For me–like many others–I had narrowed down my first DSLR to a Canon or a Nikon. I didn’t realize that whichever I picked would put me on a path to fandom that few people have ever broken. When you commit to one DSLR manufacturer, you typically stay with them. After all, the lenses and other accessories typically aren’t interchangeable.

So it was for me. I would become a Nikon fanboy.

Nikon D40

Nikon D40

I wouldn’t have called myself a Nikon fanboy at the outset.

While I had used a Nikon point and shoot to capture some great photos, I had always been impressed with photos I had seen taken with Canon DSLRs. I could have easily flipped a coin, but my decision mostly came down to affordability and the Nikon D40 was the one that fit my budget best. The D40 was already a couple of years mature when I bought one. Still, it was cheap, and as a newbie there were two things I didn’t know.

1. Would I really like photography as a hobby?
2. What features do I really need in a DSLR?

So, with that blissful naivety, I bought my D40. And, I fell in love.

I started taking lots of photos. First at conferences I attended, then more often, my vacations–especially those to Hawaii.

Nikon D80

Nikon D80

I soon outgrew the 6 megapixel limitation of the D40. Also, I had just bought a 50mm f1.8 prime lenses, but the D40 didn’t have autofocus built-in to the camera, and the lens didn’t have a drive either. Also missing was exposure bracketing. I had started to see HDR photos, but to take them on the D40 was near impossible without a lot of effort.

I loved the D80! Some of my favorite photos have been taken with it. Still, I was still behind the curve. The D80 was already dated, thanks to the new D90, but I figured I didn’t need that many extra megapixels (12.3 on the D90, versus 10.2 on the D80). Also, video didn’t interest me much.

The D80 is the camera that first got me interested in doing HDR photos–something that has now become a passion!

Nikon D90

Nikon D90

After prices started to come down on the D90, and I realized that I did actually need the extra megapixels–I did a lot of cropping–I decided to upgrade. I knew I’d enjoy the better noise handling at higher ISOs, and the built-in sensor cleaning would be useful after swapping out lenses a lot.
What I still didn’t expect to use much was the video. Yet, slowly and surely, I started to use the video recording more often. Compiling short video vignettes for Go Visit Hawaii. I really though the D90 was going to be the camera I used for years.

Nikon D7000

Nikon D7000

Hello my precious!

For the first time in my DSLR journey, I bought a camera soon after it was released. My wife had mentioned she wanted to do more videos and, in particular, video interviews. The D90 did HD but only at 720P and it did not support external microphones or have auto-focus when in video mode. I convinced myself that I needed the D7000 as it offered the dreamy 1080P at 24fps and it supported external microphones. That provided all the options for interviews such as this one.

I also love that the D7000 offers much better noise control at higher ISOs than any of my previous cameras. The extra megapixels come in handy too. I never have bought into the “more is better” sales pitch surrounding megapixels–I’ve taken some great shots on the lowly 5MP iPhone–but the 16.2 MP in the D7000 allow me to crop in really close without much loss of detail.

In Summary

So, I’ve had 4 different Nikon cameras in as many years. You probably think that I have money to burn. Not so fast! One thing that was a welcomed surprise was just how well each Nikon retained its value in the used market. I was able to sell each camera for around 70% of what I paid for it, which made upgrading a lot easier on the wallet.

I am now well and truly a Nikon fanboy, but that didn’t stop me from recommending that my brother (Hi Mat!) buy a Canon for his first camera. They are both excellent camera manufacturers and I would have been just as happy with a Canon–and likely a Sony or Pentax. In fact, being a Nikon lover didn’t stop me from picking up a Panasonic Lumix LX5 for travel, and the brand new Fuji X100.

Still, with the Nikon lenses at my disposal, and my knowledge of Nikon’s terminology, it will be unlikely that I will switch. In fact, I only know of one photographer that has successfully switched from a Nikon to Canon.

So, I’d like to finish by asking you what’s your favorite camera? It doesn’t have to be a DSLR, it could be a compact camera that you’ve fallen in love with. Please let me know in the comments below!

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What: Hulopoe Bay (map)

Where: From the fabulous grounds of the Four Seasons at Manele Bay, Lanai.

How: This HDR was captured by using the exposure bracketing option on the Nikon D7000. Effectively, you take one shot at normal exposure, then one at +1 and one at -1. The +1 helps to capture the shadows, rocks, trees. The -1 helps to prevent the clouds and beach from being blown out.

