Lights... camera... (blurred) action!!??

The light was perfect - that late afternoon, low-in-the-sky sun... my camera was more than I could ever hope for - a Pentax K20D... and the action was great - an energetic, young, sponsored kitesurfer who was more than willing to throw trick after trick for a photographer. So what the heck was going on?? About 90% of the pics I snapped were somewhat blurred, no matter how careful I was with the focal point. I farted around with the aperture and shutter speed - at one point I was at f/3.5 and 1/1000, which absolutely should have frozen the unhooked backloops this kid was landing. I also switched back and forth from AF-S to AF-C, because the subject was moving, not stationary. I even tried manually focussing, but that went bad quickly - visualize me, standing in the Columbia River in thigh-deep water on an unstable sandy bottom, trying to simultaneously zoom the lens, pan the camera, and focus on this mass of kiteboard and body careening towards me... you should have seen the amazing blurs I captured after ducking out of the way at the last second! Not to mention nearly dunking the camera!

Anyhow, I must say I was becoming frustrated. I was so disappointed when I had to delete many well-composed shots because they were not in focus. Maybe I bought a dud of a K20D? Sometimes there are lemons from the factory, right? I think I even muttered to my boyfriend that I should convert to Nikon or something... ***GASP*** Yes, I really said that out loud! But on the other hand, I had taken way too many crisp, in-focus pics for the camera or lens to be at fault. Then some words of wisdom popped into my head, something I heard or read (I don't remember exactly where this came from): It' s not the equipment, but what you learn to DO with the equipment... a good photographer can take a great picture with even the crappiest of cameras.

Alright then, certainly it has to be a problem with how I'm using the camera in this particular situation. So off to the internet I went, to surf through my favorite forums in search of people who may be having the same trouble.

I couldn't believe my luck, when within 15 minutes I came across this post:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1036&message=28665188

This fellow's first point made the light bulb come on for me immediately: I don't think I've ever turned the image stabilization OFF...!! Could that be my problem? Makes sense, because when the IS is turned on, the magnets on the sensor are always trying to compensate for movement. When the subject is moving, and the camera is moving, well that compounds the problem. Jeesh!! Why didn't I think of that?! Perhaps if I had read through my users manual I would have come across that piece of advice? Anyhow, this fellow attached some pics he took of a surfing event in Italy, and every photo was spectacular. Definitely my poor results had to be operator error.

After reading that suggestion and seeing that fellow's perfect photos, my faith is renewed - I've switched the camera image stabilization OFF, and I took the filter off my lens (see the previous post). Hopefully this combination will produce more satisfactory results? I can't wait to find out!

Cheers.

Yaaay for Gear!

Well, I caved today, and I caved HARD. No excuses or reasons. It just happened. I bought another camera body... and a lens. Of course I went with Pentax on both counts - the fabulous K20D plus the DA 18-250mm. A fantastic, all-purpose combination in my opinion, perfect for those times when you absolutely don't have room to take a whole ton of camera gear with you. After I'm finished this post, I'm going to dig the new toys out of their boxes and get them all set up. By set up I mean that I'm going to configure the settings on the new camera to match the ones on my existing camera... that way, everything that I'm used to will be the same on the second rig. As well, I'm going to download the firmware upgrade for the K20D off Pentax's website. I'm not sure yet what changes it effects, however I've read about better noise reduction when using the 2-second timer and other minor improvements. I figure it can't hurt, plus it's free. Also, Pentax has come out with another version of the Photo Browser/Laboratory software which is provided with the camera. If you are interested in either of the downloads, visit Pentax Imaging's Customer Care and Self Support pages at http://www.pentaximaging.com/customer_care/self_support/ .

