complexities…

Lucy and I headed down to my parents house for Thanksgiving. My sister, brother-in-law, and nieces were there as well. My brother couldn’t make it from Boston but he did come last weekend. We had a great time Wednesday night, sharing stories, sitting around and enjoying our favorite drinks. We got up early and hit up the first annual Sunset Beach Turkey Trot. For being hung over, I held my own through the 5 kilometers. We snacked throughout the day and had an amazing feast later that afternoon. Lots of turkey, football, and family. It couldn’t have been any better!

Suggested Starting Equipment:*

1. DSLR camera. Having this immediately will greatly improve your chances of getting it SS & IS
2. Best Glass you can afford. A combination of 18-55, 50  and 55-250 range will get you started.
3. Desktop Computer with the fastest internet connection you can afford: Broadband, Cable etc.
4. Adobe Photoshop
5. External Computer Drives for Storage and Back-Ups. Terrabyte drives have come down to less than $135
6. Large Monitors for your desktop. Larger the better. Be sure and calibrate them.
7. Tripod
8. Extra Batteries for your camera
9. Large CF or SD memory cards for your Camera. Have at least two. Faster the better.
10. External Flash

*If you are on a shoe-string budget it is possible to make substitutions. It is also possible to go without some of these depending on what you shoot. However, having these pieces of equipment from the start will save you many potential headaches in the long run.

Best of Luck !

My Referral Links to Top Producing Microstock Photography Websites:

http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery.mhtml?id=144463

http://www.dreamstime.com/Mwp1969_info

http://www.istockphoto.com/mwp1969

http://www.123rf.com/profile_markpayne

http://us.fotolia.com/partner/200479231

http://www.bigstockphoto.com/?refid=HW16kzhvJX

Midstock Photography Sites:

http://www.mostphotos.com/mwp1969

Our Website:

www.PayneImages.com

Nikon has today announced an upgraded version of the D70, the new D70s. This camera has the same CCD sensor and imaging pipeline as the D70 so image quality should be identical. However several changes have been introduced including improved auto focus accuracy, slightly wider flash coverage, a higher capacity battery, a new larger 2.0″ LCD monitor and re-designed menus. The D70s Kit including the 18-70 mm lens will cost around $1199 (£899.99/€1343), while the body only will be $899 (£699.99/€1045), expected to ship in early May.

Refining the award-winning performance of 2004’s Digital SLR camera of the Year brings even greater excitement to Nikon SLR photography

TOKYO – Nikon Corporation is pleased to announce the introduction of a new interchangeable-lens digital SLR camera that inherits the award-winning image quality, high performance and user-friendliness of the D70 while introducing refinements that further help photographers capture precious moments as they unfold: the Nikon D70s.

The D70s employs the Nikon DX Format sensor and Nikon F lens mount design shared by all Nikon SLR cameras for seamless compatibility with all AF Nikkor lenses as well as the expanding family of high quality DX Nikkor lenses.

Demonstrating just how well Nikon understands that performance is paramount when capturing precious moments, every system within the camera is optimized to keep the photographer on top of the action. Powering up in a mere 0.2 seconds, the D70s is ready to shoot the instant it is turned on. Shutter release time lag is minimized for quick response that makes shooting more efficient and more enjoyable. It is also capable of shooting a rapid 3 frames per second for a continuous burst of 144 pictures*.
(*When using JPEG NORMAL – Large setting, and a SanDisk SDCFH (Ultra II), SDCFX (Extreme/Extreme III), or Lexar Media 80X WA CompactFlash™ card).

Shutter speeds of 30 to 1/8,000 sec. ensure full creative control. The built-in auto pop-up flash can synchronize at shutter speeds of up to 1/500 sec. for great fill flash effects. Its new optimized design also increases flash coverage to support lenses as wide as 18mm. Sensitivity can be set between ISO 200 to 1600 or controlled automatically (AUTO ISO) across the same range of settings to maximize available light.

The 5-area autofocus system continues to feature a cross-type sensor in the center, broad frame coverage, and class-leading low light detection, but is improved to deliver greater precision with fast, more consistent subject acquisition and improved focus tracking. Also included is an AF-assist illuminator to help maximize performance when shooting in low lighting conditions.

