My other passion

[keithdog]

Now that the rods have been put away for the year, I've started persuing my other passion which is photography. I've enjoyed this hobby for many years as it allows me the chance to get back into the field and capture images that I can look back at for years and enjoy, and share with others. I don't know how many others in here also enjoy photography as a hobby but I'd like to find out. If you havn't given much thought about photography, you might want to look into it as another way to stay in tuned with the beautiful outdoors we all enjoy so much. Here are a few of the many I've taken over the years.

[1/4 stick]

I do just a little photography. Mostly just taking pics to use to photoshop. I have a cheap $40 wally world special so I don't do much as the quality you have. Those are some great pics. The one of the bridge would make a heck of a jig-saw puzzle.

[nofearengineer]

I'm into photography, Keith. It's just that this other damned new hobby I have...bass fishing, keeps cutting into my time. Beautiful, beautiful pics, by the way. Maybe sometime we can go fishing/capturing.

[keithdog]

Originally Posted by nofearengineer

I'm into photography, Keith. It's just that this other damned new hobby I have...bass fishing, keeps cutting into my time. Beautiful, beautiful pics, by the way. Maybe sometime we can go fishing/capturing.

I hear ya about that "other" hobby, lol. It cuts into my photography time as well, although I don't mind mostly. Some days I'll take some of my camera gear along on a fishing outting and try to combine the two hobbies when I can. But I usually end up not wantting to take the time for a good photo when I could be casting!!!

[Bassboss]

Dang Keith, great looking pics! I'd like to do some, but I'd need a good camera first!

You could probably send that fall pic into the weather channel for a chance to win $ 2,500 btw!

[WaffleJaw]

Keith,those are beautiful pics...I especially liked the frozen leaf,the colors are incredible!
My wife recently lost her passion for photography...So her Nikon D100 is getting no use at all.Its makes me mad cause she is really talented as well,and it made her happy..Since the rod building came into play,Ive been focusing so much on that,that my band had to have a meeting with me to make sure Im still passionate about playing with them...Its sucks,but yea,I get a little side-tracked in my hobbies....obsessed even,lol

[bassinbob]

Excellent images Keith. I like how your eye is drawn to the middle of the picture in every shot. Something I could never capture. You might say I lost my focus.

[BigBassin144]

Keith those are awesome!

Photography is also the other hobby of mine that I can't really afford, lol.

I've been saving up since out point and shoot was stolen this summer, and I've got a new Canon XSi, 18-55mm, and 55-250mm lens that is supposed to be here tomarrow.

BB

[CMorg]

Im into photography too...my cell phone is just loaded with pictures .

[WaffleJaw]

Originally Posted by CMorg

Im into photography too...my cell phone is just loaded with pictures .

so..........many...........jokes.....must stay strong.
Dont.....wanna.............get......banned.

[keithdog]

Thanks guys for the possitive comments. It is appreciated. Sounds like you have a good start on your new camera collection BigBassin. It is an expensive hobby for sure, but the payoff is huge. My collection that I currently use is all Nikon. Two bodies, 4 lenses with hoods, HD tripod, special brackets, filters and other accessories to much to list. I could have bought a car with all that cash but I wouldn't change a thing. Especially since my wife loves my work, especially when it comes to taking family pics! LOL Heres a few more.

[MississippiBoy]

Originally Posted by WaffleJaw

so..........many...........jokes.....must stay strong.
Dont.....wanna.............get......banned.

Embrace the dark side...

[CMorg]

Yeah , well , I cant post mine , or I will get banned !!

[zooker]

Originally Posted by CMorg

Yeah , well , I cant post mine , or I will get banned !!

ok cmorg just e-mail a sample to me i'll judge it..


if your into photogrophy.. learn to spend the big bucks for a good camera.cannon eos is had to beat...but do NOT buy new lens.. the old 35mm glass lens put on a new digital camera makes for the best quality of pic's i have yet seen...some of these old lens you can get for near nothing at yard sales.yes some may need to be modified to fit your camera but it is worth the money..


zooker

[keithdog]

Good point Zooker. One of my favorite lenses is an older Nikon 80-400D-VR zoom lens. And used on the newer digital bodies, it has even a great magnification. There are lots of good deals out there in used lenses since digital is taking over. Many folks are selling the lenses they used on their film cameras not realizing they can be used on their digital bodies as well as long as the lens mount is the same, a plus for Nikon. By the way, I love my Nikon D90 digital camera body, but my Nikon F100 film camera body will always see plenty of use. I still like shooting film, especially for portrait work. But it's getting hard to buy film anymore. I get mine from New York as no one in my area carries the films I shoot anymore.

[nofearengineer]

Yes, a lot of old lenses can still be used. However some of the functionality is often lost. A lot of times autofocus won't work. Still, there are indeed a few real gems out there, for very little cash.

