When to Upgrade the DSLR?
My primary camera body is a Canon EOS-300D, the original Digital Rebel. I purchased it right after Christmas. It’s served me well. The shot counter (er, file numbering) has been reset a few times but I figure I’m in the 12,000 image range and I haven’t had any technical problems with the camera.
Yet, I’ve been wanting to upgrade. The newer bodies such as the 20D and 30D provide a better-built camera, better sensors, higher frame rates, and a bigger shot buffer.
Unless you have an unlimited budget, you can’t buy every new body that comes onto the market. Thus far I’ve held off, instead spending my photography money on good-quality glass and other accessories.
The 20D was a notable upgrade from my camera. The 30D was another incremental change. I struggled with the decision as to when to drop the $1000+ on a new body. What would get me to that point where the number of improvements justified the cost?
Tonight I purchased a Canon 40D from Pro Photo Supply, my favorite local camera shop. It was time.
Don’t Ask if the Lord is a Canon Guy
This week I’ve spent about 9 hours shooting a Vacation Bible School program at our church. I have just shy of 500 photos and the next few days should be a good exercise in workflow as I sort, fix, and prepare images for a slideshow.
It’s been interesting, and has led to some odd thoughts. Like tonight, as I got ready to shoot the final gathering, and I thought to myself:
Which lens should I use for Jesus?
Digital Photo Printing: Home or Commercial?
One issue I often find myself discussing with folks new to photography (and particularly digital photography) is how to obtain prints. When the average “consumer” shot 35mm film, it was easy: drop the roll off at your local photo processing location and wait a week until the prints returned. If one was in a hurry, there was overnight or one-hour processing.
Regardless of whether one prints digital images at home or through a commercial outfit, one of the big changes in printing (vs. traditional rolls of 35mm film) is that printing is now selective. The whole roll doesn’t need to be developed/printed in order to see that one killer shot.
Many folks figure that the switch to digital photography means they need to get a photo-quality printer at their house and print their own images. That’s one option, but it’s not the option I typically recommend. Let’s look at some pros and cons of home printing:
Pros of Home Printing:
- printing can be done at any time
- results are (nearly) instant
- images can be quickly reprinted after adjustments have been made
Cons of Home Printing:
- requires purchasing a quality printer (you generally get what you pay for)
- requires regularly purchasing ink cartridges
- requires purchasing photo paper
- occasionally requires troubleshooting
The other option is to have your photos printed commercially. At first this service was only available at special locations, but now you can find digital photo printing at any of the major drugstore chains as well as retailers such as Costco and Walmart. They’re all using the same equipment, so you should get similar results regardless of your retailer choice. What are the pros and cons of commercial printing?
Pros of Retail Printing:
- no real technical skill needed
- no hardware or ink cartridge purchases
Cons of Retail Printing:
- must either drive to store or wait for shipped photos
- unable to quickly reprint after editing
- unable to control the technical aspects of printing
I find that I don’t print very many images, and the ones I do print are done commercially. I enjoy being able to submit the photos online and then pick them up a few hours or days later, knowing I’ll get a consistent result at an affordable price. Others who want to spend more time on the process may favor printing at home; for them the printing process is part of the hobby.
Either option can produce quality prints depending on how you go about it… and you never know what weird situations you might run into.
Photographing Fireworks: Lights, Motion, Science, and Art
In just a couple days, across the United States folks will turn out for huge public fireworks displays. My hometown of Vancouver, Washington boasts the largest fireworks display west of the Mississippi. Fireworks can make interesting photography subjects, and it is possible to take some great fireworks photos without too much difficulty if you spend a few minutes thinking about the elements involved.
First, you’ll need stability. Because you’ll be taking photos at night, using slow shutter speeds, the camera will need to be absolutely motionless. The only way to get the needed stability is a tripod or other fixed camera mount. Another piece of equipment which can contribute to the stability is a remote shutter release cable, so that the pressure of a finger on the shutter button won’t cause unwanted movement.
The key technical aspect to good fireworks photos is shutter speed. You’ll be using relatively slow shutter speeds in order to let in the light from the fireworks, and potentially to capture the motion of the fireworks as the lights move in the sky. Put your camera in shutter priority mode (often indicated as Tv) and choose a slow shutter speed to capture the light and motion. How long is the “right” length for the shutter? There is no single right answer. The photo shown here was captured with a 30 second exposure. Many fireworks photos are taken with shutter speeds in the 5-15 second range. The best thing to do is experiment. With a digital camera you can use the preview feature and histogram to check out your results and make adjustments in the field.
Use a low ISO to minimize noise and grain in the sky of your photos. Either use a low ISO film, or if you have a digital camera, set it to the lowest ISO possible.
