Photography Adventures in Fall

Fall is a great time of year for landscapes and bull elk. Castlewood state park, approximately 7 miles west of St. Louis' Interstate 270, offers one of the St. Louis area's most breathtaking landscapes. In Lone Elk Park, at Interstate 44 and highway 141, you drive by herds of bison and elk. The elk come out in the evening before sunset. If the light is low when you are photographing the herd, remember to crank your ISO up and stablize the camera as much as posible. Long shutter speeds in low light make blury pictures.

I've also had fun with photo merges and panoramics as usual. Most of the time I prefer using Photostitch for the panoramics, but occasionally I'll use Photoshop's photomerge feature.

NewsFlash: Creve Coeur Camera's camera expo will be held 11/18/2006. Come early before the best models sell out. The early bird special, 10% off all digital and film cameras and camcorders, only lasts from 8 am to 10 am. This special absolutely ends at 10 am so come early. There are usually lines at opening. I'll be at the store on Telegraph road, a mile and a half south of I-255, in the Schnucks plaza behind the McDonalds. One more thing to remember, since that special is for such a short time and there are long lines this is NOT the time for in-store one on one classes. Decide which camera you want to purchase before the sale. Come by before the day of the sale and myself or another photographic consultant will help you choose your model. For more information about the Expo, visit www.cccamera.com. Here are some tips to help you decide which model of camera to buy.

1. Ask yourself what type of photography you like to do.

• If you like to do: Kids, family, vacations, you probably don't need a lot of zoom. A standard 3x zoom camera may be all you need. Some of these are the ones that fit in your pocket.
• If you like to shoot birds and wildlife: You need a lot of zoom. 10x or 300mm or more zoom. A digital SLR (single lens reflex) that you can change the lenses on, or a large fixed (non-removeable) lens camera may satisfy your needs.
• If you work in insurance or real estate, a wide angle lens will allow you to photograph rooms and the entire building from closer range. Meaning you don't have to walk across the street to shoot the building, and you don't have to break a hole in the wall to back up enough to get the entire room in the shot. Unfortunately point and shoot cameras almost never come with a wide angle option. So get an SLR. Also be sure to get the kit. Digital SLR kits come with an 18 - 55 mm lens. 18 gives you the wide angle you need. When you buy the kit the lens is only $100 more than if you bought the body without the lens. Buying the lens separately can cost up to $600 more than buying one with the kit.
• If you shoot action: sports, car races, horse races, birds in flight... You need a fast camera. SLRs are rated by frames per second. Consumer level digital SLRs start around $600. Yes, you have to spend more to get a fast camera.
• If you participate in watersports or have young children: A water resistant camera is a good choice. Pentax W20 is a class 8 waterproof digital that can take pictures under water for up to 30 minutes. The price has come down on this model considerably in the last 2 years. Another feature to look for if you have small children is the in body zoom lens. That means the lens doesn't extend out when you turn on the camera. The most common breakage is caused when someone drops a camera and hits the extended lens.

2. What makes an SLR better than a point and shoot? SLRs are faster, have higher ISO, and, with the ability to change lenses, allow you shoot the kind of pictures you want to shoot for any situation. SLRs also offer multiple focal points, allowing you to choose where in the frame your main subject is, and thus you can compose your photos more creatively. SLRs cost more and weigh more though.

3. If you've decided to buy an SLR, which manufacturer should you buy? That is a tough one to answer because everyone you ask may have a personal bias.

• The first thing to consider is if you already have an investment in lenses. If you have autofocus lenses from your film SLR, they will work on the same manufacturer's digital SLR. So if you do have several film lenses, stay with the same manufacturer.
• Another thing to consider is your long term lens needs. If you plan to buy a lot of lenses over time, Nikon and Canon offer more lenses than other manufacturers. Canon offers the most and their lenses are more often in stock. If you only need the basics, a wide angle and a 300mm telephoto, most brands offer those options. Pentax is a high quality, reasonably priced SLR. Photo quality wise, Nikon does the best job, but I don't usually recommend Nikon to amatures because it is harder to learn to use. For ease of use choose Pentax or Canon. Disclaimer, these are my opinions and someone else may tell you something different.

A final thought. If you are struggling with whether to spend the big bucks or not, consider how long you intend to use the camera. A person who buys an inexpensive camera, a year later buys an upgrade, and a year later buys another upgrade, eventually getting to a model that will grow with their abilities, spends a lot more money over time than the person who buys the more versatile camera initially. But if you don't expect your photography to change much over the years, just getting one that meets your most common needs may be all you need.

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