Digital Camera

[mmills023]

Hey all with all these great pictures out here i was wondering what cameras (digital/non-digital) everyone is using, or would like to use, or has used. Maybe some settings or lenses (model numbers would be nice) that you use to get the best shots.

I have a Nikon Coolpix 4300 no lenses (not sure which one would be best) and i usually use the automatic setting (cause I am a moron when it comes to that stuff). So if anyone has a camera similar to this maybe you could share your tips/suggestions.

Thanks
Mike

[ReconRider25]

i have a canon powershot s200 digital elph. it says 2.0 mega pixels on it but i dk what all the stuff on it means. alls i know is it takes pics and videos and i got a 128mb card for it.:o :p

[mmills023]

I believe that the Nikon i have is 4 megapixles, and i assume that means that it captures more pixles per square inch??...not sure really...

[Pappy]

I use a Nikon D100 Digital SLR with aboout 5 different lenses. My settings change from shot to shot depending on what I want the picture too look like:D

[mmills023]

Hey pappy...i know you are busy and it may be a long answer, but any tips on settings or lenses??


Mike

[Pappy]

well with most of the smaller compact cameras you dont have a whole lot of choices. everything is pretty much automatic.


the biggest tips are:

1) Fill the picture with your subject. Too many people take pictures and the quad looks so small.

2) get the sun behind you or atleast at a 45 degree angle to you. this will help the automatic sensors do a better job of metering the light.

3) dont just take a picture. watch a few quads hit a jump ..or corner ...and then take a few pics. visualize what would make a cool picture before actually taking it.

4) "Pan" with the subject. i can only describe panning (like in the above posted picture) as following the quad and pressing the shutter release while continuing following with the camre. kind of like a follow thru as it were. i combine panning with a slow shutter speed and the effect is pretty cool.

5) try new angles. get low...get high...shoot from several different angles and you'd be surprised at what kind of pics you can get.

6) if your camera has a action setting, use it when its cloudy out. all it does is make the camera shoot at the highest shutter speed for the available light.

7) turn on your flash for some daytime pics when you are fairly close to the action. this will fill in some shadows and also slow down the shutter speed. you can combine this with panning for some more special effects.

8) if your attached lens will allow it, get a uv filter. it will help keep the lens safe and also bring out a touch more color.

9) try to shoot with a focal length between 28 and 50mm. most small cameras dont focus properly at lengths greater then that and the quad turns out a touch blurry.

10) BE SAFE!!! its very easy to get too close and get run over!!

[mmills023]

That was AWESOME information pappy. I am new to this and most of the camera sites on the internet are a tad snobby when you ask questions. I have been taking some pictures of my son racing here locally (races are few and far between), and havent had good success. I will try those suggestions you mentioned, and if i get some good shots i will post them....thank you again Pappy.


Mike

[DangerousDean]

ppshaa!

get a real camara :p

none of this digital crap for me .. all manual :devil:

[Pappy]

most photographers have thier head up thier *** and nose in the air. i have a degree in photography and will tell you anything i know or help in any way.

just shoot alot...learn from it and try new stuff. with digital the learning curve is very short. when i was taking my courses we shoot 35mm and it would take a week to see our results:mad: now i can make changes by what i see in my display screen. gotta love technology:p

[mmills023]

I am glad you said it!!!!!!!!!!!.....it is true, and in fact most sites are even snobby about thier cameras...if you didnt pay over a grand for it they dont want to talk to ya!!....when i got my nikon 4300 it was like 400.00 quit a bit of money if ya ask me. Your pictures turn out great some of the best action shots i have seen...I am surprised that you dont shoot photos for the big mags (dirt wheels, etc) I understand that like newspapers they offer some kind of freelance incentives??

Great info pappy...that degree comes in handy with the race coverage you produce!!!

Mike

[Pappy]

I supplemented my income for years doing freelnace work for magazines, newspapers and weddings.

back then it was a mess. shoot the film...rush to get it developed overnight the slides to an editor (or rush prints and negatives to a newspaper) I just had a belly full of the deadlines and running myself ragged.

now digital has fixed all that. shoot the pictures and hell, i can send them via satelight uplink and email to an editor minutes after ive taken the picture. wedding proofs? load the files on a lap top and let the newlyweds watch a slide show. pisses me off a wedding photog still wants $2500 to do a wedding when it can be done for 1/2 that now.

I may do more work in the future, I have to cover the VA Beach race for dirt wheels next weekend since Harlen has to race.

