Nikon D600 - My Thoughts

Well, I've been using Nikon's D600 full frame DSLR for about a month.  I upgraded to a D600 from my trusty Nikon D300s.  Over the past month I've used the D600 for all of my shoots.  I've had a month worth of model shoots and several after dark photoshoots to give it a workout.  It's time for an update on what I like & don't like about my first digital full frame camera.

Bottomline, there are several features compared to my D300s I don't like, but overall I'm happy with the camera.  The following is what I like the most about the D600.

• Full frame sensor with a higher megapixel file size,
• I can use my Nikkor lenses at their true focal length (my AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 ED VRII, is a true 70-200mm),
• Better low light sensitivity with a higher ISO top end.  At an equivalent ISO compared to my D300s I see less noise.  On top of this I can take the ISO several steps higher than the D300s.  This is great for my low light work,
• ISO goes to 100 versus 200 for the D300s on the low side (note, it has 3 L settings below 100),
• The monitor is big and bright. 
• The D600 is the smallest of my DSLR's.  It makes street photography more stealthy.  The caveat is I've moved most of my street photography to film rangefinders, so you have that....

However, I'm not completely a D600 homer.  There are some things I find both curious and a bother.  Here's what I don't like:

• ISO / WB buttons on the back of the camera as a second function versus dedicated buttons on the top left mode dial like the D300s
• Why is there a "Scene" option on the Release-Mode Dial?? I'll never use this option.  I don't want to sound "all-that", but aren't scene options for point and shoots?
• You need fast SD cards to take advantage of the burst modes.  In studio I often shoot in burst mode  to capture flowing hair of my model.  Unless you use top end cards the write speed is TOO SLOW.  Understand, I had really slow SD previously, but upgraded to class 10 - 95mb/second cards.  Problem solved.  I think this will be a problem for sports shooters or anyone that does high speed work.
• No sync cord plug.  I ended up buying a sync cord attachment that fits in the hotshoe.  I could have used it the other day when I was shooting in a different studio and needed a sync cord for the studio strobes.  I ended up using my Elinchrom EL-Skyport triggers.
• No 10 pin adapter plug.  Great, now I have to replace both my wireless and wired shutter release.
• The camera feels flimsy & plasticy.  OK, not sure "plasticy" is a real word, but that's how it feels.  My D300s is a tank compared to this camera.  Slap an AF-S 70-200mm lens on this camera and the balance is way off.  This will probably improve when I get a vertical grip.
• The multi-selector dial on the back of the camera is too small.  Seriously, Nikon, what gives?

Don't get me wrong, I really like the upgrade to a D600, and I'll get comfy with the changes.  I'm sure most of my issues are simply due to the muscle memory I developed with the D300s.  I didn't think I needed the file size of a D800 and I can't justify a D3 or D4 series.  The D600 fit my needs and wallet perfectly.  

Tattoo Style - Session Two

As I mentioned in an earlier post I respect tattoos as an artform.  Of course, if they are done well.  I decided to do a model photoshoot series with the focus on the model’s body art.  This shoot was Session Two.  This time I hired Ashley Ogburn who was getting into modeling, and brought a good mix of tattoos.  I also hired MUA, Emmy Lindgren who came recommended (she's also a model).  To mix things up I invited local photographer, Chris Pickrell, to join me on this shoot.  I’ve followed Chris’s photography for about a year.  I like some of his portfolio, so I thought I could watch him work and check out his technique.  I enjoy doing both pressing the camera shutter button and watching other photographers work.

 

The setting for this session was a combination of industrial gritty and studio work.  The industrial side of the shoot was done in the industrial side of the complex where M10 Studio is located.  The studio was of course M10 Studio. With everyone lined up and the time set I let both Ashley and Emmy know specifically I wanted for this shoot.  I sent them sample shots I wanted to try in advance along with makeup style recommendations.