The D70s’ advanced System LSI processor produces the finest in vivid colors and clarity, while maximizing the speed of file compression, memory buffer handling, simultaneous recording of JPEG and NEF (Nikon Electronic Format) files, and near-instant LCD image display.

The 6.1 effective megapixel Nikon DX Format CCD image sensor features wide dynamic range and a high signal to noise ratio that produces 3,008 x 2,000-pixel images with high resolution and superbly sharp details suited for making large prints, or for cropping for creative detail.

Nikon’s 3D Color Matrix Metering with 1,005-pixel sensor delivers consistently accurate exposure automatically by measuring brightness, color, contrast, selected focus area, and subject-to-camera distance information for each shot, and then referencing the results against an onboard database of 30,000 scenes from actual photography. Variable center-weighted metering and a choice of five spot meters are also available, as are exposure compensation, and auto exposure bracketing.

The D70s produces natural coloration by matching white balance to the light source of the shot. Advanced Auto white balance is capable of handling most situations, although the flexible options include white balance bracketing, a choice of six specific manual settings with fine-tuning, as well as a preset option for using a gray or white object as a reference for white balance.

Innovative shooting options simplify the photographic process, whether controlled manually or via advanced automatic operation. Of particular note are the seven automated Digital Vari-Program selections accessed from the mode dial for a combination of personal control and powerful automatic operation that helps achieve great results under complex shooting conditions, even when in a hurry to catch the shot.

The new high-energy rechargeable lithium-ion battery EN-EL3a delivers the power to shoot up to 2,500 images* on a single charge. The D70s can also be powered by the EN-EL3 battery used by the Nikon D100 and D70, or by CR2 batteries when using the optional battery holder (MS-D70).

Controls are located for easier access and smoother operation. Newly designed menus are presented clearly and in plain language on the large 2.0-inch LCD monitor, while intuitive help dialogs are available for on-the-spot reference to the respective menu selections.

Remote control options are also expanded for the D70s, with the new optional Remote Cord (MC-DC1) adding greater convenience and ease of use in a wider variety of shooting situations, including long exposures and close-ups. Cable-free operation is also available with the optional Wireless Remote Control ML-L3. A third option involves Nikon Capture 4 (Ver. 4.2) software, which can be used to control the D70s from a computer via the USB connection.

Diverse playback options, versatile custom settings, a USB interface for easy connectivity or direct printing to any PictBridge compatible printer, and a bevy of other features make the D70s a top-performer amongst digital SLR cameras.

Combine the inherit advantages of the camera’s outstanding performance with the empowering and inspiring components of Nikon’s Total Imaging System, including high-quality AF, AF-S and DX Nikkor lenses, advanced Speedlight technologies, and versatile software options. Top it off with superb pictures that are vivid, accurate in color, and crisp and clean in detail, and you discover the sheer enjoyment, expanded creative possibilities, and increased shutter opportunities of Nikon digital SLR photography with the D70s.

Sales release schedule: Nikon Corporation will launch the D70s worldwide in April 2005.

Note: Specifications, design, product name and standard accessories may differ by country or area.

Source: http://www.dpreview.com/news/0504/05042003nikond70s.asp

Welcome to my Digital Single Lens reflex.

My DSLR is Nikon D70s and my lens 18-55, AI 50 1.4, 70-300.

I am Begining DSLR abount 1 month.

Let’s take a minute to let this sink in.  I have a digital SLR.  A DSLR!!!!!  Okay, so I just hopped up and down til my head hurt. 

Since I have this new fabulous D3000, I can finally start my photo of the day project. One photo each day til January 1st.  It will be a struggle to stay inspired day after day, and produce great phtos.  I can’t wait for your comments.  I’d love encouragement, tips, and thoughts.

