DIY : $10 macro studio

Strobist how-to for a cheapass macro studio using a cardboard box and some tissue

New Gallery : Christmas Windows 2007

Every year First Lutheran goes whole hog and decorates the windows in the sanctuary. Since I present the illusion of knowing my way around a camera, I get to photograph them. Please visit the gallery if you’re bored.

Tilt/Shift Movements

Ken Rockwell has an introduction to Camera movements : why tilt and shift, as it applies to 35mm PC (T/S) lenses.

DIY Bokeh

“Bokeh” is a term that describes the out-of-focus highlights in an image. Different lenses have different kinds of bokeh, from smooth and creamy to seriously ugly. DIY Photography and Studio Lighting show a way to make your own bokeh shapes. Now to see if I can make a happy-face bokeh.

New Gallery: Bones And Stones

New Gallery, where Torin and I go on a photo shoot in the Oakland area of Pittsburgh. Originally we were going to do street / architecture stuff, but the weather was truly dreadful, so we went into the Carnegie Dinosaur Museum Thing, and also Heinz Chapel.

For folks who question the usefulness of the Nikon D3(00) Live View mode, I must say that it made many of these shots much easier, both in getting critical focus, and for composition where the camera was in an awkward position on the tripod. Much easier to see the screen than to look through the view finder upside down hanging by a rope, or something like that.

New Gallery: Ta Rent ‘Em

New Gallery, taken during some other errands today, around the little town of Tarentum, PA. Very gray, overcast day, and was spitting rain.

New Gallery : Good Easter Friday Day

New gallery – some Good Friday and Easter shots at First Lutheran in Leechburg (PA).

Focal Length Comparison

Ever wondered how different focal lengths comare? Tamron has a cool interactive
focal length comparison tool.

Diffraction Limitation

Sean McHugh has a write-up at http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/diffraction-photography.htm about Diffraction Limited Photography: Pixel Size, Aperture, and Airy Disks. Includes a calculator to see where your setup starts to get diffraction-limited.

New Gallery: Zoo Time With Torin

I spent the day at the Pittsburgh with my buddy Torin, the first real shoot with the 24-120mm lens on the D3. There are a couple of nice ones in there, but for the most part, just ‘adequate’. Looking at the specs for some images, I have no idea what I was thinking. I really didn’t need ISO 2500 and f/11 outdoors. Granted, the D3 makes high ISO like that pretty good, but still not generally smart.

Zoo Time With Torin