 

For this shoot I asked Ashley if she would to do one set in lingerie.  She has some really nice scroll lettering above her belly button, and tattoos on her upper thigh, so I wanted to get this clearly visible.  Nothing sexual, more fine-art style.  She was good with this.  

 

When everyone arrived Emmy got to work making up Ashley while Chris and I sat around and chatted.  We agreed what Ashley would wear for the first part of the shoot.

 

Studio strobe as key light camera right

Studio strobe as key light camera right

Since we did first part of the shoot in the complex I loaded up everything on our roller cart.  I had an Elinchrom D-Lite 4 with a softbox as a key light as needed.  I also had my Nikon SB-600 speedlights as needed for fill lights.  My speedlights were triggered with Elinchrom EL-SkyPorts.  Also a large gold/silver reflector to bounce the available light as needed.  The complex has large industrial windows so I can get a good mix of sunlight or shadows.  I used both my Nikon D300s with an AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.8 D, and my Nikon D600 with my AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 ED VRII.  Settings for both cameras was started at their lowest ISO, f/5.6-6.3, and speed starting at 1/125.  I adjusted these settings throughout the shoot.  

 

With this kit we went to the back of the complex and shot 3 series.  I directed Ashley during my part of the shoot in order to focus on her tattoos.  The majority of my shots were photographed with my lighting gear set up and being moved around to get different effects and shadowing.  During Chris’s portion he did all of his work with available lighting using my reflector for a few shots.  I liked the output he achieved using the complex mixed lighting.

 

Available light only

We shot against a white concrete wall, a red industrial door, a wall of metal studs, a plastic sheet that was stretched between 2 metal columns, and a white canvas stretched across a storage area.  

 

After about 1 ½ hours we went back to the studio for a set against a white seamless.  For this I had Ashley change into her lingerie.  I set up an Elinchrom D-Lite 4 with a large Elinchrom beauty dish as the key light.  I also used my 2 Nikon speedlights firing against the background to get a high key effect.

 

Once ready I posed Ashley standing, sitting, and laying down for this shoot.  I did a few of the shots standing on a ladder so I could shoot down on her.  During this session I adjusted the studio light regularly to get the proper lighting on Ashley’s tattoos.  I like some of the photos I got.  Chris didn’t shoot during this portion.

 

In Studio on a white seamless

Shot down from a ladder

Bottomline, this was a fun shot and I enjoyed watching Chris shoot as much as I enjoyed working with Ashley.  She was fun to talk with and easy to work with.  Also, she had the tattoos that were the theme of the shoot.  I think I’ll do another shoot in this series again in studio.

 

Chris Pickrell directing Ashley

MUA Emmy Lindgren

After thoughts:

·         Watch the model to make sure she’s comfortable.  It’s winter and the complex was cold (studio was toasty).  Make sure he or she has regular breaks and has a coat to wear as needed.  We did this and I even brought a space heater into the studio, but it really wasn’t needed,

·         This was my first shoot where the model was laying down and I shot over her shoulder.  I got a couple of good shots, but need to practice more with this technique,

·         Don’t go overboard on the color saturation.  Ashley’s tattoos were either black or colored.  A few of the ones in color were muted tones.  I resisted the urge to pop the color by increasing the saturation.

·         Watch what’s around you.  While Chris was shooting I photographed him, and even turned around and photographed Emmy who was watching the action.  I really liked these images.

Tattoo Style - Session One

Although I don’t have a single tattoo I’ve always liked the more artistic work I see on some people’s bodies. As a creative type guy I respect the craft, color & form. I just don’t have the guts to get one myself. Anyway, I thought it would be a good theme for a photoshoot, so may I introduce to you the first part of my 2 shoot series focusing on models with tattoos.

I put a call out for a model that had a minimum of a sleeve (full or partial), back work and tattoos on their legs. Model Annie Patrick Vowell and I hooked up. She was perfect. I described what I wanted to capture, making sure she would know there would be a bit of skin and she agreed. I was going form more of a gritty / industrial vibe so I organized the shoot in the industrial side of the building where M10 Studio is located.

