Digital Photography


Introduction (shown below here)
 Using the 18-55 mm. kit lens
 Using the 77-300 mm long lens
 Using the SB600 Speedlight flash
 Available Light examples








Introduction






When I think of digital photography, it is available light that becomes the central issue in exploring its development. The second issue is the lens that I have to capture that light. The camera is the third issue in my development of digital photography. There is a host of information on these three topics. Available lighting includes the uses of flashes, which has a complete technology of its own.

While the order of understanding for digital photography should be light, lens, camera, the camera piece almost always occurs first in a beginning effort (as mine has been), simply because the camera has to be purchased first to get the lens to see the effects of lighting. It is an interesting process.

So, instead of duplicating material or ideas from the many excellent texts that are available on lighting, flashes, and cameras, I will present what I have learned in terms of what I am now using to "get started". Beginning with equipment, I will move to examples of how that gear allowed me to explore some lighting effects and then present that experience in terms of flash use.
After purchasing, and returning two Sony cameras, and trying out several Nikons, I concluded that the best combination of easy use, price, and quality was the D5000 kit presented here. Two additional lenses completed the purchase for my introduction to digital photography. Other possibilities certainly exist. Please click on the links above each small picture to see a larger picture and/or a professional review that decided my choice.
The Nikon D5000 front view, showing 18-55 mm kit lens
 The Nikon D5000 rear view showing the multi-position LCD viewing screen
 The 18-55 mm AF, VAR zoom kit lens that I use for my general work
 The 70-300 mm AF,  zoom lens that I use for some of my work The 35 mm f/1.8 AF-S prime lens that I use for portrait and low light






I learned very quickly that the small, built-in flash on the D5000 camera was convenient, but not adequate to the kinds of indoor scenes I was encountering. This was when I saw that available light overruled hardware. To overcome these low-light limitations, at least partially, I needed a bounce flash. The Nikon Speedlight SB600 was Speedlight SB600 was my choice.

The Nikon SB600 smart Speedlight flash, with bounce capability, front view

 The SB600 Speedlight flash, with larger views and product review
 The Sto-Fen omni-bounce cup to place over the SB600 cup when bounce shooting
 The Speedlight family of flashes use an iTTL (intelligent Through The Lens) system. This link shows how it works to adjust the flash.
 The SB600 is one of three Nikon Speedlights that use the creative lighting system.





All of the equipment above requires careful study to learn how the lighting, lenses, and camera come together to produce a high-quality photograph. The manuals that come with the individual devices cannot provide the proper study depth. Advice, in the form of books, from professional experts is needed. The books must give depth, examples, and yet be readable. Here are my choices, presented in the order I studied them.
This book, by David Busch, is an outstanding guide to what the relationships are between available light, the lens, and the camera.
 This book, also by David Busch, takes the place of (or supplements) the factory manual that comes with the D5000 camera. It works well.
 This book, by Mike Hagen, shows how the SB600 flash and the camera combine to form the Nikon Creative Lighting System.
 This book, by Jeff Revell, shows how to best set the D5000 camera parameters to get great shots in a variety of lighting situations.
 This book, by Scott Kelby, covers post-photography processing with Photoshop Elements®, a true necessity.








Using the 18-55 mm Kit Lens
The 18-55 mm lens is actually a general purpose lens that covers a macro (close-up) need as well as a "normal" need (as the eye sees) up to modest magnification (x3) needs. The kit lens comes with autofocus (AF-S) and vibration reduction (VR) features.

I will not comment on its performance, except to recommend the Ken Rockwell review of it. Instead, I will show you why I use it, why I did not  need or buy another close-up lens, and why I carry it  everywhere, even when I take my 300 mm long lens as well.
It always has been difficult for me to anticipate what I will encounter in terms of light level and subject distances when I go out to take pictures. Some people say that the day, the time, the light, and the weather must be anticipated, even to the point of actual advanced scheduling. Can't do it!

So I take this lens. It does cover almost all of my needs. What I miss planning for, due to unexpected shadows and/or wrong wide angles, I have learned to correct in Photoshop®. So this is my usual lens, and one I value highly.


 



The best example of a macro shot is this of my watch and a Photoshop cropped enlargement at screen resolution of 72 dpi. The detail inside the date bezel lower edge is resolved. The second marks are sharp

Here, I set the aperture to 5.6 and the lens at 55 mm. Lighting was with the Sto-Fen diffuser on my SB600 Speedlight. The camera was hand held (no tripod) with VR on. The distance from my lens to the watch face was about 8 inches.
  
 

















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