Christmas bows

At the beginning of summer I clicked through to a forum debating the development of DSLRs beginning to include HD video recording. A group of Oregonians had utilized a Nikon D90 to shoot a feature length movie and I mentioned this to my editor who encouraged me to dig around and build a story. Sent out some e-mails to the filmmakers, a camera reviewer/photographer and a favorite indie director of mine. My editor liked the facts and color commentary I had collected when he finally got around to reading the draft, just not how I had written it.

He proposed a redirection and focus but I was well in the midst of getting ready to move. One evening I brought my notes up to a cafe by my parents’ (where I lived for a month before disembarking) to try and make sense of it all and failed miserably. Flew across the world and got my bearings before making another stab at it, which essentially meant rewriting the fucker, double-checking for new developments in the field and seeing if anything new was going on with the film.

The second copy went ignored for a while until my editor had the time to go over it. Together we worked out some clarifications and then he posted it, telling me I was holding the top slot of the front page overnight. Why? That answer remains a mystery, but any and all zombies awake at indecent hours had the opportunity to see me in all my glory underneath and Apple ad.

A lot of people are going to get cameras this holiday season, or have them from the last few seasons.  They have a basic SLR and the kit lens.  There’s a lot you can do with these simple combinations, but they’re limiting as well.  I’ve been involved in a few discussion forums for these mid-level beginners and wanted to echo a post here about an individual who was looking to upgrade, primarily interested in wedding photography, but wanted advice on path forward.

“Agree with others, 18-55 kit *can* take a sharp photo, but it’ll be a challenge if you’re handheld, in low light, and don’t have a high-contrast subject that’s moving. The variable aperture also makes using Manual difficult, try Shutter Priority (Tv) or Aperture Priority (Av) first to get comfortable with working your exposure. If using a flash head, try fooling with bounce flash and Program mode (P). If you have an older Rebel without a thumb wheel, then you won’t really be able to use Manual for anything beyond posed shots, because you’ll only have one of three exposure parameters (shutter, aperture, sensitivity) assigned to the index wheel. Oh, thoroughly read the manual for your camera as you explore each setup. Some people are able to know just the basics and get great stuff, some people need to really dig and understand the nuance. Find out which you are and how much effort you’re willing to put into your craft before laying out cash. Regarding upgrades, I’d stick with the Rebel and first invest in glass. That 50 1.8 is a good choice, you can even get them used for $75 or lower, although they are a bit long on a 1.6x Rebel, almost 85mm. It’ll take some getting used to, which isn’t a bad thing. The 50 1.4 is an even better choice if you can drop a few hundred. Zooms, I’d say go for the 17-55 2.8 IS.. it doesn’t say L (no weather sealing, etc) but it’s L-quality glass. Every bit as good as the 16-35, 24-70 or 24-105 for under $1000. And if you don’t have one, get yourself a 580ex or 580exII flash head and rechargeable batteries (I like Ansmann 2700mAh AAs, they’re a bit pricey but pay for themselves over time) or an external battery pack. Learn to use bounce and fill-in flash and your photos will improve dramatically. More light means smaller aperture and faster shutter, which means more sharpness. More light also means greater saturation. I’m of the philosophy that photography isn’t cheap. Yes you can get by, and yes in the end, it’s the photographer not the camera. You can get some amazing photos with a $250 point-n-shoot, I know… but the proper kit makes it possible to get 500 amazing photos in a night as opposed to just 10 or 20. That’s once you’re ready to “go live,” you can learn everything you need to learn on the Rebel with one decent (fixed aperture) zoom, a prime or two, and a flash head. Best of luck and let’s see some of your photos as you progress!”

Click the photo to see Bryan Carnathan’s excellent review of the latest Rebel offering from Canon, the T1i, an incredible bang-for-buck DSLR package.

A sample of a still image.

Do you ever wonder why people just love to capture every moments of their life with cameras? Well, I do.

They even upload their images all over the World Wide Web. My friends in a particular social networking site for example, are kind of “obsessive” uploading different albums with events and there are like hundreds of pictures in it. Though sometimes, it’s kind of funny that even “drinking coffee” has its own album.

Pictures or still photographs for an enthusiast’s term, reveals a lot of stories. The truth of the matter is still depends on how the photographer and the people who look at give meaning to it.

