amycyma

I have been practicing with my Nikon D80 and the Tamron 18-270 lens. My dog makes a good subject, as do some birds and flowers.

For those involved in my previous questions, I did some shooting in RAW & FINE, and put them into photoshop to see what the differences were.
Conclusion: I will shoot primarily in Fine, unless I feel I have a really wonderful shot, then I will switch ( if i remember ).

My newest question concerns bracketing. It is something I have just been experimenting with on the camera, do any of you routinely shoot pictures and have the camera automatically bracket the exposure? If so, how many f stops do you bracket??

I have also been doing a lot of shots using the burst mode, it has given me some great shots, but it tends to be noisier, is this going to be a problem???

thanks again for all your help, 37 more days!!!
amy

cary999

"routinely shoot pictures"
Well, you got me there!!! I haven't used my Nikons since safari last Sept. Rather sad, I know. Weather has been splendid here (as always for beautiful sunny southern California ) I really should go over to the little lake and practice bird shots.

Bracketing is an interesting question. I have played with it and decide it wasn't worth the effort. At least for wildlife photos. Landscape people may have a better argument for it. My shots that need tweaking (most of them) for exposure also need tweaking for cropping, color, sharpness, etc. So, guess what, Photoshop again to the rescue. In other words Photoshop can make about a 1 stop (max) equivalent exposure change (hesitate to call it a "correction"). Unless too many highlights are blown out. So, if I were to exposure bracket I'd bracket by 1-1/2 or 2 stops to make a worthwhile difference. I hope some of the other good photographers here opine on bracketing. I may be missing something I haven't realized about it.

As for camera sound/noise. The animals won't care. But the guy videoing next to you might, perhaps. Tough, buster. People do it to me all the time, just part of the game drive experience . So, bracketing I don't do but bursts yes, fairly often.

37 more days, huh. How many times a day does it cross you mind?? 50 maybe?

regards - tom

sdb2

Hi Amy-

I used to use bracketing quite a bit when I shot film/slides, primarily to make sure that I got the right exposure. I always figured spending extra on film and slides was worth it compared to the cost of the trips themselves. With digital, and being able to instantly see my shots, I've stopped bracketing. If I shoot my subject (lion, leopard, bird, whatever) and the face looks too dark, perhaps because of some back-lighting, it is fast and easy to go +1, shoot again, and see if that does the trick. In view of being able to do that adjustment quickly, bracketing seems wasteful to me in terms of memory. Another thing about using bracketing is that you've got to remember that you are bracketing. On more than a few occasions, I'd forget and after the first shot I'd start moving the camera and get two subsequent blurry shots.

Where bracketing is particularly useful is in high dynamic range imaging (HDR). The technique merges differently exposed photos (especially where there is much contrast) into one image with details in both highlights and shadows. See http://www.hdrsoft.com/
The technique gives some stunning photos. This is used for landscapes and still lifes. And the use of a tripod seems a must.

Steve

debwarr

Hi Amy,

I try to read my histogram to see if my exposure is turning out okay, but sometimes I'll use bracketing in the early morning and for sunset shots. Steve is right, however, that you do need to remember to turn it off. We were in Morocco last year and I forgot I was bracketing, so every shot for a couple of days had three shots to it. When I do use it I tend to go out +/- 1 stop. The last time I went to Africa I did not use RAW, but now that I've played around with it I think I'll use it for dusk/dawn type shots and go with Fine the rest of the time.

I wouldn't worry about the noise of the burst shooting unless you are very close to a very skiddish animal. We were around a pride of lions in the Timbavati area of South Africa a couple of years ago and they had come in from a true wilderness area of Kruger so they weren't accustomed to being viewed and they paid attention to every click of the camera. I had never experienced this before, so I stopped shooting and just enjoyed the moment, but those situations are very rare, and in most cases the animals aren't fazed at all.

Have a great trip.

Debbie

lbj2

I not shot anything but RAW.

