, and why they are important to review for determining that you obtained the proper or desired exposure of an image. Copy Image(s) This is used to copy images from one memory card to another when two cards are inserted in the camera. This can be used to back up specific images or the entire card at once. This could be used to create back-up copies of your images when you don’t have access to your computer, external hard drive, or CD/DVD burner, but it is best to back them up on one of these more permanent devices as soon as possible. Image Review Use this to set whether or not your images are immediately displayed on the rear LCD Monitor. If you typically review each image after taking it, turn this On. However, if you don’t review every image, turn it Off to save the battery, then hit the Playback Button when you wish to review an image on the LCD Monitor. You will adjust how long the images are displayed during review in Custom Setting c4 below. After Delete This selects which image is shown on the LCD Monitor after an image is deleted – the next image (Show next), the previous image (Show previous), or the most intuitive option which is to set it on Continue as before, which will show the next or previous image depending on which order you were reviewing them. Rotate Tall This will automatically rotate your images to the proper orientation in the camera’s rear LCD Monitor during playback. Turn this On and use in conjunction with Auto Image Rotation (in the Setup Menu below) to view all images in the same orientation during playback. If you like seeing your vertically composed images bigger but sideways on your rear LCD, set this to Off. Slide Show This seems like a lot of effort for a tiny slideshow, but may be worth it if you run it through a TV. Print Set (DPOF) If you print your images straight from the camera, use this accordingly. The manual explains it nicely on page 189. Shooting Menu Reset Shooting Menu This restores all these menu options to their default. Do not select this after you have just set up all these options as desired! Storage Folder You can use this to specify a new folder name where images are stored, or select an existing folder to continue to store images. However, it is easiest to leave this alone and let the camera automatically create and name these folders. File Naming The camera automatically names image files with the prefix “DSC_” or “_DSC” but you can change this if you wish. Role Played by Card in Slot 2 If you insert memory cards in both available slots, you can configure the second card to function in a variety of ways. Overflow will save your images onto the second card after the first card is full. Backup will record all images onto both card 1 and card 2. Raw Slot 1 – JPEG Slot 2 will store RAW images on card 1 and JPEG images on card 2. In the Movie Settings of the Shooting Menu (below) you can also select to save movies on a specific card. Image Quality You are putting a lot of effort into taking your images. You should make sure the files are of the best possible quality. I will discuss this in more detail, including JPEG vs. NEF (RAW) file formats, in the guide below. Set to either the NEF(RAW) setting if you shoot RAW, or the highest quality and JPEG setting (JPEG Fine) if you shoot JPEG, or both combined if you need both types of files. (NEF is the file extension used by Nikon for images in the RAW file format. I will typically use just the term “RAW” when discussing the “NEF (RAW)” format.) Image Size Again, you are putting a lot of effort into taking your images, so set this to Large or L. JPEG Compression For the same reason, select Optimal Quality. NEF (RAW) Recording Again, as above, set to Lossless Compressed and 14-bit unless you find the NEF (RAW) file sizes too large and unmanageable, then select Compressed and/ or 12-bit. White Balance Although White Balance (WB) can be selected using the WB Button, advanced users can do a little more WB fine tuning through this menu. You will need to access this menu to set a specific fluorescent WB, so you may wish to put this in My Menu (learn more about My Menu below). See pages 119-129 of the manual for detailed information about fine tuning White Balance. More about White Balance and setting a custom Preset WB will be covered below. Set Picture Control User preference for those shooting JPEGs. Not needed if you shoot in RAW because the selected style applies to JPEG files only, although please note that the Picture Control you set applies to the images and histograms you see on the rear LCD Monitor even if you are shooting in only RAW. So the exposure shown on the LCD Monitor may not be the same as the exposure of the RAW image. Therefore it is somewhat important that you leave this set at Standard (or Neutral) if you shoot RAW. Also choose Standard or Neutral if you shoot JPEGs but plan to edit in Photoshop later. If you shoot in JPEG and don’t do any post-processing, it is best to modify and fine tune the Picture Controls to obtain images with the sharpness, contrast, brightness, and saturation you desire. More on Picture Controls later. Manage Picture Control Use this to save the modified Picture Controls that you create. More on Picture Controls below. Auto Distortion Control This is used to automatically correct distortion (the apparent curving in an image) caused by a wide or long lens. You may wish to use this with your G and D type lenses, but if you do not want the camera doing this without any of your control, turn this Off and correct distortion in Photoshop if desired. Color Space Leave on sRGB. Read the various blogs, forums and books that endlessly debate sRGB vs. AdobeRGB. Then continue to leave it on sRGB. sRGB is a slightly smaller color space than AdobeRGB, but will display properly on computer screens and printers. AdobeRGB is intended for advanced post-processors and uses like commercial printing. Unless you are calibrating your monitor, printing with a printer that has 6 or more ink cartridges, shooting for a commercially printed publication, and well versed in setting color spaces in Photoshop and printing, you will not miss the difference and images in AdobeRGB will possibly not display or print properly. Active-D Lighting Active D-Lighting is an exposure adjustment to an image that occurs in the camera, and is useful for high contrast situations where there is a wide range of lighting in your scene from bright to dark shadows. It will help to preserve details in the shadows and especially in the highlights, and will help to prevent blown-out highlights. If you are shooting in JPEG, experiment with Active D-Lighting in high contrast situations, setting it to N Normal and H High, and examine your results. However, if you are shooting in RAW, you may wish to turn this off and take more control of your highlights and shadows in post-processing. Also, if you are working in challenging or unusual lighting situations but are carefully metering and exposing the image as you desire, you will need to turn this off to ensure the camera does not over-ride your careful work. More on Active-D Lighting below. Long Exposure Noise Reduction This is used, obviously, to automatically correct noise in long exposures (over 8 seconds). Leave this Off until you are intentionally taking long exposure images, then determine if you wish the camera to do this correction or if you wish to do it yourself with Photoshop or other software. Note that the noise reduction processing occurs immediately after you take your image, and will take perhaps as long as the initial long-exposure took, during which time you cannot take another image and should not turn off your camera. For example, a 30 second exposure may require an additional 30 seconds for noise reduction processing. High ISO Noise Reduction The camera will automatically process images to reduce noise at 1600 ISO and above even without this setting, so turn this Off and evaluate any noise issues in your images before deciding if you might want to set this to Low or Normal later. Again, this can also be done later in processing and often with more control in Photoshop or other software. ISO Sensitivity Settings This is used to change the ISO setting, which is more easily done using the ISO Button on the camera. However, this also sets the optional Auto ISO Sensitivity Control, which functions in P, S, A, and M modes. If you enable this (On) then the camera will automatically change your selected ISO, without your expressed permission, in certain situations in order to obtain a proper exposure. For example, if you are working in Aperture-Priority Auto Mode (A) and set the ISO at 1600, but based on your selected aperture and the lighting the camera does not believe there is enough light for the exposure and a realistic shutter speed (that you set – see below), it will automatically raise the ISO so that the shutter speed does not become impossibly slow for hand-holding. This may be good if you are still getting used to the cameras controls and settings and wish for the camera to help you out a bit in certain situations where you may not be paying close enough attention to your settings. Or perhaps in situations such as at a concert where the lighting may change dramatically without you realizing it or responding fast enough. But if you want complete control of your settings and exposures, you will need to turn this Off. If you do set Auto ISO Sensitivity Control to be On, then you also set the Maximum Sensitivity or maximum ISO that the camera will use in these situations. I suggest you set it no higher than 3200 or perhaps 6400 if you are willing to accept the digital noise of photos at that high an ISO. You also set the Minimum Shutter Speed that you would like the camera to automatically use in these situations. I suggest you set it at the slowest shutter speed you can possibly hand-hold and still potentially get an image without blur, typically 1/30. The camera may still go below this shutter speed if it cannot obtain proper exposure at the maximum ISO that you set. Multiple Exposure This allows you to create a multiple exposure shot, with two or three exposures superimposed in one image. Select the Number of shots and turn the Auto gain On unless you are working with a dark background. Movie Settings Use this to set various movie options. For Movie Quality and Frame Rate settings see the Video – An Introduction section later in the text. Use Microphone to turn on or off the internal (or an optional external) microphone and to adjust its sensitivity. Destination is to specify which memory card the movies are recorded on. If you choose to turn On the Manual Movie Settings option, again see the Video – An Introduction section for further information on these settings. Interval Timer Shooting This is used to take a series of photographs at specific time intervals. This is much more than taking a couple shots in a row with the Self-timer and is designed to take a longer series of shots over several minutes or hours. This is useful for making a time-lapse series of photos. See pages 155-158 of the manual for detailed information. Remote Control Mode This is used to specify the timing of the shutter release when using the optional remote control. More information about this in the Release Modes section below.

Custom Settings

Autofocus a1 – This setting determines if attaining focus is top priority when you are in Continuous-servo AF (Auto-Focus) Mode (AF-C), or if you just want the shots to be taken even if exact focus is not attained for each shot. For example, if you are tracking a moving subject such as a runner or a bird, you may wish to just take a rapid series of shots at all costs in order to capture specific moments, and exact focus of each shot may not be the priority. Or you may wish to make sure the camera has properly focused each shot before the shutter is released. This however may cause a slight (perhaps millisecond) delay for each shot and the exact moments may be missed. If exact focus is your priority, set on Focus. If getting the shots at all costs is the priority, set for Release. a2 – This is similar to above, except that this setting is for when you are working in Single-servo AF Mode (AF-S), typically used when your subject is not moving. Again, determine if exact focus or getting the shot is your priority. Since AF-S is typically used with subjects that are not moving, it makes more sense to make sure focus is attained, thus you should typically select Focus for this setting. a3 – This setting determines how the autofocus system reacts to sudden, dramatic changes in the distance of the subject when you are working in AF-C or AF-A modes. For example, you may be tracking a football player across the field when another player comes between you and your intended subject. This setting will determine if and how quickly the camera then focuses on this nearer player, or if it continues to focus on your original subject as the closer player passes through your field of view. If you do not wish for the camera to suddenly change focus to the nearer player, set to Long, 4 or 5. If you wish to switch focus to a sudden closer or farther object, such as perhaps a flock of moving birds where focusing on any bird and not a specific bird is the priority, then set for Short, 1 or 2, or even set for Off and focus will immediately change. a4 – This is used to set whether or not the selected autofocus point (AF Point) is illuminated in the viewfinder. Since you pretty much always want to know where your camera is focusing, this should be set for On. a5 – This determines if the AF Point selection will “wrap around” to the other side of the screen when you reach an edge. In other words, if you are selecting your AF Point (as you should be doing at almost all times) and you reach an AF Point on the far right, when you click right again, do you want to “wrap around” to a focus point on the far left, or do you wish to stop at the edge and not continue to the other side? I do not like my selection wrapping around, since it is unlikely the subject suddenly goes from the far right of the frame to the far left or from the top to the bottom, so I suggest setting this for No Wrap. But if you find it quicker to select your AF points by wrapping around from one side to the other or from top to bottom, change this to Wrap. a6 – This setting determines the number of autofocus points that are available for selection in your viewfinder. If you are always selecting your AF Point (as you typically should) you may find that it is quicker and easier, at least at first, to limit the number of AF Points to 11 – AF11. If you prefer to have all the AF Points available for your selection, set this at AF39. If you set to 11 AF points your selection will be limited to those 11 AF points, but the additional surrounding AF points will still be active to be used by the camera in the AF-Area Modes and in subject tracking, so the camera is still taking advantage of all the AF points of the autofocus system. a7 – This is used to enable or disable the autofocus assist light. Turn this On to assist you in autofocusing in low light, but be sure to turn it Off if you are working in situations where it will be distracting, unwanted, or unnecessary. a8 – These settings are used to select how the camera autofocuses while working in Live View or while recording movies. Use Single-servo AF for stationary subjects and Full-time-servo AF for moving subjects. Then select the desired AF-area mode: Face, Wide, Normal, or Subject-Tracking. Face-priority is obviously good for tracking and focusing on faces, however it can lose the subject if their face turns sideways or is obscured. Subject-Tracking is good for following moving subjects. Set Wide-area or Normal-area in other situations, based on how precise you wish to be and how large of an area you wish the camera to look at to determine focus. Metering/Exposure b1 – This sets the increments for ISO, either 1/3 stops or 1/2 stops (more on Full Stops later). This setting depends on your personal preference and what you are used to. 1/2 Step is less precise, but may be quicker and easier for making selections. 1/3 Step is traditionally a more standard photography setting and will be more precise. b2 – This is for setting 1/3 stop or 1/2 stop increments for shutter speeds, apertures, exposure compensation, flash compensation, and bracketing. 1/3 Step is a standard photography setting and is more precise, but again, 1/2 Step may be quicker and easier for making selections. Set this according to what you are used to or what works best for you. b3 – This option gives you very precise control over how you set exposure compensation (EC) (more on Exposure Compensation later). You can set it so that you must press the Exposure Compensation button as you turn a Command Dial in order to adjust EC – Off. Or you can choose to just directly turn a dial for EC, without pressing the Exposure Compensation Button first – On. This is a quicker way to adjust EC but introduces the possibility of changing it accidentally. Which dial you use will be set in Custom Setting f6. With either of these methods, EC will not be reset to 0 when you turn the camera off, so you must be sure to check your settings often to ensure you are not using EC when you don’t wish to. Or you can choose to turn a dial to directly adjust EC, but your EC setting will be reset when the camera or exposure meter turns off – On (Auto reset). This last option is the most sophisticated and most flexible, and may be the best one to learn and use. This is because you can still continue to use the Exposure Compensation Button with a Command Dial to set EC, but by setting it this way, EC will not be reset when the camera or meter turns off. EC will only be automatically reset if you set it directly using the dial without the button. So if you wish to use EC for just one shot, you can adjust EC with just the dial. But if you wish to take a series of shots with the same adjusted EC, you can use the button/ dial combination to set it more “permanently.” Once you learn more about EC and how and when to use it, this will all start to make more sense, and you will begin to understand why this is such a powerful and useful Custom Setting. b4 – This sets the size of the area – the diameter of the center circle – that is used for Center- Weighted Metering mode. This should be set based on how precise you wish your metering area to be or based on the size of the subject that you are metering. Since you can use Spot Metering mode for very precise metering of a 3.5mm diameter spot when you need that, perhaps it is best to leave this at the default 8mm. If you find this isn’t giving you the exposures you desire, or if your subjects or the area you wish to meter typically are of a specific size, adjust it accordingly. You can also set this to Avg to average the entire scene. This is somewhat similar to using Matrix Metering, but is far less sophisticated in evaluating the scene. It will just average the exposure of the entire frame and it will not take the selected AF points into consideration. b5 – This fine-tunes the exposure value that is selected by the camera in its various metering modes. If you find that your images are always typically being slightly underexposed or overexposed when using a specific metering mode, adjust this accordingly so that you don’t have to use Exposure Compensation every time you use that metering mode. You can still, however, use EC in any situation instead of or in addition to this fine-tune adjustment. The fine-tune adjustment will happen “behind the scenes” to adjust the baseline exposure. Most likely you won’t have to use this unless you typically like to always slightly underexpose or overexposure your images. Also, if you are shooting in RAW this is quite easy to adjust in post-processing. Timers/AE Lock c1 – This setting determines whether or not exposure is locked with a half-press of the Shutter Button. When you press the Shutter Button half-way, autofocus is determined and locked at that distance when you are in AF-S mode (or it will begin tracking a subject in AF-C and AF-A modes). In addition, the exposure setting can also be determined and locked at this time. However, you may often be locking focus or starting to track a subject and then recomposing the framing of your shot, so you might not want exposure to be locked in at the initial framing, which will not be the final framing of your image. The difference may be slight, or it may cause a significant change in the proper exposure setting – for example if your potential image contains both bright highlights and dark shadows. So it is best to leave this Off. Exposure will be properly determined when the shot is taken, and thus will typically be correct. If you wish to lock exposure for any situation (such as for reframing, a challenging lighting situation, or for multiple consecutive shots) another button such as the AE-L/AF-L Button or Fn Button can be set to do this. More about this in the Exposure Lock section below. c2 – When you half press the Shutter Button, exposure metering begins. This setting will determine how long the camera continues to meter for the exposure. Leaving it on longer will drain the battery, but may be important or useful for how you work, especially if you are using Exposure Lock (more about this below). Setting it for 8 or 16 seconds or even more, 8s or 16s, will typically be more useful than the default 6 seconds. c3 – These are all self-timer settings. Use this to set the Self-timer delay between when you press the Shutter Button and when the shot is taken, the Number of shots taken each time with the self timer, and the time Interval between shots. Pretty much self-explanatory. c4 – Use this to set how long the LCD Monitor stays on during various operations. The default times are generally fine, though you may want to adjust the Playback and Image Review times to be slightly longer. Playback is when you press the Play Button to look at your images, while Image Review is the automatic display of an image immediately after it is taken. Remember that you set whether or not Image Review is turned on or off in the Playback Menu. c5 – If you are using the optional remote shutter release, you will need to set how long you want the camera to be on stand-by. Although shorter times will save battery life, 5 minutes will most likely prove to be a more reasonable time for setting up shots and working with the remote. Shooting/Display d1 – This is used to customize the beep volume and sound that the camera makes for various operations. You may prefer to leave this Off if you find the beeps unnecessary. d2 – This setting is to display grid lines in the viewfinder. These can be very helpful for keeping your framing and your horizons straight and level. However, note that it is not a “rule of thirds” grid, so make sure it doesn’t throw off your compositions. If you turn this on, you may find the viewfinder to look busy with information and distracting at first but you should soon see that your eye typically looks past the grid and is not distracted by it, but can make use of it when needed. You could also set the Preview Button to turn on and off the grid if you wish, using Custom Setting f4. d3 – This setting is used to choose if you want ISO or Frame Count displayed in the Viewfinder and Control Panel. It is often more important to be aware of your ISO setting than your Frame Count, especially if you are using larger capacity memory cards, so the Show ISO sensitivity options is recommended. Choose Show frame count if you prefer that to be shown. Note that if you turned on Easy exposure compensation in Custom Setting b3, do not turn on Easy ISO here – you can only use one or the other. If you prefer to directly change the ISO setting with a Command Dial rather than exposure compensation, then select Show ISO/Easy ISO here. Determine which setting you prefer, if either, to more quickly change while shooting. d4 – This setting is used to turn on warning displays in your viewfinder including if you are currently shooting in black and white, if the battery is low, and if there is no memory card inserted. These are important warnings and I suggest you leave them On. d5 – This is used to turn on or off “tool tips” – additional information about menu items. I recommend you leave this On since these tips are helpful if you have forgotten what a certain menu item or setting is. Press the Help Button to access these tips when you are in a menu. d6 – This is an extremely useful option for setting the frame rate – or frames per second (fps) – for when the camera is set on Continuous Low (CL) shooting mode. Since Continuous High (CH) shoots 6 fps, you may wish to select 3 fps or 4 fps for Low. See which rate best serves your shooting needs. d7 – This is to set the maximum number of shots taken in a continuous mode burst when you hold the Shutter Button down while set in Continuous Low (CL) or Continuous High (CH) shooting mode. You may as well leave it set at 100 unless you have some specific reason to lower it. Your camera settings, image quality settings, memory card speed, and the camera’s buffer capacity will typically prevent you from taking that many consecutive photos anyway. d8 – This option is used to set how the image files are named. On continues the file numbering from the last image taken even if you make a new folder, format the card or use a new card. Off resets the file numbering to 0001 if you perform any of those actions. Reset is like On, except it continues the numbering of the current folder or resets to 0001 if the current folder is empty. Unless you have a specific reason to change this it is best to leave this set for On so that you don’t start to create new images with the same file numbers as previous ones. If you did that, you could accidentally overwrite a previous image with a new one when you save them or transfer them on your computer or external hard drive. d9 – This is for setting the color of the information display on the rear LCD Monitor. In the default Auto the Monitor color will change from dark on light to light on dark depending on the lighting conditions you are in. If you wish this to always be one or the other and not change, set it accordingly. d10 – This is for setting the illuminating backlight of the top Control Panel. As a default it will turn on when you rotate the Power Switch to illuminate. However, if you want it on at all times when the camera is active, such as perhaps in a dark studio or night situation when you are working on a tripod, turn this On. d11 – This setting is for using the Exposure Delay Mode, which will delay shutter release for 1 second after you press the shutter. You do not want this on all the time, but there may be situations where you will want to use it, such as when you are handholding in low light and want to prevent camera shake when the picture is taken, or when you are working on a tripod and do not have the optional remote shutter release. d12 – This is for turning on or off the flash warning in the viewfinder, which will let you know that you will need to use the flash to obtain correct exposure. If you are not going to be using the flash and do not want to be distracted by this, turn it Off. d13 – This setting is only used if you are using the optional MB-D11 battery grip with AA batteries inserted in it. If so, you need to select which type of AA batteries you are using, to ensure optimal performance. d14 – This setting is also only used with the optional MB-D11 battery grip, and is for telling the camera which battery to use first – the one in the grip (MB-D11) or the one in the camera (camera). Bracketing/Flash e1 – This is for setting the Flash Sync Speed. Leave it on the default 1/250s unless you have a need for using the built-in flash at a faster shutter speed (1/320s), or wish to set it at a specific sync speed (1/250s-1/60s). Note that your flash range will decrease at faster shutter speeds. e2 – This is for setting the slowest shutter speed that is available to use when using a flash in P or A mode. Leave it at the default 1/60s or change it to 1/30s if your low light/ flash shooting needs require that and you are confident in your steady hand-holding abilities at that shutter speed. e3 – This setting is for selecting the mode of the built-in flash. Generally, leave it on TTL (through the lens) to let the flash automatically adjust itself to the lighting conditions. If you wish to exercise more control over the flash power, set to Manual and adjust the output yourself. Repeating is used for creating a strobe effect, and Commander Mode is for when you are using the built-in flash as a master to control a single or multiple off-camera flashes. In Commander Mode you can control optional flashes in up to two groups, and use this menu to set the modes and output of both the built-in and remote flashes. e4 – This is to turn On or Off a modeling flash which will be emitted by either the built-in flash or optional flashes when one of them is being used. Press the Depth-of-Field Preview button to activate the modeling flash. A modeling flash is a prolonged burst of light from the flash which emulates the lighting of the actual flash during exposure, so that you can preview how the flash lighting will look when used with your subject. e5 – Bracketing is when you take a series of images of the same subject using various exposure levels or various other settings such as white balance (WB). Typically this is to ensure, often in a critical or difficult lighting situation, that at least one of the images will have the proper exposure (or WB setting, etc.). For example, you take one image with what you or the camera believes to be the proper exposure, then one that is underexposed, and one that is overexposed. This Custom Setting is to select what settings are affected when you bracket (through use of the Bracket BKT Button). You can choose to bracket both exposure and flash (AE & Flash), exposure only (AE Only), Flash only (Flash Only), white balance (WB bracketing), or Active D-Lighting (ADL Bracketing). More on Auto Bracketing for Exposure below. e6 – This is to set the order in which the bracketed images are taken. You can take the metered exposure first followed by the underexposed and then the overexposed shot (MTR>Under>Over), or take the underexposed, then metered, then overexposed shot (Under>MTR>Over). This is a user preference. If you are bracketing in order to create high dynamic range images (HDR) set this to best suit your HDR software or processing workflow. Controls f1 – This is to set the function of the Power Switch when it is rotated to Illuminate. It can simply turn on the Control Panel backlight (LCD Backlight) or turn on this backlight plus display your current shooting information and settings on the rear LCD Monitor ([Bulb] and Information Display). Set this according to your preference and shooting needs. f2 – This sets the function of the OK Button during shooting: to Select center focus point, Highlight active focus point, or Not used. Since in the Focusing section you will learn to select your desired AF point at almost all times, I recommend that this remain set on the default Reset Select center focus point. f3 – This is to set the function of the Function or Fn Button. There are 20 different options (see page 230-231 of the User’s Manual), so choose the function that you most require quick access to for your shooting needs. Some of the more practical settings may be one of the exposure lock (AE lock) settings to be used in conjunction with the AE-L/AF-L Button being set to focus lock (see setting f5 below). I recommend AE lock (hold) – more about this below. This way you can lock exposure and focus independently of each other and independently of the Shutter Button. This is often necessary for advanced shooting. Exposure Lock and Locking Focus will be further discussed in the guide. f4 – This is to assign the function of the Depth-of-Field Preview Button. The options are the same as with the Function Button. You might wish to see what functions you are going into the menus to change often, after shooting a while, and then return to this to decide which function to assign to this button. Some of the most helpful ones may be BKT Bracking burst if you do a lot of bracketing or HDR shooting, Spot Metering so that you can quickly meter for a very precise area, or Viewfinder virtual horizon so that you can see in the viewfinder if your camera is level. Note that if you turned the Modeling Flash On with Custom Setting e4, the Depth-of-Field Preview Button will serve that function when you are using a flash, but only if you leave this button set at the default Preview and don’t change it to another function. f5 – This is to assign the function of the AE-L/AF-L Button. As I mentioned above, you may want to use this in conjunction with the Function or Fn Button and use one to lock exposure and the other to lock focus. In that case, you would typically set this to AF lock only to use this button to lock focus. More about Locking Focus below. f6 – This setting is to select the operation and function of the Command Dials. You can reverse their rotation, switch their functions for A, S, and M modes, select if the dial or the lens aperture ring selects the aperture (if you have an older lens with an aperture ring), and how the dials operate when reviewing images. In general you can leave these on the default settings unless you have a specific reason for changing them, such as you find it more intuitive to Reverse rotation or to swap the functions of the Main and Sub-Command Dials, Change main/sub. f7 – This is to choose whether or not you need to press and hold the various buttons down while you turn the Command Dials to change the settings, or if you can press and release the buttons and then immediately turn the dials to change the settings. If you find it awkward or difficult to press and hold the buttons while you turn the dials, select Yes. If you set it this way, press the button a second time to exit that setting, or else press the Shutter Button half-way. f8 – This very important setting prevents you from taking photos if there are no memory cards in the camera. Choose Release Locked. Please! You do not want to take 800 images of your niece's wedding and discover there was no memory card in the camera. Test to make sure you set it properly. f9 – This is to reverse the values of the Exposure Indicator in the viewfinder and on the information display. (See page 234 of the manual for illustration.) With the default setting positive (+) is on the left and negative (-) is on the right. If you find this as counter-intuitive as I do select the option with negative (-) on the left. f10 – This is to assign the function of the AE-L/AF-L Button on the optional MB-D11 battery grip. If you are using this battery pack, you should typically set this button the same way you set the camera’s AE-L/AF-L Button in Custom Setting f5 above, for consistency, though you may wish to use this additional button for quick access to another separate function. Setup Menu Format Memory Card You should use this to format a new memory card, and then use this to erase all the images on your memory card. You should do this every time you need to clear your card, rather than deleting the images one by one or using Erase All. Always manage your memory card in your camera, not on your computer. In other words, copy your photos from the memory card to your computer then return the card to your camera. Do not delete, add, or move images on the memory card while it is in the computer. These actions will make it more prone to data corruption. Save User Settings This allows you to register specific camera settings to the custom U1 and U2 positions on the Mode Dial. Use this to set up your camera with the standard settings you might use in a specific common situation, or with the settings you may wish to use quickly in an emergency shooting situation. Then, when you have no time to make changes to your settings, quickly rotate your Mode Dial to U1 or U2 and your camera will be at these settings and you will capture that once in a lifetime shot of Bono at the airport. To register the user settings you want, set your camera to the desired shooting settings: maybe A mode with your aperture on 4.0, ISO at 400, metering on Matrix, AF-S focus mode, center focus point selected, auto white balance, etc. Now register these settings to U1 or U2 using this menu item. Note that U1 and U2 modes also save your Shooting Menu settings and Custom Settings, so you can set up the camera for two very different types of shooting, say sports and studio photography, and then use these custom modes to quickly set your camera for that type of shooting. So be sure to configure all the Menus and Custom Settings before saving your User Settings for U1 and U2 modes. Reset User Settings Use this to reset the settings you registered for U1 and/ or U2. LCD Brightness Use this to adjust the brightness of your rear LCD Monitor. Increasing it a bit often looks better, but may drain the battery faster. Clean Image Sensor Leave this set at Cleanup at startup/shutdown so that the automatic sensor cleaning happens every time you turn your camera on or off. You can interrupt it when you turn the camera on by tapping the Shutter Button. Since the sensor cleaning works by shaking the low-pass filter in front of the sensor and collecting the dust that falls off on a tiny adhesive strip at the base of it, it is wise to hold or set the camera level and in the standard orientation as this happens. You can also use this menu item to perform this automatic sensor cleaning process at any other time. See below for manual sensor cleaning. Lock Mirror for Cleaning This is to lock up the mirror so that you can manually clean the sensor. See the Sensor Cleaning section of the text for more information. Video Mode Set for NTSC in North America, PAL in Europe and Australia. HDMI If you hook up your camera to a TV or other monitor via the HDMI output to view video or an image slideshow, use this to select the resolution of the TV or monitor, or leave it on Auto and let the camera determine the setting. Leave Device Control set to On and you can use your TV remote to control the playback or slideshow. Flicker Reduction If you are shooting video or using Live View under fluorescent or mercury-vapor lighting, the camera’s rear LCD Monitor may flicker or show banding. If this occurs, change this setting to a different frequency that gives you better results. Time Zone and Date Pretty self-explanatory. Language Set to your language – pretty self-explanatory. Image Comment You can use this to add a comment to a photo or to all subsequent photos. The comment will be visible in the metadata of the image when viewed in Nikon’s ViewNX 2 software or optional Capture NX 2 software. Auto Image Rotation Turn this On so that your images are automatically rotated during playback in your camera and in image processing software. Unless you have a specific reason for not turning this on, it will save you considerable time during processing. Image Dust Off Reference Photo This is used to collect reference data that can be used in post-processing with the optional Capture NX 2 software to automatically eliminate dust spots from images. It is better to actually eliminate the dust spots with automatic or manual sensor cleaning. Battery Info You can use this to view information about the battery that is inserted in your camera, including its level of charge, the number of times the shutter has been released since its last charge, and its age and performance. This may be most useful when using multiple batteries with the optional battery grip, or to learn if a battery is reaching the end of its productive life. Wireless Transmitter If you have the optional WT-4 wireless transmitter, this menu item is used to control its operation. The transmitter can be used to wirelessly transfer photos to a computer, server, or printer, or to control the camera via a computer and optional software. Copyright Information Enter your info and it will now be part of your images' metadata. Save/ Load Settings This handy menu item can be used to save all of these settings you have just modified onto a memory card. If you somehow changed or lost these settings, you can re-load them again from the card. Perhaps save the settings to a small (1 GB or less) SD memory card that you happen to still have from an older camera, and safely store it in your camera bag. GPS If you have the optional GP-1 GPS unit, use this menu item to configure some options and to view your GPS position. Virtual Horizon This is to view the virtual horizon, or camera level, on your rear LCD Monitor. Perhaps add this item to My Menu (see below) for quick access if you use it often. Non-CPU Lens Data If you are using non-CPU lenses (lenses without a specific type of contacts, which don’t communicate with the camera) you can use this to enter in information about each of these lenses and thus acquire access to some additional lens functions through the camera. You must assign the non-CPU lens function to the Function Button or Preview Button in order to later recall this lens data when using your non-CPU lenses (see Custom Settings f3 and f4). AF Fine Tune This is to adjust the focus of up to 12 different lenses for back focus or front focus issues. Due to quality control issues, acceptable tolerances, or more rarely but not unheard of bad cameras, your camera and/or lens may focus a few millimeters or more in front of or behind the exact distance you focused on. If your camera happens to be a bit on the plus side and your lens a bit on the minus side you may have some issues. It is best to first determine if the camera or the lens is the culprit, by testing the lens on another body or the body with another lens, but it may well be a combination of both since each lens and camera is uniquely faulty. See this great post, “This Lens is Soft and Other Myths” on LensRentals.com for more info on this. If you wish to undertake this type of calibration, look online for the complete process. It is time consuming and sometimes frustrating, and often not worth the effort. Part of the problem is that you may calibrate your center focus point to be exact in controlled conditions, but this doesn’t take into account the use of all the other focus points or real world shooting conditions. Eye-Fi Upload This option is available when using an Eye-Fi memory card and will enable you to wirelessly transmit your photos from the card to a computer or other storage device. Firmware Version Be sure to go to the D7000 product page of the Nikon website to update your firmware. Look under Resources in the Support tab: http://www.nikonusa.com/Nikon-Products/Product/Digital-SLR-Cameras/25468/D7000.html#tab-ProductDetail.ProductTabs.Support At time of publication, there is one firmware update, 1.01, which fixes a bright pixel issue in Live View and movie recording. Check back to the Nikon site occasionally to see if further firmware updates have been released. To test for bright pixels, record a minute long movie with no lens on the camera but just the body cap. Then view the movie full screen on your computer. You should see a black screen and you may see red or blue pixels that stay in one place. Like the AF Fine Tune, bright pixels can be frustrating, but may not really ever be noticeable among the 16,199,999 other working pixels of your images.

My Menu

Use this to create your own custom menu with some of the settings you use most often. You can add items from most all of the Menus and Custom Settings Menus. Determine what settings you are digging into the menus to look for and change most often, and put them in My Menu, such as maybe Format and White Balance (for more WB options and fine-tuning). I recommend you include Format since you should re-format your memory card each time you are ready to clear off that card, and not just Erase All. However, put Format lower down in My Menu so that you don't have a tragic memory card accident. Note that several of the menu settings discussed above can be more quickly accessed by pressing the Info Button two times and using the real LCD Monitor. These include Movie Quality, High ISO Noise Reduction, Active D-Lighting, Picture Controls, and the assignments of the Fn Button and AE-L/AF-L Button. Have a look at page 12 of the manual to see all the available settings.

CAMERA OPERATION

Now that you have everything set up, you can finally start taking some photos! Since the camera is a tool to take the images you want to take, you shouldn’t allow the camera to make decisions for you. You have to take control of the camera to ensure that you capture exactly the image you intend – by focusing where you want, setting the aperture or shutter speed that you want, and obtaining the exposure you want. While the Nikon D7000 is an intelligent camera, it cannot read your mind and does not know that you wish to focus on the girl on the left side of the park bench, while making the bicycle behind the bench appear out of focus, and the girl to be caught in mid laugh with her arms in the air and not be a blur, on this bright, sunny day. You have to tell the camera to do all of this, through the various controls and settings, such as the autofocus AF Point (focus on the girl) the Aperture setting (the out-of-focus bicycle), the Shutter Speed (freezing the motion of the girl), the ISO (bright day) and the White Balance (sunny day). One has to think about all this stuff for every photo? Well, yes, that is what advanced digital SLR photography is all about. At least if you wish to consistently create the dramatic and compelling images you envision. That is why the D7000 has all these controls for you to make use of, right there at your fingertips. You’re not in the realm of point-and-shoots and entry-level dSLRs anymore!

JPEG vs. NEF (RAW)

As I said in the Menus section above, you are putting a lot of effort into taking your images, so you should make sure the files are of the best possible quality. I recommend that you use either the highest quality and largest size JPEG setting if you shoot JPEG, or the highest quality, largest bit-depth NEF (RAW) setting with the least compression if you shoot RAW, or both combined if you need both types of files. (NEF is the file extension used by Nikon for images in the RAW file format. I will typically use the term “RAW” when discussing the “NEF (RAW)” format.) JPEG Saving an image as a JPEG image file means that the camera takes the information that hits the sensor and processes it with all the settings that you ask the camera to use. If you have the White Balance set on Cloudy, it processes the image to include that information. If you have the Picture Control set to Vivid, it processes the image to include that information. All of those settings are now locked into and saved in your JPEG image file, and cannot be changed later. So if your combination of settings resulted in an image with very high contrast and bright but reddish colors, that is what your JPEG image will look like. The camera discarded some or much of the original information that hit the sensor when it processed and saved that JPEG, and that information is lost forever. For example, if the Picture Control you chose was one that included a high level of contrast, those subtle gradations of skin tones from light to dark were discarded during the processing and are gone, forever. And if you underexposed the image by minus 1½, you can try to adjust that in Photoshop, but there will be a noticeable or significant loss of image quality in the adjusted image. JPEG files are also compressed which makes them smaller in size but as a result some image information and a little bit of image quality is lost. Now JPEG is not a terrible thing. I am using extreme examples in order to better explain how it works. If you carefully select a Picture Control, and if the Auto White Balance does its job or you select the White Balance yourself to match the lighting conditions, and your exposure was correct, then the JPEG will look great. The problem is that you will have less leeway later if you adjust the image in Photoshop, especially if your settings or exposure were off. The JPEG files are so much smaller in size than RAW files because there is less information in them and they are compressed. But if you are not going to be processing your images in Photoshop, then you will need to save your images as JPEG files. Choose your image settings like White Balance carefully and select and adjust a Picture Control to create the look you want – the contrast, color, sharpness, etc. You should experiment with the different settings and find what gives you the image appearance that you desire. See the Picture Controls section for more information. NEF (RAW) NEF (RAW) is a format that captures the raw data that hits the camera sensor, without processing the image in the camera (well, it does a little bit of processing). It saves a large file with nearly all the original information and uses lossless compression that reduces the file size but does not affect the image quality (or uses compression that reduces the file size to a greater extent but results in very minimal loss of image quality if you select Compressed in the Image Quality menu). Even if you have your camera set to Fluorescent White Balance, it does not lock that into the file. It will “apply” those settings to the image you see on your rear LCD Monitor, but all the original information is still there in the RAW image file, and you can change it to Cloudy White Balance later without any loss of image information or quality. RAW is such a powerful file format because it contains so much information that you can even dramatically adjust the exposure of the image later. If you underexposed the shot by minus 1½, you can fix that in post processing with little-to-no loss of image quality. You will need a program like Adobe Camera Raw, Adobe Lightroom, Apple Aperture, or Capture NX 2 to view and process RAW files, or you can use the ViewNX 2 program that comes with the camera. ViewNX 2 is good for demonstrating and starting to see what you can do with a RAW file, but it is much less sophisticated than the other programs. File Sizes and Maximum Burst Rate An additional important consideration with file format choice – JPEG or NEF (RAW) – is the size of the files and the maximum burst rate when using Continuous Low or Continuous High Speed Shooting Modes. Using JPEG format, the image files are going to be around 7 or 8 MB, which will allow for a lot more images on your 8 GB or 16 GB memory card. And the time you spend transferring them plus the space you need to store them on your computer and external hard drives will be much less. (You are going to be storing backups in two or three separate places, right?) The highest quality and least compressed RAW image files will be up to about 20 MB in size. That’s pretty big. They take a lot of time to transfer to your computer and take up a lot of space on your hard drives. You will have to invest more in external hard drives to store your ever-growing image collection. Regarding maximum burst rate, a large high quality JPEG file will allow a rate of 31 continuous images, while RAW will allow only 10 before the buffer fills up and the camera has to stop briefly to process them. Now keep in mind, 10 images in a row may be more than enough to suit your needs. But if not, you may need to use JPEG or lower quality RAW (Compressed and/ or 12-bit) in certain situations. Remember, though, that the quality of the lesser-quality RAW images is relative. Depending on your images needs, uses, and output (printing, screen viewing, etc.) it may be quite difficult for you to see the difference between a lossless 14-bit NEF file, a compressed 12-bit NEF file, and perhaps even a Large JPEG Fine file. Capturing and saving both NEF(RAW)+JPEG may seem like a convenient option so that you have the RAW files to post-process but JPEG files for immediate use. But remember that you will need memory card and hard drive space to store all of these files, and it will slow your maximum burst rate down considerably (7 consecutive photos or less).

Focusing

Using Autofocus

One of the essential steps in taking a successful photo is controlling where the camera focuses. If you allow the camera to autofocus by choosing its own Focus Point(s), it typically focuses on the closest object. This may or may not be what you want to focus on. So you should choose where the camera focuses using the autofocus Focus Points to select a specific AF point or area. This does not mean you have to manually focus the camera, it means you tell the camera exactly where to autofocus. Select the autofocus Focus Point, (AF point), using the Multi Selector. Since you set Custom Setting f2 to Reset Select center focus point, you can use the center OK Button to select the center AF point. Note: I use the term “recompose” throughout the text. By this I mean moving the camera after you have set and locked the focus or exposure but before you click the shutter and take the picture. This means that what you see in the viewfinder changes from when you do those first actions to when you take the picture – You have recomposed the view you see in the viewfinder. To see how autofocus point selection works, set the Focus Mode Selector switch, near the base of the lens, to AF. Make sure the focus mode on your lens is also set at AF. (If it ever seems that your camera or lens is not autofocusing, be sure to check these two switches.) Press the AF Mode Button inside that switch and set the Autofocus Mode to AF-S (Single-servo AF) using the Main Command Dial and set the AF-Area Mode to Single-Point AF using the Sub-Command Dial. Ensure that the Focus Selector Lock switch below the Multi Selector is not set to L (Lock).

Set the Mode Dial to P (Program).
Tap the Shutter Button with a half-press to wake up the camera and start the exposure meter.
Looking through the viewfinder, use the Multi Selector to select the focus point that is nearest to where you want to focus.
Place that point over your intended subject.
Press and hold the Shutter Button halfway down and see that point blink red. The In-Focus Indicator should light up in your viewfinder. You have locked the focus.
Keeping the Shutter Button pressed halfway, recompose if necessary, and take the shot by fully pressing the Shutter Button.

There are reasons to use the outer focus points and not just the center one all the time, which will be discussed later. It may sound difficult to select the Focus Point each time, but it is actually very quickly done and will become instinctive. You may even start to set your Focus Point as you approach a scene before even bringing your camera to your eye. But if you wish, you can start by always using the center point and recomposing before taking the shot. If the In-Focus Indicator does not light up and the camera does not take the photo, the camera may not be finding something to focus on or you may be too close to your subject for the lens to focus. Autofocus works by looking for contrast, so try focusing on a detail with a strong line or strong contrast between light and dark. It may not be able to focus on a large area of consistent color or a subject that is too dark. It can be disrupted by regular patterns or confused when looking through close objects to objects farther away, such as looking through a fence. When photographing people, always try to focus somewhere on the face, ideally on the eyes or eyebrows.

Autofocus Modes

The D7000 has three different Autofocus Modes to choose from, typically depending if your subject is still or moving. It also has four different Autofocus Area Modes (see below) to specify how many of the AF points are active and how they track a moving object. You can set these two functions in various combinations. First the Autofocus Modes: Single-Servo AF (AF-S) Use this mode when your subject is stationary, or still and not going to move, or if your subject is not going to move very much, or if the distance between you and the subject is not going to change between the time you lock focus, recompose, and take the shot. Lock focus on the subject and recompose if necessary. When using AF-S, you can select from two Autofocus Area Modes, either Single-Point AF where you select the AF point, or Auto-Area AF, where the camera selects the AF point(s) for you. I suggest you nearly always select your own desired AF point. Continuous-Servo AF (AF-C) Use this mode when your subject is moving. If the subject is moving towards you or away from you, the camera will keep evaluating the focus distance, as long as the Shutter Button is kept half-pressed. You will need to use this in conjunction with the Autofocus Area Modes to determine if and how the camera tracks the subject laterally and/ or spatially to the surrounding AF points, or if it will only track the subject if it remains at the initially selected AF point. If the subject is going to be moving across your field of view, set the AF-Area Mode to one of the Dynamic-Area AF modes or to the 3D-Tracking mode. Focus on the moving subject with the selected point if using Single-Point, 9-Point, or 21-Point Dynamic Area Mode, or let the camera select the AF point in the other modes, and then as long as the Shutter Button remains half-pressed the camera will track the subject to the other focus points if it moves to them and as it moves closer or farther in distance. Auto-Servo AF (AF-A) This mode is a hybrid of the two other focus modes. It starts in Single-Servo AF (AF-S) mode then changes to Continuous-Servo AF (AF-C) mode if your subject starts moving. Why shouldn’t you use this all the time, then? Well, if you are focusing and then recomposing, as you may often be doing, your movement of the camera may fool it into thinking that the subject is moving and your resulting focus may not be where you want it to be, or may not be as accurate as it might be if you are using Single-Servo AF. Manual Focus Sometimes you may be taking several photos of the same subject from the same distance, or for some other reason want to keep the same focus distance and not have to keep re-focusing and re-composing. Or you may be taking multiple photos for a panorama. In these situations, turn off the auto-focus on your lens by switching from AF to M with the camera’s Focus Mode Selector switch and with the AF/M switch on the lens itself. Just remember to switch them back when you are finished. You may also wish to do this if you want to precisely manually focus with the focus ring on your lens. For lenses with “full time manual focus” however, you don’t need to switch to M in order to manually override the autofocus with the lens focus ring.

Autofocus Area Modes

The Autofocus Area Modes are used to set if just a single AF point is active or else how many AF points surrounding your selected AF point will be used to track a moving subject if you are using AF-C or AF-A Autofocus Modes. Single-Point AF Only one AF point will be active, and surrounding AF points will not become active to track a subject that moves away from the one selected point. This is typically used along with Single-Servo AF (AF-S) to focus on a stationary or still subject, or in a situation where you will be reframing the shot after you lock focus at a specific distance. It can also be used with accuracy with AF-S mode for moving subjects if you take the photo quickly or if you recompose and take the shot quickly after locking in focus, especially if the camera-to-subject distance does not change at all or very much in that period between locking focus and taking the photo. Use the Multi Selector to choose your active AF point as you look through the viewfinder and use the OK Button to quickly select the center AF point. Also, remember that Custom Setting a6 allowed you to choose between having all 39 AF points available or to limit the camera to 11 AF points. If you are just starting out with manually selecting a single Focus Point, you may wish to limit them to 11 now, and when you get the hang of it or when you are using one of the other AF Area Modes described below, increase it to 39 to take full advantage of all the AF points of the D7000 autofocus system. If you choose Single-Point AF with Continuous-Servo AF (AF-C) or Auto-Servo AF (AF-A) for tracking moving subjects, it will only track the subject as long as it is positioned at the selected AF point, and it will not be tracked laterally to the other, surrounding points. In other words, the single AF point you select will track a subject if it moves closer or farther away, but the AF system will not track the subject if it moves left, right, up, or down and away from your selected AF point. To do this, you use Dynamic-Area AF Mode. Dynamic-Area AF With the Dynamic-Area AF Modes, you select an AF point and if your moving subject moves away from that point to a neighboring point, the camera will track it and continue to focus on it. Select one of these options when you are tracking and photographing moving subjects using Continuous-Servo AF (AF-C) or Auto-Servo AF (AF-A). 9-Point Dynamic-Area AF will track a subject to the immediate surrounding points and can be used with predictably moving subjects, like a runner moving in a specified direction. 21-Point Dynamic-Area AF will track a subject to a larger surrounding area, and should be used for more unpredictably moving objects, like sports players on a field. 39-Point Dynamic-Area AF will track your subject to any of the other AF points, and should be used for very quick and unpredictably moving subjects, like birds or other wildlife. 3D-Tracking This mode is used for subjects moving erratically from side-to-side in the frame, and are tracked by areas of color. You may select this option when you are tracking and photographing moving subjects using Continuous-Servo AF (AF-C) or Auto-Servo AF (AF-A). Again, you choose the initial AF point to locate the subject and begin the tracking. If the area of color you wish to track is too small or if it blends into the background, this mode might not be very effective. Auto-Area AF The camera uses all 39 AF points to detect what it thinks is the subject and automatically choose the appropriate AF point(s). Typically, the camera will select the nearest subject or a human in the frame, so it may not focus on exactly what you wish to focus on. That is why it is best to use one of the other modes and select the AF point yourself. Checking Focus: You can review your images on the rear LCD Monitor of your D7000 to try to determine if they are in focus, especially by zooming in as close as possible. But be aware that this screen has less than one million dots or pixels, while your actual image has about 16 million pixels. That means that many images will appear to be in proper focus on your LCD screen, but you might discover that the actual images are not really as clearly in focus.

Locking Focus

As I began to discuss in the Custom Settings section you can lock the focus, independent of locking the exposure, in various ways. In AF-S Autofocus Mode, press and hold the Shutter Button half-way to lock focus at the current distance determined by the active AF point. As long as you continue to hold the Shutter Button half-pressed, the focus distance will not change even if your subject moves or you recompose the shot. However, in AF-C and AF-A Autofocus modes, this will not work because holding the Shutter Button at half-press tells the camera to continuously track the subject as it moves nearer and farther from the camera. So you will need to use another button to lock focus if you desire. Plus even in AF-S Mode, there are many times where you might want to more easily lock focus for a series of shots without having to hold the Shutter Button half-way down throughout the series. This is a more advanced shooting method that may also be used in conjunction with Exposure Lock, AE-L (more on that later). To take advantage of this, use Custom Settings f3 and f5 to set the Function (Fn) Button to AE Lock (Hold) (Auto Exposure Lock) and the AE-L/AF-L Button to AF Lock Only (Autofocus Lock). The Fn Button is set to the (Hold) option so that you can press it but not have to physically hold it (the camera does the holding) because it will be quite difficult for your fingers to hold both buttons simultaneously while pressing the Shutter Button. With the Autofocus Mode still set to AF-S (Single-servo AF) and the AF-Area Mode still set to Single-Point AF:

Set the Mode Dial to P (Program).
Tap the Shutter Button halfway to wake up the camera and start the metering.
Looking through the viewfinder, select your AF Point using the Multi Selector and place it over your subject.
Press the Shutter Button halfway to focus on your subject.
As you are holding the Shutter Button half-pressed, press and hold the AE-L/AF-L Button. Focus is locked at this distance no matter where you aim the camera, or if you take your finger off the Shutter Button, or if you again press the Shutter Button halfway or fully, as long as you hold down this AE-L/AF-L Button.
(optional) Move the camera around a bit while looking through the viewfinder and you will see that the exposure numbers keep changing (aperture and/ or shutter speed). Frame your shot to the desired final framing and press and release the Fn Button to lock exposure. Now if you move the camera around, you will see that the exposure numbers don’t change.
Compose your photo as desired and press the Shutter Button fully, while your thumb is still holding the AE-L/AF-L Button. If you have not locked exposure, proper exposure is determined when you take the photo

Remember to review the Custom Settings dealing with autofocus now that you better understand what all the various options mean, and you will better know how you may wish to modify them.

Release Modes

This controls the number of shots taken when you press and hold down the Shutter Button, or else sets the camera for the Self-Timer, Remote, or Mirror-up shutter release options. It can also be considered the “drive mode” if you are used to that terminology. This is set with the Release-Mode Dial located under the Mode Dial. Single frame will take just one shot even if you keep holding it down. Use this, obviously, when you only wish to take single shots and when you are using the internal or an external flash, because the flash needs a brief time to recharge between shots. Continuous Low speed will keep taking photos as you hold down the Shutter Button, approximately 1 to 5 frames per second (fps) depending on how you set Custom Setting d6. Use this for action situations when you want to capture a series of shots, the exact right moment or the peak of action, when a subject’s expression may be changing from moment to moment, or when capturing subjects or animals in motion. Continuous High speed will keep taking photos as you hold down the Shutter Button, approximately 6 fps. Use this as above, but when you want even more shots in a short time frame. Note that if you are working with slow shutter speeds or using a flash, or if your memory buffer is already full from a previous burst, the camera may not take photos at this rate. Also note that if you often use this rate, you will quickly accumulate a large number of photos that you will need to transfer, save, view, and edit, and thus has a real cost in terms of time and storage. Quiet Shutter Release is useful for situations when you wish to minimize the sound of the shutter release. The camera will take one shot, as with Single frame release, but if you continue to hold the Shutter Button down, the mirror will not flip back into place. This allows you to lower your camera or put it under your coat when you release the button and thus muffle the sound of the mirror return. If you have the camera beep turned on in Custom Setting d1, the beeps will not sound. Self-timer is used for self-portraits or in situations where you wish to delay the shutter release by 10 seconds after you press the Shutter Button in order to minimize possible camera shake and potential blurring of the image. For example, this could be used when you are taking still life shots or landscape shots and working on a tripod. Note that you need to press the Shutter Button half-way first to focus, and then all the way to start the timer. But remember that for the camera shake situations you can instead use Custom Setting d11, Exposure Delay Mode, for a 1 second delay between pressing the Shutter Button and the shutter release. Remote control setting is used with the optional ML-L3 wireless remote control. It can be used in similar situations as the self-timer for self-portraits or to minimize camera shake. There are three different options for the timing of the shutter release, which are set it the Shooting Menu. Delayed remote will release the shutter 2 seconds after pressing the remote button, Quick-response remote will release the shutter immediately, and Remote mirror-up will raise the mirror with the first press and release the shutter with the second press. This helps to prevent camera shake and possible blurring. Mirror up (MUP) mode is like the Remote mirror-up just described except that it is controlled with the Shutter Button on the camera itself. The first press of the Shutter Button will raise the mirror and the second press will release the shutter. Again, this helps to prevent camera shake and possible blurring, such as when working on a tripod for still-life, landscape, or macro shots.

Exposure

To consistently make successful images you need a basic understanding of what is sometimes called the “exposure triangle,” which is the function of and relationship between the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO settings. While you may find this subject to be confusing, intimidating, and sometimes counter-intuitive, it lies at the core of dSLR camera use and image making, so it is essential that you understand it. I will briefly explain all of this, but an in-depth discussion is not within the scope of this guide to the D7000. However it is important to know in order to understand much of the following content, so if you don’t fully understand the “exposure triangle,” read a book such as Bryan Peterson’s Understanding Exposure immediately.

Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO

Exposure is controlled by three settings, which determine the amount of light hitting the sensor, the time that the sensor is exposed to the light, and the sensitivity of the sensor. An optimally exposed image is obtained when all of these settings are harmoniously set based on the lighting of the scene and the desired results. Since all three settings work together, they can be changed in a specific situation (one can be raised and another lowered) and a “properly” exposed image (one that is not overexposed or underexposed) can still be taken. But the resulting images may be dramatically different. For example you can take two very different yet properly exposed photos of a runner moving across your frame. In one shot the runner is frozen in space and in the other shot the runner is a blurred streak of color. Or you can take two properly exposed yet very different looking portraits of a subject. In one shot the subject and the trees behind them are all in focus and in another the subject is in sharp focus but the trees behind them are softly out of focus. The differences depend on which shutter speed or which aperture setting you or the camera chooses. Aperture is the opening in the lens that controls the amount of light hitting the sensor. You can control the size of this opening in Aperture-Priority Auto mode (A), and in Manual mode (M). A large opening lets in a lot of light and a small opening lets in a little light. Shutter Speed is the amount of time that the shutter, which is the curtain in front of the sensor, is open. If it is open a long time, a lot of light hits the sensor and if it is open a short time less light hits the sensor. You can control the shutter speed in Shutter-Priority Auto mode (S), and in Manual mode (M). ISO is the sensitivity of the sensor, its ability to grab the light that lands on it. A low ISO setting is not very sensitive to light and does not grab much (relatively), and a high ISO is very sensitive to light and grabs all it can. ISO is considered the digital equivalent of film speed. As you can see, they all relate to the light hitting the sensor. For a proper exposure, one that isn’t too light or too dark, the right amount of light needs to hit the sensor and it needs to be at the right sensitivity to accept that light. So, for example, a small opening (aperture) will need more time (shutter speed) to let in the necessary amount of light based on the current sensitivity of the sensor (ISO). All three work together to control and accept the amount of light that hits the sensor. In Auto Mode, the camera chooses what it thinks is the best combination of these three settings and creates a proper exposure. But it doesn’t know your image intentions and thus it may not select the aperture and shutter speed settings that you desire. Aperture also controls the depth of field, which is the distance range that objects will be rendered acceptably sharp. A deep depth of field means that everything from a few feet in front of you to very, very far away is all in focus. This is often desirable in photos of landscapes. A shallow depth of field is when perhaps just a few feet or even just inches of the scene are in focus, for example a portrait where the subject’s head is in focus but the background behind them is blurry. In photos with very dramatic shallow depth of field, sometimes the subject’s eyes and nose are in focus but their ears, hair, and everything beyond is blurry. Shutter Speed controls your ability to freeze a moving subject or to let it become a blur across your frame. A fast shutter speed will freeze the action and a slow shutter speed will cause any motion to become a blur. ISO doesn’t really do anything fun. High ISO settings just cause the image to have more digital noise, which you typically want to avoid. The D7000 should have an acceptable amount of noise up to 1600 ISO and possibly very useable images at 3200 ISO. You typically want to use the lowest ISO possible for the situation, but you will need to change it to allow for the aperture setting or shutter speed that you wish to use.

Aperture-Priority Auto Mode (A) and Shutter-Priority Auto Mode (S)

Aperture-Priority Auto Mode - A: Many photographers work the majority of the time with their camera set in Aperture-Priority Auto Mode (A) so that they have full control of the depth of field (dof) of their images. As will be discussed more in the Composition section, depth of field is one of the most powerful composition tools available to photographers. Apertures are identified by numbers such as f/5.6 or f/16. In the viewfinder of your camera and on the top LCD Panel you will just see the number like 5.6 or 16. On the LCD Monitor you may see F5.6 or F16. These numbers often confuse people because a seemingly “small” aperture number like f/2.8 is a large aperture opening, and a seemingly “large” aperture number like f/22 is a small aperture opening. But because they are fractions, f/2.8 really is larger than f/22. 1/3 of a pie is larger than 1/22 of a pie, right? So I will say large aperture size to mean a large opening (maybe f/2.8 or f/4) and small aperture size to mean a small opening (maybe f/16 or f/22). A large aperture size will create shallow depth of field, which will make the background blurry, and generally creates a more dramatic or interesting photo. Use A mode most of the time, to control the range of your dof and the amount of background blur. Shutter-Priority Auto Mode - S: To control the shutter speed you need to use Shutter-Priority Auto Mode (S). Shutter speeds are identified by time in seconds or most often fractions of a second. A slow shutter speed is something like 1/2 or 1/30, while a fast shutter speed is 1/500, 1/1000, or 1/2000. In order to take a photo that does not have blur caused by camera or subject movement when hand-holding, the camera needs to be set at an appropriate shutter speed. Generally for still subjects this is 1/60 or faster, like 1/125 or 1/250. A good rule of thumb is to use a shutter speed 1/60 or faster that is at least as fast as the reciprocal of your lens focal length. So if you are using a 200mm lens, your shutter speed needs to be 1/200 or faster – for still subjects. You can cheat a little if your lens has VR (vibration reduction or image stabilization) and use a slightly slower shutter speed than the situation calls for. (Note that VR will stabilize and help to prevent blur for the still aspects of the image, not for a moving subject. A fast shutter speed will prevent blur of a moving subject.) For moving subjects you need to increase the shutter speed, maybe 1/500 or 1/1000 or faster but this varies by subject speed and distance from the camera. Use a slow shutter speed such as 1/30 to intentionally create blur – either pan with the subject or hold the camera very still or on a tripod as the subject moves across the frame. Use S mode when shutter speed is critical and takes priority over dof, such as photographing fast action you wish to freeze or when you want to purposely create blur with a slow shutter speed, or when working in low light and you wish to make sure the shutter speed is not too slow for obtaining a sharp image while hand-holding the camera. ISO: As a rule of thumb you can start off with the following settings, and then check your aperture and shutter speed to confirm they are in the range you wish. Through experience you will get a better, instinctive feel for which ISO to use in which situation. ISO Settings to start with: Sunny day: 100 – 200 ISO Cloudy day or in the shade: 400 – 800 ISO Evening or indoors without flash: 800 – 3200 ISO In A mode you are selecting the aperture and the camera is selecting the appropriate shutter speed to create the proper exposure. Since you are not controlling the shutter speed in A mode, you need to keep your eye on the shutter speed that the camera is selecting (in the viewfinder or on the top LCD Panel or back LCD Monitor) and make sure that it is, typically, at least 1/125 or faster, depending on your lens and subject motion. If the shutter speed the camera selects is slower than you desire, you have to increase the ISO and then the shutter speed that the camera chooses will increase, because you have in effect made the sensor more sensitive to the light. In S mode you are selecting the shutter speed and the camera is selecting the appropriate aperture to create the proper exposure. Since you are not controlling the aperture in S mode, you need to observe what aperture the camera is choosing. If you desire a smaller aperture size raise the ISO and the aperture that the camera selects will be smaller in size.

Full Stops

As a brief aside, if you recall from above some of the Custom Settings involved full stops, 1/2 stops and 1/3 stops. Books about exposure will also talk about stops. That was probably the point where your head started to hurt and you put down the book. And you will hear about stops when using flash or even certain filters like neutral density or polarizing filters. Photographers always want you to know about stops and exposure values (EV) because it is sometimes complicated, hard earned knowledge that they had to learn and they want you to suffer too. In the days of film cameras, photographers easily learned what the full stops were because they were listed on dials on their camera or on the aperture ring on their lens. Now we just see numbers on the screen or in the viewfinder, and users may not know which ones are the traditional full stops and which are the 1/2 stops or 1/3 stops. So below are the traditional full stops for apertures, shutter speeds, and ISO. Apertures: f/1.4 f/2 f/2.8 f/4 f/5.6 f/8 f/11 f/16 f/22 f/32 Shutter Speeds, in seconds: 1/1000 1/500 1/250 1/125 1/60 1/30 1/15 1/8 1/4 1/2 1 ISO: 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400, 12800 A full stop difference means the amount of light that reaches the sensor is either doubled or halved. For example, if your aperture is set to f/5.6, changing it to f/4 will double the amount of light reaching the sensor, and changing it from f/5.6 to f/8 will halve the amount of light that hits the sensor. The area of the aperture opening was doubled or halved. Since the area of an aperture opening is nearly circular, doubling or halving that area involves an equation with Pi, thus resulting in the seemingly random steps from f/2.8 to f/4 to f/5.6, etc. With shutter speeds, changing from, say, 1/125 to 1/250 halves the amount of light, and 1/125 to 1/60 doubles the amount of light hitting the sensor. The time that the shutter was open was doubled or halved. With ISO settings, changing from, say, 400 to 800 doubles the sensitivity, and going from 400 to 200 halves it. The reality is you don’t need to know all this math to take a successful photo. When you have your camera set on A or S, it figures much of this stuff out for you. You will inevitably learn more about it through experience and as you follow up on why your camera did a certain something or why an image looks as it does when you used certain settings. But you don’t need to know how a watch works to tell time, and you don’t need to immerse yourself in exposure values to start out with a digital SLR. So while some of this other stuff might be complicated, I will try to avoid stops and EV so as not to make it even worse.

Manual Exposure Mode (M)

Many people seem to believe that the epitome of camera skill is demonstrated by the use of Manual Exposure Mode (M). Old-school photographers might scoff at those who need to rely on fancy exposure metering systems and nostalgically brag about how they can approach a scene, read the light, and set their exposure manually. But the truth is, digital photography just isn’t done like that. There is no need to turn yourself into a human light meter and spend years honing your ability to detect subtle changes in lighting levels. Aperture-Priority Auto Mode and Shutter-Priority Auto Mode are perfectly acceptable and common ways to use your camera and its intelligent built-in exposure metering system that Nikon spent years developing. But there are times you may wish to use Manual Exposure Mode. For example, if you are taking several photos to stitch together into a panorama, you want them all to be taken with the same exposure so that the lighting is consistent across the entire scene. Or if you are working in a studio setting and the lighting will remain consistent, you can set the exposure once and then not worry about it. Or in any other situation where the lighting or your desired exposure will remain consistent such as an indoor performance or sunny day portrait session where the lighting does not change. To determine the exposure settings, first meter the scene with your metering mode of choice (you will learn about Metering Modes immediately below) by setting your camera on A or S and selecting the aperture or shutter speed you desire (depending on which mode you are in: A – select aperture; S – select shutter speed). Look through the viewfinder at your scene, half-press the shutter button to start the camera’s metering, and make note of the aperture and shutter speed in the viewfinder. Then set your Mode Dial on M, and dial in those settings using the Command Dials. Focus and take the picture. The Exposure Indicator in the viewfinder will indicate if the scene will be properly exposed, underexposed, or overexposed. You can adjust the aperture or shutter speed to bring this level to 0.

Metering Modes

It is one thing to know that your new Nikon D7000 provides you with three different and customizable metering modes to choose from. It’s another thing to know how they differ, how and why to customize them, and when and how to actually use them in real life photo situations. The 2016-pixel RGB metering system of the D7000 is an excellent improvement over the metering system of the D90, and Matrix Metering Mode can be counted on to determine the proper exposure for your images nearly all of the time. But there are situations you may want or need to use the other modes.

Matrix Metering

This is the default mode for your camera, and it can be used for almost every situation you shoot. Maybe 90% of the time, maybe more. The camera evaluates the entire scene – the tones, color, composition, and even subject distance – and chooses the best exposure based on its algorithms and database of thousands of images. The metering system is so good it can even be relied on for backlit or other challenging lighting situations. An important feature of this mode is that the Nikon D7000 takes into account the selected or active focus point in its determination of exposure settings. It assumes the active focus point is on your most important subject, so under challenging and critical situations, it is wise to confirm that the camera has chosen the focus point you want (well, this is always wise). Even better, as was previously discussed, you should manually choose the focus point. So in extreme or unusual lighting situations, such as dramatically back-lit scenes or a situation with bright lights plus deep shadows, you might not want to use the center point to lock focus if you will be recomposing to take the final shot – because the active focus point has moved away from your subject when you actually take the shot and when the camera determines the exposure. The subject will still be in focus since you locked in that focus distance, but the exposure determined by the camera may be slightly different.

Center-Weighted Metering

This metering mode is sort of a cross between Matrix and Spot Metering. It acknowledges that the subject is in the center and requires special metering attention and gives it 75% weight in determining the exposure, but it also takes into account all the other areas of the scene. This mode is useful where there is a dramatic difference in lighting between the foreground or subject and the background. For example when your subject is backlit – maybe standing in front of a bright window or the sun – and consequently their face is in shadow, or when a nicely lit subject is in front of a dark background. I know I said Matrix Metering mode can often handle these types of situations, but if you want the face or the subject to be properly exposed and not risk blowing the shot, it is worth it to use Center-Weighted Metering mode. Another time to use this is when there is a wide range of light in your scene, from bright sunlight to deep shadows. Determine the proper exposure by metering on the subject using the center of the viewfinder, and lock in that exposure (see Exposure Lock below). Remember, this mode is not linked to your focus point. The area that is metered is always in the center so if your subject is off center – which it typically should be for a more dynamic image – you need to meter on your subject or on a middle tone in the part of the scene that is most critical and that you want properly exposed, using the central area of the viewfinder. Lock in that exposure, then recompose and take the shot. If you are finding that Matrix Metering is not giving you the exposures you desire in certain unusual, dramatic, or difficult lighting situations and your exposures are consistently too dark or too light, try using Center-Weighted Average Metering (or Exposure Compensation, discussed below). Remember that you can use Custom Setting b4 to change the size of the center area being metered.

Spot Metering

This mode meters a smaller 3.5mm center area, approximately 2.5% of the viewfinder area. This area is indicated by the small circle in the center of the viewfinder. So when do you want to use Spot Metering? This, again, is useful for scenes with great variation in light and shadow, or in very critical situations. One of the most common ways to use it is when metering for proper exposure on a dramatically lit face or subject, where the proper exposure of that part of the image is critical. Use it the same way as described in Center-Weighted Metering but be aware that the area the camera is metering is much smaller and does not take into account any other parts of the scene. Or for advanced users, Spot Metering is used to determine the exposure values of several important parts of the scene, and then the desired exposure is determined and then manually set using Manual Exposure Mode. In this way Spot Metering Mode is used to turn your camera into a light meter, as a tool to determine proper exposure of a subject or scene before switching the camera to Manual Mode (M) for a controlled studio shot, a critical shot, or a series of shots where the lighting is not going to change. Remember that you can use Custom Setting b5 to fine-tune each of these metering modes if you find that any of them are consistently overexposing or underexposing by a small amount or if your exposure preferences vary slightly from those determined by the camera.

Manual Metering

A fourth metering mode is manual metering, which isn’t actually a mode in your camera, but is a method of metering. This is where you use a light meter or use your camera as a light meter (such as described at the end in the Spot Metering section above) and then manually set your exposure based on the meter readings. This is used when you want ultimate control of the metering and exposure. An example of a critical exposure that will vary depending on which metering mode you use and where you meter in the scene is an image of a bride and groom. The bride is typically in all white, and the groom may be in a black tux or dark suit. If you are using Center-Weighted or Spot metering and meter the exposure on the bride, the camera will most likely underexpose the image and the nice white dress will turn to grey in the photos and the groom’s suit will turn into a pool of deep, dark black. If you use Center-Weighted or Spot metering and meter on the groom, the camera will most likely overexpose and the dark suit will become a medium grey suit, and the bride will disappear into a blown-out blob of white. This is just an example to help you realize the differences and importance of metering modes. It is quite possible that Matrix Metering will capture this situation just fine. But be aware that there are situations where it is critical that you know how the metering modes of the D7000 work, and make a decision for which one will serve you best.

Exposure Lock

As discussed in the Custom Settings section, with the default settings of your camera, the focus but not the exposure is locked when you press the Shutter Button halfway. The exposure meter begins metering, but exposure is not set until you press the Shutter Button fully and take the shot. But there are situations where you may wish to lock the exposure before taking the shot or for taking a series of shots. In Custom Setting f3 and f5 I recommended that the AE-L/AF-L Button be set to focus lock (AF lock only) and the Fn Button set to AE lock (hold). This way you can lock exposure and focus independently of each other and independently of the Shutter Button. A situation where you may wish to use this is in conjunction with Center-Weighted Metering or Spot Metering. You may wish to meter for a specific area of the image, such as a person’s face, and then recompose the frame before taking the shot. The face or area you wish to meter is thus no longer in the center – the area being metered by the camera for exposure – and thus if you do not lock the exposure you desire, the camera will meter for the wrong area when the shot is taken and possibly underexpose or overexpose the image. Or you may be taking a series of shots of a particular scene that contains a wide range of bright highlights and dark shadows. You may carefully meter for the area you want properly exposed and lock in that exposure setting, and then you can take the series of photos. If you set the Fn Button for AE lock (hold) you must take the series of photos before the metering turns off (the numbers disappear in your viewfinder) because when that happens your exposure is no longer locked. Remember that you set the length of time that the exposure meter stays active before it turns off using Custom Setting c2 (see, it’s all coming together now!) and that is why I recommended setting it for 8 or 16 seconds or even longer. Now you can also see why you may wish to change the size of the area metered in Center-Weighted metering, and why you may wish to customize the Preview Button to quickly activate Spot-Metering. To make use of Exposure Lock, try taking a photo of a subject or person against a very dark or very bright background:

Set your camera on Center-Weighted or Spot Metering, Single-Servo AF (AF-S) and Single-Point AF.
Set your camera on Aperture-Priority Auto mode (A) and set the ISO according to your lighting. Set the aperture to a wide-open setting such as f/2.0 or f/4.
Tap the Shutter Button with a half-press to wake up the camera and start the metering.
Frame your image in your viewfinder as you desire your final image to look.
Use the Multi-Selector to choose an AF point closest to your subject or subject’s face or eyes.
Reframe and place the subject or face in the center of the frame then press and release the Fn Button to lock the exposure.
Reframe to return to your final intended image in the viewfinder as you want it, placing your selected AF point over the subject.
Press the Shutter Button halfway to focus and then fully to take the photo
Note that this all must occur within a certain time frame or the exposure lock is canceled. You will know this happens if the lit-up info in your viewfinder turns off.

Note that you can change the order of this process and lock the exposure first and then deal with the AF point and the focusing, or you can incorporate Focus Lock into the process either before or after locking exposure. Determine which order works best for you or for the situation. The order may differ based on if you are taking a series of photos and/ or if the subject is moving. For example, if you subject is moving around in a scene that contains a lot of variation of bright light and dark shadows, you would lock in the desired exposure for the scene or subject first, and then deal with focusing using the most appropriate Autofocus Mode and Autofocus Area Mode for the situation. Also, if the lighting of the scene or the exposure settings you desire are going to remain constant, you can also change to Manual Exposure Mode (M) and dial in those settings and then not worry about the exposure settings.

Histograms

While you can typically rely on the advanced metering system of the D7000 to create the proper exposure for your images, you need to verify that it has. You can do this by looking at the image on the rear LCD Monitor, but this is a tiny version of your image, and as with verifying focus, what looks good on a tiny 3” screen may not look good on the actual full-size image. So how do you verify that you have captured the proper exposure? With the histogram. To view the histogram of an image: when you are reviewing your images on the rear LCD Monitor, press the down direction on the Multi Selector repeatedly until you see either the Overview Data view or the RGB Histogram view. These will show you a tiny version of your image, plus the histogram and various camera settings. The RGB Histogram view will also display blinking highlights to let you know of any areas of the image that are overexposed and where the highlights are “blown-out.” Remember to turn on all the display options in the Display Mode setting of the Playback Menu in order to be able to view all the image information during payback. If you need to view your image larger, you can zoom in with the Magnify Button, then zoom back out to the detailed view. The histogram is the little graph that shows peaks and valleys which represent the distribution of an image’s brightness levels. The histogram of an image with lots of dark areas will have peaks at the left side of the graph, and an image with lots of light areas will have peaks at the right side of the graph. A typical image may show a distribution of peaks across the entire graph, or maybe a nicely centered “mountain.” But, the histogram of an ideal image does not necessarily show a nice distribution or a well formed “mountain.” If you are taking interesting images with dramatic lights and darks, the peaks may be all over the graph. This is fine. The key to proper exposure, however, is to make sure that the peaks drop down to zero, the base of the graph, before they reach the left and right edges. If your peaks run off the sides of the chart or spike at the far left or right sides, that means you have blown-out the darks or lights, and those areas of your image will be pure black or pure white, with no detail remaining. The darks are on the left side of the graph, and the lights are on the right side. (This is one reason why I find the default Exposure Indicator direction to be backwards and counter-intuitive – it does not match the (-) and (+) direction of the histogram. Remember you can use Custom Setting f9 to reverse direction of the Exposure Indicator.) It is especially critical that you don’t blow-out your highlights, the whites, on the right side of the graph. Review your images’ histograms to make sure that the peaks fall down to zero at the right side of the graph. When you view your images on the rear LCD Monitor, the blinking highlights indicate the areas of the image that have no detail, where your histogram peak has run off the right side of the chart. Now there may be exceptions to this practice. The camera sensor has a limited dynamic range compared to your eyes, and cannot capture the full visible range of dark to light. That means sometimes you have to sacrifice the details in the shadows in order to retain the details in the highlights – meaning the peaks will have to run off the left side of the graph in order for them to not run off the right side of the graph. Or other times you may wish to blow-out some highlight details in order to retain more shadow details. And bright lights such as the sun, sun reflections on glass or metal, and other sources of light will always be blown-out. How do you control the exposure so that the peaks do not run off the edges of the histogram graph? With exposure compensation.

Exposure Compensation

You can use exposure compensation to “override” the exposure that the camera selected, in order to brighten or darken the image’s exposure. You may want to do this if you have seen that your highlights have run off the right side of the histogram and been blown-out, resulting in complete loss of detail in those areas of the image. To use exposure compensation, press the Exposure Compensation [+/-] Button (on the top of the camera near the Shutter Button) and turn the Main Command Dial as you view the change in value on the top Control Panel or in the Viewfinder. If the Exposure Indicator in either of these places is not changing, press the Shutter Button half way to first wake up the camera and start the metering. Remember that with Custom Setting b3 you can change how exposure compensation is changed. To review: Custom Setting b3, Easy Exposure Compensation, gives you very precise control over how exposure compensation (EC) is set. You can set it so that you must press the Exposure Compensation button as you turn a dial in order to adjust EC – Off. Or you can choose to just directly turn a dial for EC, without pressing the Exposure Compensation Button first – On. This is a quicker way to adjust EC. Which dial you use – the Sub-Command Dial or Main Command Dial – is set with Custom Setting f6. (Main Command Dial is the default and I will assume you did not change this setting.) With either of these methods, EC will not be reset to 0 when you turn the camera off, so you must be sure to check your settings often to ensure you are not using EC when you don’t wish to. Or you can choose to turn a dial to directly adjust EC, but your EC setting will be reset when the camera or exposure meter turns off – On (Auto reset). This last option is the most sophisticated and most flexible, and may be the best one to learn and use. This is because you can still continue to use the Exposure Compensation Button with the dial to set EC, but by setting it this way, EC will not be reset when the camera or meter turns off. EC will only be automatically reset if you set it directly using the dial without the button. So if you wish to use EC for just one shot, you can adjust EC with just the dial. But if you wish to take a series of shots with the same adjusted EC, you can use the button/ dial combination to set it more “permanently.” To make the exposure of a scene lighter, turn the Main Command Dial so that the value becomes positive: +0.3, +1.0, +2.0, etc. To make it darker, turn the Main Command Dial so that the value becomes negative: -0.3, -1.0, -2.0, etc. Try changing the exposure compensation by 1/3 or 2/3 stop (0.3, 0.6) in the direction you desire, retake the shot, and see if your exposure problem is solved. Increase or decrease the exposure compensation as needed. Remember to set the exposure compensation back to zero when you are done with that situation and move on to take different images! This is one major reason why you should check your camera’s settings often – to make sure you haven’t left the camera on the settings from a previous situation. (Changing WB or ISO and forgetting to change it back is another potential hazard.) Check your current settings on the top LCD Control Panel (that is why it is there for you), in the viewfinder, or on the rear LCD Monitor by pressing the Info Button. To remember how to compensate – which direction to turn the dial – think of the histogram peaks on the graph. If you wish to shift the peaks to the left, to the darker side, to make the image darker, turn the dial so that the exposure compensation level becomes negative (-1, -2, etc.). If you wish to shift the peaks to the right, to the lighter side, to make the image lighter, turn the dial so that the exposure compensation level becomes positive (+1, +2, etc). Remember, set the Exposure Indicator to the direction that makes most intuitive sense to you, in relation to the histogram, using Custom Setting f9.

