December 21, 2007..............................................................................HOME............................................................"Out of Body Photography"
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Camera: Nikon D300
Lens: Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6
Capture: NEF
Metering: Matrix
Release Mode: Aperture
ISO: 560
Shutter: 1/60
Aperture: f/5.6
I’ve been excited about using this image in a blog entry for two reasons. It’s an awesome photo and it was taken during my first shoot with the new Nikon D300 DSLR. First let me ramble a little on the vision, then I’ll give you a very brief and unscientific impression of the D300.
I wish I could say I took this about 60 feet deep at the Ningaloo Reef off Western Australia, but no. In reality, I needed to shoot images with the D300 and the Atlanta Aquarium was infinitely more accessible that afternoon. While the aquarium is lovely, most of my visit found it a very difficult location in which to create a dynamic image. Then I stepped into this viewing gallery, and was riveted by the visual feast before me.
Having actually done scuba ( to a depth of 110 feet in the Caribbean off Mexico, so my opening location wish isn’t that far fetched, thank you very much ), the pelagic wonder on display transported me to a place I’d never been diving, but could easily imagine. Once in that mental space, I was no longer at the aquarium, but in the open ocean. I immediately knew this had potential for a compelling photograph. I experimented with ISO to get a reasonable shutter speed ( checking the LCD histogram and image preview ) and then camped out with the camera in my face, and waited. I shot several closely spaced frames each time the shark would pass, and waited patiently for as many passes as seemed practical (maybe 30 minutes). The viewfinder became my scuba mask. Limiting the field of view slightly with minor zoom created the impression of being in the water, and timing was chosen to maximize the dramatic presence of this majestic creature. Oblivious to my surroundings, the milling crowd of onlookers could have been 5, 50, or 500. This is what I mean by Out of Body Photography.
It could happen just as easily at your nephew’s basketball game, in the school gym. Once you realize the action is strong subject matter, you might drift court side for better perspective and through the viewfinder, enter the game with the players. As you follow the ball and sense the pivotal shutter moment, the shouting crowd disappears. All that matters are the flowing bodies and ball suspended in space, your repetitive shutter drumming a rhythm in your hands.
The important part is sensing the photographic potential of the scene and then allowing yourself to tune out everything that is a distraction. Maybe Timothy Leary had it right, “Turn on, tune in, and drop out.” He did mean “turn on” the camera and “tune in” to what’s in the viewfinder, didn’t he?
I’ve had several people contact me about the D3 and D300. There will be exhaustive technical reviews on the web, so I won’t go there. The new focusing system in these two cameras, with 51 selectable focusing targets, is wonderful. To use the D300 otherwise feels very much like the D200, although slightly larger and heavier in my hands. As for the image quality, the move to a CMOS sensor with current chip technology lets this $1800 camera produce files as good, if not better, than the D2x, a $5000 camera just 2 years ago. They are also smoother and more noise free. Not rivaling the exceptional output of the D3, but that’s fodder for another blog impression coming soon.
Happy Holidays and New Year!
Mark
.
.
I wish I could say I took this about 60 feet deep at the Ningaloo Reef off Western Australia, but no. In reality, I needed to shoot images with the D300 and the Atlanta Aquarium was infinitely more accessible that afternoon. While the aquarium is lovely, most of my visit found it a very difficult location in which to create a dynamic image. Then I stepped into this viewing gallery, and was riveted by the visual feast before me.
Having actually done scuba ( to a depth of 110 feet in the Caribbean off Mexico, so my opening location wish isn’t that far fetched, thank you very much ), the pelagic wonder on display transported me to a place I’d never been diving, but could easily imagine. Once in that mental space, I was no longer at the aquarium, but in the open ocean. I immediately knew this had potential for a compelling photograph. I experimented with ISO to get a reasonable shutter speed ( checking the LCD histogram and image preview ) and then camped out with the camera in my face, and waited. I shot several closely spaced frames each time the shark would pass, and waited patiently for as many passes as seemed practical (maybe 30 minutes). The viewfinder became my scuba mask. Limiting the field of view slightly with minor zoom created the impression of being in the water, and timing was chosen to maximize the dramatic presence of this majestic creature. Oblivious to my surroundings, the milling crowd of onlookers could have been 5, 50, or 500. This is what I mean by Out of Body Photography.
It could happen just as easily at your nephew’s basketball game, in the school gym. Once you realize the action is strong subject matter, you might drift court side for better perspective and through the viewfinder, enter the game with the players. As you follow the ball and sense the pivotal shutter moment, the shouting crowd disappears. All that matters are the flowing bodies and ball suspended in space, your repetitive shutter drumming a rhythm in your hands.
The important part is sensing the photographic potential of the scene and then allowing yourself to tune out everything that is a distraction. Maybe Timothy Leary had it right, “Turn on, tune in, and drop out.” He did mean “turn on” the camera and “tune in” to what’s in the viewfinder, didn’t he?
I’ve had several people contact me about the D3 and D300. There will be exhaustive technical reviews on the web, so I won’t go there. The new focusing system in these two cameras, with 51 selectable focusing targets, is wonderful. To use the D300 otherwise feels very much like the D200, although slightly larger and heavier in my hands. As for the image quality, the move to a CMOS sensor with current chip technology lets this $1800 camera produce files as good, if not better, than the D2x, a $5000 camera just 2 years ago. They are also smoother and more noise free. Not rivaling the exceptional output of the D3, but that’s fodder for another blog impression coming soon.
Happy Holidays and New Year!
Mark
.
.
Mark Alberhasky is a Nikon Mentor for the Mentor Series Worldwide Photo Treks.
Join him as he travels and share his enthusiasm for photography and learning.
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