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stanleyvaughn

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COOLPIX P1000

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Aperture 8/1 ISO 100 Shutter 1/2500 Focal Length 43/10

upload_date

Jul, 2022

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142

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+24

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Thank you so much Kim! I looked at your portfolio and concluded that you are an outstanding photographer!

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So sorry for for the last message-it was intended for another photographer entirely! Thanks so much for the excellent advice!

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Same photographer See all Behind The Lens

Our dear, very old Theodore - F.IV. claimed his life.

This was one of the first photos taken a few years ago, shot with a just acquired Micro Nikkor DX format 85mm lens.

Got lucky when this bumblebee landed on this white flower.

This is our dear, very old kitty cat Gus. We loved him so and miss him very much - he passe away from kidney failure.

A close up of a somewhat mangy bluejay eating a peanut in our front yard.

A covered bridge at sunset located in south eastern Ohio.

Well, this is called having too much time on your hands and trying to be creative. Trying out my new Micro Nikkor 40mm lens (DX-APS-C format, 1,5 crop

Our dear old puppy dog Brutus relaxing in his doggy bed.

I am an astronomy nut, but this photo was not taken with one of my telescopes. It was taken with my Nikon CoolPix P1000 set to the "Moon" se

Another flower that required cosnsderable retouching - blemishes. Illuminated with one flash (diffused).

A close up of I sure do not know what - Ha Ha!!

Lucy is very active - difficult to catch her not moving.

Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken at home, in my mini-studio, at the same time the other photo of the whole plant (also posted on ViweBug), in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, USA.

Time

Love this image for it is clean-no clutter. The photo was taken at approximately 7:00 p.m Eastern Daylight Savings Time, after dinner. Most of my outdoor photos are taken early in the morning; most of my studio photos are taken in the afternoon or after dinner.

Lighting

This photo was shot with one NikonSB700 flash, TTL, diffused, hand held, remotely, on a TTL cord, positioned high and slightly to the left, very close. Though not great in power, the SB7000 has more than enough power for macro close ups even @ f/32 @ ISO 100.. I have a ringlight, but the SB700 as a single flash affords better contrast for a more dramatic look on some shots. I normally use at least 200 watt second flash units (Nikon, Godox), but for some macro shots they are too powerful (even dialed back 3 f/ stops).

Equipment

The camera used was a Nikon CoolPix P1000. Although a semi-amateur camera, a "bridge" camera with a great big fixed lens, and only having 16 megapixels, it is sometimes useful for macro shots because of its great depth-of-field @ f/8.0 (the smallest aperture available on this camera). Because of the small sensor size on this camera, even f/8.0 yields excellent. sharp results. The camera was mounted on a Manfrotto tripod with a ball head (I have been using Bogen/Manfrotto tripods forever).

Inspiration

The individual lily and the whole plant were just so beautiful: I knew that the colors and intricate detail would really "punch out" on an black background. I love taking macro shots of pretty flowers.

Editing

I shoot all of my shots, regardless of camera or subject, as JPEG/RAW. I use the JPEG"s to preview the shot, then edit the RAW files in Photoshop/Lightroom, or sometimes Luminar. When finally processed as JPEG"s, flower shots often times require a lot of retouching, to clean up blemishes and other imperfections. I do not generally saturate my shots post processing: I shoot most everything in manual mode (both indoor and outdoor) on the camera, and under expose the subject by anywhere by 1/3 to 3 stops, depending on the circumstances. That way, the subject becomes more saturated (sometime I have to actually back off the saturation). As side note: it is especially hard to get color/density correct on red roses: they either tend to go too yellow or too blue, Another thing that I have noticed is that my photos, when posted on the net, tend to go 1/3-12 stop underexposed and slightly blue, even though all of my photo applications are well balanced for density/RGB color on my computers.

In my camera bag

I am fortunate enough to have a variety of Nikkor lenses, both short and long. I also have Tamron, Sigma, and Irix lenses. I utilize both full frame (F) Nikon bodies and half frame Nikon bodies (DX/APS). Hopefully I can soon invest in some mirrorless equipment. Although I love to photograph people, landscapes, action, and macro, I am constrained right now to photographing subjects around our home (that is why you see so many squirrel/flower photographs in my portfolio). My wife and I care for her elderly parents (ages 98 and 94),and her parents (especially her dad) require almost constant care. We have to coordinate our schedules to insure the someone is constantly here.That is certainly okay though: caring for her parents is certainly more important than photography (or flying, which I dearly love).

Feedback

Be patient: take lots of shots adjusting focus and lighting. Remember to fill the frame up as much as possible: extensive cropping introduces more noise. Look for a shot that will really stand out! I love ViewBug: seeing all of the excellent work is great! Good luck!

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stanleyvaughn

stanleyvaughn

DSCN1321

Behind The Lens

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