Auto Bracketing for Exposure

Exposure bracketing is when you take three pictures in a row: one with the correct exposure, one of a darker exposure, and one of a lighter exposure. This is sometimes done to ensure that you get a shot with the proper exposure, or to experiment and see which exposure looks better to you. Or it is done to create multiple exposures of the same scene that are later combined to create an HDR, or high dynamic range, image. The D7000 can bracket for you automatically. Using Auto Bracketing you set it up to take these three exposures in a row and you tell the camera how much lighter and darker you wish the other two images to be, using exposure value numbers similar to EC values above. You then have to take the three photos yourself. You can do this individually using Single Frame release mode: click, click, click. Or you can set the camera on Continuous Low or High Speed release mode to take them all quickly in a row and it will then stop after 3 shots. Press the BKT Button and turn the Command Dials to set the increments of the bracketing values and the number of shots. (You can also set it to just take two shots – one normal and one underexposed or one normal and one overexposed). Remember you need to take the three (or two) images in a row of the same scene before you move on to the next scene. The D7000 will try to remind you of this with the Bracketing Progress Indicator displayed on the top LCD Control Panel, and with the BKT notation in the viewfinder. To cancel bracketing, press the BKT Button and turn the Main Command Dial so that the value returns to 0 and the BKT icon disappears. Remember that in the Custom Setting b2 you set the EV Steps for Exposure Control to be either 1/2 or 1/3 steps. This also controls the EV steps for bracketing. Custom Setting e6 was used to specify the order that the bracketed photos were taken. In addition to automatically bracketing for different exposures you can also bracket for different flash levels, different exposures and flash levels, Active D-Lighting amount, or white balance. With WB you can bracket the color temperature along the blue and amber axis, but note that WB bracketing cannot be done if you are shooting in RAW since you can easily change WB in post-processing. To choose which variable you wish to bracket, use Custom Setting e5. You may wish to put this menu item in My Menu for quick access.

Active D-Lighting

As mentioned above in the Shooting Menu settings, Active D-Lighting (ADL) is an exposure adjustment to an image that occurs in the camera, and is useful for high contrast situations where there is a wide range of lighting in your scene from bright areas to dark shadows. It will help to preserve details in the shadows and especially in the highlights, and will help to prevent blown-out highlights. It does this by underexposing the scene slightly and then applying a tone curve (similar to the Curves you can apply in Photoshop) to lift the shadows and mid-tones back up. You can specify whether this is Off, on Auto and thus used when the camera feels it is appropriate to use, or on at various levels ranging from Low to Extra High. I don’t recommend that you set this on Auto because then you have no idea if the camera is making use of it or not. And now that you understand metering and exposure, how to read the histogram, and how to make use of Exposure Compensation, you may want to turn this Off, especially if you are shooting in RAW, feel you have control over the exposures you desire, want to adjust them how you wish, and do not wish to allow the camera to do it on its own and override your careful settings. You can then take more control of your highlights and shadows in post-processing by applying your own adjustments and Curves. However, if you are shooting JPEG images, you should experiment with Active-D Lighting in high contrast situations and see how it improves upon the exposures that you meter and set. Try setting it to N Normal and to H High and examine the results to see which one you are happiest with. Note that ADL works best when used with Matrix Metering so that the camera can evaluate the entire scene and make its adjustments based on the full range of lights and darks in your image.

White Balance

White Balance (WB) is for ensuring that white objects appear as white under any lighting. Our eyes and mind correct what we see so that white always looks white to us. But to the camera, white under fluorescent lighting appears greenish and under incandescent lighting appears orange or reddish. Generally, Auto White Balance (AWB) does an excellent job of setting the proper white balance. And if you are shooting RAW files, you can always use AWB and set your white balance in post-processing. But if you are shooting JPEG files you may wish to set the white balance to match the actual lighting conditions, especially if you are working in the evening, at sunset, or indoors without a flash. Remember that the Cloudy setting is also used for evening and sunset, to make them appear warm and reddish like they naturally appear. Indoors, set the WB to Incandescent for standard incandescent bulbs, Fluorescent for fluorescent lighting, or learn to set a custom White Balance using Preset Manual (PRE) for better precision or for mixed lighting (see below). Set the White Balance using the WB Button and rotating the Main Command Dial as you view the WB icons on the top LCD Control Panel. To set a more precise Fluorescent WB, access the WB options in the Shooting Menu. The color temperature of fluorescent bulbs is typically printed on the bulbs, near one of the ends. Note that in this menu you can also choose to Keep warm lighting colors, which will preserve the warm glow created by incandescent bulbs. Although this may not record the “correct” neutral WB, we are used to seeing this warm reddish cast on indoor photographs, and thus it may look more natural. When accessing the WB settings in the Shooting Menu, you can fine-tune your selected setting along the green-magenta axis and/ or blue-amber axis. You can also quickly adjust along the amber-blue axis by pressing the WB Button and turning the Sub-Command Dial. White Balance can also be use creatively. On a sunny day, you can set it to Cloudy or even to Shade to warm up the color of the images. Or you can use Incandescent outside to create images with a cooler, bluer color temperature appearance, such as for snow scenes or a dynamic twilight sky. Note that if you are shooting with a Speedlight flash, it is best and easiest to gel (color filter) your flash to match the ambient light, then set the White Balance according to the ambient light source. That way both your subjects and your backgrounds will have the same white balance or color cast. Do this with the Rosco Strobist Collection gels and accessories described in the Photography Accessories section below. Preset Manual (Custom) White Balance If one of the preset WB settings is not giving you accurate White Balance, or you are shooting studio type shots with consistent lighting and you want a more precise White Balance, or if you are working in a situation with mixed lighting sources, you may wish to set a Preset Manual custom White Balance. To set a Preset Manual White Balance, place a digital grey card or plain white object such as a piece of paper in the scene you wish to shoot, with the lighting you wish to shoot in, and with the proper exposure set. (A digital grey card is preferred because the color tone of “white” varies between different types of paper. A digital grey card is not the same as an 18% grey card from film days.) You can then choose to either measure the WB of the card with the camera or to take a photo of it and use the photo to set the custom WB. Measure – To use the Measure method, access Measure from the PRE Preset manual option in the White Balance menu in the Shooting Menu. Press the WB Button and turn the Main Command Dial until PRE is shown on the top LCD Control Panel. Release the WB Button then press it again until the PRE icon flashes. While it is still flashing, frame the grey card so that it fills the viewfinder, then fully press the Shutter Release Button. The measured setting will be saved as WB d-0. The Control Panel will now tell you if the reading was Good or no Gd. If it is good, select d-0 by pressing the WB Button and turning the Sub-Command Dial until it is displayed. To save this WB setting permanently, return to the PRE Preset manual option in the WB menu, press right on the Multi Selector, select to save it as d-1, d-2, etc., then select Copy d-0. Select that preset in the future (d-1, d-2, etc.) by pressing the WB Button and turning the Sub-Command Dial until that preset is displayed. See page 126 of the manual for more information. Remember to change the WB back to Auto or another desired setting when done photographing the current scene. Use Photo – To set a custom WB using a photo, take a photo of the digital grey card, framed so that the card fills the viewfinder. Return to the WB menu, select the PRE Preset manual option, select where to save it (d-1, d-2, etc.) then choose Select image and highlight the image of the grey card you just took. Then select the preset you saved it as (d-1, d-2, etc.) by pressing the WB Button and turning the Sub-Command Dial until that preset is displayed. See page 126 of the manual for detailed information. You can add a comment to a preset WB so that you can remember what lighting condition it was created for. See page 129 of the manual for how to do this.

Picture Controls

Picture Controls were discussed briefly in the Shooting Menu section above, but I will repeat and add a little to that. Picture Controls are used to apply your desired settings of Sharpening, Contrast, Brightness, Saturation, and Hue to JPEG image files as they are processed and saved in the camera. Remember, these changes are final, and are permanently part of the JPEG file. You can still adjust the images in Photoshop, but certain information will have been lost during this in-camera processing. That being said, if you have decided to shoot in JPEG and will not be post-processing, carefully select and modify a Picture Control to create the type of images you want. To create a Custom Picture Control, start with the Standard one and adjust it in the Picture Controls menu to suit your tastes. See page 136 and 137 of the manual for how to create and save a Custom Picture Control. Here are some of the changes to the Standard setting you may wish to experiment with: All digital images require some Sharpening to look their best, so be a little aggressive with the sharpening but don’t over-do it to where the image looks unusual. But be aware that for portraits, a softer, less sharpened image may look better. Contrast also makes images “pop” and help them appear sharper, so experiment with that, but beware that more contrast will tend to cause bright areas to be more easily overexposed. A little bit of Brightness often helps an image look better without affecting the overall exposure. Saturation, too, really brings images to life, especially ones with nice colors, so this should generally be slightly increased. Hue tends to noticeably change skin tones so it is typically best to leave this alone.. Don’t hesitate to increase the others beyond the defaults, but be sure not to over-do it to the point where the adjustments looks obvious or unreal (unless that is your intention). If you are shooting in RAW, the Picture Control you set applies to the images you see on the rear LCD Monitor even though you are shooting in only RAW. So it is somewhat important that you leave this set at Standard (or Neutral) if you shoot RAW. Otherwise if you set, for example, a Picture Control with high contrast, the image you review on the LCD Monitor may show blown-out highlights, but in reality, the RAW file will be properly exposed. Also choose Standard or Neutral Picture Control if you shoot JPEGs but plan to edit in Photoshop later. You can also select the Monochrome Picture Control to shoot black and white images. With Monochrome you can choose from different color filters to achieve the look of lens filters traditionally used with black and white film. Yellow, Orange, and Red will increase contrast and darken the sky – Yellow a little bit, Red a lot, and Orange in between. These create more dramatic looking skies especially if there are clouds, which will stand out nicely against the darkened sky. Green is used to soften skin tones, such as for portraits. With the Monnochrome setting, you can also apply Toning, or a colored tint including Sepia, blue Cyanotype, and various other colors. However, it is generally better to take all your images in color and convert to black and white in post-processing. This way you still have the color image plus you have much more control over the conversions, tones, and filters in Photoshop or Lightroom.

Flash

Most photographers and books about dSLRs will recommend that you avoid using the built in pop-up flash. This is because it creates pretty harsh, in-your-face lighting. If you do need to use it, dial it down a little bit using Flash Compensation, which is dialed in using the Flash Compensation Button and the Sub-Command Dial. Set it to minus 1 and then adjust it according to your results. If you often need to use flash, invest in one of the external Speedlight flash units (see Photography Accessories below) which will give you more flash power, control over output, remote capabilities using the built-in flash as a commander, and versatility with direction, bounce-flash, and color correcting gels. Flash photography is a complex subject that requires its own book, and there are several good ones on the subject. I suggest having a look at On-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography by Neil van Niekerk. I think that covers every important button, control, and setting on the D7000 that is needed or useful for everyday photography. There are certainly additional features that have not been discussed, and those can be learned and experimented with after you have mastered all of these basic functions. It is important to learn all of these basic functions so that they become second nature, and that you instinctively know which settings to use or how to change them in shooting situations. Then you can begin to focus on the other important aspect of photography: composition. While some of these settings and explanations may seem complicated at first, just start shooting and attempting to make use of what you have learned. You will gain a quicker understanding of them through use and mistakes and questions that arise when the camera does not act as you expect or the images do not appear as you wish. You can read about a difficult concept over and over and still not grasp it, but you might understand it better and quicker through use, error, success, and experimentation.

Sensor Cleaning

If you wish to clean the Image Sensor manually, make sure you have a fully charged battery in the camera. Remove the lens and put on the body cap. Select Lock mirror up for cleaning in the Setup Menu and then select Start. This will raise the mirror and allow you to clean the sensor (actually the Low-Pass Filter in front of the Image Sensor) after you remove the body cap and press the Shutter Button. Replace the body cap or lens and turn the camera off when you are finished. Do not turn it off while you are cleaning because the mirror will come back down and be damaged if it hits anything. Sensor cleaning is a very delicate operation and should be done very carefully according to manufacturer’s instructions. The way I do it is to use a Medium Rocket Blower by Giottos (see Photography Accessories below) to swiftly blow air at the sensor, while holding the camera with the opening facing down so that dust can fall out and no dust can fall in. Put the Body Cap back on when done cleaning and turn the camera off. Do not turn it off while you are cleaning because the mirror will come back down and be damaged if it hits anything. IMPORTANT: Never touch the sensor with anything. Do not touch it with the tip of the Rocket Blower, do not touch it with your finger, do not touch it with anything. Do not touch or bump the mirror or other parts in there with anything. Do not blow into the camera with your mouth because spittle will inevitably fly out and land on the sensor. Do not use compressed canned air to clean your sensor or the inside of your camera because it will damage it. If you choose to use one of the products made for cleaning sensors where you swab or touch the sensor, follow their instructions very carefully. For best and safest results have an authorized Nikon service person clean it.

COMPOSITION

Since this is a book about the Nikon D7000, I won’t go into great detail about composition. There are several photography composition books that can help to explain the basics. An excellent book to read and study once you have a solid grasp of the basics is The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos by Michael Freeman. Advanced composition is an often difficult concept to teach, and that is one of the few books that really takes it beyond the basics and to the next level. But here are some composition starting points: Depth of Field First and foremost make use of depth of field (dof) to create interesting, dynamic images, and to call attention to your intended subject. By using Aperture-Priority Auto (A) Mode, setting an aperture with a large opening (f/2.8 or f/4) and focusing on your subject, that subject will be in sharp focus and the background and other elements in the scene will be softly out of focus. This helps to separate your subject from the background and tells the viewer exactly where to look in your image. Plus it makes your images look more professional! Or use smaller aperture openings (f/5.6 or f/8) so that more is in focus if your subjects are at various distances from you. Note that dof varies not only depending on your aperture setting but also on your lens focal length and your distance from the subject. Look at an online dof calculator or experiment to see and learn exactly how much is going to be in focus with your chosen aperture, focal length, and distance. For example, position yourself so that you are looking down a row of something – bricks on a wall, a row of porch rail posts, a line of flowers. Focus on an area, post, or flower that is a few feet in front of you, put that in the center of your frame, and take photos with various apertures. Then view the results and look at the image metadata to see the aperture settings. Notice that the area in focus extends both in front of and behind the point where you focused. A standard rule of thumb is that the in-focus area will extend 1/3 of the way in front of your focus distance and 2/3 behind it, though you will see with a dof calculator that it is more often closer to 1/2 in front and 1/2 behind. To put this into practice, if you are taking a photo of a three people in a row, each at an increased distance from each other, focus on the middle person so that all three are in focus if you use a medium aperture setting such as f/8 (or will vary depending on your lens focal length, distance to subjects, etc.). Fill the Frame Determine your subject, what attracted you to the scene, and fill your frame with that subject. Zoom in close to eliminate elements in the scene that are not important or are not part of the story. Or eliminate these elements by changing your position or point of view and by framing the shot so that those elements do not appear in your frame. Filling the frame does not however always mean zooming in as close as you can. If, for example, the subject is a person and their relationship to their environment, it can mean using a wide angle lens to capture the person and their surroundings. Position and Point of View Change your position and point of view to create more interesting and varied compositions. Move around the subject to try to discover different, more interesting compositions, and try higher or lower points of view so that you are looking down or up at your subject. Shoot the image through or past foreground objects to help pull the viewer into the scene – for example, shoot the subject through a window or looking over the shoulder of a person in the foreground. Backgrounds Pay attention to the backgrounds of your compositions. You may be concentrating on your subject when you take a photo, but everything around it, even far in the distance, will all be rendered in two dimensions in your image, and potentially may become distracting. So consider how near and distant elements will relate when compressed into two dimensions. Eliminate distracting elements though use of shallow dof, or by repositioning yourself or the subject. Remember that the ground or the sky can become the background if you change your position and point of view. Also pay attention to the relative lightness or darkness of the background compared to the subject and reposition yourself or your subject for the most flattering or the desired background. Do not place your subject immediately in front of a background such as a wall or foliage, but separate the subject and background by several feet. This will allow you to make use of shallow depth of field and render the background out of focus, thus calling more attention to your subject and minimizing any background distractions. Rule of Thirds You will read about this in every photo book, and that is because it generally works. It involves dividing your frame into thirds, with imaginary lines, both horizontally and vertically. You then use those lines and their points of intersection to help determine where to place the subject and other elements in the frame. Using it can help you to create more interesting and dynamic images. You don’t have to use it all the time, but it should often become second nature. You can turn to it when you have a difficult scene in front of you that you need to make sense of visually, or even when cropping in post-processing. Look in photography books or research online to learn more about it and how to use it. Lighting Photography is all about light…and shadow. Always keep your eye out for good lighting, interesting lighting, the interplay of light and shadows, silhouettes. And be aware of the quality of light – the color, the intensity, the harshness or softness, the warmth or coolness of the light. If you find great light but no subject, seek one out or wait for a subject to come into the scene. Consider not only the lighting on the main subject but also the lighting on the background and how it might enhance or distract from the subject. Place yourself in the best position in relation to the light and the subject to ensure the subject is illuminated as you desire, and move around as that changes. One of my favorite books for learning about photographing in natural light is Available Light: Photographic Techniques for Using Existing Light Sources by Don Marr.

THE IMAGE TAKING PROCESS

This is a brief step-by-step process of how you may wish to use the controls of your Nikon D7000 to select the settings and photograph a subject or scene, for general or travel photo use:

Turn on the camera.
Set Mode Dial to Aperture-Priority Auto Mode (A).
Make sure the camera is set to:

Matrix Metering Mode Auto White Balance Autofocus Mode: Single-servo AF AF-Area Mode: Single-point AF Release Mode: Single Frame (S) Exposure Compensation 0

Make sure the camera and lens are set to AF for autofocus.
Set the ISO according to the amount of available light. Use ISO 200 if outdoors on a sunny day.
Hold the viewfinder to your eye and give the Shutter Button a half-press tap to wake up the camera and start the metering.
Turn the Sub-Command Dial to select your aperture setting as you view the settings in the viewfinder. Use a setting of 4.0 for dramatic, shallow depth of field or 16 for deep depth of field.
Verify that the shutter speed selected by the camera is within your desired range. If necessary, increase the ISO in order to increase the shutter speed that the camera selects. Or decrease ISO to decrease shutter speed.
Use the Multi Selector to choose your desired focus point or the OK Button to select the center AF point.
(Optional: Frame your desired final image in the viewfinder and press the Fn Button to lock that exposure setting.)
Place the selected AF Point over your intended subject and press and hold the Shutter Button half-way.
(Optional: Press and hold the AE-L/AF-L Button to lock focus distance so that you can take your finger off the Shutter Button.)
With the principles of composition in mind, recompose the frame as necessary while still holding the Shutter Button half-way, then press the Shutter Button all the way to take the shot.
Press the Playback Button and review the image on the rear LCD Monitor. Check the histogram for proper exposure. Zoom in on the image if desired.
When you are done reviewing the histogram and the image, press the Playback Button again or tap the Shutter Button half-way to turn off the rear LCD Monitor.
If adjustment of exposure is necessary, use Exposure Compensation by pressing and holding the Exposure Compensation Button while turning the Main Command Dial. Tap the shutter button to begin exposure metering if moving the dial did not change the Exposure Compensation.
Go to step 6 and Repeat.

VIDEO – AN INTRODUCTION

I said this guide was intended for still photographers only, but I know you want to start playing with the HD video capability of your D7000, so I will provide some starting points. Movie Quality Choose Full HD (1920x1080), HD (1280x720), or standard-definition (640x480). Frame Rate For NTSC (such as in North America), 24 fps will give the “cinema” or “movie” look to your videos and 30 fps will give you that “video” look to your videos. For PAL (such as in Europe and Australia) 24 fps will give the “cinema” or “movie” look to your videos and 25 fps will give you that “video” look to your videos. Shutter Speed The shutter speed should be the reciprocal of twice the frame rate: Frame rate 24 fps or 25 fps use Shutter Speed 1/50 Frame rate 30 fps use Shutter Speed 1/60 ISO Set the ISO to a full stop: 100, 200, 400, 800, 1000, 1600, etc Picture Control If you do not have advanced video editing capabilities, it may be important that you select or modify a Picture Control setting to create the final look you want. You may want to ensure that Active D-Lighting is turned off so that the camera isn’t adjusting your exposures. White Balance While Auto White Balance may work, it is best to set WB to match the actual lighting of the scene, Sunlight, Incandescent, etc.

PHOTOGRAPHY ACCESSORIES

Here are some accessories that are handy for general photography use as well as when traveling with your camera, plus accessories mentioned in the text that are specific to the Nikon D7000, and some of my favorite photography books. Click on the links to go to the product or category pages on Amazon.com. Please note that these are my Amazon Associates referral links, and I will receive a small referral bonus from Amazon.com if you use these links to make your purchases. There is also a full version of this list, with Amazon links, on my blog: http://dojoklo.wordpress.com/2011/02/10/gear-accessories-and-books/ Sandisk Extreme SD Memory Cards: I suggest getting a couple 16 GB or 8 GB cards to store your photos – more if traveling. Class 10 cards should be used if you are shooting video. Be sure to check the Sandisk site for current rebates. Giottos Medium Rocket Blower: Always have it handy for getting dust off lenses in a hurry, because blowing on them – no matter how careful – leads to spittle on the lenses. Also use for manually cleaning the sensor as described above. Lens Pen Cleaning System: Works great for cleaning off mysterious spots and smudges that appear on the lens (this is why I always use UV filters) as well as that a-fore-mentioned spittle. Blow dust off the lens first with the Rocket Blower, brush it with the Lens Pen brush, and then follow the instructions for using the Lens Pen. UV Filters: Clear, protective filters for the lenses. You should have these on at all times to protect your lenses. Get high quality ones, such as B+W, especially for higher quality lenses. Consider the MRC multi-coated versions for highest quality lenses. While some argue that any filter may degrade image quality, most know that it is cheaper to replace a $100 filter than to repair a $1500 lens. Use the slim filters for wide angle lenses to avoid vignetting. Circular Polarizing Filter: Use this outdoors in sunlight to darken the sky, cut through haze and reflections, and increase contrast. Do not use on a wide angle lens as it will cause the sky to change from light to dark and back again across the frame. You have to turn the second ring of the filter to create the amount of lightness or darkness in the sky that you desire, or to reduce or eliminate reflections. It works best when the sun is to your left or right, but does not have any polarizing effect if the sun is directly in front or behind you. Do not use an older linear polarizing filter with a digital camera, as it will interfere with the metering and autofocus systems. Lens Hoods: Use a lens hood on your lens to both prevent flare and to protect the front of the lens when it inevitable bangs against something or drops. Some nicer lenses typically come with a lens hood. With other lenses, buy the corresponding optional hood. BlackRapid R-Strap: A different, more comfortable way to carry your camera, especially one with a larger or heavier lens. The RS-7 version has a nice curved shoulder strap, the RS-4 is not curved at the shoulder but does have a nice little pocket for memory cards, and the RS-W1 R-Strap is designed for women. Insurance: Make sure your equipment is covered by insurance. When I worked in a camera store, people came in on a weekly basis to replace the equipment that was stolen from their car, trunk, luggage, while traveling, or was in a fire. You may need special insurance or a rider if your homeowner or renter’s insurance does not cover it. I use the policy available through NANPA, though you have to join NANPA to get it. This insurance is primarily for the equipment only, so you are not paying for liability coverage geared toward a business as you are with many other photo equipment insurance plans. Please note that the NANPA membership fee covers you annually from July – they don’t pro-rate, so you will not get a full year if you join at any other time. (If you happen to join NANPA to get their insurance, mention my name as a referrer, and I save on my next membership renewal!) Silica Packs: Keep these in your camera bags to absorb moisture. Consider using real ones that you buy in solid cases instead of the little packs that you found in your new pants packet that may break open over time. Sto-Fen Omni Bounce Diffuser: Works great on the optional external flash units (note some Nikon flashes come with a diffuser like this). Do not use this on your flash outdoors because all it will do outside is cause your flash to work harder. I know you see lots of people doing it. They didn’t bother reading how to use it. Don’t imitate them. Use a direct bare or gelled flash outdoors. These diffusers are designed to work as a diffuser when bounced off a surface and angled at 45 degrees or so. Not straight on, and not bouncing off the sky. Digital Grey Card: Used to measure and set accurate white balance. Rosco Strobist Collection Flash Gels: Use these to balance the color temperature of your flash to the color temperature of the ambient light in order to have a single WB setting that neutralizes the color cast of the entire scene. Tape them in place or use the LumiQuest Gel Holder which attaches to your flash with the Honl Speed Strap, an overpriced strip of Velcro. Eye-Fi Wireless Flash Memory Card: This SD memory card can be used to automatically upload photos wirelessly via Wi-Fi to your computer during shooting or afterwards. Card Reader: Use this to transfer image files from the memory cards to your computer if your computer does not have a card reader built in. They may be faster than the camera’s USB cable and will save camera batteries. Camera’s USB Cable: Always have the included camera USB cable when traveling, as a back-up method of transferring image files to your computer. Lens and Body Caps: Don’t forget to have these in your camera bag, to protect lenses and camera body when switching and storing them. Camera Wrap: For protecting your camera while carrying it around in dusty, misty, or sandy situations, or for protection when storing it. Rainhood or Rainsleeve: For protecting your camera while using it in dusty, misty, rainy, or sandy situations. Remember, strong insect repellants can melt plastics and other materials on the body of your camera. Adobe Photoshop CS5 and/ or Adobe Lightroom 3: These software programs are essential for editing, processing, retouching, and manipulating your photographs, especially if you are shooting in RAW. Lightroom is designed specifically for photographers and is the processing program of choice for many of them, but it does not have the manipulation capabilities of Photoshop. Nikon D7000 Accessories Nikon EN-EL15 Rechargable Battery: It is always good to have an extra battery or two, especially when traveling or when photographing all day or for an event. Nikon MB-D11 Battery Pack/ Grip: This accessory will enable you to use a second EN-EL15 battery or else use AA batteries, thus allowing you to shoot longer without having to change batteries. It also increases the size of the D7000 body which may be more comfortable for some shooters, especially when shooting vertically in portrait orientation. Nikon ML-L3 Wireless Remote or MC-DC2 Remote Release Cord: These remotes will allow you to trigger the shutter of the camera remotely, thus allowing either self-portraits or the ability to release the shutter without pressing the Shutter Button thus preventing possible camera shake. Nikon SB-900, SB-800, SB-700, or SB-600 Speedlight Flashes: These external flashes will give you greatly increased flash power and control compared to the built-in flash. They also have adjustable and rotating heads so that you can use indirect and bounce flash. All of them can be used as remote flashes controlled by the built-in flash, and with the exception of the SB-600 all can be used as commanders to trigger remote flashes. Nikon WT-4A Wireless Transmitter: This can be used to wirelessly transmit your images to a computer as you shoot. However for certain situations and uses, an Eye-Fi SD memory card may be more convenient. Nikon Capture NX2: If you are not using Photoshop, this software will enable you to process and retouch your JPEG or RAW files, and correct things such color, contrast, and sharpening. Books Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photos with Any Camera by Bryan Peterson Learning to See Creatively: Design, Color & Composition in Photography by Bryan Peterson The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos by Michael Freeman The Photographer's Mind: Creative Thinking for Better Digital Photos by Michael Freeman Available Light: Photographic Techniques for Using Existing Light Sources by Don Marr On-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography by Neil van Niekerk

CONCLUSION

Photography involves numerous essential thoughts, actions, and decisions in those brief moments between the time you see a scene you want to capture, raise the camera to your eye, and take a photograph. The process is the sum of an alert eye, numerous conscious decisions while visualizing and framing, knowing how to adjust your equipment and use its controls, as well as sub-conscious decisions based on the accumulated experience of taking countless images, experimenting, and learning from the results both good and bad. The design, menus, controls, and features of the Nikon D7000 are all there to make it easy to deal with camera settings, buttons, and exposure settings so that you can focus your attention on composing and capturing the image. It is worth your while to learn them and to take full control of your powerful Nikon D7000. Through use, practice, and experimentation your images will inevitably continue to improve. If you have any questions, please get in touch with me though my blog http://dojoklo.wordpress.com/ or website www.dojoklo.com About the Author: Douglas Klostermann is a travel, culture, and humanitarian photographer dedicated to documenting the work of international aid organizations. He has photographed for numerous organizations in Latin America and the United States, been recognized by the United Nations Development Programme for his humanitarian photography, and been published in magazines and books including Conde Nast Traveler, Sherman's Travel, South American Explorer, and Viva Travel Guides. He also lectures and gives individual instruction on digital photography. Doug is a member of the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA). Learn more about photography techniques and equipment on his blog Picturing Change at http://dojoklo.wordpress.com/ and view his photography at http://www.dojoklo.com.

Setting the Canon 60D Menus and Custom Functions

dojoklo — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

The Custom Functions and Menus of the Canon dSLR cameras allow you to have greater, more precise control over how your camera functions. They are what make the 60D a more powerful tool than the 550d, and they allow you to customize the camera to work for you, to work how you work. If you are somewhat experienced with the use of a digital SLR, I highly recommend that you dig into these menus and change the settings to the options that allow you to use the camera in the manner that works best for you. The manual is available on Canon's website here. This is going to save you a lot of time and effort, so please read at the bottom of the post how you can donate to my blog (or click on the "Donate" guy at the left or see the top Donate menu, to donate through PayPal.) You'll see, it will be worth your while! Here are brief explanations and my recommended settings for all of the Custom Functions and Menus of the Canon 60D!! (With the exception of the Movie menus. Sorry, I'm a still photographer). Yes, every single menu item and custom function of the Canon 60D, including My Menu!! (Except Movie menus). Here in one place, to help you set up your own brand new Canon 60D: C.Fn I: Exposure C.Fn I-1 This is to change the increments of shutter speed, aperture, and exposure compensation - 1/2 stop increments or 1/3 stop. Set this depending on your personal preference and what you are used to using for these increments. I prefer the greater precision of 1/3 stops, mostly out of habit, but you may prefer the simplicity and ease of 1/2 stops. recommend: 0 C.Fn I-2 This sets the increments for ISO, either 1/3 stop or full stop. Again, the setting depends on your personal preference and what you are used to. Believe it or not, while I prefer 1/3 stop increments above, I prefer the simplicity and adjustment speed of 1 stop increments for ISO recommend: 1 C.Fn I-3 This allows for ISO speed H, or the high ISO of 12800 to be selected when you are choosing your ISO setting. If you don't often need incredibly high ISO settings, I suggest leaving this off until you are in a situation that may truly need it, so that you or your camera does not choose ISO 12800 in an unwanted situation. Maybe put this on your My Menu if you plan to use if every once in a while. recommend: 0 C.Fn I-4 This determines whether or not bracketing is canceled when you turn off your camera. I recommend that you have this cancellation ON, (0), because if you have a shooting session where you are bracketing, then use your camera the next day, you will probably have forgotten that it is set on bracketing, and then 2 out of 3 of your shots are going to be screwed up (improperly exposed). recommend: 0 C.Fn I-5 This setting determines the sequence of exposures when bracketing. The setting depends how you like to sequence your bracketing. This may be important to you if you do a lot of HDR work. 0 means the correct exposure is taken first, then the darker exposure, then the lighter exposure. 1 means the order is darker, normal, lighter. I prefer 0 but an HDR shooter may prefer 1. This also affects the bracketing sequence for white balance (WB) bracketing so determine what sequence you want if you make use of WB bracketing. recommend: 0 C.Fn I-6 This option, Safety Shift, allows your camera to change an exposure setting without your expressed permission when it is vital to getting the shot. This is a very good thing in certain situations, such as when shooting at a concert and the lighting and lighting levels are changing erratically and proper exposure may be out of range based on your aperture or shutter speed setting. It only functions in Tv and Av modes. I would enable it. recommend: 1 C.Fn I-7 This setting determines the flash sync shutter speed setting or range that will be selected by the camera when using a flash (internal or external) in Av mode. This really depends on your use and experience with a flash, and whether or not you are using a tripod. 0 will choose a wide range, which may give you a 1 second or even slower shutter speed, which will obviously be too long to hand-hold. 1 will keep it in a more reasonable range for hand holding, but won't allow you to drag the shutter beyond 1/60s. 2 keeps it fixed at the camera's sync speed of 1/250 at all times. I use 0: Auto but must then keep a close eye on the shutter speed to make sure it doesn't get too slow. But if you have less experience with flash and with shooting, it would be wise to keep it on 1. recommend: 1 C.Fn II: Image C.Fn II-1 This setting is for the camera to apply noise reduction to long exposures, just at the title says. It does this by taking a blank image right after you take your image, for the same length of time as your image. It then compares where the noise is on your image and on the blank image, and then cancels it out. It will most likely then be a much more accurate noise reduction than any attempt in Photoshop. If you typically take long exposures, especially at high ISOs, you should determine if you want to apply this sometimes when the camera thinks it should, setting 1; or all the time, setting 2. Note that if you take a 10 second exposure, the noise reduction will take a second 10 second blank exposure and you will not be able to take another picture until it is complete. I never take long exposures, so I leave it off. If you sometimes take them, I suggest you set it on 1 so that it functions when you need it to. recommend: 1 C.Fn II-2 This reduces noise that appears due to using high ISO speeds. This type of noise appears at all shutter speeds when using high ISO settings, so it is not the same as the above setting. I try to avoid high ISO speeds (1600 or above) but I think you will find the 60D produces acceptable noise at 1600. I'm not sure how effective this setting is vs. using noise reduction in Photoshop, so I suggest experimenting to see if it is worth using. In the mean time, set it for 0. Note that setting it for strong will decrease you maximum burst capability. recommend: 0 C.Fn II-3 This setting improves the details seen in highlights and helps preventing them from being overexposed or blown out. It shifts the dynamic range to the brighter end, so you sacrifice some detail in the shadows. It is worth using in certain situations, such as photographing a wedding dress or something very bright where you don't wish to loose the subtle details. However, you probably don't want it on all the time. I would put it in your My Menu so you remember it is there to use when you need it. Note that when you enable this, the camera will disable Auto Lighting Optimizer and will limit your ISO range to 200-6400. recommend: 0 - but put in My Menu C.Fn III: Autofocus/ Drive C.Fn III-1 This setting tells the camera what to do when it is unable to find focus. It either keeps trying, 0; or it stops trying, 1. I suggest you have it stop trying and either manually focus to help the camera find the right range to work in, manually select your focus point and aim it where you want it, find something with more contrast to focus on, or realize that you are too close to your subject to focus. recommend: 1 C.Fn III-2 This setting is for telling your camera how you wish to choose your autofocus (AF) point - whether you have to press the AF button first and then select the point with the multicontroller, or whether you select the point directly with the multicontroller. First, I recommend that you always manually select your focus points so that the camera focuses on what you want it to focus on, not on the closest object or what it thinks you wish to focus on. So that being said, it is much easier to just use the multicontroller directly, as setting 1 allows. If you wish to switch to automatic AF point selection, then press the AF button. recommend: 1 C.Fn III-3 This sets whether the active AF point lights up or not when focus is achieved. You definitely want the point to light up so that you know which point is the active one, and that focus has been achieved, so turn this on, 0. recommend: 0 C.Fn III-4 This setting is to enable or disable the the autofocus assist beam, which is a flash of light emitted from the internal or external flash to help the camera focus on the subject. I suggest enabling it, setting 0 unless you are in a situation where it is too distracting in some way. If you never use the internal flash and just a Speedlite, set it on 2. Make sure the Speedlite's custom functions has it turned on too. recommend: 0 C.Fn III-5 This is the mirror lockup that you read about from landscape and macro photographers. By enabling it you reduce that extra little bit of vibration that may cause slight blurring with a long lens or a macro lens. It is only worth using in conjunction with a remote shutter release or the self timer. You definitely don't want to use it all the time, so disable it, and put it in your My Menu if you need it sometimes. recommend: 0 C.Fn IV: Operation/ Others C.Fn IV-1 This is used to change the function assigned to the shutter button when it is pressed halfway, the AF Start button, and the AE Lock button (the one with *). The default setting is that focus and exposure are both locked when you press the shutter button halfway. You then recompose if necessary and fully press the shutter to take your photo. The problem with this is that if you recompose, the exposure may change due to your new framing, and the photo may be slightly, or possibly greatly under or over exposed. To prevent this, you can use the AE lock, exposure lock button, to lock in the exposure of your desired framing:

compose (frame) your image in the viewfinder as you want it
press the * button to lock this exposure
move the camera as necessary to get your subject at the chosen focus point
press the shutter button down halfway to lock that focus
then recompose back to the original framing, the framing you had when your pressed the * button and fully press the shutter button.
note that this all must occur within a certain time frame or the exposure lock is canceled. You will know this happens if the lit up info in your viewfinder turns off.

Another way to do this is to reassign the AF Start button to AF lock but keep the AE (exposure metering) linked to the full shutter press. This allows you to lock the focus as you want it, and the exposure is determined when you take the shot, so it is correct. To work this way, you need to set the shutter button to Metering+AF Start and the AF button to AF Stop. This setup will allow you to use the camera as you always have, in the default manner of the shutter button locking focus and exposure when pressed halfway. And as describe above, the * button functions as before, locking exposure at any time when pressed. But it also gives you the option of locking focus independent of exposure metering. It is the best of both worlds, and I use it all the time. It is a one of the methods of what is called back-button focusing. To operate this way:

press the shutter button halfway to start focus on your subject - you can let your finger off it if desired
press and hold the AF Start button - focus is locked at this distance no matter where you aim the camera or press the shutter button halfway or fully as long as you hold down this button
compose your photo as desired and press the shutter button fully, while your thumb is still holding the AF Start button, and proper exposure is determined when you take the photo

Confusing? Hey, you're the one who bought the 60D and spent all that extra money for these extra features. This is where the power of the 60D lies, in these Custom Functions, so it should be worth your while to learn and use them! This link to Canon explains the various back button focus options in depth. They may be slightly different for the 60D so search for an updated article if you wish. recommend: default settings unless you wish to experiment with back-button focus or other options C.Fn IV-2 This assigns the SET button to whatever function to wish, maybe the one you use most often. If you miss having a white balance, WB, button on the camera, set it to 3. Otherwise the most useful setting would probably be the electronic level setting, 5. However, since we set Custom Function III-2 to 1, this button actually now won't do anything except select your central focus point, so just leave it at 0. recommend: 0 C.Fn IV-3 This gives you the option of reversing the shutter speed and aperture settings as you rotate the main dial and quick control dial. I think Nikon dials work the opposite of Canon dials, so this is useful to those who recently switched from one to the other, or who work with both. Otherwise, leave it at 0. recommend: 0 C.Fn IV-4 This is for if you install and are using an optional focusing screen. Set it to the one you installed, otherwise leave as is. The Ef-D screen with the grid would have been nice to have been standard with the 60D, or at least the built in light up grid like the 7D has. Too bad. recommend: 0 C.Fn IV-5 This is used for medical or law enforcement type work, so leave as is. recommend: 0 Menu Settings Shooting 1 Quality Either just RAW (highest quality) if you shoot RAW, or the highest quality, largest JPG if you shoot JPG, or both combined. Beep Disable - very annoying. Release shutter... Disable. Please. You do not want to take 800 images of your niece's wedding and discover there was no memory card in your camera. Image Review Your preference. I leave it off to save batteries, then hit the Play button quickly and instinctively when I want to chimp. Peripheral illumination... Disable unless you have an issue with vignetting with a particular lens. Maybe put in My Menu if you sometimes need it. Red-Eye Disable and see if you have a red-eye problem when you use flash, then if so, enable. Flash Control Varies with user and use. Shooting 2 Exposure compensation You can use the Quick Control Dial for exp. comp., but you need to access this for bracketing (AEB). Put in My Menu if you bracket often, such as for HDR shooting. Auto Lighting Optimizer Disable so that the camera isn't doing something with your exposures without you having control over it. Learn to meter and use your histogram to make proper exposures. Picture Style User preference - not needed if you shoot in RAW. White Balance Put this on your My Menu since there is no dedicated button for it on this camera. Leave on AWB most of the time, especially if you shoot RAW. Learn to creatively use the other WB settings though. Custom White Balance For advanced users only. Particularly handy for studio shots where the lighting will remain consistent. WB Shift See above. Color Space Leave on sRGB. Read the various posts and forums and books that endlessly debate this. Then continue to leave it on sRGB. Shooting 3 Dust Delete Data Hopefully you won't need this because your sensor stays clean. ISO Auto set to Max 1600 or 3200 unless you have a specific need for really high ISO. Shooting 4 Live View Enable, unless you never plan to use this. AF Mode User preference. Accuracy (Live Mode) vs. Speed (Quick Mode). Grid Display Grid 1 for the Rule of Thirds grid to help keep your framing straight and your compositions interesting. Aspect Ratio 3:2 unless you want to change it for video of experimentation. Exp. Sim Enable to see the actual brightness of the final image. Silent Shooting Disable unless you want to be quieter (Mode 1) or super-sneaky (Mode 2). Metering Timer 16 sec. unless you take a long time to compose and set up your shot, such as perhaps a landscape or studio shooter, then increase it accordingly. Playback 1 Protect Images Don't typically need. Rotate Rarely if ever need. Sometimes could be helpful if you take a shot looking up or down and the camera gets the orientation wrong. But not a difficult fix in the computer. Erase Images Careful, don't erase the wrong one! Easier just to use the Delete Button on the camera for single images. And you should be using Format to erase all the images on the card. Print order Does anyone actually print straight from their camera? Creative Filters Have fun! Play around! Resize Could be useful if you need to quickly output a bunch of smaller files. RAW Image Proc. Could be useful if you need to quickly output a bunch of processed files. Playback 2 Highlight alert Enable! Please! This is how you can immediately see that you've blown your highlights when you review your images on the LCD. AF Point Display Enable. This shows you which focus point was used, visible when you review your image on your LCD. It is that strange, tiny little red square that catches your eye on top your image on the LCD. Histogram Brightness, unless you have lots of experience and knowledge and can make use of the RGB histograms. Image Jump 10 images is a useful setting. May vary by user. Use your Quick Control Dial to scroll through images one by one, and the Main Dial to jump 10 ahead or behind. Slide Show Seems like a lot of effort for a tiny slideshow. Rating Could be useful, but easier and quicker to do in Adobe Bridge. Control over HDMI Disable. Consult your manual for more info. if you want to view your images on your TV, which by the way is really cool. Set-up 1 Auto power off 8 min. sounds like a good number. Just tap the Shutter Release Button to wake up the camera. Auto Rotate On (Camera and Computer) - saves you lots of time later. If you like seeing your images bigger but sideways on your LCD, set it to On (Computer). Format Use this to erase all the images on your memory card. You should do this every time. Put this in My Menu. File Numbering Continuous. Select Folder Use as needed, if ever. Eye-Fi Consult manual if you use an Eye-Fi card. Set-up 2 LCD brightness User preference. Leave in the middle, or perhaps a little brighter and see how it works for you. Date/Time Set as needed Language Set as needed Video system NTSC in the US, PAL in Europe Sensor cleaning Enable Auto Cleaning so that the sensor cleaning happens every time you turn your camera on or off. Lock Disable if you use the big dial (Quick Control Dial) for exposure compensation, as you should. Enable if you have issues with the dial moving inadvertently. Set-up 3 Battery info Cool, huh! Register your batteries and keep tabs on their performance. INFO button User preference, depending on which screen you access most often. Camera user settings Set your camera to the settings you would use in an emergency, when you might see a shot you need to grab. Maybe Av mode with your aperture on 4.0, ISO at 200, drive mode to multiple shots, metering to Evaluative, AI Focus, AWB, JPG+RAW. Now register these settings using this menu item. Then in an emergency when you have no time to make changes to your settings, rotate your Mode Dial to C and your camera will be at these settings. Copyright info Enter your info. This will now be part of your images' metadata. Clear all No! Don't touch! We just put in all the settings you want! Firmware Ver. Be sure to check the Canon website and update to the latest firmware. Hey, maybe they added AF Microadjustment to the 60D, or fixed that annoying problem that every 60D owner discovered. My Menu Use this to create your own custom menu with some of the settings you use most often. I mentioned some of the possibilities above. You can also add items from most all of the menus and C.Fn menus. Determine what other settings you are digging into the menus to look for and change most often, and put them in My Menu, such as maybe Flash Control, White Balance, Auto Lighting Optimizer, and Format. I recommend you include Format since you should re-format your memory card each time you start again, and not just Erase All. However, put Format lower down in My Menu, and always move the cursor away from Format when you are done and leaving My Menu so that you don't have a tragic memory card accident. Also, be sure to set it so that My Menu appears first when you hit the Menu button. Do this in My Menu Settings - Display From My Menu: Enable Wow! That was thorough! I just saved you a s**t-ton of time and effort and taught you more about your camera than you would have learned from the guy at the photo store or from a month of using it! I put a lot of time and effort into reading the 60D manual and determining these settings through use and experience with the 7D and 50D. (Yeah, new models always seem so different, so improved, but guess what? These cameras' features and menus are all pretty much the same!). This was intended to be a major part of an eBook on the 60D that I was going to sell, but now you have all this info for free! Please consider a small donation to help support my work. Please? How much was that s**t-ton of time worth that I just saved you? Click on the "Donate" guy at the left or see the top Donate menu, to donate through PayPal. (It will say something about Donate to Doug's Peru Work on the PayPal screen, but that is because I don't know how to update that.) Thanks!

Exposure Lock and Back-Button Focusing

dojoklo — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

When I got my first dSLR camera, I went through the manual and tried to absorb how and why to use all the buttons, controls, and menu items. I was about to head off to Peru for three months and I wanted to make sure I was going to be able to use it properly and get the most out of it right from the start. For some reason it seemed odd to me that when you pressed the shutter button half-way both the focus AND the exposure were locked in. I had never used an auto-focus SLR before, and always thought of focusing and setting the exposure as two separate acts. Based on my experience with a digital point and shoot, I knew I often focused on the subject with the middle square (this was several years ago, when point and shoot focus modes weren't very well developed) and then recomposed to take the final shot. With a dSLR, I thought to myself, wouldn't the exposure change between the framing where I locked in the focus and exposure, and the final framing? Even if using the other focus points of the dSLR and not just the center focus point, I found that my subjects rarely sat right under a focus point and I was often recomposing. I asked a few dSLR users about this, and they looked at me as if I had a Rocket Blower growing out of my head. They didn't seen to encounter or consider this problem. So I dug into the manual and the (very helpful) David Busch digital SLR guide and discovered I could overcome this issue with exposure lock. Indeed, this was a real issue that was addressed by dSLR controls, and I wasn't out of my mind!

Auto Draft

dojoklo — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Your World 60D The Still Photographer's Guide to Operation and Image Creation With the Canon EOS 60D

dojoklo — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Nikon D7000 Experience - The Still Photographer's Guide to Operation and Image Creation is an eBook user's guide and tutorial for the new Nikon D7000, to be available in early 2011. Learn to use your D7000, quickly and competently, to create the types of images you want to capture. The Nikon D7000 is an advanced tool, and this guide will explain how to start to use it to its full potential and help you begin to take control of your camera, the image taking process, and the photos you create. This instant download Nikon D7000 book is for those who wish to get more out of their camera and to go beyond Auto and Program modes and shoot in A mode and S mode. To get you started, it will include explanations and recommended settings for all Menu settings, Cusotm Settings, and Movie Mode Menu settings of the D7000. It will cover basic dSLR camera functions and exposure concepts for those new to digital SLR photography, and explain more advanced camera controls and operation, such as using the various metering modes and exposure compensation for correct exposure of every image, controlling autofocus modes and focus points for sharp focus of still or moving subjects, and utilizing dramatic depth of field for professional looking photographs. You can preview Nikon D7000 Experience at the following link. (Please note the preview text is not yet fully edited.) The preview shows the Table of Contents and Introduction, a sample D7000 Menu Settings page, a sample D7000 Custom Settings page, and a sample text page. http://www.dojoklo.com/writing/Nikon_D7000_Experience-Preview.pdf Nikon D7000 Experience will not only cover the various settings, functions and controls of the Nikon D7000, but it will also explain when and why to use them for your photography. And it will describe every D7000 Menu setting and Custom Setting, with recommended settings to get you started quickly, including Movie Mode menu settings. Note that it will focus on still-photography and not video except for a brief introduction to video menus and settings to get you up and running. Sections will include:

Setting Up Your D7000 - All of the D7000 Custom Settings and Menu settings, including movie mode menus, with brief descriptions and recommended settings for practical, everyday use. Set up and customize the advanced features of your dSLR to work best for the way you photograph.
Aperture Priority Mode (A) and Shutter Priority Mode (S) - How and when to use them to create dramatic depth of field or to freeze or express motion.
Auto Focusing Modes and Area Modes and Release (Drive) Modes - How they differ, how and when to use them to capture sharp images of both still and moving subjects. Also how and when to use focus lock.
Exposure Metering Modes of the Nikon D7000 - How they differ, how and when to use them for correct exposures in every situation. Also how to make use of exposure lock.
Histograms, Exposure Compensation, Bracketing, and White Balance - Understanding and using these features for adjusting to the proper exposure in challenging lighting situations.
Composition - Brief tips, techniques, and explanations, including the creative use of depth of field.
The Image Taking Process - A descriptive tutorial for using the settings and controls you just learned to take photos.
Photography Accessories - The most useful accessories for day-to-day and travel photography
Introduction to Video Settings - Some basic settings to get you started

This digital guide to the Nikon D7000 will be a 40+ page, text-only PDF document that builds upon the information found in the D7000 manual, to help one begin to master their dSLR and learn to use the Nikon D7000 to its full capabilities! It is packed with helpful information applicable to the new and intermediate dSLR photographer - to begin to turn you into an advanced digital photographer! Doug Klostermann is a travel, culture, and humanitarian photographer dedicated to documenting the work of international aid organizations. He has photographed for numerous organizations in Latin America and the United States, been recognized by the United Nations Development Programme for his humanitarian photography, and been published in magazines and books including Conde Nast Traveler, Sherman's Travel, South American Explorer, and Viva Travel Guides. Doug is a member of the National Press Photographers Association. Learn more about photography equipment and techniques on his blog Picturing Change at http://dojoklo.wordpress.com/ Author: Douglas Klostermann Format: PDF - Instant Download - can be read on your computer and iPad, plus printed on your printer. Page Count: 50+ Price: $11.99

dojoklo — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Picturing Change http://dojoklo.wordpress.com/2011/01/02/nikon-d7000-book-and-users-guide/

dojoklo — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

See it on Amazon

dojoklo — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

www.dojoklo.com

dojoklo — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Have a look at a couple of blog posts I wrote about choosing lenses: Should you Buy the Kit Lens Best Lenses for Travel Photography

dojoklo — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

See my blog post discussing this at Picturing Change.

dojoklo — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

See my blog post where I discuss this lens.

Packing, Preparing, Procrastinating...

dojoklo — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 16:48:04 +0000

I am getting ready for my departure in a week...consolidating my life into two, probably three suitcases...amazed at how much space stuff occupies... Please view my "Modest Request" and "Fruits of My Labor" pages above. Permethrin and Mosquito Net

donate-guy03

dojoklo — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 18:38:35 +0000

Portfolio

dojoklo — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 18:51:51 +0000

Please visit my photography website at www.dojoklo.com

About

dojoklo — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 19:03:03 +0000

Contact Doug at: doug@dojoklo.com "I strongly believe that launching yourself into the world, putting yourself face to face with other people, on their turf, where you have to account for yourself on unfamiliar terms, is a noble way to live and to move ahead as a human being." (a quote by travel writer and creator of the world's first travel blog, Jeff Greenwald) Doug Klostermann is a travel, culture, and humanitarian photographer dedicated to documenting the work of international aid organizations. He is based in Cambridge, MA, and is also available as a photographer of local people, places and events and as a digital photography instructor. Doug's photo portfolio can be viewed at www.dojoklo.com. photo by Laura S. Subramanian He has photographed and contributed images to numerous NGOs, non-profits, and volunteer organizations who have used his photography for documentation, publications, outreach, and fundraising. He was recently recognized by the United Nations Development Programme - International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth for his humanitarian photography in Peru. Organizations and clients he has worked with include: Aldea Yanapay - Cusco, Peru Fairplay - Cusco, Peru Manos Unidas - Cusco, Peru Ventanas Abiertas(Open Windows) - San Miguel Dueñas, Guatemala West Side YMCA - New York ArtsWestchester - New York Get Your Guts in Gear - New York Soy Andina - Documentary Film, marketing and publicity One for the Books - New Jersey Ayni - Piura, Peru Living in Peru Online Magazine - LivinginPeru.com Acción Ambiental - Portugal/ Cusco, Peru GAP Adventures - New York City Store PromPeru - Peru Tourism Commission Photoshare - Assisting non-profits through photography Cambridge Local First - Independent Business Association, Cambridge, MA City of Cambridge, Massachusetts Humane Society of the U.S. / All Animals Magazine Doug has done extensive volunteer work in Peru with organizations dedicated to improving the lives and futures of disadvantaged children, and has worked with immigrants in the U.S. pursuing naturalization. His photos have been published in magazines including Conde Nast Traveler, Sherman's Travel, and South American Explorer, and his travel writing and photos can be seen in online magazines including Photoburst, inTravel, Living in Peru, Adventure Life, Traveling Stories, Travelmag, and Viva Travel Guides. His images were selected for the A Day in the Life - Brooklyn exhibit, have been displayed at The Times Center at the New York Times, Brooklyn Borough Hall, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the gallery at G.A.P. Adventures, and are in the permanent collection of the Brooklyn Historical Society. Doug is also a contributor to Photoshare, an organization which helps international non-profit organizations communicate health and development issues through photography. Doug holds a degree in Architecture from the University of Notre Dame, where he also pursued studies in photography, art, and art history. Doug is a member of the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) and practices the NPPA Code of Ethics, and is a proud member of Cambridge Local First. Learn more about me in my interview on 10Q - Interviews with Humanitarian Photographers. To learn more, discuss an assignment, license photos, purchase prints, or join the mailing list, please contact Doug at doug@dojoklo.com. Please view his photos at www.dojoklo.com. All content and images on Picturing Change, http://dojoklo.wordpress.com, Copyright 2008-2011 - Douglas J. Klostermann, unless otherwise noted. Content may not be reproduced without expressed, written permission from the author.

Permethrin + Mosquito Net

dojoklo — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 19:23:57 +0000

Resources

dojoklo — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 20:41:47 +0000

Map by Diego Gutierrez, 1562 - Peabody Museum, Harvard My 40 Tips for Better Travel Photography, a handout from my lectures. It isn't quite the same without the slideshow of example images and more complete explanations, but if you are familiar with basic photography and camera functions, you should be able to understand it. http://www.dojoklo.com/DJKTravelPhotoTips.doc Doug's Guide to Cusco, Peru - recommended places to stay, eat, visit, and shop! http://www.dojoklo.com/CuscoPlacesToVisit.doc A downloadable, Word version of the following list - Fruits of my Labor: http://www.dojoklo.com/FruitsofMyLabor.doc Fruits of my Labor: Photos My website, with wonderful photos of Peru can be viewed at http://www.dojoklo.com Photos from my 2007 trip to Peru, including volunteering at Aldea Yanapay, Cusco can be seen here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dojoklo/collections/72157600540497203/ Aldea Yanapay My essay about volunteering at Aldea Yanapay, Cusco in June, 2007: http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/view/1026012/ Another wonderful essay about Aldea Yanapay by American volunteers Sasha and Andrea, 2006: http://www.volunteersouthamerica.net/vsa_sacha_andrea.htm And the site for Aldea Yanapay: http://www.aldeayanapay.org Volunteering in South America This is the best website for researching free and low cost volunteering opportunities in South America: http://www.volunteersouthamerica.net/ The South American Explorer’s Club is also a tremendous resource for traveling and volunteering in South America, although you have to be a member to access some content. If you plan on spending an extended period in South America, or making return visits, a membership will be invaluable. Their clubhouses are a true home away from home for me: http://www.saexplorers.org Digital and Travel Photography Books - be sure to purchase these through my Amazon.com store here, or go directly to Amazon.com here. Purchasing through these links will help support my work. See my post Essential Books for Digital Photography for an updated list and descriptions. Within the Frame by David duChemin - a photo book focusing on vision and creativity rather than f-stops and apertures. Visionmongers by David duChemin - a helpful guide to those who want to join the craft of photography with the commerce of making a living with photography. David D. Busch’s Guides to Digital Photography – excellent, in depth and easy to understand manuals for specific cameras, such as: David Busch's Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D (or your model) Guide to Digital SLR Photography The Digital Photography Book, Volumes 1, 2 and 3 by Scott Kelby – straightforward pro tips for every aspect of digital photography from lighting to Photoshop. Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition) by Bryan Peterson Learning to See Creatively: Design, Color & Composition in Photography (Updated Edition) by Bryan Peterson National Geographic Field Guides for Photography – There are several great books in this series, and I especially like the advice and behind the scenes stories from the pros. Rick Sammon's Travel and Nature Photography by Rick Sammon Rick Sammon's Complete Guide to Digital Photography 2.0 by Rick Sammon Spirit of Place: The Art of the Traveling Photographer by Bob Krist – one of the masters of travel photography. Waiting for the Light by David Noton – Breathtaking landscape photos all demonstrating the importance of patience and light. Also includes some great travel pictures and bits of practical advice for capturing these kinds of images. Portraits by Steve McCurry – Stunning portraits of people from all over the globe, capturing the “unguarded moment,” by a renowned National Geographic photographer. Peru by Robert Frank – Beautiful photos of campesinos and landscapes of Andean Peru. While the subjects are often the indigenous people, the visual approach and sparseness of the images also strongly captures a sense of the land and the environment where they lived and worked. What is also astonishing is the timelessness of these photos, in that the dress and the places remain largely unchanged in many rural areas of Peru. One could capture many of these images today - all they need is the talent, sensibilities, and eye of Robert Frank! An inspiring must-view for any photographer traveling to Peru. Books - be sure to purchase these through my Amazon.com store here, or go directly to Amazon.com here. Purchasing through these links will help support my work. (many of these books fit in several categories, so it is a bit arbitrary) History: 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann – Turns out everything we learned in school was completely wrong, and that the real story is much more fascinating. The Conquest of the Incas by John Hemming – A historical account that is actually a page-turner as Pizarro and his tiny band make their way to Cusco and conquer Peru. A Sacred Landscape: The Search for Ancient Peru by Hugh Thomson – A physical and historical journey through the pre-Inca civilizations of Peru. Turns out I unknowingly followed in the author’s footsteps to many of these sites, and I even met some of the people in this book! The White Rock by Hugh Thompson – An exploration of the Inca civilization, as well as contemporary Peru, by a true modern day explorer. Lords of Sipan: A Tale of Pre-Inca Tombs, Archaeology, and Crime by Sidney D. Kirkpatrick – Read this true story first if you are going to be visiting the Sipan site in northern Peru Culture: The Peru Reader: History, Culture, Politics – A collection of writings that serves as a good introduction to many aspects of Peru then and now. Cusco Tales by Richard Nesbit – A hilarious collection of stories about the “side of Cusco you won’t find in the guidebooks.” Hidden Threads of Peru: Q'ero Textiles by Anne Pollard Rowe and John Cohen – A beautifully illustrated book about the rich and complex textile tradition of the Q'ero people, an isolated indigenous community in the Peruvian Andes. It includes insightful stories about the people, their lives, and traditions, as well as great black and white photos by John Cohen from his many trips to the communities. One River by Wade Davis – The author is an ethnobotanist and an excellent writer, who tells two intertwined tales of his own explorations in the Amazon in the 1970s and those of his mentor, Richard Evans Schultes, a generation earlier. They were both interested in the psychoactive and medicinal properties of the region’s plants, and the cultures that use them. One chapter tells the fascinating story of missionaries portrayed in the books and movies End of the Spear and Beyond the Gates of Splendor. Shadows in the Sun: Travels to Landscapes of Spirit and Desire by Wade Davis – A collection of stories spanning the globe, but all focused around the theme of the importance of preserving the world’s diverse cultures and their knowledge and beliefs. Including a fascinating chapter about the history and future of rubber, including the little known Fordlandia – an entire town and immense operation set up by Henry Ford in the middle of the Brazilian jungle with the goal of breaking his dependence on foreign rubber supplies. Fiction: Captain Pantoja and the Special Service by Mario Vargas Llosa – A side-splitting book about “servicing” the army stationed in the Amazon. Also has been made into a movie a couple times (see below). Death in the Andes by Mario Vargas Llosa – A somber story of civil guards sent into the Andes to investigate disappearances during the period of the Shining Path. The Golden Serpent by Ciro Alegria – “…a poetic description of the daily life of a small village on the bank of the mighty Marañon River in north-central Peru. …the nineteen chapters are a series of stories or related episodes told by the narrator, Lucas Vilca, a raftsman and farmer of the Calemar Valley.” (description from enotes.com) Fordlandia by Eduardo Sguiglia – A historical novel that takes place in Henry Ford’s actual town in the jungle of Brazil. The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder – "On Friday noon, July the twentieth, 1714, the finest bridge in all Peru broke and precipitated five travelers into the gulf below." A monk witnesses this, and seeks to learn more about those who perished. Exploration and Adventure: The Mapmaker’s Wife by Robert Whitaker – Two somewhat different but related true stories from 18th Century South America. The first follows a French scientific expedition sent to South America to measure and determine the exact shape of the Earth. The author in effect takes an old map that one might encounter in a museum and brings to life the interesting story and real people behind its making. The second part is the twenty year quest of one of the scientists and his Peruvian wife to reunite, including her harrowing ordeal as the sole survivor of her expedition through the Amazon jungle. Humboldt's Cosmos by Gerard Helferich – a captivating narrative of Alexander Von Humboldt's five-year journey of exploration across South America at the turn of the 19th Century. He was a scientist with an insatiable desire to learn, chart, measure, collect, explore, and discover. He climbed some of the world's highest peaks, traveled deep into the Amazon, and in the process advanced numerous branches of science. Exceedingly well researched and written, and highly recommended. The River of Doubt by Candice Millard – The true account of Theodore Roosevelt’s post-presidential trip to South America and his near fatal journey mapping a treacherous river in the Brazilian Amazon, now called the Rio Rooselvelt. A well told adventure story. Voyage Up the River Amazon by W.H. Edwards – A thoroughly enjoyable account of travels through the Brazilian Amazon in 1846. “His narrative beams with the joy of discovery,” and will leave you wanting to experience the people and places that are now long gone. His writing style reflects his time, yet is somehow still fresh and fascinating. Trail of Feathers: In Search of the Birdmen of Peru by Tahir Shah – A generally true detective story as the author attempts to discover whether the Incas were really able to fly like birds over the Amazon jungle, or whether they were experiencing drug-induced hallucinations. A great primer on the true purpose of ayahuasca. Spanish Language Books and Tapes The Ultimate Spanish Review and Practice by Ronni L. Gordon and David M. Stillman 501 Spanish Verbs by Christopher Kendris and Theodore Kendris – The must-have reference book which frightens even native speakers. Breaking out of Beginner’s Spanish by Joseph J. Keenan – The antidote to all the other language reference books. Foreign Service Institute – Programmatic Spanish Course – Spanish tapes to train diplomats, dating from the late 1960’s. Arguably still the best course available, and free! http://www.fsi-language-courses.com/ Plus, as you listen to the tapes, you can just imagine the government men, in dark blue suits at metal desks, cigarette smoke in the air, as they all learned to say, in Spanish: “Really? What’s her name?” “Her name is Nora.” “But - - isn’t she married?” “No. Nora is single. The married one is Maria.” “Of course. Maria is the older one.” Makes you envious of the fabulous cocktail parties they were training for… Movies Baraka – An astonishing and moving portrait of our planet, “…a dazzling barrage of images that transcend language. Filmed in 24 countries and set to an ever-changing global soundtrack.” I first saw this with the kids of Yanapay, which was an amazing experience in and of itself. The Fall of Fujimori – A wonderful documentary about Peru’s former president Alberto Fujimori: his rise to power, his successes including defeating the country’s terrorists, and his fall. I watched it three times in two days. Paloma de Papel (Paper Dove) – A realistic portrayal of an Andean town’s struggle against the Shining Path guerrillas, as seen through the eyes of a young boy. Fitzcarraldo – The story of an opera obsessed wanna-be rubber baron in the Amazon at the turn of the century. The director of this movie mirrors the obsession of the character, and actually attempts to carry a steamboat over a mountain, without special effects. Does he succeed? Watch and see! A very different type of film-making than what we are used to. Burden of Dreams - The making of Fitzcarraldo, where you can witness the insanity of Herzog and Kinski, and have a behind the scenes look at the incredible jungle settings and the indigenous extras. A must see if you've watched Fitzcarraldo. Pantaleon y las Visitadores (Captain Pantoja and the Special Service) - A nice and accurate version of the Mario Vargas Llosa book. Doesn't focus on the M*A*S*H (movie) style humor found in the book, but the characters are very much as I envisioned them - with Angie Cepeda as steamy as the air in Iquitos. Tinta Roja - Set in contemporary Lima, an intern at a tabloid newspaper learns from his rough-edged mentor and gains success, but at what cost? Then suddenly their work and their lives collide! It all sounds contrived, but is very successfully presented and enjoyable to watch. The Mission - 18th Century South America, the Spanish, the Portuguese, the Jesuits, the indigenous Guarani, Iguazu Falls, Robert DeNiro...a beautiful epic of a tragic history. Also has a great "making of" disc focusing on the indigenous Waunana actors. The Dancer Upstairs - An intelligent, well-considered movie, directed by John Malkovich, based on the book by Nicholas Shakespeare. The story of this intense drama revolves around the pursuit and capture of the leader of the Shining Path, with several scenes based on actual events. Soy Andina - www.soyandina.com A documentary by a friend I met at the SAE’s clubhouse when I first came to Peru to volunteer. A story of traditional dance and reconnecting with one’s roots, best described by Carolina Huaranca: "This film fully embraces Peru's culture, traditions, and ethnic diversity. It not only helps re-ignite cultural pride amongst Peruvians-Americans from all walks of life, it encourages dialogue across all cultures." Music The Rough Guide – Music of the Andes Fiestas: Music of the High Andes (Explorer Series – Peru) Kingdom of the Sun: The Inca Heritage (Explorer Series – Peru) Inkuyo – Land of the Incas Andean Legacy Treasures of Indio Music, vol. 1-6 Any Grupo Cinco cd, preferably purchased at Molino in Cusco

peru-map

dojoklo — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 21:07:44 +0000

ay-girls-and-me

dojoklo — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 13:47:19 +0000

Radiant blues, yellows, reds, and greens

dojoklo — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 03:53:36 +0000

If you are in or near New York City, don't miss this amazing exhibit on display at the Met until Sept. 1, 2008:

Radiance from the Rain Forest: Featherwork in Ancient Peru

See more of my photos from it HERE. It inspired me to get a bunch of colorful (non-Amazonian artificially dyed turkey) feathers to bring along for craft projects!

And don't forget to check out my "Modest Request" and "Fruits of My Labor" pages above!

race2007-30

dojoklo — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:25:21 +0000

Limited Hammock Accommodations

dojoklo — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:46:41 +0000

I just reserved a hammock, for September, on the support boat for The Great River Amazon Raft Race 2008! There are the luxury accommodations for viewing the race on the "Dawn on the Amazon III," the half price accommodations on the "Dawn on the Amazon I," and then there are the cramped, uncomfortable accommodations aboard the support boat, where I reserved a spot. This should be an incredible opportunity for photos and stories...plus a really cheap Amazon cruise! Actual hammocks on the support boat of last year's race. Photo by Niko Kyriakou. His wonderful story of the race and additional photos (such as "Raft number 13 before the storm tore it apart on Friday") are HERE HERE is a nice blog entry about the race by Bill Grimes.

Volver a Cusco

dojoklo — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:20:41 +0000

Coca leaves I have safely arrived in Cusco, and have started to settle back into life here. I endured a self-inflicted 6 hour layover at the Lima airport, and after 11 departures and arrivals to that airport, I still don´t know who its namesake, Jorge Chavez, is. The scenery on the flight to Cusco was incredible, with snow-capped mountains poking through the clouds right below us. My first day included a visit to the Spanish school to take care of the paperwork, plus a surprise test to measure my level. Even without much sleep, I think I did as well as I could. I shopped for some groceries and necessities, and discovered they were out of my favorite Quaker chocolate porridge. Sadly, the next day, even the little tag for the chocolate variety was gone. And, as I can´t seem to buy anything without having a return, I successfully returned a faulty deodorant stick whose little wheel just spun around fruitlessly. Later the first night, the volunteer coordinator for the Pilcopata organization, Erica, came by to see me and we had dinner at the Cafe Yanapay, where I saw Yuri, the organizer of Aldea Yanapay. She seems to be doing a great job, and has the knowledge and experience to run the program. All in all, a pretty productive day for not having any real sleep for 20 hours. On Tuesday I returned to Aldea Yanapay. I was early, and as I waited outside, a woman came by to check out the place. It was virtually the same experience I had when I first visited, with me in the ´welcoming, experienced volunteer´role this time! Hopefully I´ll see her back there. Sadly, I discovered that nearly all the kids are new. I´m not sure what happened to all the kids from last year... Only Clara, the deaf girl, was there. She recognized me immediately, and ran to give me a big hug. I had printed out a huge photo of her and another girl playing jumprope, so she was thrilled when I gave her that. Yuri renovated the building next door to the school for the older kids, which seems to work out well since there are so many (adorable) little ones. My favorite little girl and her sister seem to have moved away :( So I´ve already met a ton of people - the new volunteers, people at the school and at their weekly dinner, and I can´t wait to get back into it all! Finger Puppets - perro, chanchito, penguino, mono, gato

Peru Calling

dojoklo — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 17:49:16 +0000

The Yanapay kids - Jenni, Clara, and Maria de Fatima across the top One of the amusing modes of communication here is the human pay phone. Women stand on the corners calling out ´LAMADAS, LLAMADAS!´ (CALLS, CALLS!) One approaches them and uses their cell phone, paying a half sol per minute, about 20 cents - cheaper than the pay phones on the street. So this week I was initiated into how to actually use them. You must first tell them which service you want, Movistar or Claro, as calling from one provider to the other is extremely expensive. Then they choose the appropriate phone, dial the number, hand you the phone, and time your call on a stopwatch. So if you have your own cel phone here, and you need to call someone on the other network, it is actually cheaper, and not uncommon, to use the llamadas chicas instead of your own phone! Llamadas chicas. Typically they hang out on street corners and not on yellow VW´s. Notice the long bright phone cords (and stopwatches and 2 phones each) to identify them as llamadas chicas. Every Friday at Yanapay, the kids are going to put on theatrical performances that they create during the week, revolving around the themes and goals of Yanapay: values, principles, love, non-violence, respect. This week´s performances included the older kids performing the story of Yuri starting Yanapay - to the surprise of Yuri himself! A lot of new volunteers are starting next week, and most of us are sorely lacking in Spanish fluency, so it is going to be an interesting challenge. I´m going to be working with the older kids, in a building next to the original one, with Yuri thankfully acquired as I was leaving last year, because the little kids have simply overrun the original space. In the past year, he also opened a large hostal where he now lives with the volunteers. I have requested to work one-on-one with Clara, the deaf girl, and Yuri was thrilled with the idea. I´m very concerned with what will happen to her as she gets older. Her parents, unfortunately, won´t let her attend a special school because they need her help around the house. So I´m going to be starting with sign language, which I will be learning as well! I´ll probably start this next week when there are more volunteers, as this week I will be running the art room. I got the full orientation to Yanapay this time, which was very helpful. I learned a lot more about the kids lives and the general societal problems, which are deep and overwhelming, and more about Yuri´s philosophy and approach to attempting to change the kids lives and break the cycles and attitudes, etc. Other activities of mine this week included a Peruvian dinner with the Spanish school, a Peruvian dinner with the Explorer´s club, and running around like crazy from one side of Cusco to the other and back several times a day in order to keep up with all my meetings, volunteering, and activites. There are some new photos posted on Flickr. Their color looks horrible on this computer, so I´m not sure if they are truly off or not. I´ve discovered photo management is extremely time consuming, especially with the large files from the new camera. I´ve been at it for 2.5 hours and still don´t have them up. So I´m not sure how I´m going to do it. I wrote in my essay how once outside of Cusco´s center, the buildings start to shed their facades to reaveal the earthen material beneath. It seems that some are in even more critical condition.

Los Perros de la calle de Cusco

dojoklo — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 19:58:53 +0000

Street dogs of Cusco, Peru

Animales del Zoologico de Cusco

dojoklo — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 18:17:50 +0000

No time...

dojoklo — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:52:44 +0000

Sorry that I´m not doing a good job of keeping this updated. I have so many stories and pictures from volunteering and weekend trips, but don´t have time to post it all right now... Hopefully in 2 weeks after Spanish classes are over, I can catch up.

Yanapay Presentation

dojoklo — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 00:22:37 +0000

Here´s a pic from my group´s first big presentation last week. We were singing a "greetings song" in rounds, and it actually worked!

Hiking in Ollantaytambo

dojoklo — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 16:07:54 +0000

Mi amiga Joetta told me we were going to "look at" some Inca terraces near Ollantaytambo (Oy-yan-tie-tom-bo), about an hour and a half outside of Cusco. After a few hours of hiking in the sun, crossing a rushing stream, and climbing up the steep stone steps of the terraces, I realized I had not brought enough food and water for this terrace "viewing" adventure. But there we were, hours from town, and half way up the mountainside. We ran across a local woman, herding her sheep and collecting wood. After we scared her sheep up the terraces, then snuck some photos of her, Joee ingratiated ourselves to her by saying hello and a few other words in Quechua. The woman told us about some Inca ruins further on, so we dragged ourselves forward until we were able to see them, but did not have enough energy to continue on to them. Luckily, on the way back, the woman - Sra. Ochoa - saved us from starvation with some freshly cooked choclo con queso (giant corn on the cob with goat cheese), which we ate as her angry ducks tried to protect their territory from the kittens and puppies running around our feet attempting to get the stray kernals. After we regained some strength, the woman kindly led us to a path that took us gently back down to town (where we had to negotiate a ride back to Cusco, but that´s another story...) (more photos on Flickr) the ruins in the distance, along the top of the hill running across the middle of the picture ruins of what appeared to be an ancient Inca drive-in theater

Almuerzos en Pampa del Castillo

dojoklo — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 21:49:00 +0000

The Lunches of Pampa del Castillo street. "Menu" on the signs means the economical, set lunch menu - typically with soup, a second, and a drink.

Morning Combi Ride

dojoklo — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:29:58 +0000

View From the Back of the Combi on a Previous Ride There´s always that kid on the school bus who throws up one morning. The problem is that here, the school bus is also my bus. And the bus is actaully a combi - a tiny, third-hand Toyota van with seats to hold about 18, but with standing room holds up to 25. On a side note, one morning I was one of the standing passengers on my morning ride on the Arco Iris (Rainbow). (Other combi routes include the Expreso el Zorro or Fox Express, Servicio Expresso or Express Service, El Señor de Cabildo or Lord of Cabildo, and the Batman, or...Batman, complete with bat logo). This particular combi was not one with the extended height roof, so as I was pretzeled in there, my head was in the back row, and I believe my tail was in the face of the front row. And of course I emerged with my jacket zippers mysteriously unzipped. Nevertheless, one morning, a boy proceeded to lose his breakfast. I could use my almost-award-winning-descriptive-writing-skills to tell you about the contents and spray pattern of this, but I´ll spare you the worst. Maybe I won´t. From all appearances, it seemed his mother force fed him an ENTIRE jar of grape jelly, then sent him running to the bus stop, then he enjoyed a bumpy, exhaust filled ride for a few minutes. Unfortunately he was face to face with the backwards facing kids, and one got the worst of it on his backpack. The next two to the right were hit a bit, and luckily I, standing further to the right, was spared. I reluctantly donated my USA made, 2-ply, extra soft, lint free Contonelle toilet paper to the cause, which I will probably quietly regret for the next 7 months. The girl I handed it to made a few quick wipes of her mochila, then tossed it on the floor. In shock at witnessing such a senseless act, I picked up the precious wad, made a nice ball, and placed it next to the mess on the seat, indicated to the girl sitting there that she could continue with the dirty work, which she thankfully did. Seconds later a woman came in a sat in the very seat, completely unaware of the morning´s excitement.