I have two lenses for my Nikon D300. An f/1.8 50mm that I really only put on for portraits and when I want LASER sharp photos. The other 99% of the time I use my 18-200mm VR Zoom, which just happens to be one of the best value lenses in the history of cameras. All I'm really lacking is the 105mm macro lens I've been sweating.

One of my better captures, from this past summer..

[keithdog]

Thats an awsome pic nofear! Looks like mother natures fury is about to get unleashed.

[nofearengineer]

Thanks, Keith.

Yeah, it's ironic how beautiful storm clouds can be. That supercell dropped a tornado a couple miles down the road. Don't think anyone got hurt though.

I wish I had learned on a film camera like your F100. I'm sure it would have made me a better photographer, back when every shot actually cost money. 30 years ago, my stepdad had a nice Mamiya film SLR, but the SOB wouldn't even let me touch it. Nowadays, it's just shoot as many as you can fit on your memory card, and sort out the good ones later.

[rrw4258]

Wow, looks like a lot of people here also enjoy photography like myself... right now I am going to school at BGSU and majoring in VCT, and specializing in Photography, only in my first year, but I am loving it a lot... I found most photography a bit boring with the exception of photographing events and I particularly love sports photography... I only shoot Canon, and right now I am shooting an XSI... I recently started my website for my sports photography so please feel free to check it out...

www.bellevueredmenphoto.webs.com

Ryan

[nofearengineer]

Nice football pics, Ryan. What kind of lens(es) do you have? I'd love to take sports photos, but the lenses required for nighttime shots (the most dramatic) are so incredibly expensive. A good 400mm f/2.8 will set you back minimum $4,000 these days. Anything slower than f/2.8 and you wind up with motion blurs.

[rrw4258]

Nofear, the lens used for 90 percent of those shots is the 75-300 F/4-5.6 ... this lens is knocked by so many people out there as being a POS lens, but it just go's to show that in the right hands a lens can take great pictures... Other than that I have the 18-55 F/ 3.5-5.6 IS and the 50 F/1.8 Thanks for the compliments...

Ryan

[WaffleJaw]

Well speaking of lenses....Anyone got a lead on an inexpensive wide angle or fish eye lense...for a Nikon D100....Does such a thing exist?...I tried ebay last year,but Im weary of buying the wrong lense.....I know nothing abiout camera's.

[nofearengineer]

Waffle, I believe your D100 will use all of the same lenses as my D300.

As far as inexpensive fisheye lenses go, not really. Your camera is a DX format, like mine. There is a flaw sort of built in to the DX format. It's fairly useless as a serious wide-angle camera. The smaller sensor totally misses all of the perimeter, compared to full-frame sensor DSLR's, like the Nikon D3, or Canon EOS Marks. Take a 23mm fisheye lens. Serious fisheye. To get the same effect on your D100, you'd need a 15mm (D100 has a 1.6x crop factor, I think). That's gonna be big bucks to make a good lens at that small of a focal length.

They're not cheap, but in my opinion...to do serious wide-angle work, you really need a full-frame camera. Either that, or simulate it with photoshop for the next best thing.

[nofearengineer]

Originally Posted by rrw4258

Nofear, the lens used for 90 percent of those shots is the 75-300 F/4-5.6 ... this lens is knocked by so many people out there as being a POS lens, but it just go's to show that in the right hands a lens can take great pictures... Other than that I have the 18-55 F/ 3.5-5.6 IS and the 50 F/1.8 Thanks for the compliments...

Ryan

Ryan, I don't think it's a POS lens. Just not a good lens for night time. I have the same issue with my 18-200. Really, really good sharpness and VR, but the aperture is only 3.5-5.6. It's a good thing my sensor is sensitive enough that I can still take reasonable low-light pictures without having to slow the shutter down a ton. A good flash helps the problem indoors, but it's useless outdoors.

Do what I do...try to take all of your exterior shots around 5:30 PM, when the sunlight is perfect.

[WaffleJaw]

Originally Posted by nofearengineer

Waffle, I believe your D100 will use all of the same lenses as my D300.

As far as inexpensive fisheye lenses go, not really. Your camera is a DX format, like mine. There is a flaw sort of built in to the DX format. It's fairly useless as a serious wide-angle camera. The smaller sensor totally misses all of the perimeter, compared to full-frame sensor DSLR's, like the Nikon D3, or Canon EOS Marks. Take a 23mm fisheye lens. Serious fisheye. To get the same effect on your D100, you'd need a 15mm (D100 has a 1.6x crop factor, I think). That's gonna be big bucks to make a good lens at that small of a focal length.

They're not cheap, but in my opinion...to do serious wide-angle work, you really need a full-frame camera. Either that, or simulate it with photoshop for the next best thing.

Thanks man...yea I figured theres no cheap way out,lol....Ive been trying to buy her (wife)a few fancy lenses for her camera....Why are all the fun hobbies so %@#*@ expensive??