Right now, I am fascinated taking pictures with still images. Personally, I like my subjects to be motionless, for the fact that still images are good start for people who begin photography as a hobby.

I am using a Sony DSC-N2 digital camera with 10 mega-pixels and Carl-Zeiss lens. A good camera indeed and touch screen feature is really a bonus. High end cameras like this can even fake a DSLR camera shots. It is for the reason that it provides high quality image. In my own term – Crispy! Another good thing is that digital cameras with high mega-pixels are way cheaper than DSLR cameras.

Everything now comes in handy. In the past, people use the camera obscura or a dark chamber box. It is the first camera that looks something like a big box that has a tent-like fabric. Now that makes me thank my era enough. Everything is portable, convenient and user-friendly.

Every moment is precious; we can’t afford to lose the chance of not capturing every single event of our life. But for me, the reason why I just love to capture every moment is because pictures capture the feelings and it will always remain the same way. It won’t change even if the people in it do.

Since I do not have the honor of personally owning a CCD Camera (yet) I must stick to imaging with my DSLR. The biggest problem I have with this, is that I learned how to take Astroimages with a CCD and not a DSLR. Now I do know how to take the images with the DSLR but not how to process. I have already spent literally thousands of dollars on processing software for my CCD FITS images and I really don’t want to spend much more! So I have searched the web looking for some tutorials on calibrating images (the later post processing is nearly the same, Photoshop techniques do not vary to much) and I did not really find one source which had all that I need, and entirely I did not find some of the most basic concepts covered!Now I went crazy, I have a bunch of data here and can’t do anything with it, so I started to play around and with what I learned from most sites I got a few steps further. I “sortof” learned about a few free programs that stack images and others that will get the rest of the work done, but truthfully who wants to work on 7 or more software platforms just to process one image!?

As much as I would just like to go out and buy some AMAZING software like MaximDL (premier DSLR Processing and Acquisition software) I have decided I should try and do some research before giving in!

carried over…

simple mathematics…

love in the morning…

ecstatic…

carried away…

secret ingredients…

bearing gifts…

oyster mushrooms…

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The question I’m being asked on a daily basis at the moment is – ‘what camera should I buy?’ Obviously cameras are on many people’s wishlists this Christmas!

I’m planning to update our Popular Digital Cameras and Gear page here on DPS in the coming week to help answer the question but thought I’d do a quick post looking specifically at what’s hot at the moment when it comes to DSLRs (as this is what many of those asking questions are focusing upon).

Amazon – Digital SLRs

My first ‘DSLR’!!! (actually, it’s a micro 4/3 system but work like a DSLR) My Panasonic GF1.

It was a hard decision to make. I had wanted a Canon DSLR for years. It all started when we needed to hire a wedding photographer in ‘07. The ability to capture the right moment and see beauty in the mundane excited me. Good photographers bring a picture to life (check out feldberyl although I didn’t get him for our big day). Further inspired by beautiful blogs like nordjlus, I was convinced that I would get a DSLR some day. However, cost stopped me each time. I needed to consider carefully if I was prepared to invest in lenses which can cost more than the body itself! Also, I was concerned with the bulk and weight of the DSLR.

Hence when the micro four thirds system was announced. I was ecstatic. It is a bridge between the DSLR prowess and Compact camera compactness. However, being a relatively new concept, I was apprehensive. But after reading reviews and comparing photographs on DPreview. I decided to go ahead with it.

It was A VERY LONG WAIT for the stocks to arrive. But it was WORTH IT.

I love the images and effects that the camera could do with the lenses. The photos are taken in Auto Mode. Also, I only have the 20mm Pancake Lenses. I am looking forward to the 14-45mm to arrive next month! I would love to imagine the day when I am able to use the manual function!

We went to Dessert Bowl in Serangoon Gardens for some glutinous rice and mango desserts. A great opportunity to test my indoor photography!

I am just looking forward to all the beautiful photos I can take in europe. The daylight there is beautiful. Panasonic GF1 is simply amazing and I have no regrets at all!

playing with…

giving and receiving…

hot pot…