Brain freeze- Snaphappy playing & learning

snaphappy · Dec 23, 2013

Flowers in the sky
Well no actual flowers around here for at least 4 months. Our neighbour put on a beautiful show though so here's what I was able to capture with my new to me 12-24mm, tripod in the snow and remote.
I used his bonfire (bottom left corner) to focus to infinity and started at F4 but wasn't happy with the result until I got to F16. I got great foreground shots but fireworks were blown. I'd hoped to use the image overlay in my camera to make the shots more interesting with less dark space but I shot in jpeg

I was going to cheat and try out a scene mode so I could relax and watch in the hot tub but had a look and realized my 7000 doesn't have a fireworks mode so instead stood in knee deep snow with ankle snow boots on while family enjoyed from hot tub

snaphappy · Dec 24, 2013

I know not perfect night shots but a few months ago I wouldn't have even attempted so I think my playing and learning is paying off. If taking photos was easy it wouldn't be nearly as thrilling when I finally figure it out

I don't think my focus was as good as it should have been so will have to attempt and practice focusing on moving light at night. I'm still trying to figure out the delicate balance between getting foreground for interest and not blowing the lighted areas. Guess I'll just have to keep trying

Marilynne · Dec 24, 2013

Good job on the fireworks!

snaphappy · Dec 27, 2013

I moved from whine to wine about the horrible mess that is the swampy non stop flooding basement of ours
Sunset after the rain

Looks like a driveway you wanna walk down right...

This little guy is on our disgusting basement which is filled with farm swamp water from the 2 sump pumps that could not keep up….

When it the day has gone this well you just give up have a glass and go with the flow. This weekend is gonna suck

snaphappy · Dec 30, 2013

I rarely post portraits but thought I could get some help on these
Candids- just happened to have my camera with 50 1.8D beside me. Incandescent light to my left is only light in a fairly dark room
Think I should have used a little flash but SB700 not close and thought my in camera would blow it.
I shot jpeg fine and wish I'd shot raw. The white shirts look a bit yellow and tried to tone it down by sliding over to the blue a teeny bit in iPhoto but any farther turned faces an unappealing colour.
Any suggestions?

Oh glasses are just rims of 3D movie glasses because they were pretending to be Geeks

Deezey · Dec 30, 2013

It's NERDS!

So which one is Booger?

Deezey · Dec 30, 2013

Play with the on board flash some. I tend to use my on board flash a bit and find turning it down some really helps in certain situations. It might take a few extra seconds but it can act as a fill flash fairly well.

snaphappy · Jan 4, 2014

Thanx Deezey Yes I do play with in camera flash but had used it a bit earlier (not so dark in the room) and even at -3 it was a bit too bright. I didn't crop these I was quite close, I just clicked and adjusted as they chatted at me. They're used to my camera and usually groan and move away but it was a big important story so stuck around and I had to take advantage of the moment

Thanx for your response I appreciate your taking the time. Back lighting would have been nice but with the groans I get its pretty unlikely I'll get them to sit for a proper photo so will have to be happy with the candids I can sneak in.

Well, There's been so much talk about sensor cleaning and I have put it off for a loooong time! I knew it was bad but was a bit nervous to try cleaning it on my own. I got sick and tired of retouching giant blotches on all my skies so finally found out just how bad it was and after 7 swabs I think I finally have it…

Deezey · Jan 4, 2014

snaphappy said:
Thanx Deezey Yes I do play with in camera flash but had used it a bit earlier (not so dark in the room) and even at -3 it was a bit too bright. I didn't crop these I was quite close, I just clicked and adjusted as they chatted at me. They're used to my camera and usually groan and move away but it was a big important story so stuck around and I had to take advantage of the moment Thanx for your response I appreciate your taking the time. Back lighting would have been nice but with the groans I get its pretty unlikely I'll get them to sit for a proper photo so will have to be happy with the candids I can sneak in.

