Nikon D7100

It is one terrific camera.

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Drive Thru sign

black and white vintage look photo image taken with Nikon D3100

bw vintage look photo, softball batter

taken May 18, 2013, at Talbot Park, Port McNicoll, Ontario, using a Nikon D3100 with 55-200mm lens, edited image using Corel Paint Shop Pro x5

techno teapot

technology in a teapot, sought a printer all in one at a low price that would work all the way with Windows 8, paid 29 dollars for a little Canon printer.  Hope it is worth it.

 

Picked up my second and only lens for the Nikon D3100, a 55-200 f4.5-5.6 G VR zoom DX lens.

camera shelf: Nikon Coolpix E5700 (intro 2002)

Nikon Coolpix E5700 – triple view

Nikon Coolpix E5700 (intro 2002) 5 megapixel, 8x zoom – 35-280mm equivalent in 35mm film camera terms, magnesium body, uses compact flash card…The 5700 was very pricey when new. Recently I saw it listed as used for $299 on Henry’s Cameras website. It has what seems today to be a postage stamp sized, articulating 1.5 inch screen. The camera was introduced in May 2002. I have used a Nikon Speedlight 80DX with this camera. Although the balance is a bit special. It makes great flash shots. The EVF, electronic viewfinder was usable, especially in bright sun which made the LCD awkward to use.  I had a lot of fun with this very solid feeling camera.  I will recharge the battery and give it a go in 2013.  Perhaps that will cure me of my advertising driven burn to buy a new camera.

The shot of Grace was taken in August of 2012.  Since then I have acquired  a multi-card reader to get data from the 5700’s compact flash card.

SAMPLE PHOTOS MADE WITH 5700

Grace in August 2012, cropped severely from original

Midland Public Library before the expansion/renovation, Midland, Ontario, Canada

the late Sundance Kid

the late Shakespeare

some marsh/wetland photos today near Elmvale, Ontario

had a coffee with another photonut this morning and then took some photos on the way home, mostly at the Tiny Marshes just northwest of Elmvale, Ontario, Canada. using my Nikon D3100 with 18-55mm lens.

When I was standing on the gravel covered trail into the marsh, I reached down for a stone and tossed it to land on the pond water to check if it was frozen.  Turns out the ice skin was just forming.

photos from the Orillia Fall Fair

Back today to try again to get to the Orillia Fall Fair to take some photographs. Isolated showers in the forecast, but less rain than Saturday.  Took along my Nikon D3100 with 18-55 lens and the Sony Cybershot H50 for more long reach shots. $7 admission fee and I parked at the north end near Gate 4.  I received a chocolate chip cookie from the wife of the MP Bruce Stanton.

The sky was overcast and I got there in time to walk to one end of the fair as the rain resumed.  I dove into the small exhibit building with the rabbits and a ton of fellow fairgoers to study the weather out the open doors.   It quit after a few minutes but kept threatening.  I  left early and by the time I arrived home the sun had broken through and the sky was pale blue with fluffy white, innocent clouds hanging benignly overhead.

displays at Orillia Fall Fair

midway prizes

Miss Maggy’s Candy Shoppe at Orillia Fall Fair

midway prizes

midway ride Orillia Fall Fair 2012

dairy treat truck on the midway

tractor detail at Orillia Fall Fair

weather threat Orillia Fall Fair

Orillia Fall Fair welcome sign

honey at the Orillia Fall Fair

granulated honey Orillia Fall Fair

clydesdale with trainer/owner at Orillia Fall Fair

manipulating nature photographs

working in a different way to manipulate landscape photos lately

I am working with two cameras these days: digital single lens reflex, Nikon D3100 with a 18-55mm lens, and a point and shoot digital camera, Sony H50 (15x zoom lens).  The software I use to manipulate images is Corel Paint Shop Pro x4.  The technique I use varies.  Mostly it is two steps, local tone mapping which tends to brighten the image a little too much for my liking and then I darken the image by using the brightness/contrast function.   Then after that I may try a few others things with the software.  My goals is to get a darker, richer, more contrasty image.  A somewhat surreal image.  Sometimes that is the goal.  I am never completely satisfied.  My personal handicap is red green colour blindness which is a problem for more subtle colour editing.

Canada Day photographs

Got early to Little Lake Park, Midland, Ontario this morning and so I was able to park my car inside the park, shortening my walking.   I brought along two cameras, digital and film, Nikon D3100 and a Leica IIIf.  I found the Leica and I need to schedule more practice sessions.  I had forgotten how hard it is to focus it using the rangefinder.  Today I relied primarily on setting the distance using the lens barrel distance scale and shooting at f8.  I am looking forward to getting the negatives and prints back.

What follows is from the Nikon. There was a parade and a War of 1812 encampment among other activities.

Sunny but a bit like a frying pan.  War of 1812 re-enactors in wool uniforms were very warm.

Nikon F2 Photomic confronts wild animal

It was a quiet part of the rainforest.  I had set down my Nikon F2 Photomic to adjust my 100 lb pack when suddenly….