To minimize setup time on the day of the shoot I scouted locations in the complex the night before. I picked about 10 locations and on shoot day settled for 3.

On the day of the shoot Annie arrived on time and we set off. Since the focus was on the body art, I didn’t think we would need a MUA / stylist. Anyway, Annie said she would handle this herself, so this saved about 45 minutes. I had put all of my camera gear, lighting, extension cords, softboxes, etc. on our studio’s rolling cart which made things so much easier to tote around.

We started in a room which used to be an old garage for the first shoot location. The walls are grungy, the space just had a well past it’s used by date vibe. I set up a single Elinchrom D-Lite 4 strobe with a Vagabond softbox as the key light. I used a large silver reflector as a fill light. Most of the shots were set at f/5.6 minimum aperture in order to get a sufficient level of out of focus background. Shutter speed in the 125 or higher range. We spent about 30 minutes in this space placing Annie near an open circuit breaker box & against an oil stained wall.

We then went over to an area that had about 25 large boxes (gaylords) filled with assorted things. It made for a natural backdrop. Again I used a single Elinchrom D-Lite on a Manfrotto boom arm stand. For this series I kept the strobe approximately a minimum of 6 feet away from the model. The goal was to get harder light and not to conflict with the lights coming in from the industrial old school windows. We had to play with the lighting a good deal to get the right blend.

In this space I posed Annie in a number of positions both standing and sitting. There was some fun writing on the boxes so I wanted to capture this as well. In this series I essentially photographed Annie’s total tattoo gallery (except her back pieces). Since this was the first time working on a tattoo themed shoot I wasn’t really sure what poses would work the best to capture both the model and her tattoos. Took a bit of experimentation.

For the final location I move Annie to a set of painted over windows. Same lighting setup, except this section of the building is darker so I adjusted my lights and camera settings as indicate by my light meter. Since I wanted to photograph Annie’s back and side pieces this session was topless (Annie, not me). Tasteful of course using hand and arm placement. I was able to get several very nice shots of her back work and the large tattoos on her side. I did have to move the lighting around a fair amount to soften up the light, and avoid shadows falling over the tattoos.

Overall, I was happy with the result. I was very impressed how well the tattoos that Annie has compliments her body style and her personality. It was enjoyable capturing this digitally. Overall, an enjoyable shoot.

After action topics:

• Bring a lighting assistant. In studio the movement of the equipment is often minimal. In the mixed lighting of the industrial space I did a fair amount of adjustments on the lighting location and power. It would have been nice to have someone help me.
• Put the model’s escort to work. Annie brought a friend to the shoot which I encouraged. She was a trooper and held the reflector as needed.
• Check the histogram regularly. Several of my earlier shots were too dark. They looked fine on the camera monitor, but in the computer they were probably 2 f/stops to dark. If I had watched the histogram regularly this probably would not have occurred.

Busy Weekend - Ashley, Bill & Kristen

Had a busy weekend doing model shoots at M10 Studio.  I'll write more detailed posts in the coming days, but wanted to drop in a teaser. 

On Saturday I did the second in my Tattoo Style series photographing model Ashley Ogburn.  Ashley has quite a few stylized and fun tattoos.  I did this session with local Indianapolis photographer Chris Pickrell & MUA Emmy Lindgren.  We did a session both in studio & in the industrial side of the building.

Ashley Ogburn showing off some of her tattoos

On Sunday I hooked up with Los Angeles based fashion photographer Bill Jones.  He had offered to show me his stuff during a shoot with model Kristen Renee Grable and MUA Tiffany Holmes.  I was surprised how awesome Bill's photography and skills are and how he does it all with a 50mm prime and one light.  I can't wait to work more on this style. 

iPhone photo of Bill & Kristen both down low

Stay tuned to this channel for more blog-postery on this weekend's sessions.