And thanks...i try to get the good ones on here for you folks to enjoy:D

[mmills023]

I know that there is alot more work than meets the eye, but 2500.00 bucks!!!, i am in the wrong business!!!!!!

I really had no idea that photographers made that kinda loot!!!

You kinda take for granted those photos you see in all the different publications, but as i started to try and take quality pictures i realized that even though it is a "machine" instead of oils, and paints, that photography is actually a art form that very few actually do well.

You produce some of the best shots i have seen...good job.


Mike

[Pappy]

magazines pay ok...i think right now a few good pics could net you a few hundred unless it was something spectacular.

i nailed a 4 or 5 shot sequence of a 6 second drag car flipping and i believe i got like $1500 for the shots.

newspapers are for chit. a picture of a burning house maybe will net you $25...but if a kid is dangling from the burning window you could get $150 or more. it almost takes an accident to get a big money shot.

advertising and commercial photography pay the best for someone wanting a stable career. ive done products shots that netted me several grand in one day.

i always carry a camera...you just never know when that once in a lifetime shot will land in front of ya:cool:

[mmills023]

Still amazed at that...i really am in the wrong business!!!


Mike

[JDiablo]

now we know where pappy gets all his money from...lol betta then some of those paparazzi people i think..lol:cool:

[Pappy]

id actually like to cover stuff from around the world. wars, wild stuff ya know. i like excitement:p i get bored taking pics sometimes, and thats when a good shot usually happens. the best pictures are usually blind luck!!

[Pappy]

and a bit O/T

everyone should keep a close eye on the magazines and the ads contained there within. also in several catalogs by a ton of manufactures. alot of harlen's and myself's pictures will be used in them:)

[JDiablo]

pappy off subject but is burgard still where you told me?

[Pappy]

Originally posted by 300exrida
pappy off subject but is burgard still where you told me?

i didnt try calling today but i sure hope he is back on his feet. noone is doing good with health these days:(

[mmills023]

Pappy, do they list credits for the photos? I dont usually see them unless they are in mags like TIME and such.

I was in Iraq for the first war there, and a few other places after that....I always thought those photographers, and news people were NUTS....i mean at least i had a gun!!!

Mike

[JDiablo]

yea i know what you mean....if you don't mind me asking how much did your camera setup run you pappy?

[blondie69]

I have a SiPix Groove
It's good sometimes, others...it's a p.o.s. Very un-reliable. It's only 1.3 megapixels...but outside it takes really clear pictures. Inside on the other hand...if you have lots of natural light and then other light with that, it's good...but otherwise, nope. Then if you want the flash inside...if your a few feet away it's way to bright.
I just like it cuz it's a webcam/digital camera/mic all in one :D
I usually just take it to school and make little movies of my friends (it has movie features as well)
Pretty good for $100 (canadian) I thought :p

[Pappy]

Originally posted by 300exrida
yea i know what you mean....if you don't mind me asking how much did your camera setup run you pappy?

the D100 camera body(no lens) costs around $1600

[CowsBitePeople]

I have a cannon something er rather, cost about 400 bucks, it takes good pics:macho

[JDiablo]

Originally posted by Pappy
the D100 camera body(no lens) costs around $1600

sounds like a nice setup you got there

[mmills023]

yeah i was looking at different cameras yesterday, i couldnt believe how expensive they can get!!

[86atc250r]

Check out the Canon Digital Rebel if you're looking for a nice & reasonably priced DSLR.

[Pappy]

Originally posted by mmills023
Pappy, do they list credits for the photos? I dont usually see them unless they are in mags like TIME and such.

I was in Iraq for the first war there, and a few other places after that....I always thought those photographers, and news people were NUTS....i mean at least i had a gun!!!

Mike

if you are listed as a contributing ediotor or photographer you usually dont get a credit line. if its submitted work or you request it a credit line is added.


i geuss i get the pic skills from my dad. he took pictures of alot of things in veitnam....some were of the enemy before he shot them:p on the back of the pics he wrote "here is 2 VC before i engaged them" next photo " here is 2 dead VC" lol.....both were laid out:devil:


gabe is correct...the rebel digital is a great camera for the $$ thats what harlen uses. i prefer my nikons as i have more functions and better control over the settings and more focus options.

[jcsact]

I just bought a Fuji S5000 last November and so far I am happy with it. I have yet to get any action photos but I planned on getting some this weekend when I head to Talladega.

Thanks Pappy for some of the tips earlier in this thread. I will have to play around with it and see which setting takes the best photos.

