Week 42 - 365 Day Photography Challenge

Day 288

This week was shot with my new Nikon D3200 24.5 megapixel camera and mostly with the 18 - 55 mm lens it came with. I did a lot of mixing up the subjects as a test drive for the camera and the lens. Both were new to me. The Nikon D3200 is very similar to the Nikon D90 in feel. But the shorter zoom lens which is not wide angle was very new to me. And at first seemed very restricting as I am rather addicted to my 18 - 105 mm wide angle zoom.

Cameras and lenses have favorite subjects. So do photographers. When my friends ask about what camera to buy, when they are finally willing to admit the iPhone has its limits, I always ask what it is they like to shoot. And maybe that is an unfair question because up to then their favorite subject has been what the iPhone does well.

Day 289

And I found that what the camera and lens combo I was shooting with this week does some things really well - like limiting the scope of the picture and getting more detail in the middle and far ground. Result was I spent less time in post processing with cropping and sharpening.

Day 290 - Cracked pot

I also spent less time framing my picture with the camera in the field but more time walking closer to the subject - 50 mm closer. The shot below was a test for a news story I was covering. The opening assembly of participants was to be held at this hotel entry. I had brought both cameras as well as my favorite wide angle lens which works on my new camera. This photo was taken with the new lens on the new camera and proved to me it would be sufficient to handle the task.

I also have a couple favorite post processing screens or filters or techniques I like so I took the test picture and tested my old favorites on it. That also worked and I was very pleased with the detail in the reflections in the doors.

Day 291

I am also not fond of flash so another test had to be available light. So I used my mess on my computer desk. Only light is the desk light.

Day 292

The 18 - 55 mm is not really a macro but it does get close up and personal and on the right setting blurs the background nicely. I probably took 20 exposures of this subject mostly playing around with settings to get the right effect. The spray of orchids had to be the only thing in sharp focus. I had some concerns that more pixels would mean more needless detail and that is not necessarily so. Note on the iPhone you do not get these options.

Day 293

But when you want detail like in this aspen picture the pixels are quite nice. I have developed a fondness to shooting toward the sun peaking through trees and how the lens handles flares and over exposures, if you will, is also important to me. And reflections. The next picture on today's review of the week was not one of the "days" because I was so happy with it upon upload to the computer that I immediately posted it.

Mind you that after a week with the 18 - 55 mm lens I was dying to go back to my wide angle. But a test run is a sacred in my photographic experience. I am not sure what teacher I got this from. And maybe it is just my interpretation of something less specific said or read but know your equipment and its limitations is important. Ergo people that shoot a lot of iPhone pictures can and do get good results.

First snow by J. Binford-Bell

This picture proved to me that my short lens and the new camera mainly had limits in my mind. But when I set out on an all day photographic adventure with a friend this week I took both cameras and all lenses and extra scan disks. And I am so thrilled I did. Two hours into the shoot the new disk on the new camera dumped 80 photos and would not reformat.

For a really panicky few moments I thought it might be the camera or the camera/lens combo because I had put my favorite wide angle on the new D3200. I took out the disk and put it into my D90 and discovered the same error messages so I felt relatively better. And the D90 also could not bring up the missing 80 shots. I had been chimping randomly all morning because I was trying different filters on the 18-55mm lens. I knew the camera had taken the pictures.

Next step was to put a backup scan disk into the new camera and take pictures. It worked. Yes, it is under warranty but who wants the hassle of sending it back. The rest of the day with the new camera went without a hitch regardless of which lens, but I can recall some of the pictures that got away in infinite detail.

Day 294 - new beginnings

So as the week ends I am out of test mode officially but I definitely need a back up battery and a new extra scan disk card or two. And the Nikon D90 is staying in the camera bag with my long zoom which will not work on my new camera. Next week will be more of the pictures I did not lose on the bad disk.