Nikon D600 & Wendy

Indianapolis model Wendy Pund recently did a photo session with me at M10 Studio.  It was an enjoyable shoot and Wendy is top notch.  Tall with skills.  The goal of the shoot was to work with my new Nikon D600 for the first time in studio under controlled lighting.  As you know from previous posts I’ve used my “trusty” Nikon D300s for several years.  The primary difference is moving to a full frame sensor versus the D300s crop sensor.

Verdict, both Wendy and the D600 are great to work with.  Wendy, well, she’s fun to chat with and is good in front of the camera.  The Nikon D600 is a solid, well priced FX camera.  It has the form factor of the Nikon D7000 which means it’s smaller than the D300s.  It’s going to take time getting use to the button and menu configuration.  On the positive side all of my professional lenses now have the correct focal length in camera.  My AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II is now perfect in studio.  On the D300s the crop factor made the longer focal lengths unusable in studio.  My AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G prime is now a true “nifty fifty”.

The focus on the D600 is extremely fast and precise, and the low light capacity is uber.  This is a good feature for me as I still like to shoot after dark city scenes for fun.
 

Anyway, back to the shoot.  The session with Wendy was primarily portrait work.  No specific theme this time out.  Therefore, the lighting setup was straight forward.  I photographed Wendy against a fashion grey sweep background.  Two Elinchrom D-Lite 4it studio strobes triggered with my Elinchrom SkyPort triggers were the primary lights.  Normally, one D-Lite as a key light and the second as needed for fill.  I also used a Nikon SB-600 speedlight occasionly to add light to the background.  We also did several shots against a black background.
 

In post processing I’ve not yet taken advantage of the larger file size.  Initial testing did prove images can be cropped or magnified more aggressively while maintaining the image quality.  However, the focus of the shoot was not on the post processing, but the ergonomics of the camera and the ease of use.

The following are some key take-aways about the camera: 

·       I’m not use to the smaller camera size.  Understand, I have used a vertical battery grip on all of my Nikon DSLR’s in the past.  I’m going to need to get one for the D600 pronto.  With a long lens (i.e. Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED or Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8) the camera is not balanced.  It feels off front heavy in my hand,

·       The multi-selector dial on the back of the camera is too small, and is not as responsive.  This is a pain,

·       The burst rate is slower than the D300s.  However, for my photography style that really isn't a problem,

·       In manual mode I constantly and accidentally hit the Main Control Dial with my thumb and changed the shutter speed without knowing.  It always seemed I nudged it to a higher shutter speed.  Possibly when I add a vertical grip this will go away.  This was the most annoying issue so far with the D600,

·       I was use to the ISO &WB control being on the Mode Dial on the D300.  Now the buttons are secondary functions on the back buttons.  Strange.

·       I’m still trying to remember how to change the focus point settings,

·       I love FX.  I’ll use my D300s as a backup but, as they say, once you go FX you never go back.  They say that, right?

·       The monitor is big and bright, 

·       I like the modes on the Mode Dial versus the configuration on the D300s via a button / dial setup,

·       I like the larger file size.  The file size is in the Goldie Locks zone, “just right”?

·       The battery drain rate stinks.  The battery is different from my D300s, so I'll either need to get a vertical battery grip or a second battery,

·       I like the higher usable ISO.  I still do lots of low light photography so 6400 is my new best friend.  

Bottomline, I still need to develop my muscle memory with the D600, but so far I like what I see.  Oh yes, props to Wendy for working with me.  She will be hired again.

Busy, Busy, Busy

It's been uber busy the last few weeks with Thanksgiving and activity around my day job.  Oh yes loyal readers I have a day job and it isn't related to photography.  My day job helps fund my photography "Jones", as well as funds family, etc., etc....you get the idea.

Anyway, even though I've been busy the last few weeks and therefore somewhat lacking on my blogging activity I've still been able to get in a couple of model photoshoots.  Both have been fun and results have been good. 