You may be a little disappointed with the colour rendition when you open a RAW file through photoshop. If you use lightroom, new profiles for each camera can now be installed, to give that JPG look based onthe camera that you are using.

You will find the the Adobe's traditional colour conversion does not render certain colours from different types of camera.

I you are goiong to start playing with any image in photoshop, doing so with a jpg is a disaster waiting to happen. It degrades the quality to such an extent that you likely get banding etc.

It may appear to be too much effort, though if this is your trip of a life time, you do not want to short change yourself.

In terms of bracketing, it is used predominately in challenging lighting situations. I personally do not use it. Having spent a lot time in the bush, I am pretty good at dialling in the correct exposure compensation for a given scene.

If you are worried about getting the correct exposures, there are a couple of good rules to remember.

1. Dark Skinned Animals

It is common to be disappointed with the colour rendition of these animals, they can often appear washed out and over exposed when shooting in Auto mode.

When your camera calculates the exposure for a scene, unless you are using spot metering, then it accounts for the surrouning light sources too. In a well lit scene, the camera does not have the dynamic range to show all the colours as seen by the human eye. Therefore, to get that elephant at sunset in perfect light, you have to compensate.

Whilst focusing on the elephant, you may want to underexpose by around 2/3 of a stop. It can sometimes be a trial and error situation.

2. The Reverse Situation

As has been mentioned, there are situations where the subject is in harsh light or in the shade. In instances where the image is slightly dark, I would concur with Steve in exposing by +1 stop. To get more light into the image.

Some people may argue, well shoot and let photoshop do the rest, but unless you are doing so in RAW, it may be difficult not to ruin image quickly through too much editing.

Rather than concern youself too much with the technicals, like bracketing, I would focus mainly on lighting and composition, which will have a far greater impact on the image. Just use exposure compensation for when the image appears to need a little adjustment.

amycyma

Thanks for all your very helpful thoughts.

I think your comments about forgetting about being in "bracket"mode will definitely apply to me, as this is my FIRST safari.

so therefore your ideas to really focus on exposure, and understanding HOW the camera is going to read a particular shot, and make the adjustments for it are very helpful.

It therefore seems that I should spend some time practicing in different lighting situations, and set the camera exposure setting to "spot" for certain situations.

So lbj2, you are on the side of my DH that I should shoot only in RAW.
I will reconsider it, as my only objection so far is that it takes up a lot of memory. it does not seem to difficult to "process" a raw photo, in fact iPhoto does it automatically. I guess if I am spending all this money on this trip, I should just buy a few more memory cards.
And thanks for your "rules" which I will practice.

amy

twaffle

We use bracketing for HDR (as Steve has noted) but only for landscapes. It is really my husbands thing as I find HDR can be overused and you end up with some un-natural images. Use with care.
I agree with lbj2 - compensating for dark skinned animals, provided you have time to do more than shoot and feel excited that you actually got something (that will only last a short time and then you can be more particular). I also agree, shoot raw. We made the mistake of turning off the raw facility part way through the last safari (it's a long story) and our photos suffered. If the light is not so good, shooting raw will help get a much better result.

You are right, it is an expensive trip so buy more memory - it is so cheap now.

aknards

Hi Amy,

I've kept very quiet thru all of your photo posts...and am finally going to say a few words. I've shot Nikons exclusively, both professionally and personally, for almost 40 years. Until I went digital, no one could say anything bad about Nikon. However, their digital cameras and lenses are not the stuff of their old film equipment. (I think you made a wise decision with your lens purchase. Going wider will enable you to capture the beautiful African landscapes. I don't think you'll suffer significant loss of quality by going "generic".)

Not to be the bearer of bad news, but I own two d80 camera bodies (long story) and have had problems with both. One of them I took with me to Tanzania this past fall and it went out on me. Fortunately, I had a little Panasonic Lumix as a backup. It took great shots as well as video.

