So, I went shooting twice today.  The first was at RTSP in Randolph where I took 50 shots with my Kimber.  Then I went shooting in Rockaway on the main drag this afternoon.  Must have taken 20 shots or so, and did not get stopped or even questioned for shooting in public like that.  Must have been cause rather than the Kimber I was using a Nikon

 

 

 

Beautiful as always...

You bagged a stream in Rockaway.

 

Who has to clean it?

dud I could spend HOURS on your flickr... I bought my wife a nice camera about a year ago and she NEVER uses it and when she does she complains about the "stock" lens and wants the huge one.  I also got her photo shop I think its elements 10?  the tutorial just wasn't enough she got confused and pretty much quit.  do you have an suggestions on how I can teach her photoshop a little better and get her back into this... I know she would LOVE it if she produced art this amazing!!

dud I could spend HOURS on your flickr... I bought my wife a nice camera about a year ago and she NEVER uses it and when she does she complains about the "stock" lens and wants the huge one.  I also got her photo shop I think its elements 10?  the tutorial just wasn't enough she got confused and pretty much quit.  do you have an suggestions on how I can teach her photoshop a little better and get her back into this... I know she would LOVE it if she produced art this amazing!!

Thanks for your kind words.  I have to agree with her to some degree about stock or more commonly known "kit" lenses.  They don't have the sharpness of a high quality fast lens, but you pay for what you get. I have lots of expensive lenses, but that said these pictures and others I have recently posted were taken with my Nikon 28-300VR lens which is what I would call a higher end kit lens.  Its my walk around lens when I don't really know what I will be shooting.  As for photoshop, it is probably the most complex program on earth.  I rarely if ever use it because I never remember all the thousands of things it does.  What I use is another Adobe product called Lightroom.  They just came out with version 5 which does 90+% of everything most camera users will ever need to do.  Lightroom is a digital asset management program that creates a database of all your pictures - so you can find them by key words at a later date, which is very helpful when you have tens of thousands of pictures.  It does most edits you will need to do, and they have added some masking capabilities as well.  I would have her check out some of the videos on youtube and other sources which detail it.  You can download a full working version as a 30 day trial, and if you like it you can buy a key for it -- it is much cheaper than photoshop, I think full retail price is $149 but you can find it for less.

Much as you get dirty looks for suggesting them, the For Dummies books are helpful...I'm sure they have one for elements.  I grew up using Corel's photo editing software, had to go to Photoshop for work, bought CS2 and the for dummies book for it, was up and running in a few days.  Make sure you get one for elements, as photoshop and photoshop elements can be pretty different in terms of menu commands and locations...kinda annoying if you have to upgrade or use them side by side...but for basic use, elements is perfect...

 

Lightroom is a popular bit of software, but I've never used it...  Look for it on sale, some places run specials on it for like half price occasionally. 

 

If the wife wants a decent zoom lens, look into the Tamron 18-270 VC PZD.  It's good enough for most shooting, other than low light where all superzooms suck.  It's not much larger or heavier than some kit lenses, yet gives way more range than a kit lens.  Image quality is typically better than that of the kit lenses, or many lenses of comparable price...($450 IIRC).  VC system on it is extremely impressive, gives better handheld results on static subjects than I'd ever have expected.  It's available in Canon or Nikon mount (Sony too, without the VC)...

 

If the wife wants more reach than ~300mm, that's when good lenses get real expensive real fast.  Considerably larger and heavier, too...  If she's not carrying the camera now, make damn sure to go to a store and test the camera and lens combo first before buying one, because there's a chance the camera will become an even more expensive paperweight...

Great shots. I drive past that spot frequently. You really are a great photographer.       

Great shots, the water looks frozen in place..

Great pictures!!!

Great photo's!

I'm looking for a descent flash for my Canon DSLR any suggestions? 

Much as you get dirty looks for suggesting them, the For Dummies books are helpful...I'm sure they have one for elements.  I grew up using Corel's photo editing software, had to go to Photoshop for work, bought CS2 and the for dummies book for it, was up and running in a few days.  Make sure you get one for elements, as photoshop and photoshop elements can be pretty different in terms of menu commands and locations...kinda annoying if you have to upgrade or use them side by side...but for basic use, elements is perfect...

 

Lightroom is a popular bit of software, but I've never used it...  Look for it on sale, some places run specials on it for like half price occasionally. 