Don’t forget about photography basics when you’re shooting fireworks. You’ll still want to think about composition. Choose a viewing location free of obstacles. Make sure the folks in front of you aren’t going to put up a big umbrella at the last minute. Sometimes you can use a landmark to provide some context for the fireworks. Make sure you have plenty of memory cards or film. It’s amazing how many photos you can snap in a fireworks display, and you don’t want to miss the grand finale because you ran out of storage.
Overall, have fun. Experiment with different shutter speeds and see the results. In the end, you should end up with some colorful photos of an American tradition.
*photo by bobtravis on Flickr, used under a Creative Commons license
Film vs. Digital
Whether you think that film is the only way to create a good photograph, or digital is the only way to create a good photograph… you’re wrong.
The Tripod: More Than Just Image Stabilization
One of the tools in any professional photographer’s arsenal is a good-quality tripod. It’s definitely something you should consider from the standpoint of minimizing any camera shake while shooting. But there’s another reason to use a tripod and it’s arguably of equal importance (especially for the beginning and intermediate photographer):
Using a tripod forces you to plan your shot.
The use of a tripod takes time. Even if you’re fast, it will take you several seconds to setup the tripod, attach the camera, and make some quick head adjustments. In an ideal situation, you have at least a few minutes to get things set up. During this time, you can look at various things such as what is around you or any obstacles which might interfere with your shot. As you put the camera onto the tripod, you can experiment with different compositions to see which one works best.
Perhaps the most important issue is that the use of a tripod to create a well-composed image prevents you from making hasty last-minute changes. When the tripod is planted firmly on the ground, your camera is locked into the head, and you’ve adjusted things so they’re “just right”, you can’t quickly change things at the last minute. Over the past several years I’ve found that generally when I change things just before the shot, I end up disappointed with the results and wishing I’d gone with the original plan.
Use a tripod. Plan your shot. Go with your plan.
*photo by [martin] on Flickr
Going DSLR: Budget for the Glass
One of the biggest mistakes that people make when getting into the world of a DSLR camera is to spend a majority of their budget on the camera body and then skimp when it comes to lens purchases. I made this mistake myself: when I purchased my Canon Digital Rebel in 2003 I spent about $1000 for the body but then purchased a $200 lens (the Canon EF 75-300mm). I ended up with a good camera body, but a zoom lens that was soft at either end of the range.
I’ll blame it on two factors: I hadn’t done enough research which would’ve warned me away from this lens, and I liked the price. When it comes to lenses, however, you generally get what you pay for, and I got a mediocre lens in exchange for the low price.
When you are considering a DSLR purchase, be sure to budget for some quality lenses. Buying a $1000 camera body that can take great photos isn’t much fun when your results are hampered by poor-quality lenses. My favorite site to read lens reviews is Fred Miranda, so if you’re wondering what to purchase head over there and read what others had to say. Most of the lens manufacturers offer at least a couple lenses at each focal length, sometimes you have three options. You may not need the multi-thousand-dollar pro lens at f/2.8, but you probably don’t want the cheap low-quality lens at f/5.6 either.
Do your research, save your money, and purchase quality glass. It should last many years and you’ll be happy that you spent a few extra dollars to get the most out of your photography equipment.
The Most Important Thing
As I look at the various topics I have in mind for Photoschooled, I’d like to offer a variety of information, tips, tricks, and lessons learned. But to kick it all off, I want to explicitly state what should be obvious:
Take photos. Lots of them.
Taking photos (nearly) every day, instead of only on special photography trips, is probably the number one thing I have done to improve my skill. Practice might not always make perfect, but it usually leads to improvement. Why aren’t you taking more photos? What might be a barrier to photography?
- Impractical Photo Gear: When my only camera was my DSLR (and assorted lenses) it wasn’t always convenient to lug around my photo backpack so that I could easily take photos. I purchased a relatively inexpensive, yet decent quality, point-and-shoot digital camera that I try to carry with me everywhere. You can’t take a photo if you don’t have a camera.
- No Time: Even when you’re not explicitly making time, you can take photos. Have a few minutes at a bus stop? Look around. Waiting for a friend or co-worker to meet you somewhere? Look around. Taking your garbage can out to the curb? Look around. Going out to eat? Look ar… well, you get the idea.
- Routine Locations: If you’re tired of shooting the same things, try a bit of variety. Spend your lunch hour walking in a direction you haven’t explored. A lot of interesting things are often located just out of sight of your normal routine.
There’s an old photojournalism adage that states the most important thing in photography is “f/8 and be there” — you can’t take a photo unless you’re there with a camera. Be there, have your camera, and take more photos.
