Finally!

The girls watching The Fox and the Child the other night.  (The fox was getting chased by a bobcat.)

And finally getting to all those questions that were posted here a couple of weeks back...

1. What lens were you using in the shot of you and Josh on your Anniversary trip? With my 50mm my arm just isn't long enough...

I was using a Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 lens at 24mm.  My camera is a full frame camera so it allows me a wider focal length than digital camera's that are not full frame.  Digital cameras that are not full frame typically have something called a 1.6 crop factor.  I won't go into all the details here but basically what that means to you is that if you put a 50mm lens on a full frame camera, it's still a 50mm lens, but if you put that same 50mm lens on a camera with a 1.6 crop factor, it works as an 80mm lens (because the crop factor of 1.6 multiplied by the 50mm focal length of the lens=80mm). 

So I'm guessing your arm isn't abnormally short but that you just need a wider angle lens, particularly if you're shooting with a camera that has a 1.6 crop factor if you want to do that kind of shot.  (The vast majority of digital SLRs on the market have a crop factor around f1.6.)

2.  How are you liking your nikon?

I like it a lot and am glad I switched but it's been hard adjusting to a new system after shooting Canon for 10 years and I really miss my Canon sometimes. 

The main reason I switched from Canon to Nikon (more specifically from the Canon 5D Mark II to the Nikon D700) had to do with the better autofocusing system of the Nikon D700.  That doesn't mean that all Nikon's focus better than all Canon's though, it just means that the Nikon D700 focuses better than the Canon 5D Mark II. 

The differences between the two camera's is NOT night and day though so I'm not recommending that everyone jump on the Nikon bandwagon.

As with everything in photography, you can't have your cake and eat it too.  You ALWAYS have to be willing to give up something in order to gain something and this is true of camera brands also.  I wanted to gain a better autofocusing system so I switched to the Nikon D700 but I had to be willing to give up the much larger selection of lenses that Canon offers in doing so.  In fact, Nikon doesn't make two of my favorite lenses; the 50mm f1.2 and the 24mm f1.4.

I think I mentioned this before and it's kind of hard to explain, but I feel like I gave up a beautiful camera (the Canon 5D Mark II) for a workhorse of a camera (the Nikon D700). 

My friend Tanya shoots Canon and bought most of my gear, including the Canon 5D Mark II though and is loving it. 

Overall, a good, but difficult change for me though.

You can read more about my camera recommendations here.

3.  Wanting to know the location of where you shot the prom pictures? they were stunning. also, what kind of zipper bag do you use when taking pictures on the beach?

I shot all the prom pictures out in Gold Hill, OR.  The stone bridge is right off the Gold Hill exit closest to Grants Pass and the railroad bridge is right off the Gold Hill exit closest to Medford.  The swing shots were taken at the elementary school in Gold Hill and the pictures taken in the trees were at the Del Rio Winery in Gold Hill (they gave me permission to shoot there).  I was limited on time so I really needed to shoot everything within a 3 mile radius.

The zippered camera bag I just got (and am loving because it's well priced and doesn't scream "camera bag") is this backpack.  It's super plain and boring in appearance but I'll take 'functional' over 'cute' any day of the week.

I prefer 'functional' over 'cute' in men also.  The fact that Josh Downs is cute is just icing on the cake.

I've used all kinds of zippered bags for my camera though, even $10 bags from Old Navy.  My main objective is just to keep my camera protected so if a $10 bag does that, I'll use it.

4.  Are you are doing anything different post processing after your BootCamp. Still using the same actions or do you have new favorites? Your colors have a bit of a different feel. Is that the new camera or post processing?

Also what do you like for a bw conversion? Do you do your own or do you like a particular action?

We were using Adobe Lightroom 2 at Bootcamp and the program just overwhelmed me.  When I got back from bootcamp, I was so busy with my photography classes and fixing up the new, old house that I unfortunately just went back to my comfort zone with my old editing techniques in Adobe Camera RAW and Adobe CS4 out of habit.

Once I get all these boxes unpacked though and things slow down a bit, I am going to commit myself to using Adobe Lightroom 2 because it really is a phenomenal program that will make my editing life a lot easier.  I'll still be using Adobe CS4 too though for actions and a few other editing tricks I love.

I'm always changing my editing recipes a bit, primarily which actions I like.  If you've noticed a difference in color though (primarily more yellow/golden tones) it's probably a combination of the new camera (which definitely produces different colors than my Canon), warming things up with my White Balance and also from using one of these two actions:

- A Light From a Star from Josh DeRox's Colorshift Experimental Actions

- Flare Up (Golden) from Totally Rad Actions 2

I don't use any actions at 100% opacity though, in fact, I rarely use any over 40% opacity.  These two, I typically use between 10%-30%.  I don't use both actions on the same photo though.

