Cliched i know, but I had to try. Nikon D40. Manual focus.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Cat Nap
One of those rare moments when you chance upon something you just HAVE to grab the camera. Taken on afternoon after my wife nursed Nicholas and Isa fell asleep next to him.
Shot with the Nikon D40 with no flash and manual focus on. Later colorized with Photoshop CS.
Shot with the Nikon D40 with no flash and manual focus on. Later colorized with Photoshop CS.
Sometimes It's Not The Size That Matters...
Surprisingly taken with my wife's Motorola W385 camera phone. Yes that's right...a camera phone. 1 megapixel, no flash, limited focus camera phone. Everything about this camera evokes memories of the first camera I learned to shoot with...my mom's Kodak 110mm. Remember those horrible things? The terrible focus and coloring. Pictures that developed and had this weird purple/blue hue to it? But there's definitely something about the subject matter and the mood. Subjects are my almost 2-year-old daughter, Isabella, and my then one-week-old son, Nicholas.
A little history on them...when my daughter first met him in the hospital the best word I could use to describe the situation was "stunned". She had no idea what was going on and immediately felt threatened once we took him home. So threatened she whacked him on the head with a teddy bear and then a pillow a couple of minutes later. A few days later my wife sent this to me via phone to reassure me that things were getting better with the two of them.
Just goes to show you with cameras...sometimes you just get lucky.
A little history on them...when my daughter first met him in the hospital the best word I could use to describe the situation was "stunned". She had no idea what was going on and immediately felt threatened once we took him home. So threatened she whacked him on the head with a teddy bear and then a pillow a couple of minutes later. A few days later my wife sent this to me via phone to reassure me that things were getting better with the two of them.
Just goes to show you with cameras...sometimes you just get lucky.
Cocoa Beach, FL
Late Sundays here are great. The Gulf of Mexico's beaches are always packed and traffic is terrible. While Cocoa is certainly not one of the best beaches in Florida, it's relatively close by and not crowded. After a long morning at work on a Sunday it's nice to be by the water to relieve stress. Besides, it's always nice when you have someone like this to play with?
Shot with surprisingly a Canon SD630 point and shoot. Even these little cameras have a time and place to be used. Purchased as a gift for Ellen after the birth of our first child it was a terrific camera on short trips. Sadly, an open bottle of water in the diaper bag soaked it to death and it was replaced by the "upgraded" SD750. I use "upgraded" half heartedly - the SD630 was an incredible camera. Fast, easy to use, and sharp. Sorry El. My bad.
Shot with surprisingly a Canon SD630 point and shoot. Even these little cameras have a time and place to be used. Purchased as a gift for Ellen after the birth of our first child it was a terrific camera on short trips. Sadly, an open bottle of water in the diaper bag soaked it to death and it was replaced by the "upgraded" SD750. I use "upgraded" half heartedly - the SD630 was an incredible camera. Fast, easy to use, and sharp. Sorry El. My bad.
Umstead in Raleigh, NC
Taken on a clear, cool day my wife, El shot this of my daughter and I. While it looks like play and her basking in the warmth of the sun don't be fooled. She was screaming like a banshee about something. Looks can be deceiving, no?
Fancy Shmancy Resort Hotels...
...and their oversized, plushy beds seems to make everyone just pass out and sleep soundly. Taken at the Umstead in Raleigh, NC during the New Year's weekend it also happened to be my wife's birthday on the Eve. I took her here to get away from tourists and have a spa weekend quietly at one of the nicest spa hotels I've ever been to. A real hidden gem in the Carolinas.
Again shot with my trust Nikon D40 with no flash and a manual focus on Isabella so the background would have nice soft focus. Kisses.
Again shot with my trust Nikon D40 with no flash and a manual focus on Isabella so the background would have nice soft focus. Kisses.
Christmas Lights
What is it with little kids in cute pajamas, their stuffed toy of choice, and Christmas lights that gives me the warm and fuzzies? Kind of a relaxing, nostalgic feeling right?
Cinderella's Castles
With no tripod available I used my Nikon D40 with no flash to shoot this using a handrail to help stabilize the shot. It's funny how some shots require you to use breathing techniques to minimize camera shake in low light situations, i.e. slowly breathe in and press the shutter while holding your breath. Hey it works!
Disney Carousel
Again I LOVE night photography. I especially love this new Nikon D40. For a long time I was hesitant to spend so much money on a DSLR, but now that I have I'm a convert. Simply turning off the flash and using a very steady hand the carousel's light gave off some interesting coloring and lighting.
Dumbo
Shot with my Nikon D40 I was feeling experimental with some night photography during the Christmas season. Fairly confident with the Nikon's better software and shutter speed I positioned myself in the next car ahead and was able to still focus on my daughter and wife. While it was still shaky and very low light I think the play with the ride lights worked out nicely. I love night photography so I was more than happy with these results.
New Haven, Connecticut
Taken at my sister-in-law's wedding in Connecticut using my new Nikon D40. At this point I was still trying to figure out how to properly use this camera. I decided to replace my Nikon 8700 because of its slow shutter speed and inability to capture night time photos to my satisfaction. This is when I discovered for myself the whole "megapixel" myth. Despite the fact that the 8700 was 8mp vs the D40's 5mp the new Nikon takes signifcantly better photos. It's all in the lens.
It took some time to adjust my aperture and shutter speed quick enough (the sun was setting fairly rapidly), but I was able to capture some pretty amazing colors in the background. Luckily I had just enough daylight to get some decent lighting without resorting to the flash, which I was afraid of using and blowing out my subject matter. I'll get that speedlight flash eventually...
Gazebo Charleston
Gazebo locally famous in downtown Charleston, South Carolina for it's history of couples' engagements and weddings. The canopy of Spanish Moss laden trees makes for some interesting lighting and shadows.
I had purchased filters for my Nikon 8700, which I've been missing since my film days and wanted to try them out. Not to bad, but got some funky vignetting going on.
I had purchased filters for my Nikon 8700, which I've been missing since my film days and wanted to try them out. Not to bad, but got some funky vignetting going on.
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