Not For Vegeterianos

dojoklo — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:58:19 +0000

Here are some photos from trips to various markets. Beware, some photos are not intended to be viewed by the faint of heart or vegeterians. More market photos on Flickr after the Tipon photos. Chicken feet like brilliant stars in the sky... First time I asked to take someone´s pic - I couldn´t pass it up, and then her little girl poked out just at the right moment! Meat and fish alley Sheep heads and hearts, and strong, determined woman I was taking a pic of the tail-up chicken in the cone when the legs moved! I had thought it was dead...I soon realized what was coming, and I fled. Meat section of an indoor market "A hoof in the scale"...sound like the start of a good adage... A few of the 5,000 varieties of Peruvian potatoes And dried potatoes Now don´t say i didn´t warn you... ... ... One of a table full

This Bus Doesn´t Go to Cusco? Why Are You All Laughing at Us?

dojoklo — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 01:37:34 +0000

My hiking plans for the day fell fell through, so I jumped on a bus to Pisac to see the Big Market Day. I was a little hesitant to go, after reading and hearing how it is swamped with tourists as well as little girls with cute lambs begging you to pay them to take their picture. But I was on a mission: my throat desperately needed a scarf to protect itself from the cold Cusco nights, and I wanted to get pictures of, and maybe buy, a Chancay doll. These are reproductions of burial dolls from the Nasca area desert. The modern versions are reportedly made from ancient fabrics that are found in desert burials. Apparently, you can just kick around in the sand and unearth as much burial cloth material as you desire. So the market actually wasn´t too busy, and I wandered about and successfully got a scarf and a doll from the same lady, for what turned out to be good prices and easy bargaining (perhaps I should have started lower...) I then discovered that with taking photos, the most challenging part is to crop out all the other tourists taking photos. That way you get more "authentic" photos of the market... ;) The other key is to sneak them quickly so that everyone in the picture doesn´t ask you for a propina, a tip. I eventually resorted to replying, "¿a propina para la fruta?" - "what, a tip for the fruit? I was taking a picture of the fruit!" (As always, pictures can be seen on Flickr) I then enjoyed a choclo con queso - giant corn on the cob with cheese, and a little later, a giant bread fresh from the oven. Just as I was about ready to leave, I ran into some other volunteers, Katelyn and Heather, and we went for an incredible meal at a restaurant overlooking the market square. When it was time to head back, we walked back to the bridge, and hopped on the bus with the giant CUSCO letters on the front. It took off, and after several minutes I thought, "hmmm, did any of us ask if this is going to Cusco?" It didn´t seem to be heading back up the mountain from where we came... When the ticket guy came by we discovered, no, it is continuing on to Calca. So...we had a half hour ride to Calca, and then headed back. But as fate would have it , it turned out to be good because we had seats, and by the time the bus got to Pisac, it was standing room only all the way back to Cusco. edit - Sept. 2009: A photo of mine from this trip to the market is a finalist in the Conde Nast $25,000 Dream Trip Contest! My choclo con queso with the seller in the background Chancay Dolls The ticket for the correct route back to Cusco

Buy Small and Save!

dojoklo — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:17:41 +0000

I was finally able to buy some butter at the Mega Supermercado yesterday. All last week, lots of margarine on the shelves, but no butter. I was trying to decide between a large one or a small one, attempting to recall how quickly I go through butter, when I realized that it made no economic sense to buy the large. 100 grams for 1.50s/ or 200 grams for 3.50s/. The large cost more per gram! I think I´ve noticed this with other products too. I would have a look around the Mega and do a thorough survey to confirm my hunch, but, well, it really isn´t worth my time. I guess this goes hand in hand with my previous observation that people here buy just enough for what they need for one day - no mas! Sin embargo, (my favorite Spanish phrase: "none-the-less") I see a business opportunity here: Sam´s Club Peru - buy tiny and save!

What Would Anne Sullivan Do?

dojoklo — Fri, 02 May 2008 14:23:55 +0000

At the Yanapay school there is a deaf girl, Clara. She´s a little older than most of the kids, and no one seems too sure of her situation. Does she go to school still? How much can she hear and understand? How much can she read and write? I´ve been very concerned about her and her future even since I knew her from last year, and so I told Yuri I would like to work with her one on one, maybe start to teach her sign language. He was very enthusiastic about the idea, but since I was needed to lead various rooms (art, reading, etc.) and English classes, I didn´t have the opportunity to start. I wasn´t sure if he remembered or not, but this week Yuri came into the reading room and and said, "You wanted to work with Clara, right? Here are some books, get started!" He handed me a couple archaic, baby ABC books and a new spiral notebook, and he gestured to Clara indicating that I´d be working with her. She was very pleased with her own new notebook, and we opened it up and got started. I had to think fast to start a lesson and keep her attention, as she has the habit of running off to get another pen, or an eraser, or a scissors if she is idle for a moment. What to do? What to do? Let´s see, what would Anne Sullivan do? I saw the movie once...there was a doll, a water spigot, a bad dinner scene... I wrote the alphabet down the inside margin of the first page, then made lines for her to copy each letter five times. After we made it through the alphabet, I pointed to drawings from the book and tried to have her write down the words. It became immediately obvious that she didn´t want to use and be seen using the baby books. In fact, she was very self-concious of the other kids seeing what she was doing, and covered up the page whenever other kids came near. So I started doing my own drawings. I began to see that she sort of knew the alphabet, but mostly seemed to be copying the letters and words. If I made an accidental dot or line near the letter, she meticulously copied that too. For the second lesson, I had to be prepared so that there weren´t any lulls. Since I had no books to use, I spent the afternoon making my own flash cards, with the letters on one side and a picture and word on the other. We went through the cards, copying the letters and the words. She recognized and acted out all of my drawings, even the poor ones that I thought I would have to explain. Then I had her look through magazines to find similar pictures, and cut them out and paste them and write the word again. That was so successful that we went over our time without her noticing. What I´m going to do next week, though, I´m not sure!

El Señor Tigre

dojoklo — Sat, 03 May 2008 17:25:05 +0000

Bored with making friendship bracelets, one of my art class students grabbed a paper mache mask from the shelf and put it over his face. With the skill of a true comedian, he patiently sat and waited for a reaction. I turned around, saw him in the painted tiger face, and exclaimed, "Hola, Señor Tigre!" The room erupted in laughter and that´s how Davis became Sr. Tigre. Angeline sponsored April 16 for art projects with the kids, and so her blog entry is long overdue. As head of the art room at Yanapay a few weeks ago, I was able to do my feathers project and then make friendship bracelets. On Flickr you can view the photos that I brought along for inspiration, from an exhibit at the Met of Featherwork in Ancient Peru. I prepared a presentation of the history and significance of these objects, and managed to keep their attention long enough to ask them a few questions. Doing art projects, its difficult to get them to think and work creatively, as they are so used to just copying, copying, copying in school. None the less, the class went pretty well, and we made some nice feather mosaic pictures. However, they loved making the friendship bracelets, and wanted to do that for days. The girls, for the most part, knew how to do it or else picked it up very quickly. The boys, as a whole, were hopeless, and succeeded in making a series of irregular knots. In general the boys are rowdy and disruptive for the entire three hours at Yanapay, and make a smooth, organized class impossible. So when Sr. Tigre came into the reading room this week, I wasn´t expecting to get him to concentrate and read. But surprises never cease, and when I wasn´t working with Clara, I had an amazing week reading with Davis. He gasped in awe as he read about killer whales (ballenas asesinos-murderer or assassin whales!) and traced his finger over the beautiful pictures in the book. Since he enjoyed that so much, we drew pictured of killer whales. Then we learned about all the animals besides hens which lay eggs, about polar animals, and about all the different types of trucks. He was quite impressed that I have seen, with my own eyes, el camion de salchicha (the Weiner Mobile!)

Chinchero Market and Hike (aka, How did we lose the trail?)

dojoklo — Mon, 05 May 2008 16:18:45 +0000

Enjoying chicha at the Chinchero Market The ruins at Chinchero Starting the hike from Chinchero Boys with their sheep. They asked us where we were going...In hindsight we think this is where we got distracted and "I" lost the trail! I took the lead and, hmmmm...where did the trail go? Trying to re-find the trail Pigs in training for Marathon de Chanchos! I had no idea pigs could run so fast for so long. Ruins at the lower right The long and painful (on the knees) descent Long way still to go to get to the bottom Walking through the little village at the valley floor More photos on Flickr!

We Are the World

dojoklo — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:17:42 +0000

Feliz Cumpleños a mi hermana, Lynn!! Jazmin y Marita Lots of news and developments the last few days. I just found out I will not be going to Pilcopata to volunteer in July and August. The volunteer coordinator just quit, for many many reasons, mostly based around how the organization is being run and how the money is being spent. As with so many things in Peru, it always comes down to money, and it seems the woman in charge is not behaving as a professional NGO and a legitimate non-profit. And the organization is no longer going to be sending volunteers to the jungle but will be focusing on their other project. I also just learned that I did not win the Travelocity grant for an Amazon scientific cruise, which I had hoped to go on. But that is OK because it conflicted with the Amazon River Raft Race that I will be going on. And I plan to reapply for the grant again. In other Amazon news, it the Amazon has been declared (by the Geographic Society of Lima) to be the longest river in the world. With the discovery of its true source, it is 4,388 miles in length, and beats out the Nile by 242 miles. At Yanapay, the one-on-one lessons with Clara are not going as well this week. One of the volunteers is doing elaborate face painting, so of course Clara wants to do this. And since a week of face painting is much more important than learning to read, that´s how it goes. I have been able, after ten minutes of chasing her down and persuasion, to bring her into the classroom and do 15 minutes of work. I made some worksheets to match the words with the pictures. She has yet to learn what the words mean so I want to keep this up, but it is difficult to continue making it entertaining and fun. But Sr. Tigre begged to do Clara´s worksheets. I couldn´t refuse a kid who WANTS to do homework, so he eagerly did a set of them as well. I also meet with a special needs teacher, who a Dutch speech therapist friend of mine happens to know, to try to find out what resources or path might be available for Clara. This teacher, Celeste, is an American who has lived here for four years, and has set up her own school for special needs kids. She does not work with the deaf, but has a colleague who does, and of course knows more about the system. Celeste has also worked with a young Peruvian deaf girl who has been well educated but is currently not working. She is going to try to bring this girl to Yanapay to meet with Clara and with Yuri and see if she can be set up as her teacher. The problem, of course, may be that there is no money to pay the teacher a small salary. I hope this works out, as it would be an ideal long term solution, but I´ll wait and see what happens. Geography lessons at Yanapay have been going well, and I am paired with a wonderful Swedish volunteer this week. We need to come up with our weekly presentation today, which I can only hope will incorporate the chorus to "We Are the World!" Davis (El Señor Tigre) reading with wonder and awe about planet Earth! (this is honestly not posed!) Davis eagerly does my worksheet Señor Tigre!! Cecilia teaches geography with Jasmin and Zakhia

Somos el Mundo - Aldea Yanapay

dojoklo — Sat, 10 May 2008 15:33:17 +0000

Aldea Yanapay - Mi Grupo de Amor: Arni, Roberto Iomira, Zakhia, Naysha, Jazmin, Lucero, Me Claudia, Rosy, Cecilia (not shown - Cristian) The presentation of the continents went great! I contend that Cecilia and my group was the best, most prepared, and most creative! We had a couple missing kids and a couple new kids, so we rearranged the roles at the last minute, including the lead role, and it still went great. We concluded with a song: Hanging around before the presentations Clara as a half-butterfly (marisposa) See Flickr for more photos, including more stomach-turning market photos, and a photo essay of "Nienke´s Day Out!"

Feliz Dia de la Madre!

dojoklo — Sun, 11 May 2008 09:00:37 +0000

Marilyn with tarjeta de la Dia de las Madres: "Happy Mother´s Day Mommy, you are the prettiest of all the parents, a flower that blooms in my garden. For this I love you Mom."

Ride, Ride, Ride, Hitchin´a Ride

dojoklo — Tue, 13 May 2008 16:13:31 +0000

Sunday was El Dia de La Madre here in Peru, which is similar to Mother´s Day in the U.S., except that here all citizens are required to go to the bakery and then carry around a cake in a box covered with hearts. There were also a couple local celebrations going on in the Sacred Valley, so when I arrived at the bus "station," I encountered a line running out onto the sidewalk. Luckily Nienke had arrived earlier, and was closer to the front of the line. I expressed that we should take a collectivo taxi instead - just a few Soles more, quicker, and probably more comfortable. But as I was trying to convice her that there is a marginal difference of safety between the driving habits of the taxistas and the bus drivers, a bus began to depart for Chinchero, with a final call for passengers. We boarded and fought for some standing room space for the 45 minute ride. We succeeded in holding our somewhat comfortable spaces, as well as our belongings. Upon arrival in Chincheros, I stocked up on bananas and bread, and we negotiated with some taxi drivers for a ride to the terraces at Moray. I laughed heartily at their first offer for 70 soles to let them know I wasn´t a sucker gringo, and we tried to get it down to 20. None of the drivers seemed interested and they wandered off, so we stood around for a bit. One finally re-approached, we agreed on 30, and headed off across some dirt roads, through Maras, and on to Moray. At the site Nienke worked her magic and convinced the guard that Moray wasn´t on her Tourist Ticket, and so that is why she didn´t bring it (they just recently added it to the Tourist Ticket, and her ticket had actually expired a few weeks ago. I never even bought a ticket yet.) I played along, mostly kept quiet, and in the end, we both got in for free! We had planned to hike on to Salineras, the salt making terraces, since Lonely Planet told us it was quite easy, but the nice lady who let us in for free said we would need a guide, as the trail is difficult to find along the way. So I flaged down a car driving out, we got a ride with a couple who had hired a private taxi from Cusco for the day, and off we went to Salineras. We walked across the terraces, I took 100 pictures that probably all look the same, and we hiked on down to the small village below. We waited for a combi but they were passing us by, already full, so once again I flagged down a ride, this time with a large emtpy tourist bus returning to Urubamba. As we wandered around Urubamba looking for a place to eat, we ran across some girls in costume, so I asked if there were dances going on in the plaza today. Yes! In a half hour! Of course, this was one of the celebrations this weekend, el Señor de Torrechayoc. We decided it was best to leave a little early so that we could manage to get back to Cusco at a reasonable hour. We headed to the bus station and again discovered that the lines were out the door. As we stood there not knowing what to do, a guy told us he could put us on a bus for Cusco without a ticket, 3.5 soles (50 cents above the typical price). He ushered us to the bus, kicked the people out of the front seats, and put us there. It turned out to be the bus that takes the side dirt roads all the way back to Cusco, and stops at every house along the way to pick up or drop off someone, but the scenery was beautiful and we eventually made it back. Hmmm, how to get back to Cusco?

Two Photos of Cusco

dojoklo — Tue, 13 May 2008 21:46:39 +0000

with a stray hair on the sensor. luckily I discovered that now and hopefully got it out of there...

Street Signs of Cusco

dojoklo — Wed, 14 May 2008 21:15:44 +0000

This monitor is very bad so I can´t tell if I´m choosing the best exposure... More photos with texture on Flickr

My Artistic Vision

dojoklo — Thu, 15 May 2008 22:33:54 +0000

Getting the shot, in the little village below Salineras (photo by Nienke): The result (photo by me): I think her shot is better! See Nienke´s blog here!

Kids in Costumes, with Balloons

dojoklo — Tue, 20 May 2008 20:37:38 +0000

Plaza de Armas, Cusco, 11:30am See Flickr for additional kids in costumes, with balloons!

Again with the Voting

dojoklo — Thu, 22 May 2008 16:21:35 +0000

I´ve entered myself into another photo/ writing contest, which again turns out to be a popularity-voting contest. However with this one, there is no signing in or registering...you just click! AND, you can vote once a day, every day, and keep voting and voting and voting for me!

1. just go here:

http://www.gapadventures.com/contests/photo-story-contest

2. look for this picture of Clara´s painted face and the blue steps:

3. click and vote daily

This way I can win a new spectacular camera, and won´t have to keep battling with the stray hair I have on my sensor which is ruining my beautiful photos.

Thanks mucho!

Oh, the Suffering! (aka Corpus Christi)

dojoklo — Thu, 22 May 2008 22:43:15 +0000

It just wouldn´t be a religious holiday without the self-induced suffering. And the whipping. Even the kids get to take part! Get me to the Plaza on time! (We will meet back up with these guys a little later...) The little guy was enjoying the whip quite a bit Often those are toy stuffed llamas on their back...these were real! I don´t have much of a zoom lens, so I was right up on these guys. I got pushed out of the way of an oncoming saint a few times! Chiriuchi - the traditional food of Corpus Christi. Yes, those are the guinea pigs in front! To be continued... if I have time, otherwise, As always, more religiously uplifting photos on Flickr

Commuters on the Trail

dojoklo — Mon, 26 May 2008 17:37:12 +0000

Commuters encountered on the hike from Calca to the Huchuy Qosqo ruins near Lamay Just like a Martin Chambi photo, no? Which way to las ruinas?

Elvis for Mayor

dojoklo — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 17:19:25 +0000

Apparently Elvis once ran for mayor in Ollantaytambo And to make matters more interesting, he now lives there as a duck (see close up below)

Stones of Ollantaytambo

dojoklo — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:15:10 +0000

I had a few hours before a meeting in Ollantaytambo, so I snuck in the exit to the ruins and took some photos. It seems that the B+W photos from my camera need some exposure and contrast work on Photoshop, but here are the raw (but not .RAW) images: **sorry, the links to the photos got messed up. Until they are restored, please view some of these photos on my website www.dojoklo.com in the "Peru" gallery Some of the stones were very Noguchi -esque, such as the one in the background. Perhaps the Inca were Pre-Noguchian And the sky over Ollantaytambo:

Huinchiri

dojoklo — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 22:12:37 +0000

Here is where I plan to be this weekend, in Huinchiri, to witness the annual rebuilding of the Keshwa Chaca, or Inca straw bridge over the Apurimac River. Notice how Huinchiri is a dot with no roads anywhere near it! Here are some articles about the bridge: http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0725/p20s01-litr.html?page=1 http://www.rutahsa.com/k-chaca.html http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/08/science/08bridg.html?ex=1336276800&en=0861da23a58a1746&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

The Bus to Sicuani

dojoklo — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 01:29:13 +0000

When asked a question, a Peruvian will never respond that they don’t know the answer. Instead they will always offer an answer, any answer, its accuracy and veracity: unimportant. Ask the next passing Peruvian the same question, you will get a wholly contradictory, yet equally passionate response. Put the two responders together and ask the question, and you will be either greatly amused or infinitely frustrated by the ensuing debate, depending on the importance and urgency of the question.

This becomes an issue when you are asking for the location of, say, the busses to Sicuani. I first asked a teacher at the Spanish school. “Avenida Cultura,” she confidently responded, “al lado del grifo” – next to the gas station.

“So there is only one gas station on Cultura?” I asked in Spanish, hoping the sarcasm would translate. “No, of course not!" she smiled, amused by my bilingual wit. But returning to her serious face, she again insisted, "It is next to the gas station.” “¿Esta cerca? ¿Puedo caminar?" I asked – Is it close, can I walk to it. "Si, si, claro,” – of course.

I asked a few other people over the next week, but never got a similar, or clear response. A couple days later, I posed the question to the woman at the reception desk at my hostal. Surprisingly, she confirmed the earlier response. “Avenida Cultura. Close. Yes, you can walk to it.” “How often do the busses depart?” I asked. “Cada diez minutos,” – Every ten minutes. Based on her previously consistant record regarding similar questions, I was now certain of two things: it wasn’t close, and I’d consider myself lucky if the busses left more often than every ten days.

So I set out on a reconnaissance mission a few days before my journey. I started walking down Avenida Cultura, past one gas station – no sign of a bus terminal. Ten minutes later, another gas station. No sign of a terminal, so I asked a passing woman. “¿Sicuani?” she said as she looked pensively at her girl in tow. “¿Sicuani?” the little girl echoed. The woman then recalled, “Keep walking, it’s across from the hospital. When you get to the hospital, ask someone.”

About ten minutes later I stopped in a Radio Shack and happily discovered that blank CDs were 25% cheaper than in the center of town. After I bought a couple packs, I asked the woman where the paradero for the Sicuani busses is. “Two blocks, no mas. Maybe one and a half.” After three blocks I came across a bus terminal.

“Is this the paradero for the Sicuani busses?” I asked the first knowledgeable looking person I came across. “No, one block further.” And so finally, after two more blocks, just past the fourth gas station, I found my stop. Now, if I am only able to direct the taxi driver there on Friday morning.

The Real Story

dojoklo — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 03:06:54 +0000

A few months ago I met a real life explorer in the South American Explorer´s Club in Cusco. He told me of his lifetime of searching for lost cities in the mountains of Peru, his studious research in dusty archives in Washington and Peru (I don´t think you´re allowed to say "archive" without first writing "dusty"), and his technique of countering poisonous snakebites with a modified stun gun. He even mentioned an NPR show where he was referred to as the real Indiana Jones. AND, he was on the verge of breaking an amazing story of the true modern discovery of Machu Picchu. At first I was fascinated and captivated, eager to hear of his adventures and his theories. But after a few afternoons in the clubhouse, I repeatedly overheard him tell the same stories to any eager audience. I began to suspect I had already learned all the juicy information. Then last week, returning on a path back to Ollantaytambo after hiking to the Pumamarca ruins, we were joined by a British paleoecologist who was studying the ancient remains of mites buried in the mud of a lake. The rise and fall of the mites, it turns out, from Inca times to present, corresponds to the rise and fall of the local populations, due to the fact that the mites lived in the llama poop. Anyway, at his first mention of modern explorers, we exclaimed, "we know one of them!" Turns out he has been working with this explorer, helping him get his newly gathered information into the news. And 5 days later...here it is: Link to Article Link to 2nd Article Link to 3rd Article Link to Article with Pictures of the Maps and Documents

Keshwa Chaca - Inca straw bridge near Huinchiri

dojoklo — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 21:15:50 +0000

See THIS POST for photos of the bridge construction. See THIS POST for the story of getting to the bridge site. Nearing completion of the Keshwa Chaca - Inca bridge made of q'oya grass - on Saturday afternoon, June 7, 2008 [flickr video=2566110776] . The completed Keshwa Chaca - Inca bridge - on Sunday morning, June 8, 2008. With soundtrack of French tourists, who had instructed the locals to act natural as they cross...you know, so that their photos will look more "authentic" :) [flickr video=2565020973]

Keshwa Chaca 2008 - part 1: Getting There

dojoklo — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 19:05:45 +0000

Photos of the bridge building can be seen HERE, and also on my website at www.dojoklo.com in the Inca Bridge gallery. Videos of the bridge can be seen HERE Rolando stopped the taxi right in front of the group of women weaving straw ropes, sitting by the side of the road. Their kids immediately ran to the window, "Propina, propina, carameletto?" Oh no, I thought, I haven´t even gotten out of the car yet and they're asking for handouts. As soon as I pulled myself out and gathered my backpack and tent, the chorus of women started: "Propina gringito, propina. Carameleto para los niños?" - "Tip, little white boy. Candy for the kids?" My goodness! They even sounded a bit angry that the money and sweets hadn't started to flow from my pockets. And I haven't even pulled out my camera yet! I came here with the hopes of spending three days taking award winning, up-close photos, and the women were already not pleased with my presence. Is this how the next three days were going to be? I had headed south from Cusco on Friday morning and took a bus for two and a half hours to Combapata. From there I switched to a collective taxi, and joined 9 other people as I crammed myself into the back of a tiny hatchback station wagon. As an unshaven old man slept on my shoulder we slowly wove our way through herds of cows and sheep being led down the road, and forty minutes later, after picking up yet another passenger, everyone got out in Yanaoca. I had thought we were going all the way to Huinchiri, but now I discovered I was the only one who wanted to go there. Since the festival wasn't until Sunday, neither locals nor tourists were heading to the bridge site yet. So while it cost 2 soles to go the previous forty minutes, it was going to cost me 70 soles for the next hour and a quarter to Huinchiri! I sat in disbelief in the car, refusing to get out. I knew there were no other options, but I quizzed the driver. "Are there any other cars going? Any trucks, any buses?" "No, not until Sunday." "But 70 soles?!" I responded. "I haven't brought enough money. I'll never be able to get back!" I tried to bargain with him, and soon started to beg. "But you only charge 2 soles per person going back and forth all day. How much do you make in a couple hours? 30, 40 soles?" "Yes, but the road is very rough, full of rocks," he replied. We sat in silence for awhile, and every couple minutes I went up 10 soles. "50? 60?" But 65 soles was the best I could get out of him "Sesenta?" I kept trying, just for a personal feeling of accomplishment. "Mas cinco," he insisted. Finally I had to agree: 65 soles. He was right. The road was terrible. We wound our way through dry grassland, with herds of cows and sheep and alpacas feeding on the q'oya grass that was the same material used to construct the bridge. There were mud huts with thatched roofs, and precariously constructed stone walls meandering across the low hills. At one point he gestured to a distant hill, "Atras, atras," telling me the bridge was behind. Along the way I got some perverse satisfaction in knowing that the bone jarring ride was probably doing at least 65 soles of damage and wear and tear to the taxi. After an hour we reached a gate across the road, with a couple of locals attending it. A handwritten sign was posted: Taxis - 5 soles, Camiones - 10 soles, Turistas - 70 soles. 70 soles for tourists! My heart sunk into my stomach. I´m never going to have enough money to get back, I thought. The taxi driver talked to the men for a bit, then turned to me asking for 2 soles. I quickly fished the money out of my pocket, discreetly hid my camera so I would look less like a tourist - if that was at all possible - and didn´t ask any questions. While I got in cheaply, it wasn´t until perhaps two days later that I realized "Turista" likely meant 70 soles for an entire tourist bus. We passed through the gate, climbed over the top of the last hill, and began the descent to the river valley. "Quince curvas," he told me - fifteen distinct, precarious turns in the road. I caught my first glimpse of the bridge far below, but it quickly disappeared. I saw a few tents in a pasture several hundred yards beyond. Then he dropped me off in front of the women. Where I was dropped off. The bridge is right below, the weaving women just to the left, and the campsite in the distant top-center, to the right of the bus The far side of the bridge can be glimpsed in the center to be continued...

Keshwa Chaca Inca Bridge 2008 - Photos

dojoklo — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 23:10:33 +0000

You can view this entire photo series, with captions, on my website at www.dojoklo.com in the "Inca Bridge" gallery. See THIS POST for my videos of the bridge construction. see THIS POST for the story of getting to the bridge site.

Here Comes the Sun - aka Inti Raymi 2008

dojoklo — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:23:50 +0000

**Sorry, the links to most the photos got messed up. Please view photos in the Peru gallery at www.dojoklo.com or my Inti Raymi set on Flickr here. Here are some shots from the Inti Raymi morning ceremony to greet the sun, at Coricancha. I got there bright and early, and hour and a half before, in order to get a good spot on the railing. But the front row was already full! What to do? Wait until someone makes the mistake of leaving their spot, and jump right in! Then push, nudge, and hold my ground for the next 3 hours.

Festival de Tinajani - aka More Skirt Twirling Photos

dojoklo — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 21:57:19 +0000

**Sorry, the links to these photos got messed up during blog migration. Please view photos at www.dojoklo.com in the Dance or Peru galleries. As the bus from Puno approached Juliaca, I turned to the campesina woman next to me and asked how I could continue on to the Festival de Tinajani. Her face lit up and she told me, "Nosotros vamos a Tinajani tambien!" - "We´re going to Tinajani also!" I asked how we proceed there from Juliaca, and she explained rapidly, so I figured it was best just to follow her. She was with a group of 3 other adults and 2 children, and after we unloaded their buckets of what I assumed was soup to sell at the festival, we attempted to find a taxi. Ten minutes passed without luck, only bicycle taxis came by, and so I tried again to ask her where I go to get to the next city near the festival. She convinced me to wait, and finally we got a taxi, loaded the buckets, and all piled in. Deposited at a large plaza and market area, we happily discovered there were direct buses to the festival, and wouldn´t have to go to Ayaviri first. I asked the oldest woman how much my share of the taxi was. "Dos Soles" she quickly replied. Based on my knowledge of transportation prices, my experience with Peruvians, and the smug expression on her face, I assume I paid for the entire family...and their soup, which I had helped to load and unload. We all sat on the bus for several minutes, and the passengers started to get antsy. "Vamos!" they all began to yell. We moved a bit, stopped some more, moved a bit. People started to get off to try their luck with another bus. The young woman sitting next to me had been attaching yarn braid extensions into her hair, and so I assumed she was a dancer headed to the festival. As soon as she got up, I knew it was best to follow her. We got on the next bus, which filled up when a man butted right in front of us (an everyday experience in most any line in this country), and unfortunately we had to stand for the ride. An hour and a half later, we turned off right before Ayaviri, onto a dirt road heading into the altiplano, the high plains between the two spines of the Andes. As we followed buses and cattle trucks loaded to capacity with festival-goers, a continuous series of buses and combis, now empty, passed us on their way out. The festival was nowhere in sight, just desolate, dry grasslands, fields, and pastures with cows, sheep, and llamas. After twenty minutes, the dramatic rocks which I had seen in pictures came into view, then the parking lot loaded with hundreds of buses, then the crowds, covering the hillsides. Emerging from the bus, I didn´t know where to turn. There was color and activity in every direction, so overwhelming I didn´t know where to start. I didn´t want to miss any photo opportunity, but I just had to begin. Right next to me was a field with some dance groups practicing. After a few minutes there, I weaved through the vehicles, and merged with the crowd crossing a precarious plywood bridge to the site. I moved through the rows of food vendors and people eating lunch, chicharones on grills sputtering grease at every turn. At the dance site, I tried to determine how to best sneak my way in, but each corner was filled with crowds and police. I circumnavigated the entire area, since I saw other photographers on the far side. I waved my camera in front of a guard and he let me pass. Since I had no idea how I was going to return to Puno, how difficult it might be, and how long it might take, I knew I couldn´t stay long. So I alternated between taking photos, filming videos, wiping the dust off my camera, and blowing it off my lens. Group after group of dancers performed, each with their own band of musicians and singers. The announcer´s voice boomed through the PA system constantly, even over the music and voices of the singers, "TINAJANI RAYMI!" "La Provincia de MELGAR!" The crowds continued to grow on the rocks and hillsides surrounding the site. At 1:30 I forced myself away, knowing I had to be on my way out of there by 2:00. But on the hillside there was so much more activity: kids flying kites, groups of dancers waiting, carnival games and foosball tables. I made my way back through the food area, to the parking lot, and once again found myself in the practice field. A group of women danced in a circle, surrounded by men parading huge red and white banners. Another amazing photo opportunity! I snapped as fast as I could, and then delved back into the parking area looking for the combis heading back to Ayaviri. I got the last seat on one just about to head out, and encountered a small group of Spaniards, the other other tourists I saw the whole day. We spent the ride amused by the smiles and laughter of an adorable little girl, just as entertaining as the festival we just came from. I just got off the bus - dancers practicing in a field The crowd, visible from the parking lot One of the market and lunch streets So much overwhelming color, activity, and so many people, I didn´t know where to start! I got my way into the photographers' row, right at the side of the dance area Skirt-twirling action! Dust, dust and more dust - not so good for the camera and the sensor. Luckily I had my little blower with me. This dance involved sweeping the dirt right onto me! Danza Tondero de Piura, surprising to see so far south Awaiting their turn to dance transportation costs: Moto-taxi from hostal to Terminal Terestre Puno - s/. 1.50 - 7 min Bus from Puno to Juliaca - s/. 2 - 1.5 hr Taxi with family and food to Plaza - s/. 2 - 5 min Bus directo from Juliaca to Tinajani - s/. 5 - 2 hr total: s/. 10.50 - 4 hours return trip: Combi Tinajani to Ayaviri plaza - s/. 1.50 - 25 min Bike taxi to Ayaviri Terminal - s/. 1 - 5 min Bus from Ayaviri to Juliaca - s/. 3.50 - 1.5 hr Bike Taxi to paradero - s/. 2 - the slowest 10 minutes of my life, as every other bike taxi passed us Bus from Juliaca to Puno - s/. 2.50 - 1.5 hr total: s/. 10.50 again! - 4 hours As always, many, many more photos here on Flickr

Aldea Yanapay Day Out

dojoklo — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:26:36 +0000

Please view additional Yanapay photo essay at www.dojoklo.com OK, so I've been very forgetful. I forgot to do a special post for Tracie and for Aunt Vickie and Grandma on their donation days. I will have to make that up to you... BUT, today is Gail Zimmer's donation day and birthday! Her donation was for a doll related art project with the kids. Since I was supposed to be in the jungle now working in Pilcopata, I was going to do that at this time. However, since that gig fell through, I am carrying my art materials deep into the jungle to Iquitos next week. When I hook up with a volunteer organization, hopefully in a secluded indigenous community, I will attempt to do that project. In the mean time, here are some pictures from an outing with the Aldea Yanapay kids. We hiked just outside of Cusco, and explored a creek and some woods for the afternoon. The kids loved playing in the water, and many left quite wet, along with a couple unlucky volunteers. Heading out Yuri helping a little one across Jenni in the water Marylin Clara getting ready to cause trouble! "Mira Profe!" The little ones were amazed by the wonders of nature Diana playing in the mud Maria calm and composed as always Yuri and the kids Ascending the trecherous hill Returning from collecting leaves and seeds for future art projects Descending the trecherous hill Heading home

Clara Update

dojoklo — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:35:58 +0000

I haven't written an update on Clara for awhile, so there is a lot to catch up on! As previously discussed, my friend Nienke put me in touch with an American special needs teacher here, Celeste, who then arranged for a young deaf Peruvian women, Karen, to work with Clara. Finally everyone's schedules coodinated, and they came to Yanapay to visit. Clara soon figured out that we were discussing her, and she refused to join us, acting unusually shy and hesitant. Nevertheless, Celeste explained everything to Yuri, and acted as a multi-communication translator, signing to Karen and telling me in English. Yuri was thrilled with the idea, as was Karen's mom, whose support was also important for this to work. I was beaming with happiness, as it seemed Clara was finally going to get consistent help. In the process, I obtained my name in sign - a "d" next to my glasses. Finally Clara was forced down to join us, the idea was explained to her as best as possible, and she agreed to work with Karen. On the first day of class, Karen and I sat down with Clara, and Clara already didn't seem very happy. She kicked me under the table in protest, but we carried on with the lesson. Karen went through the alphabet in sign, and then seeing that she hadn't brought any materials, I pulled out my flashcards. She went through each of those, with Clara learning the signs. She then quizzed Clara, and she remembered nearly all of them. Not knowing what to do next, I ran to the storeroom to get some drawing materials. However, when I returned, Clara had run off, and I had no success in coaxing her back. "Poco a poco" I told Karen, little by little. The following day, Clara wouldn't even sit down with us to start the lesson. We tried and tried to persuade her to join us, but no luck. Eventually, however, as Karen and I stood around not knowing what to do, Clara invited Karen up to the games room. Great! Clara is warming up to her teacher! I thought. Karen was hesitant, but luckily she went up and joined Clara. I left them alone, with the hope that Karen would turn it into a learning opportunity. After about 10 minutes, they came down and went into the art room. I tried to spy a bit, but mostly gave them their space. They weren't really working with each other, but working next to each other was a start. By the following day, Clara would no longer greet me. I assume it was because I was making her work, and perhaps because she comes to Yanapayto play, to have fun, and to be with other kids. It is entirely possible that she is in her house all day, as she no longer attends school. She wouldn't sit down to work with Karen, and I began to think it all might fall apart. I was away from Yanapay for a few days, and was afraid the lessons be over when I returned. Although Clara still wouldn't greet me when I returned, she was proudly sounding out, "I am Clara!" One of the volunteers had somehow taught her that. She was also showing that she could sign her name. I joyfully discovered that Karen had brought 2 of her friends, and they all worked with Clara that day. It turns out, in my absence, the teachers at Yanapay had explained to Clara that if she wants to continue to come to Yanapay, she has to work with Karen. I was extremely curious what they were all doing in the classroom, but I left them alone, and they worked for well over an hour. A few weeks later, Karen started a job, but she had started to go to Clara's house on Sundays for the lessons, which are hopefully continuing. Last week, again after an absence when I went to Puno and Bolivia, I returned and saw Clara signing with Yuri. It was not longer gestures and pantomimes, but real signing, which she seemed to be doing it with new found confidence and perhaps even a slight bit more maturity than I had seen before!

The Heart of Dampness

dojoklo — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:37:59 +0000

[caption id="attachment_120" align="alignnone" width="600" caption="The Ucayali section of the Amazon, somewhere between Pucallpa and Iquitos"][/caption]

I once visited Istanbul, reaching it by ship, and realized that was by far the best way to enter the city. One slowly floats past the bustling city, with exotic minarets poking up from the skyline, and then disembarks in the manner travelers had for centuries. The city of Iquitos is accessible by only plane or boat, and so the same romantic notion overtook me. What better way to enter this one time rubber boom town carved out of the jungle than by boat down the Amazon? You can't understand this city without experiencing the river, I figured, so I flew to Pucallpa, and found my way onto a lanca, a passenger and cargo boat heading down the Ucayali section of the Amazon River to Iquitos.

I then spent the next four days on the equivalent of a Peruvian Greyhound bus, albeit in boat form, with hammocks instead of seats (bring your own), a hundred passengers in one big open deck, 2 trucks, 3 moto-taxis, 1000 kilos of salt, several thousand bananas, a few hundred eggs (hey guess what, you really don't need to refrigerate them!), 8 pigs (they don't actually squeal, they cry in a manner disturbingly similar to a very loud toddler), 2 cows, and a crate of chickens. I also discovered, to my shock and disgust, that while the civilized world is trying to save the Amazon, the Peruvian boat passengers are using it as their garbage can, throwing their empty 2 liter Inca Kola bottles right into the water. One Peruvian man decided that the boat ride was a good time to consolidate his cd collection, so after he emptied the plastic cases, he frisbee'd them, one by one, into the river. Luckily, after about a dozen, a couple kids begged him to give the cases to them rather than to the river dolphins. I think they were more entrepreneurs than environmentalists, but hey, same result.

Early into the first day, we were cruising along and hit bottom. Sudden dead stop! One of the moto-taxis on the top deck went sliding 15 feet across the deck towards me. Then there was the night we got stuck for 2 hours in the pitch dark. The procedure for that is to gun the engines for 2 straight hours as you turn the wheel back and forth and shine the spotlight around on the shore - i dunno, maybe looking for a crocodile who can help.

I did discover the greatest Peruvian invention since the potato: bathrooms that are also showers. That way they are always clean! And then finally, after 4 full days of a 3 day trip, we reached Iquitos. Everyone just stood on the front deck staring. Maybe out of habit, maybe out of shock. Maybe they had all died, in place, out of boredom. There was no mad rush for dry land as I expected. I thought, hmm, is this just a cargo port and we get off somewhere else? But no, it was over! And I lost another 15 minutes of my life until I figured this out.

At some point, I think it was towards the early afternoon of day three, I discovered I'd had enough of Peru and decided to return to the US. I spent a few days somewhat enjoying the frantic energy of Iquitos, and am now back in Lima for a long week before flying home.

Ucayali

dojoklo — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 01:58:38 +0000

Photos Off-Line

dojoklo — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 01:40:51 +0000

I made some changes to the image settings, and sadly most all of the links to my Peru photos on this blog got permanently lost. I am slowly repairing the lost photo links, however, you can always view my photos on my website: www.dojoklo.com

Peru Photo Tours

dojoklo — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 05:00:04 +0000

Do you want to travel to Peru and see all the sites, yet long to be on a tour that allows you the pace and time to capture great photographs? Do you wish to visit places and events off the tourist trail, and gain a deeper understanding of the people and the country? Then join me on a Peru Photo Tour in 2010! See an amazing and colorful festival, visit a rarely seen Quechua village, and of course, witness sunrise at Machu Picchu. I will be leading photo tours in the Cusco region between May and August 2010. Please check out the Peru Photo Tour website to learn more (will eventually be updated for 2010)

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dojoklo — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:47:57 +0000

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djk-blog-header.jpg

dojoklo — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:57:53 +0000

http://dojoklo.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/djk-blog-header.jpg

FoCcover-tiny

dojoklo — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:44:33 +0000

CondeNastScan

dojoklo — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:06:14 +0000

Dreaming of a Conde Nast Dream Trip

dojoklo — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:22:09 +0000

I've been selected as one of the Ten Finalists in the Conde Nast $25,000 Dream Trip Contest (out of over 70,000 entries!) with my photo Boys Emerging from Chuch - Pisac. This photo was captured on my visit to Pisac where I ran into some fellow Yanapay volunteers, and then we all got on the bus going the wrong way, as documented in this post. I was requested to submit an essay detailing my dream trip, in which I described a trip to visit and photograph the indigenous cultures of Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. In addition, I won a Sony a350 digital SLR with an 18-70mm lens, and my photo was published in the October 2009 Conde Nast Traveler magazine. If you are interested in purchasing this new, never used Sony camera, head over to eBay here.

Help Along the Way

dojoklo — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:00:27 +0000

In my development as a travel, culture, and humanitarian photographer, I've spent a lot of time researching other photographers who do this type of work. In addition to simply looking at, contemplating, and studying their photos, I also scour their websites for any and all information and nuggets of knowledge I can find. They are typically very helpful in listing the equipment they use, but also offer everything from packing, traveling, and working advice to post-production tutorials. Pucallpa, Peru - photo by Douglas J. Klostermann Again and again, I return to Karl Grobl's website (http://www.karlgrobl.com/) to mine it for info. He has dozens of pages with incredibly helpful advice (follow the "Cameras and equipment I use" link to see them all). I discovered that I share his fondness for Lowa Tempest Lo hiking shoes, which inspired me to order a back up pair for the inevitable time when my soles are too far worn. Taquile Island on Lake Titicaca, Peru - photo by Douglas J. Klostermann My latest discovery is David duChemin. He' s rapidly become a real standout in this field - with a recent book, Within the Frame, an upcoming book (which will include Karl Grobl in it), a blog, a video blog, e-books, a forum, you name it. What I'm really loving about him is what a great teacher he is, and how he is shifting the conversation away from equipment obsession and towards more meaningful topics - such, as he says, vision. I've read through most of the current favorite photo books, where I picked up lots of great info and tips for equipment, composition and lighting, post-production workflow, etc. But I've always found something lacking. They give you everything you need to know to take technically better photos, but they rarely speak to the content and the purpose of the image - as David might say, they give you the how, but not the why. They don't offer much in terms of developing one's style, of strengthening one's vision. And that's what David addresses, so I'm glad I came across him at this time. Watch a few of his video blogs (free from iTunes under Within the Frame), and I think you will see what I am getting at. And as I work my way through his blog archives, I'm seeing that his early development in this field shares many similarities with mine, which is encouraging to me as I follow this difficult but determined journey. Just beware, if you start to follow him, that you will be taking photo and career advice from someone who spent ten years as "The Rubber Chicken Guy!"

Pete Souza's Photos of Obama's First 200 Days

dojoklo — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:19:09 +0000

At this point I find myself seeking out and viewing photo exhibits in terms of "what can I learn from this work to help improve my photography? What makes these images successful?" So instead of just contemplating these things in my head and torturing whichever friend happens to find themself across from me in a bar, I'll start to put my thoughts down here. I think I'll mainly focus on "lessons learned" - what I've picked up from looking at and thinking about the images. I happened by the Leica Gallery last week, and had the chance to see its Pete Souza - Obama exhibit. The success of the images on display are a result of a few strong and consistent choices and techniques Souza applies in his photography, including his awareness of the moment, his framing and point of view, use of natural light when available, and his awareness of precedent. All photos shown in today's post are by Pete Souza. Souza is the "Chief Official White House Photographer," so he obviously has unparalleled access to President Obama's daily activities. His ability to capture special moments was obvious from the start or the term, with his two elevator shots from the night of the Inaugural Ball: an intimate moment with the First Lady, and the final image of the night with the President heading to bed.

p012009ps-1185, originally uploaded by The Official White House Photostream.

This first one of these, which can also be see on Souza's home page as well as on the White House Flickr site, demonstrates two of his strengths: his ability to capture both the moment, and the intimacy of the environment it occurred in. The subject of a majority of the photos in the exhibit is a specific moment, but one that typically speaks to a wider subject or theme. This photo was just one brief encounter between the President and the First Lady, yet it clearly represents their relationship and personalities. The same is true for the other photos in the exhibit. While Souza has undoubtedly captured hundreds or thousands of singular moments between Obama and his staff, the ones he displays all demonstrate more than what was occurring that split second. They show the relationships, the personalities, the mood. They do this through the facial expressions, the body language, the framing of the space around them.

P041509PS-0280, originally uploaded by The Official White House Photostream.

The second characteristic of many of these photos is that they capture the intimacy of the moment and of the spaces they occurred in. Souza often accomplishes this through use of a wide angle lens and by expanding the frame beyond the subject to the space around it to show that the interaction is taking place on a plane, or in a corridor. He also does this through creative framing, looking in through a doorway or window, or using a lower point of view.

P040309PS-0047, originally uploaded by The Official White House Photostream.

Another tool he uses is making references to previous photos or works of art. By possessing knowledge of the work that has come before him, he has an eye for similar situations and compositions. There seems to be a few particular references to Kennedy era images. For example, this one of Sasha sneaking up on Obama brings to mind the photos of JFK Jr. playing under the his father's desk - the father hard at work with the playful child on the floor (there are also a couple photos in the exhibit with Caroline Kennedy and Obama discussing that photo and looking at the desk for the hidden door).

P080509PS-0410, originally uploaded by The Official White House Photostream.

And one can't help but to recognize the tongue-in-cheek reference to DaVinci's Last Supper here:

P021009PS-0647, originally uploaded by The Official White House Photostream.

Other images make use of light and of details to tell the story of the situation. While Souza is probably often using flash to light his indoor subjects, he has a keen eye for natural light when the situation presents itself. There are a few shots of Obama at his desk, or a detail of his hand, that use dramatic natural light to set the mood. He also focuses in on very specific details as the subject of some of the photos, often times hands. For example, Obama's hand on a phone, Michelle's hands clasped behind her back, or a Ghanean's hand, gold jewelry, and tribal outfit.

P071109PS-0919, originally uploaded by The Official White House Photostream.

Finally, Souza sometimes turns the camera around, to capture the expressions and reactions of those viewing the President. Several times I have run across the tip to turn around 180 degrees and see if there is another image behind you that is worth capturing, and Souza clearly demonstrates it is worth looking:

P060609PS-0979, originally uploaded by The Official White House Photostream.

Here's a brief interview with the photographer: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4974144n So, I believe these are some of the elements that make these images successful. And what makes them powerful, important, and lasting is that in addition to capturing a instant in time, an expression or detail, or an interaction, they also speak to a greater moment, personality, or relationship. That's about enough for this lesson. Look forward to retroactive reviews of Robert Frank's The Americans, Phil Borges' Tibetan Portrait, Vermeer's The Milkmaid, and Cornell Capa's Concerned Photographer. Vermeer? "What?", you wonder? Well, stay tuned and see...

United Nations - Humanizing Development Campaign

dojoklo — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 01:47:14 +0000

My photo Women in the Plaza - Combapata, Peru, was one of 50 selected - from thousands of photos from over 100 countries - to represent the United Nations Development Programme and their Humanizing Development campaign. The photos will be published in a book sponsored by the Presidency of Brazil, and are currently on exhibit at the headquarters of the United Nation's International Policy Center for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG) in Brasilia, Brazil. The exhibit will tour major international cities throughout 2010, including NYC, Bangkok, London, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Johannesburg and Bonn. According to the IPC-IG, "The meaning of ‘Humanizing Development’ cannot be expressed in numbers. It shows examples of people winning the battle against poverty, social exclusion and marginalisation. It calls for the humane face of development. It spreads hope, initiative and determination. It transmits inspiration to each of us and feeds our dream of transforming the world we live in into a just place. A world that enables all of us, regardless of our birth place, social and economic status, sex, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion and ideology, opportunities to fulfilling our potential as individuals, human beings and members of our society." As a photographer dedicated to documenting the work of humanitarian organizations throughout the world, I'm extremely thrilled and proud to have been selected for this honor, and can't wait to see the exhibit in NYC. The women in the photo are queued in the main plaza of Combapata, Peru to receive monthly Juntos program benefits. The Juntos (Together) program, a conditional cash transfer (CCT) government program, provides cash to the poorest families if they meet certain criteria. Recipients must have children under the age of 14, enroll their children in school and have them vaccinated. Pregnant mothers are required to utilize mandatory pre- and post-natal healthcare programs. Peru's Juntos program, similar to CCT programs in other Latin American countries, was launched in 2005. I captured this image on my way to Huinchiri to see the annual reconstruction of the Keshwa Chaca, the last remaining traditional Inca straw bridge. That journey was detailed in this post.

Assignment: Guatemala – Canon 7D Tutorial and Review

dojoklo — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 01:37:44 +0000

I recently returned from a trip to Guatemala, where I was taking photos for an NGO that works with children, literacy, and education. It gave me the perfect opportunity to try out a bunch of new equipment and really put it to the test in the field. First and foremost, it was the first time I really had the opportunity to use the Canon 7D body (I discuss the additional gear in this related post). The camera performed wonderfully in many ways, however, I did have autofocus related problems - namely a serious front focus issue. With both wide angle and telephoto L-series lenses, the camera was consistently focusing several inches or more in front of the subjects. I played around briefly with the AF Microadjustments, with the intention of taking a closer look at the situation when I returned home. More about this at the end of the post. I had another, odd and unexpected complaint in the field, and that is with the high speed shooting modes. One has the choice of 3fps or 8fps, yet I needed something more like 5fps! I've included some images throughout the post that are straight from the camera (I merely converted from RAW to JPEG). Anyway, on to the review and instructions for many of the camera's settings, and how and when to use them in real world situations. And at the end there is some info about video tutorials available for downloading and watching. San Miguel Duenas, Guatemala If any of the digital photography terms you come across in this post are unfamiliar, be sure to refer to this great glossary for assistance. Design - The camera is extremely comfortable to hold and use, especially due to the size, shape, and material of the grip, and it felt to be designed perfectly for my hands. It is nicely weighted with both a 16-35 f/2.8L II and a 70-200 f/4, and carries well with an R-Strap attached to the camera body (the 70-200 f/4 doesn't come with a collar). Due to its similar design and button placement as previous Canon models, it was easy to get used to changing various settings on the fly - everything from ISO right up on top to Flash Control in the menus. There are a few settings that I quickly fell into, but that I would like to experiment with a little more with before I settle permanently into. Here are a few notes, in no particular order of importance: Av Mode - I set the camera to Av mode for 99% of the time, as that is how I typically work (because I always want to control the depth of field). About the only time I took it out was when I was experimenting in an HDR type situation where I was in Manual and bracketing, trying to properly expose both a dark colonnade I was under and the cathedral in bright sunlight beyond. I haven't yet worked on combining the exposures, but here is a nice shot that came from that situation: Antigua, Guatemala ISO - I had high hopes for Auto ISO, thinking I would be given the freedom to stop worrying where I left it set, but I quickly found that in Av, I didn't like the slow shutter speeds that were resulting when I selected the aperture and the camera selected the ISO. So I ended up never using it. I would like to experiment with it some more, and figure out if there is something I can do to keep the shutter speeds in a better range. It is wonderful to have the versatility to change ISO on the fly, but one often gets caught up in shooting, and forgets to change it to an appropriate setting, and thus sometimes the shutter speed isn't the most ideal. So, I just have to stay in the habit of paying attention to where all three settings are as I go from indoor to out or change lenses, etc. This is aided by these settings being visible in the 7D viewfinder. High Speed Continuous Shooting - many people marvel at the 7D's ability to shoot 8fps in High Speed Continuous Mode. However, for my purposes on this trip, that proved far too excessive. I often shoot a burst of photos when someone or something is in motion and I want to capture the peak of action or a flattering pose, or when a gesture or facial expression might change rapidly. Unfortunately, 8fps results in a lot of unwanted files, and as I will soon address, these files are HUGE and rapidly fill up a hard drive. But sadly, the Low Speed Continuous drive setting is only 3fps, which is too slow to capture the rapid changes in a scene. The 3fps speed was one of the main drawbacks of my previous body, and a major reason for upgrading. What I need is something in between, maybe 5fps! Perhaps Canon or someone will tweek the firmware to allow this... San Miguel Duenas, Guatemala Custom Functions - In order for you to get the most out of the 7D, and to set it to function best how you work, you need to dig into the Custom Functions. One of the settings I use is customizing My Menu, and then having My Menu always appear first when I hit the Menu button. (My Menu Settings / Display from My Menu=enable) I played around with different items on My Menu, but have settled for now on the ones that I use most often or that I may quickly need and want to access without digging into the menus. They are: Flash Control - you can quickly adjust all the settings for the built in flash, external flash, wireless flash. You can even control all the setting of the 580EX II remotely - when it is not attached to your camera. Very cool. Exposure Compensation/ AEB - exposure compensation is easy to change at any time with the big dial, so this shortcut is for using when I want to bracket (AEB). Review Time - I found that I was often shooting away without chimping (looking at the LCD), so I often just turn off the LCD review altogether. Other times, however, I want to review. ISO Expansion - I haven't used this yet, but I wanted it handy in case I want to use the high ISO. I typically have this turned off because I didn't want the camera to default to High ISO during any situations. But considering I wasn't using Auto ISO, this all seems unnecessary, and now that I realize this, I will have to replace this with something else on the menu! I never went above 1600 ISO, which I did have to use sometimes in very dark classroom settings along with the flash. Upon quick review of those images, the lack of noise in these files is really good. Format - this is to format the memory card in preparation for use the next day. Always reformat the card, never simply erase them or use the Erase All option if your camera had that (the 7D does not). However, after formatting, turn the dial to select another menu item so that next time you hit Menu, Format isn't still selected and you quickly make a grave mistake of pressing it. Highlight Tone Priority (II-3) - this is a great setting to use in a high key situation, or with a bright subject or scene. It helps to retain detail in the highlights so they don't get blown out, such as a white wedding dress, or a snow or beach scene. I never did use it, but I keep it in this menu to remind me it is there for the day when I do need it! Chichicastenango, Guatemala Other important Custom Function Settings: Safety Shift (I-6) - I enable this setting. It allows the camera to shift the shutter speed or aperture automatically, without your expressed permission, in order to get the shot. This is great for situations where the light suddenly and dramatically changes, such as at a concert. AI Servo Tracking Sensitivity (III-1) - This dictates how quickly focus tracking switches to another subject when it momentarily loses the initial subject, such as when another subject passes in front of it. You can choose to have it stay focused on the initial subject (Slow), or focus quickly on a new subject that moves in front of your initial subject (Fast). Typically I want to stay focused on my selected subject, and ignore someone or something that momentarily passes between us. If you want to quickly focus on different subjects at different distances, put it on fast. AI Servo 1st/2nd (III-2) - Read the manual to understand which situation works best for how you shoot. Is your priority focusing on the subject, tracking the subject, firing off rapid shots? Personally I think 0 or 1, with the AF Priority, is best. (The camera makes sure it focuses first before taking the shot. It may cost you a microsecond of time however.) I have to think about the tracking vs. drive part of these setting though, so for now I keep it at 0. Setting 0 continues to prioritize focusing possibly at the expense of speed, while setting 1 will prioritize the speed of subsequent shutter releases at the expense of focus. AI Servo AF Tracking Method (III-3) - This works with autofocus modes where more than one AF point is active. The names of the choices are a little confusing but what they do is Setting 0 will focus on a closer subject that enters into your view, not necessarily in front of your subject. while setting 1 will remain focused on the initial subject. I keep mine on 1, since I want to stay focused on my initial subject. AF Focus Mode (III-6) - I enabled all the AF modes in the Custom Functions - by default, several of them are not available to you unless you change that setting. I started out using Single Point, but then changed to Spot for more precision. The cost of using Spot is that it may not focus as quickly or as well when hand held or with a moving subject. I occasionally used AF Point Expansion when photographing rapidly moving children. I don't know how other photographers work (according to a Canon rep who gave a 7D presentation at B+H, there are big name professionals who still focus with the center point and recompose), but I always choose the focus point I want manually, using the Multi-Controller button. This takes a little longer, now that I am dealing with 19 focus points, but that enables me to quickly get the composition I want, makes sure the camera focuses on what I want it to (um, well, sort of focus - see notes at bottom page), and to get subsequent shots without too much reframing. There is an important menu setting so that you can use the Multi-Controller directly to change the AF point without having to press the AF thumb button first - I believe it is on the screen where you can customize all the camera's buttons. Oh, and I changed the custom settings so that all the focus points always show, and that they light up upon achieving focus, even in bright sunlight (which they would not do if you had this setting on Auto or Disable). That way I always know when it has (claimed to be) focused. And I set function III-7 to stop focus point selection when I reach the edge and not loop around to the other side. I'm also thrilled that the 7D has a grid display that you can turn on in the viewfinder, which helps me keep my horizons and compositions straight. The viewfinder looks pretty busy, filled up with AF points and the grid, but when you are shooting away and focusing on your subject, you don't even notice they are there. Single Point Focus vs. Spot Focus Size - The size of the area being looked at for focusing purposes on the 7D, using Single Point Focus, is actually a cross shape (all focus points are cross type, center point is dual diagonal as well at certain apertures) that extends about 2x as big as the actual square you see in the viewfinder. With Spot Focus, the size of the cross is about the size of the square you see, I think perhaps slightly larger. Orientation Linked AF Point - This setting allows you to choose your favorite AF points, and when you are hold the camera horizontally or vertically, those points are automatically selected. However, it is very complicated to set, so much so that is would seem Canon doesn't even understand it. The Canon rep did not fully explain it properly at the B+H presentation, the instructions in the manual do not work, and after 3 different instructions by email from Canon, I may finally have the correct way. I still have to try their latest directions. (note- nope, latest instructions still don't work properly) **12/17/2009** AHA!! Here it is, finally explained in its entirety. I also changed the button/ dial function settings so that in Manual mode, the big dial controls shutter speed and the top dial controls aperture. The default is the opposite. I changed this because I almost always shoot in Av mode, where the top dial controls aperture, so when I switch to Manual mode, I want that to remain the same. Check out this site for a great review of the Canon 7D, simple explanations of these various Custom Functions, and helpful comparisons to the 50D and 5D MkII. Here is additional information from Canon Europe about custom functions of the 7D: http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content/education/technical/custom_functions_eos_1d_mark_iv_and_eos_7d.do Jalapa, Guatemala AF Microadjustments - This is a setting on the 7D which enables you to tweek the auto-focusing to your different lenses. My 16-35mm lens, despite costing a boatload of money, did not seem to be focusing very sharply. It was front-focusing by several inches. I am going to have to work with the Microadjustments to hopefully get this in line. (see below for failed outcome of this adjustment attempt) My 70-200 lens was also front focusing. Two sites about AF micro adjustments that look to be helpful are below. The second has a focus chart and instructions: http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/article_pages/cameras/1ds3_af_micoadjustment.html#Anchor-Canon-49575 http://focustestchart.com/focus21.pdf Personally, I would prefer if Canon would just focus on their quality control (no pun intended) so that when one pairs up an expensive Canon L lens with an expensive Canon body, one does not need to "micro-adjust" the focusing one iota. Viewfinder - The viewfinder on the 7D is big and bright and wonderful. It is nearly 100% view of the image you will capture. The aperture and shutter speed info is of course displayed below, along with the current ISO setting, which one should get in the habit of glancing at often. See the AF Focus Mode category above for more info on what you can view in the viewfinder to assist with focusing and composition. Picture Style - I had this on Standard, since I shoot in RAW and intend to post-process, however, I would like to do a comparison of the styles to see which one best matches my visual preferences - although I think they would only affect JPEGs. File Size - I shot RAW for almost the entire trip, and quickly discovered that these files are HUGE. The files range from about 21MB to around 31MB each. I used SanDisk Extreme III 16GB cards, which worked great, and one card often lasted much of the day. I have no good reason for using SanDisk over Lexar, other than the fact that the Lexar people haven't approached me about sponsorship... :) The Extreme III cards have been replaced by the new Extreme and Extreme Pro cards, and are thus the old ones are much cheaper at the moment, especially with current rebates. At 30MB/s, they were fast enough for the types of shooting and short bursts I was doing. However, downloading them to my computer and external HD were pretty slow using the SanDisk ImageMate CF card reader. Eventually I'm going to have to spring for a card reader that goes right into the PC slot. I used Adobe Bridge to simultaneously save the day's files to 2 external hard drives. The 160GB Iomega Ego filled up before the trip was over, but fortunately I also had a Lacie 500GB. I am dreading the number of external hard drives I am going to have to buy for travel and for home storage, but once you go RAW, it's hard to go back to shooting just JPEG. I'm going to have to look into the Drobo system that many rave about. Battery Life - The battery life of the 7D is excellent. When you get new batteries, first charge them all the way. Do not recharge until they are completely drained. Do this one or two cycles. I know they say you no longer have to do this, but some claim that seasoning the batteries like this will maximize their charge life. Anyway, one battery lasted well into 2 days of shooting, maybe longer, I didn't keep track. They just keep going, even with heavy use, chimping (LCD reviewing), frequent use of an external Speedlite flash, and use of image stabilization (IS) on the 70-200 lens. I carried 3 batteries, but probably could have gotten away with 2. The spring-loaded battery door that pops right open for quick battery changes is a nice touch. Antigua, Guatemala Automatic Sensor Cleaning - Like most good dSLRs these days, the 7D automatically cleans the sensor at start up and shut down. Since the dust that is shaken off is collected on a tiny sticky strip at the base of the sensor, it seems to me that you should hold the camera straight as this happens. I'm not sure if this is actually true, but I think I read in the manual that it even says to place the camera flat on a table as you use this, so I have gotten in the habit of holding it straight and still as I turn it off and on. Yeah! No more having to clean the sensor manually with a Rocket Blower! Video - I did not have a chance to even experiment with the HD video on the 7D yet...so much to learn, so little time... The next post will review all the other gear I used on the trip - the camera backpack, R-strap, accessories, etc. - and perhaps some of the other lessons learned. Read it here. Please leave a comment, ask a question. Let me know what has been helpful, and what you'd like to read more about. If you plan to purchase any of this equipment, I encourage you to do so through the site I've set up with Amazon, Doug's Picturing Change Digital Photography Equipment and Books. Purchasing through this site will help support my work. Jalapa, Guatemala ______________ **Important Note (12/17/2009)** Canon 7D Front Focus: Upon carefully review of my images from the trip, I discovered a serious issue with front focusing. The camera was able to autofocus consistently, however, it always front-focused by several inches. This happened with 3 different lenses. I was unable to successfully correct this problem using the AF Microadjustment, firmware updates, contact cleaning, or hard reset (battery and clock battery removal for 15 mins.) Due to this problem I have since returned this 7D.** **(01/05/2010)**I've spend a considerable amount of time looking at and working on a large selection of the 10,000 images I took with the 7D on this trip. As mentioned above, the majority of the photos suffered from severe front-focusing. I used Single Point and Spot focusing for most of the images so it is not user error or a problem related to all the new focus modes. In addition, I was repeatedly surprised with the softness of the in-focus plane of the images when viewed at 100% in Photoshop. This may be due to the high mega-pixel count of the sensor, but as a result, they require careful, more detailed and more time consuming sharpening than images from a lower megapixel camera. Plus you are going to want to invest in the highest quality lenses you can afford, ideally the Canon L series lenses. The high mega pixel count of the 7D reveals the lower quality of non L lenses, and there is a significant improvement in clarity and image quality with L lenses on the 7D. ** _______________ I've run across a nice set of video tutorials (link below) for using the Canon 7D. You can watch them online, or even download them to your camera for viewing. The one on AF Custom Fuctions is especially helpful at clarifying those setting. Be sure to look around on the Canon Digital Learning Center to find all kinds of other cool stuff about using your camera plus useful tips and instructions from pros who use them. link to Canon 7D Video Tutorials San Juan del Obisbo, Guatemala The distinctive voice you hear in the 7D tutorial videos is Canon guru Rudy Winston, and the photo samples are his images as well. If you are in NYC, you can often find him leading workshops and presentations at places like B+H and Adorama. I went to a wonderfully informative introduction to the 7D that he gave a B+H a month or 2 ago, and these videos are pretty much the same presentation.

Equipment for Travel (and Everyday) Photography

dojoklo — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 07:55:51 +0000

My recent trip to Guatemala to photograph for an NGO gave me an opportunity to field test a bunch of new gear under real working conditions - jumping on and off chicken buses, crammed into the seat of a van for hours with all of it on my lap, roaming around the streets of Antigua trying to be discreet as possible carrying a 70-200mm lens and a backpack full of equipment, and photographing for long hours at a time. I had done a bunch of Internet research to choose the best and the most appropriate gear, made a couple trips to B+H to look at it all, and it all worked out as good, or often better than expected. I'm not sponsored or compensated by any of these companies (but wouldn't be opposed to it if they happen to be reading...), but I do recommend all of this gear without reservation. (Update: I've now been using all of this equipment constantly for the past 11 months, and still recommend it all!) I discuss the camera I used on the trip, the Canon 7D, in this previous post. Most all of this equipment will be equally essential for day-to-day photography, culture and travel photography, humanitarian photography, and photojournalism. And the equipment will be useful with any dSLR: the Canon 60D, 7D, 5D, T2i/550D, etc. If you plan to purchase any of this equipment, I encourage you to do so through the links I've created below which will take you directly to Amazon.com. Your price will be the same as always, and I will get a small referral fee. Or you can go directly to Amazon.com here. I appreciate your support! If you are in the UK, or wish to purchase from B+H Photo, see the end of this post for information on those links. Antigua, Guatemala Camera Backpack: I use the Lowepro Compu Trekker AW as both my carry-on and my working bag during the day. The current version of this is the Lowepro Pro Runner 350 AW. The size works perfectly for both needs. It easily fits the airline carry-on size, including smaller international requirements in some regions, yet fits more that it would first appear. With careful configuration of the interior dividers, I can fit 2 Canon bodies (a Rebel XT and a Canon 7D or 50D), a 70-200mm f/4L IS, a 16-35mm f/2.8L II wide angle zoom, a 28-105mm standard zoom (an older lens, here is a link to the better 24-105mm f/4L), all lenses stored with their hoods turned backwards, a 580EX II flash, its diffuser, 2 external hard drives in cases, a couple memory card cases, and some filters. In the outside pocket, I have a couple battery chargers, extra batteries, medium Rocket Blower, miscellaneous cords, caps, and accessories. In the rear pocket designed for a laptop, I easily fit a 32" 5 in 1 reflector. Once I am in the field, I play around with the dividers until I have a set-up that best fits my flexible daily needs, and allows quick preparations or lens changes. The pack is extremely comfortable, has tons of padding on the straps and the back so that its weight never bothers me and I don't feel the reflector in my back. I often wear it for hours a day while working, and it is never a problem. In fact, on my final night in Guatemala when I went out to dinner in Antigua without it on my back for the first time in 2 weeks, I commented that I felt a bit naked. The top handle is strong enough to grab and carry with, as is often necessary while jumping in and out of cars or putting it down and picking it up. There is also a waist belt that I use when I have it fully loaded, like going to the airport, to relieve my shoulders of some of the weight. And it comes with a built in rain cover that stows away at the base of the bag that has done its job on a couple occasions. The Compu Trekker Plus (now the Pro Runner 450 AW) might be a better carry on size so that you could carry more gear on the plane with you (if it fits the airline's requirements) but it would be too big for daily use. There are also rolling versions of these, with an "x" in the name, thought the retractable handles and wheels add weight and size to the bags. The Compu Trekker has a tripod strap system that I don't use, and another outside pocket that is, conveniently, exactly the size of a Lonely Planet guidebook. Here are some photos of the backpack in action at the Chichicastenango Market, taken by my travel companion Elizabeth Jimenez: Security: A couple great additions to the bag are Eagle Creek combo locks and Eagle Creek Pack It Sacs in the small size to hold batteries, memory cards in cases, LensPen, camera and lens body caps, and various wires and cables. The medium size Pack It Sacs are great for medicines bottles and other loose stuff in your luggage. The backpack's zippers are rugged enough to handle constant abuse from the combo locks, which although they are weighty, are far better than keyed locks in the field so that you don't need to go digging for the key when you are in a hurry. You just have to be a little careful when opening and closing the bag - the locks dangle and flip around, and could easily bang into something fragile in the backpack. With the Pack It Sacs, I clipped some rubber bands to the key clip within the outside pocket of the backpack and then attached them to the clips on the Sacs, so that way the Sacs won't accidentally fall out if I flip the bag open and close while the outer pocket is open. There's enough play to access them and then shove them back into the bag. Another great accessory for this backpack is the PacSafe 55 wire mesh security system. It fits perfectly around this size bag, and secures your bag and your gear in a hotel room or wherever. It has a long cable that you loop around something secure and lock in place. It also comes with a small, compact storage case for when not in use. Chichicastenango, Guatemala SanDisk Extreme 16GB CF Memory Cards - I talked about these in the previous post. Once again, no particular reason why I use these rather than Lexar or Delkin...maybe a sponsorship would help seal my loyalties... :). Be sure to get the Sandisk Extreme 16 GB SD version if you are using the 60D or Rebel T2i. I use a Sandisk card reader to upload the images to my laptop, rather than from the camera directly, in order to save the camera batteries. This Sandisk Card Reader is for the CF cards, and the 5 in 1 reads SD cards. Spare Batteries - I always have 3 batteries for each camera body. The Canon 60D, 7D and 5D use the Canon LP-E6 Battery. Stick with the Canon brand batteries rather than the unpredictable third-party brands. BlackRapid RS-4 Camera Strap - The R-Strap is wonderful, and I highly recommend it. I was hesitant and suspicious at first, but I quickly adored it and will always use it. I had even emailed BlackRapid before purchasing to ask about shortcomings of earlier models, and they addressed my concerns thoroughly and completely. I was very impressed with the time and personal attention they paid to my questions. The strap is comfortable, easy to use, quick, strong, and rugged. I often use it in conjunction with wearing the backpack, and although the straps fight for space against each other on my shoulder, it still works fine. I'm a bit envious of the RS-7 that just came out, since it has a curved, ergonomic shoulder pad that will work better by itself on your shoulder and next to a backpack strap. There is also now a version designed for women, the RS-W1. Watch some of the videos out there as to how to use it, and be sure to moisten the rubber gasket before attaching it to your camera - this will make a firm seal that will never budge. The big pain is that the part attached to your camera body is best left in place, yet that makes it less easy to place the camera down on a table or in your bag, and will have to be removed to use a tripod. Also, the textured tightening screw part of the connector may rub up against your camera body in various situations, so I put some black duct tape on the bottom edges of the camera to protect it. B+W brand UV Filters - clear, protective filters for the lenses, slim for the wide angle. The slim is probably not needed with a crop sensor camera, but is recommended for a full frame camera. The slim comes with a lens cap that does not stay on well after a little bit of use, as there are no front threads for the Canon cap to fit on. If I had to do it over, I would probably get the regular filter so that I could use the Canon lens cap. B+W brand Circular Polarizer Filter - a polarizer serves to darken skies, boost contrast, cut through haze and reflections in water and glass, and block out a stop or two of light in bright situations. I keep it on my lens much of the time when doing outside work. Polarizing filters work to their maximum degree when the sun is to your right or left, but not when it is directly in front or behind you. Be sure to turn the moving part of the filter to dial in the degree of polarizing that you desire. They are typically not used on wide angle lenses because the darkening effect would vary across a wide swath of sky, and usually look strange. Sto-Fen Omni Bounce Diffuser - works great on the Canon 580EX II flash, although very snug and is always difficult to get on and off in a hurry. Squeeze it and stretch it first to help it go on easier. Please don't use the diffuser outside! Even if you see "pros" doing it. It doesn't do anything outside but make your flash work harder. You can't bounce light off the clouds. Honl Color Correction Filters and Speed Strap - These are essential for using with flash to balance the white balance of the scene - to make the color of the flash the same as the color of the ambient light. This way when you correct the WB of your subject your backgrounds won't be vivid orange (incandescent ambient lighting) or sickly green (fluorescent). You can't use them in conjunction with the diffuser - the Omni-Bounce can't fit over the Speed Strap, but that had not occurred to me when I bought them - so I'm going to have to figure out a solution to that. And I'm going to continue experimenting with the full or 1/2 CTO to add warmth to outside fill flash, as recommended by Nevada Wier (actually she uses a Kodak Wratten 81A gel, but I think they are similar). The kit is very slim and fits perfectly in one of the inside pockets of the backpack. Antigua, Guatemala Giottos Medium Rocket Blower - I initially used the small size in order to save a bit of space, but it didn't have the power I wanted, so I sprung for the medium. Always have it handy for getting dust off lenses in a hurry, because blowing on them - no matter how careful - leads to spittle on the lenses 5% of the time when it doesn't matter and 95% of the time when you are in the most critical situations. The large size may be a good choice as well. Pearstone LP-1 Lens Pen - Works great for cleaning off mysterious spots, smudges, and fingerprints that always appear on the lens (this is why I always use UV filters) as well as that a-fore-mentioned spittle. There is a retractable brush on one end and a cleaning head on the other end. Twist the cap to load the cleaning tip with the carbon based cleaning material, then remove the cap and use. Please read the instructions and visit the LensPen website to fully learn how to use it properly. 32" 5 in 1 Reflector - This size is perfect for travel and fits in the backpack, however I never actually used it during the trip so I don't know if the size is useful in the field. It is best suited for set-up situations and portraits, which I didn't have the opportunity to do on this assignment. I could have used it once to block some stray sunlight falling into a very dark room and potentially messing up the exposure, but I didn't think about it until later. I did, however, carry it around a lot and never noticed because it is lightweight and very durable. External Hard Drives - I use a Iomega Ego 500GB and a Lacie Rugged USB 500GB when traveling. I've used the Iomega on extended trips before, and love it. I've never had any problems with it, and it is solid and sturdy. I also decided to try out the Lacie Rugged USB for this trip. It is lighter than the Iomega, and doesn't feel as solid and sturdy, but it worked just fine. They both fit perfectly in the Case Logic Portable Hard Drive Case made for these types of drives, which I recommend getting in different colors so you can quickly differentiate your different drives. I leave them in the cases at all times, but you have to pull the Ego slightly out to plug in the cord, and place the Lacie upside down in the case for the cord to fit without removing the drive each time. For storage at home, I use the Western Digital My Book 1TB External Hard Drives. Hakuba Digital Media Storage Wallet - These are great, soft sided, thin memory card cases that hold 6 CF memory cards each. I picked up this recommendation from Karl Grobl's website. There are a lot of bulky, hard-sided cases out there, which make you feel like your memory cards need excessive protection. I'm sure there has been a situation where an elephant stepped on a memory card case and all photos were miraculously saved by a hard sided case, but as far as my needs, the soft ones work just fine. Get into the habit of inserting blank cards face up and used cards face down into the cases' pockets. Since this is the size for CF cards, have a look at this one if you use SD cards. 'da Products Screen Protector - This is the second camera I have used this product with, and I am once again very happy with it. It is a very inexpensive yet high quality screen protector for your LCD, made with acrylic. Get 'da40D Protector for the 7D - it is the perfect size. It is a slow, careful, time consuming process to attach the adhesive strips, get it clean, dust and fingerprint free, and perfectly centered, but once it's on, its there to stay (unless you want to remove it - in that case, to remove the 'da screen protector use dental floss to break the seal at the bottom corners, then slowly peel off.) I know that today's LCD screens are durable, but I feel more comfortable and carefree about constantly wiping off my protector with my fingers or shirt than I would directly on the built in screen. This is also why I use B+W UV filters on the lenses. Calumet micro fiber lens cloth - Stores perfectly in another slim inside pocket of the backpack, and always handy to have. Chichicastenango, Guatemala Insurance - Although I am a member of NPPA - National Press Photographers Association, I also joined NANPA - North American Nature Photography Association, in order to get their equipment insurance, which is much cheaper and has a much lower deductible than NPPA's, even including the extra $100 to join NANPA. The insurance is primarily for the equipment only, so you are not paying for liability coverage geared toward a business as you are with every other photo equipment insurance plan I researched. Please note that the NANPA membership fee covers you from June to June or something like that - they don't pro-rate, so you will not get a full year if you join at any other time. The insurance covers photo and computer equipment at home and while traveling. (If you happen to join NANPA to get their insurance, be sure to mention my name as a referrer, and I get $20 NANPA Bucks and save on my next renewal!) Skooba Satchel 2.0 Laptop Bag - This is typically my second carry on, in which I carry my laptop, some books, misc. charging cords, some toiletries. This is a wonderful laptop bag, and you won't believe how much will fit in it! As they say themselves, it is deceptively slim looking and incredibly light. It has these great little air squares for cushion everywhere - like bubble wrap made from durable rubber, and has an extremely comfortable and ergonomic strap. Lowa Tempest Lo Hiking Shoes - I've worn these shoes, this same pair, nearly everyday, for almost 4 years straight now, and they still have a little life left in them. I wore them every single day for a total of 7 months in Peru, walking the cobbled streets of Cusco, and traveling the country. And I wore them nearly every day for 3 years walking the streets of Brooklyn and Manhattan, and now Cambridge. (I don't have a car, so I actually walk, a lot.) They are so comfortable I never notice them. They are light, durable, and somewhat waterproof if treated regularly. I recently bought a backup pair for the inevitable day that I have to give them up. After 3.5 years one one them developed a tear at the front-side where they crease when crouching to take photos, but they are still fine except in the rain. Post-Production - Once you get back you are going to need to organize, edit, and work on all your photos. And for that, of course you are going to need Adobe Photoshop CS4 and/ or Adobe Lightroom 3. You can start off with the trial versions that you can download from the Adobe site, but sooner or later you are going to have to get the real versions. Use that student discount while you still can! Purchasing: If you plan to purchase any of this equipment, accessories, or anything else from Amazon.com I encourage you to do so through the links I set up throughout this post. Just click on the equipment above and you will be taken directly to that Amazon page. Your purchasing price will be the same, and they will give me a little something for referring you, which will help support my blog. Thanks! Or click on the Amazon.com logo below to enter Amazon and start shopping. I appreciate your support! If you are in the UK, you can click here for the UK Amazon referral link. If you are in another country, click on one of my Amazon links, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click on your country for your local Amazon. For those interested in purchasing through B+H Photo, I have set up an affiliate link with them as well - just click here to go to B+H, or click the B+H icon here:

Donate

dojoklo — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:54:34 +0000

This donation page was originally set up in preparation for my volunteer trip to Peru in 2008. However, I have decided to keep it open to ask for support in funding future volunteer trips. I originally went to Peru in both 2007 and 2008 to volunteer with impoverished and disadvantaged children, and I did this through teaching and working with children and families near Piura in northern Peru, and then with the children of Aldea Yanapay in Cusco. Through these experiences I discovered that, while I love volunteering, working with children, and teaching, my passion lies with photographing the work, the people, and the environments of NGO's and volunteer organizations. Following these life changing experiences in Peru, I began to focus on being a humanitarian photographer and documenting the work of these types of organizations throughout the world. As you may realize, many NGO's are small and survive on very little funding and donations, and thus could never afford to pay a photographer. However, I cannot resist working with them, and therefore I sometimes have to fund these ventures myself. That is why I am keeping the donation page alive! My current, tentative plans are to return to Peru to photograph the work of at least two organizations, Manos Unidas and Awamaki, both coincidentally run by women originally from Seattle, and to someday soon travel to India to document an organization that rescues and rehabilitates former child sex slaves. If you wish to donate through PayPal, click on the little donate guy on the left side of this page. If you don't have a PayPal account, just look towards the bottom of the PayPal donation page for the credit card option. Also, please have a look below at the people who have generously sponsored and supported me in the past. Thanks!

