Nikon photographers, I need help

Collapse
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 1
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous template Next
  • cardinalvices
    Confirmed User
    • Dec 2006
    • 2084
    #1

    Nikon photographers, I need help

    Since Santa was generous and gave me Nikon D60 for Christmas, because frankly, I was a good boy last year, I'm looking for a place where people discuss practical photography with Nikon DSLRs.

    Like today we have a beautiful winter morning here, just a little bit below the freezing point, empty streets, sun is out and lays low on the horizon (basically the "golden hour" all day long). I took a few shots but I'm not satisfied with the settings. Its either streets appear well lid, while sky is almost white. Or sky is blue, but streets are all dark. Silly question, but how do I make the blue skies blue, and keep the streets well lid?
    Tags: None
    • Vixenator
      Confirmed User
      • Nov 2008
      • 158
      #2
      Santa has good taste in cameras, but having said that, what you need is to study up on general photography, not so much "Nikon owners R-us"... There are plenty of Nikon sites and forums out there but they talk about the cameras, not so much the actual taking pictures part.

      To get better and more even exposures I would suggest shooting in RAW mode. That makes your D60 save a lot more information. Then you can easily adjust the exposure of the sky and the ground either in Nikon's proprietary software (that hopefully Santa included with the camera) or, preferably, Adobe Photoshop.

      Good luck and keep shooting!
      Watch this space...

        Comment

        • Grapesoda
          So Fucking Banned
          • Jul 2003
          • 46234
          #3
          Originally posted by cardinalvices
          Since Santa was generous and gave me Nikon D60 for Christmas, because frankly, I was a good boy last year, I'm looking for a place where people discuss practical photography with Nikon DSLRs.

          Like today we have a beautiful winter morning here, just a little bit below the freezing point, empty streets, sun is out and lays low on the horizon (basically the "golden hour" all day long). I took a few shots but I'm not satisfied with the settings. Its either streets appear well lid, while sky is almost white. Or sky is blue, but streets are all dark. Silly question, but how do I make the blue skies blue, and keep the streets well lid?
          go to dpreview....

            Comment

            • Vixenator
              Confirmed User
              • Nov 2008
              • 158
              #4
              Oh... and the classic way to do the sky thing would be to buy a graduated neutral density filter to screw onto the front end of the lens. That way you can filter out some of the light from the sky while getting all the light from the ground. However, they're a bit expensive and do not always give great results if you shoot anything besides landscapes... so I would still recommend RAW files and Photoshop. If you do not want to mess with image software, check if your D60 has a setting for "Active D-Lighting" and set that to "high", that makes the camera even out the dynamic range of the exposure a bit. Might help.
              Watch this space...

                Comment

                • HorseShit
                  Too lazy to set a custom title
                  • Dec 2004
                  • 17513
                  #5
                  Originally posted by bm bradley
                  go to dpreview....

                    Comment

                    • JFK
                      FUBAR the ORIGINATOR
                      • Jan 2002
                      • 67369
                      #6
                      here you go, all you want to know and MORE

                      http://www.nikonians.org/

                      FUBAR Webmasters - The FUBAR Times - FUBAR Webmasters Mobile - FUBARTV.XXX
                      For promo opps contact jfk at fubarwebmasters dot com

                        Comment

                        • Paul Markham
                          Too old to care
                          • Jun 2001
                          • 52942
                          #7
                          Vixenator hit it, go buy some filters.



                          Blowout deal. 880 videos, 2,400 image sets, plus many RAW videos. $500.
                          PM me for a deal. Skype Paulmarkham70

                            Comment

                            • Jay-Rock
                              Confirmed User
                              • Mar 2007
                              • 2779
                              #8
                              read the manual.

                              If you want great pics without thinking just set the camera to P - program mode. You also want to make sure you lookup white balance in your manual. The correct setting for white balance outdoors is from 5000-6000 K

                              I usually set it to 5600k unless its really cloudy then I go up .
                              Last edited by Jay-Rock; 01-01-2009, 08:34 AM.
                              HD and 4k Content Production by JayRock
                              http://jayspov.net
                              http://blackforwife.com
                              http://cospimps.com
                              SKYPE JAYROCKCONTENT
                              [email protected]
                              Twitter @jayrockcontent

                                Comment

                                • AaronM
                                  GFY Royality ;)
                                  • Oct 2001
                                  • 46917
                                  #9
                                  Originally posted by Paul Markham
                                  Vixenator hit it, go buy some filters.

                                  Yep.

                                  I saw the suggestion for graduated ND filter. Personally, I hate graduated filters. I used them a lot when I was 16-17 and Cokin dominated the market but these days I use regular ND filters or circular polarizers for almost all of my scenic stuff.

                                    Comment

                                    • Cherry7
                                      Confirmed User
                                      • Aug 2005
                                      • 3564
                                      #10
                                      Use Manual exposure

                                      Look and adjust

                                      Shoot Raw

                                      Read Langford's "Basic Photography" you will then know more than 95% of "photographers".

                                      My Neighbour Butterfly PORN-The Musical The Long Goodbye


                                      Cinema Erotique

                                        Comment

                                        • cardinalvices
                                          Confirmed User
                                          • Dec 2006
                                          • 2084
                                          #11
                                          thanks, you guys rule!

                                            Comment

                                            • borked
                                              Totally Borked
                                              • Feb 2005
                                              • 6284
                                              #12
                                              Shoot raw yeah and use Nikons Capture software pre-photoshop
                                              High contrast scenes are always hard. Either use a grad filter to darken the sky or use the cameras multiple exposure setting and then blend photos post production.

                                              Not sure if the d60 has a ore white balance setting but if it does then set the wb toyour scene before capturing

                                              Most of all, experiment, don't get disheartened on crappy shots and have fun

                                              For coding work - hit me up on andy // borkedcoder // com
                                              (consider figuring out the email as test #1)


                                              All models are wrong, but some are useful. George E.P. Box. p202

                                                Comment

                                                • PhantomFrog
                                                  Registered User
                                                  • Jul 2006
                                                  • 89
                                                  #13
                                                  This is a pretty interesting technique ... but it is fairly complex .... google this:

                                                  digital dynamic range
                                                  PhantomFrog.com....Premium Password Protection
                                                  PhantomCart.com....CCBill + Phantom Cart = Clips Store Solution
                                                  PhantomFlicks.com .Token-based Clips Store

                                                    Comment

                                                    • borked
                                                      Totally Borked
                                                      • Feb 2005
                                                      • 6284
                                                      #14
                                                      Originally posted by PhantomFrog
                                                      This is a pretty interesting technique ... but it is fairly complex .... google this:

                                                      digital dynamic range
                                                      High Dynamic Range, HDR

                                                      I recommend Photomatix Pro - inexpensive and allows exposure blending (which is what was required in the OP), not only HDR imaging.

                                                      Just got back from the Alpes - here's an early morning snap I took in tricky lighting a few days ago from our balcony, bracketed +/- 3ev and processed for HDR (light HDR settings) on a D300


                                                      For coding work - hit me up on andy // borkedcoder // com
                                                      (consider figuring out the email as test #1)


                                                      All models are wrong, but some are useful. George E.P. Box. p202

                                                        Comment

                                                        Previous template Next
                                                        Working...