bob_bill

Barry, I haven't seen any comments regarding the indication that the 850 with the grip and battery is able to shoot 30 frames per second in crop mode with live view. Have you tried it?

Unless there are patchy clouds or are shooting in a blind- mine is my master bedroom through a slit between the lowered blinds and a rolling posing table covered with a camo jacket, the light where you are standing is the same as on your subject. You do not have to walk over to the bird to take an incident reading. Two approaches, one hold the dome towards the camera on the camera/bird axis. Should give you the same reading as if you held it up under his bill. Another technique is to hold it dome up and use a couple of fingers held a couple feet above the meter to eliminate the specular highlight of the sun on the dome. Just use those readings. Shooting from indoors, I use the same technique I use on a bridal gown, the most important clothing at a wedding. I have shot a white towel in full sun and know where the right side of the histogram dies sort of the right side when I have detail in the white towel. Now I can photo the bird and adjust the right edge of the histogram that distance from the right side. You can do this with any scene where there is a white object like a white shirt. Don't need to mess with a gray card. But no need to even carry one. Just about everyone's palm, regardless of race is 2/3 stop brighter than 18% gray so you can hold your palm facing the camera and take a reading then increase exposure 1/3 stop. For portraits, I spot meter and focus just below the eye. Or, since your meter should zero out to approximately 18% gray- actually about 1/3 stop off that- spot on an 18% gray element near the bird and zero out. Blue north sky, green grass, school bus yellow, electric cord orange are 18%. Or spot on something pastel, I like the color of the roseate spoonbill. Pastels are one stop brighter so increase exposure 1 stop. Another possibility is to spot on the brightest part of the bird and increase exposure about 2.5 stops, that should put you about zone 7-8. Finally, sun position is critical for bringing out detail. Sun behind you can eliminate detail revealing shadows. I use a low reflector or a white sheet on the floor in studio to lower shadows or the sand on a beach or snow on the ground. Water can also add a low fill taking down the shadows. Remember, that lcd and histogram is based on the converted jpeg applying a tone curve, not the raw file so isn't exactly what your sensor is capable of rendering. Same for the blinkies. I have my meter calibrated to my sensor using the Sekonic software and color checker passport and know exactly where the highlight clipping point is, no WAG, wild ass guess. I can take an ambient and a spot reading of the brightest area I want detail, and adjust the meter to show exactly the exposure where I am just under clipping. That allows full detail in highlights while moving the shadows as far right as possible with good highlight detail giving best possible shadow quality. As usual, many ways to do the same thing in photography/photoshop. Lots of ways to skin, I mean, pluck that duck. These techniques have eliminated my previous EAS, exposure anxiety syndrome.

Anhinga profile

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Shun, that's what I thought on first read. Here it is: Benefitting the sensor is the apt EXPEED 5 image processor, which affords a wealth of speed throughout the camera system, including the ability to shoot continuously at 7 fps for up to 51 consecutive 14-bit lossless compressed raw files in a single burst. When working with the optional MB-D18 grip and EN-EL18a/b battery, this shooting rate can be increased to 9 fps, and up to 30 fps shooting is possible when working in a DX crop mode during Silent Live View. Haven't seen too many typos at B&H so wondered if it was true.

Shun, if I read the description correctly at B&H they indicate 1. with the grip and battery, 2. in crop mode and 3. using silent live view 30 fps is possible. Have you tested that. 30 fps sure seems amazing to me.

Wogears. I have a roll of 160 loaded in one of my MF film backs.as we speak.

After a few clicks.

Have you tried using the Nik film efex option? Nik > color efex pro> film efex modern < Kodak Portra where you have a choice of Portra 160 NC, 160VC 400 NC and 400 VC. Here's a before and after with Portra 160 VC.

Roseate Spoonbill

Ken, thanks. It is a lens I wish would fit my shooting demands. Often, I don't have subject control so need rapid focus. I grew up with manual focus but the split screen made it so much easier. Auto focus on the 135 is adequate. With higher iso possible on the newer cameras allowing higher shutter speeds, I can live without vr . I guess I will just wait to see what nikon does on updating the 135.

Ken, I just wish Zeiss would make it auto focus and I would be there in a NY minute. Gorgeous lens. But the way I shoot it, if subject moves a half inch or I move a half inch focus on the eyes is lost. In studio with camera on stand and subject seated against posing table it would be doable and reliable enough. But hand held outside with subject standing not so much. That is where I like to use it for the magical bokeh. I have experimented with the nikon 135 dc manual focusing and it just isn't reliable enough and the delay in focusing could cause me to miss decisive moments. One thing I hate is blowing focus on the best shot of a series or session. Nikon upgraded the 105 dc, maybe the 135 is next? The faults I see with it are ca below 2.8 or 3.2 and it isn't sealed. I shoot 3.2 and move the dc ring to 2.8 and here in humid FL, keep humidity in my home 30-35% with AC. I use mine for head shots and torso shots primarily so usually at 7-10 feet.

Ken, it's a great lens but I don't have the luxury of missing critical shots either because of slow manual focusing with a digital viewfinder or just missing focus so will stay with the 135 dc. I rarely shoot it below 3.2 because I need the dof on the subject to get both eyes in focus so the CA is either gone or easily corrected in post. Subject has great sharpness and the bokeh, well, budda. What were the apertures on those shots? I know you can extend the safety margin by stopping down. Looks like pretty good dof. The last looks like chin in and shoulders in, several inches dof. First shot elbow in and nose in, again 8-9 inches dof. I use the 135 heavily for "eyes in ears out." I would love to use that lens but I am often working with less than an inch dof with no margin for error. The Zeiss produces exactly what I would expect, stellar quality. Great images and wonderful expression on the last shot.

