[John Bennett]

I shoot auto 90% of the time.
What ive come to learn is that the camera is accurate outdoors, less so indoors. Its exceedingly rare that I need to adjust WB in post by more than 100. I think the most that a post correction yielded was 200. Under tough indoor lighting it can and usually is off alot.

Which suits me fine as 95% of my shooting is outdoors 🙂
For indoors Im trying to get better at setting the WB myself.

[John Bennett]

Ive used Sages fanny pack for two seasons. Really like it.

Plenty of storage including two web pockets for water bottles. What I like about the most is.

a) lumbar support
b) can swing it to either hip to take the weight load your lower back, or if either hip need a break after a few hours, swing it to other side.

With the easily adjustable belt you can wear as much or as little by way of clothing as the season dictates. One size fits all seasons and on those hot summer days, you don’t have a vest or chest pack adding to the sweat. The weight and material is down on your hip.

[John Bennett]

Some cameras do (or did) have a tendency to over/under expose a bit. I think those days are gone…not sure…

With regards to streams/waterfalls etc
If you meter the water *for* the water, which is highly reflective the camera is going suggest a fairly fast shutter speed. You want to slow that down in order to create the cotton candy look.<<
ok, great….if thats all you have in the frame.

Thats usually not the case.
What about the foliage?

A longer exposure is going to blow your greens as well, so instead of a lush forest surounding the stream or moss on the rocks you end up with washed out Greens.

So basically it becomes a question of exposing for the water, or exposing for the “scene”.  If you take a meter reading from some greens that are in light (as opposed to in shade) and then adjust by -2/3s as a place to start from, you’ll have an exposure value that should be pretty darn close to a picture that renders the entire scene nicely and has protected the lighter toned greens present.

Then its just a question of whether or not you like the amount of  motion blur that results in the water and adjust from there.

Bascially changing the priority from capturing good cotton candy as the driving force to exposing for a scene that contains moving water.

[John Bennett]

Wont comment on composition etc, I think thats something people develop their own taste for.

With regards to shutter speeds, you have the right idea. Only thing to watch for is blown highlights. I think thats largely unavoidable to some degree with water, but try not to over do it. A case where some is ok, alot you might want to increase your ss.

Metering.
Try metering off an area that presents alot of brightish green and start at -2/3s. Then recompose to include the water. Basically your metering and setting values to expose for the Greens present…not the water. Then adjust as neccessary.

[John Bennett]

Mike decided to get this done and up for you.

Its still full frame but was shot vertical and Ive cropped it to 11 x 8.5 so you can see how it might print.

Let me know which you prefer.

[John Bennett]

I dont pay pal 🙂 call me old chool

let me see what expected shipping might cost, it cant be more than a few bucks and I’ll send you the pic gratis.

[John Bennett]

If you can, get a Hoya or B+W thats within your budget. No matter maker you go with get a Multi Coated…usually denoted as DMC.

[John Bennett]

Thanks guys.

Mike absolutely, anything I do is always for sale 🙂
The only caveat is I need to be really careful about where I send full res files due to the “First Serial Rights” magazines require.

If you want a print for your office or wall, email your mailing address. I don’t really want to get into the business of selling prints (its alot of work Im thinking) but I’ll be more than happy to send prints to friends/acquantences at little more than cost.

Not sure of the mechanics sending a poster cross border but it cant be *that* bad. I have the facilities at home to print upto 19×13 or could just do a standard 8.5 x 11 dirt cheap (basically shipping)

J

[John Bennett]

Agree its the same fish.

No idea if they can grow 2.5 inches per month. I’ve spent a few minutes trying to find information with regards to growth rates for Ontario’s Grand River which is very prolific. So far Ive only found a few references and they indicate that stockers can grow from 7in to 14in in 1 year and that wild browns (very few of those) can grow to 9in in 1 year.

Given that the growing season is pretty short ( I have to beleive) as Mythbusters would say, I think that 2.5in a month is plausible, especially Im guessing if the insect activity is heavy during the month in question.

Not too many years ago Trophy Browns on the Grand were considered to be 20in +. While thats still a benchmark most anglers I know look to 25+ now, given that 20in seems to more common and frequent to catch. Long way of saying Browns in the Grand grow large and fast.

[John Bennett]

Hands down, miles beyond anything else.

A good Circ Pol.

IMO the first and most important accessory anyone should have.
Especially anglers.

[John Bennett]

I’m mean really, up to my a**.

[John Bennett]

-30 here today.
With luck I’ll be shooting Artic and Timber wolves either this wekend or next.

if Im not mistaken Zach, is your hidden story somewhat akin to the above and something tey might leave behind?

[John Bennett]

I think Shannon summed it up nicely.

if I’m about to drop X on a lens, I want to sleep at night and not spend 2 weeks micro analysing every image for sharpness, IQ or other problems (CA, vignetting etc). Thats true if its 200 or 2,000…its all relative.

I’m not suggesting Tamron/Sigma/Tokina don’t make good lenses…not at all…….I just don’t think I could buy one and be absolutely comfortable with the decision as Im handing over the cash.

Where as if Im handing over the cash for Canons 24-70 f2.8 I am (was).

That said I have Tamron’s 180 f3.5 Macro and Im very, very pleased with it.