One last thought, before I make like a kid at Christmas and start ripping into my presents... to filter, or not to filter?? I have to admit, I am torn. On one hand, I definitely want to protect my expensive glass from scratches and the like. On the other hand, do I want to compromise the crisp, sharp capture my expensive glass promises, by layering something on top of it? I never store my camera without the lens cap in place; in fact I hardly ever even carry it around without the cap on the lens. So really, what are the chances of me catastrophically damaging the glass... I suppose if it takes a hard enough beating, the filter isn't going to save it anyhow, right? Actually, funny story from one of the salesmen in the camera shop today: He remembers way back in the day when smoking was the norm and everybody had a cigarette hanging from their lips at all times. He said the Pentax reps would come into the store, and to prove the durability of the proprietary SMC coating, they'd butt out their cigs right smack on a lens! I gasped just listening to this and I cringe at the thought of testing out this theory.

However, it sounds like perhaps I've talked myself into leaving my lenses naked, so to speak. My Pentax models anyway. At the very least, I'm going to give it try for the next little while and see how many 'close calls' I think I experience.

If you start to see pictures here that look a little 'rough'... i.e. a big fuzzy line running across the same spot in every photo... well maybe my experiment didn't work out so well?! But I'll keep you posted.

Cheers.

Back to the Grind

Work sure gets in the way of fun, I must say. However, I guess for now it is a necessary evil?! My real job is as an operating technician in a chemical manufacturing plant. And as far as employment goes, it is actually pretty darn good. I get lots of days off, which means I have a substantial amount of time to enjoy the things I'd rather be doing, and I don't have to do them on weekends!

Last night was my first shift back after two weeks off... it's always a killer, that first one - my attention span is non-existent and my body gets seriously confused when I make it stay awake all night. But I survived, and now the countdown starts over again until the next stretch of playtime.

Instead of being a responsible shift-worker and napping yesterday afternoon, I stopped in at the local camera store, I couldn't help myself, and guess what? July is PENTAX MONTH. Meaning everything Pentax is ON SALE. How's my luck?! I'm not sure how it happens but I usually end up spending hours in there. Never in vain, however! My excursion landed me a LowePro camera/notebook backpack. I've been eyeing them up for a while now and I finally decided on the Compu Trekker AW. Holds my laptop, two bodies, 4-5 lenses, plus it has an all-weather cover built-in, which is a neat feature. It's not completely waterproof and it doesn't float, like the Dryzone models, but it is practical and sturdy. Maybe after I sleep today I'll re-organize my gear into it.

Speaking of which, I'm feeling mega-drowsy. I'd best go crawl in before I get my second wind.

Cheers.

Gear nerd...

My sleeve is now soaking wet, from wiping the drool off my face! I've been poring over a couple of my favorite retail websites, deciding on another camera and lens. A friend is possibly going to buy part of my 'old' kit next week - I say this tongue-in-cheek, because I've only been at this game for a year and a half, so how OLD can my stuff be, right?? But, the beauty (or perhaps beast) of technology is that it is ever-changing, always advancing, and there is bigger, better, faster, smarter stuff showing up on a daily basis... and I figure if I rid my carrying case of a few items, then logic dictates that I get to replace them. Well, at least MY logic works that way, anyhow!! Plus I already unloaded a body and lens a few weeks ago, to another friend of a friend... Jeesh, I'm feeling more vulnerable by the minute, I'd hate to be without a backup!

So... in case you're wondering... I am a Pentaxian. (Ha ha! I love saying that, it's a funny word and makes me laugh out loud!) My boyfriend had a circa 1900's ME - okay, probably not 1900's, but it was pretty ANTIQUE - with a good range of lenses and several rolls of unused film. A couple of years ago, when I expressed interest in furthering my photography skills, he offered it up for my experimentation. Of course with me having super-limited photo taking knowledge, I felt a film camera seemed cumbersome and inconvenient, and I'm far too impatient to wait even for 1-hour photo developing. So I hit the web and began researching digital SLR's. At first I was drawn to Pentax because 99.9% of their lenses fit on 99.9% of their single lens reflex cameras. They are one of the few manufacturers who haven't felt the need to change the lens mount on every other camera model they build - bonus! I'd have four lenses right from the get-go! I was objective however and learned the pros and cons of Canon, Nikon, Olympus and others as well. Pentax still seemed to have the most features on my wants/needs list, and after reading review after review after review about their newest revelation, the K10D, I set my heart on that particular toy. A toy that was not yet available in Canada... D'OH! Again, having no patience whatsoever, I ordered my first DSLR in December 2006 from a shop in New York.

