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I’ve been casually browsing at the Nikon D90 as a camera upgrade. The D90 came out back in the fall of 2008 as an upgrade to the D80. So, it’s getting towards the end of its cycle. I read that there may be a new replacement coming out soon. Hopefully, that will mean a meaningful price drop on the D90s sometime in the near future.
When I purchased my D60, I knew that I liked taking pictures, and also wanted something that could more easily capture pictures of the kids without shutter lag. However, I didn’t quite realize how much I would actually enjoy the wider aspects of photography as a hobby.
I haven’t outgrown the camera, but there are definitely some things that feel a little limiting: ability to take older Nikon lenses; auto-focus points are not as sophisticated on the D60; built-in flash commander mode on the D90 to work with Nikon speedlights. All relatively minor given where I am with photography, but of course there’s always an excuse to search for more gear…
(New entry level Nikon DSLR and D90 refresh expected… via Nikon Rumors)
Whether you are curious about your own camera’s shutter actuations, are listing your camera for sale, or in the market for a used one, the number of shutter actuations is a measure similar to miles on a used car. For some brands such as Nikon and Pentax, there is information stored in the EXIF data, Canon stores it in the camera, but you need software to pull it out, and Olympus has a secret handshake combination of buttons – Sony owners are out of luck.
Keep in mind that the actuation count can be reset such as if a camera is sent to a shop for repair/refurbishing (e.g. replacing the shutter assembly). Also, shutter counts are a rule of thumb. I’ve seen 100,000 to 150,000 mentioned depending on the camera, but it’s dependent on the make and model and it’s an average life expectancy, not an absolute. For more information on how to measure shutter actuations, see Finding Your Camera’s Current Shutter Actuations.
I decided to get out and take some pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge yesterday at sunset. It was a beautiful San Francisco evening and I hopped in the car and headed out to Crissy Field.
As I arrived, there were some evening beer can races in progress which you see in the first picture which I shot as I waited for the sun to set. They’re a bit washed out because of the sun, but I thought it was an nice effect with the gate in the background, the fleet heeled over on their tack, and some people out walking their dogs.
Below you’ll see the pictures I took with the setting sun and into dusk of the Golden Gate Bridge. Trying to remember to move around and not get focused on taking the same pictures, St. Francis Yacht club looked like it would make a good picture nestled behind the dunes and looking out onto the bay. I shot this picture with my white balance set on tungsten to give it the blue tinge that you see.
Also, the last picture is of another group taking photos on Crissy Field. It caught my eye because one woman was wrestling with the photo reflector in the evening wind. It made me feel better that I’m not the only one that will break out a reflector for photos around town.
 
 
 News from the alma mater: MIT Museum has announced that PLR IP Holdings, LLC (PLR), the owner of the Polaroid brand, has donated a collection of classic Polaroid products and prototype designs from its 73-year archive.
 From the Polaroid Model 95 (the first instant camera) to the glasses from the Vectograph system which came before 3-D motion pictues, they are all part of the Polaroid collection donated to MIT by PLR Holdings, the owner of the Polaroid brand..
MIT Museum receives 70 years of Polaroid history in donation from PLR IP Holdings (via The Online Photographer)
 Aurora taken by Mark Dubovoy Seeing the Northern Lights is one of those things that is on the list of things to do in this lifetime. Mark Dubovoy provides some great background on what the Aurora Borealis is, best time of year to see, how to get there, and most importantly tips and techniques to successfully photograph the phenomenon.
I would highly recommend to all nature lovers that they try to experience the Aurora first hand. I would also recommend that one spend the time and effort to try and catch a really intense Aurora, as opposed to an average or below average one. Unfortunately, the probability of being in the right place, at the right time, with the right atmospheric conditions is low. It may take patience, perseverance and a number of trips before one is lucky enough to experience an intense Aurora, but the effort is definitely worth it. To experience an intense Aurora is nothing short of phenomenal. -Mark Dubovoy
See his article Photographing the Aurora Borealis. (via Night Photography Blog)
 Lionesses by Greg du Troit Greg du Troit documents in Blood, Sweat, and Photographic Tears just how far he was willing to go documenting…
…my pursuit of that ever illusive frame, which became an obsession that lasted a total of eight months and took me along an eventful journey, during which I contracted numerous parasites (some quite possibly unknown to science), not to mention the thousands upon thousands of insect bites.
Taking pictures near a watering hole (literally getting crapped on by Olive Baboons) and eventually from in the hole. Read through his narrative to get the whole story that eventually led to a number of amazing shots, but more importantly the conclusion that…
with my body still covered in rashes, I finally sat down to view my film on a light box. Studying each image and remembering each intimate moment, I concluded that wildlife photography is more about the experience than about getting the shot. This is a philosophy that I hope to hold onto…
 This is one of the books that got me started down the road of photography (or should I say, more than randomly pointing and shooting). Bryan Peterson’s Understanding Exposure covers a lot of ground for the beginner/intermediate photographer, explaining the different combinations that make up the photographic “triangle” – aperture, shutter speed and ISO. While there are many correct exposures, there may be one creatively correct exposure.
It is very easy to understand and touches on many different situations and subjects. I would highly recommend giving it a read, and have read it more than once myself. You can find it on Amazon, and it looks like a new edition is coming out soon (Understanding Exposure, 3rd Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera).
I’ve blogged on and off for a while now, and more recently, it’s been off – mostly because other than an assortment of personal interests, I haven’t felt a good unifying topic that would be the focus of a blog. However, in the past year, my enthusiasm for photography has taken off, and with it, I’ve been soaking up as much information as I can regarding techniques – books, blogs, looking at photos from different photographers, etc…
Photography definitely is one of those lifetime learning experiences. With a focus on a specific topic, and in particular one that many a passionate about, I thought it would be useful to start compiling and sharing what I have found along the way. You can read a little more about myself and this site here.
Enjoy!
- George Chang
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