Just wanted to give you a quickie update.  The first shoot was with Indianapolis model, Wendy Pund.  Wendy helped me test out my new Nikon D600 full frame DSLR.  I posted about my initial experience earlier, and will post more on the D600 and the shoot with Wendy ASAP.  In the meantime, here is a shot we both really liked.

Model Wendy Pund

And then just this weekend I did another shoot with my D600.  This time with model Annie Patrick Vowell.  The theme of this shoot was TATTOO, and shooting out of the studio with just only 1 studio strobe versus the normal full setup.  Annie did a nice job working with me in a number of interesting lighting conditions.  We are both happy with the results so far.  I'll blog on this shoot shortly, but in the meantime, here's Annie in a darkened area of the Circle City Industrial Complex where M10 Studio is located.

Model Annie Patrick Vowell

Kind of a Joan Jett look going on if I do say so myself.  Stay tuned to this channel for posts on each shoot, and a couple of new film cameras I recently purchased.  Yes, there is more than digital in photography.

Bill Jones Knows Modeling Is Hard Work

I’ve been an avid photographer my entire life.  My interest mostly centered on street-type photography.  About 2 years my interest moved into portrait photography.  I have no clue what took me this direction, but this has been my primary focus.  This has taken me into the world of model photography & blog posting.  I enjoy every aspect of the genre from arranging a shoot all the way through writing about it.  It’s been great.

 

Obviously, to photograph models, you need to hire & work with models.  It’s a true partnership.  Both have to come to the session prepared.  This has been a learning experience for me.  I essentially started the process from scratch first working with other photographers who hired the model, shooting with local camera clubs during portrait sessions, attending workshops, arranging TFP shoots with friends of friends (mainly just helping me out), and then finally hiring models myself for paid gigs.  I’ve now done this about 20+ times over the past year.  

 

One thing I’ve found is the process of arranging a model all the way through the point of taking the photo has been the most challenging part of my model photography experience.  Therefore, I am constantly reading about the genre, following photographers I respect, and reading blogs / articles that other model / fashion photographers write.

 

Yesterday I was reading a Facebook post by Los Angeles based photographer, Bill Jones.  I’ve followed Bill for the past year or so primarily because he started here in the Midwest and has maintained contact with the local scene.  His photography style is amazing, and his images are great. He describes himself as an “editorial fashion” photographer.  His FB post he talked about his experience with models.  I thought it was excellent.  He agreed to let me repost it on this blog.

 

Here is a repost of Bill’s wisdom:

 

“On a daily basis I receive 3-5 messages from girls who want to become models.  Less than 3% of these girls understand how much hard work and commitment it takes to become an agency represented model so for the other 97% here is a list of things you don't know about the industry: 

1.      Most successful models begin their day before 6:00 am,

2.      Models follow a very strict diet and live a healthy lifestyle,

3.      Modeling is acting in a single frame; models use body language and expressions to convey their story lines to the viewer,

4.      Many successful models take acting classes to enhance their talent,

5.      Some models begin their day with a 4-8 mile run followed by 1-2 hours in the gym later that evening,

6.      Castings and meetings consume over 60% of a successful models day,

7.      Models are very independent, I know of many 16 year old models that travel internationally on their own for several months at a time,

8.      Personality and confidence are very important qualities to a model,

9.      Understanding body angles and posing is critical to the success of a model, new models will spend several hours each day working on this,

10.  Highly successful models learn to understand lighting and generate poses that works with the lighting that is given to them. 

These are just a few things that separate agency models from internet models. Everybody wants to shoot but shooting makes up a very small part of a true models day. All my industry friends are welcome to add to this list.”

 

I agree with everything Bill says.  I am by no means in the same league as many local model photographers or anyone like Bill Jones, but I am starting to get a handle on the model side of the genre.  Every time I come to a shoot my goal is make it an enjoyable and successful shoot for everyone involved.  I’ve been very lucky that most of the model’s I’ve worked for have done the same thing.