However we have talked about Macro lenses in the past and why they are different. If your really interested in it, I would suggest going to a store (more than once so you get more than 1 copy to test) and take dozens of test shots that you can bring home and micro analyse.

Lots of people have good things to say about that lens. Just dont know I could sleep at night for the first few weeks

[John Bennett]

No way to know Neal. Both Nikon and Canon have been raising prices lately and well, frankly, it confounds me. Make absolutely no sense in this enviroment.

Pisses me off to, as Ive been saving like a feind for my dream lens and Im close. Still a ways to g but close enough that it was within sight. A few sales or assignment  and I might have done it. Last week they raised the price by 600.00. By the time the tax man gets through with me, its a hefty increase. Enough that maybe its a blessing in diguise and I wont get it till the fall if at all tis year.

Both Canon and Nikon recently announced pretty bad quarters..So their response when people around the world are losing jobs and those who havent are worried and cutting back is to raise prices?

Go figure

[John Bennett]

Didn’t do as much fishing as  would have liked.
That said we did get some nice Browns this year.

25in

This was my best of the year
22in

Nice brookie I caught at the end of Aug.

And while I didn’t “catch” this Rainbow it is by far my favorite “catch” of 2008

[John Bennett]

Yeah, but sooo worth it 🙂

The days the only “birds” at our beaches look like this.

[John Bennett]

Michael.
I won’t tell you to practise more, what I will tell you is that on average I probably take 100 to 200 pics every Sat/Sun. Sometimes more, sometimes less, depends on whats in front of me. I spend about 12 hours on average each weekend *trying* to get shots, from 6 or 7am to 11 or 12. Last Saturday/Sunday it 20hrs.

every weekend.

Then I spend my weeknights processing them, etc. Some weeks I have 1,000 shots to weed through.So I guess what Im trying to say is that each week I probably devote somewhere near 30/40hrs into it. Not really counting reading books and articles on different techniques. Some weeks its alot more than that.

Getting to know your camera so that you can change something on a whim, do it in the dark, when to shoot stopped down, or wide open, add a CP….whatever the case may be is largely a product of experience.
*******

If you can find someone to go shooting with that will help alot. Doesnt have to be fishing related…I spent 2 years with “Birders” learning the basics and then some more advanced photography. Then it was just a matter of translating what I had learned from Birders, to hunting and fishing.

Still feel I have a lifetime of stuff I could learn and in fact Im giving alot of thought to taking some coarses from accredited institutions.
To me thats one of the best parts about it, theres almost no limit to it.
Ive yet to even touch Studio, Portrait, astrophotogrpahy and even IR.
*******

Heres my suggestion if you want some hands on fast tracking.
Find a local “birding” group….They are extremely popular, no so more than these days with the advancements in digital photography.
Google “hawk watches” or Bird counts or even local conservation areas.

If you can find 2 local bird watching hotspots, you’ll find photographers, from rank beginners to advanced amateurs there that can and will (atleast in my expereince) be more than willing to help.

[John Bennett]

Just going to echo what others have said with regards to leaning towards glass.

Im sure the 18-200 is a nice lens, its not my intent to suggest it isnt.
Spending close to a G for another lens of very similiar focal range coverage to what you already have, that isnt “one of the best” lenses doesnt make alot of sense.

Its one thing to pay the upgrade cost to go from your first lenses to one of the better lenses in a class (say like 24-70 f2.8 ) another thing to upgrade to a lens that one day down the road may, I want to stress “may” itself be upgraded from. Nothing wrong with an all purpose 18-200 type lens, the danger is that a year or two from now you want to get even more serious about photography and start looking at the high end glass in that focal range.

Just a thought.

Just another thought.
Double your savings and you almost have enough for a D300.

[John Bennett]

Just a word although its already been mentioned.

1) Simms is ceasing production of felt soled boots come 2010. So even if you bought a pair now, you might run into trouble trying to repair or replace the sole should you need to. I expect more manufactorers to follow.

2) New Zealand has or is banning felt. I suspect more countries/states/systems will follow suit in due time. While that may not impact you directly in yourlocale, it *could* create headaches if you decide to travel somewhere where felt gets banned

So while felt may still appeal to people I do think for anyone looking to purchase in 2009, should think about 2010 and beyond and what that might mean with regards to the boots bought in 2009.

I am concerned that the new rubber bottom boots are going to wear out leaving a similar surface and similar results, which will mean I have to purchase boots more quickly than I normally would.

2010 will be my 3rd season with a pair of Simms Aqua Stealth. Love them, way better than the felt soled boots I used to wear and nary a sign that they are going to start heading downhill anytime soon.

[John Bennett]

Zach
I’ve been looking at that trying to figure out what it is myself since first opening the file (didnt notice it during image capture).

Owls excrete “pellets” which are little nothing than bones and fur or “Whitewash” (liquified Owl Crap) .

It has the appearance of Whitewash which incidentally is a good indicator when trying to locate Owls. Find a tree with alot of Whitewash on the trunk/branches and chances are you’ve found a roost.

But I’m not convinced it is.
a) positioning seems off
b) Owls are pretty fastidous..alot like cats and I can’t imagine one leaving a crapcicle hanging.

So to answer that question.
im not sure

Number two, are you the one who’s been sending all those emails with this title to my spam filter?

Rotflmao…took a minute or two for me to clue in but once I did lol.
Thanks for the laugh 🙂

J

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