Nikon ViewNX and Nikon Transfer

• ViewNX is an application for organizing, sorting, displaying, viewing, and adjusting images captured by digital cameras.p>
  
• With ViewNX, you can handle RAW (NEF) and JPEG image files that were recorded simultaneously at shooting as one file, enabling easy organization of your digital images. Also, you can switch between RAW (NEF) and JPEG images by a single click, helping you check RAW image details easily.
  Moreover, you can visually sort or organize images by labeling classified images based on the scene or by setting the priority of each image using the Rating function.
  
• Also, by uploading files such as image and movie files to "my Picturetown", you can further enjoy organizing and viewing them.
  
• ViewNX also allows you to edit the XMP/IPTC Information and add the photographer's name, locations, or comments, to facilitate text-based information management. If shooting locations are embedded in images as GPS information, you can check them on a map.
  
• ViewNX provides image adjustment functions, such as color tone or gradation adjustments, for NEF format RAW images. Some of these adjustments are also applicable to JPEG, TIFF, and NRW format RAW images.
  
• Other features include letting you add frequently used folders to the favorite folder, checking details of an image in multiple-screen environments, or playing recorded movies or sounds.
  
  
  Nikon Transfer
  
  
  • Allows for simple transfer of images captured with a Nikon digital camera or images recorded to media such as memory cards to a computer. Designed for easy integration with ViewNX and Capture NX software.
  • Allows for back-up copying and embedding of information including copyright into image data during transfer.
  • For more information, please click the appropriate link to the right.
  
  DOWNLOAD
  
  

Hoodman Professional 3" LCD Screen Loupe for Canon & Nikon

Item on Special, see this link:

http://www.adorama.com/HNHLPP3.html?emailprice=t&KBID=65610

Description Hoodloupe Professional is worn around your neck just like a normal loupe. When it is time to review your shot; bring Hoodloupe up to your image and place your eye up to the eye cup for complete glare free viewing. Hoodloupe has a +-3 diopter to accommodate those with less than perfect vision. Hoodloupe adjusts focus just like a binocular eye piece... you turn the eye piece in or out to setfor your vision. Without magnification . Each Hoodloupe is encased in a user friendly rubber for comfort and protection from bumps that will occur throughout your shoot. Comfortable lanyardand compact protective storage case included. Fits up to 3.0 inch LCD screens. But if you want an inexpensive valid alternative, go here and just pay $ 7 : Pana-Vue Slide Viewer #3 You will need to do some modifications to the body, but in essence you end up with the same results.

The New Nikon D7000: Simply Amazing

By Allan Weitz on 09-15-2010

In August 2008, Nikon changed the landscape of DSLR technology with the introduction of the Nikon D90, the world's first DSLR to offer HD video capture. Fast-forward two years and Nikon is once again churning the soil with the Nikon D7000, a new DSLR that ups the ante as per what serious shooters will be expecting from camera manufacturers from here on out.

Nikon's D7000 features a new 16.2-megapixel DX (APS-C) format CMOS sensor, backed by Nikon's new EXPEED 2 imaging processor, which can capture up to 100 still images (14-bit A/D conversion) at speeds up to 6 frames per second. Add to this 50-millisecond shutter response times, an all new 39-point Multi-Cam 4800DX AF module with 9 center cross-type sensors configurable in combinations of 9, 21, 39 or a 21-point ring configuration to match any number of shooting situations and a new 2,016-pixel RGB 3D Matrix Metering system for deadly accurate exposures.
But the biggest breakthrough has to do with video capture, which in the case of Nikon's D7000, boils down to full 1080p HD video WITH FULL-TIME AF and MANUAL CONTROL. In addition to full-time autofocus, the D7000 also features variable frame rates and resolution, 1080p recording at a cinema-like 24 fps, or for Web use, 720p at a choice of 24 or 30 fps for clips up to 20 minutes long.
Other video-recording features include face priority tracking for up to 35 faces, subject tracking and normal or wide-area autofocus. The D7000 also offers you the time-saving option of editing and trimming video clips in-camera in order to save post-production processing time. And yes, there's a stereo input jack as well as the ability to use wireless or hotshoe-mounted microphones for pro-quality sound. In a nutshell, Nikon's D7000 simply shatters all competitors in its class.

Nikon's D7000... simply amazing!