 

BTW, check out Bill at:

 

Bill Jone's Facebook page

 

Bill's website

Photography With Faith

I recently did an interesting photo session with friend & Indianapolis based photographer, Faith Blackwell. We chatted previously about shooting together in one of our studios. The plan was to invite a MUA, a few models, and another photographer. We would select a few themes and PHOTOGRAPH ALL NIGHT. Basically, pull a photographer all-nighter.

We picked a date and decided to shoot over at my studio, M10 Studio (which I share with Paul D’Andrea & Eric Schoch). In exchange for using my studio Faith arranged the models, the MUA and came up with a few themes. We were good to go.

Faith arranged a MUA that I’ve used before, Sasha Star. Sasha is a skilled MUA. For models she lined up new models Tashina Finkton, Jared Bailey and experience pro, Diablo Diangikis. Tashina has a great look / style. Jared is powerfully built and for being new to the game he did a great job. Diablo, well Diablo is just uber. You just say go, and he snaps into the moment.

Jared in B&W

Diablo in B&W

Funny thing, once we picked the date we both agreed doing an all-nighter was probably going to be too much. We ultimately decided to simply start at 5pm and end at 11pm. Believe me, that worked out to be long enough. In that time we did 4 themes.

One theme was against a black seamless. I used a 3 light setup. 2 Elinchrom D-Lite’s with Elinchrom Portalite softboxes camera left and right slightly behind the model. Also, a Nikon SB-600 speedlight in a RPS Studio Softbox RS-4030. The Elinchroms and speedlight were triggered with Elinchrom Skyport EL triggers. I have a few triggers so I let Faith use one to make things easy. The effect of the lighting setup was to give a rim light around the models and key light on the face. A nice effect.

Tashina in B&W

Tashina against grey seamless

To get things going Sasha started on Tashina. Faith and I then started to photograph Jared and Diablo. With the above lighting setup we photographed both individually with shirts on, with hip-type jackets, and a few shots without shirts. This is the first time I’ve photographed male models in studio. I was worried about getting the lighting right. This lighting setup worked perfectly.

Once we completed this first set, Tashina was good to go and we took turns photographing her against the black backdrop. She was really easy to photograph and has excellent posing skills.

We then had both guys go steam-punk. Faith brought a few steam-punk type goggles and we played around photographing a steam-punk theme. We asked both guys to emote as much as possible to add some drama to the photos. It worked.

Steam-Punk Jared

Steam-Punk Diablo

The 3rd theme was against a grey seamless background. The focus of this shoot was Tashina. We tried all types of lighting in this part of the session. We used studio strobes as both key and fill lights. We used a ring light that Faith brought, we used Nikon SB-600 speedlights with and without gels to add light to the background. We did close-ups through the ringlight and had Tashina pose under different lighting configurations. The one lighting setup that I liked the best was a single Elinchrom D-Lite mounted with a large Elinchrom 27” Softlite Reflector Beauty Dish with a white diffuser as the key light. The beauty dish was camera right – in-front of the model and slightly above. I used a bare Speedlight at ¼ power aimed at the background behind a large flag (a hinged room like divider). This had the effect of haloing Tashina.

Tashina on grey seamless

Finally, for giggles we all went to the back of the studio in the industrial complex and tried our hand at some “levitation” type shots. I had done this previously and it generates an interesting effect if pulled off correctly. It required at minimum of 2 shots per image. One with and one without the model under the exact same lighting and focus setting. The model poses as if they are off the ground (i.e. standing on a chair) and then using the magic of post processing you stack the images and remove the chair. Very cool.

One part of a Levitation effect

Bottomline, I had a good shoot and a fun time. It was fun hanging out with Sasha, Diablo and Faith and nice meeting Tashina and Jared.

