Photos from Death Valley

I took the family on a 2 week southwest US road-trip, visiting many of the national parks. We explored Smith Rock (Oregon), Crater Lake (Oregon), Travertine Hot Springs (CA), Death Valley, Zion National Park, Bryce National Park, Grand Staircase National Monument and Moab. It was a great adventure.

Here are some of the best photos from Death Valley:

Canon 5D camera, Canon 17-40 f4 lens, 17mm focal length, ISO 200, shooting mode of shutter-priority (Tv), exposure compensation of -1, shutter speed of 1/100 of a second, aperture f7.1, picture style set to 'landscape', white balance set to 'shade', handheld.

Canon 5D camera, Canon 70-300 f4-5.6 IS lens, focal length 300m, ISO 400, shooting mode of aperture priority (Av), exposure compensation of -1, shutter-speed of 1/500 of a second, picture style set to 'landscape', white balance set to 'shade', handheld.

Canon 5D Camera, Canon 200 f2.8 lens, ISO 800, Exposure compensation of +1/3, shooting mode of aperture priority (Av), Aperture of 3.2, shutter-speed of 1/800 of a second, white balance set to 'shade', picture style set to 'landscape', handheld.

Canon 5D camera, Canon 200 f2.8 lens, ISO 400, shooting mode of aperture-priority (Av), aperture f3.5, exposure compensation of -2/3, shutter speed of 1/8000 of a second, picture style set to landscape, white balance set to cloudy, handheld.

Canon 5D Camera, Canon 17-40 f4 lens, focal length of 17mm, ISO 100, shooting mode of aperture priority (Av), aperture of f10, shutter-speed of 1/200, picture style set to 'landscape', white balance set to 'shade' (warms-up the photo), handheld.

Canon 5D Camera, Canon 17-40 f4 lens, focal length of 27mm, ISO 100, shooting mode of aperture priority (Av), aperture of f11, shutter-speed of 1/250, picture style set to 'landscape', white balance set to 'cloudy', hand-held.

Canon 5D camera, Canon 200 f2.8 lens, ISO 400, exposure compensation of -2/3, shooting mode of shutter priority, shutter-speed of 1/2000 of a second, aperture f4.5, picture style set to 'landscape', white balance set to 'shade', hand-held [note: this Coyote crossed the street right in front of me while I was driving at around 6 AM. I yanked my camera out of my bag and started shooting without adjusting any settings - thus, the odd choice of Tv & 1/2000.]

Canon 5D, Canon 100 f2.8 Macro lens, ISO 100, shooting mode of Aperture Priority (Av), f11 aperture, 1/4 of a second shutter speed, white balance of 'cloudy', picture style of 'standard', tripod, remote release, mirror lockup.

Canon 5D, Canon 70-300 f4-5.6 IS lens, ISO 100, shooting mode of Aperture Priority (Av), exposure compensation of -2/3, f13 aperture, 1/40 of a second shutter speed, white balance of 'shade', picture style set to 'landscape', tripod, remote release, mirror lockup.

Canon 5D, Canon 70-300 f4-5.6 IS lens, focal length of 300mm, ISO 100, shooting mode of Aperture Priority (Av), f11 aperture, 1/20 of a second shutter speed, white balance of 'shade', picture style set to 'landscape', tripod, remote release, mirror lockup.

We spent 2 days in Death valley. The photographer in me would have loved to stayed for 2 weeks. Death Valley is an incredible photographic opportunity, but it is also a huge park with many of the photo opportunities found in the far corners of the park.

I'm back from 2 week southwest road trip...

Hello!

I'm back. I've been on a 2 week road trip with the family touring the southwest and I just got home today. We visited Smith Rock (Oregon), Crater Lake (Oregon), Travertine Hot Springs (CA), Death Valley, Zion National Park, Bryce National Park, Grand Staircase National Monument and Moab.

The trip was a blast and I got some great photos. Once I've had a chance to cull through the 2300+ shots, I'll post some of the winners. I'll also share what photography gear strategies worked, and which didn't work.

Clint

Choosing your first Canon DSLR

If you do not yet have a Canon DSLR body and you want one, you have to make a decision between the various models available. This article is designed to help.

A couple qualifiers regarding this article:

• The purpose of this post is NOT to perform a comprehensive technical assessment of these Cameras


• The purpose is also not to do a detailed technical comparison.


• The purpose is not to review these cameras.

The purpose is to let you know which Canon DSLR's are 'contenders' for your purchase with the core differences between each model, and my 2 cents.

