Author Topic: Thanks to Sam Stern  (Read 4750 times)

msjhaffey

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 5
Thanks to Sam Stern
« on: September 09, 2008, 04:01:56 AM »
Sam Stern has given some wonderful advice on how to take pictures with Nikon.  He had suggestions on flash photography and in a fit of enthusiasm I grabbed my wife as she got home from work, put her in the garden and shot off three pictures using Sam's tips.  This was the first.  (And even if you don't like it, I assure you it was a vast improvement on the kind of picture I normally take!)


keithsnell

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1407
Re: Thanks to Sam Stern
« Reply #1 on: September 09, 2008, 09:43:49 AM »
Sean,

Excellent!  If you hadn't mentioned this was taken with fill flash, I wouldn't have noticed the hint of fill flash in this image.  Its very well balanced with the background.

So what was the "secret" to obtaining these great fill flash images?

Keith

msjhaffey

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 5
Re: Thanks to Sam Stern
« Reply #2 on: September 09, 2008, 10:06:09 AM »
I got his suggestions from dpreview this thread.  (Can you see dpreview ... if not I'll cut and paste the suggestions, which come from a few appends.)

Anyway, the long and short is that Sam is friendly and very helpful - and knowledgeable.

keithsnell

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1407
Re: Thanks to Sam Stern
« Reply #3 on: September 09, 2008, 10:22:50 AM »
Sean,

Thank you for the link to the thread.  I scrolled to the end of the thread and found Sam's summary, which provides great advice for achieving good balanced fill-flash results.

I thought I'd add one additional consideration.  Although "Auto" white balance works well in many situations (and gives you an additional option to select if you are using Nikon software), I've found that many times I am happier with the "daylight" white balance setting.  Its easy enough to shoot the image on "auto" and then have the "daylight" option as a backup in the event the auto setting doesn't result in a pleasing image.  Often our eyes (our brains, really) expect to see some color shift in certain scenes.  A scene that is too "neutral" will tend to look odd.

By the way, what software do you use for post-processing your images?  Do you use Capture NX?

Keith

msjhaffey

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 5
Re: Thanks to Sam Stern
« Reply #4 on: September 09, 2008, 11:38:30 AM »
I have used Capture NX and NX2 but I think I've settled on Aperture2, since I have a Mac.

But next month may be different! ;D

keithsnell

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1407
Re: Thanks to Sam Stern
« Reply #5 on: September 09, 2008, 03:00:20 PM »
Hmmm, I don't have a Mac, and so can't comment on Aperture2; however I've read that it does a decent job with D300 and D3 images.  I've settled on NX on the windows platform as the best compromise between usability and quality of output.  Its user interface isn't all that bad once you learn your way around the program. 

It will be interesting to see what the new Nikon - Microsoft collaboration effort will bring. 

Why do you think you might have a different preference next month?

Keith

msjhaffey

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 5
Re: Thanks to Sam Stern
« Reply #6 on: September 10, 2008, 01:24:13 AM »
Because I am on a steep learning curve.  :-)

I like Apple interfaces and ways of doing things and I find NX (and NX2) a bit clunky.  It can do a good bit that Aperture can't and the online tutorials are good.

But, no, I am not expecting some kind of magic announcement - just showing that I have a lot to learn.