nathansanborn

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<p>Les,<br>

Of course the histogram shows the image as dramatically underexposed.... it was a very dark scene, I prefer images taken at night to look as though they were taken at night. You may want a different look.</p>

<p>Gordon, the D300 is a DX (crop frame) sensor camera. It has the same size sensor as the D7000 but with around 4 mega pixels less resolution. The advantages of the D300 would be better auto focus and a higher frame rate, not image quality.<br>

What shutter speed was the photo taken at? Was a tripod used?<br>

I would recommend simply taking more pictures. You have a more than capable camera, it may just take more time to get used to it and to figure out how it needs to be set up to take photos the way you want them.<br>

Best of luck!</p>

<p>I like to crank up the ISO (around 1600, even if it's noisy, the "grainy" look can be kinda cool IMHO), I use a 35 1.8 opened fairly wide (the normal lenght for DX at comfortable distances still has good depth of field even at faster apetures), and if those two things aren't enough I bounce a hotshoe mounted flash set -2 stops. I've gotten generally good results this way, your mileage may vary ;-)</p><div></div>

<p>Some lights. (not quite holiday)</p><div></div>

<p>Driving to the Oregon coast for work last week, and in certian areas where the sun hadn't hit the side of the road everything was covered in ice crystals.</p><div></div>

<p>Fixed! That was easier than I thought!</p><div></div>

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<p>In order to get the background darker, you need to make the foreground lighter (Maybe use a smaller apeture and more flash power). You might also need to get more seperation between the foreground and background so your bounced flash isn't also lighting the background. Then slow your shutter down until the christmas lights are bright.</p>

<p>2nd try.</p><div></div>

<p>Toy Run</p>

<p>Here's a photo I took of my grandmother earlier this week.</p><div></div>

<p>Don't decide what photos you should take, just take photos. Looking for more ideas, submita shot for the monthly photo project. Maybe look at photos taken with your point and shoot and ask yourself how the photos could look better, then try to take better versions of those old snapshots.</p>

<p>Move over D50... After nearly 6 years of faithfull service, I decided it was time to give in and upgrade bodies... Welcome D7000... Welcome new camera confusion... Now it's time to play with it until I get it right! It got it's first test drive last weekend out with my dad on his boat.</p><div></div>

<p>My favorites have to be Kris' pointer, Gej's flowers, and Finlay's eye (not to take away from all of the other amazing photos). On pushing the limits of our gear on an elusive subject, here is a shot of a hawk in flight taken with my D50 with a 70-300 4-5.6 G. I was surprised at how well the predictive focus worked in the action program, and with a difficult backlight situation it still didn't take too much adjusting the exposure with Picasa (software being a big limiter as well) to get an image I could live with. Now to daydream about a D7000 with 2.8 glass...</p><div></div>

<p>From a series I shot at a party last weekend.</p><div></div>

<p>Big clouds rolling in.</p><div></div>

<p>"a 24 mm on D700, you may need to get quite close to pretty subjects"</p>

<p>Sign me up!</p>

<p>I shoot with a 6 mega pixel d50, and I'm confident that the camera can make better pictures than I can take. If you are enlarging to 3 meters, realize that a photo that large is not meant to be viewed closely, so a lack of detail up close shouldn't be too much of a problem.<br>

Consider taking a basic photography class. It will give you a better idea of how to get the most out of your current camera, but more importantly, it will be FUN!<br>

P.S. I lust after the d7000, so even if I think you don't need one to take amazing photos, I understand that sometimes just wanting something is enough reason.</p>

<p>I've been very pleased with my 35mm 1.8. It is an incredible value IMO.</p>

<p>Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.<br>

Sort of an "alpine" aproach to photography.</p>

<p>My computer came with Picasa. It works ok, but I don't think you can burn or dodge with it. I'm considering upgrading to PS elements.</p>

<p>First photos with my 35mm 1.8</p><div></div>

<p>Cynthia,<br>

As you don't have this need very often, but are still looking for the highest quality available, you should consider renting a lens. That may make a lens far out of your budget available the few times you need it.</p>

<p>I think this is a good analogy. The capabilities of desktops and slrs are growing as fast as the capabilities of laptops and iphones/digital point and shoot cameras. The thing to remember is that they are used for different purposes. I wouldn't go out for a night on the town with my friends with an slr as often as I would my iphone, and even though I have taken photos at a wedding with my camera phone, I wouldn't use an iphone as the sole tool for a photographer of a wedding.</p>