In the Canon family, here are the current DSLR options (as of 3/28/08):

• Digital Rebel XTi + 18-55 Kit Lens $590 $US


• Digital Rebel XSi+ 18-55 IS Kit Lens $900 $US


• 40D + 18-55 Lens $1250 $US


• 5D + 24-85 Lens $2500 $US

I've included a 'kit-type' lens (of similar quality) with each body so each package is 'similar'.

The XTi, XSi and 40D all excellent 'first DSLRs'. The 5D is also an excellent first DSRL, it's just a little spendy for your first DSLR.

Here are a some generalities about the different family of Canon DSLR bodies:

Canon Digital Rebel Series:

• Canon's least expensive family of Digital SLRs


• Very small form factor. Because this camera is so small, you may be more likely to bring it with you. The small grip may not feel comfortable for folks with larger hands.


• Lots of plastic in the build quality. This keeps the camera light and inexpensive, but the 40D/5D have a significantly better build-quality. If you have any doubt go to a camera store and pick them both up, you'll understand.


• The 8-10 MP APS-c CMOS sensors on these cameras are excellent. Put some good glass in front of these camera bodies and they are capable of producing awesome quality.


• Delivers exceptional functionality for the $.

Canon 40D

• Very durable Magnisium body. Very solid build-quality.


• Beefy-grip that fits comfortably in your hand.


• Adds a convenient 2nd LCD display on the top of the camera.


• Should last longer than the Rebel's


• There are some added 'bells&whistles' that the Rebel doesn't have.

Canon 5D

• Very similar build-quality to 30D/40D (perhaps even a little better)


• Slightly larger body than 30D/40D.


• Large viewfinder


• Huge full frame sensor for image capture (856 sqmm sensor vs. APS-c 338 sqmm sensor)


• The difference in image-quality from the large sensor vs APS-c is really only noticeable in very large prints.


• Support for very shallow depth of field (because with the larger sensor you need to get closer to your subject to achieve the same framing.)


• Superior high ISO performance to Rebel, 40D. ISO 1600 is 100% usable.


• No built-in-flash.

My thoughts:

• If you're looking for the least expensive family of Canon DSLR, the Digital Rebel is your ticket.


• If you're trying to decide between a point-and-shoot and a Rebel XTi, I would choose the Rebel XTi over any point-and-shoot.


• In the Canon family, the 40D is the Cadillac of APS-c format cameras. Awesome auto-focus system, 6.5 fps, all the latest 'bells & whistles.'


• The 5D is very much a specialty camera. For those who want full-frame, this is your camera. The 5D with it's larger sensor can offer slightly shallower depth of field than the APS-c sensor DSLRs. In my opinion this is a 'lot of camera' for a first time DSLR user. But, if you can afford it, it's an extraordinary machine.


• The XSi offers incremental improvements over the XTi: more MP, larger LCD, 'Live view', etc..


• All these camera's do support full 'auto' modes, so you can use any of them as a 'point and shoot' if you wish.

Image quality depends on both camera's sensor and the quality of lens. Don't under-estimate the importance of good glass to produce great images. The lenses do matter. This doesn't mean you need to spend a fortune of 'L-class' zoom lenses. Canon offers some amazing values, particularly in their family of simple prime lenses (they don't zoom). Example: The 50m f1.8 lens is $85.

DSLR bodies drop in value very quickly. Good lenses can last you a decade - and quality Canon glass holds it's value surprisingly well. If you truly get bitten by the photography bug, you'll likely upgrade camera bodies every 2-4 years. On the other hand, good lenses could well serve you for a decade and they hold their value well. I do believe in investing in good lenses (but 'cherry-picking' the best values in the Canon lens line-up.)

If you don't have a Digital SLR today and you want one, run, don't walk to your local camera store (of Amazon.com) and order the one that makes your heart go 'pitter-patter'.

For my suggestion on lenses for your first Canon DSLR, go here.

For detailed technical reviews of each camera, go to DPreview.

For reviews of these camera by your peers, go to Fred Miranda.

You can purchase these camera on Amazon.com here:

4 things to take your photography to the next level

In my opinion, here are 4 things that can really make a big difference in the quality of your photographs. You may benefit from all, some or none of these :)

• Get the white balance right. It matters. Canon auto-white-balance is very cool in my opinion. If you set white balance to 'sunny' on sunny days, 'cloudy' on cloudy days and 'shade' when you're in the shade -- you'll be amazed by the difference. It sounds so obvious, but very few beginner photographers do it. (If you're shooting RAW, you can try different white balances when you process the image.)

