My camera

Well since I've been posting my photos on this blog, many of you have asked what camera do I use?  I hesitate to provide an answer cause I don't want people to fall into the trap that a better camera will make you a better photographer.  When you see a nice painting do ask the painter what type of paint brush does he or she use? Making a photo isn't all about the camera -- you take into account the subject and the technique you want to apply.

Anyway, below is what I shoot with.  About 95% of the time I shoot with my Nikon D90 with a 35mm prime lens.  I've had this camera for two years and I love it.  It's very easy to use and it takes and makes awesome photos.  I also use the HD video feature as well.  The HD video is only at 720p, but you can make some nice movies.  The other camera I use is my wife's Leica D-Lux 4 -- this is a great camera too.  It's a point and shoot and I actually find it harder to use than the D90.

Take a look a the photos below, both are taken with the same lighting.  Notice the color of the walls are different (the bottom picture represents what the color is supposed to be).  Does anyone know what is causing this?  I think it's probably do to different white balance settings.

Nikon D90 shot with my Leica D-Lux 4 at f2.5 with ISO of 400.

My Leica D-Lux 4 shot with my D90 at f4 with ISO of 500

Front porch light

Practicing spot metering again.  I like how the light is captured hitting the brick and the top of the roster. Can you tell what object and which color I was metering off of?

My Photographic Journey

As some of you know, I've been taking photography classes every Tuesday in Adams Morgan with Sam D'Amico Photography.  When I purchased my Nikon D90 camera two years ago I immediately started shooting (without reading the manual).  I never shot in auto mode but would use priority aperture mode to take my photos. Sometimes my photos would look great, but half of the time they wouldn't.  I never worried about lighting, shutter speed or exposure since my camera would automatically adjust itself.  After two years of owning my camera, I decided that I needed to shoot in manual mode to truly understand the art of photography. I've learned so much in my classes that I can use my DSLR like a point and shoot (if I wanted to).  Now, I feel like I'm making photos versus just "taking" them.  

I highly recommend taking classes with Sam if you're looking to learn more about DSLR or film photography. He won't help you develop your style, but he will help you learn how to use the tools you have within your camera that you can use to evolve as a photographer.

Here's a photo of my dog Shea that I took to practice spot metering and depth of field.  Where are you in your photographic journey?

Nikon D90 vs iPhone

Here's a picture of the same latte I took with my iPhone in my previous post.  I made the photo below with my Nikon D90 using a 35mm prime lens.  Since I had the aperture at 1.8 it created a shallow depth of field. Which photo do you like better?

Northside Social

What better way to warm up in this weather?  

The best  lattes in the DC area can be found here at this Arlington based establishment - Northside Social.  Photo taken with my iPhone 4G, not bad.