Jared, Sasha, Diablo, Faith, Tashina, Me

After action comments:

• Stay flexible with your plans. We originally scheduled an all-nighter and ended up shooting for only 5 hours. We made sure everyone knew our schedule was going to be flexible.

• In any shoot make sure everyone knows the details. Faith did a nice job coordinating everyone so it went off without a hitch.

• If you are going to have multiple photographers and / or plan a long session it’s a good idea to line up more than 1 model. In this case we had 3 but had arranged 4. One of the models couldn’t make it. If you hire just one and they don’t show up, then your photoshoot won’t happen.

• If you shoot with another photographer make sure you coordinate equipment. Faith has Canon & I have Nikon. Because I had a second set of Elinchrom Skyport triggers it was really easy for Faith and I to use the same lighting with absolutely no drama. If she had brought Cowboy or PocketWizard triggers and I had only one Elinchrom we would have taken lots more time.

• Ask the model to make dramatic moves and show emotion in shots. Normally, I shoot normal fashion / portrait type model shoots so posing / lighting is more important. In some of the shots we had all three give a look like they were screaming or holding their head in agony. Some of these shots were the best.

• Experiment with lighting. You’ll surprise yourself.

First Shoot With My Nikon D600

Today I did a full photoshoot with my new Nikon D600.  I'm excited about giving the D600 a workout, as it will become my primary digital camera.  The challenge I was going to have was the comparison in the form and features versus my trusty Nikon D300s.  I've had a D300s for approximately 2 years and have shot about 90,000 photos with it.  I can operate it with my eyes closed.  I know it's feel, it's weight, the location of buttons and how to get the most of out it.

 

So my first concern was the learning curve to get use to the D600's form & functions.  I have no doubt the D600 will allow me to take a wider range of photos and its features are more contemporary.  The video capacity is better, the ISO range is wider on both sides, and the sensor is an FX full frame versus the DX crop sensor D300s.  This means I get the true focal length of my non DX lenses.

 

I'll post a blog post on the image quality and functionality based on today's model shoot and an after dark shoot I did.  In the meantime I wanted to point out a few differences in the D600 versus my D300s that I'll need to get used to.

 

First as a caveat, my D300 has a battery grip that makes it a bit bulkier and easier to hold.  I do not yet have a battery grip for my D600.  Here goes:

 

• The D600 is a smaller camera than the D300s.  Noticeably smaller.  I actually like the larger camera at this point.  The first thing I noticed with the D600's size is it feels off balanced with a AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 & an AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII lens.  The center of gravity is different and it will take some time to get used to the feel.  The camera feels like a mini-me to the larger D300s.
• Right off the bat there appears to be dust on the sensor.  I've only changed the lens 2 or 3 times in a non-dusty environment.  Not a good omen.
• My thumb constantly hit the Main Command Dial on the back of the camera while shooting.  I noticed several times in manual mode that I accidentally changed the shutter speed to a faster speed.  This never occurred on the D300s and could be due to the lack of a vertical grip so my thumb is up higher on the camera.  Not sure.
• The Multi-Selector dial is too small for my taste.  It doesn't seem as responsive
• The Tripod Socket is farther back (not in the center) on the bottom of the camera.  Therefore, my Manfrotto D ring tripod plate sticks off the bottom of the camera by about 1/4".  This is really weird.
• It's hard to turn the mode dial with one hand, although I like the locking button.
• I am REALLY surprised it doesn't have a 10-pin connector.  Honestly, I didn't notice this when I was testing the camera out at the camera store.  This means my shutter release cable and electronic release (radio) won't work.  I'm going to need to research how I can use a shutter release cable since I use these all the time for low light photography.  What gives???
• My version of Adobe Lightroom, version 4.1, doesn't support the RAW file format.  I'm downloading version 4.2 and hope this handles it.  If not that totally blows. - as a follow-up I ended up loading Nikon NX2, Adobe LR 4.2, and downloading the images again.  Works OK.