I vary on the B&W actions I use but my favorites are:

- Boring Old B&W + Antique Tone (at a reduced opacity) from Totally Rad Actions 1

- Kevin Kubota also has a TON of really great B&W actions that I love in his Artistic Tools sets

5. I'm holding off buying my first SLR camera and lens until I read your input on lenses! Do you have plans to post your opinion and expertise about lenses anytime soon?

I really do have plans of post my lens recommenations, it's just a time issue.  Will try to get to it soon though.

6. At one time did you mention that you have a treadmill built into your desk? If that was you, did you blog about it?

I do have a treadmill desk (just a treadmill that Josh attached a little cabinet to so I use it as a desk while I'm working).  I haven't posted any pictures of it though, but I'll try to soon.

I think I originally saw it on Dateline or some program like that and the guy who had done all the research on it recommended that you just walk at a 1 mph pace.

I didn't have any problems getting used to it but I did go to an atheletic shoe place where they recorded me walking/running on a treadmill in order to figure out if I was a pronator, supinator, etc. (I think that was the terminology) so they'd know what kind of shoe I needed because my feet were killing me after walking on it for several hours  I was really good about using it for awhile and had gotten to the point where I was walking/working on it for about 4 hours a day.  I've been really lazy lately though and need to get my (oversized) butt back on it.

7. I know tech stats on every picture are way too much to ever ask, but I would just love & beg to ask the aperture, shutter speed, and focal length on this one of the girls together.

- Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 at f2.8, 1/250th of a second, ISO 200.

8.  I need a name of a good turquoise/blue paint.

Paint color is such a preference things so hopefully you don't paint your wall one of these colors and hate it...

- I did our bedroom in Valspar Satin Sea Air from Lowe's which is a light blue with a tiny bit of aqua.

- I did part of our dining room in Valspar Satin Beach Blanket from Lowe's which is a light aqua.

9. What are pill bugs????? How about a photo of one?

I just looked outside to see if I could find any pill bugs and couldn't find one (Courtney Lee is the expert pill bug finder but she's still in bed) here's a picture I found online though.

Hope I didn't miss anything.

Comments

[libbi m.]

thank you, thank you, thank you for taking the time for this very informative post. i found my question on the location of where you shot the prom pictures. i'm 100% going there.

[SusanC]

Those two girlies are just so adorable!

[Val]

I miss my snapshots class so much! So glad I have your blog to get my fix. :)

Val

[Nicky from Canada]

Love all your comments, especially the one about the pill bugs. My girls used to love them - all growed up now.

[Amber]

Thanks Karen! I just got the Nikon 50mm f1.4 and am loving it! We call "pill bugs", "potato bugs" here. : )

[April]

Thanks for all the infos! Have a great weekend. :)

[Teresa]

We call "pill bugs" Rolly Polly's down here in SE Texas...

[Roxanne]

Ah yes... roly poly's.... I loved to find them when I was little too.. Now my kids love to look for them too! Thanks for answering all the questions...
Love, love, love coming here everyday.
Congrats on the new house!!

Rox

[Kimberly Minyard]

here in FL we call pill bugs, roly polys.
a treadmill desk? I am so going to have to research that. sounds interesting and useful. please post a picture of it soon!

[Nancy Wyatt]

Thanks for all the info! Hugs from Roly Poly world (Texas)!

[Patty]

Oh, Karen, one question you didn't answer- hope to get the answer next time around!

When you took the photos of Annie and the red suitcase in the field- (maybe your last Canon shots? that sounds about right)- did you use a tilt-shift to get the blur all around the edges? Or did it have to do with the distance/d.o.f. stuff? Would really love to know that!!

[Irene]

A pill bug is often called a roly-poly!

[Brooke]

Haha we call those roly polies :)

[Jen Davis]

This is so funny, we watched that movie last night too! A good one we thought! =) Though dd cried a bit...

[Vera]

I'm from NC and we called those roly poly's too! How did you find out about that movie? Did it run in the US? Is it from the UK? I'm anxious to find a copy now!

[Dina]

Thanks for all of your comments/inputs. The pix of the girls are adorable.

[Dianne Nelson]

What shoe store did you go to? I need to do the same thing. Thanks much!

[Nichole in Southern Utah]

Here in Utah we call Pill Bugs "Potato Bugs". I do like the term "Pill Bug" better!

[Mindy]

We call them roly poly's too! Because I didn't know what a pill bug was in your original post, I googled it and realized we call them roly poly's, hahaha, too funny.

Love your blog and can't wait to see some pics of your house and lens recs!
And I LOVE the idea of a treadmill desk, definitely post pics soon!!

[Christine Adolph]

thanks Karen!

[Carrie T]

Here in NW KS pill bugs are Rollie Pollies.

[Robin]

Those bugs in South Florida are potato bugs...haha