Monday, October 10, 2011

Trying Something New

A few nights ago I took my camera out just as the sun was setting - I wanted to experiment with night photos. I learned two things. First I need a lot more practice. Second, it may be time to invest in a tripod. Do you have any recommendation on the tripod front?

SLC Valley at Sunset
This first shot is the view of the Salt Lake Valley from my neighborhood. That line of gray in the middle of the photo is the Great Salt Lake.

Moon
For some reason the moon was even harder to capture than the city view - every shot was fuzzy. More proof it is time to invest in a tripod.

Hope you had a great weekend.  I had plans to be super productive. Instead I found myself in the middle of a Twilight marathon.What is it about those movies and the books that suck me back in from time to time?

Ten points to the person who can tell me which movie and scene this song comes from:
Iron & Wine: Flightless Bird (American Mouth) Pin It

23 comments:

The Blonde Duck said...

You're so talented!

tinajo said...

Sigh, I need both practice and a tripod myself. Seriously lacking both. :-/

Vintage Restyled said...

I see tripods at Goodwill all the time, please post the kind you end up with.

Carrie @ Hazardous Design said...

Oh wow, I know you said these didn't come out right, but I think they are just beautiful photos. Looking forward to seeing more of your "practice" shots.

michelle@decorandthedog said...

Night photos are tough but these look great! My husband has a tripod that he likes. I'll get back to you!

ELK said...

ahh .. so pretty ..not sure of movie but love the song ~~ you are amazing!!

Maegan Beishline said...

I love experimenting with my camera and building my skills! It's so fun to learn and figure things out that way! I do not use a tripod but I have learned that as far as they go, you pay for what you get! Happy learning!

Anna said...

Jamie, love the shot of SL by night! Your view presents lots of gorgeous possibilities for the future :) Tripod - I now use one for the majority of my shots, indoors and out. I'm starting to get use to dragging it around - not fun, but a necessary evil. Even with IS on a lens, the tripod will give you a much better shot and is a must in low light situations such as this. My tripod is old and not the best. I will get back to you with some reference links, though.

Rosie Grey said...

Wonderful photos, Jamie! They make me want to try night photography, too! As to the tripod: Lisa (Lisa Gordon Photography) once explained a bit about the important points when thinking about a investing in a tripod. You could either ask her or search in her archives - maybe she tagged it "tripod".
Unfortunately, I can't play the song but I guess I wouldn't have made those 10 points anyway ;-)

Julie said...

I always struggle with night photos too, but these turned out really nice!

Gilding Lilies said...

I have a tripod, I think I need some lessons. My results have been quite unimpressive! I think you did very well, especially without a good tripod! Keep going, you're on a roll!

Tezzie said...

Yeah...night photography is something I haven't figured out. I'm also thinking about getting a tripod. And, if you figure out how to capture the moon, let me know! ;) Great attempts, though...much better than I've ever managed! I love how that first one turned out <3

The Felix Family said...

You have the most amazing view!! I think the pictures look great. I love the Salt Lake Valley.

Lisa Gordon said...

Jamie, in short about the tripod...
It is well worth doing a lot of reading before you decide, and also realizing that a good one is an investment. I did a post on my blog about tripods awhile ago. Some folks do not like links inserted in comments, so I will e-mail the link to you.
I love both of these photographs, especially the second one.

k said...

they look beautiful though!!! i still need a tripod for my big cam too..

Annemarie said...

These are stunning! I've tried shooting the moon too, but with no success. Yours looks great! xx

Anna said...

Jamie, here is the info that I wanted to share with you:
Moon -
http://shoottoko.com/photograph-moon/ (excellent)

http://mortalmusesmoremusing.blogspot.com/2010/11/muse-university-shoot-moon.html

Tripods-
www.lgordonphotography.com/2011/07/tripods.html

reallyrightstuff.com/Websiteinfo.aspx?fc=67

I've found I don't have the correct focal length lens to get clear moon shots. Hope this info helps.

The Blonde Duck said...

Have a great Tuesday!

Sara McCarty said...

Oh, I just bought a tripod last week! I went to my local camera store and they recommended a good one for what I was using it for. It is a medium duty Manfrotto, with a Manfrotto head. I was a little surprised by how much it cost (it's always more expensive than I think it should be), but so far I really love it.

Anonymous said...

The first photo is beautiful. I bought a new tripod last fall. It's Giotto. It's very sturdy, but I hate carrying it around. If you can afford one, buy a carbon one. They are much lighter (but very expensive.)

Also I can highly recommend Kent Weakley's online class on night photography. I learned so much from it.

Ms. Becky said...

Hi Jamie, I like both photos. my moon shots never turn out, but yours is dream-like and huge! Salt Lake Valley spreads out far and wide. it's truly beautiful and a sight to behold. I have no advice to offer about tripods - my own is ancient and much too flimsy so do get a sturdy one! happy week to you Jamie.

Ashley Sisk said...

How did I miss that first shot - it is spectacular.

Tat @ Mum in search said...

Your photos look fantastic, can they get any better with a tripod? I've usually been able to put my camera on something and avoid the need for a tripod, but then I don't pretend to be a dedicated photographer. I'm sure if I had a tripod, I'd put it to good use.

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