Next blend using your favorite HDR processing software. I use Photomatix as a plugin to Apple’s Aperture 3 software. Bake for 2 hours minutes, and serve!

You. Your loved one. And the perfect sunset. Perhaps on a beach in Hawaii?

You grab your camera, hand it to the nearest passer-by, and ask them to take your picture. They oblige, hand you back the camera, and are gone in a blink of an eye. Unfortunately, you look down at the screen and realize that, while the sunset looks great, you and your loved one look like black blobs.

Something like this…

Sunset Portrait without Flash

Now, don’t get me wrong. Silhouettes can make for some stunning photographs, but you probably want to be able to show your friends that it was indeed you on that beach. So, how did this happen and what’s the fix?

It’s quite simple.

Your camera “sees” the entire scene and determines that it’s very bright–after all you’re pointing it at the sun! So, the camera adjusts its exposure time to capture the beautiful colors of the sky…and not your smiling face.

The solution really is quite simple. TURN ON YOUR FLASH! No, not the auto-fire setting. That won’t work, because your camera will determine there is plenty of light. You need to turn your flash to “always on,” “manual,” “force fire” or whatever your camera calls it. This will result in your camera still capturing that beautiful sunset, but the flash will also fire just long enough to light up your smiling faces.

It should look something more like this:

Sunset Portrait with Flash

So, the next time you take any kind of photo of people in front of a bright object–like the sun–if their face is not facing said bright object, it will be in the dark, unless you turn on your flash.

Happy snapping!

Nikon 8072 Microfiber Cleaning Cloth

If you’re a Canon fan, you may not like this post.

But, look past the fact that the Nikon 8072 Microfiber Cleaning Cloth has “Nikon” blazoned all over it and you’ll soon realize just how handy this little fella is to photographers. Barely bigger than a stick of gum, this microfiber lens cleaning cloth attaches to your camera, camera strap (my preference) or camera bag. It ensures that you’ll always have a way to clean your lens or lens filter, no matter where you are.

While not a replacement for other cleaning tools, it has more than once saved me from having to wipe down my lens with my t-shirt. At less than $10, it will be one of the smartest buys you’ll make.

And, if you really can’t stand having a Nikon logo on your gear, you’ll find many similar generic solutions for around the same price.

HDR Norwegian Fjords

When you think of an HDR photo, you generally picture a big, expensive DSLR and a lot of post processing.

That’s generally true, but this amazing photo was captured using a compact camera. OK, so that compact camera happened to be the rather sexy Panasonic Lumix LX5–which can handle bracketing and RAW photos–but, nonetheless, a compact it is.

I had to jump down a bank to get to this angle, but I knew it would be worth risking my life the minor effort in the end. I took three shots, one with normal exposure, one under-exposed and one over-exposed. I then used Photomatix to blend the three together into an HDR shot, and finished off with some minor tweaks of contrast and saturation using Color Efex Pro in Aperture.

Not bad for a non-DSLR, don’t ya think?

You’re looking at the brand new Photogler? New Photogler, you ask? You didn’t know there was an old Photogler? Well, there was, and its purpose was to show amazing photos and then have the photographer explain how they got that shot and what they had their camera settings on. While that was a good idea, it wasn’t enough to sustain the site.

So, the new Photogler. I plan to continue sharing great photos–complete with tips on how to obtain the shot–but, you’ll also find camera gear reviews, the latest developments in photography, as well as other tips and tutorials. Why? Why not? Kidding aside, I love photography. I love teaching. And I love blogging. Ergo, Photogler!

Oh, and if you’re wondering what Photogler means, it’s a mashup of photographer and ogler. In other words, this site is going to make you drool over the latest cameras, beautiful shots, and practical advice.

I hope you enjoy it!

Andy

Camera: Nikon D2X
Exposure: 4.7
Aperture: f/11.0
Focal Length: 70 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: No Flash

How I got this shot:

The camera was on a tripod in “Bulb” mode with a cable release. As the show progressed, I watched the trajectory of the rockets and got an “average” of likely explosion spots, and set my compositions accordingly.

I set the ISO to 200 to get a little more speed while keeping the noise to a minimum, and the aperture to f/11 to get some good depth of field. I opened the shutter manually just before the explosions and held it open until the light trails faded, about 3-5 seconds on the average, constantly checking the LCD for composition and exposure.

