Photography Buffs

Well, for one, the SB-800 isn't a stock flash. The on-camera flash on most cameras is horrendous, but that shouldn't disuade you from flash photography by any means.
Photography is all about capturing light, and a good flash is the best way to modify existing light to suit your needs. It's even sometimes possible to modify the onboard flash enough to make the effect pleasant and useful.

Yes, I have experience with ring lights. If you're looking to use one for macro, definitely do not go with one that uses continuous light. Instead of doing a good job of illuminating a subject, it often does a great job of chasing them away.
With macro shooting, the trickiest part is getting the right light in the right places where you need it. A ring light is handy for doing that, but can tend to give a very flat light to the image. Just something to consider...

 

Great pics Goshzilla and Diesel. I am going to have to get a new camera. Have tried close ups wth my current one but it cant focus.

 

Elmo> Your camera can likely get decent closeups. You just need to set it for that type of shot, and understand the limitations of the equipment.
For example, you probably have to set your camera for macro mode, which will adjust the lens for close focusing. Also, the minimum focusing distance will vary greatly depending on the zoom setting you're using (wide-angle may be a few millimeters, while telephoto may be several feet).

I've seen some amazing macro shots taken with point-and-shoot cameras... it's just a matter of understanding the limitations of the tools that you're using.

 

Thanks for that Diesel, I will check the settings. My camera is a few years old now and I was thinking of upgrading. It does not have a macro mode, which is something I will be looking for in a new camera.

I will go away and reread the manual and check.

Thanks

 

careful goshzilla, diesel will talk you into some expensive stuff! :tongue:

 

I looked up the SB-800 and saw it wasn't a stock flash, I just haven't had any experience with them, so I'm stuck with the bulb that comes with my camera and I try to never use it.

I love using the light that's present anyway. I'm not much for portraits, but I loved the lighting that came out in this shot:


I know all to well how the hobby of photography can eat up money. First buy the camera, then get a decent lens to give you some function, buy the adapter to make it fit (even on the same brand), get and additional light, but that requires more power, so you need a battery belt, then more memory to hold the pictures, etc..etc... I need a new DV camera too. Next lifetime perhaps. I think I'll be born rich then, will make all this a lot easier.

 

Found this guy as I was scouting out some things to snap today. Looked it up and it's a Venusta Orchard Spider. Love the colors on it.

 

wow, that's wild

 

Hmm loverly pictures Guys!

I will have to grab that old brick of a camera and get snapping some of englands dismal weather! =]

 

Had a Flickr Meetup with a bunch of NYC folks the other night (following the pipe explosion in midtown). Got some really great shots from the location they picked. which was basically a makeshift bar setup right on the bank of the East River.

 

That. Is. Fabulous.

 

Very nice, love the colors.

 

He-he!

Guys, Your photo exercisings makes me jealous. I spend a whole centyry with my old camera ... There is that!

 

Remarkable.

 

Just got back from Greece. Took a million pictures, but if I had to choose one favorite, I think it would be this one:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1070/1117487700_418ba04712_b.jpg

Also took this one upon my return. I though the colors really stood out.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1017/1116695730_e622c978ee_b.jpg

 

that first one is a picture??? wow, it looks just like a painting. you should definitely horizontalize the horizon and print that one big and frame it

 

Yeah! Both pictures are avesome! Somewhere there Zeus is sitting between clouds :lol:

 

It looks like there's a wee little tornado in the 2nd one.

 

Amazing!

They are both beautiful photographs, such perfect quality. It looks like the second was taken from a plane because of the angle, was it taken from a plane? The first one looks like a picturesque photo of Greece. Lovely place to live no doubt

 

Thanks. I'd like to crop the first one to correct the horizon, but I'm afraid I'd loose too much of the picture. I do want to print it out on canvas or something.

The second isn't from a plane, just from my yard aimed at the sky.