Oh yeah I have several bags of beads to hand out so we could come back with some great footage. :devil: :blah:

[mmills023]

My father was in Vietman as well, and some of the pics are down right nasty....I managed to get a few....err....pics from Iraq....dont know how i got them since i wasnt supposed to take any...!!!


Mike

Great pic u guys i wish i could get some like that but my step dad is a b i t c h

[mmills023]

Originally posted by XR100Justin
Great pic u guys i wish i could get some like that but my step dad is a b i t c h

Does that imply that he will not buy you a digital camera?? If so may i suggest that you do as my 8 year old does, and that is save your money and buy your own...I am not flaming, just that i had to work for all i ever got, and still do. So maybe it is a little anger maybe a little jealous.....

This does remind me of the time i asked my dad to buy a car for me for my 16th birthday...i can remember how excited i was when i opened his package, thinking it was keys to a new car, or maybe a check, or even cash.......imagine how surprised i was when i found a pair of fuzzy dice with a note attached to it that read somthing like this "You wont understand now son, but i am sure you will as you get older, but you need to work and earn then money for the things you want otherwise you will never learn the value of a hard days work"....i was sooooooo pissed at my dad, i dont think i talked to him for like 6 months, but just as he said as i grew older i realized how true his words were....my kids get gifts for thier b-days, and christmas, thats it..and i have told them since day one, that if they worked hard and saved up half for somthing they wanted, i would help them with the other half!!!

Sorry to drag on!!!! oh how quick those memories come about!!


Mike

[mmills023]

Tried some of those tips out pappy, got some pretty good shots. I thought about what you said about the carnage shots yesterday as like 24 tornados touched down right around my house. All i was thinking was.. "what did pappy say action shots were worth!!!"



Mike

[Pappy]

i think it was a few of the world trade center that sold for over $400,000 and were taken by a gas company employee. he was sued by the gas company for using company equipment but he was finally awarded his payment and he donated a large portion of it to the families of 9/11.



but becareful, i was once threatened with legal action by a police officer hell bent on hauling me off to jail. I was having dinner with the fire chief at of our local fire dept. an emergency call came in for a drowning. (i have been a volunteer since 1986) anyway i ride along with him and ofcourse i had my camera. 2 teenage boys had drowned and i got pictures of everything from the recovery to the helicopter landing etc.

the pictures werent sold, i gave them free of charge to the newspaper in hopes the story would keep other unsupervised kids away from the lake or wake up a few parents to keep better tabs on thier kids. the pictures showed no bodies but did show the split second before one body was pulled from the water.

the police officer tried to bring me up on charges of impersonating a firefighter. i guess being a volunteer in good standing and being a card carrying certified firefighter 3 at the time didnt enter into her reasoning. i had to get a lawyer and put up with all the BS this cop could hand out.

about a year later i found out that the police dept. got in hot water because its our state's code that any police/ems/firefighter that is withing 10 feet of a body of water have on a floation device...and the police pictured had none.

just be safe, stay back from anything dangerous and try to keep in mind that emotions can get high when there is a tramatic event happening. a photographer can be percieved as a ghoul and some of them are!!

[mmills023]

well, i am no storm chaser but your stories of catching the action had me thinking about all the things i have seen in my life that i havent had the chance to take a picture of....

Sometimes people dont remember that our country was founded on the "Spirit of the law". They take things way to far..

These were some pretty crazy storms here though!!!!!!!.....I will look at the pictures today...i am hoping for some good ones.


Mike

[Pappy]

them storm chasers are nutz!!! ive done some lightening photography and that gets pretty scary unless you have a region that allows for pictures of the storm WAY off in the distance.

now that i live where there are no lights at night i want to do some time lapse photo's of the stars. they are really cool.

[mmills023]

I got this book a few days ago "Photography for dummies".....i read it through and then rememberd somthing else i read before that said "If you want to be a dummy buy a dummies book". I see why now!!!!!

My wife saw the movie Sweet Home Alabama, and now she is convinced that i can make her glass from the sand that way!!! (in case u didnt see.....long story short...this guys puts lightning rods in the beach, and when the lightining hits it creates these crazy glass pieces).....

After trying this all out, i can see why this is an actual profession there is soo much to learn and know about taking photos!!!