Supporters 2010

David Herringshaw Portsmouth, Hampshire UK

Sponsors 2008

April - Abril 16 - Angeline Quirona sponsors crafts with the kids

May - Mayo

June - Junio 2 - Tracie Horsley for her birthday www.computerlearninglive.com www.franklinmethodsocal.com 10 - Aunt Vickie for her birthday 22 - Aunt Vickie for Grandma Weir´s birthday

July - Julio 10 - Gail Enid Zimmer sponsors doll making craft project with the kids, for her 66th birthday

August - Agosto 8 - Laura Jussila, Peter Evans for Abigail's Birthday 9- Laura Jussila, Peter Evans 10- Laura Jussila, Peter Evans 11- Laura Jussila, Peter Evans 20 - Angeline Quirona sponsors crafts with the kids

September - Setiembre

October - Octubre 5 - Dad, in memory of Grandma K. 27 - Mom, in honor of my birthday

Even More Canon Rebates

dojoklo — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:32:41 +0000

In addition to the instant rebates Canon USA has on numerous lenses and Speedlites, there is a new rebate on select camera-lens kits. I also just discovered (through an ad on Amazon) there is also a loyalty program rebate offer. If you bought and registered a Canon camera in the past, and then bought a new one recently, you may be eligible for a $20 mail-in rebate on PowerShot cameras and $50 mail-in rebate on EOS cameras. Click here for all the info: http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=PromotionsAct&fcategoryid=101&WT.mc_id=C126552

How to Start Out as a Humanitarian Photographer: The Self-Assignment

dojoklo — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 00:49:52 +0000

(For related posts, check out other entries in the Humanitarian Photography category which includes post such as choosing your camera and lenses, as well as the follow up to this post, After the Self-Assignment.) How to Become a Humanitarian Photographer As with many other photography specialties, there is no set course to becoming a humanitarian photographer. You must make your own path by determining your goals, piecing together the advice and experiences of others, and following your intuition. You can go to school and study photojournalism, you can create your own self-designed curriculum of classes, workshops, and experience, you can intern with an experienced photographer, or you can just strike out into the real world and learn it on your own. Starting out as a humanitarian photographer, or any type of photographer for that matter, involves learning about so many diverse areas beyond the art of making images and the skills of using a camera, a flash, and Photoshop (all of which are full time undertakings in themselves). There is also much to learn about business, copyright, marketing, branding, finances, insurance, client relations...the list goes on and on. But I'd like to go into detail about one important and practical aspect of starting out: the self-assignment. San Francisco, Peru In order to discover if travel or humanitarian photography is what you really want to dedicate yourself to, it is vital to get out there and really try it out. Travel to a foreign country, get out in the field, and spend days working at it, as if you were on a real assignment. One can think about it from the comfort of home, drooling over the beautiful photos of those you admire, and imagining the excitement of traveling in exotic places. But you may find that working in the field, spending weeks away from friends, family and soft toilet paper, and suffering days of intestinal distress is not all you hoped for. As any working photographer will tell you, it's hard. Immensely gratifying and often fun, but none the less hard. I encourage anyone not to invest too much time, thought, and money into this dream until they have undertaken this important test. Planning and executing a self assignment is challenging, but entirely do-able and realistic for anyone who is dedicated to the idea. Even if you have a full time job and aren't making that much money, it can be done. Don't quit your job yet to dive head first into self-employment, but use your vacation time to test the waters. Cusco, Peru Money: The first challenge is always money. You have to save up money for the gear, for the time away from work, and for the trip. This is done the old-fashioned way - by scrimping and saving. You've read it many times before, and it sometimes seems unrealistic, but it works. Save money anywhere you can - stop eating out, bring your lunch to work, cancel cable, cancel Netflicks, get your books and movies from the library, stop buying stuff, use the right ATM and stop paying fees, scour the Internet for the best price on the gear you need. It may take longer than you want, it may even take a year or two, but it works. Remember, each restaurant meal you skip here equals three equivalent restaurant meals in a developing country - or better yet, it equals a week's worth of groceries when you travel. The recession has already given everyone a head-start into living and thinking more economically, you just have to be dedicated to it a bit more and a lot longer. Also, once you begin traveling to developing countries and seeing how people find great joy in life yet live with so few possessions, your new economic lifestyle will seem that much more appropriate. I'm not just saying all these things because I've read them or because they sound like they will work. I've done them...all. Also look to Ami Vitale for inspiration. She worked long and hard and saved, then headed off and launched her career exactly this way (see the How You Finance Your Stories video at the bottom of this page). Look into counties that aren't very expensive to fly to. For someone in the USA, that means look to South and Central America. Depending on the time of year, there are incredibly cheap deals. For example, I recently saw $84 tickets to Guatemala on a major airline. Yes, $84 each way! That's cheaper than flying home for Christmas. Granted, it is a redeye with a long layover, but it gets you there. Be flexible and use Kayak.com to find the best prices. Taquile Island on Lake Titicaca, Peru Gear: You might not yet be able to afford the latest and greatest professional gear. In fact, until you are sure you really want to do this, you probably don't want to invest in a 5D Mark II and 2 or 3 L-series lenses. Every photo forum you follow, pixel peeper you talk to, and gear review you read is going to convince you that you need the most current, top of the line gear. But you don't. I do recommend using a dSLR and not just a point and shoot, so something like a Canon XSi or T2i and a versatile zoom lens like the Canon 18-135mm (or the Nikon equivalent) offers more than enough quality and range to start off with if you can't afford more. On my first self-assignment all I had was an outdated Rebel XT and a single, 28-105mm lens. It didn't prevent me from getting the shots I wanted, they've been exhibited, won awards, been honored by the United Nations, been used on travel guide and textbook covers, and no one has ever told me that the quality of the photos is unacceptable. (And remember that no one, outside the photo world, will ever even think to ask you what camera you used or which lens you chose.) Sometimes, with that early gear, I wasn't able to zoom as much as I wanted for travel shots, or get wide enough for the close-ups of humanitarian work, so that is why the 18-135mm (which wasn't available until more recently) would be a pretty ideal single lens solution now. (The secret fact is, I even have a couple great photos in my portfolio, a photo on a travel guidebook cover, and won a dSLR camera using an Olympus SP-320, 7 megapixel point and shoot.) Don't go overboard with bags and accessories. Get a simple holster bag, like an M-Rock Yellowstone or whichever one fits your body and lens, or a LowePro or Tamrac bag or backpack, a couple filters (UV and polarizing), a lens pen and cloth, a rocket blower, extra batteries and memory cards, and then stop looking. You don't need anything else. I promise. (Well, also your laptop computer, external hard drive, and some type of insurance coverage for it all. And maybe a Pac Safe 55 to secure it. Hey, no one said this was cheap!) For insurance, look into your home-owner's or renter's insurance to see if it will cover it, or look at NANPA's coverage or the discussion here. (If you happen to join NANPA to get their insurance, be sure to mention my name as a referrer, and I get $20 NANPA Bucks and save on my next renewal!) To sum it up, as culture photographer Craig Ferguson stated in a recent interview, "You don’t need to have the most expensive gear or even the newest. A plane ticket and enough money for 3 months living coupled with an entry level body and a 50mm lens will get you further than the latest pro-level body and no time or money to use it." I discuss additional photography gear and accessories that are useful for working in the field in this post, and have put together an Amazon site with all the recommended gear here. Altos de los Mores, Peru Researching the NGO: Figure out what type of NGO (non-governmental organization) or non-profit organization you'd like to photograph, and which countries interest you, and start doing research. Which subjects most inspire your passion for this work? Disabled children, gender equality, health, faith-based work, community development? In every developing country there are countless NGOs doing each of these types of work and more. As a professional, you might not be able to be this specific in your choices, so take advantage of your self-assignment. Do searches on the Internet, and look on idealist.org. It is hard to imagine that any small, typically struggling organization does not want free, semi-professional quality photos for their website and newsletters, so most all will be welcoming to your offer to volunteer. But it is very important that you are quite clear that your interest and intent is to photograph their work. If you sign up to be a general volunteer, you will be expected and obligated to be doing whatever work they ask of you. Do not think you can be a volunteer and also take photos on the side. You will not do a good job of either that way. Be perfectly clear with them that you are interested in primarily photographing the work they do. That doesn't mean you can't spend a few days as a volunteer, and by all means you should (see below), but they should not be expecting you to be a typical volunteer. Altos de los Mores, Peru Ask questions and find out as much as you can about the actual work they do. Don't just trust what you read on their website, but find out exactly what they do and where they work. They may say they work in 4 different communities, but really they might only visit 3 of them once a year for a medical visit or to bring donations. They might say they have a number of different programs, but really they may only be currently focusing on one of them based on financial reasons or staff and volunteers skills. Make sure that your area of interest is really what they are doing now. Explain to them your interests, and see if meeting your goals will be possible with them. NGOs are often run by incredibly generous, helpful, kind, friendly, flexible people, and they will want to help you at your project. But they are also incredibly busy and strapped for resources, so learn to communicate and work with them on their terms. Many organizations require that you pay to be a volunteer. This may sound strange, but you have to understand that they need money in order to keep doing the work they do. Just the fact that you are working for free does not pay the salary for the NGO's staff. But be wary, there are many placement services that make money by being a middle-man, so make arrangements directly with the NGO. If your volunteer fee includes lodging, or even food, it is often quite reasonable to pay them. However, there are also many excellent organizations which will not charge you anything. If this is the case, be sure and support them by bringing donations (books, toys, art supplies). See my Resources Page for more information on volunteering. Some organizations run restaurants and hostels, so support them by eating and staying with them. Also, if you are thinking of joining a mission type trip, like a medical mission, find one that is being organized from your area so that you can document the planning and the departure of the group at the airport. **Update 2010-01-28** Here is a website I just discovered which attempts to link up volunteer photographers with humanitarian projects world-wide: http://www.photophilanthropy.org/creative_volunteer.html Cusco, Peru Working in the Field: It seems every photographer I admire always discusses the importance of talking to and getting to know the people you are photographing. Sometimes that means just chatting with them and buying some of their wares before you start to photograph them, other times that means living among them for several days, weeks, or months. As a photographer working with an NGO, this means you should consider being a volunteer for a day, without your camera, without photographing. Yes, that is a painful experience, to see potentially great shots slip by left and right. But this sacrifice will quickly pay off when you start to work. This gives you an opportunity to learn what the organization does and how they work. It also allows you to start to get to know the people they serve, and for them to become comfortable around you. It is obvious that this approach, rather than barging in with your face behind a camera, is going to result in much more genuine photos. Also, stay out of the way of the director and the staff when they are working. Make your arrangements and ask questions before or after the workday. Be flexible to ever-changing, never scheduled situations, but also, always remind the director of what you want to be doing. She might go running off to visit one of the client's homes or villages, and you want her to know to always grab you and take you along on those types of trips. Take advantage of your time there to do, see, and photograph as many different types of places and situations as you can. Talk to everyone you meet - other volunteers, people at restaurants and hotels. Many other people are doing volunteer work, and they may point you in the direction of a great photographic situation. Huinchiri, Peru Develop, learn, and practice a good workflow for saving and backing up your images every day. It is time consuming and easy to want to put off, but if you get behind there will be no catching up. I recommend using David duChemin's global workflow as a starting point (alternate link here). Always have your camera with you, even if you think you are just being taken to the bakery for some bread and are told you'll be back in 5 minutes. You will inevitably be taken on a two hour detour through a part of town off the beaten path, with amazing photo opportunities, during the magic hour. Always carefully prepare and assemble your gear before you start each day, and have new batteries and memory cards accessible while you shoot. I highly recommend you always remember to "make haste slowly." What this means is that you will often be in a hurry, but don't rush and act in a panic during critical moments, in preparation or in shooting. Change lenses carefully and slowly, then rush back to the action. Clean the mysterious glob off your lens carefully and delicately, then get back to shooting. There are countless opportunities to damage your gear, and while it is durable, somewhat waterproof, and stray marks and dings on your tools are not something to fret over, a dropped or scratched lens is. After this, well, I don't know what to tell you - you're going to learn a lot. You are going to learn your camera and its settings inside and out, you are going to learn to work under pressure, always being ready, always trying to capture the fleeting shot and changing light. You are going to start to learn what works and what doesn't as far as compositions, camera settings, perspectives, etc. You are going to begin to learn about life in a developing country. And you are going to very quickly learn if this work is truly your passion and your calling. Please leave a comment, ask a question. Let me know what has been helpful, and what you'd like to read more about. Let me know if you have planned or undertaken a self-assignment on your way to becoming a humanitarian photographer, and how you are addressing the challenges of this endeavor. See my follow-up post, Becoming a Humanitarian Photographer-After the Self-Assignment for the next stage of the process. For related posts, check out other entries in the Humanitarian Photography category.

The Exotic vs. The Real

dojoklo — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:52:11 +0000

(For related posts, check out other entries in the Humanitarian Photography category.) As one grows up in the first world, they learn to see the developing world as exotic lands of vibrant color and fantastic ceremonies. I recall that for a grade school project I made a large cut-out of the African continent, and populated it with carefully detailed stand up paper people, all dressed in their traditional local costumes, as copied from the encyclopedia. I marveled at the variations in dress, and how each country had its own unique outfit. This viewpoint continues on well into adulthood, encouraged by travel brochures showing smiling local people in their indigenous dress, and every traveler with a camera aims to capture those same shots on their journey (see previous post for a couple of my examples). But after spending just a little bit of time in a developing country, one learns that these types of images are far from the "truth." The ones who still wear the colorful traditional outfits are almost always the poorest and most politically ignored segment of a country's population. Though they often smile and laugh, their lives are far from exotic and joyful. They are often difficult, full of pain, and short. During my recent brief trip to Guatemala, I repeatedly came face to face with these realities of life in a developing country, even more so than I ever did during my many months in Peru. And in my photos I found I still battle with the contradictions of exotic vs. reality. San Miguel Dueñas, Guatelmala I was visiting a compound of several families' concrete block houses surrounding a paved courtyard containing the shared sink and stoves. These girls returned home in the late afternoon, and I immediately got caught up in taking photos of them. Lost in my concentration, my traveling companion gently reprimanded me, "That's enough, let them put it down. It's heavy." "Right, right," I said and immediately stopped, embarrassed that I hadn't realized this myself. Although one cannot deny the momentary smile on these girls' faces is genuine, the reality is that they are child laborers. They had spent the day working in a coffee field, and then as they walked home they gathered and carried the wood, slung on their heads, as they do each day. I imagine that the attention being paid to them by Elizabeth and I is a big part of the smile you see on their faces and in their eyes. Concepcion (second from left), Kevin (second from right) and family - 11/16/2009 On another day we visited two boys and their families in order to interview and photograph them to write an article about them that will hopefully find them sponsors. The two boys are about to enter high school, and each has lost one or both parents. Without the help of a sponsor to pay for school, books, and supplies, they will have to leave school and begin working. Elizabeth has written more about their stories here. One of the boys, Kevin, is losing his mother Concepcion to cancer of the uterus, and his father died just a month earlier. After interviewing Kevin, it occurred to us that his family probably doesn't have a single photo of themselves or their mother, which would obviously be a nice memento now and after her passing. We returned the next day to take a portrait. They gently lifted their mother on her bed, where she has lied for endless weeks lacking the strength to get up, and supported her as I quickly took a couple shots, praying that they would be properly focused and exposed in the near complete darkness of the dusty, dirt-floored room. Although she is dying of cancer, there is nothing she can do about it because the family lacks money for both doctors and trips to Guatemala City for the treatment. And at this point, it would be physically impossible for her to get on and ride a chicken bus the 1 hour into town. She does not have doctor's visits, she does not even have appropriate medication for the pain. She is dying a slow and very painful death. Sadly, I later learned, many types of uterine cancer are preventable or successfully treatable if detected early with regular doctor visits. In fact, conditions leading to cervical cancer can often have a 10 year window for detection and treatment. But Concepcion has probably rarely seen a doctor in her life, and certainly did not have annual examinations. We had learned the previous day that the other boy, Luis, had also lost his mother to uterine cancer and a very similar death. Immediately after we left, the head of the NGO I was working with (who had dropped off food and supplies to deal with the bleeding) called a contact and got hold of some appropriately strong pain medication that they, like many of us often do, had left over in their medicine cabinet. I went into Antigua and had an 8x10 print made, and found a simple but nice wood frame. We returned to Kevin's house, and presented it to Concepcion. She sat up in bed and a huge smile washed across her face. The pain medication had already begun to work wonders, and for the first time in weeks, maybe months, she was not in constant, unbearable pain. See more related posts in the Humanitarian Photography category.

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dojoklo — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:50:44 +0000

http://dojoklo.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/cropped-picturingchangeheader.jpg

Canon 7D vs. 5D vs. 50D

dojoklo — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 21:45:19 +0000

I read a lot of arguing back and forth on forums regarding one camera vs. another in terms of their capabilities and performance such as high ISO performance, low light capabilities, etc, etc, etc. Well, here's an actual test site that may shed some real, fact-based light into these arguments. It is interesting to see that in actual tests, the 50D consistently outperforms the newer and much pricier 7D in most areas, only falling short by negligible amounts in ISO sensitivity and dynamic range at lower ISOs. And here is a post I wrote that goes into more detail in comparing the features of the Canon 7D, 5D Mark II, and the 50D. Plus a little bit about the 550d (T2i) as well. Roosevelt Island, NYC

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dojoklo — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:59:03 +0000

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Videography with the Nikon D300s and Canon 7D

dojoklo — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:08:37 +0000

I recently ran across this video made by the wonderfully talented photojournalist Ami Vitale. It was commissioned by Nikon to showcase the HD video capabilities of the D300s, a camera very similar to the Canon 7D: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54aiz8Syqs0&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&hd=1] Like this new class of cameras, the short video is itself a hybrid of photography and video - each scene is like a still photograph come to life with motion. With her background and extensive experience in photography, it is no surprise that Ami approached this video as a series of still, yet moving photographs. What I mean is that the language of videography - the pans, zooms, transitions, etc. - is not explored, but rather the camera is typically kept in place while the activity and motion occurs in front of it. This seems to be an excellent example for photographers who are beginning to explore the video capabilities of their new cameras. Many have predicted that video is going to be the future of visual journalism and storytelling, and the fact that photographers now have HD video in their hands encourages this possibility. But video and film have a language all their own, much different than photography. If one is truly dedicated to video storytelling, they will need to invest much time and effort into learning this language. So while they are striving to see, film, and edit with new eyes and now ears, it will be helpful to begin with a language they are already familiar with - the language of composition, color, point of view, framing, contrast, etc., which they already know from photography. With this approach, one can begin to capture the element of time (not to mention sound) that a still photograph can only allude to, just as Ami captured the dancing light on the women in the street, the sari fluttering in the wind, the motion of water and change of reflections, the movement of shadows across sand dunes, and the time-lapse effects of various modes of transportation. According to a recent interview, Ami is now studying videography in a master's program, so there is no doubt she will soon be telling more amazing and beautiful stories through video.

Canon 7D Tutorials

dojoklo — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:12:59 +0000

I've run across a nice set of video tutorials (link below) for using the Canon 7D. You can watch them online, or even download them to your camera for viewing. The one on AF Custom Fuctions is especially helpful at clarifying those setting. Be sure to look around on the Canon Digital Learning Center to find all kinds of other cool stuff about using your camera plus useful tips and instructions from pros who use them. Also, be sure to have a look at my tutorial for the Canon 7D, Assignment Guatemala: Canon 7d, which discusses many of the custom functions and settings of the 7D, and how and when to use them in real world situations. link to Canon 7D Video Tutorials Also I've written a tutorial and user's guide eBook for the Canon 60D called Your World 60D - The Still Photographer's Guide to Operation and Image Creation. Although it addresses the Menus and Custom Functions of the 60D, the majority of them are similar to the 7D, and nearly all of the rest of the sections of the eBook apply equally to the 7D (exposure modes, metering modes, composition, etc.) Have a look at Your World 60D here. San Juan del Obisbo, Guatemala - photo by dojoklo The distinctive voice you hear in the 7D tutorial videos is Canon guru Rudy Winston, and the photo samples are his images as well. If you are in NYC, you can often find him leading workshops and presentations at places like B+H and Adorama. I went to a wonderfully informative introduction to the 7D that he gave a B+H a month or 2 ago, and these videos are pretty much the same presentation.

Mastering Depth of Field

dojoklo — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 01:29:45 +0000

(for a related post, see Depth of Field Simplified) I recently came across an excellent website regarding depth of field (dof), including a handy online calculator for determining dof based on the focal length of the lens, the aperture, and distance from the subject. It even takes into account different sensor sizes, including the APS-C size sensor of the Canon 7D. You can also view and print dof tables as well as create, print, and assemble a field dof calculator based on focal lengths of your choosing. And if you have an iPhone, there is a handy dof calculator app. Chichicastenango Market, Guatemala - 200mm, f/4, subject distance 2.7m One figurine in focus, surrounding figurines dramatically out of focus - achieved by standing close, zooming way in and choosing wide aperture Why is this all important? Well first, if you aren't familiar with what depth of field is, it is the range of distances in which the objects in the photograph will be acceptably sharp. For example, if I am using a 100mm lens, set my aperture at f/5.6, and focus on a subject 10 feet away, everything from 9.69' to 10.3' away from me will be acceptably sharp or in focus in the resulting image. If none of this is clear to you, or only partially understood, then go out and read Bryan Peterson's Understanding Exposure first, and then come back to rejoin us. It is a bit complicated and difficult at first, but if explained properly - as he will do better than I could - it will soon click. Also, I have posted a simplified explanation and quick and easy lesson for using dramatic depth of field here. So, according to George Schaub in Using Your Digital Camera (I have no idea who this is, but borrowed the quote from the above website) "(Depth of field) is one of the most creative and profound effects available to photographers." I absolutely agree with this. My photography improved 2000%, virtually overnight, when I understood and began to use the creative and visual power of dof. And this is why I shoot on Aperture Priority Mode (Av) 98.5% of the time. I don't want to go into the technical aspects of dof, and it can get extremely technical, but I will touch on some of the practical aspects of it. The ability to control dof is one of the many advantages of a digital SLR vs. a digital compact camera. Due to the small focal length, small sensor, and limited aperture sizes, a compact can typically not create the dramatic dof available to a dSLR user. And if one has a super-zoom type camera that will allow better use of dof, the controls to utilize it may be more cumbersome that with a dSLR. Chichicastenango Market, Guatemala - 200mm, f/4, subject distance 7.4m (image cropped) Man in focus, surrounding people slightly out of focus - achieved by being a few dozen feet away, zooming all the way in with 200mm, wide aperture So why does one utilize dof? One reason is to better call attention to, or even isolate the intended subject of your photograph. When looking at an image, the eye tends to first go to what is sharply in focus as well as to what is lighter. If it is a busy scene with lots of possible subjects, the eye wanders aimlessly around all parts of the photo, and won't necessarily focus on the subject you intended them to look at. By placing your intended subject in sharp focus, and the background and other elements out of focus to a lesser or greater degree, the viewer zeros in on what you intended them to. It can also be used to create various relationships between your subject and their environment or between your subject and other subjects in the frame. For example, a person who is your subject could be in sharp focus, while the background or elements around them are very much out of focus. This visually draws the subject out and leads the viewer to see this person as the sole subject of the photo. However, if the background or surrounding elements were just slightly out of focus, the viewer then sees the person as well as their surroundings, and starts to consider the relationships between them. By manipulating dof, you can work towards suggesting, defining and creating these types of relationships in your compositions. San Miguel Duenas, Guatemala - 97mm, f/4, subject distance 3.3m Girl in focus, boy and background environment (their home) slightly out of focus - achieved by standing a dozen feet away or so, zooming in to 97mm, wide aperture And why does one need the dof calculators? Since dof varies so widely depending on the lens being used, the distance to the subject, and the aperture, it is difficult to know precisely what distance range is going to be in focus. One can use the dof preview button on the camera, but it is often difficult to determine through the viewfinder what the dof will be. So with the dof calculator, you can plug in various numbers and learn how a certain lens is going to act in a particular situation. Then, by using your lenses often, and experimenting with various apertures and various camera-to-subject distances, one can begin to get an intuitive feel for how each lens works, and how dramatically different a 16mm at f/4 aperture is from a 200mm at f/4 aperture. And when you are in a situation that allows it, you can pull out your iPhone or your field calculator, and determine a precise dof in advance. Antigua, Guatemala - 127mm, f/5, subject distance 5.3m Woman in focus, statue on distant church facade out of focus yet recognizable - achieved by standing a few dozen feet away, zooming in to 127mm, wide but not widest aperture I like using a very wide aperture (like f/4 or f/5.6) to create very shallow, dramatic dof in many of my images. However, I typically don't want it to be so shallow that a person's nose is in focus and their ear is out of focus (though this is a dramatic and sometimes desired portrait "trick"). Also, when photographing action, such as dance, I want a little leeway so that if I focus on a hat instead of a face, or if the person moves forward a bit, there is a enough dof that their face will still be in focus. And this is why I originally began to search for depth of field tables, so I could better understand how my lenses were going to respond in certain situations. Now, as a little, technical side note, I was always taught in school to be aware of the 1/3 - 2/3 rule which says that 1/3 of the in-focus area will be in front of the spot where you focus, and 2/3 will be behind it. So if you were standing at the front of a row of people, and turned back around to look down the line and take a photo, and focused on the 8th guy in line, this rule says that perhaps (due to your particular lens/ aperture/ distance choice) one person in front of him will be in focus too, and 2 people behind him will be. It turns out, this really isn't accurate at all. Most often it is closer to 1/2 the distance in front of the focus spot and 1/2 behind it. I have no idea why they taught us 1/3 - 2/3.

Why You Shouldn’t Buy the Kit Lens

dojoklo — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 17:33:15 +0000

OK, I admit, the title of this post is purposely overly dramatic. The truth is, I don't know if you should buy a digital SLR with the kit lens or not. That was partially a cheap ploy for attention and Google searches. But the reality is, Canon and Nikon don't know what you are taking photos of and how you work, so just because they pair a lens up with the body you want, don't assume it is the right lens for you and your work. You may save some money at first, but if you soon upgrade and replace the kit lens, and then toss it aside and rarely use it again, you're really not saving any money. (It should tell you something that when you read forum posts from people discussing kit lenses, you discover the most common phrase is "I bought the kit lens, but..." typically followed by the words "soon replaced.") You don't need a "starter lens," whatever that means. You need a lens that does what you want. For additional posts about lenses, see Best Lenses for Travel and Humanitarian Photography and Fixed vs. Variable Aperture Lenses. So I'd like to raise some issues that can help you make a better, more informed decision if you should get the kit lens or if you should buy just the camera body, and purchase a different lens. (A "kit lens" is a lens that is sold together with a dSLR camera body, as a package - as opposed to buying the camera body only and selecting your own lens.) San Francisco, Peru - Shipibo Village 1/640, f/5, ISO 200, 105mm If some of the digital photography terms in this post are new to you, check out this great glossary for assistance. There are several routes to follow regarding buying lenses. One common path seems to be to start out with a single, all purpose zoom lens, like the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, that takes you all the way from wide angle to telephoto. Then when your experience and needs change and develop, you might get higher quality zooms with more limited range, such as a wide angle zoom, a standard zoom, and/ or a telephoto zoom. Somewhere along the way you may throw in a couple prime lenses, and then maybe upgrade the zoom lenses to the professional series, or get a super expensive, giant telephoto if your work requires that. There are a million sites that address everything about lenses, so I don't wish to repeat it all here. But one thing is for sure: they can't tell you which lens you need. You have to figure that out yourself, and hopefully this post will help you do that. One thing to keep in mind with lenses is that you almost always get what you pay for. With more expensive lenses you often get features including:

better sharpness throughout its full range of focal lengths and apertures
better sharpness, color, contrast, and image quality across the image frame, from the center to the corners
higher quality construction
higher quality glass and coatings to prevent flare and internal reflections
larger maximum apertures
fixed maximum apertures (read about what this means in this other post)
better durability
Increased dust, water, and weather resistance
image stabilization (designated IS on Canon lenses; VR on Nikon/Nikkor lenses)
higher quality auto focus mechanisms
quieter and faster auto focus
full time manual focus (ability to override auto-focus for manually tweeking focus while remaining in AF)
internal zoom mechanisms - meaning the lens does not extend when you zoom - which also allows for better weather sealing
metal lens mounts (the part that screws onto the camera) for better durability, sealing, and electrical connections (cheaper kit lenses often have plastic mounts that wear and then the lens wobbles and loses electrical connection)

One notable exception to this rule of price=quality seems to be Canon's 50mm f/1.8 II for under $100. From what I've repeatedly read, the quality is exceptional, although the build quality seems to be what suffers. Also, since higher quality lenses typically contain more internal lens elements, they are often heavier than equivalent cheaper lenses. If you are new to learning about lenses, you may wonder why you shouldn't just buy a relatively inexpensive lens that takes you from 18mm or 55mm all the way to 200mm or 300mm and covers all your needs. The general answer is that lenses typically can't maintain high quality throughout a huge range like that. If you have a high quality camera, you are better off sacrificing some of that zoom range for better quality through a more limited range. And any dSLR with 15, 18, or 21 megapixels will show the shortcomings of cheaper lenses due to the high resolution of the sensor. Ucayali River, Peru 1/400, f/6.3, ISO 100, 105mm So, to choose the lens that is right for you, first look at what you plan to or typically take photos off. What range of zoom or individual prime lenses best fit these needs? If you have lots of recent photos, look at the EXIF data to see what focal lengths got the most use. (Make sure you take into account sensor sizes and crop factors though. A photo taken at 55mm focal length on your digital compact may be the equivalent of 55mm on a camera with a full frame sensor, like the Canon 5D, but will likely not be the equivalent of 55mm focal length on a 1.6x crop factor size sensor of a Canon Rebel, 60D, or 7D. You may have to do some research and some math and figure out what the equivalent focal length is to make sure you are comparing apples to apples.) When I was initially upgrading from an all purpose zoom to higher quality but more limited range zooms, I put all my favorite and most successful recent photos in a folder and then opened that folder in Adobe Bridge. In the "Filter" panel, I expanded the "Focal Length" list, and saw the number of photos taken at each focal length. It quickly became apparent that I was always working at the extremes of my lens, either at 28mm or at 105mm, and then the next highest concentration of images was around 50mm and 85mm. What this metadata told me was that I needed a wide angle lens for those times I was working at 28mm, and also a telephoto lens that started around 80mm and went up to 105mm or greater. Knowing from experience that I often wished I could get much wider than 28mm, and seeing in the EXIF data that when going wide I rarely went above 30mm or 35mm, I chose a 16-35mm wide angle zoom lens. Also knowing from experience that I often wished I could zoom in much closer than I was able to with 105mm, a 70-200mm lens was a great solution. With these two lenses, I have the wide and telephoto ranges covered. But the EXIF data also showed a concentration of images from 50-65mm, so this tells me perhaps I should consider a 50mm prime lens. I can make up the difference of 50-65mm by "zooming with my feet," as they say. Cusco, Peru - Inti Raymi 2007 1/500, f/4.6, ISO 100, 21mm (digital compact) If you don't yet have enough experience or past images to know which range of lenses will best fit your subject matter, look at photographers who do similar work. Professionals usually list what gear they use on their website - look for the "equipment" or "gear" link. If you are into travel, look at what Bob Krist and Nevada Wier use. If you are into landscapes or birds or sports, look at your favorite pros in these areas (sorry, I don't know too much about these areas). If you favor international humanitarian photojournalism (as I do), look to Karl Grobl and Ami Vitale, or any number of other working pros. If you can't afford or are not ready to invest in the professional series lenses that they use, determine the closest equivalent in a less expensive lens. Or another approach is to look at the types of images that draw your attention, the types of images you wish to emulate. See if the focal length is listed under the image (this is often done in photo magazines and books), or with images on Flickr view the EXIF data. If it is not listed, just determine the focal length more generally. Are the images you admire and are attracted to close-ups, details, or faces with blurry backgrounds? These are typically made with telephoto lenses - lenses that range from 70mm to 200mm, 250mm, or 300mm. Or are they all encompassing wide shots, landscapes, or environmental portraits? These are usually taken with wide angle lenses or lenses that range anywhere from 10mm or 18mm up to 70mm or 85mm. There may be 2 or 3 lenses that fit in your desired range, so the next step is to head to the photo store. Have them pull out the camera body you have or want, and then 2 of the similar lenses. Try them both out, and you may quickly see which one you favor. One may be much heavier than the other, or just feel more comfortable in your hands. There may be a significant difference in size. When I went to look at the 70-200mm, there were 4 to choose from: it came with or without image stabilization and with f/2.8 or f/4 aperture. I knew I wanted the IS, and even though it was significantly more expensive, I knew I wanted the f/2.8 since it is generally considered better for a variety of reasons. However, the moment the guy placed them side by side on the counter, I was relieved I had not ordered it sight unseen. The f/2.8 is gigantic. It is a cannon, (not just a Canon) and it weighs a ton. I knew I would not want to haul that thing around, have it around my neck or in my hands all day, and that I would probably begin to dread its weight very quickly. So I went with the f/4 (Canon EF 70-200 f/4L IS), with its very similar optics and performance, and half the weight. I sacrificed a little "speed" and compositional possibilities (as well as bragging rights) with the f/4 aperture, but based on how I knew I would be using it, it was worth the trade off. However when comparing two similar wide angle zooms, side by side and in my hands, I chose the heavier one. Its shorter focal length at the wide end and its wider aperture, which would be beneficial in the low light situations I would be commonly using it, were more important to me that the weight. Whichever lens you get, be sure to get the optional lens hood (they come with L-series lenses) and a high-quality coated or multi-coated UV filter (such a the B+W brand). The lens hood will help shade the lens to prevent unwanted lens flare (although lens flare can sometimes be used for a great effect when desired), help protect the lens from bumps and drops, and will make you look cooler and more professional! Have a look on my post about The Best Lenses for Travel Photography which specifies the applicable Canon lens hood and filter size for several lenses. Lake Titicaca, Peru 1/1000, f/6.3, ISO 400, 105mm If you still can't decide, rent the camera and both lenses, or just the lens you are leaning towards, and try them out for a weekend. As far as all the other comparisons between lenses, do research on-line. Avoid forums that debate the pros and cons of various lenses but are subject to subjective judgments. Look for sites with actual side-by-side reviews and comparisons. I've listed a few links at the bottom. Don't rule out a prime lens as your first lens either. The 50mm used to be the "kit lens" back in the 35mm films days, and for a good reason. It is called a "normal" lens, meaning "the way it renders perspective closely matches that of the human eye." (Gary Voth). Also, its large maximum aperture - often f/1.4 or f/1.8 - means it works great in low light situations, as well as creates dramatic background blurring. Gary Voth has written an excellent post about the 50mm, "The Forgotten Lens," describing its numerous other benefits. He also addresses the issues of a 50mm with a full frame vs. cropped frame digital SLRs. The couple of photos on his post may be enough to convince you he is on to something. On a final note, I've read of people being concerned about buying lenses that overlap, for example having a 24-105mm and a 70-200mm. These 2 would overlap, and thus potentially serve the same purpose, in the 70-105mm range. I don't think this should be a concern at all, for a couple reasons. First, the lenses may not act exactly the same optically at the same focal length due to the lenses' minimum apertures or their focusing "sweet spots." More importantly, there are so many situations where you can't or don't want to change, or even carry around a variety of lenses, so consider each lens' range independently of your other lenses. If you were walking about in a city taking photos, a 24-105mm would be great range, and more convenient than having to change lenses every time you wanted to zoom past 70mm. Of course if you have 2 bodies, you may have to reconsider this philosophy. I go into further detail about the best lenses for travel and humanitarian photography in this post where I discuss specific lenses in the different zoom ranges of wide, standard, and telephoto, as well as choosing the best one lens for travel. That post will also benefit those looking for a general, all-around lens. If you plan to purchase any equipment, I encourage you to do so through the referral links I've set up with Amazon. Use the product links throughout various posts, or just use this one and go directly to Amazon using this link to the Canon Lenses or this link to the Nikon lenses. Purchasing through my site or through that link will help support my blog - thanks! And for those of you across the pond, click here for my referral link to Amazon UK. If you are in another country, click on one of my Amazon links, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click on your country for your local Amazon. Great sites for lens reviews: http://www.the-digital-picture.com/ http://www.dpreview.com/ http://photo.net/equipment/canon/ Please leave a comment, ask a question. Let me know what has been helpful, and what you'd like to read more about.

Interview with a Humanitarian Photographer

dojoklo — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:17:17 +0000

Check out LensFlare35.com for a great interview and narrated slideshow with humanitarian photographer Karl Grobl. He discusses how he started out, his experiences traveling and working in developing countries, and the stories behind some of his favorite photos. Solola Market, Guatemala photo by dojoklo 190mm, f/4, subject distance 10m (image cropped) For related posts, check out other entries in the Humanitarian Photography category.

Becoming a Humanitarian Photographer, Part II

dojoklo — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:56:21 +0000

(For related posts, check out other entries in the Humanitarian Photography category.) In my previous post about starting out as a humanitarian photographer, I discussed how to go about creating, planning, and executing your own self-assignments, in order to gain experience in the field and begin to develop a portfolio of work. In this post I'd like to discuss some resources that can help you develop in a different way. An important part of being a humanitarian photographer is understanding what humanitarian aid organizations aim to do, the issues they address, and the people and populations they work with. San Miguel Duenas, Guatemala photo by dojoklo A great place to get a broad view of the important humanitarian issues in developing countries is the TED website, which presents a ongoing series of "riveting talks by remarkable people." Each one I've watched has been interesting and enlightening, and they are worth searching through to find the topics that most interest you. Here are a few of my favorites that relate to humanitarian work: Start with Hans Rosling's "Best Stats You've Ever Seen." Through his innovative, visual, and dramatic use of statistics, he begins to tear apart myths and preconceptions about the developing world. His other lectures on poverty, AIDS, and Asia are equally as interesting and worthwhile. Bill Gate's lecture on "Mosquitos, Malaria, and Education" gained notoriety in the media with his tactic of releasing of mosquitoes into the audience. Through his Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, he is focusing his money, attention, and shrewd business sense to tackling some of the largest and most important humanitarian issues of today. Paul Collier's lecture on the "Bottom Billion" addresses the ways we can, and must, close the gap between the rich and poor. Wade Davis is an anthropologist and ethnobiologist who has spent his career studying indigenous cultures. I highly recommend reading his books, including Light at the Edge of the World: A Journey Through the Realm of Vanishing Cultures. In it he celebrates and speaks to the importance of the fascinatingly diverse ways cultures have chosen to exist on this planet. In addition, the book contains stunning photos Davis has taken on his adventures around the globe. Some of these thoughts and photos are part of his lecture on "Endangered Cultures." There are many other lectures on these types of issues, so be sure to check out the links and suggested lectures after watching the ones I've listed. There are other lectures that aren't directly related to humanitarian topics which are however very interesting and may help to expand your thinking. Malcolm Gladwell is always helpful in shifting the way one thinks about things, and his talk on "Spaghetti Sauce" is very entertaining. Robert Sapolsky, who spends a lot of time studying primates, has interesting and surprising insights into what does, and doesn't make humans unique. VS Ramachandran's talks on the brain, including "The Neurons That Shaped Civilization" are also quite fascinating. And finally, I can't leave you without a photography related lecture. James Nachtwey's "Searing Photos of War" will be an eye-opening and inspiring presentation for any aspiring photojournalist. I have to warn you, watching one lecture typically leads to another, and they are quite addictive. For related posts, check out other entries in the Humanitarian Photography category.

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dojoklo — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 07:19:08 +0000

http://dojoklo.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/header-open-windows.jpg

Working as a Humanitarian Photographer – Ethics and Images

dojoklo — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:09:55 +0000

(For related posts, check out other entries in the Humanitarian Photography category.) The National Press Photographers Association (NPPA), "a professional society that promotes the highest standards in visual journalism," has a code of ethics that all members are required to endorse. Whether or not you are a member, I think that they are excellent guidelines for any photographer working in the field, documenting people and humanitarian situations. Campo Nuevo, Jalapa, Guatemala While they appear to be common sense principles, they need to be listed and occasionally reviewed because they are sometimes challenging. For example, the first one is "Be accurate and comprehensive in the representation of subjects." As anyone using high-speed continuous shooting mode knows, a facial expression can change in a split second, and the difference in the resulting images can be dramatic. They may tell completely different stories or give opposing impressions of the subject. There are many other examples of how composition, point of view, and time can change the perceived reality of an image. Which representation is most accurate? The photographer must act as an editor and decide based on all they know about the subject and the situation. San Miguel Duenas, Guatemala The third one is equaling challenging. It reads, in part, "Avoid stereotyping individuals and groups. Recognize and work to avoid presenting one's own biases in the work." Of course a humanitarian photographer in the field doesn't want to turn the subject into a stereotype, but in many ways they are working against a lifetime of education and image viewing. As I discussed in my previous "Exotic vs. Real" post, those in the developed world grow up learning to see the developing world and its people as exotic and colorful, but this is often far from the reality. A photographer cannot simply decide to portray a subject without bias and preconceived ideas, but he or she must dedicate themself to learning as much as they can about the subject, their life, culture, and situation. Cultural biases are so deeply embedded one often does not even realize they are there and simply assumes all other humans think and feel the same way. For example, in a classroom when a student gives the wrong answer, a teacher often asks another student to correct them and give the right answer. In certain cultures this action is deeply offensive and insulting, and would never be done by a teacher. It is impossible to know and understand how those in another culture think - expats living a foreign country for years will verify this. But one must make the effort to learn as much as they can about the cultures they work in, and to recognize the multitude of biases they carry with them. San Antonio Aguas Calientes, Guatemala The third standard also says "Be complete and provide context when photographing or recording subjects." In addition to the numerous layers of meaning and importance this has as an ethical guideline, this is also an excellent compositional guideline. Show the context of the subject and the environment around them. This is why photojournalists often work with a wide angle lens such as a 16-35mm. By doing this, the photograph gives a more complete story of the subject, and it often makes for a more interesting composition. San Miguel Duenas, Guatemala The fourth guideline has been a subject of discussion in the media in response to the images being shown from the earthquake in Haiti. "Treat all subjects with respect and dignity. Give special consideration to vulnerable subjects and compassion to victims of crime or tragedy. Intrude on private moments of grief only when the public has an overriding and justifiable need to see." Images of dead and unclothed bodies have been prominently shown in newspapers and websites, and have offended some viewers. The Public Editor of the New York Times gave an excellent response and defense to this controversy in this article. One of his responses, which I have often read from other photographers and have experienced myself, is that the subjects very often want the photos to be taken and to be seen. They want their story told, and they themselves have no method or channels for effectively telling their important story. As far as treating subjects with respect and dignity, nearly all humanitarian photographers, including myself, speak these words in some form on their website. But what do they really mean, in the field? For me it means treating the subject with respect and dignity both in the interactions with them, and in the representations of them in the images. As I've written about before, it starts with not entering into a situation with the camera to your face, immediately snapping shots. The photographer should first introduce themself, talk with the subject, or communicate as best a possible. They should explain what they are doing and why. And even before that, as mentioned above, it means educating oneself in advance about the people and culture. It means trying to understand the situation from the subject's point of view, and then striving to capture that visually. There are an infinite number of visual realities that can be taken of a subject and a situation, but it means capturing and presenting the one that both tells the story and celebrates the subject. Campo Nuevo, Jalapa, Guatemala The final NPPA ethical guideline that I will address here is the fifth one, "While photographing subjects do not intentionally contribute to, alter, or seek to alter or influence events." There is a difference between photojournalism for the media and humanitarian photography for a client. A humanitarian photographer may be posing a subject in order to get a portrait or to show a certain component of a project. But that does not mean the humanitarian photographer cannot follow this guideline as well. I believe that in many situations, an unaltered, uninfluenced shot will make a more natural, and thus much stronger image. In my work I have found that it is often easy to disappear into a situation, and become the fly on the wall. While subjects may initially strut and pose for the camera, or begin to act self-consciously, if you just stay in place, and let a minute or two pass, they will begin to ignore you and forget you are there taking photos. Open Windows, San Miguel Duenas, Guatemala I encourage you to have a look at the other guidelines I have not discussed here and think about how they apply to your work. Please leave a comment, ask a question. Let me know what has been helpful, and what you'd like to read more about. For related posts, check out other entries in the Humanitarian Photography category.

Great Photo Book

dojoklo — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 21:13:17 +0000

I've recently discovered the excellent book Blue Planet Run, which I came across after seeing photographer Rick Smolan's TED lecture. He's the guy behind the "Day in the Life" series of photo books that were so ubiquitous awhile ago. Anyway, Blue Planet Run is a book he created, full of amazing photos, statistics, and essays about the worldwide water crisis. It was originally offered as a free e-book, and after a little hunting around, I found a pdf copy of it to download on RapidShare. It seems to be virus free and is definitely worth having a look at, either in hard copy or e-version.

Depth of Field Simplified

dojoklo — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:49:34 +0000

I've noticed that a lot of searches regarding depth of field (and how to use your aperture to create a blurred or blurry background in your photos, or what is called bokeh) have led to my blog. I've also received some good follow up questions from my previous post about depth of field. Unfortunately, my post on Mastering Depth of Field may be a bit advanced for those who are still learning about how to use their digital SLR, as it is intended for more experienced photographers. As I explained in that post:

"depth of field is...the range of distances in which the objects in the photograph will be acceptably sharp. For example, if I am using a 100mm lens, set my aperture at f/5.6, and focus on a subject 10 feet away, everything from 9.69′ to 10.3′ away from me will be acceptably sharp or in focus in the resulting image."

Open Windows, San Miguel Duenas, Guatemala Depth of field, then, can mean that everything is in focus from a few feet away to infinity (deep depth of field), or it can mean that a person's eyes and nose are in focus, but their ears and hair and everything behind (and in front) of them is blurry (shallow depth of field). One of the best ways to make use of depth of field is to create dramatic, shallow depth of field - the subject is in focus, but the background is blurry. This technique helps to call attention to your intended subject and minimize distracting background elements, and to make your photos look much, much more like those of the pros. All of the numbers and fractions and settings and seemingly reverse logic are intimidating at first, and most books add to the complication and confusion. But it is really quite simple. Depth of field is controlled by the aperture. A small aperture size (which is an aperture number like f/16 or f/22) will create deep depth of field, with everything in focus. A large aperture size (which is an aperture number like f/2.8 or f/4) will create a shallow, dramatic depth of field. (Since "f/number" is a fraction, f/16 is a smaller number and size than f/4, so I'm avoiding using small number vs. large number terminology, as I said I would try to keep this from becoming too confusing...) So here is the quick and simple way to create dramatic depth of field: Open Windows, San Miguel Duenas, Guatemala Set your camera on Aperture Priority Mode. On a Canon, rotate the mode dial to Av, on Nikon set the dial to A. Set your camera to Auto ISO. Or else if you wish to control the ISO, if you are indoors or in dim light without a flash, set it to 800 or 1600 ISO. If you are outside in bright sun, set it to 100 or 200 ISO. If it is a bit cloudy or you are in the shade set it to 200 or 400 ISO. Look in you manual for how to change the aperture setting of the lens. For a Canon dSLR in Av mode, that means rotate the little finger dial up there by the shutter button. On a Nikon it means rotate one of the dials at the top right front or back of the camera, depending on your camera and settings.) Turn the dial until you see f/2.8 or f/4 or f/5.6 on your screen or in the viewfinder. Since you are in Aperture Priority Mode, the camera automatically selects an appropriate shutter speed. If you've selected the ISO yourself, or even if you are using Auto ISO, you may want to verify that an appropriate shutter speed is being selected. For example, I found that with the Canon 7D, Auto ISO often selects a much slower shutter speed than what is best for a situation. Press the shutter button half way down and check the shutter speed. If it is anywhere from 1/100 to 1/250 or higher, you are fine if your subject isn't moving. If the subject is moving, make sure the shutter speed is 1/250 to 1/1000. If it is any higher or lower than the range you want, you should adjust the ISO until the shutter speed it falls into that range (raise the ISO, keep the aperture the same, and this should result in the camera selecting a faster shutter speed setting). Focus on your subject using the focus mode of your choice, and take the photo. Preferably, use single point focus mode and select the focus point you want, so that you have complete control over where the camera focuses. If the subject is a person or animal, focus on the eyes or eyebrows. If it is something else, focus on what you want to be sharpest in the photo. A good book to read to continue learning about this is Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson (Third Edition). Click on the link to see it on Amazon. It is geared towards photographers just learning about apertures, shutter speeds, and ISO, and helps to explain the concepts better than most other guides. Let me know how the photos come out! Note in the first photo above that dramatic depth of field can be used to make the foreground blurry as well, not just the background.

Travel Guide Cover Photo

dojoklo — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:20:22 +0000

I just learned that I've accomplished one of my photography goals: to have my photo on the cover of a travel guide book! My photo of the Inca King at Inti Raymi was selected to be on the cover of the Viva Travel Guide Cusco and Machu Picchu guide book. As their website explains,

"V!VA Travel Guides is a web-based community intent on collecting and sharing the most up-to-date travel info available. Essays, reviews and ratings submitted by travelers are available both online and in published travel guidebooks."

Inca King at Inti Raymi - Sacsayhuaman, Cusco, Peru 2007 f/5 - 1/800 - 18mm The guidebooks, if I recall correctly, were originally only available as downloads due to them being updated so regularly. They are now offered as printed guides in paperback as well as some e-books, but are still updated frequently. They cover numerous South American countries including Peru, Columbia, and Ecuador, and they are soon branching out into Central America. You can buy the guides on their website, on Amazon, or in bookstores like Borders and Barnes and Noble. The Cusco and Machu Picchu guide with my cover photo will be released in October 2010. If you ever attend Inti Raymi, (in the paid bleacher seats) be prepared at the end of the ceremony to go onto the field and get some quick close-up photos of the participants (and I mean close - note the 18mm focal length!) as they parade out of Sacsayhuaman. At least we were able to do that a couple years ago, when I was lucky enough to capture this dramatic shot. This was the guy who, through sheer force of will, invoked the clouds to part and the sun to shine down on us, stunning the entire crowd (which included Bill Gates that year).

BluePlanetRunCover

dojoklo — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:33:42 +0000

Haiti Photos of Hope

dojoklo — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:08:09 +0000

There are many grim, depressing, disturbing, and disheartening photos of the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti, such as this series on The Big Picture. But today I came across a series of photos that show a different side of the conditions in Haiti. Photographer Alice Smeets had taken revealing photos of the lives of people and children in Haiti before the earthquake, and she recently returned to document the aftermath in this series of amazing photos. Although it is a relatively long slideshow, I encourage you to look at the entire series. The "life goes on" section in the middle is particularly wonderful. From a photographic standpoint, I was often struck by her amazing use of light - using the low, warm sun of morning or late afternoon, and often shooting into the sun to accentuate it. photo by Alice Smeets retrieved from http://blog.zdf.de/3sat.Kulturtube/2010/01/hoffnung-in-haiti.html Documentary photographer Robert Coles wrote "Who we are, to some variable extent, determines what we notice and...what we regard as worthy of notice, what we find significant." It is obvious from Smeets' series of Haiti photos that what she regards as worthy of notice differs greatly from many of the photographers working in Haiti and/ or their photo editors at home. She communicates a much more human and hopeful perspective of the situation. All the photos from Haiti show a view of the reality there, but which one is more worth focusing on?

New Canon 550D / Rebel T2i Announced

dojoklo — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:24:09 +0000

Canon has just announced a new model in their Rebel lineup of digital SLRs, the T2i or 550D. I encourage anyone who is just entering into digital SLR photography to have a look at my previous post Why You Shouldn't Buy the Kit Lens before you simply buy the T2i kit without considering another lens that may be a better choice for you and your photography. Also, have a look at my post comparing several of the Canon dSLR cameras, including information about the 550D / T2i. Antigua, Guatemala photo by dojoklo

canon7dviewfinder

dojoklo — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:24:49 +0000

Doug's Useful Site of the Week

dojoklo — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 06:45:24 +0000

There are a number of blogs and sites I check out most every day in order to stay current with the latest photo equipment, news, and discussions. One of my favorites is Canon Rumors, which - as the name would imply - is all about the latest rumors regarding new Canon cameras, lenses, and firmware updates. It is particularly useful if you are thinking of purchasing a new body or lens because you can find out if the particular model you are interested in is rumored to be updated soon, thus possibly affecting your purchasing decision. If you follow it regularly for just a couple weeks, you can get good feel for all the expected new releases. For example right now, the Canon 550D/ Rebel T2i came out just about when it was predicted, and the Canon 60D is rumored to be coming out any day now. It also has a great Price Watch section where you can compare the current prices of numerous cameras and lenses at a variety of retailers such as B+H, Adorama, and Amazon. San Miguel Duenas, Guatemala

Exploring Metering Modes

dojoklo — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 21:30:15 +0000

It is one thing to know that your cool new Canon or Nikon digital SLR provides you with 3 or 4 different metering modes. It's another thing to know how and when to actually use them in the field or in different real life situations. Since I'm a Canon user, I'm going to explain this using their terms. But if you are a Nikon or other user, the metering modes are generally similar and you can easily translate to your manufacturer's terms. The Canon 5D, 7D, 60D, 50D and T2i all offer four different metering modes, as I'm sure you have thoroughly read about in your manual, right? I'll try to cut to the chase and simplify the explanations and their uses: The viewfinder of the Canon 7D Evaluative: (Matrix mode for Nikons) This is the default mode for your camera, and it can be used for almost every situation you shoot. Yes, maybe 90% of the time, maybe more. The camera evaluates the entire scene, as divided into several zones, and chooses the best exposure based on its knowledge of thousands of potential situations. The current metering systems are so good, they can even be relied on for backlit or other challenging lighting situations. An important feature of this mode is that advanced cameras such as the Canon 7D and Canon 60D take into account the selected focus point in its determination of exposure settings. It is assuming your focus point is on your most important subject, so under challenging and critical situations, it is wise to confirm that the camera has chosen the focus point you want (well, this is always wise). Even better, you should typically manually choose the focus point or cluster of focus points, as the camera has no idea what your intended image is. So in special situations, such as dramatically back-lit scenes or a situation with bright light plus deep shadows, make sure you are not using the center point to focus and meter, and then recomposing to take the shot - because some of the zones that the camera evaluated are now no longer in your shot after recomposing, and other new areas are, so the camera has set exposure for an image other than the one you are taking. San Miguel Duenas, Guatemala Partial: This mode meters a smaller area, about 9.4%, in the center of the scene on the 7D and 6.5% with the 60D. The area is approximately a circle that reaches to the top and bottom focus points. This mode is useful where there is a dramatic difference in lighting between the foreground or subject and the background. For example, when your subject is backlit - maybe standing in front of a bright window or the sun - and consequently their face is in shadow. I know I said evaluative mode can often handle this type of situation, but if you want the face or subject to be properly exposed and not risk blowing the shot, it is worth it to quickly switch to Partial metering mode. Again, another time to use this is when there is a wide range of light in your scene, from bright sunlight to deep shadows. Remember, this mode is not linked to your focus point. The partial area that is metered is always in the center, so meter on the part of the scene that is most critical and that you want properly exposed, using the central area of the viewfinder, lock in that exposure, then recompose and take the shot. Campo Nuevo, Guatemala Important Note about Locking In the Metered Exposure: The metered exposure setting is locked in by pressing the shutter button half-way down, which also locks in focus. If you wish to lock in focus and exposure separately, which you often will need to do, use the AF-Lock (for focus) button and/ or the AE-Lock (for exposure) button - which looks like this: * - to lock in one of them before locking in the other with the half-press or full press of the shutter button. I suggest first metering on the subject and locking in that exposure by pressing the *, then recomposing and locking in focus right before or as you take the photo. Or else learning the advanced methods of back button focusing. Get in the habit of knowing how to do this instinctively, and if you need to hold or just press the particular button, so that it comes naturally during critical situations. In the 7D and many other cameras you can also customize how these buttons perform or set other buttons to do these tasks. You can see in the viewfinder that you have locked in one or the other when the focus dot and / or the * is lit. Confusing? A little, but not impossible to figure out with some experimentation and practice. Remember, this is why you bought the fancy dSLR, so that you could make use of all these advanced features and take your photos to another level! Center-Weighted Average: This metering mode is sort of a cross between Evaluative and Partial metering. It acknowledges that the subject is in the center and requires special metering attention, but it also takes into account all the other zones. Again, this is not linked to the focus point, but always to the center, so if your subject is off center - which it typically should be for a more dynamic image - you need to lock in exposure on your subject and then recompose. I have found that with the Canon 50D, this mode is actually more consistent than Evaluative metering, which often over exposes by 1/3 or 1/2 a stop. San Miguel Duenas, Guatemala Spot: This mode meters a small center area, 2.3% of the frame with the 7D and 2.8% with the 60D. This area is indicated by the small circle in the center of the viewfinder of the 7D and 60D. On a side note, those grid lines in the viewfinder can be turned off or on, and the focus points can light up or not when exposure is locked. I suggest you go into the menus and set the camera to always show the grid lines and always light up the focus points. The viewfinder looks busy and crowded at first, but your eye quickly ignores them when they are not needed. The grid lines help keep your compositions straight, and the lit up focus points help you confirm you have locked in focus where you want it. So when do you want to use Spot metering? This, again, is useful for scenes with great variation in light and shadow, or in very critical situations. One of the most common ways to use it is when metering for proper exposure on a dramatically lit face or subject, but the exposure of the rest of the scene is unimportant. Or perhaps your subject is set against a plain but consistent background, like a bird against a large blue sky. It is also used to determine proper exposure of a subject before switching the camera to manual for a controlled studio shot, or a critical shot or series of shots where the lighting is not going to change. A fifth metering mode is Manual metering, which isn't actually a mode in your camera, but is a method of metering. This is where you use a light meter or use your camera as a light meter (such as described at the end in the Spot section above) and then manually set your exposure based on the meter readings. This is used when you want ultimate control of the metering and exposure. I recently ran across an interesting article which takes this discussion to another level by addressing the use of different metering modes in the very specific situation of a wedding. Since one of the main subjects in typically all in white, and the other in black, the metering mode you select and where you meter can make a dramatic difference in the exposure. While that article is specific to weddings, it is useful and helpful to read to further understand how the different modes work, and how special situations might call for some extra thought. Please leave a comment, ask a question. Let me know what has been helpful, and what you'd like to read more about.

Photoshop 20th Anniversary

dojoklo — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:58:30 +0000

If you are a reader of Scott Kelby's blog, then you are well aware of the Photoshop 20th Anniversary event that took place last week. If not, check it out here, with a video of the entire presentation. The various presenters demonstrate important features added to each new version, and it is interesting to see the advanced capabilities that even the earliest versions contained. Though they run through them too fast to actually learn, it was also worth watching to see the possibilities of features I still haven't explored, like smart objects and channels. They conclude with some upcoming features, notably content aware healing and filling, which is also demonstrated in some videos on YouTube like this one.

Say Hello, Leave a Comment!

dojoklo — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:48:59 +0000

I can see in my blog statistics that a lot of interesting searches regarding cameras, photography, and humanitarian photography lead people to my blog. But I don't get a lot of comments yet so I don't know how well I'm solving people's problems, answering their questions, and entertaining them. So let me know what you think! Leave a comment, let me know what you like, what is helpful, and what you would like to see. Thanks in advance for the feedback! Cynthia Paniagua performs Despierta Peru - 2009-09-16 Cynthia Paniagua performs Despierta Peru - 2009-09-16

BigPict

dojoklo — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:46:17 +0000

Useful Site of the Week II

dojoklo — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:48:21 +0000

Here is another photography site I take a look at most every day: The Big Picture from the website of the Boston Globe. It shows some of the best of international photojournalism about a timely event or theme, and is a great way to both learn about what is going on in the world and study some of the best images taken by photojournalists in the field.

Canon Rebates for Aspiring Photojournalists

dojoklo — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:11:48 +0000

Canon has some new rebates that are perfectly made for any aspiring photojournalist needing to buy equipment. Several lenses have rebates, including the 16-35 f/2.8L II - the current version of the "bread and butter" lens for any photojournalist, the popular 24-70mm f/2.8L midrange zoom, as well as 85mmL, 50mmL and 100mm primes. Speedlites included too. If you buy a 5D body at the same time, the rebates double! There are other rebates with the 7D, either alone or in combination with various lenses.

James Nachtwey’s Images of XDR-TB

dojoklo — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:59:51 +0000

In 2007, legendary war photographer James Nachtwey won the TED prize in honor of his life's work documenting conflicts and social issues around the globe. In addition to awarding him $100,000, the prize also allowed him to make a wish that the TED fellows would assist him in fulfilling. His wish was to photograph an issue that had been under-documented and under-reported in the media: tuberculosis - a preventable, treatable, and curable disease that millions worldwide continue to suffer from. He is particularly concerned about mutations of the disease, MDR-TB (multi drug resistant) and XDR-TB (extremely drug resistant) which are considerably more difficult and more expensive to treat. Last week I viewed the results of this project - an exhibit of his photos at 401 Projects gallery in New York City (open until March 25, 2010). The large black and white prints tell a powerful and dramatic story, and it was incredible to see how Nachtwey uses every photographic tool at his disposal to make such compelling images. The photos can be viewed on the XDRTB.org website, which also contains more information about the issue and the ongoing campaign against the disease. After you look through the photos and just try to digest the story, I encourage you to go back and study why they are so powerful beyond simply the subject matter. They are often photos of patients in bed or in treatment, but he has made them so much more. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj8KZNI6-W8&hl=en&fs=1] Look at how he: -uses composition, point of view, and light and shadow to strengthen and accentuate the essential subject. -draws your attention to the subject he wishes to focus on, yet provides layers of information in the image that encourage further viewing and closer inspection. -makes use of the element of time and captures a very specific moment, gesture, or emotion. -uses basic compositional techniques of balance, scale, and line to create cohesive images. I could go on, but as you can see, this is a wonderful opportunity to study how Nachtwey is using the most basic elements of photographic composition and design - ones that we have all learned about in photography books and classes and which we all have at our disposal to make our images stronger and more successful. On the flip side, I ran across this blog post which challenges his use of traditional photo-journalistic conventions and visual language. It is interesting to read and consider as well as you look at the photos.

Useful Site of the Week III

dojoklo — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 05:30:49 +0000

The Digital Photography Review is an excellent site for news, reviews, and forums relating to digital photography equipment. They address cameras and lenses from all manufacturers, and their in depth reviews of new cameras thoroughly cover every aspect, and usually go on for over a dozen pages. Their forums are also an great place to find answers to your questions or concerns about specific pieces of equipment. I typically check the first page each day to keep up with the latest news and see what has been recently announced or released.

World Water Day

dojoklo — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 17:36:59 +0000

Yesterday was World Water Day, an annual event which calls attention to the issues surrounding, you guessed it, water! Some of these issues include water quality, access to clean water, water shortages, and water management. This year's theme was "Clean Water for a Healthy World." As with many global struggles, it is the poor who are most affected by issues of water contamination and access to clean water. There are several excellent displays of photos in honor of World Water Day, including The Big Picture, The Frame, and a free downloadable edition of National Geographic. Also be sure to refer back to my post about the downloadable book Blue Planet Run, which addresses global water issues through amazing photography. Ucayali River, an Amazon tributary, Pucallpa, Peru by dojoklo Ucayali River, an Amazon tributary, Pucallpa, Peru by dojoklo Ucayali River, an Amazon tributary, Pucallpa, Peru by dojoklo

djk-bio2010a

dojoklo — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 00:54:51 +0000

The State of Photography

dojoklo — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:40:25 +0000

Here is another one of those articles, this one in the New York Times, chronicling the decline of opportunities for professional photographers. It is frustrating and discouraging to keep reading this news and these types of predictions. But there are always going to be those who are determined to follow their passion and figure out how to make their way in the changing landscape. Many people say the answer is through diversifying, working in multiple markets, developing a variety of revenue streams, and hustling non-stop. Here is a great example of a young photographer who seems to be having success at figuring this out.

Springtime in Brooklyn

dojoklo — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 17:31:55 +0000

An Easter visit to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Best Lenses for Humanitarian and Travel Photography

dojoklo — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 19:10:51 +0000

When I began my work in travel, culture, and humanitarian photography I spent a great deal of time scouring websites, reading forums, checking reviews, making lists, and agonizing before I finally settled on which lenses were best for my needs and my work. So hopefully all my effort can help you save some time and assist you in your research in selecting which lenses are best for you. In addition to travel and humanitarian photography, much of this advice will apply to photojournalism as well. After you've learned all about lenses here, you can have a look at this other post to see what other camera gear and accessories are useful for travel and humanitarian photography. Much of this post and certainly the accessories post applies to everyday photography as well. Open Windows, San Miguel Duenas, Guatemala The easy answer to the question of which lens is best for travel photography, right up front, is: an all purpose zoom that goes all the way from wide to telephoto, like an 18-200mm, or a standard zoom like a 24-105mm. See the Standard Zoom section and the One Lens For Travel section of this post for more information about these. The more difficult answer to that question is addressed in detail by this post. The most difficult answer to this question is: it depends. It depends on you. It depends on your level, interests, and goals as a photographer. It depends on what you most enjoy taking photos of and what type of images you aim to capture. Hopefully this post will help you figure that out, and I'll address this most complicated answer more at the end of the post. The primary sources for me in determining which lenses to choose were looking at the websites and blogs of other photographers who do similar work, since they often list and discuss the equipment they use. The initial and most helpful source for me was Karl Grobl, since his work as a humanitarian photojournalist is closest to what I do and what I aspire to do. But some of the other ones I can recall looking at include David duChemin - (who is a travel, art, and humanitarian photographer), plus Nevada Wier and Bob Krist - both dedicated travel and cultural photographers. Oh, and the books and advice of the ever-enthusiastic Rick Sammon helped out along the way. I then applied what I learned from them to my specific photographic interests, preferences, and tendencies (which can be summed up with the fact that I typically like to zoom in close). In other words, if one of them favors a 50mm prime lens but you know you prefer the versatility of zooms, then adapt what they say to your needs. For me and many others the ideal combination is a wide angle zoom, a standard (or middle range) zoom, and a telephoto zoom. (If you are interested in just one lens for travel, have a look at the Standard Zoom section, and then also jump down to the bottom of this article for the One Lens for Travel section.) I'm going to stick to the professional level lenses and compare the Canon L lenses first, and discuss other Canon lenses in the One Lens for Travel section below. I'll try to keep it short and simple, and let you conduct further research on the countless sites dedicated to equipment and reviews. I haven't used each of these lenses in the field, though I have briefly tested most of them, so my decisions and my pros and cons are sometimes based on my research and from what I've learned from others who use them. Consider them starting points for issues you want to consider in your selections. And while there are endless discussions and comparisons regarding image quality, sharpness, sweet spots, etc. for each pair below, I will stay out of that discussion and tell you there are highly regarded professionals who use each of these, that any Canon L series lens is professional quality, that price and/ or largest maximum aperture will often indicate the one that is generally considered "better," and that you will never regret your choice based on these concerns. Note that many L-series lenses are sealed against and dust, water and weather. Sometimes a front filter is required to complete the weather sealing, such as with the wide angle lenses. I suggest always using a clear, protective UV filter with any lens, preferably a high quality, multi-coated B+W filter. If you don't want to spend that much, at least get a high quality single-coated B+W filter rather than a cheaper Tiffen filter. Click on each lens below to link to its page on Amazon.com. If you plan to purchase any of this equipment from Amazon (or other equipment, accessories, or anything else), I encourage you go to Amazon.com by clicking on the links found throughout this post, and then Amazon will give me a little something for the referral, which will help support my blog. Thanks! If you are in the UK or wish to purchase from B+H, see the information at the end of this post for those links. The lenses I chose, which work best for my needs, are indicated by (#). I apologize to the Nikonistas out there, since all of these lenses are the Canon variety. However, Nikon typically has an equivalent lens for each of these. Just search for the same focal length and have a look at the aperture and price to determine the quality of the Nikon (Nikkor) lens. For example here are some equivalents: Canon 16-35 f/2.8L to Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 Canon 24-70 f/2.8L to Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8 Canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS to Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8 VR Wide Angle Zoom As humanitarian photojournalist Karl Grobl says, this is the "bread and butter lens" of the photojournalist. This is used for up-close-and-personal shots, for environmental portraits or photos, and for "story-telling" images which include multiple subjects or a larger context. Open Windows, San Miguel Duenas, Guatemala EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM (#) pros: slightly wider on the wide end which is good for cropped sensors (7D, 60D, Rebels), larger maximum aperture ("faster") for use in low light situations or for more dramatic depth of field cons: high price, heavier in weight notes: get the slim UV filter to avoid vignetting, especially if using a full frame camera like the 5D filter: 82mm slim filter fits this lens. notes: The above two images of this post were with this lens. This is the wide angle zoom I chose because I wanted the "faster" f/2.8 aperture to be able to use it effectively in low light situations. EF 17-40mm f/4L USM pros: more zoom on the far end, lighter in weight, much lower price cons: f/4 maximum aperture not as "fast" and slightly less dramatic for shallow depth of field, not quite as wide on the wide end filter: 77mm slim filter fits this lens. Standard Zoom This is a great "walk-around" all purpose lens, especially for travel or everyday photography. If you want to head out on the streets with just one lens, this is the one to take which will serve you well in most situations you encounter. Panajachel, Guatemala EF 24-70 f/2.8L USM (#) pros: larger maximum aperture ("faster") for use in low light situations and more dramatic depth of field cons: heavier in weight, higher price, less zoom range, no image stabilization filter: 77mm multi-coated filter or 77mm coated filter fits this lens. notes: a great all-purpose walk-around lens, though relatively big and heavy. I discuss using this lens, with several photo examples, in this post here. EF 24-105 f/4L IS USM pros: lighter in weight, image stabilization which will help you gain 2 or 3 stops in speed vs. hand-held non IS (*see below), more zoom range, lower price cons: f/4 maximum aperture not as "fast" and slightly less dramatic for shallow depth of field filter: 77mm multi-coated filter or 77mm coated filter fits this lens. * this means for example, if the proper exposure of a scene is 1/60 at f/5.6, and you want to hold on to that f/5.6 aperture for compositional reasons and not have to sacrifice your chosen depth of field for a faster shutter speed, you could capture it without blur, whereas without the image stabilization (IS) the hand held image may have been blurry. Telephoto Zoom This is a great lens for portraits, close ups, details, ability to zoom in and capture something far away, sports and action shots, and ability to create dramatic depth of field or blurry backgrounds. There are four versions of the Canon 70-200mm lens - either f/2.8 or f/4, each with or without image stabilization (IS). Oh wait, there are now five versions, with the recent Mark II version of the f/2.8 IS. I think with a lens this long and heavy, you need image stabilization if you are going to be hand holding it, so I will ignore the non-IS versions. Solola Market, Guatemala EF 70-200, f/2.8L IS USM pros: larger maximum aperture ("faster") for use in low light situations and more dramatic depth of field. The Mark II version of this has a closer minimum focus distance and improved optics cons: very heavy, very large, higher price, especially the new Mark II version filter: 77mm multi-coated filter or 77mm coated filter fits this lens. EF 70-200, f/4L IS USM (#) pros: lighter weight, smaller, lower price cons: f/4 maximum aperture not as "fast" and less dramatic for shallow depth of field filter: 67mm multi-coated filter or 67mm coated filter fits this lens. notes: This is the telephoto zoom I chose. I sacrificed the one-stop of aperture for the much more manageable size and weight of the f/4. And since I primarily use it outdoors, and because it has image stabilization, the f/4 aperture only really affects the extent of background blurring. There are several example photos of this lens in action in this post here and also more nice example photos in this post here. If your budget or needs don't call for L-series lenses, see the One Lens for Travel section below, or look for the closest equivalents of the above lenses in other Canon or Sigma or Tamron, etc. lenses (or in the Nikon lenses if you are over in that camp). Prime Lenses Many photographers rave about prime lenses (lenses of a single focal length, that don't zoom) for many reasons, including image quality, the purity and simplicity of working with them, and their large maximum apertures (as wide as f/1.2) for very dramatic compositions through use of shallow depth of field. The focal lengths I see used most often are (these are obviously Canon examples): Canon 35mm f/2 Canon 50mm f/1.8 II (high image quality for about $100!) Canon 50mm f/1.4 (#) (a little more costly, but higher quality 50mm) Canon 85mm f/1.8 Take into consideration if you have a full frame or a cropped sensor, since with a cropped sensor 7D , 60D, or 550D the field of view of the 50mm lens will be closer to an 80mm lens on a full frame 5D camera (or a 35mm film camera), so the field of view of a 35mm will be closer to a 50mm on a full frame or 35mm film camera. When making your choices, I highly recommend going to a store with your camera and actively testing and comparing each pair. The difference in size and weight, and even feel of the lens in your hands, is often dramatic and may help you make your decision. If you are still undecided, rent one for the weekend and work with it. And don't think that you have to immediately get three lenses in order to do your work. Karl Grobl uses just two of them in his work, and that hasn't limited him in either humanitarian or travel work. Consider your primary needs, and buy one or two based on that, and combine them with less expensive non-L lenses for now. San Miguel Dueñas, Guatemala One Lens for Travel I know a lot of people are interested in finding just one lens that is good for travel photography. As I mentioned above the best option is typically the standard, mid-range zoom. Look above for info on the Canon L-series lenses. My choice would be the EF 24-105 f/4L IS USM. For something less expensive Canon offers a couple other great options. For each of these lenses, I would highly recommend getting the optional lens hood (the hood comes with L-series lenses). It helps shade the lens to prevent unwanted lens flare (although lens flare can sometimes be used for a great effect when desired), helps protect the lens from bumps and drops, and makes you look cooler and more professional! And of course always get a good quality, coated B+W brand UV filter for protection - or at least a cheaper Tiffen filter. However, there is a significant difference in the clarity and lack of reflectiveness of a coated B+W filter vs. a standard Tiffen filter, which you can see if you look through them side by side, so those who are concerned about image quality should go with a coated, or better yet multi-coated B+W filter (designated MRC). Also, note that non-L-series lenses are not nearly as well sealed against dust, water and weather as most all of the L-series lenses are. EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS pros: less expensive, lighter weight, image stabilization cons: less zoom range on the telephoto end than the 18-200mm, not a constant minimum aperture like the L-series lenses (the f/3.5-5.6 means your largest aperture at the 18mm wide end will be f/3.5, while the largest aperture at the 135mm telephoto end will be a less dramatic f/5.6), not higher quality USM focusing motor, EF-S means this lens can only be used on cameras with the APS-C sensor, or non-full-frame sensors, so it can be used on all Digital Rebels, 20D-50D, and 7D, but cannot be used on a Canon 5D. However, that means it is optimized for those cameras, especially for the wide end. Lens hood EW-73B fits this lens, and a 67mm coated filter or 67mm filter. This is currently the kit lens for the Canon EOS 60D, and is an excellent choice if you are debating between the kit lens or not. EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS pros: more zoom range on the telephoto end, image stabilization cons: more expensive, heavier weight, not a constant minimum aperture like the L-series lenses (see above lens), not higher quality USM focusing motor, EF-S for APS-C sensor cameras only (see above lens). Lens hood EW-78D fits this lens and a 72mm coated filter or 72mm filter. EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM pros: less expensive, image stabilization, USM means a faster, quieter auto-focusing motor and full time manual focus (which means you can override the auto-focus by turning the focus ring without having to switch the lens to MF manual focus), EF so can be used with both APS-C and full frame cameras too if you have or wish to upgrade to a 5D. cons: not a constant minimum aperture like the L-series lenses (see above), less range on both the wide and telephoto ends. Lens hood EW-78BII fits this lens and a 72mm coated filter or 72mm filter. It Depends The actual answer to the question of which lens is best for travel photography is: it depends. As I said above, it depends on you - on your level, interests, and goals as a photographer. It depends on what you most enjoy taking photos of and what type of images you aim to capture. If you are a photography novice, or just want to be able to capture all or most situations, the all purpose zoom or standard zoom might serve you best. But if you wish to capture more of a certain type of photo that you like, photos that match your specific visual ideas and preferences, you need to reconsider. Do you like sweeping vistas and all encompassing environmental portraits? Do you typically want to capture the entire scene in your shots? Then perhaps a wide angle zoom will work better for you than a standard zoom. Certainly, you will be limited and not able to frame certain shots the way you might want, but you will capture more of the types of images you like, and might simply have to move in closer than usual to get some the other images. Do you like extreme close-ups of people's faces with dramatically blurry backgrounds, architectural details on buildings, the look of compressed perspective? Then a telephoto zoom rather than a standard zoom will help you capture more of those images you like. Sure, you will not be able to get the wide angle view of spaces, but you might succeed in capturing many more of the dramatic photos you like. Or perhaps you best work like a classic photojournalist and want to capture scenes and portraits more closely to how you see them. Then a single prime lens like a 50mm or 85mm might be the one lens that is perfect for you. The Best Lens for the Canon 60D A lot of people ask, "Which is the best lens for the Canon 60D, (or the 7D, or the 550D/T2i or the 5D)?" There isn't a specific lens that is best for a specific camera. I hope you've already learned that from reading this post! A lens will perform exactly the same on each of those cameras or any other camera with an APS-C size sensor. The effective focal lengths will be different with a full frame sensor dSLR, such as the Canon 5D, but they will still be wide angle zooms, medium zooms, etc. The best lens for your camera is the one that is best for you, your work, and the types of photos you take. That being said, the kit lens that Canon has paired up with the 60D, the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS is an excellent choice for an all-purpose everyday and travel lens. See the EOS 60D with the kit lens on Amazon here. For related posts, check out other entries in the Humanitarian Photography category and my posts about Fixed vs. Variable Aperture Lenses and Choosing a Lens beyond the Kit Lens, as well as my discussion and recommendations for gear for travel photography. Purchasing: As I mentioned above, if you plan to purchase any of this equipment, I encourage you to do so by clicking on the links of each of the lenses listed above, which will take you to that page on Amazon.com. Or go directly to Amazon using this link or click on the Amazon logo below. If you purchase through these links, Amazon will give me a little something for the referral, which will help support my blog. Thanks, I appreciate your support! If you are in the UK, you can click here for the UK Amazon referral link. If you are in another country, click on one of my Amazon links, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click on your country for your local Amazon. For those interested in purchasing through B+H Photo, I have set up an affiliate link with them as well - just click here to go to B+H, or click the B+H icon here:

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dojoklo — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 04:55:50 +0000

Canon 7D vs. 5D vs. 50D part II (plus 550D / Rebel T2i)

dojoklo — Mon, 03 May 2010 20:08:34 +0000

NOTE: Some of the information in this post has been updated to include the current models, the 60D and the T3i / 600D. Please check out the following link to read the most current information: Canon T3i/600D vs T2i/550D vs. 60D vs. 7D, etc. I've had a lot of visits to my previous post comparing these cameras - the Canon 7D, Canon 5D Mark II, and the Canon 50D - and since that really wasn't much of a comparison post, but rather just a link to an impartial, technically based testing site, I'll try to give a little more insight into helping you make this decision. Please note, this is aimed towards still photographers and not videographers. I know that videographers have different priorities when making this selection, and I am not knowledgeable enough to address them. I have written some updated comparison posts which also address the Canon 60D here and here. I've used the 50D and the 7D pretty extensively, so I can speak with a bit of confidence about them. I'm very familiar with the features of the 5D Mk II and how they compare to the other cameras, so I will discuss them too. I'll address the 550D (Rebel T2i) at the end of this post. Also, all the precise specifications of these cameras can be researched online and compared, so I will discuss them on a user-experience level, but I encourage you to decide which factors are most important to you for further research. I know it is a long post with a lot to read, but if you are investing several hundred or thousands of dollars in a dSLR and lenses, you should be thorough! On a final note before I begin, you may have been convinced by forums, reviews, or online comments to question and compare image quality, auto-focus speed, ISO and noise, etc., but those factors are all nearly completely irrelevant. Each of these cameras has more than enough quality in all of those areas. Your choice should instead be based on your level and needs as a photographer, and on which camera best serves the way you work. If you wish to see this complicated choice summarized in an easy to read format, view this post (it is a bit tongue-in-cheek, but mostly accurate). And when you are done selecting a camera body, you can learn more about lenses here. While I have your attention, I want to mention that I have written eBook tutorials for the Canon 60D and for the Canon T2i, which cover ALL the Menu settings and Custom Function settings, with recommended settings, plus in-depth descriptions of how and and why to use the cameras' settings and features in everyday use - Your World 60D and T2i Experience. Learn more about the eBooks by clicking on their titles. Also, please let me know about broken links in my posts, as they seem to mysteriously happen from time to time. Hudson River - Cold Spring, NY (this image is entirely in color - look at the plants!) Sensor Size: If you are, or plan to be a professional photographer, and you've limited your selection down to two or three of these cameras, you are going to want to seriously consider the 5D. This is due primarily to the fact that it has a full frame sensor (a sensor approximately the size of a frame of 35mm film), which is pretty much expected for you to have as a professional. The 7D and the 50D have smaller sensors, with a 1.6 crop factor. This means that their sensors are a bit smaller than a frame of traditional 35mm film. A wide angle lens will not produce as wide of a field of view on a cropped sensor as on the 5D: a 16mm will give the field of view of a 16 x 1.6 = 25mm lens, but a telephoto on a cropped sensor will appear to zoom closer, thus making a 200mm lens appear to be a 200 x 1.6 = 320mm lens. You can begin down the professional path with a 50D or 7D, but you are eventually going to experience the limitations of the smaller sensors and start to understand the need for full frame. BUT...there are a few problems with this choice... Price and Obsolescence: First, you probably haven't run out to get a 5D because of its cost. As of 5/2010, the price is $2,500. AND, the 5D dates from 9/2008, and is due for an upgrade, likely in 2011, maybe as soon as later in 2010. In some respects, the 7D - being newer - has better features than the 5D, such as the advanced auto focus and metering systems and faster frame rate. Not to mention the fact that if you wait around long enough, a 7D type camera WITH a full frame sensor but a lower price than the 5D is bound to come out! But you need a camera now, so let's continue. The 7D is $1,600 or $1,700 depending on current promotions, and the 50D is about $1,000. The 50D however, is also the closest one to being replaced (by the 60D or whatever it may be called). This doesn't mean that it isn't still a very capable and feasible camera - people are still happily using 20D and 30D cameras, just that it is reaching the end of its production life. So as far as the newest model, that is the 7D (and the 550d/ T2i). Megapixels / Image Quality: Regarding megapixels, it really isn't much of an issue unless you plan on printing out billboard size prints. All of these cameras have more than enough megapixels and image quality for most photographers' needs. The 7D is at 18mp, the 5D Mk II at 21mp, and the 50D at 15mp. I have found that more megapixels give you more lee-way to push and pull the image around in Photoshop before it starts to fall apart and look over manipulated. In this respect there is a significant difference between 8 megapixels of a Rebel XT and 15 or 18 mp. The 8mp barely allow you to do a regular amount of exposure, contrast, and color correction before it starts to really show, but there is little to be concerned about between the 15mp of the 50D and 18mp of the 7D (unless you are a hard-core pixel peeper, in which case you will be deeply offended by these kinds of statements). Be aware that sensors with more megapixels more readily show the shortcomings of cheaper lenses, and thus demand higher quality lenses, like the Canon L series, for the sharpest, most detailed image across the entire frame. From experience, I can tell you there is a huge improvement in clarity, color, and overall image quality when using an L lens with a 50D or 7D. Marquee - Tarrytown, NY HD Video: If you are concerned about HD video, then you choice is narrowed down to the 7D and the 5D Mk II. With firmware updates and 3rd party Magic Lantern firmware, they are about on par as far as frame rates etc., so cost and sensor size is again the differing factor here. If you are not going to need or use video, it is definitely worth considering the 50D, which will give you 85-90% of the still photography features and performance of the 7D at a much lower price. ISO, Frame Rate, File Size: For ISO performance, you can look at the testing site mentioned above to see that they are incredibly similar. Being a professional camera, the 5D has a broader ISO range on both ends, lower noise at higher ISOs, and a better dynamic/ tonal range. This is a large factor in why you pay $2400 for this camera. But for the non-pro, in general you hardly ever want to go above ISO 1,600, so unless you have a specific reason for needing really high ISO and photos with the lowest possible noise at high ISOs (for example shooting lots of indoor or dark events like concerts, weddings and receptions), then this isn't much of a deciding factor. And if you are concerned about dynamic range, well, don't be. Anyone who actually needs to be concerned about dynamic range is a commercial photographer who is not reading this post because they are busy choosing between a $7,000 camera and a $10,000 camera. The frame rate performance, however, may be an important factor depending on how you work and what you take photos of. The 7D has a continuous rate of 3fps and a high speed continuous rate of 8fps. Personally, I'm unhappy with this choice of rates. The 3fps is too slow for action situation, and the 8fps is ridiculously high, giving me far too many unwanted photos that quickly fill up the memory card. I wish for a rate closer to 5 or 6 fps. The 5D has one rate of 3.9fps, which again seems a bit too slow for action situations, and limits its use for capturing sports action. The 50D offers 3fps and 6.3fps, which I find ideal. Oh, also, the file size of the 7D images are much larger than the files of the 50D and somewhat larger than the files of the 5D. While this indicates that the files contain more information and detail, this affects size and number of memory cards you will need, plus size and expense of storage on your hard drive and external hard drives, PLUS the time it takes to download, transfer, copy, open, save, and upload files. It is a significant hidden cost in storage dollars and time of the 7D that should not be ignored. (Is this apparent difference of the 7D and 50D images visible to the naked eye of anyone other than pixel peepers and people making jumbo prints? Not necessarily. The image quality you need is available from any of these cameras, so it is more productive as a photographer to focus on image content!) St. Patrick's Day Parade - Brooklyn, NY Features, Customization: Being the newest camera, the 7D has the most advanced features. As I mentioned above, it has an advanced auto focus system, providing more focus points, more focus modes (single point, spot, zone, expansion, etc.) and numerous options for how the focus points perform and select and track a subject. I've written a bit more about these features here, along with links to additional resources. There are advanced custom functions for auto focusing and tracking, flash control (the 7D is the only one which offers remote flash capabilities, which will save you a couple hundred dollars on Pocket Wizards if you are going to use this), and customization of buttons and displays. Again, I've explained a lot of these features in this post. Read through them. Do you understand them? Are you going to learn them? Are you going to need and use them? Probably not. They are nice to have, make you feel like you have a really powerful camera you are in control of if you learn how to choose, set and use them, but in everyday shooting I rarely, if ever, make use of them. The live view (which the 50D has as well) and the built in level are cool, but will you ever use them? I don't. (The built in level will be most useful to landscape photographers). Of all the features and customizations of the 7D that are not on the older 50D, the only ones I miss are the remote flash capability, the grid overlay in the viewfinder, the larger more inclusive viewfinder, the spring loaded doors of the 7D, and the ability to switch functions of the top dial and back dial in Manual mode. (It is such a nice feature on the 7D - since I use Av mode most of the time, the top dial controls aperture. But when I switch to M mode, the top dial now controls shutter speed. So with the 50D I have to overcome muscle memory and use the back dial for aperture. But with the 7D, one can switch the dials' functions.) Unless you are an intense sports or animal shooter who needs to customize how the camera selects and auto focuses on a moving object, how it addresses an object that moves in front of your subject, and how fast it responds to this new object before it addresses or ignores it, then you don't need these features. And when you compare the features of the 7D to the 5D or 50D, you find that the older cameras are not outdated dinosaurs as forums will lead you to believe - but rather they also have many of these features and customizations as well. As far as all the new auto focus features of the 7D, it turns out they barely mattered to me because I manually select my auto focus point 99% of the time. I don't want the camera necessarily focusing on the closest object, and it certainly does not know what I wish to focus on, so I don't leave it up to chance, and I select the point myself. Therefore I rarely use any of these advanced auto-focus modes. In addition, it is much easier and quicker to manually select an auto focus point on the 5D and the 50D when you are selecting from 9 focus points rather than the 19 focus points of the 7D! However, if you photograph fast moving objects that you would prefer the camera to locate, track, and properly focus on, most of the time, all by itself, then the 7D is the camera for you. Also, note that due to the fact that the 5D is a professional body and not a consumer level camera, it does not have a built in pop-up flash. If you plan to use a flash with it, you will need to buy the Canon 580EX II flash (which you should do with any of these camera anyway). San Miguel Dueñas, Guatemala It is expected that the 5D Mk III and possibly the 60D (or whatever it may be called) will also incorporate this new 7D type focusing system when they come out. The 5D, 7D, and 50D all have AF microadjustment capability, which means that you can adjust the auto-focusing of each lens individually, in the camera, if they happen to front- or back-focus a little bit. The problem is that it is a maddening procedure, and you can never get it quite right because the focusing typically varies slightly for each focus point, as well as for different distances and apertures. (You may get it exactly sharp for the center focus point at 15 feet at f/4, yet find that it is still off for the upper left focus point when you shoot under real life conditions that vary from those settings.) I feel that if you need an excessive amount of AF microadjustment, you should probably send the camera or lens back for repair, calibration, or replacement. Personally, if I were using a non-L-series lens, I wouldn't worry about a few mm of front- or back-focusing. And if I were using an L-series lens that didn't focus dead on, I would send it back to Canon for recalibration - which in fact is something I have done. (I don't understand people's celebration of AF microadjustment - isn't it a built in admission of poor manufacturing quality control, especially when pairing a Canon lens with a Canon body?) Finally, be aware that the mode dials of the 7D and 5D do not have most of the "basic zone" mode settings such as sports, portrait, and landscape. As the user of such an advanced camera, you are expected to know how to change the camera's settings (aperture, shutter speed, ISO, etc.) yourself for these types of situations. If you don't, and/ or if you plan on keeping your camera set on Auto (so called "green box mode") or Program (P) mode, you probably shouldn't be considering a 5D, 7D or 50D anyway, because you'll be paying for far more camera than you will be using! Start with the 550D or one of the other Rebels for now and upgrade later if you feel you have outgrown its capabilities. If you are concerned about the best image quality, your image quality difference between a 7D on Auto and a 550D on Auto will be negligible. (Note that these cameras also have a Creative Auto mode, which is a weird "transitional" mode between Auto and actually learning how to make use of aperture settings and exposure compensation in Av, Tv or M mode. Since using aperture settings to dictate desired depth of field is essential to photographic composition, it is best you actually learn it directly.) Metering: The 7D has an advanced metering system compared to the 5D Mk II and the 50D, and this is actually one very important advantage. The 7D has a more precise 63 zone metering system vs. the 35 zone system of the 5D and 50D. With the 7D, I can confidently leave it on evaluative metering 97% of the time, and it meters the subject exceptionally well 98% of those times. Canon claims that it will meter properly for a wide variety of subjects, including back lit and extreme contrast subjects. I have found this to be true. Compared to the 50D, this is significant. I have found that the 50D regularly overexposes by about 1/3 or 1/2 a stop, and I have exposure compensation on -1/3 all the time to avoid blown out highlights (except in dark situations, where it tends to under-expose). Also, the 50D just does not always correctly expose in unusual or difficult lighting situations. And for dramatic and powerful photos, you want unusual or difficult lighting situations, so I have found that I am using exposure compensation, or having to change to center weighted, partial, or spot metering often. While this is sharpening my metering eye and skills, it is a pain and it leads to the risk of lost shots. I would prefer that it just got the exposure right the majority of the time, as the 7D does. (I have subsequently found that using center-weighted averaging mode on the 50D all the time results in more consistent exposures than evaluative metering mode). You can learn more about the various metering modes, and when to use them, in this post. Vinnie - Brooklyn, NY 550D / Rebel T2i: The Canon 550D or Rebel T2i has some impressive specs, and shares many features of the 50D and the 7D, and it is actually the newest model of all of them. It has 18mp and HD video like the 7D, but only 3.7fps continuous shooting mode frame rate. And it has 9 AF points and less complex auto focus options, like the 50D. It is fully capable of taking photos that are virtually the same quality as the 7D and the 50D, and if you don't have intensive shooting and ego demands (ie, wanting the biggest, most expensive body whether or not you actually understand, need, or use its advanced features), it is worth seriously considering. But the 550D can't have every feature and custom function of the higher level cameras, otherwise it would just be a 7D! If you are concerned about comparing image quality, ISO performance, auto-focusing speed, etc, all of these cameras have more than enough of what you need. You should instead be comparing the features and advanced options of the cameras which are most important to how you work. The top of the line camera won't help you take better photos. But mastery of the tool that best fits your need just might (when combined with good knowledge of composition and lighting). I encourage you look at Flickr users' photos taken with an "old," 8MP Rebel XT to confirm this. Also, don't rule out the Canon Rebel XSi if you are just starting out with digital SLRs. If you are comparing a 5D Mk II vs. 550D (5D vs. T2i) you are looking at a professional full frame camera vs. a consumer, entry level dSLR, and skipping 2 pro-sumer cameras in between. So while the features of the 550D are nearly on par with the 7D in many ways, the 550D vs. 5D is an odd comparison that quite frankly confuses me. Are you new to digital SLRs? Get a 550D (or a 50D/ 60D if you wish to spend more money or need the higher frame rate for sports or photojournalism). Have you outgrown all the features, capabilities, or limitations after extensive use of a 20D, 40D or 50D? Get a 5D. Are the images you've been taking with your Rebel or 40D no longer living up to your professional level needs in terms of dynamic range and noise at high ISOs? Get a 5D. Want to spend $2,400 on a camera body? Get a 5D. Want to spend $800 and still have a tool that is fully capable of taking professional quality images? Get the 550D. There are a few reasons why you would need a 7D or a 50D over a 550D / T2i. A major one is the advanced controls over camera settings. The more expensive models have additional buttons, controls, and displays on the exterior of the camera to enable quicker changes of important settings and easier viewing of what the current settings are. The 550D is capable of changing all these settings too, it is just done in a different way. For example, the 7D and 50D have the big dial on the back for quickly scrolling through menus, images, and for quick exposure compensation changes and changes of other settings. They also have the little toggle joystick on the back, primarily for quickly changing focus points. These 2 cameras also have the additional display screen and buttons on the top to easily view and change a number of settings such as ISO, drive mode, white balance, and metering mode - among others. These cameras are designed for a professional or advanced user who makes use of all these settings and needs to quickly change them while working. However, with a little practice, these settings can also be quickly changed using the buttons and big screen on the back of the 550D. The 7D and 50D also have advanced menus which give the user more customization options, like those discussed above (27 custom functions on the 7D vs. 12 on the 550D), and additional features desired by advanced users or pros, such as 1/3 ISO increments where the 550D has full increments (100-200-400 etc.). What you are also paying for with the 7D and the 50D are stronger, better constructed metal bodies to handle daily use and abuse as well as some weatherproofing of the buttons and doors. (However, Canon cameras have fallen from elephants and airplanes and have survived, so they are all generally pretty rugged. At pitcher of water was thrown on the back of my Rebel XT and it was fine.) All these features give the 7D and 50D a bigger and heavier body than the smaller, lighter 550D, which may be an important consideration for some users. Also, the 7D, and 50D have AF microadjustment capability, but the 550D does not. AF Microadjustment means that you can adjust the auto-focusing for each lens, in the camera menu, if they happen to front- or back-focus a little bit. I don't think this is a very important feature, as I discuss above in Features. (The problem is that it is a maddening procedure, and you may get the focus exactly sharp for the center focus point at 15 feet at f/4, yet find that it is still off for the upper left focus point when you shoot under real life conditions that vary from those settings.) As I said above, if you need an excessive amount of AF microadjustment, you should probably send the camera or lens back for repair, calibration, or replacement. Or if you are that obsessed about pixels, you should be looking at a pro-sumer or pro camera and L series lenses. Finally, the 550D also uses SD type memory cards, while the other cameras all use CF, and the smaller battery of the 550D will not last for as many shots as the other cameras. Also, as I discussed above, be aware that the mode dials of the 7D and 5D do not have most of the "basic zone" mode settings such as sports, portrait, and landscape. If you are starting to learn dSLR photography, these modes are helpful for seeing the results from different camera settings, and are good shortcuts until you have learned more about apertures and shutter speeds. Or if you never intend to use or learn more about the advance settings, the basic modes are good for helping you get better looking results than Auto or Program modes. So if you plan on keeping your camera set on Auto, Program, or the basic modes (sports, landscape, etc.), start with the 550D or one of the other Rebels for now and upgrade later if you feel you have outgrown its capabilities. Your image quality difference between a 7D on Auto and a 550D on Auto will be negligible. So there you have it. You can read great, in depth reviews of each of these cameras on DPreview.com. There are probably numerous features and points that I forgot to mention, but hopefully this will give you a starting point in determining which features are important to you, and what warrants further research to help you in making your decision. The important thing is to choose one that fits your needs and budget, then stop comparing and get out and shoot! As I said above, your camera choice should be based on your level and needs as a photographer, and on which camera best serves the way you work. Whichever one you choose, I highly encourage you to get the the applicable Canon Guide to Digital SLR Photography from David Busch, or a similar book like the Magic Lantern Guides. They are much more user friendly versions of the camera's manual, and will get you up and running quickly and assist you in fully understanding the settings, controls, and functions of your dSLR. Need a lens to go with your new camera? Read about choosing a lens other than the kit lens in this post Why You Shouldn't Buy the Kit Lens, and learn about the Best Lenses for Travel Photography here. Please leave a comment, ask a question. Let me know what has been helpful, and what you'd like to read more about. If you plan to purchase any of this equipment or books, I encourage you to do so through the site I've set up with Amazon, Doug's Picturing Change Digital Photography Equipment and Books. Purchasing through this site or one of the direct-to-Amazon.com links below will help support my blog and my work. Thanks! And for those of you across the pond, click here for my referral link to Amazon UK. If you are in another country, click on one of my Amazon links, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click on your country for your local Amazon. See the T2i on Amazon. See the 60D on Amazon. See the 7D on Amazon. See the Canon 5D MkII on Amazon.

¡Feliz Dia de la Madre!

dojoklo — Sun, 09 May 2010 18:17:16 +0000

Here is a reposting of my Mother's Day post from a couple years ago from Peru: Marilyn at Aldea Yanapay with tarjeta de la Dia de las Madres that reads: "Happy Mother´s Day Mommy, you are the prettiest of all the parents, a flower that blooms in my garden. For this I love you Mom."

Current Canon Rebates

dojoklo — Tue, 11 May 2010 03:52:15 +0000

Lots of rebates going on over at Canon, including on the 7D, 5D Mark II, some of the Rebels, and several lenses. Plum Island - Newburyport, MA

side by side-blog

dojoklo — Thu, 13 May 2010 17:58:53 +0000

Tropical Storm Agatha in Guatemala

dojoklo — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 17:20:45 +0000

A couple days after Tropical Storm Agatha swept across Guatemala on Saturday, a few images of the destruction have started to appear. Mostly the news is focusing on dramatic photos of the giant sinkhole that appeared in Guatemala City, and on the eruption of the volcano Pacaya that preceded the storm. But the destruction is far more widespread than a large sinkhole and a blanket of ash delaying tourists' flights at the airport. Residents across almost the entire country are affected, as well as people in El Salvador and Honduras. Sadly, the media doesn't seem to cover the tens of thousands of people who have been impacted, evacuated, or made homeless. Agatha dumped 3 feet of rain across Guatemala, and the resulting flooding and landslides have caused over 120 deaths and left 35,000 people homeless. (edit 6/3/2010: The Boston Globe's Big Picture now has a great collection of images showing the impact of the destruction of the residents of Guatemala.) San Miguel Dueñas before Tropical Storm Agatha - Nov. 2009 Last November I traveled to Antigua to document an NGO Open Windows and their after-school learning center in San Miguel Dueñas (see the Open Windows and Guatemala galleries on my website.) The director of the program has reported that Dueñas is badly affected by Agatha, as well as numerous other small towns around Antigua, including Ciudad Vieja, San Miguelito, San Pedro Las Huertas, Alotenango and Santiago Zamora. At this point it is only possible to get to some of these places with a four-wheel drive vehicle, so she had yet to see the damage in Dueñas herself, but had received reports that several of the homes have been badly damaged or nearly destroyed, and for some of the residents, their meager possessions have been ruined, buried, or washed away by the rains and mud. As the Open Windows staff in Dueñas reported, "they have nothing to wear, they lost everything." As with the recent earthquake in Haiti and the flooding in Peru, it is again the most vulnerable and impoverished populations that are most badly affected by these natural disasters. Article here: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N31497794.htm

Canon 50D to be Discontinued? 60D Coming?

dojoklo — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:38:12 +0000

A lot of you come across my site searching for comparisons of the 550D, 50D, 7D, and 5D (see this post for a thorough comparison of them) so you should know that the production life of the 50D appears to be coming to an end (and word that it is discontinued here). What that means is you should possibly wait a month or so to see if 50D prices drop or if rebates are offered, or wait for the new improved model to replace it - the 60D or whatever they may call it - although it will be difficult to create a worthwhile improvement of the 50D that isn't just a 7D. If there is one, it will mostly serve to fill in the price point between the 7D and th T2i. I'm speculating that it will cost $1,100 to $1,300 - a little more than the 50D, more than the T2i , but less than the 7D. It will probably have 18MP, and have the 63 zone metering system of the 7D and 550D. It is likely that its insides will be closer to a 550D with the exterior body and controls of a 50D/ 7D. Will it have the 19 point autofocus system, 8 frames per second high speed shooting rate, HD video, and remote flash control of the 7D? If so, it would just be a 7D. It seems that it will sit at a new position that will no longer be a bridge between pro and consumer cameras (pro-sumer) as the 7D now fills that role (as the 50D once did), but will now be considered a very advanced consumer level camera. I'm going to join in on the pointless but fun 60D speculation:

cost: $1,100-$1,300
18MP 1.6x sensor
63 zone metering
9 or so point autofocus system, less advanced than 7D
6 or so FPS at high speed
HD video
3" 3:2 LCD - articulating
98%+ viewfinder
single Digic processor
all other features of 50D (construction, custom functions, AF microadjustment, live view, etc.)

How Pros Photograph

dojoklo — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 15:30:08 +0000

or What Pros are Doing When it Looks Like They are Just Pointing and Clicking You've probably had the experience where you find the same spot and attempt to take the same photo as one you admire, yet the outcome is never the same. Or maybe you've stood next to a photo tour leader, and think you are taking the same photos, yet your images don't quite look like theirs do. Why is this? What is an experienced or professional photographer doing differently? What's the big secret, the trick to getting those images? It's not impossible, it's not luck, and it is not dependent on tricks. It's not necessarily equipment or Photoshop skill. But rather it is a number of decisions and accumulated experience, all happening in those brief moments when a photographer sees a scene, raises their camera to their eye, frames the shot, adjusts the settings, and clicks the shutter. Here's what the pros are doing in those moments when all you think you see them doing is pointing and clicking: Festival de Tinajani - Ayaviri, Peru The Right Light: A photographer is always chasing the best light. Their eye is always looking for good lighting, interesting lighting, the interplay of light and shadows, silhouettes. They are always aware of the quality of light - the color, the warmth or coolness of the light. Ideally they shoot only at the best times: in the morning and evening. But that isn't always possible, so they must seek out interesting lighting, make the best of the available light, use a flash, or work in shaded areas. If the great light is there, but the subject isn't, they wait for a subject to come into the scene. They consider not only the lighting on the main subject but also the lighting on the background and how it might enhance or distract from the subject. They place themselves in the best position in relation to the light and the subject to ensure their subject is illuminated as they desire, they remain aware of the light/ subject relationship, and move around as necessary as it changes. Pre-Visualizing: The photographer begins to see the composition of the image before they raise their camera to their eye. They look at the elements and decide how they want them to relate to each other in the final image. They consider how near and distant elements will relate when compressed into two dimensions. As with the lighting, they look at not only their main subject but also the background that will appear behind it. They look for strong lines, color, weight and balance of elements, symmetry or asymmetry of the elements. They consider their main subject and the environment around it and determine how much they want to include - if they want a wide shot or wish to zoom in or move in for a closer shot. They consider which point of view will best express their subject - high, low, eye-level? They determine if the image and relationships will work best in landscape or portrait orientation, and hold the camera accordingly. They scroll through their mental file of similar images they've taken, and consider what was and wasn't successful and how to improve this shot. Festival de Tinajani - Ayaviri, Peru Metering: When they see that interesting or challenging light they know how to meter for it. They don't count on their camera to know how they want the scene exposed and they don't want to blow out their highlights, so they may use partial metering or spot metering directed at the right part of the scene to determine their exposure settings. They do this quickly and instinctively because they've practiced and experimented with numerous types of difficult lighting scenes, and... Camera Settings: ...they know their camera inside and out. They know which settings to change and how to change those settings. They've customized their buttons and menus to quickly get to the settings they use most frequently. Their eye is on the aperture, shutter speed and ISO numbers in the viewfinder, and their fingers know which dials to move to adjust them without taking the camera from their eye. They know how their camera tends to under-expose or over-expose in certain situations, and they change the exposure compensation accordingly. And they (hopefully) remember to reset these settings when they move into a different lighting or subject situation. Aperture Priority Mode: The pros often work in aperture priority mode so that they can control their aperture and depth of field and thus establish relationships of near and distant elements, foreground and background. They blur the background to call more attention to the subject, or dramatically place just a narrow plane of the subject in focus. Or perhaps they bring everything from near to far into sharp focus. They select their depth of field based on the relationships they desire to create. They know how the lens they are using renders images at its various apertures, and perhaps use the depth of field preview button to verify. Festival de Tinajani - Ayaviri, Peru Shutter Priority Mode: They turn their mode dial to shutter priority mode when freezing or blurring motion is key to the image. They use a high shutter speed to freeze action, or a slow one to blur or pan. They know the proper shutter speed is critical to this type of shot, and don't let the camera choose it for them. ISO: They check the setting that they are not controlling (the shutter speed in Aperture priority mode/ the aperture in Shutter priority mode) and adjust their ISO to bring that setting into the range they want or need. They know from experience which ISO range is appropriate for the amount of lighting they are shooting in, and change it in advance as they move between situations. Manual Mode: They turn the mode dial to M when they have consistent lighting and a setting that they know is not going to change, or in challenging situations where both aperture and shutter speed are critical. They've determined their exposure by metering, and set the camera accordingly. Auto (Green Box) or Program Modes: They've never used these, as their lack of control scares them as much as Av mode scares the new dSLR user. Festival de Tinajani - Ayaviri, Peru Framing: As they look through the viewfinder, they frame the image based on their pre-visualization and composition decisions. They scan all parts of the frame and not just the subject, from edge to edge and each corner, from near to far, to determine if there are any unwanted elements, elements not essential to their image, or undesired relationships (i.e. the tree growing out of someone's head.) They move slightly to the left or right, or slightly up or down to bring all the elements in the frame into the desired or most dramatic relationship. Focusing: They manually choose their auto-focus point to ensure that the camera focuses on what they want it to focus on, not on what the camera chooses to focus on. They lock the focus setting if they need to slightly reframe or wish to hold that focus for a sequence of images. If there is going to be a dramatic shift between the framing seen while focusing and the final framing of the image, they lock the exposure setting on the final intended framing before or after locking in the focusing. They use the other auto-focus modes to capture action that moves across the scene or which is too fast for manually choosing a single point. Waiting: They wait for the right facial expression and pose, or for the subject to relax, or the moving elements to fall into place, or the peak of action and then... Clicking the Shutter: Finally! They press the shutter, slowly and smoothly. They have their camera set for single exposure or multiple exposure based on the situation. They fire off several quick shots, or slowly take a couple to ensure they got the shot or to take variations of the image. Festival de Tinajani - Ayaviri, Peru Reviewing: "Chimping" is the somewhat derogatory term for looking at the rear LCD screen right after taking a photo to check out the image. When pros do it, they are not looking at the picture to see what they got. They know what they got. They know what the image looks like because they studied it when they framed and took the photo. They are looking at the histogram and looking for blinking highlights to ensure they did not blow out the highlights or in any way over- or under-expose the shot. If they did, they adjust the exposure compensation, or the aperture and shutter settings, and take it again. So that is what the experienced photographer is thinking and doing in those brief moments between the time they pause from scanning the scene around them, raise the camera to their eye, and take the shot. It's not because they have a pro camera with pro lenses that they got a great image. It's not some pro secret that was passed onto them when they read the right book and gained entry the right forum. It is the sum of an alert eye, numerous conscious decisions while visualizing and framing, knowing how to adjust their equipment and use its controls, as well as sub-conscious decisions based on taking countless images, experimenting, and learning from the results both good and bad. To read about an actual example of this process in action in the creation of a photograph, see my post Deconstructing the Shot.

Picturing Change Campaign

dojoklo — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 16:06:04 +0000

I've completed the latest stage of my Picturing Change marketing campaign to reach out to NGOs and to introduce myself and my services: postcards! A slide show which elaborates on the theme of the postcard can be viewed on the opening page of my website, www.dojoklo.com and a more in depth description of myself and my work can be seen at the end of the slideshow and on the Bio page. Thanks to the NGOs for having a look at my portfolio website and blog, and I look forward to hearing from you and discussing your projects and photography needs. Picturing Change - Douglas J. Klostermann Photography And thank you to Modern Postcard for such nicely printed cards.

Keshwa Chaca Inca Bridge

dojoklo — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 23:30:38 +0000

This weekend - June 10-13, 2010 - is the annual reconstruction of the Keshwa Chaca, the last remaining traditional Inca rope bridge (actually made of straw or grass), which spans the Apurimac River near Huinchiri, Peru. If you are in the Cusco area, I highly encourage you to visit the bridge building and the incredible dance and music festival which follows on Sunday. It is a truly unforgettable experience. Weaving q'olla grass into rope to construct the Keshwa Chaca Inca rope bridge To view photos I took of the 2008 reconstruction, check out this post. There are additional photos in the slide show on my website - www.dojoklo.com - in the Inca Bridge gallery. This post describes my journey to get to the bridge site from Cusco. If you are a member of South American Explorers, be sure to look at my trip report online or in the binder to learn valuable information about getting to the site, what to bring (you need to bring all camping gear and food and cash for various expenses), a rough daily schedule of what to expect, and getting back home. Let me know if you went, and I'd love to see your photos.

No Woman, No Cry Movie

dojoklo — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:00:46 +0000

One woman, somewhere in the world, dies each minute from complications of pregnancy or childbirth. Half a million women a year. Learning that fact compelled Christy Turlington to do something about it, and one of the things she has done is to make a documentary about the issue, "No Woman, No Cry." I was fortunate to see this movie at a specially added showing at the Tribeca Film Festival last month, where both Turlington herself as well as the producer Dallas Brennan Rexer were on hand for a Q+A afterward. photo courtesy of "No Woman, No Cry" / everymothercounts.org "No Woman, No Cry" is a film about issues surrounding maternal health and the numerous difficulties women face, not only in developing countries, but in the US as well. Turlington follows the stories of three women, in Tanzania, Bangladesh, and Guatemala, as they confront the obstacles that put women's lives in danger leading up to and during childbirth. Some of the greatest obstacles, we discover, aren't merely the lack of good medical care and facilities, or economic barriers to proper care, but are also cultural, societal, and religious pressures, influences, and beliefs about pregnancy, childbirth, and family planning. On top of this, to prevent the viewers from thinking these are distant problems only faced by women in developing countries, the film addresses a variety of related issues in the US, both among the poor and marginalized as well as the middle class. Turlington began to learn about these issues after complications when she gave birth to one of her children. While the care she needed was easily accessible, she soon began to learn the staggering statistics of maternal death and disabilities that are mostly preventable, yet around the globe still claim one woman's life every minute. While you may be thinking Turlington is another celebrity joining her name to a cause, giving lip service to an issue that interests her, the fact is she is deeply and passionately involved with this issue. Her interest first led her to become actively involved with CARE, and subsequently inspired her to pursue a masters degree in public health at Columbia University. And in the process of making the film, she interviewed, worked with, and consulted dozens of experts and organizations in the field of global health and maternal health. She is taking on this cause whole-heartedly, and I am certain she will continue to do tremendous things to both bring attention to maternal mortality and to help dramatically reduce it. Visit the film's website to learn more and to find out where you might be able to see the movie. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F6hngJFGOk] And finally, here is a powerful photo/ video essay about maternal mortality in India, by Susan Meiselas: http://inmotion.magnumphotos.com/essay/silent-maternal-mortality-india

Picturing Change

dojoklo — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:57:28 +0000

Books for Humanitarians (and Humanitarian Photographers)

dojoklo — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 19:00:38 +0000

I've been intending to write a post about Nicholas Kristof's wonderful book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, and how it should be required reading for humanitarian photographers. I haven't gotten around to that yet, but Onlineclasses.org has just told me about a list they put together, 100 Best Books for Humanitarians. It seems there are a lot more books now on the required reading list! Also, please have a look at the Humanitarian Books section of the store I've set up with Amazon.com for quick and easy links to these books. (Purchasing from Amazon.com through that site helps to support my work!)

Coney Island Mermaid Parade – 2010

dojoklo — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 22:54:03 +0000

Summer has officially arrived in Brooklyn! Images from the 2010 Coney Island Mermaid Parade, Brooklyn, NY. More photos here.

Mission Accomplished

dojoklo — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 16:06:49 +0000

Two years ago, in 2008, I ventured to the annual rebuilding of the last remaining traditional Inca rope bridge, the Keshwa Chaca, which spans the Apurimac River near Huinchiri, Peru. My mission was to photograph the locals as they spun q'olla grass into rope, constructed the bridge, and celebrated the completion with a festival of traditional dance and music. Previous posts describe my journey to the bridge site and show some of my photos from the weekend. Many of my photos are also posted on my website in the Inca Bridge gallery as well as in the dance gallery. One of my very favorite photos of the weekend was of this bridge-builder: Keshwa Chaca 2008 - Huinchiri, Peru As I was taking images of the bridge construction, this man quietly asked me to take his photo. A crowd of fellow bridge-builders quickly gathered to see it, and when I realized I had taken it in the black and white setting, I asked to do another in color. But it was too late. "Oh, es blanco y negro," I said disappointedly, "¿un otra en color?" I asked. "¡Un otra desnudo!" an onlooker called out - "Another one in the nude!" The men erupted in laughter, the moment was gone, and I wasn't able to take another. Luckily this one came out well, and ever since then it has been my goal to get a copy of the photograph to this man. Many people in developing countries have few, if any, photos of themselves or their family. I was sure he and his family would appreciate such a nice photo of this man standing modestly but proudly in front of the bridge he is helping to construct. This year at bridge building time my friend Mitch Teplitsky (director of the documentary film Soy Andina) was visiting Cusco. He got in touch with me to find out more about the event and how to get there. When I learned he and his wife Doris had decided to go the following day, I begged him to find a way to print the photo and deliver it to the man. "It shouldn't be hard," I said, "just find a photo place on Avenida el Sol to print it out, and when you get there, just ask around, they will know him!" At least I hoped it would all be that easy. I'm not sure how they did it, but Mitch and Doris managed to print the photo, find their way to Huinchiri, and locate the man! Keshwa Chaca 2010 - Bridge-builder and Mitch Teplitsky, photo by Doris Loayza

Redcoats on the Common

dojoklo — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 17:30:45 +0000

The Redcoats skirmish with the Colonial militia on Boston Common, as part of Boston Harborfest 2010

Fixed Aperture vs. Variable Aperture Lenses

dojoklo — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 00:11:18 +0000

I responded to a comment on one of my posts, and my response ended up being the size of a blog post, so I'm just going to turn it into one! Please note that the title of this post should actually, technically be "Fixed Maximum Aperture vs. Variable Maximum Aperture," as I will explain in a second. If you are getting into dSLR cameras and lenses, you may have noticed that some lenses have a fixed maximum aperture, while others have a variable maximum aperture. This is spelled out in the name of the lens. For example, the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM lens has a fixed maximum aperture of f/2.8 at all focal lengths, while the Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM has a variable maximum aperture which ranges from f/3.5 to f/5.6, depending on which focal length you are using. (the EF vs. EF-S means that EF lenses can be used on any Canon dSLR, while EF-S lenses are designed for, and can only be used on Canon dSLRs with 1.6x cropped sensors, including all Rebels, 50D, 60D, 7D, T2i/550D, but not the full frame 5D. IS means image stabilization. USM means ultrasonic motor, and means the lens has a high quality, rapid, and quiet motor for auto focusing.) The term fixed aperture usually does not mean that the lens only has one aperture setting you can use, but rather that is a common way of saying it has a fixed maximum aperture. So you can change the aperture of a "fixed aperture" lens and set it anywhere from its maximum aperture, possibly f/2.8, to its minimum aperture, perhaps f/32. Barbes, Brooklyn, NY With variable aperture lenses, the largest, maximum aperture you can choose when you zoom to the telephoto end will not be as wide open as the largest aperture you can choose at the wide angle end. For example with the 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6, with the lens set at the focal length of 28mm (the wide end), you can use the f/3.5 aperture setting. But with the lens zoomed to 135mm, the widest aperture you can use is f/5.6. This will slightly affect the amount of background blurring - or foreground blurring in the image above, and will decrease the amount of light entering the lens. Wider, larger apertures like f/2.8 or f/3.5 blur the background the most, which helps to create dramatic images. The reason not all lenses have fixed apertures is that they require more sophisticated internal parts and mechanisms, such as more lens elements, which thus makes them very expensive (and heavy), so variable aperture is a compromise in order to offer more reasonably priced lenses. Barbes, Brooklyn, NY Also, the wider apertures (f/2.8, f/4) are best for low light situations because they allow more light to enter the camera and thus allow you to select a fast shutter speed that won’t blur the image while hand-holding the camera. If you are typically working outside, this shouldn’t be too much of a concern, but if you work indoors or in low light, lenses with wide apertures like f/2.8 or f/1.4 are desirable. Now, why is f/2.8 called a large aperture and f/22 a small aperture? 2.8 seems like a smaller number than 22, right? No, f/2.8 and f/22 are fractions. So if f were to equal 1, a slice of pie that is 1/2.8 of the pie is a bigger piece that a slice that is 1/22 of the pie, right?! So f/2.8 is a large aperture, which means a large opening, which lets in lots of light all at once, but which then causes objects not in the plane of focus, such as the background, to be blurry. f/22 is a small aperture, a small opening which lets in just a little light. But everything from near to far is in focus, like when you squint to see a street sign clearer! (The letter f in the fraction stands for the focal length of the lens.) Please leave a comment, ask a question. Let me know what has been helpful, and what you'd like to read more about. For additional posts about lenses see Best Lenses for Travel and Humanitarian Photography and Why You Shouldn't Buy the Kit Lens. If you plan to purchase any equipment, I encourage you to do so through the site I've set up with Amazon, Doug's Picturing Change Digital Photography Equipment and Books. Or go directly to Amazon using this link to the Canon Lenses. Purchasing through my site or through that link will help support my work!

Photography, Creativity, and Angst

dojoklo — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:54:12 +0000

It seems that a lot of photography blogs that aren’t caught up in discussing the latest equipment and technology are often addressing the struggles of photography, art, and creativity. Most every photographer seems to relate to the frustrations of not being able to create the images that they wish they could – images like the ones of the photographers they admire or images like the ones they envision in their own mind. This isn’t a bad thing, and in fact this dissatisfaction with one’s current work is one of the most important components in inspiring and pushing oneself to improve. But there is a huge problem if this struggle becomes angst and doesn’t serve a positive purpose. It is an easy path to fall into with photography, especially when just starting out or soon after technical and equipment mastery is attained. There is so much to learn and everyone else seems to have picked up important and secret knowledge which you don’t know where to find. And there are so many great photographers out there who you like and no matter how hard you try your images don’t look anything like theirs. Rome - Statue in front of Palazzo del Quirinale I fell into this trap when I first became serious about photography. I saw images in galleries, museums, and magazines (there was no internet yet…) that I wished I could create, but had no idea how. What kind of camera were they using? What kind of chemicals and darkroom techniques did they use? Where did they come up with their ideas and inspiration? I had no idea, but tried to learn what I could from books and experimentation. But the learning curve was so steep, my interests and ambitions were too broad and scattered, and the dedication was not yet there. The angst and frustration built and slowly I stopped even taking photos. I had wanted to create great images at will but knew I couldn't. My results rarely matched my vision, so I stopped making any images at all. Rome - Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi by Bernini facing Sant'Agnese in Agone by Borromini and Rainaldi I thought the angst was part of being an artist, a photographer, and that holding onto it would lead somewhere. But the angst didn’t get me anywhere. In fact all it led me to was abandoning photography. Years later, when I became frustrated with the limitations of my digital compact and dSLRs became affordable, I decided to give it another try. I went out on my first self-assignment, not really knowing what I was doing, relearning how to use a camera and compose photos. But this time I had a different attitude, a new mindset. The photos on my LCD screen still didn’t look like the ones in my head, but I didn’t care, and I continued to happily work away. I knew I was learning with each photo, I didn't expect instant masterpieces. I knew I would improve over time when I studied the results and identified the differences between where I was and where I wanted to be. Rome - Piazza Navona Most importantly I had finally given up on trying to take Ansel Adams’ photos and started to take my photos. If they weren’t any good, I would keep taking my photos, and figure out how to make them better versions of my photos. For the first time I was truly happy with my images because I stopped comparing them with some real or imagined perfect images that I would never take. It doesn’t mean I still don’t have the angst. Every time I look at Ami Vitale's photos I want to take Ami Vitale's photos. But I let it go, I don’t let it become a negative, limiting frustration. I study them and learn from them, but I continue to take my photos. Because those are really the only ones I can take, and those I the ones I am happiest with anyway. So it is true – as everyone concludes their “photographer’s struggle” blog posts: just get out and shoot. That is virtually all there is to it. But there is another important component. Let go of the angst. Art and creativity does not equal angst. Change your mindset. Stop dwelling on creativity, thinking about creativity, reading about creativity...and just go create. Shoot your photos, improve on your photos, and be happy knowing that with each frame you are learning and progressing. Besides, you shouldn't want to be imitating anyone else because you don't want to be called “The next Henri Cartier Bresson.” You want some future budding photographer to be called “The next (your name here).” Rome - Street with view of Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza by Borromini (These photos were taken the first time I ever used a "real" camera, an SLR - a Canon AE-1 I borrowed for an afternoon. Taken in Rome, Italy in 1990 or 1991 while studying with the University of Notre Dame Architecture Rome Studies Program. Not a bad start, huh?!)

Interview at 10Q - Interviews with Humanitarian Photographers

dojoklo — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:40:48 +0000

I'd like to welcome the new readers that are finding me after reading my interview with Heber Vega in the "10Q - Interviews with Humanitarian Photographers" section of his blog. Please have a look around, including the posts in my Humanitarian Photography category. Some of them I referred to in the interview, including my post on self-assignments entitled "How to Start Out as a Humanitarian Photographer." Other posts include information on photo equipment for working in the field, lenses for travel and humanitarian work, ethics and images, and humanitarian related books. My most popular post seems to be a comparison of the various current Canon dSLRs, but of course, we're not all caught up with gear, right?!

Harvard Square, Cambridge

dojoklo — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 18:38:13 +0000

Canon 5D vs. 7D vs. 60D vs. 550D / T2i Part III

dojoklo — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:19:34 +0000

I continue to get a large number of visits from people who are comparing the current line of Canon digital SLR cameras - the 5D Mk. II vs. 7D vs. 50D vs. 550D / T2i. I go into detail about comparing the features of these cameras in this post, including the 60D, so that is probably the post you want to read first. However, it is a long, in-depth post. If you would like to read a summary of how to make this decision and find out which camera is right for you, here it is (however, I still encourage you to read that in-depth post which is a bit more serious and educational than this post). This additional previous post here also discussed the comparison of the Canon dSLR line-up before the introduction of the 60D, but it still has a lot of valid points. AF Microadjustment information at the end of this post. And some Canon 60D info now added! Before I start I want to mention:

I have written eBook tutorials for the Canon 60D and for the Canon T2i, which cover ALL the Menu settings and Custom Function settings, with recommended settings, plus in-depth descriptions of how and and why to use the cameras' settings and features in everyday use - Your World 60D and T2i Experience. Learn more about the eBooks by clicking on their titles.

Longfellow House - Cambridge, MA -New to digital SLR photography and want a really nice camera for casual home and travel use? Not really sure what all those buttons and symbols are and not really interested in knowing? Get a 550D/ T2i or a Rebel XSi. -New to digital SLR photography and want to take really great, high quality photos, but don't ever really plan to totally get into it? Don't really want to spend months reading about f-stops and metering modes? Plan to use Auto or Program mode most of the time? Fall asleep 3 minutes into reading the manual? Get a 550D/ T2i or a Rebel XSi. -New to digital SLR photography and want to learn the basics of exposure: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO? Want to learn to take the camera off Auto or Program mode, and experiment with partial or spot metering and manually selected focus points? Eager to read and understand the often confusing explanations of the manual? Get a 550D/ T2i, or a 60D. -New to digital SLR photography and want to learn everything noted above plus want to take pictures of fast moving action: kids at play, sports, dance? Consider a 60D because it can shoot 5.3 frames per second vs. 3.7 fps of the 550D. This doesn't mean you can't focus on and capture fast moving action with the 550D, but it means with the 60D you can fire off a faster rapid series of shots, and thus hope to capture the exact right moment. -New to digital SLR photography but super ambitious and know you are going to be committed and dedicated enough to learn about exposure compensation and back-button focusing? Ready for Av mode now, and plan to really take your photography to the next level over the next year or two? Already read the manual online? Want to consider the possibility of professional photography in the future? Get a 60D or get a 7D if you are super-serious and if you can afford it. -Experienced with digital SLR photography and have outgrown the limited speed and menu/ custom options of the entry level cameras? Annoyed with digital SLR users you see on the street whose cameras are nicer than yours but are left on Auto or P mode? Want to take it to the next level and maybe test the waters of professional photography? Get the 60D or get a 7D if you can afford it. Consider a 5D Mk II if you are really, really serious. -Experienced with digital SLR photography and plan to be a top notch amateur/ semi-pro or work towards being a pro? Carry your camera everywhere and want a sturdy tool that serves you and the way you work? Already have been paid to shoot some photos, portraits, or events? Have stopped trying to read the model number of other people's cameras because you know your photos are better than theirs even if they have a nicer camera? Get a 7D, or a 5D Mk II if you can afford it, or wait for the 5D Mk III. -Highly experienced with digital SLR photography and are dedicating yourself to being a part-time or full time pro? Already know and understand 99.6% of what you read in this other post? Just looking for reassurance that spending $2,500 is the right decision? Get a 5D Mk II, wait for the 5D Mk III, or get a 7D if you really can't afford the 5D yet. Cambridge City Hall - Cambridge, MA You may have been convinced by forums, reviews, or online comments to question and compare image quality, auto-focus speed, high ISO performance and noise, dynamic range, etc., but those factors are all nearly completely irrelevant. All of these cameras have more than enough quality in each of those areas. Your choice should instead be based on your experience level and expected needs as a photographer, and on which camera best serves the way you work. Remember, you don't need a top of the line camera to take professional quality photos. Instead you need mastery of the camera you have, combined with good knowledge of composition and lighting. I encourage you to have a look at some Flickr users' photos taken with an "old," 8MP Rebel XT to confirm this. When you are done selecting a digital SLR body, you can read some of my other posts to learn more about the Best Lenses for Travel Photography or Why You Shouldn't Buy the Kit Lens. Canon 5D vs. 550D / T2i - I get an unusually high number of hits from people searching for a comparison of the 5D Mk II vs. 550D / T2i. As you can see above, there isn't a scenario where those two cameras are together as options, as they are on opposite ends of the spectrum. It is a strange comparison between an entry level dSLR and a full frame professional dSLR that, quite frankly, confuses me. If the 5D fits your expanding needs as a photographer, you would already pretty much know that you needed a 5D after your extensive time using a Rebel or a 20D, 40D, etc. Otherwise, getting a 5D means most likely you'd be investing in far more camera than you will actually need or use. Read more about why I say that here and in the Other Important Custom Functions section here (this post is about the 7D, but it will give you a feel for how a 5D / 7D differs from a 550D in terms of features that you may need but probably don't). AF Microadjustment 550D / T2i, 60D - A lot of people also search for AF Micro-adjustment or focus calibration for the Canon 550D / T2i for back focus or front focus issues. Due to quality control issues, acceptable tolerances, or more rarely but not unheard of bad cameras, your camera and/or lens may focus a few notches in front of or behind the subject you focused on. If your camera happens to be 2 notches on the plus side and your lens 2 notches on the minus side, well, you are going to have some issues. While the AF Microadjustment feature is not built into the menus of the Canon 550D or new Canon 60D, here is how you micro adjust for front or back focus: send the camera and/ or lens to Canon while it is under warranty, with instructions to calibrate them. You have to pay for one way shipping and insurance (+/- $30 for one item depending on weight and coverage). Ask them to include a detailed report of what the issue was and what service they actually performed (otherwise they just repeat what you wrote and say "lens was front focusing - electrical adjustment of AF mechanism" and you don't know if it was the camera, the lens, or your mind that was off). Then send a letter to Canon asking them why a brand new expensive Canon camera paired with a brand new expensive Canon lens that you just bought does not focus properly, and why you have to pay $30 to send it immediately back to them to fix it. This process also applies to the AF Microadjustment of the 7D, 5D, and 50D and soon the 60D. It is best to first determine if the camera or the lens is the culprit, by testing the lens on another body or the body with another lens, but it may well be a combination of both since each lens and camera is uniquely faulty. See this great post, "This Lens is Soft and Other Myths" on LensRentals.com for more info on this. If you are pretty new to digital SLR photography and you decided on the 7D, check out this really great book I recently came across while browsing the photo section at a bookstore: Canon 7D: From Snapshots to Great Shots by Nicole Young. I think you'll learn more from it than most other how-to photo books and expanded manual type books. Even if you have another Canon and not a 7D, you'll still find it helpful for learning how to really use a digital SLR to take better photos. She is currently working on a version of the book for the 60D, Canon 60D: From Snapshots to Great Shots. And I, myself, have written eBook user guides for the Canon 60D and for the Canon Rebel T2i / EOS 550D. You can learn all about them here: Your World 60D, plus the mini-guide to the 60D Menus and Custom Functions (excerpted from the full version of Your World 60D), and T2i Experience. Need a lens to go with your new camera? Read about choosing a lens other than the kit lens in this post Why You Shouldn't Buy the Kit Lens, and learn about the Best Lenses for Travel Photography here. Please leave a comment, ask a question. Let me know what has been helpful, and what you'd like to read more about. If you plan to purchase any of this equipment or books, I encourage you to do so through the site I've set up with Amazon, Doug's Picturing Change Digital Photography Equipment and Books or through this direct link to Amazon.com. Purchasing through any of these links to Amazon.com, or the ones below, will help support my blog and my work. Thanks! And for those of you across the pond, click here for my referral link to Amazon UK. If you are in another country, click on one of my Amazon links, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click on your country for your local Amazon. See the T2i on Amazon. See the 60D on Amazon. See the 7D on Amazon. See the Canon 5D MkII on Amazon.

One on One Digital Photography Instruction

dojoklo — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:02:26 +0000

Digital SLR Camera Lessons I am offering one-on-one, individual instruction (or small group workshops) in all aspects of digital photography in the Boston and Cambridge, MA area. I will create a unique lesson with you that can include topics such as choosing a new digital SLR or advanced compact camera and related equipment, learning how to use the various settings and features of your digital camera, photographic composition and taking stronger images, processing and editing your images in Photoshop, and preparing for photographing while traveling. The lesson plan is up to you and is customized to your interests, needs, level of experience, and specific equipment. Subjects will be explained, demonstrated, and practiced in ways you will understand, remember, and use. Please view the Lessons page here, or under Lessons in the blog menu above, to learn more details. Central Square - Cambridge, MA - "Crosswinds" mural by Daniel Galvez Learn to use your camera with confidence, get the most out of your digital SLR photography equipment, and learn to take better images. Get in touch with me at doug (at) dojoklo (dot) com or at 347-272-Seven Thousand.

Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), Boston

dojoklo — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 02:27:17 +0000

Images from a visit to Boston's Museum of Fine Arts:

Lessons

dojoklo — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 15:14:18 +0000

One on One Digital Photography Lessons I am offering one-on-one, individual instruction (or small group workshops) in all aspects of digital photography in the Boston and Cambridge, MA area. I will create a unique lesson with you that can include topics such as choosing a new digital SLR or advanced compact camera and related equipment, learning how to use the various settings and features of your digital camera, photographic composition and taking stronger images, processing and editing your images in Photoshop, and preparing for photographing while traveling. The lesson plan is up to you and is customized to your interests, needs, level of experience, and specific equipment. Subjects will be explained, demonstrated, and practiced in ways you will understand, remember, and use. Central Square - Cambridge, MA - "Crosswinds" mural by Daniel Galvez I will work with you to develop a session that can include: Camera and Equipment -Choosing and purchasing a new digital SLR or advanced point-and-shoot camera, lenses, and photo equipment. (See this post for the complexities of dSLR camera selection that I will assist you with.) -Basic camera controls, settings, and menus (including basic shooting, metering and focusing modes, file type and picture style settings, the elements of exposure - aperture, shutter speed, ISO). -Advanced camera controls, settings, and menus (including advanced shooting modes - aperture priority, shutter priority and manual, advanced metering and focusing modes, ISO, exposure and focus lock, exposure compensation, custom menu functions, white balance, Raw files). -Any camera brand: Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Sony, Minolta, Pentax, etc. -Operation, use, and understanding of different lenses. -Basic or advanced operation of external flash. Composition and Creativity -Image composition (including framing, depth of field, motion, color, line, balance, point of view). -Creating more interesting and expressive images (through composition, light, pre-visualization, analysis) -Learning and examining the photographic and creative process while shooting. (See my blog post for an introduction to this concept.) Digital Image Processing and Editing in Photoshop -Importing in Adobe Bridge, adjusting in Adobe Raw (exposure, contrast, white balance) -Basic digital editing and adjustments in Photoshop (including exposure, contrast, color, levels, curves, sharpening, layers, cropping, file types). -Intermediate digital editing and adjustments in Photoshop (including adjustment layers, cloning, masking, color correction, black and white conversion, selections, actions). -Digital image workflow (including importing, saving, metadata and tagging, backing up, uploading to websites, Internet photo sites and blogs). Travel Photography, Photo Walks and Tours -Preparing for photography oriented travel, workshops, or vacations. -Individual or small group photo tours / photo walks in Boston and Cambridge. -Individual or small group instruction while traveling. -Photo assignments, critiques, and portfolio assistance. I am available for tutoring at a variety of times including weekdays, weekends, and evenings - your place, my place, or on the streets of Cambridge or Boston. Please inquire about hourly rates. Learn to use your camera with confidence, get the most out of your digital SLR photography equipment, and learn to take better images. Get in touch with me at doug (at) dojoklo (dot) com or at 347-272-Seven Thousand. I am a proud member of Cambridge Local First. Cambridge Public Library - Cambridge, MA

Canon 550D

dojoklo — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 01:10:32 +0000

Gear

dojoklo — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 03:44:58 +0000

The photos seen in the various posts of this blog were shot with: Canon dSLR Bodies Canon 7D Canon 50D and Canon 60D (the current mid-level model) Canon 5D (The Canon 5D Mk II is the current upper level model) Canon Rebel XT and Canon EOS Rebel T3i (the current entry level model) (plus images taken with the Nikon D7000) See this post to compare the latest line-up of Canon dSLR Cameras and this post for the Nikon dSLR cameras. Lenses Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM - my everyday walk-around lens until I get the 24-70mm, great for portraits, details, close-ups, making use of depth of field and spatial compression. Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM - wide angle for environmental shots, events, spatial expansion. Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM - perhaps the best all-purpose walk-around lens for everyday and travel use. (A similar but lighter weight and less expensive option to this is the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, which has the advantage of Image Stabilization.) Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM - great for portraits, working in closely with a subject or in low light without a flash, and for beautifully creamy backgrounds at f/1.4 and 1.8. Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM - (I borrowed this one once) incredible for super close macro shots and dramatically shallow depth of field, also good for portraits. See the following posts to learn more about lenses: Why You Shouldn't Buy the Kit Lens and Best Lenses for Travel and Everyday) Photography Flash Canon 580EX II flash with Omni-Bounce Diffuser Additional equipment, accessories, and books See my posts Gear, Accessories, and Books and Equipment for Travel Photography to read about the other gear and accessories you may want or need for everyday and travel photography. My eBook user's guides and tutorials for Canon EOS and Nikon dSLR cameras: Canon T3i Experience Your World 60D Your World 60D Menus and Custom Functions (excerpted from the full version of Your World 60D) T2i Experience Nikon D7000 Experience All are available in the bookstore section of my website. Each text-only eBook is available in PDF format (readable on the iPad too!) and Kindle and Nook versions. My colorful photo book Faces of Celebration: Photographs of Peru is available from Blurb. Purchasing: If you plan to purchase cameras, photo equipment, books, or anything else from Amazon.com I encourage you to do so through any of the Amazon referral links I've set up. Just click on the equipment name or book title within the various posts and you will be taken to that Amazon page. Or click here to go directly to Amazon or click on the Amazon.com logo below, and start shopping. Thanks, I appreciate your support! If you are in the UK, you can click here for the UK Amazon referral link. For those interested in purchasing through B&H Photo, I have set up an affiliate link with them as well - just click here to go to BandH, or click the B&H icon here: Douglas Klostermann is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Douglas Klostermann is a participant in the Amazon Europe S.à.r.l. Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.co.uk/Javari.co.uk. Douglas Klostermann is a participant in the B&H Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to http://www.bhphotovideo.com. Privacy Policy: This site does not collect, use, store, or disclose data from visitors.

Amazon store

dojoklo — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 05:26:01 +0000

Store-tiny

dojoklo — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 05:31:23 +0000

My Amazon.com Store

dojoklo — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 05:41:19 +0000

Purchasing new digital SLR photography equipment or books? View and purchase your gear through the site I've set up with Amazon to highlight the digital photography equipment I use, desire, or discuss and recommend on this site, as well as photography and travel books I enjoy. Not only is it all selected and organized for you, but purchasing through my Amazon site will help support my work. Thanks! Doug's Picturing Change Digital Photography Equipment and Books (permanent link is http://astore.amazon.com/pictuchang-20)

store-tiny2

dojoklo — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:36:02 +0000

Becoming a Humanitarian Photograper - After the Self-Assignment

dojoklo — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:26:13 +0000

I wrote a popular previous post about How to Start Out as a Humanitarian Photographer. It discusses one of the important initial steps of this endeavor: the Self-Assignment. The self-assignment - a volunteer trip to work with and photograph an NGO or non-profit - should help you determine if humanitarian or travel photography is something you really wish to pursue. And if so, it helps you to gain experience working in the field, collaborating with NGOs, and preparing for future assignments. Once you've completed and returned from that trip, there is much more to be done!

Be sure to check out the photo book give-away going on now! Available Light by Don Marr. See this post for details.

Editing: Your first task is to select the best images out of the hundreds or thousands of digital images you took, and then to edit and optimize those images. If you are not already adept at working with Photoshop and/ or Lightroom you need to learn the programs and begin to gain proficiency. There are numerous books for this, so try to find the ones that work best with your learning style. Some of the ones I've found most helpful are the books by Scott Kelby and by Chris Orwig: The Adobe Photoshop CS5 Book for Digital Photographers by Scott Kelby The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 Book for Digital Photographers by Scott Kelby Adobe Photoshop CS4 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques by Chris Orwig Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques by Chris Orwig These and other helpful photography related books can be found in my post on Essential Digital Photography Books. Don't worry about learning every feature of the programs but concentrate on the basic color, contrast, and sharpening features, as well as layers and adjustment layers. As you gain proficiency, move into masking, retouching, advanced sharpening and black and white conversions. Develop good editing, metadata, storage, and workflow habits from the start because it becomes hard to undo bad habits later on. Begin to learn how to use actions and batch processing to more quickly process numerous images. Contests: When you've finished selecting and editing your best images, begin to enter them in contests. The reason for entering contests is not to gain sudden fame, riches, and an instant professional career. Few, if any contest will lead to this, no matter what they promise. Instead, the purpose of contests is to start to develop credentials. Being selected as a finalist or winner of a photo contest will enable you to add that accomplishment to your CV, and winning will allow you to add that coveted phrase in front of your name: "Award winning photographer." Many contests lure you with the promise of exposure to those in the photo industry or the greater public, but in reality there is very little chance that this will lead anywhere, even if you win. Photographers who are regularly published in magazines and whose name is often in front of industry insiders still struggle to obtain their next gig, so don't expect your single photo to bring you much. Also, participating in contests will help you to see what others think of your photos. Of course you think they are great, and your friends and family rave over them, but what about others out there? It also helps to see your photos side by side with countless others to see if your images truly stand out among the masses. However, it comes back to you to be the best judge of this. The images that are chosen will often confuse and annoy you and the other entrants, and it is often difficult to understand why the judges chose particular images. It helps somewhat to look at the winners of the previous years to see what types of images catch the judges' eyes, but it is impossible to second-guess what they are looking for year to year. Stick to entering the images you like best, but detach yourself emotionally from your photos' subjects and the experience of taking them, and view them as an impartial observer. If contests ask for captions, descriptions or short essays to go with the photos, take time to carefully write them. Look into guidelines and recommendations for writing newspaper captions, and please, avoid saying amateurish phrases like, "I took this photo while standing..." There are a few contests (and grants) that cater to humanitarian photography, such as those run by Photoshare, Focus for Humanity, and PhotoPhilanthropy. There are countless other photography contests so search on the Internet to find some current ones. Many of your photos will likely fit well in travel photography contests or the travel category of a contest. Also be sure to look at other categories that might apply such as people or portraits. It is best to stick to the well know, reputable contests, like those run by National Geographic, Smithsonian magazine, airline magazines, travel magazines like Conde Nast Traveler, travel guidebooks like Rough Guides and Viva Travel Guides, travel websites like Peterman's Eye, contest sites like Travel Photographer of the Year, and newspapers. Be wary of contests that charge entry fees. You can quickly spend a lot of money entering multiple photos to multiple contests in the hope of gaining notoriety. But remember that the likelihood of you winning the grand prize is small, no matter how amazing your images are, and even if you did win, it will not lead to sudden fame and an instant professional career. While some of the contests you have to pay for are well respected and legitimate, such at the International Photography Awards, and it may be worth it to enter a couple, keep in mind that the most you can expect is to be able to use this credential in your bio and descriptions. Also note that some of the prestigious contests with entry fees attract professional and commercial photographers or very highly talented amateurs, and the quality of the entries exceptional. Determine if it is worth your time and money to enter, or better to wait a few years until your skills and images improve. But also remember that, despite thousands of entrants, it is possible to win photo contests. I've been recognized in several contests, have won a dSLR, and had my photo selected for a travel guidebook cover. Be sure to carefully read the fine print of a contest's rules and guidelines, especially to determine if you are signing away the rights to your photos. Contests are often tools for a company to gather a large pool of free photos to use in their books or website, and you may be surrendering lifetime, or even exclusive rights to them just by entering. You never want to surrender your copyright or give them exclusive rights and just give away your photos for free for them to use however they wish. Recent examples of this which greatly upset many photographers including well respected professionals were a National Trust contest in the UK and a Frommer's cover contest. If you are still determined to enter and feel that the potential benefit outweighs the cost, consider entering a photo that is similar to your best photo, but not the exact same one that you may wish to use, exhibit, and sell later. Grants and Fellowships: In addition to contests, you should also consider applying for grants and fellowships. There are very few of these, but if you were to win, they would allow you to travel and pursue an in-depth project. I'm sure you've begun to think about personal projects and places you would like to travel to and photograph, so turn your idea into a compelling story. Most grant and fellowship applications require both a sample photo essay or story and an essay or proposal. Hopefully on your self-assignment you documented your project in a manner that tells a story of a place, organization, or person. If not, careful editing and captions might create a good photo essay. Some grants or fellowships require a project already in process, so keep this in mind as your travel and work. Writing the proposal is very time consuming and takes a lot of careful thought, so start working on yours well in advance of the deadline, and follow their requirements precisely. Many of the contests, grants, and fellowships occur annually, so be sure to add them to your calendar, giving yourself a few weeks to prepare for each of them. Some online sites which list many of them are: http://jasminedefoore.com/resource-photo-contests-and-grants-calendar/ http://www.lightstalkers.org/posts/contest-and-grant-calendar http://www.lightstalkers.org/posts/grantsawards-calenders http://photographygrants.blogspot.com/ http://photojournalismlinks.com/awardsgrantsandcompetitions/ Website: This is pretty self-explanatory - build a website to share your work with others. There are countless sites which are designed to host photo portfolio websites, such a PhotoShelter and Fluid Galleries, or templates you can incorporate into your own website. Try to strike the best balance you can between do-it-yourself, cost, functionality, and professionalism. Domains and hosting are very cheap through places like GoDaddy, but portfolio templates and hosting can start to add up to hundreds of dollars a year. Try to keep the costs to a minimum until you start making money from your photography. Just make sure your site looks clean and professional, functions quickly and intuitively, and that your images are large and easy to navigate. Here is a list that can get you started. Exhibitions: Print and frame your photographs and exhibit them so that you can share them with a wider audience. Look for unique opportunities of places and events that might be eager to incorporate your photos, such as travel agency offices, local festivals, performances, and movie screenings that relate to the culture or country where your images are from, local stores, and restaurants (although I am wary of this last one as I would prefer to sell my images to them and am afraid of damages to the prints from exposure to constant cooking air). Read: Continue to read and learn about the humanitarian issues and the countries that most interest you. A good place to start is any of the books listed in the Humanitarian Books section of the Amazon.com site I put together. Get them from your library, or purchase them through that site and help support my work! This post also has information about books, and this post talks about other resources for learning about humanitarian issues. The next step in the process is to learn the business aspects of becoming a professional photographer. I'll save that lesson for another time! For related posts, be sure to check out the other entries in the Humanitarian Photography category.

Steve McCurry and the Last Roll of Kodachrome

dojoklo — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 02:54:49 +0000

Here's a great article about what renowned photographer Steve McCurry did with the last roll of Kodachrome ever produced. I'm eagerly looking forward to the National Geographic special that follows him around the world as he uses the final roll. Check out this site for some wonderful historic photos on Kodachrome from the 1940's. October 1942. "Lieutenant 'Mike' Hunter, Army test pilot assigned to Douglas Aircraft Company, Long Beach, California." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. It looks like Alien Skin Software has a nice Kodachrome preset in their Exposure 3 product.

Guidebook Cover

dojoklo — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 05:22:59 +0000

I just stumbled across this on Amazon - here's my photo on the Viva Travel Guide - Machu Picchu and Cusco guide book. Inca King at Inti Raymi - Sacsayhuaman, Cusco, Peru 2007 I would like to mention, for those researching digital SLR cameras, that this photo was taken with an Olympus SP-320, 7 megapixel point and shoot!

World Humanitarian Day 2010

dojoklo — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:50:33 +0000

Today is World Humanitarian Day 2010. Help celebrate the efforts and accomplishments of humanitarian aid workers worldwide. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cySFvfARPMQ&feature=player_embedded]

Deconstructing the Shot - Photo 1

dojoklo — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 16:33:02 +0000

This post is the first in an occasional series in which I will describe the making of a photograph, from both a technical and artistic standpoint. I'll go through the camera settings and why they were chosen, as well as the thought processes going through my head regarding composition and the creation of the image. These types of posts will be concrete examples of a previous post of mine called How Pros Photograph, which describes the various decisions that may be going through a photographer's head as they work a scene and make photos. The Photo: As the first example photo, I've chosen the full, original version of the current header image of this blog, a line of kids reading in the courtyard of Ventanas Abiertas, an after-school learning center in San Miguel Dueñas, Guatemala. I traveled to this NGO near Antigua in November of 2009 to photograph the center, its founder, teachers and students, and its work in the community. I created this strip of images showing select photos from the series as I worked towards finding and making this image: The Process: As I roamed the center taking photos, I spotted the kids all lined up on a curb in the courtyard, reading. The linear composition and the striking yellow wall made for a pretty obvious opportunity. I had a Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L II lens on a Canon 7D, with a protective UV filter on the lens. I first took a shot from a standing position, lining the kids across the center of the frame. The focal length of the lens was at 23mm, a wide shot to capture the whole scene. That shot has a bit of a snapshot look, and didn't take full advantage of the yellow wall, had far too much of the grey concrete patio, and created too static of a composition which did not make use of the opportunity to apply the rule of thirds for a more dynamic composition. I re-framed to move the line of kids to the bottom third of the frame, and still had the lens wide and was standing. To better fill the frame with just the kids and to create a better point of view, more on the level of the kids, I crouched down and zoomed in to 35mm. Although the 35mm focal length is a wide angle and thus prone to distortion, due to my camera to subject distance there is only a slight amount of distortion in the image. If I had moved closer to the subjects, more distortion would have been obvious. At this point I checked my settings and saw I was at ISO 400 from the previous shots in the shade, so I lowered it to ISO 200 since the late afternoon light was still pretty bright. The lowest ISO possible for the given situation will typically create a higher quality image file. For all the shots I was using Aperture Priority mode. I almost always use Av mode unless i am dealing with motion or blur that needs to be controlled (then I use Tv mode), or am using the flash in a controlled situation (and then I often use Manual, M mode). The aperture was set at f/5.0 to give me a relatively shallow depth of field, but enough so that the kids and the wall behind them were all in focus, but anything inside the doorway and window would be a bit blurry and thus less distracting. Unlike most of my images, the aperture setting wasn't critical here, as the depth of the entire image is mostly all within a couple feet, from the kids' toes to the wall behind them. So f/4.0 or f/8 would have given me virtually the same image. At ISO 200, the shutter speed was at 1/80 or 1/100, which was fast enough for handholding. A little faster would have been better to ensure there was no blurring if a child moved their head or hands during a shot, so leaving the camera set on ISO 400 would not have been a mistake. As you can see in the first several photos, many of the kids were aware of me taking their photo, and were posing, goofing, or self conscious. I continued to take a few shots and waited for them to begin to ignore me. I liked the composition, and the window and the doorway to anchor the sides of the frame, so I continued to take the same shot, attempting to get the best moment of poses and facial expressions. I attempted to keep the image straight, aided by the lines visible in the viewfinder of the 7D. For all of the shots, I manually selected an auto-focus point, using a point below the central focus point which would line up on or near the face of one of the central kids. This would take advantage of the nice contrast between the dark hair and the lighter face to ensure proper auto-focus. By selecting an AF point exactly where I wanted to focus, I didn't have to worry about focusing or have to re-frame each subsequent shot. The exposure metering was set on evaluative. The bright yellow wall could have easily messed with the metering, and I'm sure another camera like my 50D would have overexposed the wall, but the 7D performed nicely on this mode. I checked my histogram a couple times to make sure I wasn't blowing out any highlights and thus needing to use exposure compensation to adjust for that. The Final Image: Canon 7D, 16-35mm f.2.8L II at 35mm, ISO 200, f/5, 1/100s I took a series of 19 images of this same scene, over 1 minute and 12 seconds. As you can see, it didn't take long for the kids to begin to ignore my presence. My chosen shot was from the middle of this series, IMG_3068. It stood out among all the others in the poses, positions, groupings, and facial expressions of all the kids. Throughout the time of the series, a head appeared in the window, and people moved around inside the doorway. Luckily with my chosen shot, the head was in the window, as I like this subtle, almost hidden detail. I liked the bit of green from the plant on the left, but my chosen shot unfortunately doesn't show much of it. The Post-Process: To create the final image, I adjusted the color and contrast in Adobe Camera RAW (ACR). I had shot the image in RAW for maximum quality and processing latitude. Due to the available light of the scene and the proper exposure, it required little processing. I set the Temperature at 4600 and the Tint to 8. I adjusted Recovery to 5 to bring back some of the detail of the yellow wall which was very slightly blown out, Fill to 15 to lighten up the children's clothes, Brightness stayed at the standard 50, I set Contrast to 20 with plans to increase it a bit more in Photoshop. Clarity 20, Vibrance 15, and Saturation 0. I like a bit of color saturation, vibrance, and contrast in my images, but I prefer not to overprocess or to make the adjustments obvious. While the yellow of these images is definitely vibrant, especially compared to the dull, neutral RAW images, it is a realistic representation of the actual color. Typically I straighten and maybe crop a bit in ACR, but miraculously this shot was very level, and also left no room for cropping. In Photoshop I used Curves to adjust the contrast somewhere between the Linear and Medium presets, and used Unsharpen Mask to sharpen. I don't know what my exact settings were, but I had to use aggressive sharpening because the Canon 7D I used had a severe front-focusing problem. The settings were probably Amount: 175 or 200, Radius: 1.8, and Threshold: 4. The Lesson: We should always learn from our photos, so that next time we are in a similar situation, we can create an even better image. Some improvements I could have made to this image include possibly crouching or sitting even lower to be more on level with the kids faces (although this would have caused keystoning of the vertical lines), eliminating the doorway at right by either re-framing or moving slightly to the left (which would cut out a child or two on the right) or moving to my right and shooting back towards them at a slight angle, but this would have affected the straight-on view which I feel is important to this composition. I would not have minded a little more of the green plant on the left in the frame. The image demonstrates the importance of keeping the camera level and the sensor parallel to the subject to avoid unwanted distortion. The best way to keep the horizontal and verticals straight while taking the photo is to make sure the camera is not tilted up or down and that the sensor is parallel to the wall. This involves moving yourself and the camera up or down to get the framing you desire. Also, in post-processing, I could have used the lens correction menus in ACR or Photoshop to perfectly straighten all the verticals and horizontals. Finally, although the color looks good, now I would have paid more attention to adjusting the Temperture and Tint, or adjusting the white balance using Curves in Photoshop because I have experimented and learned a bit more about these settings since then. Also, now that I see IMG_3074 again, (the last one in the strip above) I like it a lot, and should probably process that one and add it to my collection of final images. So hopefully you can see from this explanation and from my previous post that photographs don't necessarily just happen. They are created through a combination of thought processes, a series of decisions, and the application of camera settings based on these decisions and on the situation at hand. The second post of this series can be seen here.