 

If the wife wants a decent zoom lens, look into the Tamron 18-270 VC PZD.  It's good enough for most shooting, other than low light where all superzooms suck.  It's not much larger or heavier than some kit lenses, yet gives way more range than a kit lens.  Image quality is typically better than that of the kit lenses, or many lenses of comparable price...($450 IIRC).  VC system on it is extremely impressive, gives better handheld results on static subjects than I'd ever have expected.  It's available in Canon or Nikon mount (Sony too, without the VC)...

 

If the wife wants more reach than ~300mm, that's when good lenses get real expensive real fast.  Considerably larger and heavier, too...  If she's not carrying the camera now, make damn sure to go to a store and test the camera and lens combo first before buying one, because there's a chance the camera will become an even more expensive paperweight...

I have tried two Tamron lenses, and sold them both - was never happy with their level of sharpness.  Maybe I was just unlucky or you were lucky with yours.  I had first tried their 28-300VR but quickly sold it and got the Nikon, night and day difference.  I also tried the 200-500 but it was way too soft.  I replaced it with a Sigma 150-500 OS lens which is much better, but still not the same as a Nikon lens.

 

As for heavy lenses on the camera they will wear on your neck if you use the stock straps that come with the cameras.  I highly suggest Black Rapid straps where the camera hangs by your hip, you can carry it all day and never be uncomfortable.

Great photo's!

I'm looking for a descent flash for my Canon DSLR any suggestions?

Get the best canon speed light you can afford. I got the 580 a few years ago and am really happy with it. It gives you the ability to control slave flashes if you ever have a multi setup.

Get the best canon speed light you can afford. I got the 580 a few years ago and am really happy with it. It gives you the ability to control slave flashes if you ever have a multi setup.

Agreed, if you get a speedlight get a good one.  When I first started I listened to someone who told me to get the base model and I quickly learned it was a mistake and sold it. 

Agreed, if you get a speedlight get a good one. When I first started I listened to someone who told me to get the base model and I quickly learned it was a mistake and sold it.

For photography and reloading, I've always bought the best stuff I could afford. The cheaper stuff works, but requires fiddling and doesn't always work the way you want/expect it to.

 

Someone mentioned kit lenses here. They will let light through and a picture will be formed. However, there will be more aberrations, poor focus, slower (less light being let in), and worse build quality. All that said, they do serve a purpose. They allow people to enter an extremely expensive hobby for a lower cost and build up their arsenal over time. I still use a higher level kit lens that comes with the 7d for about 70% of my just walking around stuff.

I have tried two Tamron lenses, and sold them both - was never happy with their level of sharpness.  Maybe I was just unlucky or you were lucky with yours.  I had first tried their 28-300VR but quickly sold it and got the Nikon, night and day difference.  I also tried the 200-500 but it was way too soft.  I replaced it with a Sigma 150-500 OS lens which is much better, but still not the same as a Nikon lens.

 

As for heavy lenses on the camera they will wear on your neck if you use the stock straps that come with the cameras.  I highly suggest Black Rapid straps where the camera hangs by your hip, you can carry it all day and never be uncomfortable.

I've used old tamrons that were crap, but their newer lenses have upped the game (24-70 VC, 70-200 2.8VC especially).  I'm not claiming any superzoom is going to be a spectacular lens.  I am saying, for a woman who doesn't want to carry a big heavy camera and lens, it is hard to beat an 18-270 VC PZD for what it offers.  A nikon 18-200 or 18-300 are substantially larger, heavier, and more expensive.  Yeah, better optics in the Nikon, and $300-600 more expensive...  Most people balk at spending $750 on their entire camera system.  Tamron brings a decent superzoom to the masses...

 

I don't run any superzooms (unless you count the Sigma 300-800) as my primary glass...  I have a 28-200 that's essentially a high risk lens, something I wouldn't care if it gets damaged and I can use on any of my bodies.  Rest of my glass is the fun stuff...all but 4 are 2.8 or faster...

I'm with you on that.  My Nikon 28-300VR is my walk around, but even that is like a $1,200 lens.  When I know what I am doing I have my 24-70 f/2.8 or 70-200 F/2.8 which if you are a Canon guy is the equivalent of their "L" glass.