In terms of construction, the D7000 is equally up to par and features weather-resistant magnesium-alloy construction with silicon seals all around. The layout of the D7000 camera controls and command dials have been reconfigured to enable quicker, more intuitive on-the-fly camera operation. Along with a bright optical viewing system that affords 100% of the total viewing area, the D7000 also features a 3.0", 921,000-dot LCD with Live View (and 100% viewing area) for real-time composing, viewing and editing of stills and video.
The newest pro-level Nikon has a native ISO range of 100 to 6400 and can be extended upwards to an equivalent of ISO 25,600 in Hi-2 mode when shooting under extremely low-light conditions. For recording stills and video, the D7000 features dual SD/SDHC/SDXC-compatible card slots that can be configured to record your efforts in several variations including separate JPEG, RAW and/or movie files. As for power, the D7000 is equally up to par and features a new EN-EL15 lithium-ion battery that's good for up to 1,050 shots per charge.
As one would expect, the D7000 can capture JPEGs, RAW or a combination of RAW+JPEG, and RAW files can be processed in-camera along with special effects from the camera's Retouch menu, which includes color filters, distortion controls for fisheye effects, perspective control and a new sketch filter that renders sketch-style imagery, all of which are saved as separate new files, leaving the original files unaltered. In addition to these creative filters, the Nikon D7000 also includes a full roster of Scene Modes and color-rendition filters.
The new Nikon D7000 is available as a body only or with an AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 ED VR lens, and is expected to be in stock by mid-October, 2010.
And without a doubt, we look forward to conducting a full hands-on review of this neat machine as soon as one comes our way.

How to Take Great Photographs of Sunsets

How to Take Great Photographs of Sunsets
Article by the New York Institute of Photography

"Ah, Krakatoa, now those were sunsets! If only we had color film back then!" -Quote from the old, old, old photographer.

With Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano filling the skies of Northern Europe and Britan with ash from multiple eruptions, photographers in the areas where the ash is drifting may be in for some great sunsets for quite some time. This article will help you take great sunset photos whether they are caused by volcanic eruptions or not.

We know a photographer who visited Hawaii exactly once, and then only for two hours while changing airplanes for a flight to Japan. He had time to take a few pictures right around the airport, including a photograph of that evening's dramatic sunset with a palm tree in the foreground. He sold that image over and over again through his stock photo agency and made a total of $17,000.

Not bad for a two-hour layover in Hawaii. Sunsets sell!

We get a lot of questions at the Institute about how to take great photographs of sunsets. The truth is, it's easy. The hard part is finding a great sunset and being ready at the right time. We promise that if you follow the tips in this article, you'll be ready when you find the perfect sunset.

The sun sets every day, but to get a perfect sunset picture you need the right conditions of dust and clouds.

The dusky-red of the setting sun is the result of dust in the air. Where does it come from? Wind blows lots of dust from the ground up into the air. And smoke and industrial pollution provide dust too (it's one of the few benefits of air pollution). So do forest fires. Perhaps the biggest contributor of all is volcanic eruptions. There's nothing like a volcano to launch a huge payload of dust and smoke into the upper atmosphere from which it circles the globe.

When the old, old, old photographer stopped by the office last month, he reminded us that the eruption of Mount Krakatoa in 1883 is said to have produced beautiful sunsets for over a year around the entire world! In recent years, beautiful sunsets have been credited to the eruption of Mount St.Helens in Washington, Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, and most recently, Mt. Etna in Italy. Now it's Mt. Redoubt's turn.

Clouds help too. Whether it is thick clouds that obscure portions of the sky or wispy clouds that take on colors of their own, the most dramatic sunset pictures almost always include clouds.

We usually think of sunsets in conjunction with beaches and islands. Why? Does humidity and water have something to do with sunsets? The answer is yes...and no. Large masses of water and a hot sun do combine to produce dramatic clouds.

But that's not the main reason we usually see the most dramatic sunsets from a beach. The reason is more subtle.

The main reason we associate beaches with sunsets is that they give us an unobstructed view of the setting sun on the horizon. No mountains in the way. No buildings. No city lights. Just a flat horizon and the setting sun. Plus a smooth expanse of water to reflect the colors!

Plus, if you're hanging around on the beach, you're probably relaxed and in the mood to enjoy a great sunset. You have time to watch the sun go down and savor the changes that take place over time.

