Yesterday a friend called and asked if I would shoot a family portrait for them this afternoon. I'm happy to do so since it is good practice for me and they are patient as I try to get things right. So am I ready to shoot in manual mode with someone besides the trees watching? I bit the bullet. I used the Nikon D300, Nikkor 80-200 f2.8 and shot from a tripod. On some shots I used an SB600 Speedlight off camera while most were done with available light. I used a diffuser on some of the first shots when the sun was a bit harsh, but didn't need it once the sun went behind the trees.
I can't say this is my best work, but I'm pleased with the results especially since I was brave and shot it all in manual mode. I hope they are equally pleased. So even though nobody is reading this blog, it has been good to write my thoughts and use this as a way to discipline myself into shooting most every day.
On another topic, Lightroom keeps reverting to the "2009 Mike Kennamer" indicia even though I have changed it to 2010 a dozen or more times. Argh! I don't know why it keeps doing that. Nevertheless, that is why many of my images taken this month have shown a 2009 date.
All the best...MK
Mike...found your blog today after seeing a comment you posted on David Ziser's site. I think I might take this journey with you. I need to get better at shooting my D300 in manual mode.
ReplyDeleteThere are people reading it!
Thanks for your comment, Greg. I really wasn't sure that anyone would ever want to read it. At the time, it was intended as a journal for me so that I could track my progress. However, I am excited that someone is actually reading my "scribbling". I think that the hardest part has been getting over the fear factor of where to start. From there, the old adage, "the harder I work the better I get" rings true. I'd love to hear more from you about your journey. Adios....Mike
ReplyDeleteKudos on being brave enough to go full-time manual. After nearly 5 years of SLR shooting, I know how to use it, but I tend to stick with Aperture priority... most of the time I don't care what my shutter speed is, just the DOF. I figure I paid for the fancy electronics inside the camera, I might as well use it! ;)
ReplyDeleteDid you find where Lightroom is keeping the 2009 setting? If not, it sounds like it's part of your default Import preset... You can check/edit all of the metadata presets (including the IPTC Copyright section) under the "Metadata -> Edit Metadata Presets" menu. My default import sets the copyright and contact info for every photo, then I have other presets for various locations that I can apply easily for common places. Just have to remember to update the default to the new year each January.