My wife has a Nikon 3100.  I don't know if that is good or bad but I got it at the BX on base.  I didn't pay insanely for it and it takes great pics.  But when we are at baseball for my son she wants to be able to zoom all the way into 2nd base from the bleachers lol.  Her problem is she doesn't know how to use the software (elements) so she gets discouraged but I will look into Lightroom for her.  I told her when she finishes her degree ill buy her a new bigger lens..

My wife has a Nikon 3100.  I don't know if that is good or bad but I got it at the BX on base.  I didn't pay insanely for it and it takes great pics.  But when we are at baseball for my son she wants to be able to zoom all the way into 2nd base from the bleachers lol.  Her problem is she doesn't know how to use the software (elements) so she gets discouraged but I will look into Lightroom for her.  I told her when she finishes her degree ill buy her a new bigger lens..

 

Elements is garbage.  Lightroom really simplifies the process and has a really slick interface.  If you have a mac, I'd get Aperture, by far the best general photo software on the market.  It was the only reason I kept a mac for as long as I did.

we dont have a mac.  She really wants to be able to take pics, turn them B&W and then keep the color in the girls hair bows and eyes and stuff like that.. She doesnt need elements and doesnt want to super in depth edit pics... Even I tried to figure out elements and I played with it for a while and watched youtube videos and man that stuff is complicated!

we dont have a mac.  She really wants to be able to take pics, turn them B&W and then keep the color in the girls hair bows and eyes and stuff like that.. She doesnt need elements and doesnt want to super in depth edit pics... Even I tried to figure out elements and I played with it for a while and watched youtube videos and man that stuff is complicated!

 

I do that kind of stuff in Photoshop, while it's complicated, it's the industry standard. I'm not sure anymore what features Elements keeps in and what it excludes from the real Photoshop. Look into getting a student version of Photoshop and a For Dummies book. Set aside a weekend just to mess with it.  You'll pick it up after seeing how the different toolbars and effects tie into each other.

so photo shop or lightbook?

Afaik element is only 8bits and you really want to stick with 16 bits for quality. Download the the trial of Lightroom 5, it is actually much better than Aperture. I know many Mac people that have switched to it.

Afaik element is only 8bits and you really want to stick with 16 bits for quality. Download the the trial of Lightroom 5, it is actually much better than Aperture. I know many Mac people that have switched to it.

I use lightroom now but mostly for quick touch ups and photo management.  I still prefer Aperture, but I feel it's a Cannon/Nikon debate. 

 

Photoshop is used for photo editing, a program like Lightroom or Aperture is used for photo management. ie: Storing, cataloging,etc

Mike I think what you say was true a year or two ago but with the features they have added to Lightroom it can now downy (not all) the things that you uses to need Photoshop for but don't any more

Based on past work at a high end photo lab, 99% of users only use jpg...have no idea what RAW is...have no idea what a TIF is...and have no idea what color calibration is...so Elements or Lightroom are just fine for those people.  Based on owning PS CS5 and Elements 8, you can do most of what CS5 does, but in different ways...  Advanced stuff I'd always recommend CS6...  For the average user, Elements and Lightroom are more than sufficient.  Add the for dummies book and anyone can do basic editing with a little effort IMO.

 

D3100 is a decent camera.  I'll assume you have the 18-55 with it, did you get the 55-200 VR as well?  That'll be the cheapest "long range" lens you can get, should be $250 new.  If you want longer range, also consider the Tamron 70-300 VC USD $450 or Nikon 70-300 VR $585...  Don't bother with night games (in the dark under lights) with any of these lenses - they are all 'slow'.  Faster lenses like the Nikon 70-200 f4 VR $1300? or Tamron 70-200 2.8 VC $1500 are better for low light and fast focus, but reduced range, weight, and cost are downsides...  Beware cheap lenses, especially used ones, as the 3100 can't autofocus with older lenses - so while you can get a used 70-300 for $60, you'll be manually focusing it and won't have VR.

 

I'll stick to Canon...any EF lens will work on all my cameras....not that I need any more lenses...

What is this jpeg thing you speak of:)

 

Raw is the only way to shoot.

Most people don't want to deal with all those extra steps

 

I always forget I shoot RAW when I'm shooting for someone who just wants a quick picture.  Then again, who can read CF these days but people who shoot a nice dSLR?

Amazing work as always