Before we turn to photography, one other question: Why are sunsets more often dramatic than sunrises? Assuming you're the type who gets up early enough to even see the sunrise, the polluting smokestacks usually aren't as active at night, and the cool air of nighttime is less likely to be as windy as the hot air of late afternoon. So, when it comes to exciting skies to photograph when the sun crosses the horizon, the sunset is king! Turn your camera to the west.

Now, what's the best way to photograph the sunset?

The questions we hear most often involve what exposure to use. The answer is that there are a range of correct exposures. If you use your camera's built-in meter, you will usually be way off because the sky is still relatively bright, and the meter will underexpose the image. If you have a separate light meter, your best approach is to try to meter the ambient level of light. To do this either take an incident-light reading, or take a gray-card reading. Either approach will usually give a proper exposure. However, to be on the safe side, we suggest you take a number of bracketed shots.

Bracketing is a technique used by professional photographers to get the best exposure, which sometimes isn't the exposure the meter claims is the right exposure. To bracket, if your meter tells you to expose the scene at 1/60 of a second at f/8, then make the photograph and then take another frame at 1/60th at f/5.6 (one stop more exposure)and another at 1/60th at f/11 (one stop less exposure). This way, you have taken frames with more and less exposure than that which the meter indicates. The photos below were taken with a one stop difference in exposure. You may find that a slightly lighter or darker version of the scene may give a more pleasing overall exposure.

What if you don't have a separate meter or a way to control your camera's aperture and shutter speed? As long as your camera has auto-exposure lock, you can still bracket...only you'll do so by "fooling" the camera. Here's how... First, point your camera at the sunset and take the indicated exposure. Second, point your camera at the ground where it's darker, lock the exposure, recompose on the sunset, and take another exposure. Third, point the camera at the sky, lock the exposure, recompose on the sunset, and take another photograph. You should now have three different exposure settings for the sunset!

There's another aspect of exposure for a sunset — timing. Sunsets aren't static. They happen over time. When you prepare to take those sunset pictures, plan to spend at least half an hour, so you can photograph the scene every five minutes or so. Clouds move, colors deepen and change, and the image you record a little later as the sunset unfolds may have more drama and richer colors than you saw fifteen minutes before. Take lots of pictures, and choose the best of them later when you see the results.

What about composition?

Even the most spectacular sunset will look like abstract wallpaper if you don't provide some context. Silhouetted trees or other objects in the foreground give a sense of scale and location to the scene. A great sunset will have a different feeling if it's taken at the beach with a few palm trees in the foreground. (Don't forget our friend who sold $17,000 of such an image!)

Of course, dramatic sunsets, despite what we've said about beaches and islands, can be seen in other places too. Wherever, see if you can place an interesting object in the foreground — for example, a Civil War monument in the foreground of a sunset at Gettysburg. What about mountains? They make wonderful images, but they often present a problem when it comes to sunsets. If the mountain is tall, the sun will set behind it while still glowing a bright yellow. The mountain may rise too far above the dust-laden horizon for you to see the deep red hue of the setting sun.

What focal length should you use for a great sunset? Figure it this way. The longer the lens, the larger the sun will appear in the picture. The surprising fact is that the sun in reality is only one-half a degree in diameter. What this means is that, if you shoot with a "normal" lens — say a 50mm — the sun will be less than 1/80th the width of the frame! You want the red globe of the sun to be a lot more significant than this. To achieve this, use a very long lens — 200mm is the minimum...400mm or longer is even better. One point, however: With such long lenses, be sure to support the camera on a tripod, monopod, or convenient flat surface since the exposure will be relatively long and you want to prevent camera shake.

WARNING: It is dangerous to your eyes to look directly at the shining yellow sun. Don't look directly at it until it is low enough in the sky to have turned red. If you're using a long lens, this is especially important. The lens is like a telescope. It magnifies the intensity of the sunlight. Don't look at the sun through the lens until the flaming yellow glow has turned a dark red.

If you use film, what should you use for sunset photos? Almost any film will do. Some pros want the "grainless" look of Kodachrome. Others will use their regular ISO 800 film, and see no difference. Our recommendation: ISO 200 or 400 will be fine. These ISO are good settings for use with a digital camera as well.

Here's a subject where slide film will record subtle differences in bracketed exposure better than color-negative film. Each slide provides you with an image that precisely reflects the exposure you gave the film. With color negative film, your efforts at giving more and less exposure through bracketing will often be minimized because the automatic printing machines will guess at the exposure you "meant" to give. If you have "custom" prints made by a lab, be sure to tell the technician you want to preserve the different exposures of your bracketing.