OW Series 2009

dojoklo — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 17:45:48 +0000

open win series kids in row

Canon 60D Introduced

dojoklo — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 19:35:13 +0000

The Canon 60D was just introduced! image of 60D from Canon website As it had been widely rumored, the 60D has the articulating LCD screen. Although it doesn't exactly replace the 50D in the sense that it doesn't add upon the advancement of the 20D, 30D, 40D, 50D progression, it now takes that position between the 550D and the 7D. If you thought it was difficult to choose between a Canon 550D, 50D, and 7D, the choice just became infinitely more difficult, as all three of these cameras now share so many features. And because they share an image sensor that is very similar, and all with 18 MP, the image quality of these three cameras will be nearly identical. The Canon consumer/ pro-sumer lineup has never been so similar as it now becomes. So as I like to profess, you need to choose which camera is best for you based on the advanced features and customization options that are important to you and the way you work. See this post for what I mean. Before I get into it, I want to mention that I will be selling a Canon 60D eBook tutorial, which covers ALL the Menu settings and Custom Function settings of the 60D (except movie menus), with recommended settings, PLUS in-depth descriptions of how and and why to use its settings and features in everyday use - Your World 60D – The Still Photographer’s Guide to Operation and Image Creation. Learn more about it here: http://dojoklo.wordpress.com/2010/09/16/canon-60d-users-guide-and-tutorial/ Strangely, the 60D takes a step back from the 50D in continuous shooting speed, in construction, and in use of an SD memory card, and lack of AF Microadjustment capability. They must have determined the smaller size and weight was an important consideration for the target consumer. But basically it is a Canon 550D/ T2i with a larger, more rugged body, advanced buttons and controls, and more advanced menu and customization options (or is it a stripped down 7D?!) One of the only functional differences between the 60D and the 550D is the faster continuous shooting speed. The elimination of the 50D's thumb joystick and moving that control to inside the large control dial on the back is an interesting decision. While I think I prefer the location of the 50D thumb button, the new controller on the 60D may be easier to control on the diagonals, which I still struggle with on the 50D. In reality, it may just be a matter of getting used to the new control (although dpreview isn't very pleased with it in actual use). The new 60D uses the same battery as the 7D and 5D, the LP-E6 - an unusual choice considering it is bigger than the 50D battery, but a good choice. Another great feature that Canon incorporated is the locking Mode dial, so that the top mode dial doesn't accidentally move from, for example, Av mode to Landscape mode, which happens occasionally with my cameras as I take them in and out of their bags or as they lay against my leg hanging from the R-Strap. Canon has added a lot of in-camera processing abilities which may prove to be useful and time saving to those who shoot a lot of photos and need fast turn-around. Most importantly, this includes the in-camera RAW processing, turning your RAW files into JPGS with the settings you desire, without opening them up and making the changes in Adobe Camera Raw and Photoshop or Lightroom. This also includes in-camera image resizing, while maintaining the original file. According to Canon, "In-camera RAW image processing features include Picture Style, White Balance (WB), Color Space, High-ISO Noise Reduction, Peripheral Illumination Correction, linear distortion correction and chromatic aberration correction. These powerful in-camera editing tools will allow photographers in the field to produce optimized images on the spot and generate JPEG files at various resolution and compression settings for immediate sharing, without affecting the original RAW data." "Another great new feature for photographers-on-the-go is Canon’s new image resizing function. After capturing full resolution or smaller JPEG images, the camera can generate lower-resolution copies using menu commands. New lower-resolution settings include 1920×1280 for optimal display on HD televisions, or 720×480, ideal for immediate uploading to social networking and other photo sharing web sites. The original high resolution files remain unaffected by the image resizing function." And also, they've included some new fun filters, including the unexpected "toy camera" and tilt-shift-like "miniature" filters:

The Soft Focus effect filter helps dramatize an image and smooth over shiny reflections.
The Grainy Black and White filter can give a different nostalgic perspective to any shot.
Canon’s “Toy Camera” filter deliberately adds vignetting and color shift for a creative option when shooting a colorful scene.
Users can also make a scene appear like a small-scale model, simulating the look from a tilt-shift lens, with Canon’s Miniature Effect filter, great when shooting any scene from a high vantage point.

These kinds of inclusions, along with the size and weight reduction, indicate that the 60D is moving down the pro/pro-sumer/consumer scale towards the consumer end, with the Canon 7D now being the pro-sumer camera. (However, I still profess that any of these cameras, from the 550D on up, can give you professional quality images). Unfortunately the new 60D is a camera designed with product positioning (to fill a spot and a price point between the 7D and 550D and its position in relation to Nikon) and marketing (to appeal to a certain target of customers) as a priority more than with technology, innovation, and advancement in mind, which is disappointing to Canon photographers accustomed to the xxD progression of improvements. Is it more accurately the 60D vs. 7D? Or the 60D vs. 550D / T2i? Here was my analysis and speculation from this previous post, three months ago (I know it is silly and pointless to make these predictions, but I'm pretty proud of my earlier assessment): "It seems that it [the 60D] will sit at a new position that will no longer be a bridge between pro and consumer cameras (pro-sumer) as the 7D now fills that role (as the 50D once did), but will now be considered a very advanced consumer level camera." As dpreview now states, "With the 60D Canon has unashamedly moved the X0D range out of the 'semi pro' bracket and instead focused on the enthusiast photographer looking to upgrade from their Rebel. As a result, it's not the obvious continuation of the 30D - 40D - 50D pattern that its naming might suggest. Rather than being a direct upgrade replacement for the 50D, it's perhaps better understood as a 'Super Rebel." And later they call it, "...essentially a new tier of EOS SLR, perhaps best described as a 'high end Rebel." Let's see how the actual 60D specs line up with my predictions! Canon 60D

18 MP APS-C CMOS sensor
Vari-angle 7.7cm (3.0”) 3:2 ratio LCD
Full HD movies with manual control
DIGIC 4
5.3fps shooting for up to 58 JPEGs
9-point cross type AF System
iFCL metering with 63-zone Dual-layer Sensor
Integrated Speedlite transmitter
Estimate Retail Price $1,099
96% Viewfinder
ISO 100-6400, H:12800
SD memory cards

My Predictions from this previous post

18MP 1.6x sensor - same!
3" 3:2 LCD - articulating - same!
HD video - same!
single Digic processor- same!
6 or so FPS at high speed - close but the 60D is a little slower than expected
9 or so point autofocus system, less advanced than 7D - same!
63 zone metering - same!
(I didn't know what to predict for the wireless flash - glad to see they included it!)
cost: $1,100-$1,300 - same! B+H is listing it for $1,100. The kit is with the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens for $1,399.
98%+ viewfinder - I was off with this one. It is disappointing the 60D doesn't have a viewfinder quite as big and bright as the 7D, but it is close. It also uses interchangeable focusing screens but it looks like it doesn't have the nice light up grid option as in the 7D.
all other features of 50D (construction, custom functions, AF microadjustment, live view, etc.)- same for the most part. Slightly smaller and lighter. This is due in part to the unfortunate use of a "polycarbonate resin with glass fibre on aluminum chassis" body rather than the more rugged magnesium allow of the 50D and 7D. The 60D also eliminates the thumb joystick for choosing focus points and locates it within the large control dial on back. Again, a strange choice. The 60D does not have AF Microadjustment capability, so again this makes it closer to the 550D than the 7D. The 60D also does not have a PC terminal for connecting external flashes via a cable.
Doesn't use CF memory cards - strange. Seems like a backwards step, but I suppose it contributes to the slightly smaller size.

Lack of AF Microadjustment: Since the Canon 60D does not have Auto Focus Calibration, AF Microadjustment, see the bottom of this previous post for how to deal with that. Canon is hearing from those disappointed that the 60D does not have AF Microadjustment and they may decide to update the firmware and include it in the 60D when it actually goes on sale. However, I still don't understand why many are so adamant about AF Microadjustment. Have you ever tried to calibrate a zoom lens? Not just with the center point at one focal length, but rather to calibrate it for real life circumstances? At various focal lengths and with different focus points? It is an infuriating, possibly impossible task. AF Microadjustment is a built in admission of lack of quality control of cameras and lenses, and not a positive, much less deal-breaking, feature. I would love to hear from people who disagree because they have had positive and beneficial experiences with calibrating their lenses. So, who is the Canon 60D for? Canon says, "For the hobbyist looking for their first “professional-style” camera, or the enthusiast aiming to take their photography to the next level, the EOS 60D makes a sensible choice...For travelling photographers, the high resolution APS-C sensor will capture all the details while at the same time keeping the body and lenses small and light enough to avoid weighing you down." Fair enough, I would have to agree with that. See this other post to help you decide between a Canon 7D vs. 60D vs. 550D. Here is a great quote from Photo.net to sum it all up: "You can look at the EOS 60D as a Rebel T2i but with a better viewfinder, better AF, higher frame rate, a tilt and swivel LCD, an electronic level, a rear QCD, a larger capacity battery and overall better ergonomics. Alternative you can look at the 60D as an EOS 7D, but with a less advanced AF system, less weather sealing, a slower frame rate, no vertical electronic level, a smaller JPEG buffer and using an SD(HC) card rather than CF. The unique feature of the EOS 60D is the tilt and swivel LCD screen." See their hands-on preview here. more info here: http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/slr_cameras/eos_60d http://www.dpreview.com/news/1008/10082620canoneos60d.asp If you are interested in researching or purchasing the equipment I use, discuss, or recommend, please have a look at the site I've set up on Amazon.com. Please leave a comment and let me know if my posts have been helpful, and what you'd like to learn more about.

Canon 5D vs 7D vs 60D vs 50D vs 550D / T2i

dojoklo — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 21:33:03 +0000

This post has been revised and updated to include the new Canon Rebel T3i / EOS 600D. Please proceed over to this post to read the most current information: Canon T3i/600D vs T2i/550D vs. 60D vs. 7D, etc. Like many others out there, you are asking yourself, "should I buy the Canon 7D or 60D or 50D or 550D / T2i?" It's a difficult question because at this point the three dSLRs in the current Canon consumer line-up (EOS 60D, EOS 7D, Rebel T2i/ EOS 550D) all share a number of specifications and features, a similar exposure metering system, as well as an image sensor that is nearly the same, and all with 18 megapixels. So how do you choose between the Canon 60D, the T2i (550D) or the 7D? This decision has become infinitely more difficult (or perhaps infinitely simpler?) because the image quality and ISO performance of these three cameras will be nearly identical, and all are capable of taking high quality images. So as I like to profess, you need to choose which camera is best for you based on your needs and experience as a photographer and based on how the advanced features, controls, and customization options fit those needs and serve the way you work. photo by author When you are trying to determine which camera to purchase or upgrade to, you need to first consider and determine your needs, and then see which camera fills those needs. Not the other way around where you look at the new features and speculate if you really need or will use them. I will discuss how to go about this in more detail below. Review of Canon EOS 60D vs. 50D: Since the Canon EOS 60D basically replaces the Canon 50D (well, replacement isn't exactly the right word because the 60D doesn't really follow the 20D to 50D progression of improvements...), the 60D or 50D decision is an easy one. The 50D shouldn't really be considered anymore. While the Canon 50D does hold a couple interesting advantages over the 60D (faster frame per second (fps) burst rate in continuous mode, stronger construction, more comprehensive buttons and controls, complete lack of fun filters like "grainy black and white"), the sensor and exposure metering system have been greatly improved in all the newer cameras (7D or 60D or 500D/ T2i) and I feel these features, along with the increase in mega pixels, outweigh any other 50D advantages. I would definitely choose a 60D instead of a 50D. This is coming from experience, as I use a 50D professionally and on a daily basis. Or choose a 7D instead of a 50D if your needs require it and budget allows it. (Find out below if your needs require it!) Digital cameras are somewhat disposable. Yes, even $1000 digital cameras. Within 5 years, your new camera will have become old, outdated equipment. The 50D is already two year old technology, so if you start with one now, in 4 more years it will be absolutely archaic! (Actually, since the 50D was just the 40D with a couple more megapixels, it is even older technology than that.) With digital SLRs, I advise buying a recent model, at whatever price range you can currently afford. Of course as with everything in digital photography, this is relative. The 50D is still an excellent camera. And camera companies have to keep coming out with new models every 12-18 months because that is what they do. The trouble comes in 2-3 years when your 50D is still perfectly good and still pretty new to you, but it can no longer compete with the latest offerings in terms of megapixels, ISO performance, and autofocus systems. If this hasn't convinced you and you still want to consider the 50D for cost or other reasons, I write in more detail about the 50D vs. 60D comparison here from a camera features and operation point of view. Before I get more into it, I want to mention that I have written eBook user's guides for the Canon Rebel T3i/ EOS 600D, the Canon Rebel T2i/EOS 550D, and the Canon EOS 60D. After spending so much time studying, experimenting, writing about, comparing, and discussing these cameras, I decided to put all that knowledge into eBook form! Each of these user's guides cover all the Menu settings, Movie Mode menus, and Custom Function settings - with recommended settings - plus discussions of how, when, and why to use the cameras' settings and features, (metering modes, aperture and shutter priority modes, advanced autofocus use, and more) for everyday and travel use, to help you take better photos - Your World 60D, Canon T3i Experience, and T2i Experience. Learn more about the eBooks by clicking on their titles. As a Winter special, some of the titles are currently on sale! Back to the Comparison: Review of Canon EOS 7D vs. 60D vs. 550D / Rebel T2i: So the decision now comes down to the Canon 7D or 60D or 550D / Rebel T2i. (What about the 5D Mk II? Just wait, I'm getting to that! And if you haven't yet committed to Canon and are interested in comparing the Canon 60D vs. Nikon D7000, have a look at this post.) Below are comparisons of some of the similarities and differences of these three cameras. Remember that all of these comparisons and features are relative. Of course the fact that the 7D can take 126 consecutive photos at the rate of 8 frames per second makes it "better." Advanced features like that differentiate it from the other models and are also why it costs more. But do you ever need to take 15.75 seconds of continuous photos? Ever? (Look at your watch for 15.75 seconds right now and act like you are taking continuous photos. Now what are you going to do with all those imaginary photos?!) Sensor and Image Quality: As I said above, all three cameras share a very similar sensor and 18 megapixels, and so their image quality will be virtually the same. All are capable of taking professional quality images. Exposure Metering: The three cameras all share the latest 63-zone exposure metering system and 4 metering modes. That means they will all determine the exposure virtually identically and enable you to take properly exposed photos in most every situation, including difficult back-lit scenes. The size of the areas metered for Partial and Spot metering vary slightly between the cameras, but that isn't anything critical. Autofocus: The 60D shares a similar autofocus system to the T2i and the previous 50D, with 9 focus points and three auto focusing modes. However the 9 AF points of the 60D are more sensitive than those of the T2i: all are cross-type in the 60D, only the center is cross-type in the T2i. The 60D autofocus system is much less complex than the sophisticated AF system of the 7D with its 19 AF point system and its additional Zone, Spot, and Expansion focus modes. These various modes address how you want to deal with and group these numerous AF points. Plus the custom settings of the 7D allow one to customize how the AF system works - how it tracks subjects, how it deals with objects that come between you and your initial subject, how quickly it responds to these changes of possible subjects that are at different distances from you, etc. However, if you are not an avid sports photographer, a wildlife shooter, or someone who understands, needs, and will use the elaborate features of the 7D AF system, then this shouldn't dissuade you from the 60D. Construction: As you can probably figure out from the prices, each camera is not built the same. The 60D has relatively strong construction of aluminum and polycarbonate. It is better built than the 550D but not as strong as the 7D's magnesium alloy frame. The 60D also has some amount of weather sealing - more than the 550D/T2i, less than the 7D. But for most users, including even those using the camera daily or in travel situations, the construction of any of these cameras is far more than good enough, strong enough, and durable enough. ISO: Since they all share a very similar sensor, the ISO sensitivity and performance at high ISO settings is virtually the same for these three cameras. But don't take my word for it, don't be swayed by pixel peepers on forums, instead check out the camera sensor tests at dxomark to verify this. As you can see, they all share the exact same overall score, and show very similar performance. Controls: As with construction, the buttons and controls vary with these cameras. Unlike the T2i, the 60D and 7D have nearly every control an advanced photographer needs on the exterior of the camera and they also have the top LCD panel and rear Quick Control Dial that are not on the 550D/T2i. With all the cameras, any controls can also be easily accessed with the Q button and menu or in the other menus on the rear LCD monitor. The top buttons of the 60D set only one setting each, so this is less complicated than the multiple-setting buttons of the 7D. Canon has removed the white balance (WB) button on the 60D that the 7D and 50D have, but that isn't a big deal - use the Q Menu. Another change on the 60D is that the Multi-controller has been moved from the thumb joystick like the 7D and 50D and placed in the middle of the rear Quick-control dial. This doesn't change how it functions, and should just be a matter of getting used to the difference. (Unfortunately, I still really do prefer the old design and location.) If you plan on using your camera on Auto or Program most of the time, then the controls of the T2i are more than sufficient for your needs. Menus and Custom Functions: These allow for greater control over customizing how the camera functions. The 60D has many more Menu and Custom Function settings than the 550D/T2i and nearly as many as the 7D. These settings enable you to customize the operation, function, and controls to work how you want them to, including things like exposure increments, peripheral illuminations correction for lenses (fixes dark corners) and customizing which button does what. Since many of the Menu and Custom Function settings can be complicated and confusing, my eBooks on the 60D and on the T2i/550D cover all of these options along with my recommended settings to get you up and running quickly! Wireless Flash: Like the 7D, the 60D incorporates wireless flash triggering. It allows you to trigger multiple off camera flashes at different output levels. The 550D/T2i does not have this feature. Articulating LCD Screen: The big new feature that the 60D has that the other two cameras do not is the articulating rear LCD screen. This may prove useful for videographers, as well as for setting up compositions while the camera is on a tripod, for macro use, or for using it from unusually low or high vantage points. Some users will be able to avoid buying an expensive angle finder because of this feature. There is also an electronic level in the 7D and 60D, visible in the viewfinder, rear LCD, or top LCD. Viewfinder: The 60D has a large, bright viewfinder with 96% coverage of the actual resulting image, a tiny bit better than the 95% of the 550D/T2i but not quite as nice as the nearly 100% view of the 7D. Processor: The 60D shares the same Digic 4 processor as the 550D/T2i. The 7D has dual Digic 4 processors. However, if you don't need to shoot dozens of continuous images, you probably won't notice any processing speed issues. Continuous Shooting Speed: The 7D can shoot a blazing 8 frames per second, in which the photos barely change from frame to frame. The 60D can shoot a respectable 5.3 fps which is actually a more useful rate, and is a higher rate than the 550D/T2i rate of 3.7 fps. If you need the extremely high fps for sports, wildlife, or other action shooting, get the 7D. If not, don't be swayed by this excessive feature. Memory Card: The 60D uses the SD memory card like the 550D/T2i, not the CF card of the 7D and 50D. Battery: The 60D uses the LP-E6 battery like the 7D and 5D, which is a nice feature as this battery can often last through a full day of shooting. The T2i uses a smaller battery with less capacity. Size and Weight: The 60D is larger and heavier than the 550D/T2i, smaller and lighter than the 7D. Go to the store and hold them to get a better feel for their size, weight, and feel. AF Microadjustment: The 7D has this feature, the 60D and T2i do not. Many are disappointed that the 60D does not include the ability to micro-adjust the focus so that each lens is completely accurate. However, if you have a focus issue, send your camera and/ or lenses to Canon while under warranty and ask them to calibrate them. Doing AF microadjustment yourself is often a maddening, never ending undertaking. You may make a good calibration under controlled conditions, but this really doesn't replicate real life shooting. Locking Mode Dial: This is a new feature for a Canon dSLR, only on the 60D, that keeps the Mode dial from accidentally rotating. A nice touch, and not at all difficult to change quickly with one hand, as some people have claimed: just push the center button with your left index finger, rotate dial with thumb and middle finger. Full HD video: Of course they all offer this capability. Note that this is not video for your kids' parties and soccer games. It does not have continuous autofocus while shooting, as a camcorder does. It is not designed for that kind of use, but rather for serious videographers who typically manually focus. You can adjust autofocus while shooting by pressing the shutter button or the AF button, but it may have a less than desired looking result. Flash Sync: A Note to Strobists -the 60D and T2i do not have a PC sync flash socket to plug in PC sync cords. The 7D has this. Ease of operation: While beginners may find all the buttons, controls, and menus of any dSLR difficult and confusing at first, the additional controls and menus of the 7D and 60D are all quite intelligently designed, intuitive, and straightforward for the more advanced user. ***** Purchasing: If you plan to buy any of these cameras through Amazon.com, (or just wish to purchase anything from Amazon) I would appreciate it if you use this referral link to Amazon or one of the camera links just below. Your price will be the same, and they will give me a little something for referring you, which will help support this blog. Thanks! Plus, buy the 60D from Amazon - body only or with the kit lens - using these referral links to Amazon, and I will send you a free copy of my eBook, Your World 60D!! See this post for details about how to be eligible for this offer. And due to popular request, if you are in the UK, here is my new referral link to Amazon UK. If you are in another country, click on one of my Amazon links, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click on your country for your local Amazon. And for those wishing to purchase from B+H Photo, just click here for my referral link to B+H. Thanks for supporting my blog! See and buy the T2i on Amazon. See and buy the 60D on Amazon. See and buy the 7D on Amazon. See and buy the Canon 5D MkII on Amazon. I wrote a previous post that also goes in-depth into comparing and choosing between these cameras, but was written before the introduction of the EOS 60D. It does however have some additional info that may prove useful: Canon 7D vs. 5D vs. 50D (Plus 550D/T2i) Part II Lenses, Accessories and Books: Now that you are on your way to deciding on a camera, you should also start looking into lenses, photography gear, accessories, and books. Check out this link, Best Lenses for Travel Photography, which also applies to general photography, Equipment for Travel Photography, which discusses useful and practical photo accessories and equipment for both everyday and travel photography. This post lists and describes Essential Books for Digital Photography, including the best user's guides for each of these cameras. And to sum it all up, here is a brief, mostly serious synopsis to help you make the camera decision: Get a Canon 550D / Rebel T2i if you are new to photography or to digital SLR photography, or want to upgrade from an older Rebel because you want higher image quality and more mega-pixels (or HD video). If you have been happy with the features and controls of your previous dSLR camera and have not discovered the need, in your use of it, for any specific additional features, there is no need to look beyond the 550D. See the T2i on Amazon. Get a Canon 60D if you have outgrown the capabilities of an older Rebel like an XTi or T1i due to your greater experience and more demanding shooting needs which require more direct or sophisticated controls and customization options. Or you have been pretty pleased with your 20D or 40D and its features but wish to upgrade for the increased image quality and mega pixels (or HD video). And/ or you need a more rugged camera for your frequent and demanding shooting and off-the-beaten-path traveling needs. Or if you need the increased 5.3 frames per second continuous rate to shoot sports or action. Or you really like swiveling LCD screens. If you typically shoot on Auto or Program mode, you do not need a 60D. If you do not manually select your own focus point and have never used exposure compensation you do not need a 60D. If you have never used the AE-Lock [*] button to lock exposure you do not need a 60D. If you don't understand the relationship between aperture, shutter speed and ISO you don't need a 60D. Or unless you plan to dedicate yourself to learning this camera and the principles of SLR photography and grow into this more advanced camera, please save the money or use it towards a better lens. See the 60D on Amazon. Get a Canon 7D if you have extensive experience with a Rebel (xxxD series like 350D, 400D) or with an older xxD series (20D, 40D) camera, and you know and understand most of the 7D's controls and advanced custom features, and you specifically need some of them for your demanding shooting needs. If you haven't passed the above "criteria" for a 60D, you definitely don't need a 7D. If you have never used Av aperture priority mode or M manual mode, you do not need a 7D. If you have never used autofocus tracking settings to track a moving subject across your frame and worried how an interfering object would affect your focus you do not need a 7D. If you have never used spot metering to determine a critical exposure level or experimented with back-button focusing you do not need a 7D. Or unless you plan to dedicate yourself to learning this camera and the principles of SLR photography and grow into this very advanced camera, please save the money or use it towards a better lens. However, if you often need to take 126 consecutive photos at the rate of 8 frames per second, you do need the 7D. Immediately. Even if you just sometimes need that. Totally worth it. That's 15.75 seconds of continuous shooting. Who doesn't need that? You'd make Eadweard Muybridge proud. See the 7D on Amazon. (Please note, the T2i/550D, 60D and 7D all have these features I just listed: manually selected focus points, exposure compensation, AE-Lock, auto-focus tracking, spot metering, and back-button focusing. I'm just using them as a determination of your experience level and needs) The Canon 5D Mark II is in a separate league than the other cameras, being a full frame professional camera, and thus I'm not going to compare it to the others in this context. As I said in a previous post, If the 5D Mk II fits your expanding and demanding needs as a photographer, you would already pretty much know that you needed a 5D after your extensive time using a Rebel or a 20D, 40D, etc. Otherwise, getting a 5D means most likely you’d be investing in far more camera than you will actually need or use. If you don't already know that you need a 5D, you probably don't need a 5D. Plus, as is often the case, those who could really take full advantage of a 5D are those who can't afford a 5D. (I'm thinking about the talented photographers I come across on Flickr, etc. who are making amazing images with entry-level Rebels.) Feel free to spend $2,500 on a 5D Mk II if you want, but unless you have extensive experience with photography and with a digital SLR, using a 5D is completely unnecessary and is unlikely to help you take "better" pictures than you will be able to with a 550D. In fact, until you figure out the controls, features, menus, and custom functions of a 5D or 7D, you may be taking worse pictures! And besides, the 5D MkII becoming old technology. You should wait for the 5D Mark III :) See the Canon 5D MkII on Amazon. ***** Lenses: Lenses for Travel Photography Accessories and Equipment: Equipment for Digital Photography Books: Essential Books for Digital Photography As I said above, when you are trying to determine which camera to purchase or upgrade to, you need to first consider and determine your needs, and then see which camera fills those needs. Not the other way around. Here is a post I wrote which discusses this, titled How to Choose a New dSLR Camera.

60d_586x186

dojoklo — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 21:57:34 +0000

How to Choose a New dSLR Camera

dojoklo — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 17:57:34 +0000

When selecting a new dSLR camera, many people seem to look at the latest offerings, attempt to compare their many features, and determine which one, in or near their price range, is "better." But this is the backwards way to approach it. Of course a continuous burst rate of of 126 JPEGs at 8 frames per second is "better" than 58 frames at 5.3 frames per second. But do you need the ability to take 126 consecutive images in 15.75 continuous seconds? Ever? Certainly the ability to to control both the method and the sensitivity of AI Servo Tracking is impressive and powerful, but do you even understand it, wish to learn about it, need it, and will you ever use it? If a camera's features don't fit your needs as a photographer, it is not a better camera for you. In fact, it may be a worse camera for you because its complexities and options may serve to work against you and your image making. Iquitos, Peru When you are trying to determine which new dSLR camera to purchase or upgrade to, you need to first consider and determine your needs, and then see which camera fills those needs. Not the other way around where you look at the new features and determine if you really need or will use them. For example, I began shooting with a Rebel XT and took it on an extended trip where I shot lots of outdoor dance and festivals (see the Peru and Dance galleries here for the results - those are all shot with a Rebel XT.) I soon discovered this camera wasn't fulfilling my growing needs and I made a mental list of what my next camera needed:

more focus points which are more strategically positioned (the Rebel XT only has 7 focus points in a simple cross pattern which did not suit the way I focus and compose)
faster frame rate in continuous shooting mode (it only has 3 fps which wasn't good enough for catching a good burst at the peak of action)
better sealed body (I ended up in several very dusty or wet situations)
integrated sensor cleaning (see "dusty" above)
more megapixels (the 8 MP of the XT just weren't sufficient when it came to cropping and post-processing)
battery with longer capacity (I used it on weekend trips to the middle of nowhere but didn't want to have to buy and take more than 3 batteries)
larger LCD screen to better review photos (the XT has a tiny screen)
grid in the viewfinder (I just can't keep it straight sometimes)

Iquitos, Peru These are the features I looked for in my next camera. I didn't work backwards and wonder, "Do I need or will I ever need auto lighting optimizer and highlight tone priority?" If I had exposure issues on my list, I would have looked for these kinds of features, but I didn't. I didn't wonder, "Do I need multiple flash remote firing? Should I worry about that?" That wasn't on my list because it wasn't a need I ran into, ever, in months of shooting. I don't even own multiple flashes and wish to minimize using the one. I didn't ask myself, "Do I need an extensively redesigned focus system with AF Point Expansion and Zone focusing?" I nearly always choose my own focus point - I don't want the camera choosing the closest point which is bound to be a dancer's flying hand and not their face, so I don't need that. No matter how awesome and advanced it is. Even if the subjects are moving. I'm pretty quick with the focus point selection. I just need more and better placed focus points. If you haven't run into a need for certain features in your months or years of extensive shooting, you aren't going to suddenly need it just because it is now offered on a camera. Sit down and make your list, then look at the cameras' offerings. And please be aware, no new camera will help you instantly create better photos. Or better yet, all of the latest cameras will help you take better photos, but equally so, none any better than the others. If you wish to take better photos, just chose one of the cameras and get out and shoot. Learn how to use the basic settings (aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focusing modes and focus points, exposure metering modes, histograms) and then concentrate on composition and telling a story through your images. Get a book like Bryan Peterson's newly updated Understanding Exposure to get a handle on the essential functions and relationships of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. And see the following posts to help you on your way, or if you are in the Boston - Cambridge area, take a one-on-one lesson with me! How Pros Photograph Deconstructing the Shot Pucallpa, Peru Need a lens to go with your new camera? Read about choosing a lens other than the kit lens in this post Why You Shouldn't Buy the Kit Lens, and learn about the Best Lenses for Travel Photography here. If you are interested in researching or purchasing the equipment or books I use, discuss, or recommend, I would appreciate it if you use this referral link to Amazon. Your price will be the same, and it will help support my blog and my work. Thanks! Buy the 60D from Amazon - body only or with the kit lens - and I will send you a free copy of my eBook, Real Word 60D!! See this post for details. And for those of you across the pond, click here for my referral link to Amazon UK. If you are in another country, click on one of my Amazon links, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click on your country for your local Amazon.

Canon60D-01

dojoklo — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:33:41 +0000

Canon 60D Tutorial

dojoklo — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:34:07 +0000

I have completed an eBook tutorial and user's guide for the new Canon 60D, called Your World 60D - The Still Photographer's Guide to Operation and Image Creation. Learn to use your 60D, quickly and competently, to create the types of images you want to capture. You can learn more about the Your World 60D eBook and how to purchase it here. (The eBook was originally, briefly called Real World 60D - it is the same book.)

Photography, Creativity, and Angst

dojoklo — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:33:28 +0000

It seems that a lot of photography blogs that aren’t caught up in discussing the latest equipment and technology (as I've been lately after the announcement of the 60D) are often addressing the struggles of photography, art, and creativity. Most every photographer seems to relate to the frustrations of not being able to create the images that they wish they could – images like the ones of the photographers they admire or images like the ones they envision in their own mind. This isn’t a bad thing, and in fact this dissatisfaction with one’s current work is one of the most important components in inspiring and pushing oneself to improve. But there is a huge problem if this struggle becomes angst and doesn’t serve a positive purpose. It is an easy path to fall into with photography, especially when just starting out or soon after technical and equipment mastery is attained. There is so much to learn and everyone else seems to have picked up important and secret knowledge which you don’t know where to find. And there are so many great photographers out there who you like and no matter how hard you try your images don’t look anything like theirs. Rome - Statue in front of Palazzo del Quirinale I fell into this trap when I first became serious about photography. I saw images in galleries, museums, and magazines (there was no internet yet…) that I wished I could create, but had no idea how. What kind of camera were they using? What kind of chemicals and darkroom techniques did they use? Where did they come up with their ideas and inspiration? I had no idea, but tried to learn what I could from books and experimentation. But the learning curve was so steep, my interests and ambitions were too broad and scattered, and the dedication was not yet there. The angst and frustration built and slowly I stopped even taking photos. I had wanted to create great images at will but knew I couldn't. My results rarely matched my vision, so I stopped making any images at all. Rome - Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi by Bernini facing Sant'Agnese in Agone by Borromini and Rainaldi I thought the angst was part of being an artist, a photographer, and that holding onto it would lead somewhere. But the angst didn’t get me anywhere. In fact all it led me to was abandoning photography. Years later, when I became frustrated with the limitations of my digital compact and dSLRs became affordable, I decided to give it another try. I went out on my first self-assignment, not really knowing what I was doing, relearning how to use a camera and compose photos. But this time I had a different attitude, a new mindset. The photos on my LCD screen still didn’t look like the ones in my head, but I didn’t care, and I continued to happily work away. I knew I was learning with each photo, I didn't expect instant masterpieces. I knew I would improve over time when I studied the results and identified the differences between where I was and where I wanted to be. Rome - Piazza Navona Most importantly I had finally given up on trying to take Ansel Adams’ photos and started to take my photos. If they weren’t any good, I would keep taking my photos, and figure out how to make them better versions of my photos. For the first time I was truly happy with my images because I stopped comparing them with some real or imagined perfect images that I would never take. It doesn’t mean I still don’t have the angst. Every time I look at Ami Vitale's photos I want to take Ami Vitale's photos. But I let it go, I don’t let it become a negative, limiting frustration. I study them and learn from them, but I continue to take my photos. Because those are really the only ones I can take, and those I the ones I am happiest with anyway. So it is true – as everyone concludes their “photographer’s struggle” blog posts: just get out and shoot. That is virtually all there is to it. But there is another important component. Let go of the angst. Art and creativity does not equal angst. Change your mindset. Stop dwelling on creativity, thinking about creativity, reading about creativity...and just go create. Shoot your photos, improve on your photos, and be happy knowing that with each frame you are learning and progressing. Besides, you shouldn't want to be imitating anyone else because you don't want to be called “The next Henri Cartier Bresson.” You want some future budding photographer to be called “The next (your name here).” Rome - Street with view of Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza by Borromini (These photos were taken the first time I ever used a "real" camera, an SLR - a Canon AE-1 I borrowed for an afternoon. Taken in Rome, Italy in 1990 or 1991 while studying with the University of Notre Dame Architecture Rome Studies Program. Not a bad start, huh?!)

Search Terms, Questions and Answers Part 1

dojoklo — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 17:19:55 +0000

Over the last several months I’ve collected some of the search terms that led people to read my blog (it is easy with Wordpress to check your daily/ weekly/ monthly stats such as this). I’m presenting several of them here, along with brief but informative answers. Whenever I say Canon xxD, please substitute 5D, 7D, 50D, 60D, 550D, etc. as you see fit. They are in no particular order except for the first one, which is the most common search. This is part 1 of 4 of this series. The next ones in the series include questions on humanitarian photography, the Canon 7D specifically, and finally lenses. Compare Canon 5D vs 7D vs 60D vs 50D vs 550D - (or any variation there-of: 60D vs 50D, 7D vs 60D, 60D vs 550D, etc.) I’ve discussed these various comparisons in depth in several previous posts. Please check out these posts: Post 1 Post 2 Post 3 Should I wait for Canon xxD or buy Canon xxD? If a new camera has been announced and will be coming out soon, or a current camera is reaching the end of its typical life cycle, I would wait for the new camera. (You can see if a camera is reaching the end of its typical life by looking at the Canon EOS Digital SLR Timeline at the bottom of this Wikipedia page.) Otherwise you are buying a model that is possibly 12-24 months old already and has been improved upon by the newer models. And then you will be using it for another 2, 3, or more years. This is particularly applicable since the new 63 zone metering system is now being used in the latest Canon cameras instead of the older 35 zone system, plus some other nice features. From experience, I can tell you the new metering system makes a difference. That being said, there will always be improvements in the newest models, so it is a never ending process. Also, unfortunately, you should wait several months after a new Canon camera or lens is released because they have a solid history of real problems and quality control issues on early models. How much better is a Canon 7D than a 550D? A Canon 7D costs $1534 A Canon 550d / T2i costs $799 The difference of the two cameras: 1534 - 799 = 735 735 = m% x 799 m = 735/799 m = .92 Move the decimal point over 2 places The 7D is 92% better than the 550D. Or perhaps the 550D is 92% as capable as the 7D? This is actually much closer to the truth, at least when it comes to features like image quality. I guess it's all in how you do the math. Canon 5D Mk2 vs. 550D / Why Canon 5D instead of 550D? As I have said many times before, these two cameras are on opposite ends of the spectrum. It is a strange comparison between a full frame professional dSLR and an entry level dSLR that, quite frankly, confuses me. If the 5D fits your expanding needs as a photographer, you would already pretty much know that you needed a 5D after your extensive time using a Rebel or a 20D, 40D, etc. Otherwise, getting a 5D means most likely you’d be investing in far more camera than you will actually need or use. Please note, there is no such thing as a Mark II camera. “Mark II” means it is the second version of a particular camera or lens. There is a 1D Mark II, a 5D Mark II, a 70-200mm f/2.8L IS Mark II, etc. Canon 50D vs. 7D for football stadium picture It would depend on what teams are playing, what color jerseys they are wearing, which quarter it is and/ or the score, and the light temperature of the stadium lights mixed with the natural ambient light. The (very) slightly lower dynamic range of the 50D along with its tendency to overexpose by 1/3 a stop in evaluative metering mode would indicate that you would only want to use a 50D in the later quarters, when the ambient light is decreasing and the score is probably higher. Also, the digital sensors of both the 50D and the 7D have the tendency to overexpose and lose detail in areas of the color red. So if, say, Alabama was playing at home, you would want to consider using a film camera. The final consideration would be that the 7D has a built in level that can be used in Live View. If you wish to keep the playing field level, you might want to utilize this option. However, it will be hard to follow the action and keep your eye on the level at the same time. If you shoot in a more dynamic photo-journalistic style that includes tilted frames and dynamic perspectives, either camera will do. Canon 7D vs 5D autofocus speed They are both more than fast enough for your needs. I promise. How to set deep depth of field Depth of field is determined by the aperture you select (plus, your focal length and distance-to-subject play a role too). First, put your camera in Av mode. Then turn the main dial (the one up top near the shutter button) counter-clockwise until you have the widest aperture your lens allows, possibly 2.8, 3.5, or 4.0. Then read this post: http://dojoklo.wordpress.com/2010/02/01/depth-of-field-simplified/

Photographing in Natural Light

dojoklo — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:34:50 +0000

Some recent portrait sessions (see them here) have led me to the realization that it is finally time to get my flash off-camera and to expand my knowledge of lighting for portraits. Since I'm currently working with a camera that doesn't have built in remote flash triggering, this means I either need a cable or remote triggers. But which one? Expensive TTL or radio triggers? Cheap eBay triggers? A basic sync cord or a more costly TTL cord? How long? A 3' cord for hand holding, or a longer cord for putting the flash on a stand? Or both? What situations am I going to be using them in at home and while traveling? Jan. 2010 - Plum Island, Newburyport, MA - Canon Rebel XT, 105mm (28-105mm lens), 1/500s, f/4.5, ISO 200 - natural light at 4pm on beach The more thought and research I put into it, the more the possibly necessary equipment began to add up: a stand for the flash, plus maybe a Justin Clamp. A stand and special arm for the reflector. Perhaps then a softbox or an umbrella. Then what else...? I'm not a strobist. While I admire the cool things one can do with lighting and I sometimes desire to overpower the sun, it's just not the kind of thing that gets me excited about photography. I have more of a photojournalist instinct. I'd prefer to simply work without a flash most of the time, to make the most of natural light, and to capture the reality of situations in front of me. But my experience has shown me this isn't always possible so I decided to seek out a viable alternative for situations I assumed required flash, and to learn how to maximize my use of natural light without sacrificing lighting quality. Thankfully I quickly discovered a book that demonstrated this was possible - Available Light: Photographic Techniques for Using Existing Light Sources by Don Marr. Unlike countless photography books that stress the importance of looking at, understanding, and making use of natural light but then leave it to the photographer to figure out, this one leads you directly there. It is short, simple, and intuitive - so much so that I didn't write down a single note during my first reading. It shares knowledge and techniques that can easily and immediately be put to use, such as with this photo I took soon after reading it - look at that glow! 100% natural light: Sept. 2010 - Cambridge, MA - Canon 50D, 75mm (28-105mm lens), 1/125s, f/4.0, ISO 200 - natural light at 3pm just inside the shadow-line under a concrete overpass While we all know to photograph in the shade on a sunny day or how an overcast day is supposed to create nice, soft lighting, with this book it suddenly all clicked and I really understood why these things are so. When walking around outside, I'm typically always aware of the intensity, direction, color and quality of natural light. I now realize that in itself was not nearly enough. Now I have gained the knowledge to work with the natural light and modify it to create the softness/ hardness, direction, color, and intensity I want, whether I am working on an overcast day, at high noon, inside, outdoors, or any other type of situation. The book also makes one very aware of the existence and potential use of natural reflectors everywhere which will help give you the lighting you want: a wall, the ground, a pole. And it explains the important concept and effective practice of subtractive lighting, used to even-out or create the desired lighting instead of turning to flash to artificially add to existing lighting. The author does not just guide you to finding and creating good light in any situation, but to light that fits your subject and the way in which you wish to portray them, whether that includes soft light or hard light, even light or deep shadows, hair light or flare - or whatever. I would love to summarize the whole book in this post, but I think it's better that you just go to your library or Amazon.com and get it! Nov. 2009 - San Miguel Dueñas, Guatemala - Canon 7D, 135mm (70-200mm lens), 1/200s, f/4.0, ISO 1600 - natural light at 3pm diffused by the fiberglass panel ceiling/ roof of her home I feel that this book has set me on the right path, away from what I thought was inevitable membership in the Strobist club. While the author is not against the use of flash, and certainly not against reflectors, this book offers a refreshing and viable alternative to that never-ending accumulation of equipment and techniques, and I encourage off-camera-flash fans to read it as well so they can learn to look for beautiful natural lighting alternatives that will give them as-good or even better images, before instinctively setting up their lighting equipment and knocking down the natural light in order to rebuild it artificially. In the process of my strobist research, I came back around to the photos of Joey Lawrence (Joey L), and in particular his images of the Mentawai. They are wonderful images and beautiful portraits, but something about this project has always rubbed me the wrong way. My recent research into artificial vs. natural light has helped me to think this through and start to figure it out. I'm always disturbed when people or crews invade, er, I mean visit a culture or community like the Mentawai with a bunch of equipment and ask them or pay them to pose for photographs or footage. There's nothing inherently wrong with it and his subjects obviously enjoyed cooperating in his project, but I simply have a different philosophical and stylistic approach - more documentary and photojournalistic. Plus I feel that there should be more of a unity of subject and technique. In other words when celebrating (or is it romanticizing?) people's close relationship with their natural environment, one should perhaps not light them with giant, unnatural, high power artificial lights! The disharmony certainly creates stunning photos, and that kind of lighting is part of Joey L's established style. Possibly the contrast between the natural surroundings and the artificial light helps to emphasize the dichotomy of indigenous people living in a modern world. But I just feel it would have been more interesting and authentic to make use of the unique natural light of that place when romanticizing, er, I mean portraying the people and their relationship with their environment. That being said, I am very much looking forward to Joey L's Faces of a Vanishing World TV series (starting on September 27th on Ovation TV) in order to get a glimpse into how he works in the field and see how he creates his dramatic and undeniably stunning images. June 2008 - Sillustani, Peru - Canon Rebel XT, 90mm (28-105mm lens), 1/800s, f/5.0, ISO 100 - natural light at 4pm on the altiplano near Lake Titicaca (that is a different lake in the background) One of the unique aspects of different places in the world is their unique light: the light at high altitude, in a desert, equatorial light, sunset in the Cinque Terre or Santorini, and of course the diffused light of a rainforest. Why not try to capture that light as part of your images of a place? At least, for the strobists out there, I encourage you to first look at and possibly incorporate the natural light before instinctively and blindly setting up the strobes. In reality, I think it is probably a much greater challenge to find and shape the natural light, but it is a challenge I intend to take on for the long term. March 2010 - Roosevelt Island, NYC - Canon 50D, 70mm (70-200mm lens), 1/125s, f/4.0, ISO 200 - natural light at 5pm in open area

Setting the Canon 60D Custom Functions and Menus

dojoklo — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:51:08 +0000

compose (frame) your image in the viewfinder as you want it
press the * button to lock this exposure
move the camera as necessary to get your subject at the chosen focus point
press the shutter button down halfway to lock that focus
then recompose back to the original framing, the framing you had when your pressed the * button and fully press the shutter button.
note that this all must occur within a certain time frame or the exposure lock is canceled. You will know this happens if the lit up info in your viewfinder turns off.

press the shutter button halfway to start focus on your subject - you can let your finger off it if desired
press and hold the AF Start button - focus is locked at this distance no matter where you aim the camera or press the shutter button halfway or fully as long as you hold down this button
compose your photo as desired and press the shutter button fully, while your thumb is still holding the AF Start button, and proper exposure is determined when you take the photo

Current Canon Rebates

dojoklo — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 15:53:30 +0000

The rebates are back! Well, not as great as some previous ones. This time you need to buy a Canon 1D, 5D, or 7D PLUS a lens or Speedlite in order to qualify. See here for details: http://www.mpex.com/graphics/Lens-and-Speedlite-with-DSLR.pdf or go to the Canon promotions page for updates.

Cambridge Carnival 2010

dojoklo — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 04:03:11 +0000

Cambridge Carnival 2010 in Cambridge, MA: the music, dancing, and vibrant colors of the Caribbean, conveniently found down the street from me today. All of these images were shot using a Canon 50D with the 70-200mm f/4L IS lens. There is a very recent and timely post on PhotoFocus about photographing parades. It has some useful advice. I would add to that a few more: -Arrive early and work your way into the assembly area, where there is often a sense of tension and pent-up excitement. Capture photos of participants getting ready and chatting, musicians practicing, and posed portraits of individuals or groups who are eager to have their photo taken in their outfits or costumes. -During the parade, always be aware of your image backgrounds. Position yourself so that you have light or dark backgrounds as appropriate, or crowds of faces. Be sure you have clean, or at least not distracting backgrounds. Use wide open apertures to make the backgrounds blurry and less distracting. Some distracting backgrounds I had to avoid at this event included a bright yellow rental truck with the name across it and porta-potties. Keep your eyes open for these types of things. Changing your position and point of view can make the street, some trees, or the sky become your background. -Be very aware of the light and where it is coming from. Position yourself on the best side of the street so that you can capture the light on the participants' faces. Or backlight them if you want photos with sun-flare. Position yourself near intersecting side streets where the sunlight is unobstructed by buildings and trees to avoid shadows across the parade route. Look for mirrored, glass, or light colored buildings to act as natural reflectors which throw back and diffuse the light nicely onto all the participants. Of find areas with light and dark shadow areas and try to highlight a participant as they step into the light. -Bring ear plugs so you can concentrate of taking images even when the giant sound truck is stationed right in front of you. -Experiment with slow shutter speeds to create blurs of motion and color. Put your camera on shutter priority mode (Canon=Tv or Nikon=S). Try starting with a shutter speed of 1/30 and adjust from there as necessary. -If you are using a flash outdoors, do not use your flash diffuser (like a Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce) except for very close portraits. All you are doing is reducing the light coming from your flash and causing your flash to work harder and take longer to recycle. It does not change the "softness" or the "warmness" of the light from your flash. A flash diffuser works by bouncing light and diffusing shadows because the light is then coming from various directions. It does not magically "soften" light. You can not bounce light off the sky. It just doesn't work. Use your flash straight on, dial it down minus 1 or 2 so that it doesn't blow out highlights, and use an orange or straw gel if you want more warmth. It is much more efficient to reduce the light from your flash by dialing it to -1 and having it use less of its power than it is to put something in front of it and cause it to use more of its power, all for the same look. If you wish to spread its light, use the built-in, flip-down wide angle screen. I don't care if you see the "pros" or the guys with the big cameras using one - they haven't bothered to read the instructions. They aren't able to bounce light off clouds just because they have big cameras.

Search Terms, Questions and Answers Part 2

dojoklo — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 17:13:20 +0000

This is part two of an ongoing series. Over the last several months I’ve collected some of the search terms that led people to read my blog. I’m presenting several of them here, along with brief but informative answers. This is part 2 of this series. The next ones in the series include questions on the Canon 7D specifically, and then on lenses. Here was part one. What is humanitarian photography? Humanitarian photography can be defined as the photography of international NGOs (non-governmental organizations), humanitarian aid, and non-profit organizations. These include organizations that focus on diverse issues including from health, development, indigenous rights, and children. Photographers make images of these organizations’ work in the field, projects, staff, and clients or the populations that are served. These images can be for documentation, to tell a story, for printed and web use such as marketing, fundraising, reports, or training publications, for presentations, or many other uses. A humanitarian photographer, however, can also be a photographer who wishes to tell the story of the human condition through their photography, and this does not need to necessarily involve the work of an NGO. They can be a photojournalist, such as Ami Vitale, or a travel, world, and culture photographer who depicts the world through the people who inhabit it. Humanitarian photographer / photography That’s me! Welcome to my site. Also be sure to check out Heber Vega’s website where he has the 10Q interview series with a number of humanitarian photographers. And be sure to check out Karl Grobl, who is an inspiration to all of us humanitarian photographers. How to become a humanitarian photographer / Getting into humanitarian photography First, work at becoming a skilled photographer. Then begin to learn about humanitarian issues and what humanitarian aid organizations do. I address that in this post: http://dojoklo.wordpress.com/2010/01/26/becoming-a-humanitarian-photographer-part-ii/ Then, have a look at these posts: http://dojoklo.wordpress.com/2009/12/10/how-to-start-out-as-a-humanitarian-photographer/ http://dojoklo.wordpress.com/2010/08/16/after-the-self-assignment/ How much do humanitarian photographers make? / Salary for humanitarian photographer / How can I make a lot of money being a humanitarian photographer? While there are some humanitarian photographers who work on staff with NGOs, these types of jobs are few and far between. So there really is no such thing as a salary for humanitarian photographers. In fact, at this time, there really isn’t a salary for most types of photographer except for the few that still work on staff at newspapers or a few other places, and this number is dwindling every day. For the most part, humanitarian photographers are freelance photographers who must seek out their own assignments. What they earn depends on how hard they work at this. As with any type of vocational photographer, working as a humanitarian photographer involves something like 10% photography and 90% business and seeking out work. Sounds dreadful, right, but just read about any other photographer discussing business and you will see the same thing. How to make a lot of money as any type of photographer? I haven’t figured that one out yet. Maybe work as a dentist by day. Humanitarian photography career / jobs / opportunities As I said above, this doesn’t really exist except in the way you create it yourself. Really. It is 100% up to you to make it a reality. There is no one path to follow, no correct course to take (although there are countless incorrect moves one could make). It is all pretty much up to you to determine through the amount of effort and dedication you put into it. One place to start is to read David DuChemin’s Visionmongers. This is one of the few guides out there for becoming a vocational photographer, and luckily for you, he began as a humanitarian photographer himself. However, it is far from containing all the answers. He leaves much unsaid that you have to learn the hard way. Humanitarian photography ethics / Guidelines for NGO photojournalists One good place to start is to read the NPPA Code of Ethics. I address that and discuss it a little further in this post: http://dojoklo.wordpress.com/2010/01/28/working-as-a-humanitarian-photographer-ethics-and-images/ You can also look at the countless writings about journalism ethics, photojournalism ethics, and media ethics. Much of those subjects will directly apply to humanitarian photography. How to shoot humanitarian pictures However you want! Create your own style, tell your own story! However, if you really don’t know where to start, have a look a photojournalism and how to work and shoot as a photojournalist. You can learn this through reading books, and just as importantly through looking at images. A good place to start is The Big Picture at Boston.com: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/ Also, learn to tell a story through images, whether it is a single image or a photo essay. How you shoot depends on your goals as well. If you are working for an NGO, they may want photos in a certain style or which serve a certain need. If you are shooting a documentary series for yourself, you may choose your subjects, compositions, and style very differently. David DuChemin on being a humanitarian photographer I get this search every day! Perhaps he has set up an automatic tracking search to see where he is mentioned each day.

Your World 60D - Canon 60D User's Guide and Tutorial

dojoklo — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 18:49:50 +0000

Looking for a Canon EOS 60D book or tutorial to help you learn and begin to master your new dSLR? I've written an eBook user's guide for the Canon 60D, called Your World 60D - The Still Photographer's Guide to Operation and Image Creation. Learn to use the Canon 60D quickly and competently, and improve your photography and capture better images. The 60D is an advanced tool, and this guide explains how to start to use it to its full potential. Begin to take control of your camera, the image taking process, and the photos you create. This instant download eBook guide is for those who wish to get more out of their 60D, and go beyond Auto or Program mode and shoot in Aperture Priority (Av) mode and Shutter Priority (Tv) mode. It covers basic dSLR camera functions and exposure concepts for those new to digital SLR photography, plus it also explains more advanced camera controls and operation, such as using the various metering modes and exposure compensation for correct exposure of every image, controlling autofocus modes and focus points for sharp focus of still or moving subjects, and creating dramatic depth of field for professional looking photographs. Learning to get the most out of a dSLR can involve a steep learning curve, and I believe my book can help you speed up that process. See below for how to purchase. Your World 60D is a text-only PDF guide that builds upon the information offered by the camera’s manual and focuses on the essential functions and settings for real world 60D use. In addition to covering the various settings, functions and controls of the Canon 60D, its lessons explain when and why to use them. It also describes every Menu setting and Custom Function setting, with recommended settings, including Movie Mode menus. Note that it focuses on still photography and not video except for a brief introduction to menus and important video settings to get you started. Sections include:

Setting Up Your 60D - All of the Menu settings and Custom Function (C.Fn) settings, including movie mode menus, with brief descriptions and recommended settings for practical, everyday use. Set up and customize the advanced features of the 60D to work best for the way you photograph.
Aperture Priority Mode (Av) and Shutter Priority Mode (Tv) - How and when to use them to create dramatic depth of field or to freeze or express motion.
Auto Focusing Modes and Drive Modes - How they differ, how and when to use them to capture sharp images of both still and moving subjects. Also how and when to use focus lock and back-button focusing.
Exposure Metering Modes - How they differ, how and when to use them for correct exposures in every situation. Also how to make use of exposure lock.
Histograms, Exposure Compensation, Bracketing, and White Balance - Understanding and using these features for adjusting to the proper exposure in challenging lighting situations.
Composition - Brief tips, techniques, and explanations, including the creative use of depth of field.
The Image Taking Process - A descriptive tutorial for using the settings and controls you just learned to take photos.
Photography Accessories - The most useful accessories for day-to-day and travel photography
Introduction to Video Settings - Some basic settings to get you started

This digital field guide to the Canon EOS 60D is a 40 page, PDF format text-only document, full of helpful information applicable to the new and intermediate dSLR photographer - to turn you into an advanced digital photographer! Purchase Your World 60D through PayPal here! (or click the PayPal or Credit card check-out button below) This version is in PDF format, text-only, 8.5"x11", which can be read on your computer screen, printed on your printer, taken with you on your laptop, and can also be read on the iPad. Format: PDF - Instant Download Page Count: 45 Price: ~~$11.99~~ Now on sale $10.99 (plus 6.25% sales tax for residents of Massachusetts) Secure payment with PayPal or Credit card or __________ The Kindle Edition is available from Amazon.com and the Nook Edition is available online at Barnes and Noble. You can preview Your World 60D at the following link. The preview shows: -the Table of Contents -the Introduction -a sample Menu Settings page -a sample Custom Functions Settings page -and a sample text page. Preview: http://www.dojoklo.com/writing/Your_World_60D-Preview.pdf Buy your Canon 60D camera from Amazon.com using my Amazon referral links, or any other lens or camera purchase over $300, and I will send you a copy of this eBook for free! See this post for details on how to be eligible for this offer. Begin to master your Canon 60D and start to use it to its full capabilities! What Readers are Saying about Doug Klostermann's dSLR User's Guides: This book, together with the manual that came with your camera, is all you need to start discovering all the potential of this camera. -Max M. It’s the first guide I've read which has taken me through all the settings in an understandable way. I now feel that I have control over the camera. -Peter S. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to get a quick start to using their camera. Manuals are nice, but this eBook highlights the important information and gives a quick easy to understand explanation of most all of the functions and controls. -Ray M. I found the (camera's) manual good for understanding how to set things up but not much on the why - this book really focuses on the "why." Prior to reading the book I was setting up my metering on Spot Metering thinking it was much better than Matrix (Evaluative) - the guide helped me understand why to use specific settings for specific needs. The Custom Settings sections helps to make firm decisions on how to apply settings by understanding the usage of each in addition to knowing how to set them up. I would like to thank you for saving me time - now I'm confident that my camera is well tuned! -Benoit A. This manual is a clearly written, concise and useful explanation of the rationale for the seemingly infinite and often confusing settings options. Used in conjunction with the (camera's) manual I feel a bit more confident in understanding how to at last proceed in getting better photographs. -WLS Your World 60D was originally, briefly titled Real World 60D. It is the same eBook. If you use the Canon Rebel T2i/EOS 550D, or Canon Rebel T3i/EOS 600D have a look at my eBooks for those camera, T2i Experience and Canon T3i Experience.

Nikon D7000 vs. Canon 60D

dojoklo — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 17:10:56 +0000

Just when you thought it was difficult to choose between the latest offerings from Canon - the 7D vs 60D vs. 550D / T2i - Nikon comes out with the D7000! The Nikon D7000 is a competitor to both the Canon 60D and some say to the 7D, and I guess it is up to the forums and early users to really figure out where it stands. (See the comparison of the Canon dSLR line-up - 7D, 60D, T2i - in this other post and the comparison of the Nikon dSLR line-up - D7000, D90, D300s - in this post.) I spent a couple months writing eBook user's guides to both the Canon 60D (Your World 60D) and the Nikon D7000 (Nikon D7000 Experience), so I've spent considerable time with each of these cameras and know their features and controls inside and out. Check out these ebook guides to learn more about using and photographing with these cameras including all of their Menu settings and Custom Function settings (with recommended settings) plus discussions of how, when, and why to use the cameras’ settings and features, (metering modes, aperture and shutter priority modes, advanced autofocus use, focus lock, exposure lock, and more) for everyday and travel use, to help you take better photos. Image of a Canon 60D taken with a Nikon D7000 and Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 - by the author Comparing their features on paper, the Canon 60D and the Nikon D7000 are incredibly similar. One model is slightly better in one area, and the other model wins out in another area. With both models, it appears that you pretty much get what you pay for. Pay a couple hundred dollars more for the D7000, and you get a camera that rewards you for that extra cost. Here is how the Canon 60D and the Nikon D7000 compare: Canon 60D: (see it on Amazon) 18 megapixels ISO 100-6400 expanded to 12800 HD Video with more fps options 3" Articulating rear LCD screen 9 point autofocus system - all cross type 5.3 frames per second maximum burst rate construction: aluminum chassis with polycarbonate body single SD card wireless flash triggering 96% viewfinder size - slightly bigger but lighter $1099 Nikon D7000: (see it on Amazon) 16.2 megapixels ISO 100-6400 expanded to 25600 HD Video with full time autofocus 3" fixed rear LCD screen 39 point autofocus system - with 9 cross type 6 frames per second maximum burst rate construction: magnesium chassis with partial magnesium alloy body dual SD cards wireless flash triggering 100% viewfinder size - slightly smaller but heavier $1199 Here is a more in-depth exploration of these features: Megapixels: Canon's 18MP is more than the Nikon's 16MP, which gives you slightly more cropping and enlarging ability with the 60D. To see how this affects images quality, you are going to have to look at the tests at dxomark.com. ISO performance is very similar, with the D7000 having a slight edge. And as far as color sensitivity, dynamic range, and tonal range, the sensor of the D7000 performs noticeable better. But, be aware that dxomark tests the sensors, but not in conjunction with the camera's processor, so it is not a complete indication on the final image. A camera processes the images captured by the sensor, even when shooting in RAW, to produce optimal image quality - such as applying a bit of noise reduction, maybe tweeking the color. So it is likely that any "shortcomings" of a particular model's sensor are addressed by that camera's processor. Image of a Nikon D7000 taken with a Canon 60D and EF 100m f/2.8 Macro lens - by the author ISO: You typically shouldn't be shooting over 1600, maybe 3200 if absolutely necessary, so this is no big deal to most users. But since the megapixel race is over, ISO has become the current benchmark for comparison. It gives the pixel peepers and forum folks something to argue about. Again, check out the tests at dxomark.com to see that they show pretty similar ISO performance, with the D7000 slightly better. DPReview says the D7000 is arguably the best performing sensor for high ISO/ low noise in the consumer class (along with the Sony A55 since they have the same sensor. Did you know that little nugget? Sony manufactures sensors used by numerous other camera ). HD Video: Canon offers 60fps which I understand is very important to videographers, and Nikon doesn't shoot 30fps or 25fps at 1080p as Canon does. Nikon offers full time autofocus which may be slow and cumbersome and thus isn't a big deal to videographers. We will have to see how well that works - early reports say not so great. LCD screen: the articulating screen of the 60D could come in handy for several types of shooters. There are many times I could have benefited from a rotating screen such as when I was on my belly in wet grass trying to crane my neck to see through my viewfinder and capture a subject and her active dogs from grass level. Auto focus system: This is a difficult comparison. The 39 AF point system of the Nikon offers both many more AF points plus customization capabilities for how it operates and tracks moving objects that rival the 7D (see Custom Functions/Custom Settings section below). However, only 9 of those points are the more accurate cross type, while all 9 points of the 60D are cross type. The 39 point system of the Nikon might be better for situations where you let the camera choose the AF points to track motion, such as sports, action, and wildlife. But you should often otherwise be choosing the AF point yourself. So with the Nikon, you may want to limit selection to 11 points (Custom Setting a6). If you want a Canon body with a more advanced AF system than the 9 points and basic tracking of the 60D, and overall more accurate than the D7000, have a look at the incredibly advanced and customizable AF system of the 7D with 19 AF points, all cross type. Maximum burst rate: Close, but Nikon wins this one by a hair. Either rate should be fast enough for most photographer's needs. The Nikon has the nice feature of being able to change the low speed continuous rate from between 1 to 5 fps. I had previously complained that the 7D should have had this feature since its 8 fps is often overkill. The 5.3 fps of the 60D is great, so it doesn't really require the ability to change the fps beyond the available 3 or 5.3. Also note that the Canon will allow a continuous burst rate of 58 continuous photos in highest quality JPEG and 16 in highest quality RAW, while the Nikon is limited to a much lower 31 JPEG and 10 RAW before its buffer fills. Construction: Nikon wins this one, but Canon saves weight with its construction. And I assure you both are more than strong enough for everyday, even abusive use. That being said, the partial metal body (magnesium allow on top and rear) and rubber grip material of the Nikon has a nicer feel and is a great detail that the 60D should have had. I think it is one of the main reasons for the increased price of the D7000 over the 60D. It is worth noting that the magnesium alloy body of the D7000 does not fully extend around the front, and thus the area surrounding the lens mount, which plays quite an important role in supporting a large, heavy lens, is plastic. See this image of a D7000 skeleton next to one of a 7D for details. Kind of an ugly sight for those trying to compare the D7000 to the 7D. Important details like this demonstrate why, in the end, the D7000 just ain't no 7D competitor. Sorry, the name of this post will just have to remain Canon 60D vs. Nikon D7000! SD Memory cards: I'm not sure the appeal of 2 memory cards in the Nikon, and why that might be better than just using one larger capacity card? Is it really useful or just a bell/ whistle? You can use the two cards of the D7000 in four ways: overflow, JPEG / RAW, backup, or stills / movies, so maybe that is kind of cool, but I actually prefer to be dealing with just one card at a time at this point. Wireless, remote flash triggering: A super-cool feature available on both cameras using the built in flash to trigger off camera flashes. Viewfinder: Nikon wins this one with slightly bigger size, though I don't know how the actual brightness and view compares. It is a shame the 60D viewfinder view is not 99% or 100% of the actual resulting image like the Nikon. In reality, you won't notice any shortcomings with either the 60D or the D7000 viewfinder once you start using it. The D7000 includes the option of displaying the grid in the viewfinder, which the 7D also has, and I wish the 60D did as well. Size and Weight: Not a major difference, you will have to see how they feel in your hands. Metering: They each have different metering systems, so it is difficult to compare. I'm sure they will both perform quite well. In addition to Evaluative/Matrix and Spot in both of them, the Canon has Center-Weighted and Partial, while the Nikon doesn't have Partial but has the ability to change the size of the center area in Center-Weighted mode, which sounds pretty cool but may be more of a "set it once to your preference and forget it" thing. Depends on how quick and easy it is to access it in the menus, on the fly. Processor: This is a pretty important component in the comparison and can really help resolve if the D7000 sits closer to the 7D or the 60D. I don't yet know enough about the performance of Canon's Digic IV vs. Nikon's Expeed II to comment on this. The larger maximum burst buffer of the 60D may point to a more powerful processor. However the dual Digic IV processors of the 7D are able to handle much longer bursts of many more images than the single processor of the D7000 (and the 60D) - again, another very important reason the D7000 is not actually head to head with the 7D. Custom Functions/ Custom Settings: Despite what I say below in the Controls and Menu section, the Custom Settings of the D7000 are far more sophisticated than those of the 60D, and in that respect make it much more of a contender with the Canon 7D. With the D7000, you can change the size of the center area metered in Center Weighted Metering Mode (not possible on 60D or 7D), you can change the frame rate of Continuous Low Speed between 1 and 5 frames per second (not possible on 60D or 7D), you can give buttons a "hold" feature or not, where you press and release instead of having to hold it down when turning another dial to dial-in a setting ("hold" means the camera does the holding, not you). With the D7000 you can set the autofocus tracking to be nearly as sophisticated as the 7D in terms of how to react to objects that come between you and your intended subject, and also in setting focus priority or release priority (take the picture only when focus is attained or take it immediately even without necessarily attaining focus). You can limit the number of AF points to 11 if you don't wish to deal will all 39, you can fine-tune focus adjustment for different lenses like the 7D AF microadjustment (not possible on the 60D), plus you can fine-tune exposure adjustment for each individual exposure mode (to set a baseline compensation behind the scenes and not have to use exposure compensation every time, if you feel one of those modes is consistently over- or under-exposing). You can fine-tune the white balance for many more standard fluorescent options without having to have a Kelvin cheat sheet, as you might need to set the same temperature settings on a Canon. All very impressive, and all features that the 60D and certainly the 7D should have but don't. Also, while I like the two rear thumb buttons of the 60D 7D for exposure and focus lock, you can set the AE-L/AF-L and Fn buttons (and preview button) of the D7000 to take on similar operations. Controls and Menus: As a Canon user, I find the controls and menus of the Canons to be incredibly practical and intuitive. As a photography instructor, I try to be open-minded about the Nikon controls, notations, and menus, but continue to find them incredibly irritating, nonsensical, and not nearly as intuitive and user-friendly as Canons. I also think that the consistency of the controls and menus across the Canon line, from the 550D to the 5D MkII points to intelligent and thoughtful design. You can pick up any model and go to work, then quickly and intuitively change the ISO setting or metering mode. On the Canons, the controls are not scatted about in seemingly random places that change dramatically from model to model. Please don't think I'm just a Canon guy on a rant here. Have a look at the controls on the top, back, and front of the D300s vs. the D7000 - essential controls are completely different. Why is that? Functions that are switches at the rear of one are a button at the top of the other, or marked dial switches on the rear become an unlabeled button on the front. The standard dSLR mode dial completely disappears and becomes a trio of buttons on one Nikon but not the other? I challenge you to pick up a D7000 and change the AF area mode to single point AF. I searched the camera's buttons, switches, and menus for 15 minutes and never found it. (Spoiler alert! It is done with the unmarked button located inside the Auto/ Manual focus switch near the lens mount in conjunction with a command dial.) Wait, so a switch that is C/S/M (continuous/ single/ manual) on one Nikon becomes AF/M (autofocus/ manual) on the other? So the same switch now partially controls a different function? Where are AF-C and AF-S (auto-focus continuous/ single modes) found now? Oh, who knows! (Actually, the same place as above, with the unmarked button and the other command dial.) As you can see, this is maddening to a photography instructor who must deal with a number of different models and who is attempting to quickly demonstrate these very functions. I'm not even going to start on my feeling for Nikon menus! Keep in mind, this all doesn't really matter if you buy and use one of these cameras- you get that one and learn its controls. But I feel it does point to an intelligent consistency on Canon's part, and as an architect in an earlier life, I highly appreciate good design and intuitive wayfinding. And also many photographers work with two bodies which are often different models of the same brand, and the ability to switch between a Canon 50D and a 5D Mk II without skipping a beat is how it should be. You can actually forget which one you have in your hands and it doesn't matter. But once you do learn all the controls on the body of the D7000, you have an incredible amount of control at your fingertips. Price: The Nikon is $100 to $200 more than the 60D (depending on current specials), and people are saying it is a cheaper competitor to the 7D. But if you study them closely, you can see that it does actually sit between the two. While the D7000 has an advanced AF system and tremendous customizing capabilities, details like the partial vs. full magnesium body construction and the single vs. dual processors of the D7000 vs 7D demonstrate why they are not exactly head to head competitors. The D7000 definitely offers at least $200 of improvements over the 60D, if not more, and is being very well received among photo enthusiasts just as the Canon 7D was last year - you pay a bit more and you get more features. Oddly, DPReview has suggested that the pro-sumer D7000 is a viable upgrade to the Nikon D300s, a higher end, more expensive semi-pro camera. So this makes the decision a bit more complicated for the Nikon D7000 vs. D300s comparison. Quality Control: There have been numerous reports on the Internet of faulty D7000 bodies. The issues are mainly the bad pixel problem and the front/ back focusing issue. While this type of reaction seems to occur every time any new camera model comes out, there seems to be a great deal of legitimacy to these complaints. My local camera store reports that they continue to experience these issues with their customers. For the pixel peepers who insist on a clean sensor, nearly every D7000 body tested was found to have bad pixels out of the box. The firmware upgrade fixed some of cameras with bad pixels but not all of them. (What is the fix exactly? Pixel mapping?). Several pixel peeping customers also had front or back focus issues, and went through 2 or 3 bodies to find one they could accept. Also, some of the official Nikon EN-EL15 batteries are larger than others - yes physically larger - and do not properly fit or get stuck in the D7000 body. As far as Canon 60D QC issues or exchanges: none. Zero. And for their report on repairs and customer service for Canon and Nikon in general: Repairs with Nikon cameras is a daily, ongoing issue. They see Nikons come back, both new and older models, and it sometimes takes sending the camera / lens / flash 3 or 4 times to Nikon to resolve the problem or the customer gives up by them. A few Canon models come back, typically 4-6 year old heavily used Rebels that stop functioning properly. Canon repair is reported as excellent, customer service incredibly helpful, and turnaround is quick. Pile of brand new, defective Nikons returned over two month period: 15. Number of defective Canons: 0. Please note, this is the store's report, not my opinion or bias, but I think it is well worth taking this into account when choosing a dSLR system. Conclusion: Hey look! They are incredibly similar! (other than quality control issues) Both are capable of taking high quality digital images. They are both leaps and bounds better - and cheaper - than the same level dSLRs of just a few years ago. I do like the specifications of the expanded autofocus system, the slightly better sensor performance, the larger viewfinder, the custom setting options, and the partial magnesium alloy body construction of the D7000. Yet the 60D has the additional HD video frame rates, 9 out of 9 cross type AF points, and the articulating screen. You pay a few hundred dollars more for the Nikon, and you get a camera with body construction and features that are a bit better than the 60D. However, if you don't actually need, understand, or wish to learn how to use all these additional features of the D7000, there is no point in paying for them. (If you are going to leave the camera in Auto or Program mode and let the camera choose the autofocus points, you definitely don't need a D7000!) In the end, it totally comes down to which one you are more comfortable with - which one feels better, which one's buttons and controls work best for the way you work, which one's menus make better sense to you, which one's custom functions allow you to make the customizations you want to make, and how much money you want to spend. Or which system you want to invest in for the long-term, as far as all the lenses, flash, and accessories you are going to accumulate. Or which camera brand your friends use so that you can go to them for help. Just choose one, learn to use it well, and get out and take photos! That's what digital SLRs are all about. Canon didn't drop the ball with the xxD line, as some have said. It's just that they reconfigured their price points and naming conventions. The 7D replaced the 50D months ago, and it was widely agreed to be a dramatic, spectacular, and successful improvement. That was very much like the Nikon D90 to D7000 improvement we see now. Canon definitely took the 50D to the next level with the 7D. But then they needed a high-end consumer model to offer between the entry level Rebel line and the semi-pro 7D. Hence the highly capable 60D. So who wins? The consumer. The digital photographer. Cheesy, but true. If you wish to compare the Nikon D7000 vs the Nikon D90 vs the D300s, have a look at this post. Purchasing? If you are planning to buy either of these cameras from Amazon.com (or other equipment, accessories, or simply anything else), please use the links below and I will get a little something for referring you, which will help support my blog. Thanks! Buy either the Canon 60D or Nikon D7000 through my Amazon.com referral links below, or any other equipment or lens over $300, and I will send you a free copy of one of my e-books: Your World 60D for Canon users or Nikon D7000 Experience for Nikon users. See this post for details about the Canon e-book and offer and see this post to learn more about the Nikon e-book and offer. Referral links just below: see and buy the Canon EOS 60D - Body Only see and buy the Canon EOS 60D with 18-135mm lens see and buy the Nikon D7000 - Body Only see and buy the Nikon D7000 with 18-105mm lens Link for any other Amazon.com purchases Purchasing from the UK? Use my Amazon UK referral link here. If you are in another country, click on one of my Amazon links, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click on your country for your local Amazon. If you wish to purchase from B+H Photo please click the link below. Thanks!

Humane Society's All Animals Magazine

dojoklo — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 17:40:28 +0000

If you happen to receive the Humane Society's All Animals magazine, be sure to check out the section on young animal activists. Last month I was fortunate to meet and photograph an amazing and motivated young animal activist, Ayna Agarwal (and her dogs). One of my portraits of her and Muffy illustrates her profile in the Sept./Oct. 2010 edition of All Animals, and another image was used in the table of contents. You can read her story here, or read the entire article on the HSUS website here.

RW60coverSM

dojoklo — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 20:38:05 +0000

Your World 60D eBook Now Available!

dojoklo — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 22:10:27 +0000

My eBook user's guide and tutorial on using the new Canon 60D, Your World 60D - The Still Photographer's Guide to Operation and Image Creation is now available! Learn how to use the 60D, quickly and competently, to create the types of images you want to capture. The Canon 60D is an advanced tool, and this guide explains how to begin to use it to its full potential. (This eBook was briefly originally titled Real World 60D.) Click here to learn more about the eBook Buy your 60D from Amazon.com though my Amazon links and get a copy of this eBook for free! See this post for details on how to be eligible for this offer. You can preview it at the following link. The preview shows the Table of Contents and Introduction, a sample Menu Settings page, a sample Custom Functions Settings page, and a sample text page. http://www.dojoklo.com/writing/Your_World_60D-Preview.pdf Purchase information is below. Purchase Your World 60D through PayPal here! This version is in PDF format, 8.5"x11", which can be read on your computer screen, printed on your printer, and can also be read on the iPad. ~~$11.99~~ on Sale now: $10.99 (plus 6.25% sales tax for residents of Massachusetts) Secure payment with PayPal or Credit card or _____________________ The Kindle Edition is available at Amazon.com here and the Nook Version is available at BarnesandNoble.com. Begin to master your Canon 60D and learn to use it to its full capabilities!