Mike

[Pappy]

modern cameras take out a ton of the technical know-how these days. i find myself using full auto mode when im rushed to get certain shots or action pops up in front of me.

the metering systems, automatic focus all add up to the point anyone can get a good picture.....but it takes more to make a true photograph.

when i first started out i would just get in the truck and ride. id stop by some of the roadside tourist traps and peek at the postcards from that given area. it kind of gave me some ideas. when i started coming home with pictures that could be used as post cards i knew i was atleast learning something:p

study magazine pictures, pictures in books etc and apply what you liked into your own pictures. even when taking a picture of your kid, make the person stay in 1/3 of the frame and fill in the rest of teh picture with something else. maybe use a tree limb to help frame the person, or a fence to help lead the viewers eye to the subject.

you can have a blast learning about photography...and you can see the joy good pics bring to people.

[mmills023]

Ok that was deep!!!! LOL But once again very imformative, i really apprecaite all you help pappy. Not often people step up to lend a hand anymore..I will post some pics when i get some nice ones!!!!

Mike

[mmills023]

nice!!!!!!!!

[Pappy]

Originally posted by XR100Justin
so i pulled a knife on him and he said yes

anyone wanna bet that if he really did pull a knife on his dad he would be missing a few teeth:confused:

grow up junior.

[mmills023]

If my son pulled a knife on me he would be missing a tad more than his teeth!!!!

That would be the biggest ***** whooping ever!!!....

"Junior" LOL.....that made me laugh

[jcsact]

:rolleyes:

Sound like one tough kid...

:rolleyes:

***edited***

[mmills023]

And thats the way THAT cookie crumbles!!!

HAHA

Mike

i take a cople upers i Down a cople downs and i mess u up lol why u ban xr100honda that guys so funny

[mmills023]

oh boy!!!


LOL

Mike

some 1 got ban rage

GREAT PICTURES GUYS

[jcsact]

I think he lost 50cc's :D

[mmills023]

I got my new wide angle lens ordered today!!!!.....lets see how this puppy does!!!


Mike

[xr50layke]

justin i warned you. theyll ban you for stating your opinion.

whats up with the pulling a knife on dennis :o he would kill you, maybe you were being sarcastic?


this is the most stupid funny sarcastic kid you could ever meet lol

[Pappy]

Originally posted by xr50layke
justin i warned you. theyll ban you for stating your opinion.



he was banned for calling another member about 20 different curse words and threatening him. not too mention the stupidity of him posting the knife crap.

i should have harlen boot both of you for just being idiots.

[mmills023]

Yeah Pappy was sticking up for me!!!!



Mike

[mmills023]

Ok after hearing Pappy talk about being in the right spot, and capturing photos, and all, I started to keep my camera handy for those "priceless moments"....well while eating my lunch look what i see across the street!!!!!!!!

Who needs a lawnmower when you have got one of these!!!

BTW: This is across the street from MY house....subdivision!!!

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid113/pf6058877f0a630d4ced8d184749daf96/f8e92466.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid113/p6fd91293ebb5fe8e05f225a9a6d73c10/f8e9246a.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid113/p55d0d36048013c3fa2390527a3fd6269/f8e9247a.jpg

[mmills023]

These pics didnt inspire you pappy??


Lol

Mike

[DillonTMNT]

I used a Nikon N-70 with a 70-300mm micro zoom lense. I need to get a shorter lense soon though. I also need a slide scanner so I can scan my negatives instead of paying for prints and scanning them. Film photography does cost a lot to do doesnt it Pappy? heh I am taking photography classes next year. My main attraction to photography is astro-photography but I still like every aspect of it from bird watching to atv races...heh




-Dillon


EDIT: I forgot about my trusty 3.1 megapixel Kodak digital camera. heh

[mmills023]

I have been looking at new cameras, i really like the Nikon I have now but after looking around it seems it is not as versitile as i once thought.


Mike

[DillonTMNT]

Here is two pictures I took with my cheapo digital camera. One I get some cash to get some film developed I will scan some better pictures..hehe


http://home.earthlink.net/~trailsforus/picklesgrass.jpg

http://home.earthlink.net/~trailsforus/picklesgrass2.jpg



what do you think Pappy?


-Dillon

[xr50layke]

Originally posted by Pappy
i should have harlen boot both of you for just being idiots.

ya okay :rolleyes: real mature

[Pappy]

the pics look good, lmao at the cow!


yes, print film (35mm) is expensive for most pictures...but I still use it.


I can see we maybe losing a few dirtbike members...what a shame

[mmills023]

The first thing i thought of when seeing that cow, was you saying somthign about being in the right spot at the right time....!!!

LOL


Mike

why would u ban them and LAYKE stay the hell out of this please