• Do use exposure compensation (EC). The camera meter is not that smart. It likes to make everything 'pretty bright'. If for example, you are taking photographs in dark woods, the meter will make the scene much brighter than it is. Use negative EC of -1/3 to -1 to have the image captured match what is before your eyes. Likewise, when you find your images look to dark, use EC +1/3 to +2/3 to make them brighter. You are much smarter than the camera exposure meter, you need to constantly be reviewing images on the camera LCD and adjusting EC as needed.

• If you shoot any portraits, get a prime lens (like the EF 50 f1.8,EF 50 f1.4, EF-s 60 f2.8 Macro, 85 f1.8, EF 100 f2, EF 100 f2.8 Macro) and take some portraits at wide apertures. Even if it's only the Canon 50 f1.8 for $85 -- you'll be amazed at the differences in portrait photographs this lens produces vs. the 18-55 kits lens. SIDEBAR: All these lenses (except the 60 f2.8 and 100 f2.8) need to be 'stopped-down' a little for them for them to be sharp (around f2.5 of so). These prime lenses are extremely sharp, small, light, have really wide apertures, are great for low-light photography, and cheap (you can buy 2-3 of these lenses for the price of one 17-55 f2.8 zoom). The 2 Macro lenses are especially nice because you can use them for both portrait and Macro work. FYI: The 85mm-100mm focal lengths on an APS-c body (XTi, XSi, 40D, etc.) is too long for most indoor use, but are great for outdoor shooting. Go to Fred Miranda's site for end-user reviews of these Canon prime lenses.

• Know the basics of photography and how to use your camera (in detail). This includes shooting modes (P, Av, Tv, M), shutter-speed, aperture, ISO, depth-of-field and how all of these relate. Read the book referenced here (or something similar) and read your manual. Here's a good Canon educational website also.

These are 4 'biggies' in my mind. Doing all 4 should really take your photography to the 'next level.' If you're already doing some or all of these, great.

Oh, yeah #5, subscribe to this blog :)

Subscribe in a reader

Photos of Dad & baby

I did another 'baby shoot' this week for some friends, there must be something in the water--everyone in Hood River, Oregon is having babies. Here are some of the 'winners' from the shoot:

Canon 5D, Canon 100mm f2.8 Macro, ISO 200, Shooting mode of Aperture Priority, Aperture of f4 (so there would be a little depth of field and baby & dad would both be in focus), 1/125th of a second shutter-speed (selected by camera), Exposure compensation 0, Flash off, Picture style of monochrome with Sepia tone, sharpness of 0.

Canon 5D, Canon 100mm f2.8 Macro, ISO 200, Shooting mode of Aperture Priority, Aperture of f2.8 (shallow depth of field), 1/250th of a second shutter-speed (selected by camera), Exposure compensation 0, Flash off, Picture style of monochrome with Sepia tone, sharpness of 0.

Canon 5D, Canon 100mm f2.8 Macro, ISO 200, Shooting mode of Aperture Priority, Aperture of f2.8 (for shallowest depth of field), 1/3200 of a second shutter-speed (selected by camera), Exposure compensation -2/3, Flash off, Picture style of monochrome with Sepia tone, sharpness of 0.

I pretty much followed the same 'formula' as my last baby shoot, but had Dad take off his shirt. You can find more info on the technique here.

Making great photos in a bar

So we were celebrating a birthday with some friends and I was asked (ok, I proactively volunteered) to document the evening in photographs (be the dork with the camera). We went from bar to bar and all the bars were pretty dark. The technique I used most of the evening was pretty simple:

• It will be a 1 lens night (Canon 50mm f1.4.) I use the 50 because it can gather lots of light, is small and inconspicuous and the photos it creates have that 'journalistic' 'look'.
  
• external flash on.
• I set the camera to ISO 400 (delivers awesome quality on my 5D and since I was using a flash I didn't have to go to super-high ISO's)
  
• manual exposure
• f2.8 (for razor sharp images, but letting in lots of light)
• 1/80th of a second shutter-speed (fast enough to freeze the action)

On most Canon DSLR's, if you set the camera to manual exposure and turn on the flash the camera will adjust the power of the flash to provide correct exposure. It's 'manual' with a 'smart flash' - pretty cool.

Here are some of my favorite images from the evening:

Canon 5D, Canon 50mm f1.4 lens, manual exposure, f2.8, 1/80, ISO 400, flash is on, flash assist is on, picture style is monochrome with a sepia tone (the sepia tone eliminates the 'snapshot' look of the color flash photo.)