Deconstructing the Shot - Photo 2

dojoklo — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:05:53 +0000

This post is the second in an occasional series in which I describe the making of a photograph, from both a technical and artistic standpoint. I'll go through the camera settings and why they were chosen, as well as the thought processes going through my head regarding composition and the creation of the image. These types of posts will be concrete examples of a previous post of mine called How Pros Photograph, which describes the various decisions that may be going through a photographer's head as they work a scene and make photos. The first post in this series can be read here. This one can be called the Shutter Speed Edition, as you will learn below. For those looking to learn about Depth of Field, please view Deconstructing the Shot post 3, the Aperture Edition rather than this post. The Photo: The photo I've selected for this example is one I took in Pucallpa, Peru in July 2008. Pucallpa is a town located along the Ucayali River, a tributary of the Amazon. Though it is a relatively small town, it has a bustling (though undeveloped) port which receives food and goods from deeper in the Amazon region. The streets of Pucallpa buzz with the constant traffic of moto-taxis, the motorcycle rickshaws found in much of Peru and the developing world. I had a few days before hopping on a slow boat to Iquitos, so I roamed the town looking for photo opportunities. I've created some strips of photos to show a selection of images as I worked this particular scene: The Process: I wanted to capture the ubiquitous motion and activity of the traffic in the streets of Pucallpa, which is dominated by the moto-taxis. The best way to do this, I decided, was to capture the blur of motion as the traffic sped by. I was using a Canon Rebel XT with a 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II lens. I selected a busy and interesting intersection and set the camera to Shutter Priority mode (Tv on Canon, S on Nikon). This is so I could control the shutter speed and set it to a slow shutter speed so that fast motion would become a blur. I initially chose a shutter speed of 1/50, but that wasn't resulting in enough blur, so through quick experimentation, I settled on 1/20. This shutter speed, 1/20 of a second, is very slow for hand-holding. While the motion will blur, it is difficult at this shutter speed to hold it still enough (without a tripod) so that the background will remain sharp and not cause unwanted blur due to camera shake in the in-focus areas. I now actually recommend using 1/30 as a starting point for creating motion blur. But even with 1/30, you have to pay attention to holding the camera very still. I selected ISO 100 since it was a very bright, sunny afternoon, and because I atypically needed to work in a slow shutter speed range. I initially took some images of the traffic crossing the intersection, trying to capture many vehicles at once to accentuate my idea of the busy traffic. However, I soon decided to face directly across the street and capture the moto-taxis as they crossed my field of view. I set the Drive Mode to continuous so that I could fire off a series of photos each time the light turned green and the traffic crossed my view. The Rebel XT has a slow maximum rate of 3 frames per second (fps) but many current cameras will allow a more useful and faster frame rate of 5 or 6, or even 8 fps. White Balance was set on Auto, though Sunny setting would have worked well too. Metering was set on Evaluative. However, since the lighting and the scene remained relatively consistent, it would not have been a mistake to determine the best exposure then switch the camera to Manual mode, M, and set that exposure for all the photos. In Shutter Priority mode, you choose the shutter speed and the camera will choose the aperture, based on the ISO setting. The aperture setting for this photo wasn't too important to me. Since the foreground was going to be a blur of motion, it was best that the background was relatively in focus. So a narrow aperture providing relatively deep depth of field, such as f/11 or f/16 would be fine. Based on the ISO and the amount of light, the camera was selecting apertures ranging from f/8 to f/22 for various images, with most of them somewhere in the middle of that range. Also, since the subject was going to be a blur of motion, there was no point in trying to focus on it. The motion would most likely confuse the auto-focus system anyway, so I switched the lens to MF, Manual Focus, and focused on the sign post directly across the street from me. Though I may have zoomed slightly in or out with the lens at first, I settled on a focal length of 50mm and left it there. While the subject of this composition is the blur of the vehicles, the background also comes into play, and as with every image, can not be ignored. The street and trees beyond created a nice background, both showing the urban context of the scene and blocking out what could have been a large area of dull, light sky. The yellow sign post, where I focused, added a nice element of color. You can see that the yellow post and the curb of the far side of the street lie near the "rule of thirds" lines. This isn't an accident, and they were consciously placed there to help create an interesting composition. This was done through squatting or kneeling in order to place myself at the desired point of view and still capture most of the vehicles from top to bottom. I took a series of 59 images over a period of nearly 8 minutes, with 48 of the images being the straight-on images in a period of just 2 minutes. I used a horizontal composition since that worked best with the blur of motion of the traffic. I typically just held down the shutter button as the traffic started to go by, just after the stoplight changed. By doing that I captured a variety of interesting images, with the moto-taxis blurring by in all types of configurations. In a situation like this, luck and chance play a big part. The photographer must control all the elements they can through composition, framing, and camera settings, and then allow the scene to play out in front of them. So I would actually call this controlled chance. There were a few very nice results, and I settled on an frame from the middle of the series, IMG_3306, as my chosen image. In addition to showing the blur of the moto-taxi, it also captured some pedestrians across the street and fully showed the one-way sign, which I thought were nice additions to the image. With these added elements, it becomes more of an overall "portrait" of the city streets of Pucallpa rather than just an image about motion. The Post Process: To create the final image, I adjusted the color and contrast in Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) and in Photoshop (PS). As you can see by the unprocessed images, the color and contrast is quite dull and lifeless straight out of the camera. The original file was a JPEG file, and the Picture Style was Standard (I hadn't started using RAW yet). In ACR, the Blacks were increased to 10 to give it the nice deep blacks, which helps to make the bright colors pop even more. A Fill setting of 10 was used to lighten up the foreground moto-taxi a bit, and Clarity +15 and Vibrance +10 were used to give it some, well, clarity and vibrance. In Photoshop, the contrast was increased with Curves using a setting probably close to Medium Contrast. I typically don't make the blacks so black and purposefully lose detail in the shadows, but I was experimenting with this look and it seemed to work well here. The image was sharpened using Unsharpen Mask, probably at Amount: 85 or 100, Radius: 1, and Threshold: 4. Now I would try being more aggressive with the Amount and Radius, but I am not sure the 8MP JPEG file from the Rebel XT would withstand much more without starting to degrade. Somewhere along the way, either in ACR or PS, the color temperature was also changed to warm it up a little, which is more in keeping with the afternoon sun of the Amazon region. I didn't crop the image at all, as you can see. It is best to try to get the framing you want when you capture the photo, but I am somewhat surprised myself that I did it so well. I once had a photo teacher in college who complimented me on my ability to capture the frame and not need to crop. I just thought that was the way one was supposed to take a photo! Thankfully I still sometimes demonstrate that ability. The Final Image: Canon Rebel XT, 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II at 50mm, ISO 100, f/14, 1/20s The Lesson: We should always learn from our photos, so that next time we are in a similar situation, we can create an even better image. Some improvements I could have made to this image include using a neutral density (ND) filter or a polarizing filter. This would have given me more control over the range of aperture settings that the camera selected and allowed for a wider-open aperture so that the far distance became more of a blur. A polarizing filter would have also helped to darken the bits of sky that appear. And as I mentioned above, a shutter speed of 1/30 would have still created the blur, but would have been slightly easier to hand-hold without creating unwanted blur in the background due to camera shake. This image was chosen to be used on the cover of the programs for the Brooklyn Philharmonic's Nuevo Latino Festival in 2009. Incredibly, the near square crop of the image works really well too: So hopefully you can see from this explanation and from my previous posts that photographs don't necessarily just happen. They are created through a combination of thought processes, a series of decisions, and the application of camera settings based on these decisions and on the situation at hand - plus some controlled chance!

Buy a Canon or Nikon dSLR and get a Free eBook User's Guide!

dojoklo — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 20:55:37 +0000

Buy your new Canon 60D, Rebel T3i (EOS 600D) or T2i (EOS 550D) or your new Nikon D7000 from Amazon.com, or any other camera equipment or lens over $300, using the links to Amazon I'm providing below, and I will send you a FREE copy of my new eBook user's guide and tutorial for that camera, either Your World 60D, Canon T3i Experience, T2i Experience, or Nikon D7000 Experience. Keep reading for details - PLEASE read this all carefully so that the process is done correctly! You can learn all about my different ebooks here: Your World 60D Canon T3i Experience T2i Experience Nikon D7000 Experience They are designed to help get you up and running with your digital SLR quickly and competently so that you can begin to consistently take the types of images you want to capture. The Canon 60D, T3i (600D), T2i (550D), and Nikon D7000 are advanced tools, and these guides explains how to use them to their full potential. In order to claim your free PDF format eBook, you must: 1. Purchase a Canon 60D, T3i (600D), T2i (550D), or Nikon D7000 camera from Amazon.com, or any other camera equipment or lens over $300, using one of the links below under the images. 2. I recommend that you make sure the seller of the camera is Amazon.com and not another retailer, although a purchase from any retailer on the Amazon.com site will qualify. 3. E-mail me immediately after ordering and let me know exactly which camera, what version of the camera (body or kit), or other equipment, and what date you placed the order - doug(at)dojoklo(dot)com 4. Once I confirm the purchase and shipment of the product in my Amazon Associates account, I will send you the eBook PDF file! (Amazon doesn't provide me with any info about buyers or your transactions - only a list of what product was bought through my referrals and when it was bought - hence rule #3 above so that I can attempt to corroborate it.) Amazon.com Links you must use to be eligible for the free eBook: Canon EOS 60D (Body Only) Canon EOS 60D with 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens - Nikon D7000 with 18-105mm lens on Amazon.com Nikon D7000 body only on Amazon.com - Canon EOS Rebel T3i (Body Only) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens - Canon EOS Rebel T2i (Body Only) Canon EOS Rebel T2i with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens ~~~~~ Link for any other Amazon.com purchase And due to popular request, if you are in the UK, here is my new referral link to Amazon UK For those wishing to purchase from B+H Photo, just click the button below: If the purchase does not register in my Amazon (or B+H) referral report, it was somehow not completed correctly, and I can not send out the free ebook - sorry! If you use one of the above links to enter Amazon (or B+H), shop around, fill your cart, and complete your purchase all during the same session, all will work fine. If you already have your dSLR and still want a copy of the eBook, to get yourself up-and-running and using these cameras to their full potential, you can purchase them here at my website bookstore, Full Stop. good writing for better photography. Kindle and Nook versions are available, and Sony e-reader versions coming soon! ****** Should you buy the kit lens? Now the next issue is, should you buy the Canon 60D, T3i, or T2i with the kit lens or not? You can learn more about whether or not you should buy the kit lens in this previous post of mine. That being said, the 18-135mm kit lens for the 60D will provide a nice, general, all-purpose focal range. And so for once I don't have any problem with this kit lens at all! In fact, it is one of my suggested One Lens for Travel lenses.

The Difference Between f/4 vs. f/2.8

dojoklo — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 03:34:29 +0000

This weekend I followed my own advice, and rented a lens to try out before deciding whether or not to buy it. As I suggest in my post Why You Shouldn't Buy the Kit Lens, if you are considering purchasing an expensive lens or want to compare a couple similar lenses to decide which one to go with, rent one or both of them for a day or a weekend, and see how you like using them. Check with camera stores near you, or look into online lens rental sites that mail the lens to you, like LensRentals.com. I went to Calumet to rent, since there is a store near me and it's pretty cheap for the weekend rate. (click on any product links in the text to view the lenses on Amazon.com) I rented the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L since I'm curious how it compares to the Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS. While they have a similar focal-length range and can each serve as a great walk-around lens for everyday use, they have some differences that make it difficult to choose between the two. The 24-70mm is larger, significantly heavier (2.1 lbs. vs. 1.48 lbs.) and extends externally as you zoom. The 24-105mm has an internal zoom mechanism, and also has image stabilization (IS). But a major difference is the maximum aperture: f/2.8 vs. f/4. click here to view these images larger on Flickr - from the garden at the Longfellow House, Cambridge, MA The wider maximum aperture of the 24-70mm makes it a "faster" lens, allowing it to be used in lower light, although the IS of the 24-105mm can make up for that shortcoming. Visually, the wider maximum aperture allows for shallower depth of field (dof) which provides more dramatically blurred backgrounds, or bokeh. While I have resisted using the term bokeh in my writing, I can't really avoid it in this discussion because the difference between f/4 vs. f/2.8 is all in the bokeh. The above image demonstrates what that means. It refers to the "circles of confusion" of the out-of-focus areas of an image - their size, shape, edges, and quality. Both of the images are taken with the 24-70mm lens - at f/4 on the left, and f/2.8 on the right. You can see that while they both demonstrate dramatically shallow depth of field and background blurring, the image taken with the aperture set at f/2.8 shows a smoother blend of the background colors and contrasts. The images are from the garden of the Longfellow House in Cambridge, MA. When I got my Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS lens, I chose the f/4 version rather than the f/2.8 IS version because it was smaller and significantly lighter, and I knew I would not dread using it on a long day of shooting as I feared I would with the 3.24 pound f/2.8 IS version. Three and a quarter pounds! (According to the Canon website. I'm not sure if that is right - Amazon says it is 2.9 lbs.) Anyway, that kind of weight might be an important consideration for someone traveling with a lens or using it for consecutive full days of shooting. I know it is a consideration for me. So, even though I got the f/4, I've wondered what I have been missing image-wise by not being able to open up to f/2.8. So I took these two images with the 24-70mm to see the difference, and it is more considerable than I had thought it would be. I was very pleased with the 24-70mm. I had been concerned that I would want more range on the telephoto end, and I did end up with a lot of images taken at the 70mm focal length, but I didn't usually feel like I needed or wanted to zoom in any closer. It really is a great range for everyday use. It is a big lens, but other than the weight, it feels great and is comfortable to use. You can't deny its image quality, the bokeh is wonderful, but the weight is still a consideration and may dissuade me in the end. Here is a great site at The-Digital-Picture.com to compare lenses, side by side. You can compare test images taken at various focal lengths and apertures. I will leave all the pixel peeping and debating of the merits of the 24-70mm vs. the 24-105mm to the forums, and just share a few photos I took with the 24-70mm at the Harvard Museum of Natural History and the adjoining Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. All the images are hand-held, without flash, in very low lighting. The leaves and flowers in the images below are from the world renowned glass flower collection. Yes, they are made entirely of glass! Even those fall leaves. It is mind boggling, especially when viewing them in person. If you are considering buying any of these lenses from Amazon.com, please use the links above, and I will get a little something for referring you. Or use this link to go directly to Amazon.com. I appreciate your support! glass leaves above, glass flowers below. yes 100% made of glass!

Own Your Own Zip Code

dojoklo — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 12:42:39 +0000

A few months ago, back in June, photographer Scott Bourne had a post on his GoingPro2010.com website about marketing tips for photography businesses. Tip number seven was:

"Own your own zip code. Don’t worry about taking over the world. Just try to make a big splash in your own zip code. Put a brochure or business card under the door of every business in your area. Meet people. Give free slide shows and photo talks in your neighborhood. Be known as the neighborhood photographer before trying to be a big hit on the national circuit."

I took that to heart, and soon after I moved to Cambridge, MA I got involved with Cambridge Local First, the organization for locally owned businesses. I began taking photos for their upcoming 2011 Local Business Directory, portraits of some of their members and of Cambridge city councillors, and I photographed some of their events. And now, just a few months later, the business directory - illustrated exclusively with my images on the cover and inside - is available at local businesses and universities and visible to everyone throughout Cambridge (a total of eight zip codes)!

Interviews with Humanitarian Photographers

dojoklo — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 15:36:57 +0000

One of my favorite Friday reads is the 10Q Interviews with Humanitarian Photographers on Heber Vega's blog. As suggested by the title, he interviews a different humanitarian, travel, or culture photographer each week, asking them a similar series of questions and sharing several of their photos. I was fortunate to be interviewed by him a few months ago. It is a wonderful resource for any photographer who works in the field or especially one who aspires to do this type of work. You can learn a great deal from the experiences of those who have been at it for awhile. This week's edition, with photographer Jake Lyell, is especially candid about the process of becoming and working as a humanitarian photographer. As you can see from his responses, it is a slow, hard road requiring an incredible amount of persistence. I encourage you to jump over there and have a look at these great interviews. Map by Diego Gutierrez, 1562 - Peabody Museum, Harvard

Your World 60D

dojoklo — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 02:51:11 +0000

The Still Photographer's Guide to Operation and Image Creation With the Canon 60D

YW60D-Amazon thumb w-Kindle

dojoklo — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 15:45:50 +0000

Essential Digital Photography Books

dojoklo — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 18:51:26 +0000

There are countless books available about digital photography, ranging from general over-encompassing guides to specific texts on lighting or composition. Many of them discuss basically the same topics, and after reading and absorbing a few, you begin to pick up only a few new tips or pieces of knowledge here and there. But I've put together a list of what I think are the best books for digital photography out there. These are the ones I believe you should read first, the ones that will give you the maximum bang for the buck, and which are consistently full of solid, useful information. They are divided into categories of Camera Guides for specific cameras, Digital Photography Guides for general information and composition, Lighting and Flash, and Post-Production for Photoshop and Lightroom. You can click on each title to take you directly to Amazon.com. If you purchase through these links Amazon will reward me with a small referral fee, so I appreciate you helping to support my photography work and my effort of creating all these links! Camera Guides First, of course, are my e book user's guides! So far I have written one for each of these cameras: Nikon D7000 - Nikon D7000 Experience Canon Rebel T3i / 600D - Canon T3i Experience Canon 60D - Your World 60D Canon Rebel T2i/ 550D - T2i Experience You can learn about all of them at my Full Stop ebook bookstore, (www.dojoklo.com/Full_Stop/). They are also available in Kindle and Nook versions. Learn how to set up and customize the menus, settings, and functions of your Canon T3i / 600D, Nikon D7000, Canon 60D, or Canon T2i / 550D. Then start to learn to use your powerful dSLR to its full potential so that you can improve your photography and consistently take better photos! Download your ebook instantly and start learning right away. Canon 7D: From Snapshots to Great Shots by Nicole S. Young This series of camera user's guides is one of the few that really gets it. They explain everything in a way that is clear and easy to understand and put to use. They don't get bogged down in confusing technical explanations, but instead present everything in a straightforward, user-friendly manner. The books explain not only how to use the camera, but how to use it to take better photos. Highly recommended for someone relatively new to digital SLR photography who wants to quickly learn to use their camera and improve their photography. Canon EOS 60D: From Snapshots to Great Shots by Nicole Young By the same author as the above book. It has not been released yet, but should prove to be just as good. While you are waiting for guides specific to the 60D to come out, please have a look at my eBook Your World 60D, listed later in this section. Canon EOS Rebel T2i / 550D: From Snapshots to Great Shots by Jeff Revell Another book in the above series. David Busch’s Canon EOS 7D Guide to Digital SLR Photography by David Busch David Busch's camera guides are all excellent books, and will help you really get to know and understand all the features and functions of you camera. They are clear and straightforward enough for the beginner, yet are also in-depth and technical for the intermediate and advanced dSLR user. Highly recommended as an essential, more comprehensive, useful, and easy to understand manual than the one that comes with your camera. David Busch’s Canon EOS 60D Guide to Digital SLR Photography by David Busch If you need this guide for the 60D, it has not be released yet, so make use of his 7D Guide or my Your World 60D eBook below while you wait. David Busch’s Canon EOS Rebel T2i / 550D Guide to Digital SLR Photography by David Busch See the description of his 7D Guide above David Busch’s Canon EOS 5D Mark II Guide to Digital SLR Photography by David Busch See the description of his 7D Guide above Digital Photography Guides Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson I recommend this book throughout my blog for anyone who is new to digital SLR photography or ready to take their camera off Auto or Program and needs to learn and understand the relationship between aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. It is the go-to book to help you learn these essential settings, take control of your dSLR and image making process, and start to use aperture priority and shutter priority modes. Learning to See Creatively by Bryan Peterson By the same author as above. Once you have control of your camera after reading Understanding Exposure, you will quickly discover you need to learn how to make better compositions in order to take better photos. This book can help start you on this process. His best piece of advice is to think about and use different, more dynamic points of view in your photos. Taking a photo of a flower? What would the image look like from the flower's point of view? Simple but brilliant. The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos by Michael Freeman As I just said above, once you get control of your camera and its settings after reading some of the other camera and photo guides, you may wonder why your photos aren't improving as quickly as you had hoped. That is when you need to turn to this book. It is a unique book for teaching photographic composition - which is an often difficult concept to teach beyond the basics. Most books explain concepts such as the rule of thirds or depth of field, but this book takes it to a whole new level. And he walks the reader through the example images describing the process and decisions he makes as he works a scene (which must be what inspired my Deconstructing the Shot series of posts!) It is a challenging book, and it takes some experience with working at photography and applying the basic composition techniques and experiencing specific problems and frustrations before one can get the most out of this book. So if it is too heavy for you at first reading, come back to it after you have worked at it some more. This is perhaps my favorite photography book, and I wish there were more out there that were as helpful as this one. I re-read it every few months to set these concepts into my brain. Read this other guy's gushing review to see the effect this book has on photographers! The Photographer's Mind: How to See and Shoot Better Digital Photos by Michael Freeman Every time I read Freeman's The Photographer's Eye, I lament, usually aloud, "why doesn't he have more books like this?" Then I did some more research and discovered an older book of his, Achieving Photographic Style, from 1984. It blew me away - it is just as good as Photographer's Eye, but a bit dated in many ways, as it discusses the photographic trends of that period and it is pre-digital. Again, I lamented, "why can't he update this book for today?" Well, my pleas appear to have been answered. His next book The Photographer's Mind has just come out. I haven't seen it yet, but I immediately ordered my copy from Amazon. Pro Photographer’s D-SLR Handbook by Michael Freeman This is a comprehensive handbook for everything about digital photography from equipment, lighting and accessories, to technical explanations of settings and concepts, to post-production including Photoshop and printing. It covers a lot of topics, but gives good, solid information. Like its title says, it is a handbook that is extremely handy to have as a reference guide for everything related to digital SLR photography. Essential for any serious intermediate dSLR photographer, especially one wanting to go pro. The Digital Photography Book (Volume 1) by Scott Kelby Scott Kelby's series of books are good for the beginning or intermediate dSLR photographer. Some claim that everything they know about digital photography they learned from Scott Kelby. Other reviewers on Amazon don't think he's so great. Never-the-less, he doesn't get caught up in technical explanations, but rather just tells you what settings and equipment to use and how to do something. The page-by-page brief topics each give starting points for anyone confused about the variety of subjects they may be trying to absorb from all the other books. For example, every Photoshop book explains Unsharpen Mask, but then leaves you totally clueless as to where to even start with the three sliders. Kelby simply tells you what numbers to use. (Actually that may have been from one of his Photoshop books, but that is the type of info he provides.) Keep in mind, all of his advice is intended as starting points. His word is not gospel, it is to help you begin and then you can experiment and learn from your own experience after that. These are not books to teach you the basics of digital photography, but are rather a collection of various, almost random tips about a wide variety of photo topics. Keep in mind, his instructions are not the only way to do something, and sometimes they are actually very round-about ways of doing things that can be done much more simply. His humor is annoying to some and the equipment he uses may be totally unnecessary for how you work, so take what you read with a grain of salt. As a studio photographer, Kelby is especially knowledgeable about flash and lighting. There are three books in this series, which can also be bought as a set, as seen below. The Digital Photography Book, Volume 2 by Scott Kelby See above description of The Digital Photography Book. The Digital Photography Book, Volume 3 by Scott Kelby See above description of The Digital Photography Book. Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Boxed Set, Volumes 1, 2, and 3 by Scott Kelby See above description of The Digital Photography Book. National Geographic Photography Field Guide: Secrets to Making Great Pictures, Second Edition by Peter Burian and Bob Caputo This is a great general guide to photography, with insightful and useful nuggets of information from some of the best Nat Geo pros, like Sam Abell and Michael Nichols. However, it is a bit dated, from the films days at the verge of digital. But I feel it is still worth reading because the essentials of image making remain unchanged. The updated version is below, but I have not yet seen it, and it may be all new with different content. Maybe see if your library has this one. National Geographic Ultimate Field Guide to Photography: Revised and Expanded by National Geographic I haven't yet seen this updated version, but based on the previous edition as well as the Travel Photography version, it is bound to be good. National Geographic Ultimate Field Guide to Travel Photography by Scott Stuckey This is an excellent introduction to most everything you need to know to work as a travel photographer with helpful information for both beginner and more advanced photographers that isn't found in most other travel photography books. And it contains valuable contributions from several professional travel photographers like Bob Krist and Catherine Karnow. However, its title is annoying because it is not in any way a field guide. It is not designed as a quick and easy reference to any of the topics it covers, as the term field guide would imply, but rather it is a book to read before your travels, and a book to read to learn the realities of working as a travel photographer. It is also a book about how to take travel photos in the visual and editorial style of Nat Geo Traveler magazine. I highly recommend this book for someone who is truly interested in becoming a commercial travel photographer, as it competently and thoroughly covers numerous aspects of this vocation - technical, logistical, and perhaps most importantly, learning how to tell a story through photographs. Or if you don't wish to become a pro travel photographer but want to learn to capture better travel images, it will be most helpful for someone whose travel style truly accommodates the time and effort if takes to make great travel images. Within the Frame: The Journey of Photographic Vision by David DuChemin VisionMongers: Making a Life and Living in Photography by David DuChemin Rick Sammon's Complete Guide to Digital Photography 2.0: Taking, Making, Editing, Storing, Printing, and Sharing Better Digital Images by Rick Sammon Rick Sammon’s Travel and Nature Photography by Rick Sammon Lighting and Flash Available Light: Photographic Techniques for Using Existing Light Sources by Don Marr This is a simple, straightforward book that immediately changed the way I see light and the way I photograph using natural light. You often hear the idea of "taking your photography to the next level." This book doesn't itself make that claim, yet it is one of the few photography books that can actually deliver that result. It is short, easy to read and to understand, and immediately applicable to your work. Many books discuss light - it's direction, intensity, quality, softness, color - and you think, "Yeah! I'm keenly aware of different light and how it falls on my subject." But did that knowledge suddenly help you to take better photos? Many books never fully take it the next step and really explain how to seek out, modify, and use this light. You may or may not be able to then figure it all out on your own. I thought I had until I read this book. It actually guides you in exactly the right direction and truly helps to open your eyes to the intensity, direction, and quality of natural light, and then teaches you to work with it and modify it to create the softness/ hardness, direction, color, and intensity you want, whether you are working on an overcast day, at high noon, inside, outdoors, or any other type of situation. It makes one suddenly aware of the existence and potential use of natural reflectors everywhere which will help give you the lighting you want: a wall, the ground, a pole. And it explains the important concept and effective practice of subtractive lighting, used to even-out or create the desired lighting instead of turning to flash to artificially add to existing lighting. The concepts in this book are so obvious and intuitive I didn't even write down a single note while reading it the first time. Then the next week I used what I learned and took one of the nicest, best lit spontaneous portraits I have ever taken. While many are happily joining the Strobist camp, this book offers a refreshing and viable alternative to that never-ending accumulation of lighting equipment and techniques, and should be read by off-camera-flash fans as well so they can learn to look for beautiful natural lighting alternatives that will give them as-good or even better images, before setting up their lighting equipment and knocking down the natural light in order to rebuild it artificially. However the author is not against the (limited) use of flash, and certainly not against reflectors, and discusses their use in different situations. I highly recommend this book to photographers of every level. It is a wonderful book for beginners or intermediate photographers so that they can be aware of, understand, and use these concepts from the start, and it is just as helpful for advanced photographers who may intuitively practice some of the techniques, but will certainly become aware of even greater potential and opportunities in the use of available light. As you can see, I'm pretty enthusiastic about this book. I even contacted the publisher and asked them for a copy that I could use as a free give-away here on my blog, and indeed they are sending me one! Details on the free give-away coming soon! On-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography by Neil van Niekerk The Complete Guide to Light & Lighting in Digital Photography by Michael Freeman Post-Production The Adobe Photoshop CS5 Book for Digital Photographers by Scott Kelby Scott Kelby is the founder and head of NAPP, the Photoshop users' organization, so I don't have any qualifications with the Photoshop and Lightroom recommendations as I did with his photo books above. The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 Book for Digital Photographers by Scott Kelby Adobe Photoshop CS4 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques by Chris Orwig Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques by Chris Orwig And of course in able to make use of the Photoshop and Lightroom books, you are going to need the software! Adobe Photoshop CS4 and/ or Adobe Lightroom 3 are the latest versions. Photoshop CS4 has the amazing and revolutionary content aware fill, which takes cloning and spot healing to a whole new dimension. And Lightroom has quickly become the tool of choice for photographers to work on their images. (Descriptions of some of the above books still to come!)

Coming Soon: Photo Book Give-Away!

dojoklo — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 15:45:47 +0000

If you read yesterday's post about Essential Books for Digital Photography, you will see I am pretty enthusiastic about a couple photo books in particular. One of them that I think is really wonderful, and which really opened my eyes recently, is Available Light by Don Marr. I discussed it in depth in yesterday's post, so I won't repeat that here. But anyway, I liked it so much, I contacted the publisher (Amherst Media) and asked them to send me a copy to use as a free give-away on my blog. And they enthusiastically agreed to this! So stay tuned for the free photo book give-away, which I will initiate as soon as I have the book in hand, hopefully sometime around Oct. 15. Here is a photo I took immediately after reading the book, putting what I learned to use. Notice the amazing glow of the 100% natural, available light. This was taken on an afternoon with bright sunlight, by placing the subject under an overpass to control the direction and intensity of the light.

YW60D-Amazon thumb w-Kindle

dojoklo — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 17:34:51 +0000

Real World 60D

dojoklo — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 17:36:10 +0000

A Still Photographer's Guide to Operation and Image Creation With the Canon 60D

IMG_5545-02s

dojoklo — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 17:37:57 +0000

number 3

dojoklo — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 20:28:25 +0000

Number Three eBook - Wait, Number One!

dojoklo — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 20:40:07 +0000

I just happened to see that my eBook, Your World 60D, is number three in Kindle eBooks in the Photography - Equipment category, and number five in the Photography - Reference category! So, I'm pretty excited about that. OK, so they update that ranking every hour, and I've probably dropped back down to 15, but for that brief shining moment...! edit (11/10/2010-12/16/2010) Actually, it has moved up to number one spot in both the Equipment and Reference categories, and pretty much stayed there over the past month! And, it is in the top 1% off all Kindle books sold on Amazon (over 600,000 titles). Learn about the eBook Your World 60D and how to buy it in this post here. I'm pretty proud to be up there with the David Busch guide, which I've praised many times on this blog, and the On-Camera Flash book, which I pulled out to study last night and which helped me immensely on my assignment this morning in a fluorescent lit office space. Nothing like the satisfaction of gelling the strobe properly to balance ambient light to the flash-lit subject and not having to mess with color balance in Photoshop. Plus his advice on where to aim and bounce the flash to best illuminate single and multiple subjects is priceless. 45 degrees up and forward usually is not the best you can do. On-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography by Neil van Niekerk is definitely not just for wedding photographers, but for anyone using a flash. His techniques can show you that multiple off-camera strobes are not necessary for good event or assignment lighting. I'll be starting a give-away of a similar book, about natural light, from the same publisher later this week. If that goes well, I'm going to request a copy of this flash book for the next give-away.

"Available Light" Book Free Give-Away!

dojoklo — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 16:06:38 +0000

I am giving away a free copy of an excellent book about photographing in natural light, Available Light: Photographic Techniques for Using Existing Light Sources by Don Marr!! Read on to see how to take part in the give-away. CONTEST CLOSED! The contest ended Nov. 8, 2010. I will go to Random.org and have it select and announce the winner tonight (Nov. 9). I recently came across this book and found it incredibly helpful. Unlike most photo books that merely tell you about front lighting or side lighting or diffused overcast lighting and then don't go into much practical detail, this book actually explains how to seek out, modify, and use natural light - in all its forms - to take better photos. It demonstrates that off-camera flash is not necessary for better photos, even in less-than-ideal lighting situations. I wrote much more about this book in my Essential Digital Photography Books post. This book can be yours! - The free copy of Available Light by Don Marr, donated by Amherst Media, photographed on my floor in the available window light. I liked the book so much that I contacted the publisher, Amherst Media, and asked them for a copy that I could give away on my blog here. They enthusiastically agreed, and I have just received the book from them. How to Enter: Just leave a comment for this post. If you don't see the comment form immediately below the post, look under the title of this post and click on where it says "... comments." Or just click HERE. Put in whatever comment you want. If you wish, let me know how you came across my blog (Yahoo/ Google search, Twitter, regular reader, etc.), and if you are a regular reader or plan to become one, let me know what you enjoy reading about here and what photography topics and/or equipment you would like to read more about. I will leave this post open for comments for three weeks, until Monday November 8 at 11:59pm. At that time all the comments will be numbered in the order they were received and posted. They may not be published immediately as I have to approve them - in the order received - to prevent spam. I will then use the True Random Number Generator on Random.org to choose a random number and select the winner. Decision is final! Contest is open to those with United States mailing addresses only! Good luck! If you don't win or just wish to check out the book Available Light on Amazon, you can click here or on the cover: Also, while I have your attention, be sure to check out my new eBooks: Your World 60D - The Still Photographer's Guide to Operation and Image Creation with the Canon EOS 60D. You can read more about it and purchase it in PDF format (also iPad compatible) here on my blog, or it is also available in the Kindle version on Amazon here. T2i Experience - The Still Photographer's Guide to the Canon Rebel T2i / EOS 550D. Learn more about it a purchase it in PDF format here, or in a Kindle version on Amazon.

Canon 50D vs. 60D

dojoklo — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 19:29:05 +0000

I know a lot of readers are interested in a review comparing the Canon 60D vs. 50D. The EOS 60D was recently released, and has caused a lot of discussion as to how it fits into the Canon xxD lineup and progression. I wrote a bit about this comparison in a previous post comparing several of the dSLR cameras in the current Canon line-up (Canon 5D vs 7D vs 60D vs 600D/ T3i and 550D / T2i), but I will go into a bit more detail about how to choose specifically between the 60D and the 50D. As I always like to point out, when you are trying to determine which camera to purchase or upgrade to, you need to first consider and determine your needs, and then see which camera fills those needs. Not the other way around where you look at the new features and speculate if you really need or will use them. Canon EOS 60D vs. 50D: The Canon 60D sort of replaces the 50D, so I suppose people are trying to determine if they should get the latest camera (60D), or if they can save a little bit of money and go with the older model (50D), and then maybe use the leftover savings to invest in nice lenses. The 50D is no longer being manufactured, and new stock of them will only be around until they sell out. Don't expect the price of the 50D to suddenly drop - typically, Canon doesn't need to lower the price of the older model because they control their manufacturing and the timing of the replacement process very well. Unfortunately with digital cameras, they are all somewhat disposable. Yes, even $1000 cameras. Within 5 years or less, your new camera will have become "old," outdated equipment. So the problem with the 2 year old 50D is that it is already approaching that point now. (Actually, in many ways it is 3.5 year old technology, since it shares most every feature of the 40D, including the autofocus system, but with a slightly higher megapixel count.) If you start with one now, in 4 more years its technology will be absolutely archaic! With digital SLRs, I advise buying a recent model, at whatever price range you can currently afford. Of course as with everything in digital photography, this is relative. The 50D is still an excellent camera. The 40D is still an excellent camera. And I just recently went out with a 5 year old 5D Mk I and was thoroughly wowed at how awesome it still is. But camera companies have to keep coming out with new models every 12-18 months because that is what they do. The trouble comes in 2-3 years when your 50D is still perfectly good and still pretty new to you, but it can no longer compete with the latest offerings in terms of megapixels, ISO performance, and autofocus systems. Maybe you will be fine with that and perhaps the 50D will still be serving your needs. But maybe you will have advanced as a photographer and start feeling left behind, wishing you had a more current model. You are going to have to consider that now. As far as my experience with these cameras, I use a 50D weekly, and on professional assignments. It has the megapixel count and the features I need and which make it a powerful, practical, and useful camera. I just spent several weeks writing an eBook user's guide for the 60D, Your World 60D, so I also know that camera inside and out. I said in a previous post,

Since the Canon 60D basically replaces the Canon 50D (well, replacement isn't exactly the right word because the 60D doesn't really follow the 20D to 50D progression of improvements...), the 60D or 50D decision is an easy one. The 50D shouldn't really be considered anymore. While the Canon 50D does hold a couple interesting advantages over the 60D (faster FPS in continuous mode, stronger construction, more comprehensive buttons and controls, complete lack of fun filters like "grainy black and white"), the sensor and exposure metering system have been greatly improved in all the newer cameras (7D or 60D or 500D/ T2i) and I feel these features, along with the increase in mega pixels, outweigh any other 50D advantages. I would definitely choose a 60D instead of a 50D. This is coming from experience, as I use a 50D professionally and on a daily basis. Or choose a 7D instead of a 50D if your needs require it and budget allows it.

I realize this may not be a convincing argument for some, and that they are still interested in possibly choosing the 50D. So here is a more in depth, side by side comparison: Sensor and Image Quality: The 50D has 15 megapixels and the 60D has 18 MP. At the time that the 50D came out, a lot of people were disappointed with the image quality and claimed that they crammed too many megapixels on the 50D sensor and that its image quality and sharpness suffered, especially compared to the 40D. This may be most noticeable in a head to head comparison of images, but I haven't had an issue with this. You need to look at a site like dxomark.com to see actual lab comparisons. It looks like they are incredibly similar, with the 60D having slightly better high ISO performance. Both cameras are capable of taking professional quality images. Exposure Metering: This is where the big advantage of the 60D lies. The 50D has a 35-zone system and the 60D has the latest, more precise 63-zone exposure metering system. They both have 4 metering modes: evaluative, partial, spot, and center weighted. I have found that the 50D overexposes by about 1/3 stop with evaluative metering, so I always had the exposure compensation on -1/3. However, I switched to center weighted metering, and the exposures have generally been fine. From extensive experience with the 7D, which shares the same metering system as the 60D, I feel the new 63-zone system is noticeably superior and determines proper exposure 99% of the time, even in difficult and dramatic lighting situations like back-lit scenes. The 50D does not perform quite that well, and requires occasional use of exposure compensation and switching of metering modes for better exposures. Autofocus: The 50D and the 60D share the same autofocus system, with 9 focus points and three auto focusing modes. The 9 AF points of the are all accurate cross-type. This autofocus system is much less complex than the sophisticated AF system of the 7D with its 19 AF point system and its additional Zone, Spot, and Expansion focus modes (not the same as spot metering mode) - plus the custom settings of the 7D which will allow one to customize how the AF system works. If you are an avid action, sports, or wildlife shooter, or someone who understands, needs, and will use the elaborate features of the 7D AF system, you should consider the 7D. The next, future camera in the 60D price range will inevitably incorporate a better autofocus system, as this 9 point AF system has become dated. Construction: The 60D is slightly smaller and lighter than the 50D, in part because its construction is aluminum and polycarbonate rather than the magnesium alloy of the 50D. They both have some amount of weather sealing, for example in the battery and memory card doors. For most users, including even those using the camera daily or in travel situations, the construction of either of these cameras is far more than good enough, strong enough, and durable enough. ISO: The 60D looks to have slightly better performance with high ISO settings. Again, have a look at dxomark.com to see actual lab comparisons. Controls: As with construction, the buttons and controls vary slightly with these cameras. The 50D has the thumb joystick, called the Multi-controller, used to select focus points and other things. With the 60D this control has been moved to the center of the Quick Control Dial on the back. Since I am so used to the joystick of the 50D and the 7D, I find the new 60D control a bit more cumbersome, and raised slightly too high in relation to the surrounding dial. However, it is easier to select the diagonals (corner AF points) with the 60D controller than with the 50D controller, and I have missed many shots with the 50D due to this difficulty. It may be just fine once one gets accustomed to it. The 60D also assigns only one setting to each of the top buttons and I wish they had retained the 2 settings of the 50D. However, the Q Button and Menu of the 60D make it easy to choose any setting. The 60D also has the locking Mode Dial, which prevents it from moving inadvertently. I think this is a great addition. However, it requires 2 handed operation or careful one hand coordination to change it, which has frustrated some. Menus and Custom Functions: These allow for greater control over customizing how the camera functions. These settings on the 50D and 60D are almost the same except that the 60D also has the additional Movie Mode menu settings. Plus the 60D has the in-camera filters (grainy b+w, toy camera, etc) and processing features (RAW to JPEG, resizing, etc). However, these are all a bit gimmicky and these types of operations can be more easily done in Photoshop and in batches rather than one image at a time in the camera. Since many of the Menu and Custom Function settings can be complicated and confusing, especially to a new dSLR user, my eBook on the 60D, Your World 60D covers all of these options along with my recommended settings to get you up and running quickly! Wireless Flash: Like the 7D, the 60D incorporates wireless flash triggering, which the 50D does not have. It allows you to trigger multiple off camera flashes at different output levels. Articulating LCD Screen: The big new feature of the 60D that no other current Canon dSLR has is the articulating rear LCD screen. This may prove useful for videographers, as well as for setting up compositions while the camera is on a tripod, for macro use, or for using it from unusually low or high vantage points. Some users will be able to avoid buying an expensive angle finder because of this feature. There is also an electronic level in the 60D, visible in the viewfinder, rear LCD, or top LCD. Viewfinder: The 60D has a large, bright viewfinder with 96% coverage of the actual resulting image, a tiny bit better than the 95% of the 50D. Processor: The 60D shares the same Digic 4 processor as the 50D. Continuous Shooting Speed: The 50D can shoot 6.3 consecutive frames per second (fps) and the 60D shoots a slightly slower 5.3 fps in high speed continuous mode. They both also offer 3 fps continuous shooting mode. Again, if you often capture action and really need the higher frame rate, you are going to have to consider the 50D or the 7D, with its blazing 8 fps, which is actually overkill in typical real-life use. Memory Card: The 60D uses the SD memory card like the 550D/T2i, not the CF card of the 7D and 50D. Battery: The 60D uses the LP-E6 battery like the 7D and 5D, which is a nice feature as this battery can often last through a full day of shooting or longer. The 50D uses a slightly smaller battery with less capacity. There is also a battery grip available for the 60D, the BG-E9 which holds your choice of either 2 LP-E6 batteries or 6 AA batteries, to lengthen your shooting time and give you an easier to handle camera if you often switch between shooting horizontal and vertical shots.. Size and Weight: The 50D is slightly larger and heavier than the 60D. Both are a comfortable size and weight, but you should check them out in person to see which feels better for you. AF Microadjustment: The 50D has this feature, the 60D does not. Many are disappointed that the 60D does not include the ability to micro-adjust the focus so that each lens is completely accurate. However, if you have a focus issue, send your camera and/ or lenses to Canon while under warranty and ask them to calibrate them. Full HD video: Of course the 60D offers this capability, while the 50D does not. Flash Sync: A Note to Strobists -the 60D does not have a PC sync flash socket to plug in PC sync cords. The 50D has this. In conclusion, I would like to mention again that I have written an eBook user's guide for the Canon EOS 60D (and one for the Canon Rebel T2i/EOS 550D). After spending so much time studying, experimenting, writing about, comparing, and discussing these cameras, I decided to put some that knowledge into eBook form! Each of these user's guides cover all the Menu settings, Movie Mode menus, and Custom Function settings - with recommended settings - plus discussions of how, when, and why to use the cameras' settings and features, (metering modes, aperture and shutter priority modes, advanced autofocus use, and more) for everyday and travel use, to help you take better photos - Your World 60D and T2i Experience. Learn more about the eBooks by clicking on their titles. As a Winter special, both books are on sale! ***** Purchasing the 60D: If you plan to buy the Canon 60D or any of these cameras through Amazon.com, I would appreciate it if you use this referral link to Amazon or the camera links just below. Your price will be the same, and they will give me a little something for referring you, which will help support my blog. Thanks! Plus, if you buy the 60D from Amazon (body only or with the kit lens) or buy any other equipment or lens over $300, using the referral links to Amazon that I provide, I will send you a free copy of my eBook, Your World 60D!! See this post for details about how to be eligible for this offer. If you are purchasing from Amazon UK or wish to purchase from B+H Photo, please see just below for that info. See the 50D on Amazon. See the 60D on Amazon. See the 7D on Amazon. Thanks, I appreciate your support! If you are in the UK, you can click here for the UK Amazon referral link. If you are in another country, click on one of my Amazon links, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click on your country for your local Amazon. For those interested in purchasing through B+H Photo, I have set up an affiliate link with them as well - just click here to go to B+H, or click the B+H icon here: Accessories and Books: Now that you are on your way to deciding on a camera, you should also start looking into photography gear, accessories, and books. Check out this link, Equipment for Travel Photography, which discusses useful and practical photo accessories and equipment for both everyday and travel photography. This post lists and describes Essential Books for Digital Photography, including the best user's guides for each of these cameras. ***** DPReview has an excellent, very thorough review of the 60D. They concluded that "for the Rebel upgrader it's a better option than a second-hand 40D or 50D in almost every respect." They indicate that for the 30D, 40D or 50D "upgrader," the Canon 7D is the way to go. As I said above, when you are trying to determine which camera to purchase or upgrade to, you need to first consider and determine your needs, and then see which camera fills those needs. Not the other way around. Here is a post I wrote which discusses this, titled How to Choose a New dSLR Camera.

Keshwa Chaca scanSM

dojoklo — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 19:20:01 +0000

Keshwa Chaka ticket 2008

T2i Experience – Canon Rebel T2i / 550D User’s Guide and Tutorial

dojoklo — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 20:22:04 +0000

My second eBook and Canon dSLR camera user's guide is now available! In addition to Real World 60D, the eBook guide for the Canon 60D, I have also written a Canon Rebel T2i / EOS 550D book: T2i Experience - The Still Photographer’s Guide to Operation and Image Creation With the Canon Rebel T2i / EOS 550D Looking for a Canon Rebel T2i / EOS 550D book to help you learn and begin to master your new dSLR? T2i Experience will help you learn how to use your digital SLR, quickly and competently, to create the types of images you want to capture. This camera is an advanced tool, and the guide explains how to use it to its full potential. Begin to take control of your camera, the image taking process, and the photos you create. This instant download eBook guide is for those who wish to get more out of their T2i / 550D, and go beyond Auto or Program mode and shoot in Av mode and Tv mode. While it explains basic dSLR camera functions and exposure concepts for those new to digital SLR photography, it concentrates on teaching more advanced camera controls and operation, such as using the various metering modes and exposure compensation for correct exposure of every image, controlling autofocus modes and focus points for sharp focus of still or moving subjects, and utilizing dramatic depth of field for professional looking photographs. Learning to get the most out of a dSLR can involve a steep learning curve, and I believe my book can help you speed up that process. You can preview it at the following link. The preview shows: -the Table of Contents -the Introduction -a sample Menu Settings page -a sample Custom Functions Settings page -and a sample text page. Preview: http://www.dojoklo.com/writing/T2i_Experience-Preview.pdf See below for where to purchase. Purchase T2i Experience through PayPal here! (or click the PayPal or Credit card check-out button below) This version is in PDF format, text-only, 8.5"x11", which can be read on your computer screen, printed on your printer, taken with you on your laptop, and can also be read on the iPad. Format: PDF - Instant Download Page Count: 48 Price: ~~$11.99~~ now on Sale: $6.99 (plus 6.25% sales tax for residents of Massachusetts) Secure payment with PayPal or Credit card or __________ The Kindle Edition of T2i Experience is also available, at Amazon.com and the Nook Edition is available at BarnesandNoble.com. __________ T2i Experience is a PDF guide that builds upon the information offered by the camera’s manual. In addition to covering the various settings, functions and controls of the Canon T2i / 550D, its lessons explain when and why to use them. It also describes every Menu setting and Custom Function setting, with recommended settings, including Movie Mode menus. Note that it focuses on still photography and not video except for a brief introduction to menus and important video settings to get you started. Sections include:

Setting Up Your T2i - All of the Menu settings and Custom Function settings, including movie mode menus, with brief descriptions and recommended settings for practical, everyday use. Set up and customize the advanced features of the T2i to work best for the way you photograph.
Aperture Priority Mode (Av) and Shutter Priority Mode (Tv) - How and when to use them to create dramatic depth of field or to freeze or express motion.
Auto Focusing Modes and Drive Modes - How they differ, how and when to use them to capture sharp images of both still and moving subjects. Also how and when to use focus lock and back-button focusing.
Exposure Metering Modes - How they differ, how and when to use them for correct exposures in every situation. Also how to make use of exposure lock.
Histograms, Exposure Compensation, Bracketing, and White Balance - Understanding and using these features for adjusting to the proper exposure in challenging lighting situations.
Lenses - Explanation of Canon lenses and choosing your next lens.
Composition - Brief tips, techniques, and explanations, including the creative use of depth of field.
The Image Taking Process - A descriptive tutorial for using the settings and controls you just learned to take photos.
Photography Accessories - The most useful accessories for day-to-day and travel photography
Introduction to Video Settings - Some basic settings to get you started

This digital field guide to the Canon Rebel T2i / EOS 550D is a 48 page, PDF format text-only document, full of helpful information. It can also be purchased through PayPal on my website bookstore, Full Stop - good writing for better photography. Buy your T2i from Amazon.com using my Amazon referral links and get a copy of this eBook for free! See this post for details on how to be eligible for this offer. Master your Canon T2i and learn to use it to its full capabilities! And if you have a Canon 60D, be sure to check out Your World 60D - The Still Photographer's Guide to Operation and Image Creation with the Canon EOS 60D.

T2i Experience

dojoklo — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 20:33:03 +0000

The Still Photographer's Guide to Operation and Image Creation With the Canon T2i/550D

T2i Experience

dojoklo — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 20:33:04 +0000

The Still Photographer's Guide to Operation and Image Creation With the Canon T2i/550D

T2i Kindle Amazon thumb

dojoklo — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 21:14:17 +0000

Deconstructing the Shot - Photo 3

dojoklo — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 18:23:33 +0000

This post is the third in an occasional series in which I describe the making of a photograph, from both a technical and artistic standpoint. I'll go through the camera settings and why they were chosen, as well as the thought processes going through my head regarding composition and the creation of the image. These types of posts will be concrete examples of a previous post of mine called How Pros Photograph, which describes the various decisions that may be going through a photographer's head as they work a scene and make photos. The first post in this series can be read here, and the second post is here. This one can be called the Aperture Edition, as you will learn below. The Photo: The photo I've selected for this example is one I took in Cusco, Peru in June 2008, called Men on Avenida el Sol. It was taken during the Cusco Week festivities, which is a series of events, dances, parades, and performances leading up to Inti Raymi, the Inca Festival of the Sun that occurs each year at the solstice. The wonderful thing about this week of activities is that it offers so many opportunities for a photographer to capture cultural, dance, and people photos. And because they are all public events where people expect, and even enjoy being photographed, it eliminates the difficulties and hesitations many photographers have about approaching individuals for photographs - although that is something any serious photographer needs to overcome, and it is actually quite easy. You approach the subject, make direct eye contact, and ask, "Do you mind if I take a photograph of you?" If they speak another language, hold up and nod towards your camera with a cheerful, inquisitive look on your face. They will either agree or not - problem solved! Although I took hundreds of photos of the events over the week, I selected this one for this exercise because I learned something very definitively in the process of capturing it. More on that later. Although great subjects and action are directly in front of you during a parade or performance, there is a bit more to capturing good photos than just clicking away. I write a bit about that, with some tips and suggestions, in this post Cambridge Carnival. This particular event was a parade down a main street of Cusco leading into the central plaza. I've created some strips of photos to show a selection of images as I worked this scene: The Process: I was heading back home after taking dance photos in the plaza, and made my way down Avenida el Sol looking for additional quick shots. Most of the people and groups were standing about, waiting to move forward to perform or parade through the plaza, where the spectators were, so there were not many interesting opportunities. However, this group of older men captured my attention due to their wonderful expressive faces and their colorful traditional outfits. My intention was merely to capture these faces and subjects. However, they were a bit bored, just standing around waiting, so you can see most of the images do not really stand out. I was using a Canon Rebel XT with a 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II lens. I stood on the sidewalk near the group, and set my camera on Aperture Priority mode (Av on Canon, A on Nikon). This was so I could control the depth of field and call attention to single or multiple subjects and make the background a bit blurry and less distracting. I experimented with various aperture settings, ranging from f/4.5 to f/13 depending on if I wanted one of the men to be in focus or a row of two or three of them to be in focus. A wide open aperture such as f/4.5 will have a narrow depth of field so that just one of the men is in focus, where a narrower aperture such as f/8 or f/11 will have a deeper depth of field so that the entire row of men might be in focus. With the wide apertures, I focused on the eyes of the man I wanted in-focus, and with narrower apertures, I focused about 1/3 or 1/2 way into the area I wanted to be in focus, meaning if there was a row of three faces, I focused on the middle one. The ISO was set at 200 which allowed the camera to choose fast shutter speeds of around 1/1000 s. This is because I had been capturing dance and action scenes, and wanted to be ready for the same. The metering mode was set on the general Evaluative Metering, which did a decent job of capturing the proper exposures. A couple images were mysteriously overexposed, possibly due to where I locked exposure while I was locking focus - which is why I now use a back-button focusing technique and/or lock exposures separately from focus. White Balance was set on Auto, but would have worked on Sunny as well. As you hopefully know by now, depth of field is controlled by the aperture setting. I write more about it in these posts Depth of Field Simplified and Mastering Depth of Field. Since your specific depth of field in any situation will vary based not only on the aperture setting but also on the lens focal length and your distance from the subject, it is often difficult to predetermine what exactly is going to be in focus in the resulting image. You can try using the depth of field preview button on your camera, but it is difficult to see in the tiny, dim viewfinder what the preview is showing. You can also use your rear LCD and trial and error to view a series of experiments. But again, this is only a small screen with relatively low resolution, so it is difficult to see the precise results. And in many situations you simply don't have the time for these methods. You just have to get a feel for your lenses and their different apertures through experience and studying your results. But one thing is certain: to get minimum, shallow depth of field and thus maximum background blurriness with any lens, zoom in as close as you can, (for example, zoom to 200mm on a 70-200mm lens) situate yourself as close as you can to your subject while still obtaining the framing you want, and use the widest aperture possible (for example f/2.8 or f/4). Work back from that if you wish to increase the depth of field - for example to have a slightly deeper depth of field in focus, use an aperture of f/5 or f/5.6, or increase your distance away from the subject, or remain close but use a shorter focal length like 28mm or 50mm. As you can see, most of the images are very "busy," with a lot of extraneous and distracting background people and activity. I wasn't very pleased with the images, but I continued to take basically the same image over and over. I knew the faces, outfits, and colors were interesting, and I hoped the resulting images would be as well. I zoomed in as close as I could with most of the images, working in the 75mm to 105mm range of my lens. However, without a lens that had the 100mm to 200mm range, I could not zoom closer and could not obtain the "compression" I was looking for, where the more distant faces would appear to be closer behind the closest subject. What I didn't do that I should have been doing, instead of trying to take the same photo over and over, was to change my position and point of view. Doing so would change the backgrounds, perhaps make them less busy or distracting (such as the spectators and the white sign), and would allow for the camera to be on the same level or looking up towards the subjects rather than looking slightly down at them. I took a series of 60 images over a period of 7.5 minutes. Besides the selected image, only a couple other ones are mildly interesting. I knew I wasn't capturing what I wanted, my companion was becoming impatient, and eventually I decided to move on. But then I took a few final images. My point of view had slightly changed. I was directly to the side of the men and slightly closer. The last image finally got what I had wanted. It stands out dramatically among all the other ones. It is more simple and straightforward, less cluttered, and the subjects fill the frame. The Post Process: To create the final image, I adjusted the color and contrast in Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) and in Photoshop (PS). As you can see by the unprocessed images, the color and contrast is a little dull and lifeless straight out of the camera. The original file was a JPEG file, and the Picture Style was Standard (I hadn't started using RAW yet). In ACR, the Blacks were increased to about 7 or 10 to give it the nice deep blacks, which helps to make the bright colors pop even more. Some Recovery was used to bring back the overexposed highlights on the man's face. Clarity and Vibrance were used to give it some, well, clarity and vibrance. In Photoshop, the contrast was increased with Curves using the preset setting of Linear Contrast. In Levels, the midtones were darkened to .93 to give a deeper more realistic color to the faces. I did some additional burning on the faces to try to reduce the hot-spots. The image was sharpened using Unsharpen Mask, probably at Amount: 85 or 100, Radius: 1, and Threshold: 4. I may have used the Hue/Saturation to reduce the saturation and lightness of the red color, though I should have done that a little more, as you can see by the man's face which appears too red and the rear hat where the red is blown out. The Rebel XT sensor, and other digital SLR sensors often overexpose the color red. It is similar to blowing out the highlights, where the color red is blown out and there is just red and not other detail in those areas. You can use the RGB histogram rather than the brightness histogram to monitor for this on the camera's rear LCD screen while reviewing images. I didn't crop the image at all, as you can see. It is best to try to get the framing you want when you capture the photo, especially when using an 8 megapixel camera that doesn't allow for much cropping! (A cropped image would have much lower image quality because the resulting resolution would be much less - it would not allow for much manipulation, and would appear pixellated when enlarged.) The Final Image: Canon Rebel XT, 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II at 93mm, ISO 200, f/5, 1/1000s The Lesson: We should always learn from our photos, so that next time we are in a similar situation, we can create an even better image. The valuable lesson I learned in this situation, in addition to perhaps always grabbing one final frame, is to make a change when the composition is not working. Change your perspective, angle, or point of view. Zoom in or out to change the framing. Don't continue to take the same image that isn't working, over and over again. If the subject is interesting, there is an interesting composition that can be found to best express that subject. Mentally envision the scene from a variety of positions and angles, and move around the scene as much as possible to see the options. Some other improvements I could have made to this image include using a polarizing filter. Because I was working in the bright, harsh mid-day sun at a high altitude, this could have improved the exposure, color rendition, and contrast of the original image. Since it was overexposed a bit, causing hot-spots on the subject's face, I should have paid more attention to my histogram and adjusted the exposure compensation accordingly, or used a different metering mode such as Partial or Spot to meter directly off the man's face. So hopefully you can see from this explanation and from my previous posts that photographs don't necessarily just happen. They are created through a combination of thought processes, a series of decisions, and the application of camera settings based on these decisions and on the situation at hand.

Canon EOS 60D Custom Function and Menu Settings

dojoklo — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 19:12:23 +0000

Your World 60D Menus and Custom Functions - A Mini-Guide to the Menu Settings, Movie Mode Menu Settings, and Custom Function Settings of the Canon EOS 60D is my new eBook guide for setting up the Menus, Movie Shooting Mode Menus, and Custom Function settings of the Canon EOS 60D. Several weeks ago when the Canon 60D came out, I started to put together a blog post on explaining and setting up the 60D Custom Functions and Menu settings. I got a bit carried away because each item led to a more in-depth explanation of exposure or metering modes or auto focus points. So that post turned into a entire guide, which became my first eBook, Your World 60D (a bestseller on the Amazon Kindle store, also available in PDF format here on this blog or for the Barnes and Noble Nook e-reader). But I realize that a lot of people are just interested in the Custom Functions (C.Fn) of the EOS 60D, and how to set up all the menus and options, and don't necessarily want the entire guide. So I excerpted that part of the eBook right back out, and created a mini-guide - Your World 60D Menus and Custom Functions. It has over 15 text only pages of the Menu Settings, Movie / Video Mode Menu Settings, and Custom Function Settings, with brief explanations of what they are, what they do, and recommended settings for general and travel photography. See HERE for more information about it and how to purchase or click the PayPal button below, Format: PDF - Instant Download Page Count: 20 Price: ~~$4.99~~ now on Sale: $3.99 (plus 6.25% sales tax for residents of Massachusetts) Secure payment with PayPal or Credit card or This text only guide will help you set up your EOS 60D, quickly and competently, and is intended for those new to digital SLR cameras as well as intermediate users. As you have figured out by now, the Canon 60D is an advanced tool, and this mini-guide explains how to set it up in order to begin to use it to its full potential. Taking control of its settings will help you to take control of your camera, the image taking process, and the photos you create. It is an instant download eBook mini-guide which consists of an important section taken from the full version of Your World 60D. It contains every Menu setting and Custom Function setting, with brief descriptions and recommended settings to get you up and running quickly, and includes Movie Mode menu settings and My Menu. The Canon EOS 60D Custom Functions (C.Fn) and Menu settings are a big part of what make it such a powerful digital SLR camera. This guide can save you time and help you better understand and control your camera as you set up and customize the Canon EOS 60D to work best for the way you photograph. Your World 60D Menus and Custom Functions is a text-only PDF document that builds upon the information found in the Canon 60D manual, to help you begin to master your dSLR and learn to use the Canon EOS 60D to its full capabilities! If you decide to purchase the full version of Your World 60D after reading this mini-guide, you can buy it at a $4 discount using the Coupon Code you will receive when you order and download the mini-guide.

"Available Light" Book Give-Away Winner!

dojoklo — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 01:46:00 +0000

Thanks to all who participated in my first give-away, of the photography book Available Light by Don Marr. And thanks to Amherst Media for donating the book. I had Random.org select a number between 1 and 21 for the 21 comments/ entries I received, and the winner is... #14 Shair Khan! Congratulations to Shair! The book is on its way, and I hope you get as much out of it as I have. If you didn't win and wish to check out the wonderful book Available Light on Amazon, you can click here or on the cover. You can learn more about why I like it so much, as well as learn about some of my other favorite photo books, in my post on Essential Digital Photography Books. Thanks to everyone who participated, and hopefully I can get some other companies to donate nice prizes in the future!

Your World number 1 amazon

dojoklo — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 19:25:52 +0000

Canon Cyber Monday Savings and Beyond

dojoklo — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 00:31:32 +0000

Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Holiday Specials Canon 60D, 7D, T2i If you have been reading the various Canon EOS dSLR camera reviews and comparisons on my blog, you will be happy to know that these digital cameras - the Canon Rebel T2i, EOS 60D and 7D - all have instant savings specials and rebates going on right now. There are some Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Holiday specials, but many of them continue into January 2011. Have a look at Amazon.com here for some of these specials, or here for any Cyber Monday Amazon deals. I appreciate if you purchase through these Amazon referral link, which helps support my blog! (Or any of the links found throughout the comparison posts.) The latest deals should also be listed at the Canon site here.

CanonBF02

dojoklo — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 00:35:39 +0000

CanonBF01

dojoklo — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 00:35:43 +0000

What Works for You

dojoklo — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 15:52:30 +0000

When one is getting more and more into photography, learning about different techniques and equipment, they may start to think - or get the impression from reading various books and blogs - that there is the "right way" or the right piece of equipment to use to achieve the best images. For example there are dozens of flash modifiers and diffusers available, and you might start to think that one of them works the best, one of them is the one that the pros use, if you could only find the right information and figure out which one it is. But the truth is, when it comes to photography, there is sometimes no one right way to do something. You just have to look at all the options, experiment, analyze how you work and your resulting images, and then figure out what is going to work best for you. I recently got sucked into a discussion on a forum about whether or not to use a UV protective filter on your lenses. I contend that it is always a good idea to use one. But that is because I feel it is a wise thing to do for the way I work and photograph. It may not be necessary for others who work differently. I work out in the field traveling, or out-and-about in a city. I take off my lens cap when I start working for the day and put it aside until the end of the day. My camera is slung over my shoulder and is exposed to being banged around, touched by kid's fingers, and to dust and mystery spots that need to be quickly cleaned off. I don't mind quickly wiping some dust off the front of my filter with my shirt, a blast of air with the Rocket Blower, or a quick brush and clean with the LensPen, but I would not want to do that so quickly and often with the actual lens and risk scratching it. I feel that replacing a $100 filter is a better idea than risking a several hundred dollar repair with 4 weeks down time on a lens. Other people walk around, carefully carrying their camera in a case between shots, or replacing the lens cap after each shot or between situations. Or perhaps they take out their camera, put it on a tripod, and take landscape shots. They may not need a protective filter in those uses, and may not wish to risk any minor degradation in image quality. (If you get a coated or multi-coated UV filter like a B+W brand one, your loss of image quality will be less-than-negligible. If you use a cheaper Tiffen filter, you risk having some issues.) If the risk of damage to their lens is small, then it works for them not to use a filter. However, I was in a camera store yesterday, and a woman was replacing her UV filter because her camera dropped and the filter was shattered. The filter's ring was dented, but there was no damage to the lens at all. She did not intend to drop her camera - that was not part of the way she worked - but it happened. A few dollars for a new filter saved her hundreds of dollars in repairs and the loss of her lens over the holidays. Before you invest in various accessories that sound like they might improve your images or assist you in how you work, put some thought into it first. If they are a hassle to use or don't fit into your process, you may end up putting them aside and never really using them. Analyze your needs first and then find a product that matches them. You may read about someone touting a white balance device that seems like it almost magically improves all their photos. You want better photos, so why not give it a try? But have you really come across the need for it? Are you prepared to custom set your white balance every time you enter a new lighting situation? Or do you typically work outside in daylight or inside in standard incandescent light and really don't need to set a custom white balance at all? So, all that being said, there are several accessories I find helpful, or even essential - at least for the way I work! I talk about them in this previous post, Equipment for Travel (and Everyday) Photography.

Nikon D90 vs. D7000 vs. D300s

dojoklo — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 22:18:27 +0000

Comparing the Nikon D300s D7000 vs. D90: Just as Canon has made the decision between its consumer and pro-sumer dSLR cameras difficult due to the fact that they all share so many features, now so has Nikon with the release of the extremely admired new Nikon D7000. Although the D7000 sits between the Nikon D90 and D300s in price and features, its impressive new sensor, increase in megapixels and resolution, improved autofocus (AF) system, and construction and controls have made it a viable upgrade not only to the D90, but it some aspects it even challenges the more expensive, semi-professional D300s. Have its impressive specs created a lame duck of the D300s? photo by the author using Canon 60D and Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro As I always like to point out, when you are trying to determine which camera to purchase or upgrade to, you need to first consider and determine your needs, and then see which camera fills those needs. Not the other way around where you look at the new features and speculate if you really need or will use them. The latest cameras almost always have more impressive features and specifications than the preceding models, but if your needs and shooting style don't required those upgrades then it is possible that you can save some money and be completely happy with a less expensive or earlier model. Sensor and Image Quality: The sensor of the D7000 is greatly improved over both the D90 and the D300s in a couple of ways. The D7000 has 16.2 megapixels, where the D90 and D300s each have 12.3 megapixels. This increase in resolution allows for more intrusive editing of the files in Photoshop, the ability to crop a picture and still obtain an image with high enough resolution for printing or display, and allows for larger prints. In addition, the improved sensor, manufactured by Sony, results in better performance at high ISO settings and in low light, better dynamic range, tonal range, and color sensitivity. Have a look at dxomark.com to compare the sensors - run your mouse along the red-to-green color bar to the right of the graphs to see how these differences affect images. Exposure Metering: The 2016 pixel RGB metering sensor of the D7000 is also improved compared to the D90 and D300s, and will result in better TTL metering performance of straightforward and complex lighting scenes and situations. All three cameras offer matrix metering, center-weighted, and spot metering. With center-weighted metering, the D90 can make use of your choice of a 6, 8, or 10mm center circle for its weighting, while the D7000 and D300s add a 13mm circle option to that. Autofocus: The autofocus system of the D90 has 11 autofocus (AF) points with the center one being the more accurate cross type. The D7000 boasts a significantly improved AF system of 39 AF points with 9 of them being cross type. The D300s offers 51 AF points with 15 being cross type. The AF systems of the D7000 and D300s allow for you to use these points in various ways including automatic AF point selection, single point AF, and dynamic area AF using your choice of 9 points, 21 points, all points, or all points with 3D-tracking. With the D7000 you can also use a custom function to limit the AF system to 11 points, which may be more manageable for someone who wishes to manually select their AF points. photo by the author using Canon 60D and Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Body, Construction and Size/ Weight: The D90 and D7000 appear very similar at first glance, but the plastic body of the D90 has been upgraded to the partially magnesium alloy body (top and rear) of the D7000. This adds slightly to the weight: 1.5 lbs for the D90 vs. 1.7 lbs for the D7000. The D300s is slightly larger than the other 2 bodies, and weighs in at 2.2 lbs, with full magnesium construction. The sturdier construction of the D7000 vs. the D90, including its nicer rubber gripping surfaces, creates the impression and feel of a more professional body. The D7000 and D300s have weather sealing at the memory card and battery doors. All 3 cameras have a 3" rear LCD screen as well as a top LCD panel. It is worth noting that the magnesium alloy body of the D7000 does not fully extend around the front, and thus the area surrounding the lens mount, which plays an important role in supporting a heavy lens, is plastic. See this image of a D7000 skeleton next to one of a 7D for details. ISO: As mentioned in the Sensor/IQ section above, the high ISO performance of the D7000 is greatly improved over both the D90 and the D300s. The tests at dxomark.com tell this story, along with the fact that the native ISO range of the D7000 is 100-6400 expandable up to 25,600. The other two cameras have a native ISO range of 200-3200 expandable to 6400. This means that with the D7000 you can use higher ISO settings when required, such as in low light situations, and not have as much difficulty with digital noise, particularly in the shadow areas of images. Early reports indicate that the high ISO performance is excellent. Controls: The controls of the D7000 are similar to the D90 with some changes including the addition of the shooting mode ring under the mode dial (to change from single shot to high speed continuous to self timer, etc.), and the live-view switch with movie record button inside it. The top AF button of the D90 is incorporated into the AF switch and button at the base of the lens on the D7000. The D300s has entirely different switches, dials, and buttons than the other two cameras, however this allows for quicker and easier access to more features on the D300s since the D300s has more controls and settings directly available on the body. The D7000 also offers more white balance options than the other two cameras, plus 2 customizable user settings (U1, U2) on the mode dial, and you can assign functions of your choice to buttons such as the Fn Button. Wireless Flash: All three cameras allow for advanced wireless lighting using the built in flash with Nikon Speedlights. Brief commercial interruption: I would like to mention that I have written an eBook user’s guide for the Nikon D7000. After spending so much time studying, experimenting, writing about, comparing, and discussing the camera, I decided to put some that knowledge into eBook form! The guide covers all the Shooting, Setup, and Playback Menu settings and every Custom Function setting – with recommended settings – plus discussions of how, when, and why to use the cameras’ settings and features, (metering modes, aperture and shutter priority modes, advanced autofocus use, focus lock, exposure lock, and more) for everyday and travel use, to help you take better photos. Click HERE to learn more about it - Nikon D7000 Experience - and to view a preview, or purchase it! Viewfinder: The D90 has a viewfinder with 96% coverage of the actual resulting image, while the D7000 and D300s have improved large, bright 100% viewfinder coverage. photo by the author using Canon 60D and Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Processor: The D90 and D300s have the Nikon Expeed Processor, while the D7000 has the improved Expeed II processor. This allows for more video options including full 1080p HD at 24fps, and overall faster processing of stills and video files. Continuous Shooting Speed: The D90 can shoot 4.5 frames per second (fps) up to 100 images, the D7000 shoots 6 fps up to 100 shots, and the D300s shoots 7 fps - or 8fps with the battery grip. If you often capture action and really need the higher frame rate, such as for sports or wildlife shooting, you are going to have to seriously consider the D300s over the D7000. Otherwise, 7 or 8 fps is often complete overkill in typical real-life use. Memory Card: The D90 uses a single SD memory card. The D7000 accepts 2 SD cards, where the second card can be used in a variety of ways: overflow, JPEG on one / RAW on the other, or mirrored backup of the first card. The D300s uses 1 CF card and 1 SD card, which also can be configured in a variety of ways. The second card can come in handy as well if one is shooting a lot of video files. Battery: The D7000 uses the new, higher capacity EN-EL15 battery, which will last for over 1000 shots, and accepts the optional MB-D11 battery pack/ vertical grip which is constructed of magnesium alloy. The D300s uses the EN-EL3e battery and the optional MB-D10 battery pack/ vertical grip. The D90 also uses the EN-EL3e battery and its optional battery pack/ vertical grip is the MB-D80. Full HD video: The D90 and D300s offer 720p video at 24 fps, with a 5 minute shooting time. The D7000 improves this tremendously with full 1080p HD video at 24 fps for up to 20 minutes with full-time continuous autofocus. Plus it offers 720p at 30, 24, and 25 fps. Price: See below Shooting Experience: The D7000 feels and performs great. After spending some time with the D7000, and getting over all its quirky differences vs. Canons - as far as menus, custom functions, and buttons/ controls - I'm really beginning to become attached to it. I actually prefer some of the controls it provides vs. the Canons plus some of the options it provides, such as the optional grid in the viewfinder, the ability to limit the AF points to 11 including the 9 cross type points - for quicker manual selection, the ability to change the continuous low shooting speed between 1 to 5 shots (I complained over a year ago that the 7D should have had that feature as its 8 fps is usually overkill for me), and the versatility to change the size of the central spot size for center weighted metering. Also, thank goodness the D7000 includes the ability to reverse the + and - directions of exposure compensation, because the Nikon default is just plain wrong! So as you can see, the D7000 truly is an improvement over the D90 in every way, and an improvement over the D300s in many ways. Unless you have a couple very specific needs that only the D300s can accommodate - such as faster continuous shooting speeds, direct access to certain controls and settings, and a full magnesium alloy body - then it may be difficult to justify the older D300s over the new D7000. Purchasing these cameras: If you plan to buy any of these cameras, accessories, or anything else through Amazon.com or Amazon.com UK, I would appreciate it if you use my referral links. Your price will be the same, and they will give me a little something for referring you, which will help support my blog. Thanks! In the USA, use the links throughout this post or use this referral link to Amazon. And for those of you across the pond, click here for my referral link to Amazon UK. If you are in another country, click on one of my Amazon links, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click on your country for your local Amazon. Thank you for supporting my efforts! Use these links to buy any of these cameras, or to buy any equipment or lens over $300, and I will send you a free copy of my eBook Nikon D7000 Experience. See this post for more details on this offer. See and buy the Nikon D7000 - Body Only on Amazon $1199 See and buy the Nikon D7000 and 18-105mm Lens on Amazon $1499 See and buy the D90 on Amazon. $739 body only See and buy the D300s on Amazon. $1449 body only Purchasing from the UK? Use my Amazon UK referral link here. If you are in another country, click on an Amazon link, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click on your country for your local Amazon. If you wish to purchase from B+H Photo please click the link below. Thanks! Accessories and Books: Now that you are on your way to deciding on a camera, you should also start looking into photography gear, accessories, and books. Check out this link, Equipment for Travel Photography, which discusses useful and practical photo accessories and equipment for both everyday and travel photography. This post lists and describes Essential Books for Digital Photography, including the best user’s guides for each of these cameras. DPReview has excellent, very thorough reviews of all of these cameras, including one just published for the D7000.

