New Camera Piccies

[pawsforthought]

Ooooooh now Phyrie don't tempt me! Thanks for the link. I NEED that.

That Phil, telling me 12 was the lowest I could go. Honestly.

[Emma & Kay]

Gaby, the dude who sold me my camera was complaining about the amount of lenses his Canon needed to work properly. Like I said, I took one look at the price of a Canon and decided on a Nikon. I'm hoping to get myself a Canon sometime in the distant future, but I was after something more basic this time.

Heh, I've been playing with the camera.

Tippi telling Kay that she isn't happy with the personal-space arrangement.



Tia having a run in the field. (There are sheep!)

Kayenne can play Basketball.

I bet you can guess where I ended up after this shot was taken.

Half dog, half donkey. Heehaw...Eeyor?

Boing!

And again.

Tia has a new eyebrow.

It's kinda blurry, but I love collision photos.

Kay's so big now. She needs to convert the fat to muscle, though.

Happiness.

Can't believe how different they look.


We took a "Family Photo" of the Dobes in October, but felt it was time for a new one. They refused to look at the camera - they saw the clouds-on-legs and were too amazed to look toward me for the ball.

[Emma & Kay]

And some pictures of the three Jacks.

For those of you who like tongue shots.

Run, Tiffany!

Zzz-oom!

You've gotta be pretty stupid to get this close to the action.

Tippi and Star.

Another tongue shot.

JRT family photo.

And a Jumping Jack!

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Emma, those photos are absolutely fantastic! I can't believe how well you've managed the action shots so quickly. As "Queen of the Tongue Shot", I was thoroughly impressed.

Those are such wonderful photos of the dogs. They all look so happy, and you've managed to capture their spirit as well.

I'm a bit confused regarding Nikon vs. (or v for our English crowd) Canon. I believe you are using a Nikon and the photos are some of the best I've ever seen. I have a Canon, with two lenses; the one with which it came and a Zoom lens. I'm very happy with it, and would still like to master an "action" shot, but there isn't much of that around here. I am very good at sleeping dog portraits.

I loved seeing your Dobie family and then the JRT side of the family. You took some amazing action shots!

Personally, I hail from the days where one had to actually focus their camera, as opposed to using settings. In those days, film was also used and the processing of it was as much a part of the "Art" as the subjects themselves. I think a good photographer should be able to take an amazing photograph with the most basic of cameras, including an "old" one with manual focus and film. True Black and White photography is amazing, like the movies. Everything had to be expressed and captured in shades of grey.

Anywho...I really think good photography comes from the Photographer (still) and not all the accoutrements one uses. A great picture is a great picture! Yours are terrific.



Elliot mostly uses my camera now as it is. He took all those amazing shots of Niagara Falls with the zoom lens the second we were in our hotel room, through the window!

[Phyrie]

Wow! Great shots. Just wonderful.

I must confess I am a little confused about your comments, as well. I was under the impression that Nikon is the higher end camera, more expensive and little more professional. Canon is more reasonably priced (well, depending on your frame of reference, of course!), with more choices and more "user friendly" in general. Am I wrong?

[pawsforthought]

Emma those shots are fantastic! I love the tongue shots and the jumping jack ones as well. Kay is just so beautiful! Taking loads of shots like you've done is the best way to get some real 'keepers'

Phyrie- Nikon were always considered the better SLRs until they went digital. Canon got in there quick and brought out models and accessories a lot faster than Nikon did and as a result if you're a canon user you have more 'stuff' to choose from. They're especially good for beginners I think. Nowadays though I think (and what I've been told is) that both makes are as good as each other but different so it's up to personal preference. I had my Nikon D3100 and loved it but my friend got a Canon EOS 500D and I just liked the feel of the actual canon camera body itself. But I liked the operation of the Nikon as well. So I'm kinda split xD

Emma the guy's comment seems strange to me only because I haven't heard anyone say anything like that.

I agree with you Deb, what makes a photographer is the photographer themself xD

[Emma & Kay]

(I need to take photos of something other than dogs. )

I was looking at a £600+ body of a Canon (EOS 600D). I guessed that it would cost me more if I wanted a lens with it. I've found a few 'cheap' Canons, meaning with the same-ish price as the D3100 Nikon (which was doable for me), but the fact that a few people have complained about needing more than one lens kind of put me off. I know there are Nikon and Canon users here, and I've read no complaints, but the majority of Canon people I've talked to have mentioned lenses with Canons willingly without prompting. I have other things to spend my money on which I've managed to put off for a few months while I saved the £450 for the Nikon, that I won't be able to put off while I save for other lenses.

Despite the difference in price, the Canon I was eyeing up was more advanced, and, as I said, I wanted a more basic camera this time. I doubt I'd have gone for a Canon this time, even if I wasn't worried about lenses and prices. I have a friend who has a Canon (EOS 1100D) that he can't take outside because it's faulty, and powers down when too cold.