View Peter Liu’s Flickr Photostream

Happy Holidays! Mmmm, smell that cinnamon and pine.

My first attempts at an HDR shot using studio lighting. I used a 4-shot bracket (+/- 10 units – approx. 20-50) to create an HDR image.

Photographed with a Canon EOS 5D and Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro Lens. Exposure of ISO 500, f/13.0 for 1/60 with varying strengths of light output. Lit with a single soft box on 300 W/S monolight and a white semi-circular reflector.

Processed in Photomatix Pro 3.2 with post-processing in Adobe Lightroom 2.5 and Photoshop CS3.

View Gary Stafford’s Flickr Photostream

Camera: Nikon D80
Exposure: 0.05 sec (1/20)
Aperture: f/2.0
Focal Length: 35 mm
ISO Speed: 1000
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: No Flash

How I got this shot

I love my 35mm f/1.8 prime lens. No, it doesn’t zoom–I use my legs for that–but it does give me some great bokeh.

For this shot, I placed the stuffed snowman on the floor. I then placed myself on the floor, so that I was at the same level–actually, looking up at the snowman. I then adjusted my aperture from 1.8 to 2.0, as I’ve read many articles that suggest you get a sharper shot when you step down from your camera’s maximum aperture.

I took a few test shots and made the following adjustments. I increased my ISO to the point that I could get enough light while still hand-holding the camera. You can see that I ended up at an ISO of 1000 and an exposure time of 1/20 second. Any higher ISO and I risked too much noise in the pic. Any slower shutter and I risked not being able to hold my camera still enough to avoid blurring.

Lastly, I positioned the snowman about 6 feet from the Christmas tree. The combined aperture and depth of field gave me that pretty “bokeh” effect on the lights. They were out of focus and hence, you get that flared look.

Processing

Not much processing in Apple’s Aperture software. I boosted the vibrancy and contrast a little, but not much else. The only other thing I did was to clone one of the lights and paste it twice on the right of the picture. I did this because I realized that I had a small black area with no lights. To keep the image balanced, I added these lights. That’s about as sophisticated as I get with “photoshop” (although I actually used Aperture’s clone feature).

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One morning in November, I looked out the window to see what promised to be a gorgeous sunrise. Fortunately, my Nikkor 14-24mm lens was already on my camera, a Nikon D700, so all I had to do was grab the tripod and run out the door. I set up just behind the house and saw the bright clouds reflected in the windows of the house, giving a warm golden glow to the stone work.

One of the primary requirements for good HDR (High Dynamic Range) images is a tripod. Even if the normal exposure could be hand held, you still need to be sure that every image in the bracketed series will line up perfectly. Photomatix Pro, the software I use to process HDR images, can do a decent job of lining up images, but the result is often less than desirable if a tripod was not used – resulting in what appear to be out of focus images.

Other important considerations are:

* aperture priority (to have a consistent depth of field),
* auto-ISO off (set the lowest ISO possible to reduce noise in the images),
* and manual focus (to make sure the focal point doesn’t change from one image to the next).
* Some also recommend setting the white balance to something other than Auto. I always shoot in RAW, and this has not been an issue. If it were, the white balance of RAW images can always be changed with software.

So, I shot 7 bracketed images with 1EV spacing between each one, at an aperture of f/5.6 and the lens at 14mm.

After importing the images into Adobe Lightroom, I immediately exported them to Photomatix Pro. Photomatix default settings usually provide a very good starting point but optimum results will normally require tweaking some of the settings. In this case, I left the strength at 100%, but reduced the Luminosity slightly because the default setting was too bright.

Next, I increased the Smoothing setting slightly to get rid of the halo around the house – this is sometimes introduced by HDR processing and can add impact to some images but often results in an unnatural looking effect.

Finally, I reduced the Micro-smoothing to zero to retain texture in the clouds and stone work on the house and then saved the image back in to Lightroom for some minor tweaks.

The highlights were still a little too bright so I used Lightroom’s Highlight Recovery slider to reduce those slightly. I almost always add some Contrast and Clarity – it seems to add a bit of a sharpening effect. Then I normally increase the Vibrance, especially if there is some blue sky, to deepen and darken that sky. Finally, I’ll sharpen slightly and and do some noise reduction to make sure the image is as smooth and noise free as possible.

Producing HDR images is a lot of fun and can give some added dimension to your portfolio – so give it a try!

View Thru Mike’s Viewfinder Flickr Photostream