Shortly after I started shooting with it, I realized that while yes, the old-school lenses did indeed fit on the new-school K10D, it was quite an effort to effectively use them. None of the automatic functions worked and I learned real quick about the manual settings on my camera. Not long into the whole affair, I purchased a variety of digital-compatible lenses. Tamron, Sigma, Pentax... I have some of each. Which posed a new dilemna in itself - multiple lenses, one body. Changing lenses in the middle of fast-paced sporting events irritated me and soon I convinced myself that a second body would be the answer. By this time, the K10D's were for sale everywhere, for a third the original price.

Yes, two bodies with my two favorite lenses, ready to go at a moment's notice, it was lovely! Until I was in Chapters one afternoon, thumbing through some photography mag, and I read that Pentax was coming out with a bigger, better, faster, smarter version of what I already had TWO of.... AAAACK!

For a few months, I was uncharacteristically patient and only stopped by our local camera shop a couple of times to ogle the K20D. But just before my birthday, I caved... and that's what I used as an excuse to buy one - happy birthday to me!!

Now the question is, do I wait around for awhile, in the event that Pentax might have a K30D or something up their technological sleeve? Or, should I get back to my surfing and drooling and line up another K20D. I sure like the camera, I like both the models I own actually. And really... how much bigger, better, faster, smarter of a machine am I ever going to need? I'll have to think about this one for awhile. I'll let you know how it pans out.

Cheers.

N-G-P-W-B....

Have I mentioned yet today, how much I wish I was a photographer? You know… the full-fledged, published, make-a-living-selling-my-photographs type photographer. Yes, it is pretty much all I obsess about lately. Ever since I bought myself a digital SLR camera a year and a half ago, I think mostly about taking pictures. I am so infatuated with photography that I’ve joined a club and am signing up for workshops left and right. I’m also reading whatever I can get my hands on to learn about the technical side of things (including – it’s true – my camera’s user manual!) And, if I can’t be out actually snapping photos, then I am flipping through magazines or surfing the web, scrutinizing the work of others and dreaming about when it might be my turn to appear in the pages of Outdoor Photographer.
I’m sure I am driving my significant other completely crazy – every outing we enjoy together inevitably disintegrates (for him, anyway) into a long, drawn out process… where he slows his pace to a crawl while I doddle around, adjusting settings, adding filters, climbing over and under things, trying to get to just the right angle for that perfect shot. So far, I’ve managed to capture over ten thousand images; fewer than two dozen of them have drawn attention from the likes of small-town weekly publications and informal local contests – but it’s somehow enough to keep my aspirations afloat.
In reality I understand that I won’t be changing careers any time soon… although I can always hope, can’t I? Because who knows when I might all of a sudden get the hang of it, and begin to consistently churn out absolutely stellar pix? Until then, I will read and practice and stumble around the countryside, trading opinions and information with my newfound camera-buff friends, enjoying my hobby for what it is - an excuse to buy gear!! YAAAYY for camera gear!! (heh heh) And, hopefully you'll get some sort of a kick out of reading about my photographic (mis)adventures! Of course I always welcome comments and suggestions from amateurs and professionals alike... Although photography is a seriously subjective art, I am continuously intrigued by how other people see and capture the world in their pics; I myself could look at photos all day long.

I take pictures because it makes me happy and feel completely free... I cherish my camera and if I happen to freeze a moment that makes even one other person go "Wow, nice shot!"... well, that's about as good as I imagine it could get!

Enjoy!

ps: In case you're wondering about the title of this post... "N"ational "G"eographic "P"hotographer "W"anna-"B"e... yep, that's me...!!!