I've only looked into Canons a little bit though, because I decided on a Nikon fairly quickly. The friend with a Canon hasn't complained, or even mentioned anything, about the lenses, but all he's had to work with has been flash photography. The few photographers I've met have said that, with the right lenses, Canon is better quality than Nikon (proper use, obviously, needs to be applied along with a lens suitable fo whatever you're photographing), and Nikon photos are only as good as the photographer.

I agree that the photographer is what makes the photo, but you can only get as good a picture as the camera will allow. If you're using a little point and shoot, chances are, you'll only get a good amount of bokeh on macro shots, whereas with an SLR, you're more likely to get the bokeh in portrait and action mode, as well as macro. Obviously, that's just an example, and it always depends on the person taking the picture.

I'm not sure I can add anything else, because I'm not sure of anything else, other than the fact the camera you get does just depend on your personal preference.

Deb, I'm glad you liked the tongue shots. I realised yesterday that I had a multi-frame setting, LOL. Without it, I doubt I'd have had any photos to post. I love manual focus. I can't stand using the autofocus mode. I'm still learning about exposure and whatnot, so I'm not totally a manual-photographer yet. I'll get there in the end.

Phyrie, I've always thought the opposite. I've seen some real gnarly priced Canons, and what they address in the downloadable manuals give me a headache.

[pawsforthought]

I think if you're serious you need quite a few lenses with any camera anyway because lenses with a shorter (mind has gone blank and can't remember the proper term-) range of zoom can usually do more stuff because they have that shorter range. That's confusing sounding and I'm just going from what I've been told and my trusty digital camera magazine

I started out just with dogs don't worry! Because dogs can sit still and run around you can play around with both portraits and action shots so they're good subjects anyway xD

I found this interesting. Most of the reviews I've read have rated Sonys, Pentaxes and well...basically anything non canon or Nikon as being not that great, especially the Sonys (not criticising Sony cameras at all, this is simply what camera magazine critics have said)

But if you look at some of the winning or commended photographers a few of them have used these cameras! Winner of the creative license category was using a Sony A100.

This to me is true evidence that you don't have to have the most expensive camera in the world to inspire the world. Speaking of photographer of the year I think some of us guys should give it a go and maybe have photos displayed my dad being the lovely man that he is agreed to pay for my entry dunno which ones to enter though :/

[kian]

Wonderful pictures! I'm enjoying reading the camera talk. Gaby I am looking at the 70-300 mm, is it light enough to use without a tripod? I have done some research and this was highly recommended as the ones that come with the kit are much cheaper versions.

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

I think if one looks back over time to Photographers such as Karsh, and realizes the equipment available at the time, it speaks to the Art.

One of my brothers is a professional photographer, and literally travels the world covering Equine sports, mostly Eventing. He has to capture action shots that can include all sorts of terrain, as well as Stadium Jumping and Dressage. He was in China for the Olympics and sells his work all over the world.

I should ask him which type of Camera he is using these days. I'm quite happy with my Canon, and it's regular lens, and the Zoom lens. I really think, much like a good pen, the type of camera one uses is quite a personal choice based on that person's needs.

Magazines are a great source of information as long as one reads as many of them as possible. The media often has a bias, for whatever reason. (Look and see which Camera company places the most ads in the magazine. )

Like any art medium, much of it is in the eye of the beholder.

[pawsforthought]

Wonderful pictures! I'm enjoying reading the camera talk. Gaby I am looking at the 70-300 mm, is it light enough to use without a tripod? I have done some research and this was highly recommended as the ones that come with the kit are much cheaper versions.

Only have time for a quick reply - bed time for me xD

I find the 70-300 just about fine to use without a tripod, but I'm quite strong and have a steady hand. I'm sure you do too! Just saying. I don't find my Canon very heavy at all, though I do recognise that it is a TON heavier than the D3100 xD but my friends are always saying they don't think they could manage that weight etc. heh heh. I do love my 70-300 but I saw someone with a proper ZOOM zoom lens at the zoo recently and I have to say was a bit envious as the lion we were photographing was far away. But the 70-300 is the longest I need for taking pictures of the pups

I never use a tripod but for the shots where I'm zooming right in I probably should. Sometimes move a teeny bit and misplace a dog in the frame :p but through practise I've become better.

[kian]

Thanks Gaby! I have a 70-300mm on a cart now, I just have to hit submit and wanted to know more before I buy it.

Emma I looked through your pics again, you have the most amazing action shots, well done!

[pawsforthought]

No problem! Hope you like it

Emma do keep the pictures coming! Most important thing to do with a new camera is abuse it so you can get used to it I haven't had any time recently for photography because I've got exams (poo) so my poor Canon is sat unhappily in the living room staring blankly at the window

[Emma & Kay]

I'll be pretty busy for the next few days polishing a pair of boots. Sounds like a quick job, but 32 layers of polish rubbed into the boot, spaced out into 8 sessions throughout the day takes up quite a lot of time and effort. On the plus side...Biceps shall bulge.

The battery is charged and waiting to be used up. I've got dog class tomorrow, so I'll at least have some pictures from there. (Whether they'll be any good or not is unknown.)

[pawsforthought]

Those boots sound like hard work, what kind of boots are they?