First photos (new camera) !

MCA8690 · 11-06-2009, 12:04 PM

First shots with my (first-ever!!) Nikon.

Girlfriend was nice enough to play in front of the lens for a few.. Taken last night at Tempe Town Lake, along the promenade (kind of like Willamette esplanade..)

D700
50mm f/1.4G

(No "real" PP work, just whatever I could manage in iPhoto...lolz.)

Critiques/input are very welcome! I know everything is kind of "soft," it was pretty hard to work with the shutter speeds [hand-held].

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

Favorite of the evening
#8

Tony S · 11-06-2009, 12:19 PM

The pictures look pretty good... but with a pretty subject like that it's hard for them not to.

I'm betting a tripod would really improve the look with the slower shutter speeds you had. Once you get comfortable with the new tool thins will really ring out.

eric · 11-06-2009, 01:09 PM

Well first, bump up that ISO! The highest I saw there was 1800. Either bump it to 6400 (this isn't an xsi you're shooting with anymore!) or use external flashes. Second, focus on the face. On the two vertical portraits I liked (2 and 8) you're focused on her waist. Her face is probably about 2 feet further away from the camera and it's going to be blurry.

Raven Ryder · 11-06-2009, 01:16 PM

+1 to Eric...with any photography involving a person, always focus on the eyes, or as close to as possible...otherwise nice shooting...

congrats on the D700

asteelo · 11-06-2009, 01:50 PM

wow

Shooter · 11-06-2009, 05:42 PM

Nice package....Camera.

Ditto on the focus.

Plus another rule of thumb is, if handheld, speed = to or aster then your focal length.

Before focus, White balance, especially if you only shooting jpeg.
On the back hold down the WB button and rotate the back wheel under your thumb to "PRE", then let up on the WB button then push and hold again till it starts flashing. then have your model hold a white piece of paper with it catching the dominate light source and get in tight on it till it fills the frame or as much as you can, and shoot one off, doesn't need to be in focus, and if focus starts focus hunting, put it in manual focus and shoot the paper. you should get a "good" or "no good" in the view finder. That is your preset for that lighting.

If you have PS, get the DNG plugin from Nikon site for PS and shoot RAW, then it doesn't matter what the WB is, you can fix it there.
Here a quick example of a jpeg opened in PS RAW editor and hitting Auto WB.

Have fun and experiment

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

11-06-2009, 12:04 PM	#1
MCA8690 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: PDX/Tempe Posts: 120 My Camera: Nikon D700	First photos (new camera) ! First shots with my (first-ever!!) Nikon. Girlfriend was nice enough to play in front of the lens for a few.. Taken last night at Tempe Town Lake, along the promenade (kind of like Willamette esplanade..) D700 50mm f/1.4G (No "real" PP work, just whatever I could manage in iPhoto...lolz.) Critiques/input are very welcome! I know everything is kind of "soft," it was pretty hard to work with the shutter speeds [hand-held]. #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 Favorite of the evening #8

11-06-2009, 12:19 PM	#2
Tony S Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 140	The pictures look pretty good... but with a pretty subject like that it's hard for them not to. I'm betting a tripod would really improve the look with the slower shutter speeds you had. Once you get comfortable with the new tool thins will really ring out.

11-06-2009, 01:09 PM	#3
eric Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Seattle Posts: 596	Well first, bump up that ISO! The highest I saw there was 1800. Either bump it to 6400 (this isn't an xsi you're shooting with anymore!) or use external flashes. Second, focus on the face. On the two vertical portraits I liked (2 and 8) you're focused on her waist. Her face is probably about 2 feet further away from the camera and it's going to be blurry.

11-06-2009, 01:16 PM	#4
Raven Ryder Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bothell, WA Posts: 233 My Camera: Nikon D60 & D300S	+1 to Eric...with any photography involving a person, always focus on the eyes, or as close to as possible...otherwise nice shooting... congrats on the D700

11-06-2009, 01:50 PM	#5
asteelo Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Silverdale Posts: 116	wow

11-06-2009, 05:42 PM	#6
Shooter Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Tacoma WA. Posts: 501 My Camera: Nikon D3, D200	Nice package....Camera. Ditto on the focus. Plus another rule of thumb is, if handheld, speed = to or aster then your focal length. Before focus, White balance, especially if you only shooting jpeg. On the back hold down the WB button and rotate the back wheel under your thumb to "PRE", then let up on the WB button then push and hold again till it starts flashing. then have your model hold a white piece of paper with it catching the dominate light source and get in tight on it till it fills the frame or as much as you can, and shoot one off, doesn't need to be in focus, and if focus starts focus hunting, put it in manual focus and shoot the paper. you should get a "good" or "no good" in the view finder. That is your preset for that lighting. If you have PS, get the DNG plugin from Nikon site for PS and shoot RAW, then it doesn't matter what the WB is, you can fix it there. Here a quick example of a jpeg opened in PS RAW editor and hitting Auto WB. Have fun and experiment __________________ Later- Kirk peotimages.com