Well, There's been so much talk about sensor cleaning and I have put it off for a loooong time! I knew it was bad but was a bit nervous to try cleaning it on my own. I got sick and tired of retouching giant blotches on all my skies so finally found out just how bad it was and after 7 swabs I think I finally have it…
View attachment 65225 View attachment 65226 View attachment 65227

i haven't had to clean the D90 yet. Boy I can't wait! ( smileys don't work on my iPad so insert sarcasm here.)

snaphappy · Jan 4, 2014

Hubby ordered a 27" imac and knew I had to clean my photos up before I looked at that size screen and cried with how spotty they were LOL my mac pro showed a few so I knew it was bad but holy when I zoomed in and checked over the test shot it was really BAD Just finished cleaning so looking forward to not retouching skies starting tomorrow

snaphappy · Jan 4, 2014

Got my goats in a row

snaphappy · Jan 4, 2014

Sunny days had me venturing farther from the house with my camera today
Had to check the fence and brought my 12-24mm along with me

She's just so floppy its impossible to get a flattering shot when she's moving

Big lap dog LOL Theres a 10yr old boy under that brown bear and she wasn't invited just assumed he wanted to snuggle...

Sea of white

Fat fat horses and a bad Burli dog. He joined our family in Fall and hasn't learned enough manners yet

Shy Smokey hiding behind Shyboys butt

snaphappy · Jan 5, 2014

Tonight I thought it might be chilly enough to try freezing bubbles but it wasn't really cold enough. Bubbles just turned opaque no nice frost formations. The lowering sun turned everything shades of purple and peachy orange so thought I'd see what would happen with bubbles on the snow. Used my 50mm 1.8D but autofocus wasn't great so next time will need to set up a tripod and manually focus. I was freezing in slippers and tshirt but the light lasts only a couple mins. Next time will need better bubble solution and tripod set up for manual focus.
I tried to add another bubble to the photo but when I did I blew my frozen bubble which flopped and folded over like greyish skin not pretty

only got these 2 shots

this 2nd is a crop

My kids say these photos look like weird aliens

snaphappy · Jan 6, 2014

Blah day today wasn't sure what to do for my 365 so went for a drive on my way to pick up monsters from school and caught the sun trying very hard to show through the winter cloud.

snaphappy · Jan 6, 2014

As I headed into town I caught these guys a long the side of the Hwy. Now one thing I have learned in the last year is that even if you have the wrong damn lens on take a shot before changing lenses so you don't miss the moment completely! Also learned that tiny little 50D is perfect backup and I can always find a pocket to put it into.
A shot with my 12-24mm at 24mm and cropped

A shot with my 12-24mm at 24mm uncropped (yep thats how I roll elf ears and everything LOL)

I'm quite surprised how well the 12-24mm did considering how much I had to crop

A quick change to my 50mm 1.8D uncropped

And 50mm cropped

nikonpup · Jan 6, 2014

snaphappy said:
got my goats in a row
View attachment 65243 View attachment 65244

do you use the goat milk or sell it?

Roy1961 · Jan 6, 2014

nice deer shots

mikew_RIP · Jan 7, 2014

Nice deer as Roy said,even with the right lens i start taking as i approach then keep the best one

snaphappy · Jan 7, 2014

Nikonpup yes I use it and nope don't sell it because its more illegal to sell milk than drugs! Crazy I know I can't even give milk away or risk everything. I use it for soap, sour cream, cheese, yogurt and of course drinking

I only milk the 2 bigger ones at the back of the photos the other 2 heading up the trail are their kids. I figured since they provide us with milk I also bought one of their kids for companionship and someone to snuggle with during our long cold winters
A cell phone shot of Frosty the deaf cat on my saddle waiting for me to finish evening goat chores. He knows what is in my bowl and Saphira the demon looking goat ready to go back to her stall. Also one of my terrible attempts at taking a photo of fresh milk

Roy and mikew Thank you! I just passed the 10,000 photo mark yesterday and I'm almost at a full year of learning so I guess I got the crappy photos out of the way and it can only get better now, right