iPhone pics =)

This is an older picture (well, I mean...a couple months ago) that I took with my iPhone and then fixed in Picasa. Do you have Picasa? It is a great (free) way to edit photos if you aren't ready to purchase an expensive editing system.

Portrait

This turned out well - just on auto and no flash.
(my dog :) )

Need it

here

Blink of an Eye

Slightlywarped.com had this very cool lineup of pictures that were taken at great moments - illustrating the kinds of things you miss in the blink of an eye =)
See the rest of them here!

Portraits

Something that I'm really excited about with this camera is the quality of the "portraits" that it will take. I love the blurring out of the background as the camera focuses on the subject. I'd never have gotten a picture like this with my old digital! I'm tempted to take comparison portraits with the digital and with the DSLR. Stay tuned for that...
I have been given advice by a friend that a 55mm lens will take amazing portraits - the 55 is about $100 so I think I will definitely consider this if I find myself taking more of these.
This pic was just taken on the auto portrait setting (I'm still learning and a little scared of manual) with flash.

(thanks Mark =))

picture

I'm loving the new camera...
My lack of posting here is because of some vacationing - where, incidentally, I took many pictures!

I'm sorry, what lens did you say? (boring alert)

In my last post I listed the 2 different kinds of lens' that I have.
And I have no idea what it means. Maybe one is bigger than the other?
So I researched it and now I'm going to break it down for myself. And for you if you are clueless like me =)
This will be long and perhaps boring if you know this.

We will start with:

AF-S DX Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR

AF-S: An Auto Focus lens with a Silent Wave Motor. Apparently the Silent Wave technology uses ultrasonic vibration to allow the camera to focus both more quietly and steadily. Sounds good to me. {more here} Nikkon is upgrading it's AF lenses with the Silent Wave feature.

DX: This refers to the type of image sensor which determines the field of view that a camera can capture. My Nikon D90 is a DX camera. Apparently you can choose between a DX or an FX - FX's are top of the line, have a larger field of view and will be much more expensive (Nikon bodies starting at 3,000 and Canon bodies starting at 1900). From what I read you can use an FX lens on a DX camera and vice versa but that's over my head right now and I'll just stick to my lenses =) (more here and here)

Nikkor: Brand of lens produced by Nikon.

18-105mm: a "light do almost anything" "general purpose" lens (+). The mm refers to magnification capabilities. If this hadn't come with my D90 "kit", from what I read there are other lenses that make more sense financially (like the 18-200 and/or the 18-55). However, this lens is the "walking around" choice for David Busch. Indebted to kenrockwell.com for my knew lens knowledge =)

f/ 3.5-5.6: refers to "focal ratio, f-ratio, f-stop, or relative aperture". The F number refers to the hole in the lens that lets light in. Faster f/stops are lower numbers.  We want a faster f/stop lenses will let in more light in the dark. (here & here). The numbers involve a lot of ratios/math which I am not good at so I think I will just be experimenting and getting a feel for these  =)

G: Stands for 'Gelded' which means castrated. The aperture ring has been removed to save cost and they will not work on manual focus cameras. (source)

ED: (Extra low dispersion) This indicates lens elements made of a hard and scratch resistant glass that minimizes image defects. The colors are passed through this lens with minimal divergence - keeps the colors crisp I guess! (source)

VR: A feature that shifts lens elements internally to counteract camera shake. Helps to avoid the need for a tripod. And K. Rockwell says it allows for better pictures in dim lighting using a longer exposure (which I seem to do a lot of, so this is good!). Also, this feature should be turned off when using a tripod. (here & here)

And now

AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED

Everything on this lens is similar besides the mm size, f/stop size and the fact that it is designated as IF. 

IF: (Internal Focus) Means that lens focuses by shifting small internal lenses with no change required in the physical length of the lens. These tend to be more compact, light, provide better balance, and focus more closely and quickly. (source) Also reduces risk of the lens hitting the object that you are focusing on up close (source)

55-200mm: "Telephoto lens of the decade" This lens gets high reviews from Ken Rockwell's website.  

::The Equipment ::

~The Camera ~
Nikon D90 {my photo}

 ~The Lenses~

AF-S DX Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR {photo via}
&
AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED {photo via}

Now, I have no idea what all of those numbers mean, but I intend to find out!

Sunday Photo

I know - I know, another photo blog - another girl with a camera and a dream. It's fine, you can judge me but I already feel silly, so you can also skip it if you want...

The thing is, I've loved photography for a really really long time and I can't shake it. I love pictures, I love going to art shows featuring it, I love photo essays and projects that I find on the Internet. I love it all.

And I also love blogs - which is why this is here now.

I've always thought that it would be cool to make a little career out of taking photos - but I've always been busy working and then going to grad school and then working again. But now that my husband, Mark, has found a job in this new country that we're in (Switzerland) - I am jobless for the time being and have a lot of time on my hands and a lot of new things to take pictures of. 

And now I have a new camera.
Which is scary.
Because Mark knows that I love this whole thing and he knows that I would like to be a photographer, so he brought home my biggest wish, a Nikon D90.
It's great, you say! It is...but now it's real. I have the tools, the time and now I just need to cultivate the know how and the plan. Which is all very intimidating because I know next to nothing about this camera. Sure I have played with settings in my little Digital Elph but this camera has like 18 buttons and they each stand for maybe a million different things so if you do the math that's a lot to learn.

So anyway, now this blog is here and I'm excited because it's going to be my "notebook" of things I learn and also a recording of wherever it is this camera will take me. (plus anything else photo related that I think is cool)

Enjoy! And as always, if you have any input or tips along the way, feel free to share!