It's why I don't use the Zeiss 135. I have tried manual focus with less than an inch of dof and it's not very reliable for me.

Light has more characteristics than just intensity. Direction, degree of diffusion, contrast as part of intensity and color can be modified using flash as well. Since lighting is so important to shape, form and mood, the ability to enhance light can help improve otherwise less than stellar images or take an image to a new level. I use whatever the situation calls for and allows being used to meet my vision. Often, however, lights are not practical or permitted. Then, I will use ambient only but try to find good light and background. I am then forced to accept the quality of light available. But if I have to in order to get the shot, getting the shot often is better than no shot at all. I agree with Tim, fill flash is really useful, but with a caveat, crummy light filled is full crummy light.

Mitchell, one of my all time favorite photos was taken as a volunteer. It brings tears to the eyes of men and women alike. I took the assignment as an homage to a friend who had similar brain cancer.

Mike, a year or so ago I shot a similar scenario with horses but the riders were outside. I did get shots of the kids interacting with the horses in their stalls by bouncing off the ceiling . Those had some amazing expressions and interaction so op might consider some shots there. Bambi said expression trumps perfection but someone said expression and perfection trumps expression so if you can up your game with a flash, I would try. You raise your iso to give more power to the flash and reduce shutter to max sync speed if necessary. I always carry a vari nd to allow bg control then add flash to taste trying not to need more than full power. Have to remember that in those situations I'm not using Einsteins that can pop up to 10 times a second so have to nail the decisive moment. Never saw a horse flinch once at the flash, but not sure I would want to be responsible for it happening once and the child being thrown and injured.

Fred, I know. Denis has done 20+ Kennedy weddings, Chelsea Clinton, John Kerry's daughter. Joe Bussink charges about the same in Hollywood.

The answer isn't necessarily flash. There may be excellent light in some areas. You don't indicate how much control you have of the path of the riders. If they are traveling near or you can position them under the roof and just inside the building, perhaps on a side of the building not receiving direct sun like a north exposure, you can make use of the directional light coming in under the roof. The roof completely eliminates the unflattering overhead light and you should still be able to find good light and a good ratio just inside the edge of the roof. You will have to check what ratio you like and the distance inside for it, but remember the inside light remains pretty constant as you move inside but the light from the outside decreases as you move inside, lowering our ratio. If you can shoot from outside and use a darker, less cluttered inside of say stands as a background, you will have separation and control of your background density. If there are large signs or office or restroom, that can function as a darker bg. If the 18-200 lens is a fixed aperture, I would open it wide open and get as close as possible to throw any busy parts of the background out of focus. If you have a nifty fifty that is 1.8, I would use that for shallower dof. You can use the large size of the structure to get the background as far away as possible to maximize it's oof. If you speak with the organizer, perhaps they will have the children ride and stop in the spot you choose. If you can get in the stands or have a ladder, you can shoot down somewhat and perhaps eliminate the outside sky. Another option is embrace the blown out background and get low to place your subject on what is essentially a white background, As Clint Eastwood said, adapt, improvise, overcome. It is the challenge and reward of location shooting. Who knows, it may force you into taking a type of shot that is outside your typical or comfort zone, a side benefit.

Like Ed, it depends on the type of shot, did I have much control I had during the shoot and the ultimate usage. I studied with Denis Reggie, a wedding photographer who was emblematic of the photo-journalistic style. He charges 30-50 thousand per wedding with minimal editing. For some things I do little post. Much of my work is to my vision before shooting and much post is needed to achieve that vision and the shot is often taken with that post in mind. That work bears much alteration from the original capture because of maximizing the purpose of the shot. Like the Impressionists or Surrealists, I am not aping what is in front of the camera while the camera tends to capture exactly what is there so more time is spent in front of the monitor than behind the camera. Vincent, I like wearing the Kodachrome yellow T shirt from Dwaynes indicating Paul Simon sang about it. The $2 per click makes me a precise shooter with MF and that finds it's way into my digital captures as well, in turn, saving me time in post.

The inspiration of this shot was the spoon shaped bill. I don't think I have used repetition in a nature shot before with one subject but here there are "three bills"

PT, great museum and had an intriguing exhibit last year showcasing Dali's appreciation of Picasso by making his own version of numerous Picasso works. The 2 versions were hung side by side for viewing. Not sure if the Museum of Fine Art was down the street at the time you were there or the Chihuly exhibit that has now been moved a few blocks away closer to Morean Art Center that I believe was there in those days. St Pete now has a substantial number of art galleries as well.

With caucasian skin, we reveal shape and form with shadows. It's like transforming a circle on a sheet of paper that appears flat to a 3 dimensional ball by shading a part of it. On dark black skin, the opposite is true, Shape and form is best revealed with highlights. Using a large source, like a 7' octa, a large octa bank or lights through a 6' scrim produces large, soft highlights, ie. soft specular highlight edge transfer. Controlling the surface efficiency of the skin also is in your control. Oiled skin, will produce sharper edged specular highlight edge transfer and combined with a smaller harder source like a strip can be used for that. On brown and black skin, a gold or zebra reflector can add a lovely tone to dark skin. If you are compositing several images into the bodyscape, you will want to keep the direction and quality of the light consistent. Might consider using a color checker passport to keep color consistency.

PT, Tampa bay area. Most folks who haven't lived in FL know where Tampa is from the sports teams, but St. Pete so much.