donna_doherty

<p>"The camera is steadier if you are holding your breath while releasing the shutter during handheld work!"</p>

<p>Is this true? I'm a beginner and my photography instructor just told us that it's steadier as you slowly exhale. Thoughts? I do a lot of hand held shooting so I'm really interested in this.</p>

<p>Aha! Very clear now! I had it in A mode when I was looking for the no flash symbol while pushing the flash button on the side and that's why it wasn't showing on the top LED screen. All makes sense now. I am just taking a digital photography course and started learning about aperture and shutter speeds etc. and I'm just beginning my journey of NOT using the bad green AUTO mode! :)</p>

<p>I have to say I LOVE this D90 so far! I upgraded fro a D50. My play pictures came out much better than I expected since I only had the lens and camera for an hour or so before I had to take the pictures and it was hard to try different settings while paying attention to the play and not annoying the people sitting next to me. Here is one of the photos I took.</p>

<p>Thanks again SO much for all the help! It is greatly appreciated!</p><div></div>

<p>OK Thanks Matt! I just bought a new lens too (Sigma 70-200 f/2.8) and they both just came and I have to leave for the play in a half hour so I'm trying to figure it all out. I wasn't sure which mode I should use. I was thinking aperture but wasn't sure so I'm glad you said that. This should be interesting! lol</p>

<p>I just received my new D90. I am going to a play tonight and want to take pictures of my nieces and I don't want the pop up flash to go off. I read the manual but I can't seem to get the no flash symbol. It hops from flash to red eye to slow to rear back to flash. I never see a flash with the circle around it meaning no flash. Can anyone help? Am I doing something wrong?</p>

<p>Thanks everyone. I did end up going with the Sigma. I wish I had seen your post before I ordered it Steve as I would have been interested in yours. I'm from MA and saw you had photos from the Bay State Games so I'm guessing you are too. </p>

<p>I just bought a Nikon D90 and while I'm waiting for it to arrive I've been looking for a lens to add. I'd like a good zoom lens. I have an old 70-300mm 4-5.6 lens that I've used in the past for soccer. It did a decent job on sunny days but I'd like something faster. I don't think I can swing the price for a Nikon 70-200mm vr so I was looking at the Sigma or Tamron. Does anyone have any opinions on these lenses? Thank you!</p>

<p>I want to thank everyone for all the advice so far. It's giving me a lot to think about. I have written down the suggested lenses and I will work on getting some after I get my camera. As to which camera I'm going with I think I'm more confused than ever. lol </p>

<p>Thanks. I don't use the slower lenses for basketball, only the 85mm one. I have no idea how many shots I take a year but I would guess it is around 10,000 or a little more because of the basketball. Is there a difference in how long the shutter will last in those cameras. I was quite disappointed to find my D50 having problems already. </p>

<p>I have a Nikon D50 that I've had for almost 4 years and the shutter is going so I'm in the market for a new camera. I have narrowed it down to a D90 or a D300. The D300 caught my eye because I like to take sports photos such as basketball. I'm afraid it might be too much camera for me though. I don't know a lot about photography. I am just taking a class now and learning about apertures and light stops and shutter speeds etc. It is still all pretty confusing to me at this point but I hope will become clearer by the end of the classes. I've been reading the reviews and a lot of what they talk about for the D300 goes right over my head. One review even came out and said that it was a serious camera and not for people dabbling in photography. I'm a new empty nest mom and I'm hoping to get more involved in photography. I took my own kids' senior portraits and I'm now having family and friends ask me to take their child's photos so that is another thing I will be using this camera for. I have a pet sitting business and also take a lot of pictures of the pets I watch. The cats are usually still but I like to take action dog photos. I enjoy shooting nature and birds etc. I'm kind of the family photographer at family get togethers and then of course the sports photos. I've been shooting lots of basketball games at the local high school and making slide show videos for their end of the season banquets. So far I have just done these things for fun but I have been toying with the idea of doing it for money some day, especially the senior photos but possibly the sports ones if I feel I'm getting good enough.<br>

With 3 kids in college money is a factor but if I really thought the D300 would be worth the extra money and that I'd notice enough difference, mostly for the sports shots, I'd be willing to invest in it. I have an 85mm 1:1.8 lens that I use for it. Other than that I just have the lens that came with my D50 (18-55mm 3.5-5.6) and a very old zoom lens that I had with my old Nikon film camera, a Quantaray tech-1- 70-300mm 1:4-5.6 lens. I don't have a flash yet and need to get one. Any thoughts on which I should go with D90 or D300 and why would be greatly appreciated!</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

<p>Guess I'm part of the problem also. I shoot high school basketball because my daughter played and I made year end videos and gave copies to all the girls. I love the girls and know many of them well, a bunch even call me Mum. I got a lot of joy watching them and wanted to give back. I'm not a professional and I've been learning as I go. I'm grateful to them for putting up with me! One of the guys who takes shots for the papers even gave me a CD with some of his shots to use in the video. They did have his name on them and I gave him credit in the video. I thought that was so nice of him. </p>

<p>Also there is a woman who takes some sports photos to sell to parents, (and for the newspapers) but she never came to girls games, only the boys games and sports her son plays. In basketball the boys and girls had a year end banquet together but she never put anything together for them even to sell.</p>

<p>I would think that professional photographers wouldn't want us hobby parents to be charging. Wouldn't it diminish their abilities and professionalism if anyone could just take photos and get paid? </p>

<p>Another reason I don't charge is the whole business and tax stuff. </p>

<p>Robin, I'm from MA and know Boston. My sister lived in Dorchester before moving to Milton and her husband just retired from teaching at Boston English and I applaud you for doing this for these kids. </p>

<p>Donna</p>

I'm scrolling through the photos here as usual and suddenly see Pam Rosanio & Kate Mills and got so excited! I'm a big UMass women's fan! I used to go there and my 2 sons are there now. My daughter and I go out to the women's games when we can. I wanted to go yesterday but it was the superbowl. Should have gone to the basketball game instead! lol Great photos! You really captured Pam's intensity!

Thanks, Michael. That made my day. :o)

 

This photography can be addicting. :o) I might have to keep shooting basketball after my daughter graduates next year! lol

The color in the USC vs Washington pictures is incredible! I love it. All the photos above are wonderful. you all give me something to strive for!

And one more. The ball is blurry but I like the girl's tongue.<div></div>

Here is another. My timing was good but my focus was off.<div></div>

Here's another. I also know my wb was off and I'm still trying to figure out how to fix that.<div></div>

I'm very new to this and this gym was very dark but here are a few of my attempts.<div></div>

Last one.<div></div>

One more.<div></div>

Another one.<div></div>

Thanks to everyone for all the help on shooting basketball. I took more photos

tonight and they came out better. I used manual mode ISO 1800, f/2, 1/320 using

AF-C. Here are a few examples.<div></div>

Another auto mode. 1/100 sec - F/2.5 ISO 800

 

These photos are all untouched except for resizing and a tiny bit of cropping in a few.

 

Any thoughts on where I should go from here would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!<div></div>

So then I tried auto. Here are a few examples. 1/100 sec - F/2.5 ISO 800<div></div>

Then I started getting blurry ones with the sports mode. I'm not sure why. I'm guessing it was me. :o) It had the same settings ISO 800 f/2 1/125.<div></div>

And the second one. These were ISO 800 f/2 1/125(1st one) 1/100(2nd one).<div></div>