I'd recommend shooting RAW and using at least 8gb cards in the d80. If you check on sites like Adorama you can often get great buys on memory cards - often with mail in rebates but I've never been ripped off and the savings are terrific. Using larger cards minimizes the need to open your camera as often to replace them, thus minimizing the risk of introducing dust. It's also easier to keep track of less cards. I find that a camera bag full of 2gb cards gets very confusing.

I'd also recommend buying a few extra batteries since you'll never know for sure if you'll have the ability to recharge every night. Again, if you go online you can find generics for much less than nikon brand - just be careful that they're specific for the d80.

i hope this helps and i'm sure you'll be fine. i'm so excited for you!
regards,
anita

aknards

amy,

My telling you about my d80 problems was not intended to freak you out but, rather, to encourage you to bring along a spare camera body or backup system. The chances of anything happening to you are slim but one always needs to be prepared...

anita

ShayTay

Another point... bring along some sort of "digital wallet" in which you can back up your photo files each day. On one of my safaris, a fellow traveler had three digital cards go bad on her and hadn't backed them up. For this same reason, I prefer to use smaller-sized cards, just in case this happens. If a card goes "belly up" on you, you don't lose your whole trip.

I'd agree with Aknards about having a back-up plan. I've used two camera bodies on my last two safaris. I had my wide-angle to 200mm lens on one and my normal to 300mm lens on the other. That way, I didn't have to change lenses, risking getting dust into the camera body. Also, it was quicker to grab the second camera than to change lenses. I DID have a lens problem on one safari (before I carried the second camera body) and was glad to have a small back-up digital camera along, as did Aknards. Now, I have a video camera that also shoots high-res still photos, as well... another back-up plan.

amycyma

Anita and Sharon thanks for your thoughts-

I plan on purchasing a hard drive "thing" to back up my pictures, that being said, what size memory card should i use, I figure to back up every night, how dusty is the camp???

I am bringing along a back-up point and shoot Nikon, (yes my DH is a Nikon man- dating from film cameras) as well as a HD video camera (as yet to be purchased.) What video camera do you have Sharon?? i want to spend about $500-$700, any recommendations? or features to look for?

thanks also for the info on where to get the cheap memory cards.

As far as being freaked out about the D80 going on me, I am figuring it can't happen to 2 people in Africa, and while I will be extremely disappointed if it does, i am a "glass is half full" person, and I focus more on the animal behavior, and all the other senses I have should anything happen.

thanks for your thoughts
amy

ShayTay

Amy, I have a Sony HDR-SR11 video camera. I believe Rizzuto uses this model, as well. It shoots HD-quality video and records on a 60-gb hard drive. Sony advertises the still images as 10-mp, but actually come out closer to 4- or 5-mp... still pretty good for back-up shots.

I prefer using small camera cards for previously stated reasons. For a couple of years, I just downloaded my pics and reformatted the card, but decided that wasn't too smart... what if something happened to my "digital wallet"?

amycyma

Sharon

Yes that is the model Rizzuto has, and likes as well. My husband was looking to get a camera that records on memory cards or discs or whatever they are called.
As my son is going to be primary person shooting video, I am not weighing in on an opinion here, but just seeking information.

And I agree with your thoughts on using smaller memory cards.
And was not going to reformat the cards till I got home anyway ( its is one more thing I won't have to learn to do with the camera)

anyway it's now 35 days!!!
amy

ShayTay

Woo Hoo! 35 days!!! You are SO going to enjoy this! Please take time when you're there to just sit back, look over the Delta, and absorb the experience... no cameras, digital wallets, etc.

amycyma

oh I will

eyes, ears, nose, all my senses, to just absorb. I am thinking not even taking any of the cameras on my first drive.

however, until I am there, I will continue to obsess over all the little details.

and tomorrow it will be 34 more days
amy

twaffle

Always take your cameras, even if you chose not to photograph anything, but if you see something so amazing on your first drive and don't have a camera you will regret it forever.