Your Artiest Shot

[S60Chris]

So I got a chance to have a little play with my new Nikon D810 this evening and took it outside in the dark with a tripod to test the low light performance and different ISO sensitivities.

Which prompts me to ask - what is the artiest photo that YOU have taken of your XC60/V60 or any other car for that matter?

Here is a shot from this evening...

[Spitfire4]

Nice photo

[wimorrison]

If this is a jpg SOOC then you might want to change your Active D lighting options, the other think to consider is using in camera HDR for this type of shot.

If it is a post-processed NEF then I would bring up the shadows and reduce the highlights. I would actually shoot 2 or 3 and then blend using luminousity masks to ensure shadows aren't blocked and highlights blown.

[S60Chris]

Originally Posted by wimorrison

If this is a jpg SOOC then you might want to change your Active D lighting options, the other think to consider is using in camera HDR for this type of shot.

If it is a post-processed NEF then I would bring up the shadows and reduce the highlights. I would actually shoot 2 or 3 and then blend using luminousity masks to ensure shadows aren't blocked and highlights blown.

Thanks for the tips - the camera is still new and i've got a lot to learn.

The shot was almost SOOC save for it was shot as a NEF and saved as a JPEG in Adobe Photoshop.

In camera HDR is something I am keen to try as it's something my D90 did not have. It's quite a step up, and quite different to use.

Edit: Wimorrison, just been flicking through your website and looking at your gear. Awesome photography in there, some really awesome long exposure shots. Nice collection of lenses too - I wonder if I should have gone for the 17-35 that you have rather than the 14-24, but I have rented the 14-24 a few times in the past and it was just a lot of fun to use - albeit on a DX camera.

[andymcp]

I went down to the camera shop at the weekend, then left in utter confusion after trying to get my head round the models, features, lens options, configurations and compatibility issues of DSLRs. It's worse than a Volvo options list.

[S60Chris]

Originally Posted by andymcp

I went down to the camera shop at the weekend, then left in utter confusion after trying to get my head round the models, features, lens options, configurations and compatibility issues of DSLRs. It's worse than a Volvo options list.

There's a lot of gear out there...

The main decisions will be:

a) Canon or Nikon and
b) Full Frame (FX) or Cropped Frame (DX) sensors
c) Price

Once you've figured out those three, you should narrow your choices down a bit.

I'm still learning and I bought my first DSLR 8 years ago now.

[Crockers]

Originally Posted by S60Chris

Thanks for the tips - the camera is still new and i've got a lot to learn.

The shot was almost SOOC save for it was shot as a NEF and saved as a JPEG in Adobe Photoshop.

In camera HDR is something I am keen to try as it's something my D90 did not have. It's quite a step up, and quite different to use.

Edit: Wimorrison, just been flicking through your website and looking at your gear. Awesome photography in there, some really awesome long exposure shots. Nice collection of lenses too - I wonder if I should have gone for the 17-35 that you have rather than the 14-24, but I have rented the 14-24 a few times in the past and it was just a lot of fun to use - albeit on a DX camera.

With the D90 you can shoot in HDR. You bracket the photos and the use Photoshop or similar to layer them. Important to use a tripod and a remote.

[wimorrison]

Just to add to the camera choices, you should also consider 4/3, mirrorless cameras, bridge, and point & shoot (compact)

I would actually ignore all the tech and worry about the type of photography you want to do, for most people a DSLR is way beyond their requirements and when they find that the cost of lenses significantly outweighs the cost of the body, plus if you but a DSLR body then you need to invest even more money in a decent computer and software to get the best out of the images that are taken.

Almost everyone that seeks my advice finds that a DSLR is not what they need - or can actually afford.

The reason these DSLR cameras have such a poor resale value is because thousands of people have been convinced by less informed people that these cameras are the answer to their needs, then they find the complexity and limitations with the kit lens are frustrating their efforts at photography. You don't buy one of these to leave it on Auto

Result? Expensive DSLR camera is put on the shelf to gather dust and replaced by a compact camera which for many, if not most, people will provide superior results for a fraction of the cost.

[S60Chris]

Originally Posted by Crockers

With the D90 you can shoot in HDR. You bracket the photos and the use Photoshop or similar to layer them. Important to use a tripod and a remote.

Quite right Crocks - you can do bracketing, but I mean't the camera can't do the whole thing. I have one of the little ML-L3 remotes, quite handy. Don't think it is compatible with the D810 though

[wimorrison]

Originally Posted by S60Chris

Quite right Crocks - you can do bracketing, but I mean't the camera can't do the whole thing. I have one of the little ML-L3 remotes, quite handy. Don't think it is compatible with the D810 though

Nope, IR is for consumer bodies only - I have a radio remote, very good, but I mostly set the camera to do 5 shots at one stop apart with shutter delay of 5 secs, and 2 secs between shots. Single press of shutter button takes all the shots.

BTW, read up on AF-ON focus, much, much better than using shutter button to achieve focus as you only ever need to use AF-C