AmazonLogo

dojoklo — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 03:10:05 +0000

Holiday Gift Ideas for Yourself or your Favorite Photographer

dojoklo — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 14:53:47 +0000

I suppose I should join the photo blogger holiday tradition of putting together a holiday and Christmas gift guide for photographers or those who are shopping for the photographer in their life! If you plan to purchase any of these items through Amazon.com, I you can use the product links I set up throughout this post, which will bring you right to that product's page on Amazon. (Amazon will then reward me with a small referral reward for my effort, which will help support my blog. Thanks! If you are in the UK or wish to purchase from B+H, see the end of this post for link information.) And now on to the shopping: The first thing you are going to need is the Canon 24-105mm f/4 lens Mug or Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 lens Mug to drink your hot cocoa or hazelnut coffee as you are unwrapping the rest of your gifts. These extremely popular and awesomely realistic mugs, complete with rubber ring grips, have a wide f/4 or f/2.8 opening which enables them to take in copious amounts of liquid just as your lens takes in all that light. The lens caps protects your beverage when not in use - no UV filter needed. The best gift of the season for most photographers would most likely be a brand new digital dSLR camera to upgrade what they are currently shooting with - one with a few more megapixes, improved autofocus system, faster continuous shooting speeds, and some new bells and whistles. For many photographers this will be the new Canon EOS 60D body only or the Canon 60D with 18-135mm kit lens. The EOS 60D has continued Canon's tradition of ease of use, great ergonomics and controls, fantastic image quality and low light performance, plus added a swiveling real LCD screen. And full HD video with more frame rate options than the competitors. For Nikon shooters the best choice is the brand new, highly sought-after Nikon D7000. The Nikon D7000 body only or D7000 with 18-105mm lens cost a bit more than the 60D, but they provide the additional features to justify the higher cost: faster continuous shooting rate, partial magnesium body, more advanced and customizable autofocus system, and two SD memory card slots to save all those shots and HD movies. Either one makes a excellent camera that is capable of producing high quality images. Of course you are going to want some new lenses to go with these cameras. Why not step up to the professional quality lenses to see that immediate improvement in image quality, color, contrast, as well as lens and autofocus performance? For Canon this means the L series of lenses. Expand your focal range or fill in some gaps with a high quality wide angle zoom, standard zoom, or telephoto zoom. For wide angle zooms, look at either the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM or the EF 17-40mm f/4L USM For standard zooms, which make for a great "walk-around" lens, consider the Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L USM or EF 24-105 f/4L IS USM And in the telephoto zoom range, look at the EF 70-200, f/2.8L II IS USM or the much less expensive and lighter EF 70-200, f/4L IS USM One of these lenses in each pair will be both more expensive AND heavier, so be sure and handle them first before you decide on one. This may also be a good time to start experimenting with prime lenses. Their extra wide maximum apertures will allow you to use them in much lower light, and will create great, smooth background blurring for awesome portraits. Depending on how closely you like to work to your subject, a few to consider are the Canon 35mm f/2, Canon 50mm f/1.8 II for about $100, Canon 50mm f/1.4 (a little more costly 50mm), or the Canon 85mm f/1.8. An extremely fun lens to work with is the Canon EF 100mm f.2.8 Macro USM. It is incredibly sharp, has dramatically narrow depth of field at f/2.8, and works as a great portrait lens too. If you have never used a macro, go try one out and experience what makes them so cool. The 60D and D7000 images just above were taken with this lens, as well as the cool close up shots of the following post comparing the Nikon D7000 vs D90 vs D300s. If you need just one versatile lens for everyday use or for travel, the three lenses to consider are the EF 24-105 f/4L IS USM in the L series lenses, or else the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS or EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS. Of course with any of these lenses, be sure to protect them with a clear or UV filter, preferably a high quality, coated B+W brand UV filter. You can read a lot more about these lenses and how to choose between them in my earlier post, Best Lenses for Everyday and Travel Photography. Possibly the most comfortable way to carry your camera around all day, especially when using a larger, heavier lens, is the BlackRapid RS-7 Camera Strap. I highly recommended this strap, and I use the older RS-4 version daily. They have made some steady, welcomed improvements on them, including the curved shoulder pad of the RS-7, the quick release strap, and the improved connecting hardware. The base that screws into your camera is a lower profile, stronger single piece, and the securing screw surface on the clasp ring is smooth rather than knurled so that it will no longer scratch up your camera bottom. The strap is comfortable, easy to use, quick, strong, and rugged. I often use it in conjunction with wearing a backpack, and although the straps fight for space against each other on my shoulder, it still works fine. There is also now a version designed for women, the RS-W1 plus a new woman's version in just black. They are also introducing 2 different pieces of hardware which will allow you to attach your camera to a tripod without removing the R-Strap's base that is already attached to your camera. You are going to need something to carry all this equipment around in. My current favorite is the Lowepro Compu Trekker AW backpack, which is now called the Lowepro ProRunner 350 AW. I use this as both my airline carry-on and my working bag during the day. The size works perfectly for both needs. It easily fits the airline carry-on size, including smaller international requirements in some regions, yet fits more that it would first appear. With careful configuration of the interior dividers, I can fit 2 Canon bodies, three lenses, a 580EX II flash, its diffuser, 2 external hard drives in cases, a couple memory card cases, and some filters. In the outside pocket, I have a couple battery chargers, extra batteries, medium Rocket Blower, miscellaneous cords, caps, and accessories. In the rear pocket designed for a laptop, I easily fit a 32" 5 in 1 reflector. The pack is extremely comfortable, has tons of padding on the straps and the back so that its weight never bothers me and I don't feel the reflector in my back. I often wear it for hours a day while working, and it is never a problem. The Pro Runner 450 AW might be a better carry on size so that you could carry more gear on the plane with you (if it fits the airline's requirements) but it would be too big for daily use. There are also rolling versions of these, with an "x" in the name, thought the retractable handles and wheels add weight and size to the bags. For budding adventure videographers, the item of the year is the GoPro HD Helmet HERO Cam, which you attach to your helmet, head, mountain bike, snowboard, skateboard, motorcycle, or whatever to shoot professional quality, point of view video. It comes in a variety of packages with different mounts. Film and share your adventures in full HD video! And to save all those images you are taking, memory cards will make great stocking stuffers. I like Sandisk Extreme 16 GB SD cards . If you still use CF cards, be sure to get the SanDisk Extreme 16GB CF cards. Use a Sandisk card reader to upload the images to your computer, rather than from the camera directly, in order to save the camera batteries. This Sandisk Card Reader is for the CF cards, and the 5 in 1 reads SD cards. And for some basic stocking stuffers, here are a few simple but essential items for keeping your camera and lenses clean: Giottos Medium Rocket Blower in the medium or large size. Always have it handy for getting dust off lenses in a hurry, because blowing on them - no matter how careful - leads to spittle on the lenses 5% of the time when it doesn't matter and 95% of the time when you are in the most critical situations. Pearstone LP-1 Lens Pen - Works great for cleaning off mysterious spots, smudges, and fingerprints that always appear on the lens (this is why I always use UV filters) as well as that a-fore-mentioned spittle. There is a retractable brush on one end and a cleaning head on the other end. Twist the cap to load the cleaning tip with the carbon based cleaning material, then remove the cap and use. Please read the instructions and visit the LensPen website to fully learn how to use it properly. For more photography equipment and accessories like those above, be sure to see this previous post Equipment for Travel (and Everyday) Photography. To edit and save all your photos, you are going to need some hard drive space and some software: External Hard Drives - The Iomega Ego 1TB and a Lacie Rugged USB 1TB work great both at home and when traveling. There is a FireWire version of the Lacie Rugged 500GB also. Both are built solid and sturdy, and each fit perfectly in the Case Logic Portable Hard Drive Case made for these types of drives. Get the cases in different colors so you can quickly differentiate your different drives. For storage at home, consider a couple Western Digital My Book 1TB External Hard Drives. Post-Production - After taking all these wonderful images with your new equipment, you are going to need to organize, edit, and work on all your photos. And for that, of course you are going to need Adobe Photoshop CS4 and/ or Adobe Lightroom 3. You can start off with the trial versions that you can download from the Adobe site, but sooner or later you are going to have to get the real versions. Use that student discount if you can! Also be sure to consider all the great photo books to help you learn to use your equipment, improve you images and compositions, and be inspired. I've put together a post of several of my favorites that you can read here. The most recent addition to the bookshelf is: The Photographer's Mind: How to See and Shoot Better Digital Photos by Michael Freeman Every time I read Freeman's The Photographer's Eye, I lament, usually aloud, "why doesn't he have more books like this?" Well, my wishes appear to have been answered. His next book The Photographer's Mind has just come out. And don't forget the eBooks I put together for setting up and learning to use you Canon dSLR: Your World 60D - The Still Photographer's Guide to Operation and Image Creation with the Canon 60D - an eBook user's guide and tutorial I wrote to help get you up and running with the 60D, quickly and competently. You can learn more about it at this post here. In addition to the PDF version, which also looks great on the iPad, it is also available in a Kindle edition on Amazon.com here and a Nook verion on BarnesandNoble.com Plus, for the Rebel T2i / EOS 550D, I have written T2i Experience - a similar guide for Canon T2i / 550D users. Purchasing: If you plan to purchase cameras, photo equipment, books, or anything else from Amazon.com I encourage you to do so through any of the Amazon referral links I've set up. Just click on the equipment name or book title within this post and you will be taken to that Amazon page. Or click here to go directly to Amazon or click on the Amazon.com logo below, and start shopping. Thanks, I appreciate your support! If you are in the UK, you can click here for the UK Amazon referral link. For those interested in purchasing through B+H Photo, I have set up an affiliate link with them as well - just click here to go to B+H, or click the B+H icon here: Happy Holidays, and I hope you get everything on your list!

2010 in review

dojoklo — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 16:26:16 +0000

Thanks to all my blog visitors over the year! I hope you continue to come back in 2011 for more insights about photography, equipment, and the photographic creative process. The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here's a high level summary of its overall blog health: The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads "Wow!"

Crunchy numbers

The Louvre Museum has 8.5 million visitors per year. This blog was viewed about 95,000 times in 2010. If it were an exhibit at The Louvre Museum, it would take 4 days for that many people to see it. In 2010, there were 77 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 130 posts. There were 44 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 48mb. That's about 4 pictures per month (this doesn't count all the photos hosted externally on Flickr). The busiest day of the year was August 27th with 1,138 views. The most popular post that day was Canon 5D vs 7D vs 60D vs 50D vs 550D / T2i.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were dojoklo.com, facebook.com, google.com, fatwallet.com, and en.wordpress.com. Some visitors came searching, mostly for canon 50d vs 60d, 50d vs 60d, canon 60d vs 7d, 60d vs 7d, and canon 7d vs 60d.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

Canon 5D vs 7D vs 60D vs 50D vs 550D / T2i August 2010 37 comments and 3 Likes on WordPress.com

Canon 50D vs. 60D October 2010 5 comments

Canon 5D vs. 7D vs. 60D vs. 550D / T2i Part III July 2010 6 comments

Canon 7D vs. 5D vs. 50D part II (plus 550D / Rebel T2i) May 2010 3 comments

Your World 60D - Canon 60D User's Guide and Tutorial September 2010 3 comments

Canon Lens Price Increase Feb. 01

dojoklo — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 02:59:27 +0000

Word on the street is that there is going to be a 5% price increase for many Canon lenses and Speedlites starting February 1, 2011. Here is one list showing potential increases ranging from 1% to 11%. (I always find it a bit silly and obsessive when photographers take photos of their own gear but, well, I needed an appropriate image!) So make that decision now and buy that awesome new lens you've been desiring, before the prices go up! Don't know which lens(es) to buy? Be sure to check out one of my most popular posts, Best Lenses for Humanitarian and Travel Photography to get the run down on several recommended lenses (which also applies to general and everyday photography). If you decide to purchase from Amazon.com, I would appreciate it if you use my referral links on that post, or use this link to enter Amazon and make your purchases! Amazon will give me a little something, which helps to support this blog. Thanks!

YW60D-Thumb

dojoklo — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 16:19:39 +0000

Go Beyond the Nikon D7000 Manual with this D7000 e-Book User's Guide

dojoklo — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 04:34:07 +0000

Nikon D7000 User's Guide I have completed a Nikon D7000 e book user's guide, Nikon D7000 Experience - The Still Photographer's Guide to Operation and Image Creation that goes beyond the D7000 manual to help you learn when and why to use the various controls, features, and custom settings of this powerful camera. As one reader has said, "This book, together with the manual that came with your camera, is all you need to start discovering all the potential of the D7000." The Nikon D7000 is an incredibly powerful and customizable image-making tool, and in order to get the most out of it you will need to learn how to take advantage of its features, controls, and custom settings. Like my previous ebooks, including the bestselling Your World 60D, Nikon D7000 Experience not only covers the various settings, functions and controls of the Nikon D7000, but it also explains when and why to use them for your photography. And it describes every D7000 Shooting, Setup, and Playback Menu Setting and every Custom Setting, with recommended settings to get you started quickly, including Movie Mode menu settings. Note that it focuses on still-photography and not video except for a brief introduction to video menus and settings to get you up and running. Sections include:

Setting Up Your D7000 - All of the D7000 Custom Settings and Shooting, Setup, and Playback Menu settings, including movie mode menus, with brief descriptions and recommended settings for practical, everyday use. Set up and customize the powerful advanced features of your dSLR to work best for the way you photograph.
Auto Focusing Modes and Area Modes and Release (Drive) Modes - How they differ, how and when to use them to capture sharp images of both still and moving subjects. Also how and when to use focus lock.
Aperture Priority Mode (A) and Shutter Priority Mode (S) - How and when to use them to create dramatic depth of field or to freeze or express motion.
Exposure Metering Modes of the Nikon D7000 - How they differ, how and when to use them for correct exposures in every situation. Also how to make use of exposure lock.
Histograms, Exposure Compensation, Bracketing, and White Balance - Understanding and using these features for adjusting to the proper exposure in challenging lighting situations.
Composition - Brief tips, techniques, and explanations, including the creative use of depth of field.
The Image Taking Process - A descriptive tutorial for using the settings and controls you just learned to take photos.
Photography Accessories - The most useful accessories for day-to-day and travel photography.
Introduction to Video Settings - Some basic settings to get you started.

This digital guide to the Nikon D7000 is a 53 page, text-only PDF document (also available in Kindle and Nook formats) that builds upon the information found in the D7000 manual, to help one begin to master their dSLR and learn to use the Nikon D7000 to its full capabilities. The guide cuts through all the information thrown at you in the manual and focuses on essential settings and information to help you get out there shooting in the real world. It is packed with helpful information applicable to the new and intermediate dSLR photographer - to begin to turn you into an advanced digital photographer! View a preview of it here. The preview shows the table of contents, a bit of the intro, a page of the Menu Settings, a page of the Custom Settings, and a couple text pages. Author: Douglas Klostermann Format: PDF - Instant Download - read on your computer and iPad, plus print on your printer. Page Count: 53 Price: $11.99 (plus 6.25% sales tax for residents of Massachusetts) Secure payment with PayPal or Credit card or This version is in PDF format, text-only, 8.5"x11", which can be read on your computer screen, printed on your printer, taken with you on your laptop, and can also be read on the iPad. (Contact me about the version formatted for the iPhone.) The Nikon D7000 Experience ebook is also available on Amazon.com in Kindle format and on BarnesandNoble.com in Nook format. As with my other ebooks, if you buy a Nikon D7000 dSLR camera on Amazon.com using my referral links, or buy any camera or lens over $300, I will send you a free copy of this ebook. Use one of the links below to buy the camera, body only or with the kit lens, or to make a general Amazon purchase, and then send me an email to let me know you made the purchase. As soon as I verify the referral purchase through Amazon I will send you the ebook! Nikon D7000 with 18-105mm kit lens on Amazon.com Nikon D7000 body only on Amazon.com Any other purchase on Amazon.com What Readers of Nikon D7000 Experience are Saying: It’s the first guide I've read which has taken me through all the settings in an understandable way. I now feel that I have control over the camera. -Peter S. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to get a quick start to using the D7000. Manuals are nice, but this eBook highlights the important information and gives a quick easy to understand explanation of most all of the functions and controls. -Ray M. This manual is a clearly written, concise and useful explanation of the rationale for the seemingly infinite and often confusing settings options for the D7000. Used in conjunction with the Nikon manual I feel a bit more confident in understanding how to at last proceed in getting better photographs. -WLS I found the Nikon manual good for understanding how to set things up but not much on the why - this book really focuses on the "why." Prior to reading the book I was setting up my metering on Spot Metering thinking it was much better than Matrix - the guide helped me understand why to use specific settings for specific needs. The Custom Settings sections helps to make firm decisions on how to apply settings by understanding the usage of each in addition to knowing how to set them up. I would like to thank you for saving me time - now I'm confident that my camera is well tuned! -Benoit A. This book, together with the manual that came with your camera, is all you need to start discovering all the potential of the D7000. -Max M. It's clear, concise and gets to the heart of the camera's multiple and often confusing options. Very highly recommended - for experienced user and beginner alike. As previous reviewers have remarked, the official manual is very good on what to do, but not so clear on why. -GSA

ebook covers

dojoklo — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 03:01:34 +0000

Set Up and Customize the Nikon D7000 - Menus and Custom Settings

dojoklo — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 20:03:49 +0000

I've spent a significant amount of time with the new Nikon D7000 as I was researching and writing my ebook user's guide Nikon D7000 Experience. It has been interesting to contrast it with the recent Canon 60D, as they sit in a somewhat similar position in each brand's current dSLR line-up. They are both excellent cameras and are both highly customizable for you to set up for the way you shoot. But I have to say I'm incredibly impressed with the higher amount of customization options offered by the D7000. Nikon offers the opportunity for advanced shooters to fine-tune many settings of the D7000 - options that the 60D just doesn't have. Advanced settings of the Nikon D7000 include: White Balance - many more fluorescent options and the ability to tweek any of the WB settings along the blue-amber and green-magenta axes - including the ability to make blue-amber adjustments on the fly without going into the menus by using the WB button. The 60D not only doesn't offer this level of adjustment, it doesn't even have a WB button on the body of the camera. Frame Rate - The Continuous Low release (drive) mode can be set for between 1 to 5 fps. Canon only offers 3fps in Low Speed Continuous. This is not such a big deal on the 60D because High Speed Continuous is 5.3 fps. However with the Canon 7D, this would have been an incredibly helpful option. The 8 fps of High Speed is blazing fast, typically too fast for real life use as the scene barely changes from image to image yet the large files can quickly fill up a card. But then 3 fps is too slow for action use. I have long wished for a 5 or 6 fps option on the 7D. Metering - With the D7000 you can change the size of the area metered in Center-Weighted Area metering mode if you wish for more or less precision or if you are working with a subject of a particular size. The camera can be set to meter a circle of various sizes: 6mm, 8mm, 10mm, 13mm, or even an average of the entire scene (Average will act like a very dumbed down Matrix (Evaluative) Metering and just average the entire frame and not take selected AF points into consideration). The 60D does not offer this ability but does offer Center Weighted metering mode and Partial metering mode (which meters a center circle that is 6.5% of the viewfinder). Both cameras offer Spot Metering for very precise metering. Exposure - In the D7000 you can fine tune the default settings of each of the metering modes to slightly under- or over-expose. This is an adjustment done behind the scenes and not exposure compensation. This is something I would find very handy on my 50D because it always overexposes by about 1/3 a stop in Evaluative Metering mode. So instead of using -1/3 exposure compensation all the time, I finally settled on using Center Weighted Average metering. But with the D7000, you can fine tune the camera to always underexpose. For example if you were to have this slight overexposure problem in Matrix metering, you could fine-tune Matrix for -1/3 and then it would be fixed. You could use exposure compensation on top of that when necessary. You can also customize the controls for exposure compensation (EC) so that your EC adjustment applies to only the next photo taken or to all subsequent photos. Autofocus - The D7000 offers AF Fine Tune (or AF Micro-Adjustment as Canon users may know it) to slightly fine tune the autofocus of multiple lenses if any of them are slightly back- or front-focusing. This feature was on the 50D but was disappointingly dropped from the 60D. The D7000 also allows you to choose from all the AF points or just 11 of them, which could be helpful to those just getting the hang of selecting their own AF point instead of allowing the camera to choose what it thinks you wish to focus on. (You should nearly always be choosing your own AF point!) So as you can see, the D7000 offers many advanced customization and fine-tune options in the Menus and Custom Settings that the 60D just doesn't offer. Keep in mind however that these are pretty advanced features, and if you are not going to be making use of them, don't be swayed by them when choosing a camera. For a more detailed comparison of these two cameras, see my post Nikon D7000 vs. Canon 60D. If you would like to learn more about all the Menu and Custom Settings of the Nikon D7000 or the Menu items and Custom Functions of the Canon 60D, be sure to have a look at my ebook user's guides for each of these cameras: Nikon D7000 Experience - The Still Photographer's Guide to the Nikon D7000 Your World 60D - The Still Photographer's Guide to the Canon 60D In these books I cover all of the menus and custom settings, along with their recommended settings for general photography and travel photography use. These kinds of settings are what make these cameras very powerful and precise tools that you can - and should - set up to work for the way you photograph. They are worth learning, understanding and making use of. If you wish to compare the Canon 60D with the other Canon dSLRs, see this post Canon 5D vs. 7D vs. 60D vs. 550D/T2i and if you wish to compare the Nikon D7000 with the other Nikon dSLRs, see this post Nikon D7000 vs. D90 vs. D300s.

Douglas Klostermann e books

dojoklo — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 14:54:21 +0000

Two eBooks in the Top Five on Amazon Kindle

dojoklo — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 15:10:17 +0000

Thanks to all those who have read my eBooks, and who hopefully are making use of them to learn to take control of your dSLR and take better photos. As a result of your interest, two of my dSLR guides are now in the top five bestselling Photography Reference books in the Amazon Kindle store! OK, so the rankings change hourly, so that may not last, but I'm thrilled at the moment! If you are interested in any of my ebook guides to the Nikon D7000, Canon 60D, or Canon T2i and would like to learn more about them please have a look at the PDF versions on my Full Stop eBook website HERE, the Kindle versions on Amazon HERE, and the Nook versions on Barnes and Noble HERE.

eBooks

dojoklo — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 20:43:30 +0000

I have written several popular eBook user's guides and tutorials for Canon EOS and Nikon dSLR cameras. All are available in the bookstore section of my website. Each text-only eBook is available in PDF format (readable on the iPad too!) and Kindle and Nook versions. Plus now available for the iPad and iPhone via the Apple iBooks app. Nikon D7000 Experience Canon T3i Experience Your World 60D Your World 60D Menus and Custom Functions (excerpted from the full version of Your World 60D) T2i Experience My colorful photo book Faces of Celebration: Photographs of Peru is available from Blurb.

Introduction of new Canon Rebel T3i / EOS 600D

dojoklo — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 16:41:10 +0000

Canon just announced the replacement for the T2i called, as expected, the Canon Rebel T3i / EOS 600D. It has a few upgrades from the T2i, borrowed from the 60D, including the high resolution swivel rear LCD screen, remote flash capabilities, some additional menu options, and built in Creative Filters. Canon also introduced a new 18-55mm image stabilized kit lens to pair with it. Read more about it here at DPReview, and I will fill in more details about it soon. As Canon's own press release dramatically states, Canon Empowers The Masses To Take Better Photographs And Video With The New EOS Rebel T3i And EOS Rebel T3 Digital SLR Cameras. Wow! I've completed a Canon Rebel T3i e-book user's guide, following in the footsteps of my popular e-books Your World 60D and T2i Experience, titled Canon T3i Experience. See here for more info. image from Canonusa.com Order your Canon Rebel T3i (EOS 600D) from Amazon now. Purchase your camera through my Amazon referral links below, and I will send you a free copy of my Canon T3i Experience e-book! See this post for complete details. Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18 MP CMOS APS-C Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD (Body Only) Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18 MP CMOS APS-C Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD and EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens --------- Canon T2i vs T3i (Canon 550D vs 600D): If you are trying to decide between these two cameras, or deciding between the T3i vs 60D vs 7D, please see the post I wrote that reviews and compares the current cameras in the Canon dSLR consumer line-up: Canon T3i vs T2i vs 60D vs 7D, etc.

dSLR Photography Gear, Accessories, and Books

dojoklo — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 18:38:29 +0000

In my e-book user's guide for digital SLRs (including Your World 60D, Nikon D7000 Experience, and Canon T3i Experience) I include a list of accessories and books, complete with links to purchase these products on Amazon. However, the links don't always work with some e-book formats, so I am posting the list here too. Below are some accessories that are handy for general photography use as well as when traveling with your camera, plus some of my favorite photography books, and accessories mentioned in the text of Nikon D7000 Experience that are specific to the Nikon D7000, and those mentioned in Your World 60D that are specific to the Canon 60D. Click on the links to go to the product or category pages on Amazon.com. Please note that these are my Amazon Associates referral links, and I will receive a small referral fee from Amazon.com if you use these links to make your purchases, which helps to support my blog and my work. Thanks! If you are in another country, click on one of my Amazon links, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click on your country for your local Amazon. Sandisk Extreme SD Memory Cards: I suggest getting a couple 16 GB or 8 GB cards to store your photos – more if traveling. Class 10 cards should be used if you are shooting video. Be sure to check the Sandisk site for current rebates. Giottos Medium Rocket Blower: Always have it handy for getting dust off lenses in a hurry, because blowing on them – no matter how careful – leads to spittle on the lenses. Also use for manually cleaning the sensor as described above. Lens Pen Cleaning System: Works great for cleaning off mysterious spots and smudges that appear on the lens (this is why I always use UV filters) as well as that a-fore-mentioned spittle. Blow dust off the lens first with the Rocket Blower, brush it with the Lens Pen brush, and then follow the instructions for using the Lens Pen. UV Filters: Clear, protective filters for the lenses. You should have these on at all times to protect your lenses. Get high quality ones, such as B+W, especially for higher quality lenses. Consider the MRC multi-coated versions for highest quality lenses. While some argue that any filter may degrade image quality, most know that it is cheaper to replace a $100 filter than to repair a $1500 lens. Use the slim filters for wide angle lenses to avoid vignetting. Circular Polarizing Filter: Use this outdoors in sunlight to darken the sky, cut through haze and reflections, and increase contrast. Do not use on a wide angle lens as it will cause the sky to change from light to dark and back again across the frame. You have to turn the second ring of the filter to create the amount of lightness or darkness in the sky that you desire, or to reduce or eliminate reflections. It works best when the sun is to your left or right, but does not have any polarizing effect if the sun is directly in front or behind you. Do not use an older linear polarizing filter with a digital camera, as it will interfere with the metering and autofocus systems. Nikon Lens Hoods or Canon Lens Hoods: Use a lens hood on your lens to both prevent flare and to protect the front of the lens when it inevitable bangs against something or drops. Some nicer lenses typically come with a lens hood. With other lenses, buy the corresponding optional hood. BlackRapid R-Strap: A different, more comfortable way to carry your camera, especially one with a larger or heavier lens. The RS-7 version has a nice curved shoulder strap, the RS-4 is not curved at the shoulder but does have a handy little pocket for memory cards, and the RS-W1 R-Strap is designed for women. Insurance: Make sure your equipment is covered by insurance. When I worked in a camera store, people came in on a weekly basis to replace the equipment that was stolen from their car, trunk, luggage, while traveling, or was in a fire. You may need special insurance or a rider if your homeowner or renter’s insurance does not cover it. I use the policy available through NANPA, though you have to join NANPA to get it. This insurance is primarily for the equipment only, so you are not paying for liability coverage geared toward a business as you are with many other photo equipment insurance plans. Please note that the NANPA membership fee covers you annually from July – they don’t pro-rate, so you will not get a full year if you join at any other time. (If you happen to join NANPA to get their insurance, mention my name as a referrer, and I save on my next membership renewal!) Silica Packs: Keep these in your camera bags to absorb moisture. Consider using real ones that you buy in solid cases instead of the little packs that you found in your new pants pocket that may break open over time. Sto-Fen Omni Bounce Diffuser: Works great on the optional external flash units (note some Nikon flashes come with a diffuser like this). Do not use this on your flash outdoors because all it will do outside is cause your flash to work harder. I know you see lots of people doing it. They didn’t bother reading how to use it. Don’t imitate them. Use a direct bare or gelled flash outdoors. These diffusers are designed to work as a diffuser when bounced off a surface and angled at 45 degrees or so. Not straight on, and not bouncing off the sky. Digital Grey Card: Used to measure and set accurate custom white balance. Rosco Strobist Collection Flash Gels: Use these to balance the color temperature of your flash to the color temperature of the ambient light in order to have a single WB setting that neutralizes the color cast of the entire scene. Tape them in place or use the LumiQuest Gel Holder which attaches to your flash with the Honl Speed Strap, an overpriced strip of Velcro. Eye-Fi Wireless Flash Memory Card: This SD memory card can be used to automatically upload photos wirelessly via Wi-Fi to your computer during shooting or afterwards. Card Reader: Use this to transfer image files from the memory cards to your computer if your computer does not have a card reader built in. They may be faster than the camera’s USB cable and will save camera batteries. Camera’s USB Cable: Always have the included camera USB cable when traveling, as a back-up method of transferring image files to your computer. Lens and Body Caps: Don’t forget to have these in your camera bag, to protect lenses and camera body when switching and storing them. Camera Wrap: For protecting your camera while carrying it around in dusty, misty, or sandy situations, or for protection when storing it. Rainhood or Rainsleeve: For protecting your camera while using it in dusty, misty, rainy, or sandy situations. Remember, strong insect repellants can melt plastics and other materials on the body of your camera. Adobe Photoshop CS5 and/ or Adobe Lightroom 3: These software programs are essential for editing, processing, retouching, and manipulating your photographs, especially if you are shooting in RAW. Lightroom is designed specifically for photographers and is the processing program of choice for many, but it does not have the manipulation capabilities of Photoshop. Books Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photos with Any Camera by Bryan Peterson Learning to See Creatively: Design, Color & Composition in Photography by Bryan Peterson The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos by Michael Freeman The Photographer's Mind: Creative Thinking for Better Digital Photos by Michael Freeman Available Light: Photographic Techniques for Using Existing Light Sources by Don Marr On-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography by Neil van Niekerk Speedliter’s Handbook: Learning to Craft Light with Canon Speedlites by Syl Arena Digital Photographer’s Complete Guide to HD Video by Rob Sheppard and Michael Gunchen. More Essential Digital Photography Books are listed in this post. Nikon D7000 Accessories Nikon EN-EL15 Rechargable Battery: It is always good to have an extra battery or two, especially when traveling or when photographing all day or for an event. Nikon MB-D11 Battery Pack/ Grip: This accessory will enable you to use a second EN-EL15 battery or else use AA batteries, thus allowing you to shoot longer without having to change batteries. It also increases the size of the D7000 body which may be more comfortable for some shooters, especially when shooting vertically in portrait orientation. Nikon ML-L3 Wireless Remote or MC-DC2 Remote Release Cord: These remotes will allow you to trigger the shutter of the camera remotely, thus allowing either self-portraits or the ability to release the shutter without pressing the Shutter Button thus preventing possible camera shake. Nikon SB-900, SB-800, SB-700, or SB-600 Speedlight Flashes: These external flashes will give you greatly increased flash power and control compared to the built-in flash. They also have adjustable and rotating heads so that you can use indirect and bounce flash. All of them can be used as remote flashes controlled by the built-in flash, and with the exception of the SB-600 all can be used as commanders to trigger remote flashes. Nikon WT-4A Wireless Transmitter: This can be used to wirelessly transmit your images to a computer as you shoot. However for certain situations and uses, an Eye-Fi SD memory card may be more convenient. Nikon Capture NX2: If you are not using Photoshop, this software will enable you to process and retouch your JPEG or RAW files, and correct things such color, contrast, and sharpening. Canon 60D Accessories Canon LP-E6 Battery: It is always good to have an extra battery or two, especially when traveling or when photographing all day or for an event. Canon BG-E9 Battery Grip: This accessory will enable you to use two LP-E6 batteries, (or else use six AA batteries), thus allowing you to shoot longer without having to change batteries. It also increases the size of the 60D body which may be more comfortable for some shooters, especially when shooting vertically in portrait orientation. Canon Remote Switch RS-60E3 or Canon Wireless Remote Control RC-6: These remotes will allow you to trigger the shutter of the camera remotely, thus allowing either self-portraits or the ability to release the shutter without pressing the Shutter Button thus preventing possible camera shake. Canon Speedlite 580EX II or Speedlite 430EX II or Speedlite 320EX: These external flashes will give you greatly increased flash power and control compared to the built-in flash. They also have adjustable and rotating heads so that you can use indirect and bounce flash. All of them can be used as remote flashes controlled by the built-in flash. The 320EX also has a built in LED light for lighting video. Canon Hand Strap E2: This hand strap provides a more secure grip and allows for easier single hand operation of the camera. It attaches on the right side of the 60D and your right hand slips between it and the camera. Canon EF-D Focusing Screen: This is the grid focusing screen to help you keep your compositions and horizons straight and level. Canon Rebel T3i / EOS 600D (and Rebel T2i / EOS 550D) Accessories Canon LP-E8 Battery: It is always good to have an extra battery or two, especially when traveling or when photographing all day or for an event. Canon BG-E8 Battery Grip: This accessory will enable you to use two LP-E8 batteries, (or else use six AA batteries), thus allowing you to shoot longer without having to change batteries. It also increases the size of the camera’s body which may be more comfortable for some shooters, especially when shooting vertically in portrait orientation. Canon Remote Switch RS-60E3 or Canon Wireless Remote Control RC-6: These remotes will allow you to trigger the shutter of the camera remotely, thus allowing either self-portraits or the ability to release the shutter without pressing the Shutter Button thus preventing possible camera shake. Canon Speedlite 580EX II or Speedlite 430EX II or Speedlite 320EX: These external flashes will give you greatly increased flash power and control compared to the built-in flash. They also have adjustable and rotating heads so that you can use indirect and bounce flash. All of them can be used as remote flashes controlled by the built-in flash. The 320EX also has a built in LED light for lighting video. Canon Hand Strap E2: This hand strap, used with or without the battery grip, provides a more secure grip and allows for easier single hand operation of the camera. It attaches on the right side of the camera and your right hand slips between it and the camera.

Canon Rebel T3i / EOS 600D e Book User's Guide

dojoklo — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 21:06:17 +0000

Go beyond the Canon Rebel T3i / EOS 600D manual with my new book, now available! T3i Experience - The Still Photographer's Guide to Operation and Image Creation - an eBook user's guide and tutorial for the Canon Rebel T3i / EOS 600D. Learn to use your Rebel T3i / EOS 600D, quickly and competently, to create the types of images you want to capture. The T3i / 600D is an advanced tool, and this guide explains how to use it to its full potential. Take control of your camera, the image taking process, and the photos you create. This instant download Canon T3i / 600D book is for those who wish to get more out of their camera and to go beyond Full Auto and Program modes and shoot in Av mode and Tv mode. To get you started, it includes explanations and recommended settings for all Menu settings, Movie Mode Menu settings, and Custom Function settings of the T3i/600D. It covers basic dSLR camera functions and exposure concepts for those new to digital SLR photography, and explains more advanced camera controls and operation, such as using the various metering modes and exposure compensation for correct exposure of every image, controlling autofocus modes and focus points for sharp focus of still or moving subjects, and utilizing dramatic depth of field for professional looking photographs. Buy your Canon Rebel T3i (EOS 600D) camera from Amazon.com using my Amazon referral links, or any other lens or camera purchase over $300, and I will send you a copy of this eBook for free! See this post for details on how to take advantage of this offer. You can preview T3i Experience at the following link. The preview shows the Table of Contents and Introduction, a sample T3i/600D Menu Settings page, a sample Custom Functions Settings page, and a sample text page. http://www.dojoklo.com/writing/Canon_T3i_Experience-Preview.pdf Canon T3i Experience not only covers the various settings, functions and controls of this digital SLR, but it also explains when and why to use them for your photography. And it describes every T3i / 600D Menu setting and Custom Function setting, with recommended settings to get you started quickly, including Movie Mode menu settings. Note that it focuses on still-photography and not video except for a brief introduction to video menus and settings to get you up and running. Sections include:

Setting Up Your Camera - All of the Menu settings and Custom Function settings for the T3i / 600D, including movie mode menus, with brief descriptions and recommended settings for practical, everyday use. Set up and customize the advanced features of this dSLR to work best for the way you photograph.
Aperture Priority Mode (Av) and Shutter Priority Mode (Tv) - How and when to use them to create dramatic depth of field or to freeze or express motion.
Auto Focusing Modes and Drive Modes - How they differ, how and when to use them to capture sharp images of both still and moving subjects. Also how and when to use focus lock and back-button focusing.
Exposure Metering Modes of the Canon T3i / 600D - How they differ, how and when to use them for correct exposures in every situation. Also how to make use of exposure lock.
Histograms, Exposure Compensation, Bracketing, and White Balance - Understanding and using these features for adjusting to the proper exposure in challenging lighting situations.
Composition - Brief tips, techniques, and explanations, including the creative use of depth of field.
The Image Taking Process - A descriptive tutorial for using the settings and controls you just learned to take photos.
Lenses - Explanation of Canon lenses and choosing your next lens.
Photography Accessories - The most useful accessories for day-to-day and travel photography including those specific to this camera, plus recommended photography books.
Introduction to Video Settings - Some basic settings to get you started.

This digital field guide to the Canon Rebel T3i / EOS 600D is a 49 page, text-only PDF document that builds upon the information found in the Canon Rebel T3i / EOS 600D manual, and will help one begin to master their dSLR and learn to use it to its full capabilities! Author: Douglas Klostermann Format: PDF - Instant Download - can be read on your computer and iPad, plus printed on your printer. Page Count: 49 Price: $11.99 - Available Now! (plus 6.25% sales tax for residents of Massachusetts) Secure payment with PayPal or Credit card or A Kindle version is available on Amazon.com A Nook version is available at BarnesandNoble.com What Readers are Saying about Doug’s Previous Guide, T2i Experience: Best Guide to using a T2i - I don't know how I could fully take advantage of all the features the T2i has to offer without this publication! It's well-organized, easy to understand, and succinct enough to keep your attention while still containing a wealth of tips and tricks to get the most out of your camera. I'm very happy that I found this guide. -Nathan K. Essential Travel Companion - Alas, a comprehensive and concise guide for hobbyists who desire to enhance their photography experiences. I highly recommend this guide to anyone who wants to ease out of auto mode and learn how to take high-quality photos. It brilliantly explains how to apply advanced techniques and tips, walks you through the daunting task of menu settings, and smoothly guides you through the image-taking process. The instructions and brief explanations are easy to follow and well organized. The guide is a portable class on digital photography! A must-have if you want to learn how to use your camera to its fullest advantage. -Elizabeth J. A Fantastic Book For Beginning T2i Users - This book has exactly the no frills condensed practical advice on camera settings that I was looking for. The author has a gift for separating the wheat from the chaff. I didn't have a clue how to operate a digital camera, let alone know the definition of the technical terms. After reading this book, I now understand all the critical functions of the Canon T2i and how to take advantage of them. This is a book I plan to keep handy for years to come. -TP What Readers are Saying about Doug's other dSLR User's Guides: This book, together with the manual that came with your camera, is all you need to start discovering all the potential of this camera. -Max M. It’s the first guide I've read which has taken me through all the settings in an understandable way. I now feel that I have control over the camera. -Peter S. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to get a quick start to using their camera. Manuals are nice, but this eBook highlights the important information and gives a quick easy to understand explanation of most all of the functions and controls. -Ray M. I found the (camera's) manual good for understanding how to set things up but not much on the why - this book really focuses on the "why." Prior to reading the book I was setting up my metering on Spot Metering thinking it was much better than Matrix (Evaluative) - the guide helped me understand why to use specific settings for specific needs. The Custom Settings sections helps to make firm decisions on how to apply settings by understanding the usage of each in addition to knowing how to set them up. I would like to thank you for saving me time - now I'm confident that my camera is well tuned! -Benoit A. This manual is a clearly written, concise and useful explanation of the rationale for the seemingly infinite and often confusing settings options. Used in conjunction with the (camera's) manual I feel a bit more confident in understanding how to at last proceed in getting better photographs. -WLS

Why You Should Get a Model Release

dojoklo — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 17:50:32 +0000

Many photographers starting out often ask working photographers if it is really necessary to get a model release - permission, from a person depicted in a photo or portrait, to use that photo for commercial or other purposes. Between the difficulties of actually getting a release, the vague or confusing legalities (editorial use vs. commercial use, etc), or the time and hassle involved, a photographer may not bother. Additionally, a travel photographer would need releases in various local languages and would need to be able to explain to the model exactly what they are signing, so they might not make the effort. But if you ever plan to license a photo for commercial use - say for use in a book or in an advertisement - you really will need a release. Recently a book publisher requested to license one of my images for use in a book. Although the use of the image in the book might be considered editorial, the editor requested a signed model release. The photo was taken in a foreign country, over two years ago during a public celebration, and was not at all a situation where I could have approached the subject and asked for permission. However, with the incentive of a several hundred dollar licensing fee, I set out to get it. Since the person in the photo was the central figure in the event, I figured I had a chance to track them down. So one month ago, I contacted the foreign authority who organized the event, through their website. I also contacted several friends and acquaintances who live in the city where the photo was taken and asked if they could go to the organization's office and inquire about how to contact the person in the photo. However, my acquaintances either didn't respond or were out of town and unable to help. Finally, a week or so later one of them provided me with the email address of the head of the organization, along with a warning that they would not be cooperative and that as soon as they smelled money, they would want it for themselves. So I contacted the organizers, and sure enough, they were not cooperative and failed to provide me with a name or contact info. After doggedly pursuing them, a couple weeks into the process they finally told me that they were inquiring about the legalities of who is authorized to give permission for use of the photo. Since they organized the event, they implied it was likely them who should sign the model release. (They may have also been expecting me to start discussing monetary incentives for them to continue to help me.) I no longer had the patience to tell them that is not how a model release works, and decided to pursue different routes. I expanded my inquiries, and another friend from the city said not only did she know the name of the person, but that it was a friend of hers! "Great!" I said, "can you get me in touch with them?" A week or so later (people in other countries don't always view email as an immediate back and forth as we typically do...) my friend told me, "well, he isn't exactly a friend," but rather my friend had once been introduced to the person four years ago. However, in the meantime, now armed with the name, I did some bi-lingual Internet searches, and found some indirect connections to the person. I wrote to one, and he immediately provided me with the model's email address. But the subject has yet to respond, so the process continues. This situation is obviously an exception in that a model release would not have been possible in the original photo situation. But it is also an exception that it is somewhat possible to identify and track down the subject, a couple years later and in another country. How often would you be able to do that with a complete stranger, even in your own city, much less in a foreign country? If you capture a photo that you think may have the possibility of being licensed, you can see it may be worth it to go through the initial effort to get a signed release. A two minute process at the time vs. a one month (and counting) process later! Model releases in numerous languages can be downloaded from Getty Images here: https://contribute.gettyimages.com/producer/help

Canon T3i (600D) vs 60D vs T2i (550D) vs 7D, etc.

dojoklo — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 18:54:52 +0000

One of my most popular posts over the last several months has been my review and comparison of the latest Canon lineup. With the recent introduction of the Canon Rebel T3i / EOS 600D, it seems like a good time to revisit that post, revise and update it to include both the T3i plus the knowledge and experience with the other cameras that I've accumulated since then. If you are trying to decide between the Canon T2i or T3i: the previous model, the T2i, already shared many important features with the 60D (and even features of the semi-pro 7D) including the 18 MP sensor, 63-zone exposure metering system, high ISO performance, HD movie capabilities, and Digic 4 image processor. Now with the addition of the vari-angle articulating rear LCD screen (aka rotating screen), remote flash capabilities, creative filters, additional movie options, and in-camera image processing features, the new Canon T3i is even closer in specifications to the 60D, which may make your choice harder. But there are some important differences, and this post will hopefully help you decide which features are important to you and the way you photograph, which ones may be unnecessary, and thus which model fits you best. As I've said before, you need to choose which camera is best for you based on your needs and experience as a photographer and based on how the advanced features, controls, and customization options fit those needs and serve the way you work - not the other way around where you look at the new features and speculate if you really need or will use them. The new Canon Rebel T3i / 600D (all photos by the author) Review of Canon Rebel T3i vs T2i (600D vs 550D): Trying to decide if you should buy the Canon T3i or T2i? The Rebel T3i is replacing the T2i at the entry level end of the Canon line-up. (There is also the XS and now the T3 in the most basic, entry level position.) Despite what DPReview says, the T2i is probably not going to continue to be offered as a current model, side by side with the T3i, at a lower price. They are too close in specifications to be offered against each other at slightly different prices, so the T2i will most likely be available, perhaps with a Canon instant rebate, until stock runs out. edit 2/22 - Word on the street is that there will be a $100 off, Canon instant savings special on the T2i, starting in March. edit 2/28 - yes, the T2i will be $100 off, probably indefinitely until stock is gone. So how do you choose between the T3i and T2i? The differences are minor but possibly significant depending on your needs. Since both cameras share the same 18 megapixel sensor and Digic 4 processor, both the T2i and T3i will create images with exactly the same image quality, produce the same low light-high ISO performance, shoot at 3.7 frames per second, and have nearly the same size and build quality. They are both offered with the same18-55mm kit lens (with some minor cosmetic differences on the new T3i kit lens). The T3i is very slightly larger and heavier due to the addition of the rotating rear LCD monitor. And that is one of the biggest differences between the two cameras: do you want and need a vari-angle rear screen or not? The other major difference is the ability of the T3i to remotely control multiple off-camera flashes. Like the 60D and 7D, you can use the built-in flash of the T3i to trigger other Canon Speedlites. This could be an important reason for choosing the T3i. However, if you don't use or plan to use one or more off-camera flashes, this shouldn't be important to you. Some other minor additions to the T3i include the Scene Intelligent Auto Mode, which is a feature borrowed from point and shoot cameras. When in Auto mode, the T3i will make a determination of what type of scene you are shooting - close-up, portrait, landscape, etc. - and automatically configure the camera settings accordingly. However, if you want to use a powerful and costly digital SLR as a point and shoot, you should probably save the money and just buy a nice, high quality point and shoot like the Canon S95. Other additional but not very important upgrades include the in-camera processing Creative Filters like Grainy Black and White or Fisheye, and the ability to choose different image size ratios and to rate your images. However, this type of processing is best done on your computer with software like Photoshop or even Photoshop Elements. There is also a marginally helpful Feature Guide which gives brief descriptions of various settings and some additional video features like digital video zoom (for nice smooth zooms) and Video Snapshot, which you can use to shoot short video clips that are automatically joined together into a video, with music. Again, this is pretty easily done on your computer, and with much more control, with basic video editing software. So if you need any of these new features, get the Canon Rebel T3i / 600D. If not, buy whichever one if offered at a cheaper price. However, if you still wish to compare the Rebel T3i to the 60D and 7D, see below. see the Canon EOS Rebel T3i (Body Only) on Amazon see the Canon EOS Rebel T3i with 18-55mm Lens on Amazon Before I get more into it, I want to mention that I have written eBook user's guides for the Canon Rebel T3i, Canon Rebel T2i, and Canon 60D. After spending so much time studying, experimenting, writing about, comparing, and discussing these cameras, I decided to put all that knowledge into eBook form! Each of these user's guides cover all the Menu settings, Movie Mode menus, and Custom Function settings - with recommended settings - plus discussions of how, when, and why to use the cameras' settings and features, (metering modes, aperture and shutter priority modes, advanced autofocus use, and more) for everyday and travel use, to help you take better photos - Canon T3i Experience, Your World 60D and T2i Experience. Learn more about the eBooks by clicking on their titles or on the covers below. As a Winter special, some of the titles are currently on sale! And, if you purchase any of these cameras using my Amazon referral links below, I will send you a free copy of the appropriate ebook! See this post for full details on that offer. Back to the Comparison: Review of Canon EOS 60D vs. 50D: Since the Canon EOS 60D basically replaces the Canon 50D (well, replacement isn't exactly the right word because the 60D doesn't really follow the 20D to 50D progression of improvements...), the 60D or 50D decision is an easy one. The 50D shouldn't really be considered anymore. While the Canon 50D does hold a couple interesting advantages over the 60D (faster frame per second (fps) burst rate in continuous mode, stronger construction, more comprehensive buttons and controls, complete lack of fun filters like "grainy black and white"), the sensor and exposure metering system have been greatly improved in all the newer cameras (such as the 7D or 60D or 600D/ T3i or 500D/ T2i) and I feel these features, along with the increase in megapixels, outweigh any other 50D advantages. I would definitely choose a 60D instead of a 50D. This is coming from experience, as I use a 50D professionally and on a weekly basis. Or choose a 7D instead of a 50D if your needs require it and budget allows it. (Find out below if your needs require it!) I write in more detail about the 50D vs. 60D comparison here from a camera features and operation point of view. Canon Rebel T3i / 600D and the Canon 60D Review of Canon EOS 7D vs. 60D vs. 600D / Rebel T3i: So the decision now comes down to the Canon 7D or 60D or 600D / Rebel T3i. (What about the 5D Mk II? Just wait, I'm getting to that! And if you haven't yet committed to Canon and are interested in comparing the Canon 60D vs. Nikon D7000, have a look at this post.) Below are comparisons of some of the similarities and differences of these three cameras. Remember that all of these comparisons and features are relative. Of course the fact that the 7D can take 126 consecutive photos at the rate of 8 frames per second makes it "better." Advanced features like that differentiate it from the other models and are also why it costs more. But do you ever need to take 15.75 seconds of continuous photos? Ever? (Look at your watch for 15.75 seconds right now and act like you are taking continuous photos. Now what are you going to do with all those imaginary photos?!) Also note that the price difference, for the body only, of the T3i vs. the 60D is currently a mere $100, so that may help you make up your mind. Sensor and Image Quality: As I said above, all three cameras share a very similar sensor and 18 megapixels, and so their image quality will be virtually the same. All are capable of taking professional quality images. Exposure Metering: The three cameras all share the latest 63-zone, dual-layer exposure metering system and 4 metering modes. That means they will all determine the exposure virtually identically and enable you to take properly exposed photos in most every situation, including difficult back-lit scenes. The size of the areas metered for Partial and Spot metering vary slightly between the cameras, but that isn't anything critical. Autofocus: The 60D shares a similar autofocus system to the T3i and the previous 50D, with 9 focus points and three auto focusing modes. However the 9 AF points of the 60D are more sensitive than those of the T3i: all are cross-type in the 60D, only the center is cross-type in the T3i. The 60D autofocus system is much less complex than the sophisticated AF system of the 7D with its 19 AF point system and its additional Zone, Spot, and Expansion focus modes. These various modes address how you want to deal with and group these numerous AF points. Plus the custom settings of the 7D allow one to customize how the AF system works - how it tracks subjects, how it deals with objects that come between you and your initial subject, how quickly it responds to these changes of possible subjects that are at different distances from you, etc. However, if you are not an avid sports photographer, a wildlife shooter, or someone who understands, needs, and will use the elaborate features of the 7D AF system, then this shouldn't dissuade you from the 60D. Construction: As you can probably figure out from the prices, each camera is not built the same. The 60D has relatively strong construction of an aluminum frame and polycarbonate body. It is better built than the stainless steel frame with polycarbonate body of the T3i/ 600D but not as strong as the 7D's magnesium alloy construction. The 60D also has some amount of weather sealing - more than the 600D/T3i, less than the 7D. But for most users, including even those using the camera daily or in travel situations, the construction of any of these cameras is far more than good enough, strong enough, and durable enough. ISO: Since they all share a very similar sensor, the ISO sensitivity and performance at high ISO settings is virtually the same for these three cameras. But don't take my word for it, don't be swayed by pixel peepers on forums, instead check out the camera sensor tests at dxomark to verify this. As you can see, they all share the exact same overall score, and show very similar performance. Mode dial of the Canon Rebel T3i Controls: As with construction, the buttons and controls vary with these cameras. Unlike the T3i, the 60D and 7D have nearly every control an advanced photographer needs on the exterior of the camera and they also have the top LCD panel and rear Quick Control Dial that are not on the 600D/T3i. With all the cameras, any controls can also be easily accessed with the Q button and menu or in the other menus on the rear LCD monitor. The top buttons of the 60D set only one setting each, so this is less complicated than the multiple-setting buttons of the 7D. Canon has removed the white balance (WB) button on the 60D that the 7D and 50D have, but that isn't a big deal - use the Q Menu. Another change on the 60D is that the Multi-controller has been moved from the thumb joystick like the 7D and 50D and placed in the middle of the rear Quick-control dial. This doesn't change how it functions, and should just be a matter of getting used to the difference. (Unfortunately, I still really do prefer the old design and location.) If you plan on using your camera on Auto or Program most of the time, then the controls of the T3i are more than sufficient for your needs. If you work in Av, Tv, or M modes and need quicker and more direct access to your controls and the additional top LCD screen to view and change your current settings, then you need to look at the 60D or 7D over the T3i. Menus and Custom Functions: These allow for greater control over customizing how the camera functions. The 60D has many more Menu and Custom Function settings than the 600D/T3i and nearly as many as the 7D. These settings enable you to customize the operation, function, and controls to work how you want them to, including things like exposure increments, peripheral illuminations correction for lenses (fixes dark corners), tweeking how the autofocus system operates, setting more precise white balance settings, and customizing which button does what. Since many of the Menu and Custom Function settings can be complicated and confusing, my eBooks on the 60D and on the T3i/600D cover all of these options along with my recommended settings to get you up and running quickly! Wireless Flash: Like the 7D, the 60D and the T3i both incorporate wireless flash triggering. It allows you to trigger multiple off camera flashes at different output levels. The 550D/T2i does not have this feature. Articulating LCD Screen: The big new feature that the 60D and T3i have that the 7D and T2i do not is the articulating rear LCD screen. This may prove useful for videographers, as well as for setting up compositions while the camera is on a tripod, for macro use, or for using it from unusually low or high vantage points. Some users will be able to avoid buying an expensive angle finder because of this feature. There is also an electronic level in the 7D and 60D, visible in the viewfinder, rear LCD, or top LCD. Viewfinder: The 60D has a large, bright pentaprism viewfinder with 96% coverage of the actual resulting image, better than the pentamirror and 95% coverage of the 600D/T3i, but not quite as nice as the nearly 100% view of the 7D pentaprism. Processor: The 60D shares the same Digic 4 processor as the 600D/T3i. The 7D has dual Digic 4 processors. However, if you don't need to shoot dozens of continuous images, you probably won't notice any processing speed issues. Continuous Shooting Speed: The 7D can shoot a blazing 8 frames per second, in which the photos barely change from frame to frame. The 60D can shoot a respectable 5.3 fps which is actually a more useful rate, and is a higher rate than the 600D/T3i rate of 3.7 fps. If you need the extremely high fps for sports, wildlife, or other action shooting, get the 7D. If not, don't be swayed by this excessive feature. Memory Card: The 60D uses the SD memory card like the 600D/T3i, not the CF card of the 7D and 50D. Battery: The 60D uses the LP-E6 battery like the 7D and 5D, which is a nice feature as this battery can often last through a full day of shooting. The T3i and T2i use the smaller LP-E8 battery with less capacity. Size and Weight: The T3i is smaller and lighter than the 60D, which in turn is smaller and lighter than the 7D. Go to the store and hold them to get a better feel for their size, weight, and feel. The 60D and 7D "feel" like the more substantial cameras that they are. A nice improvement of the T3i is that its hand grip area has been modified, and has a different feel than that of the T2i - the area where the thumb rests is contoured differently and has a nice channel for the thumb, which allows for a much more secure one-hand-grip of the camera. The contoured thumb channel of the Canon Rebel T3i AF Microadjustment: The 7D has this feature, the 60D and T3i and T2i do not. Many are disappointed that the 60D does not include the ability to micro-adjust the focus so that each lens is completely accurate. However, if you have a focus issue, send your camera and/ or lenses to Canon while under warranty and ask them to calibrate them. Doing AF microadjustment yourself is often a maddening, never ending undertaking. You may make a good calibration under controlled conditions, but this really doesn't replicate real life shooting. Locking Mode Dial: This is a new feature for a Canon dSLR, only on the 60D, that keeps the Mode dial from accidentally rotating. A nice touch, and not at all difficult to change quickly with one hand, as some people have claimed: just push the center button with your left index finger, rotate dial with thumb and middle finger. If you wish to retrofit your 7D or 5D Mk II with this feature, Canon will do it for $100. Full HD video: Of course they all offer this capability. Note that this is not video for your kids' parties and soccer games. It does not have continuous autofocus while shooting, as a camcorder does. It is not designed for that kind of use, but rather for serious videographers who typically manually focus. You can adjust autofocus while shooting by pressing the shutter button or the AF button, but it may have a less than desired looking result and unless you are using an external microphone, the autofocusing sound will be picked up. The T3i has the digital zoom feature in video, which allows for nice smooth zooms while filming. Flash Sync: A Note to Strobists -the 60D and T3i do not have a PC sync flash socket to plug in PC sync cords. The 7D has this. Ease of operation: While beginners may find all the buttons, controls, and menus of any dSLR difficult and confusing at first, the additional controls and menus of the 7D and 60D are all quite intelligently designed, intuitive, and straightforward for the more advanced user. The menus and controls of the T3i and T2i are also pretty basic and simple to learn. ***** Purchasing: If you plan to buy any of these cameras through Amazon.com, B+H, or AmazonUK, (or just wish to purchase anything from these sites) I would appreciate it if you use one of my referral links to these sites. Your price will be the same, and they will give me a little something for referring you, which will help support this blog. Thanks! Plus, buy the 60D, T3i, or T2i from Amazon - body only or with the kit lens - using these referral links to Amazon, and I will send you a free copy of my appropriate eBook, Your World 60D, or Canon T3i Experience, or T2i Experience!! See this post for details about how to be eligible for this offer. My referral link to Amazon or use one of these links to Amazon: See and buy the Canon EOS Rebel T3i (Body Only) on Amazon See and buy the Canon EOS Rebel T3i with 18-55mm Lens on Amazon See and buy the T2i on Amazon. See and buy the 60D on Amazon. See and buy the 7D on Amazon. See and buy the Canon 5D MkII on Amazon And due to popular request, if you are in the UK, here is my new referral link to Amazon UK. If you are in another country, click on one of my Amazon links, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click on your country for your local Amazon. And for those wishing to purchase from B+H Photo, just click the button below or just click here for my referral link to B+H. Click here to shop at B&H Lenses, Accessories and Books: Now that you are on your way to deciding on a camera, you should also start looking into lenses, photography gear, accessories, and books. Check out this link, Best Lenses for Travel Photography, which also applies to general photography, Equipment for Travel Photography, which discusses useful and practical photo accessories and equipment for both everyday and travel photography. This post lists and describes Essential Books for Digital Photography, including the best user's guides for each of these cameras. Canon Rebel T2i, T3i, 60D, and 7D And to sum it all up, here is a brief, mostly serious synopsis to help you make the camera decision: Get a Canon 600D / Rebel T3i (or older Canon 550D / Rebel T2i) if you are new to photography or to digital SLR photography, or want to upgrade from an older Rebel because you want higher image quality and more mega-pixels (or HD video). If you have been happy with the features and controls of your previous dSLR camera and have not discovered the need, in your extensive use of it, for any specific additional features, there is no need to look beyond the T3i / 600D. See the T3i on Amazon. Get a Canon 60D if you have outgrown the capabilities of an older Rebel like an XTi or T1i due to your greater experience and more demanding shooting needs which require more direct or sophisticated controls, faster shooting speed, more precise autofocus system, and more complex customization options. Or you have been pretty pleased with your 20D or 40D and its features but wish to upgrade for the increased image quality and megapixels (or HD video). And/ or you need a more rugged camera for your frequent and demanding shooting and off-the-beaten-path traveling needs. Or if you need the increased 5.3 frames per second continuous rate to shoot sports or action. Or you really like swiveling LCD screens (the T3i has this too). If you typically shoot on Auto or Program mode, you do not need a 60D. If you do not manually select your own focus point and have never used exposure compensation you do not need a 60D. If you have never used the AE-Lock [*] button to lock exposure you do not need a 60D. If you don't understand the relationship between aperture, shutter speed and ISO you don't need a 60D. Or unless you plan to dedicate yourself to learning this camera and the principles of SLR photography and grow into this more advanced camera, please save the money or use it towards a better lens. See the 60D on Amazon. Get a Canon 7D if you have extensive experience with a Rebel like an XTi or T1i (also called the xxxD series like the 350D or 500D) or with an older xxD series (20D, 40D) camera, and you know and understand most of the 7D's controls and advanced custom features, and you specifically need some of them for your demanding shooting needs. If you haven't passed the above "criteria" for a 60D, you definitely don't need a 7D. If you have never used Av aperture priority mode or M manual mode, you do not need a 7D. If you have never used autofocus tracking settings to track a moving subject across your frame and worried how an interfering object would affect your focus you do not need a 7D. If you have never used spot metering to determine a critical exposure level or experimented with back-button focusing you do not need a 7D. Or unless you plan to dedicate yourself to learning this camera and the principles of SLR photography and grow into this very advanced camera, please save the money or use it towards a better lens. However, if you often need to take 126 consecutive photos at the rate of 8 frames per second, you do need the 7D. Immediately. Even if you just sometimes need that. Totally worth it. That's 15.75 seconds of continuous shooting. Who doesn't need that? You'd make Eadweard Muybridge proud. See the 7D on Amazon. (Please note, the T3i/600D, T2i/550D, 60D and 7D all have all of these advanced features I just listed: manually selected focus points, exposure compensation, AE-Lock, auto-focus tracking, spot metering, and back-button focusing. All of these cameras are fully capable of advanced dSLR shooting techniques and are capable of shooting professional quality images. I'm just using the above features as a determination of your experience level and needs.) The Canon 5D Mark II is in a separate league than the other cameras, being a full frame professional camera, and thus I'm not going to compare it to the others in this context. As I said in a previous post:

If the 5D Mk II fits your expanding and demanding needs as a photographer, you would already pretty much know that you needed a 5D after your extensive time using a Rebel or a 20D, 40D, etc. Otherwise, getting a 5D means most likely you’d be investing in far more camera than you will actually need or use.

If you truly need a 5D MkII, you are most likely already in that phase where you are fully aware that you need it and you are merely saving up and/ or agonizing over when to go ahead and spend (or inform the spouse that you need to spend) that $2500. If you don't already know that you need a 5D Mk II, you probably don't need a 5D. Plus, as is often the case, many of those who could really take full advantage of a 5D Mk II are those who can't afford one. (I'm thinking about the talented photographers I come across on Flickr, etc. who are making amazing images with entry-level Rebels.) Feel free to spend $2,500 on a 5D Mk II if you want, but unless you have extensive experience with photography and with a digital SLR, using a 5D is completely unnecessary and is unlikely to help you take "better" pictures than you will be able to with a T3i/600D. In fact, until you figure out the controls, features, menus, and custom functions of a 5D or 7D, you may be taking worse pictures! And besides, the 5D MkII is becoming old technology. You should wait for the 5D Mark III :) Plus, the large, high resolution sensor of the 5D MkII pretty much requires that you use Canon's best L-series lenses, so be sure to plan for that. See the Canon 5D MkII on Amazon. ***** Related Posts: Lenses for Travel Photography Equipment for Digital Photography Essential Books for Digital Photography As I said above, when you are trying to determine which camera to purchase or upgrade to, you need to first consider and determine your needs, and then see which camera fills those needs. Not the other way around. Here is a post I wrote which discusses this, titled How to Choose a New dSLR Camera.

Celebrate "Read an E-Book Week"

dojoklo — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 02:31:01 +0000

To celebrate "Read an E-Book Week" (March 6-12) as well as the release of my newest eBook Canon T3i Experience, some of my previous e books are on sale, including Your World 60D for the Canon 60D and T2i Experience for the Canon T2i / 550D. Just go to my Full Stop ebook bookstore, (www.dojoklo.com/Full_Stop/) where you can learn all about the eBooks. Also available, the brand new Canon T3i Experience as well as Nikon D7000 Experience. Learn how to set up and customize the menus, settings, and functions of your Canon T3i / 600D, Nikon D7000, Canon 60D, or Canon T2i / 550D. Then start to learn to use your powerful dSLR to its full potential so that you can improve your photography and consistently take better photos! Download your ebook instantly and start learning right away.

Grainy Black and White Challenge: XZ-1, LX5, S95, P300

dojoklo — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 04:43:35 +0000

I'm not usually a big fan of the "creative fun filters" that are included as in-camera processing options for many of the current dSLR and compact point-and-shoot cameras. I prefer to do my processing in Photoshop, where I can see the full quality version of the image, and have more control over the editing. However, I was playing around with the "Grainy Film" mode of the new Olympus XZ-1, and I was quite impressed with how cool, fun, and easy it is. Perhaps I should reevaluate their usefulness! Olympus XZ-1 - Grainy Film So I decided to have a look at some of the other cameras' black and white grainy film options and see how they all compare. This is a pretty informal comparison without too much strict effort put into the "test" other than putting the subject camera in about the same place, zooming in all the way and using the maximum aperture if possible, and loosely trying to frame the images all about the same. Since the Olympus XZ-1 inspired this experiment, I will cover that one first. The Olympus XZ-1 is a new competitor to the high end compact point-and-shoot class of cameras which includes the Canon S95 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 - as well as the ~~upcoming~~ newly released Nikon P300. They are all roughly about the same size, and have excellent image quality and low light performance. Their features and maximum apertures vary, and there are other site, such as DPReview, that do full reviews of these models if you are more interested in learning about them. For the Olympus XZ-1, you turn the Mode Dial to "Art." How cool is that?! All you have to do is turn the dial and you can make art! Other cameras merely have "Scene Modes," while the Olympus offers "Art!" In Art Mode choose Art 3, which is Grainy Film. While in Art Mode, as in most of its other modes, you can easily change the exposure compensation by pressing up on the rear dial and dialing in a (+) or (-) compensation amount, and immediately see what you will get. I kept it at 0 for this test. The image from the Olympus, seen at the top of this post, is nice and contrasty. It has a bit of grain, but actually isn't really very grainy. The large aperture does blur out the background nicely. Have a look at the larger version on Flickr to see it better. Next up is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5, another one of the high end point-and-shoots. For this camera you go into the My Color Mode and choose Film Grain. Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 - Film Grain Compared to the Olympus, it appears to have created more of a dark monochrome image, without the high amount of dramatic contrast. There is a bit of grain, perhaps a little more than the Olympus, but I really wouldn't call it grainy. The background blurring isn't nearly as dramatic as the Olympus. See larger image on Flickr. The Canon S95 is quite a popular camera for those seeking great image quality in a compact point-and-shoot. After David Pogue wrote an ode to it in the New York Times, they really started to move off the shelves. For the S95, you use one of the Scene Modes called the Nostalgic Mode. You have a few degrees of exposure to choose from as you turn the front lens dial, which first start to affect image color, then go to sepia, and then to contrasty black and white. I choose the highest setting to get the grainy black and white look. Canon S95 - Nostalgic Scene Mode The contrast of the S95 image is between the other two - more than the Panasonic but less that the highly contrasty Olympus. The background really shows the grain, but is not very dramatically blurred out. Have a look at the larger version on Flickr to see it better. Here is the entry from the Nikon P300. To get to this setting, you set the mode dial to Scene Mode, go to Special Effects, and set it for High-Contrast Monochrome. Nikon P300 - High-Contrast Monochrome Like the Panasonic, the contrast isn't actually that dramatic. And I did not find any way to adjust the aperture setting while in this mode so as to take advantage of its fast lens (including the inability to change the ISO in this mode), so it used f/5.5 and thus the background blurring really isn't very dramatic either. And this setting does not introduce any grain into the image. Have a look at a larger version of the image on Flickr. The final camera is the Canon 60D, used here with its 18-135mm kit lens. This is a digital SLR, not a compact point-and-shoot like the others, but I knew it offers a grainy black and white option in its Creative Filters, so I added it to the mix. To use this feature, you take an image in color, then access the Creative Filters to apply the affect, and then save the new copy along with the original image. You can quickly access the Creative Filters during playback by pressing the Q Button. This one is called Grainy B/W, and is offered in three levels of contrast: Low, Standard, and Strong. I chose Standard to demonstrate the middle ground. Standard appears to be pretty contrasty, and is closer to the highly contrasty Strong setting than it is to the not-as-contrasty Low setting. Canon 60D - Grainy B/W Creative Filter As you can see, even on the Standard level of contrast it is quite contrasty. And you can definitely see the grain in the background of this image, which is nicely out of focus because I was able to use a long lens and a wide aperture. The Strong setting increases the contrast to a level very similar to the Olympus. See larger image on Flickr. With the compact cameras, you can see on the rear LCD screen what you are going to get in advance, while with the Canon 60D, you can see how your original color image will be affected by the different levels of contrast. So there you have it - the grainy black and white in-camera processing of these camera. Of the compacts, my favorite is the very dramatic look of the Olympus XZ-1, due to both its contrast and its more out-of-focus background. Thanks to my patient subject, the classic Nikon F3 with the stunning 50mm f/1.2 lens. Have a look at some real black and white grain on some of my earliest SLR photos from Rome, 1991.

dojoklo — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 05:41:26 +0000

The Canon T3i Experience ebook!

dojoklo — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 16:32:36 +0000

the photographic process

dojoklo — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 22:17:09 +0000

Here is a list of some accessories and stuff you may want to get along with your camera, including some accessories specific to the T3i.

amazonlogo

dojoklo — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 15:10:28 +0000

The Canon 70-300mm DO Travel Companion

dojoklo — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 18:11:44 +0000

In some of my posts, such as the one about the Best Lenses for Travel and Humanitarian Photography, I venture to suggest a good single lens for travel. My recommendations have typically been the Canon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 or the more expensive Canon 24-105 f/4L. Both offer a useful focal length range for travel, image stabilization, and excellent image quality (relative to their price, of course - the professional L lens is of much higher quality). The 24-104mm also boasts the fast and quiet USM focusing motor. One lens that I have previously failed to mention is the unique Canon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM lens. Its broad focal length range, image stabilization, and USM focusing motor with full-time manual focus* are all appealing features. (*you can over-ride or tweak the autofocus with a twist of the focus ring without switching to MF.) But what makes it a potentially great travel companion is its size and appearance. Due to its use of Diffractive Optics (the DO in its name) the lens is relatively small and light. And in addition, its exterior is black rather than the white of the L lenses. Thus it becomes a much more portable and much less obtrusive lens than the big, white 70-200mm and 70-300mm L lenses. The unique green band of the Canon 70-33mm DO lens The 70-300mm DO declares its uniqueness with a green band around the front of the barrel, where the red band of the L lenses sits. Diffractive Optics is a technology developed by Canon to reduce lens size while maintaining image quality and eliminating chromatic aberrations, and currently only two Canon lenses use DO. This lens has been around since 2004, and has overall received excellent reviews. For a professional photographer it will never quite replace a 70-200mm or 70-300mm L lens due to its slightly lower image quality and sharpness, and lack of the f/2.8 or f/4 maximum aperture throughout its full range, but for those just a little less demanding it could be the perfect travel companion for photographers not wishing to carry around a larger and more noticeable white lens. There are mixed reviews on its sharpness. Some users claim it is sharp as can be, some say it loses sharpness at certain focal lengths and apertures, and other say with standard post-process sharpening there is virtually no difference between it and an L lens. One complaint that can't be denied is its propensity for lens creep. Due to the weight of the lens elements and the fact that it zooms externally (unlike the internal zoom of the 24-105mm or the 70-200mm lenses) the zooming barrel will move on its own when pointed up or down. The lens has a locking switch for storage or for walking around, but otherwise it is going to creep. This DO lens also does not have a rubber weather-sealing ring at its mounting base, which is disappointing for a lens in this price range. Optically the 70-300mm DO displays a couple unique characteristics as well. At certain apertures a hazy, often described as dreamy, outline will appear around bright out-of-focus areas. And due to the concentric circles of the DO optics (visible in the lens just by looking at the glass at an angle) out-of-focus spots of light also contain concentric circles, or "targets," as shown in the image below. These rings also appear in areas of flare, so it is best not to use this lens if you are a fan of shooting into the sun to achieve purposeful lens flare. The interesting bullseye/ target bokeh of the 70-300mm DO lens, pronounced when at narrow apertures (f/16 here) - click image to view larger on Flickr. The above image is a crop from the one below. Notice that in addition to the concentric circles, the bokeh of bright light spots becomes hexagonal at narrower apertures (like f/10 or f/16) as shown below, but it is nice and circular starting at f/8, without the targets being so pronounced at wider apertures (like f/5.6). Canon 70-300mm DO lens - hexagonal bokeh with bullseye targets seen at f/16 - click image to view larger on Flickr. So if you are looking for a high quality lens for travel with an exceptional telephoto zoom range, you may wish to consider the 70-300mm DO. It is not everyone's ideal single lens for travel because its focal length starts at 70mm and thus lacks the wide angle range, but for those who like to zoom in close and capture faces and details, it could be a lens that stays on your camera much of the time. And even for those who already have a big, white 70-200mm lens, this could come in handy in many situations which you wish to be a little more discreet or even appear less intimidating to your subjects. Go to the store and play with one, and I think you may find that you love the size and feel of this lens, and can envision its great travel potential. See and purchase the 70-300mm DO lens at Amazon.com Have a look at some other reviewers' posts to learn more about this lens, its technical specs, and its performance, as well as see images comparing its size to other lenses: Review and description with size/ weight comparisons at The-Digital-Picture.com Review focusing on image quality at Photo.net Field test and very technical review at Luminous-Landscape.com Canon's explanation of Diffractive Optics

Canon 60D Firmware Update

dojoklo — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 00:11:39 +0000

Canon has released updated firmware for the Canon 60D, version 1.0.9. According to Canon, this update:

Changes the name of the feature called "Art Filters" to "Creative Filters" (which is used in markets other than Japan) in the Japanese version to make the terms consistent. (This change only applies to the Japanese version and does not apply to other language versions.)
Fixes a phenomenon where the camera may operate abnormally when it is set to Quick Mode AF during Live View shooting immediately after capturing an image with the C.Fn II-1 Long exposure noise reduction setting set to [2: On] and a shutter speed setting of 5 seconds or more.
Fixes a phenomenon where the camera may operate abnormally when after Live View shooting, the remote switch on the EOS Utility screen is pressed to immediately start movie-shooting. This phenomenon only occurs when the camera is connected to a compatible personal computer and the Remote Live View function of EOS Utility software is being used.

Head over to the Canon website to download and install the new firmware.

Black and White Challenge Addendum

dojoklo — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 00:24:44 +0000

The Nikon P300 has been released, and since it joins the same class of cameras as the ones I used in the Grainy Black and White Challenge, I'll add an image from the Nikon P300 using its High-Contrast Monochrome setting. The previous cameras that I used to compare their grainy black and white settings included the Olympus XZ-1, the Canon S95, and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5. Here is the entry from the P300. To get to this setting, you set the mode dial to Scene Mode, go to Special Effects, and set it for High-Contrast Monochrome. Nikon P300 - High-Contrast Monochrome See the the Grainy Black and White Challenge post for more info, and have a look at a larger version of the image on Flickr.

dSLR e Book User's Guides Available in New Formats + iBooks

dojoklo — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:31:40 +0000

I've recently added two of my e books, Canon T3i Experience and Nikon D7000 Experience to the e book super-site Smashwords. If you purchase them from that site, you have access to a variety of e book formats so that you can read the guides on all of your devices. You can download copies of any or all of the formats for one price. There is PDF format for general computer reading and printing or for transferring to the iPad, MOBI format for Kindle, ePUB format which is becoming the industry standard for a variety of e-readers including the Nook and Sony Reader, or else LRF or PDB for Sony or Palm. Click here to see and purchase Nikon D7000 Experience on Smashwords, or Click here to see and purchase Canon T3i Experience on Smashwords. These two e books are now also available at the Apple iBooks store. Download the free iBooks App to purchase these versions for your iPad or iPhone. Although you can't access iBooks from your computer, you can have a look at my available books here.

Top 10 Accessories for Your Canon Rebel T3i / EOS 600D

dojoklo — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 15:55:15 +0000

Now that you've decided on the Canon Rebel T3i / EOS 600D, you'll want to get the basic, essential accessories. Don't get carried away yet with elaborate flash modifiers and color balance correction tools before you gain some experience and determine which advanced accessories you will really need and use. But you can't go wrong with these initial 10 additions to your camera bag. Click on the links or the images to view and purchase them on Amazon.com (and help support my blog by doing so - thanks!) 1. SanDisk Extreme 8GB Memory Card - You are going to need a high quality, high speed memory card to save all those images and capture those videos. Go with the best and don't risk corruption and errors - a SanDisk Extreme. Perhaps a couple 8GB cards or a 16GB card. 2. Canon LP-E8 Battery - You will probably want a spare battery, especially if you are traveling, or just for those times you forgot to charge the battery before going to an important event. Go with the official Canon brand and avoid battery communication and charging issues. 3. Canon T3i Experience E Book - You will want to go beyond Auto and learn to use the advanced functions and settings of your sophisticated camera, so be sure to check out my e book, Canon T3i Experience. It will help you to take control of your camera so that you can consistently take better images - the images you wish to capture. You've invested the money in an advanced camera, now invest the time to learn how to use it to its full potential! Kindle edition also available here, B&N Nook edition here, Sony Reader edition available soon, and iPad & iPhone edition now available through the iBooks app. 4. Black Rapid RS7 Strap - This sling-style camera strap provides a more comfortable and practical - and somewhat more discreet - way to carry around your camera, especially if you have a larger lens on it. 5. Giottos Large Rocket Blower - Blow the dust off your lens, camera body, interior, and sensor safely with the Rocket Blower. Get the large size for maximum "whoosh!" 6. LensPEN Lens Cleaning System - Clean those fingerprints, smudges, and mysterious spots off your camera lens (filter) safely and quickly with the LensPEN. Brush off the loose spots with the brush end, charge the tip, then clean by "drawing" in a circular motion. Read the manufacturer's instruction for complete details. 7. Canon 430EX II Speedlite Flash - Upgrade to the Canon Speedlite Flash to obtain more flash power and control for your low light pictures. Take advantage of the T3i's wireless remote flash capabilities. Rotate and bounce your flash for more flattering indirect light, diffuse it and scatter it for less harsh shadows. Consider the Canon 580EX II Speedlite for more advanced needs. 7a. Stofen Omni Bounce Diffuser - Diffuse and scatter the light from your Speedlite flash with the Omni Bounce Diffuser to eliminate harsh shadows. Use it with your flash head at a 45 degree angle up, or to the side or behind you, as it is designed to be used. Don't aim it straight on, and don't use it outside. I don't care if you see others doing that, even if they have a 5D and a big lens - they don't know that all they are doing is wasting flash power and not affecting the results. 8. B+W Brand UV Filter - Protect your lens from scratches, dust, and impact damage with a high-quality, multi-coated B+W brand UV filter. It won't affect your image quality due to its high quality glass and coatings, and it just may save you from a $200 repair. Leave one on each of your lenses at all times, unless you are using another filter like the circular polarizer. Be sure to get the right size filter for your lens. 8a. B+W Brand Circular Polarizer Filter - Use this high-quality, multi-coated filter to dramatically darken skies, increase contrast, and cut through reflections. Turn the rotating lens to adjust the amount of darkening or reflection. 9. Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens - After you've realized the limitations of the kit lens in both quality and focal range, pair your T3i with this high quality all-purpose "walk-around" lens, great for everyday and travel use. It provides the full focal range from wide angle to telephoto, and delivers excellent image quality, color, and contrast, as well as Image Stabilization to prevent blur from camera movement. 9a. EW 78D Lens Hood - And you will want the lens hood for the 18-200mm lens, to shade the lens from unwanted glare and flare and protect it from bumps and bangs. 10. Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson - If you don't yet understand the relationship between aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, read this book immediately. This knowledge is essential to understanding and using your powerful dSLR to its full potential. For additional photography gear, accessories, and books, be sure to check out my dSLR Photography Gear, Accessories, and Books post!

ebook covers-02

dojoklo — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 16:20:49 +0000

iBooks-logo

dojoklo — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 16:10:20 +0000

Blog Down!

dojoklo — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 12:00:06 +0000

This blog was down for awhile earlier today, but it turns out it was erroneously "flagged by (the) automated anti-spam controls." It has all been cleared and reactivated. Sorry for the inconvenience if you tried to visit earlier today.

Nikon D5100 Announced

dojoklo — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 12:02:33 +0000

The new Nikon D5100 was just announced today, replacing the D5000. It sits just above the D3100 in the Nikon consumer dSLR lineup, and a bit below the D90 and D7000, both sturdier and more sophisticated cameras. The D5000 boasts a 16 megapixel sensor (like the D7000), and a swivel screen more like the Canon T3i and 60D, attached at the left side, rather than the less convenient bottom swivel of the previous D5000. It shoots 4 frames per second, faster than the 3 fps of the D3100, of course has 1080p HD video. The D5100 now has in-camera processing filters like the 60D and T3i, including miniature, high or low key, and selective color. And it has the 11 point AF system, with one cross type sensor, like the D3100. To compare the Nikon D5000 to the also very new Canon T3i: The Canon T3i / 600D 18 megapixels Articulating rear LCD screen 1080p HD video with all the frame rate options 9 point autofocus system with 1 cross-type sensor 3.7 frames per second continuous shooting In-camera image processing filters plus RAW to JPEG, cropping, and other options Some scene modes ISO range 100-6400 95% viewfinder with .85 magnification 1.26 lbs with battery Wireless flash triggering Nikon D5100 16 megapixels Articulating rear LCD screen 1080p HD video with all the frame rate options 11 point autofocus system with 1 cross-type sensor 4 frames per second continuous shooting In-camera image processing filters A lot of scene modes ISO range 100-6400 95% viewfinder with .78 magnification 1.2 lbs with battery As you can see, both cameras are incredibly similar as far as specifications. It looks as if the price may even be the same. A deciding factor may be which camera feels more comfortable in your hands, which controls and menus seem better placed and easier to navigate, and which system you want to invest in. A look at the image quality here seems to show that the Canon's JPEG images straight out of the camera are sharper, have more clarity, and more color "punch." .78