Bottomline, anytime you change cameras there is a learning curve.  However, I think that because I'm going to FX from DX and have a different form the learn curve may be steeper.  Stay tuned to the bat channel....

 

Walking Dead – Broad Ripple Style

Can I suggest visiting a dentist?

For the second year I went to the Broad Ripple Zombie Walk exclusively to photograph the event.  This is a really fun event that gives participants the opportunity to get their zombie on and to benefit Gleaners Food Bank.  This year’s event took place the weekend before Halloween.  The event is hosted by IndyMojo.

 

I would guess about 500 people showed up.  I arrived early and picked up my media pass.  I brought the following kit knowing there would be bright light ending-up pitch black: 

·         Nikon D300s

·         AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8

·         AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8

·         AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8

·         Nikon SB-600 speedlight

·         4 sets of Sanyo Eneloop batteries

Soon after I got myself organized people started to show up.  Most came with their zombie make-up already on, or took advantage of the 3-4 makeup artists.  People could get made-up for free at the event.  Early on people simply walked around talking, listening to the DJ, dancing, or just looking at other people’s make-up.  Some people were SERIOUSLY into the event and had amazing make-up.  

 

Like, "what-everrr"

Seriously, awesome!

Smile for the camera

I started off with a Nikkor 24-70mm lens asking zombies if I could shoot their street portrait.  Everyone was in a good mood and obviously, had absolutely no problem letting me shoot them (sorry, photography them).  After about an hour I switched out to my Nikkor 70-200mm lens so I could get some tighter shots.  While it was still bright outside I shot in Aperture priority with f/stop in the f/2.8 – f/4 range.  The goal was to get shallow DOF for all street portraits.

 

By the time it got dark the place was hopping & PACKED.  Just like a scene from The Walking Dead.  So cool, and fun to watch everyone get into it.  There were kids, families, young couples, hipsters, older couples, couples with babies, singles, you name it.  The event attracted all types.  And let me tell you, people were seriously getting into their makeup.  Some were professional grade.

 

Child's Play

Starting 'em young



You looking at me, you looking at me?

Sorry for interrupting your conversation, seriously

Soon after it started to get dark it was time to do the zombie walk.  This is when everyone walks through the streets of Broad Ripple showing off their stuff.  What a blast.  I switched into my Nikkor 35mm, opened the aperture as wide as possible, and mounted my Nikon SB-600.  I used a large diffuser on my speedlight to get soft indirect light.  I know you aren’t supposed to do it, but the speedlight was mounted on the camera.  Please forgive me!  Anyway, I jumped ahead of the horde, parked myself behind a tree and fired away as the zombies walked by.  It was fun.  The only problem I noticed is that I think my focus point must have been off.  I normally shoot center-point focus and recompose, but I think I must have had my focus point to the left of center, because I had about 30% of my images focusing in to the left of my subject.  With such a shallow DOF this was a problem.  However, I took tons of photos so I still got quality images during the walk.

 

KISS fan

The Corporation is here

Seriously creepy

Time for a mind meld

After about 5-6 hours I called it an evening.  The event was fun and a real photo rich environment.  

 

After action tips for you fellow photogs: 

·        Learn your camera.  In an event like this you don’t want to be fiddling with your kit.  Especially when it gets dark,

·       Remember, people are made up so they WANT to be photographed.  Take advantage of the opportunity.  Only a few people asked me what I was going to do with their image,

·       Bring good glass.  When it gets dark you need your lens to focus pronto, 

·       Go light.  I wanted to, but still had a full backpack.  After a few hours you start to feel it,

·       Talk to the other photographers.  I chatted up a few photogs that I had seen around, but never met.  I like to talk to people especially if I know there is a common interest.

·       Sacrifice ISO for shutter speed.  This event called for tack sharp.

 

 

Portait Time

America's Top Model, zombie-style

Oh no, the military is infected