Canon 5D, Canon 50mm f1.4 lens, manual exposure, f2.8, 1/80, ISO 400, flash is on, flash assist is on, picture style is 'standard'. [beware the trays of fruity-flavored shots - they taste delicious tonight, but you will pay for them tomorrow.]

Canon 5D, Canon 50mm f1.4 lens, manual exposure, f2.8, 1/80, ISO 400, flash is on, flash assist is on, picture style is standard.

This picture was a little different -- I turned-off the flash for this one and switched to 'program.'

Canon 5D, Canon 50mm f1.4 lens, 'program' exposure mode, f1.4, 1/6th of a second shutter-speed, ISO 400, flash is off, flash assist is off, picture style is 'standard' [I clearly should have cranked the ISO to 1600.]

There are other great pictures, but they are 'incriminating' and I can't share them :)

Photographing glass blowing

I made a trip to a nearby glass blowing studio to both watch the glass blowing and make some photos. It turned-out to be a very cool photo opportunity; the dark studio with the glowing molten glass. The dim lighting did present some challenges.

I wanted to have relatively dark photos, with the molten glass glowing in the frame. I also wanted to avoid the 'snap-shot' look I get when using a flash. I really had to push the limits of the light gathering capability of my gear. To get adequate shutter-speed to freeze the action and have the moltel glass 'glow' I had to shoot @ f2.8 and ISO 1600. Here are some of the best shots from the day:

Canon 5D Camera, Canon 200 f2.8 lens, Aperture priority shooting mode, Aperture of f2.8, ISO 1600, 1/400th of second shutter-speed (selected by the camera), flash is off, Handheld.

Canon 5D Camera, Canon 100 f2.8 Macro lens, Aperture priority shooting mode, Aperture of f2.8, ISO 800, 1/125th of second shutter-speed (selected by the camera), flash is off, handheld.

Canon 5D Camera, Canon 200 f2.8 lens, Aperture priority shooting mode, Aperture of f2.8, ISO 800, 1/125th of second shutter-speed (selected by the camera), flash is off, handheld. [I should have had ISO @ 1600, because 1/125 it too slow a shutter-speed for a 200mm non-IS lens handheld.]

If you haven't seen glass being blown, it really is amazing to watch and a neat subject to photograph. If you have lenses in the 85mm to 200mm range, bring 'em.

Obtain perfect auto-focus in the pitch dark

You guys all probably know this trick, but for those who don't: One of the side-benefits of an external flash is the 'flash assist' feature. On most (if not all) of the Canon external flashes, there is a 'flash-assist' feature where the flash assist paints a grid of red lines on your subject so the camera's auto-focus engine has something to focus on. This allows the camera to obtain focus in the pitch black - pretty cool. On most Canon DSLR bodies you also have the ability to enable/disable flash and also enable/disable 'flash assist'. So, you can even use flash-assist without firing the flash (if for example it's too dark to focus, but you don't want to fire the flash). If you aren't using this technique - it's a good one :)

The external flash 'flash assist' also does not perform the very annoying 3 'pre-flashes' the Camera's built-in flash uses for flash-assist (which makes all the subjects close their eyes and/or grimace.) No one even notices the red lines from the external flash, flash-assist.

This 'flash assist' technique was required to make the following photos:

This shot was made in the pitch black. Canon 5D, 50mm f1.4 lens, manual exposure of 2.5 second @ f1.8, ISO 400, external flash is on, flash-assist is on (this is how the camera was able to focus on the subject.)
(see the post here for complete details on how to make photos like this)

This shot was made in the pitch black. Canon 10D Camera, Canon 17-40 f4 Lens, Focal length 17mm, Shooting mode of 'program', 1/60th of a second shutter-speed, f4 aperture, ISO 400, exposure compensation -1/3, external flash is on, flash assist is on (this is how the camera obtained focus on the subject.)

If you're going to buy an external Canon flash, I'd recommend the Canon EX430 at minimum, this flash not only gives you TONS more lighting power than the 'built-in' flash on the XT, XTi, XSi, 30D, 30D, etc, but the ability to tilt/swivel the flash head and 'flash assist'. With the excellent ISO 800/1600 performance of the modern Canon DSLR, the external flash gets uses less and less, but I would never remove mine from my bag -- it's a required tool for me. The Canon EX580 is the 'Cadillac' of Canon flashes, but it's huge and costs $400 $US.

Here's the 430EX on Amazon.com for about $250 $US.