There are a few things that are different about shooting sunsets with a digital camera. Let's turn to them now.

Shooting Sunsets With a Digital Camera

Using a digital camera to photograph a sunset requires you to follow some common rules. Let's look at some of the similarities as well as the distinct differences too.

White Balance

White balance refers to the correctness of color in a photographic scene. The white balance feature in most digital cameras ensures that color appears correct regardless of the lighting conditions. Theoretically, if the white balance is correct, then all of the colors in the scene are correct too.

The first and perhaps easiest method is to shoot RAW files in the ìAutoî white balance mode. The camera will automatically select the white balance for you, and allow you to focus your efforts on composing a great image. However, you will most certainly need to correct the white balance later in the digital darkroom during the RAW conversion process. For sunsets, you will likely find that the ìcloudyî or ìshadyî presets will more closely resemble the actual look of the scene. While this is a useful method, we here at NYI believe in getting it right in the camera the first time. Not only is this the mark of a true professional, but it will save you post-processing time later.

Rather than allowing the camera to think for you, try using ìCustomî white balance. When you get to your location, start by taking a full frame image of a neutral gray or white card. Next, select the custom white balance in the LCD menu screen. The camera will then ask you to choose an image to set the white balance with. Select the image you just took of the neutral card, and you now have a custom set up for the scene before you. Please note that different camera manufactures have various ways to set Custom WB, so check your manual for their specific procedure.

Highlights

Another major consideration for those shooting digitally is how to handle the highlights. Much like slide film, digital sensors are quite sensitive to light. Even if you are very careful, itís easy to overexpose the bright areas of a scene. Most camera manufactures have responded to this situation by including a user selectable ìhighlight priorityî feature. It works by allowing more detail to be preserved in the lightest areas of the image. This is not only useful for bright sunsets and clouds, but for white wedding dresses as well. Of course proper exposure is still necessary, but this just may give your image that extra bit of dynamic range to really make it stand out. Weíve seen some examples of this mode, and can tell you that it truly works well. Donít just take our word for it, try it yourself.

Sun Can Damage CCDs

It's never a good idea to point a digital camera directly at any intensely bright light-source. Direct exposure to the sun while it is high in the sky can damage the delicate image sensor found in most digital cameras, the CCD. Fortunately as the sun approaches the sunset its intensity will diminish greatly. That's primarily because the light rays become scattered as they pass through atmospheric haze and pollutants that surrounds the earth. The closer the sun gets to the horizon, the safer it will be to point a digital camera at it. Never stare at the sun. You will cause damage to your eyes.

Auto-Focus

Very bright objects in the center of the frame can confuse the Auto-Focus feature found on most digital cameras. You can avoid the problem altogether by switching to Landscape mode. Landscape mode sets the camera lens to Infinity ensuring sharply focused sunsets.

Turn around!

Many times we get so caught up in photographing the sunset itself that we forget about the beautiful light that is being produced by this modified light source. Turn around and take notice of the golden light a sunset provides.

Golden Light

Don't stop shooting after the sun has dropped below the horizon. The light levels may be low but the quality of the light is pure beauty. Try shooting a portrait in this light and you'll be amazed at the rich golden tones you'll get.

Why is the quality of light so special? With the sun below the horizon, the sky essentially becomes a huge soft box, spreading reflected light through the atmosphere without the harshness and shadows of a point source such as the direct light of the sun.

The bottom line is digital cameras will perform better under soft reflected light conditions. Take advantage of this golden light, it doesn't last long.

Use a Tripod

Because of low light levels, shooting sunsets may require long exposure times, so you'll need a tripod. Exposure times of one or two seconds are common when shooting sunsets. Many digital cameras have replaced the cable release with a remote control. If your camera has one, bring it. This will reduce the possibility of camera shake during exposure times.

Include Foreground elements

Consider including foreground elements such as an interesting a tree or house into your scene. Just because you are shooting a sunset doesn't mean you only have to include the sun. Because of the direction of the light, foreground elements will almost assuredly be reproduced as silhouette, which can help to build visual drama in a sunset image.

Conclusion

A sunset is one of those moments in life that is often overlooked. Despite their regularity, each and every sunset is unique and anything but common. Perhaps that is what spurs us to grab our cameras and start shooting like today's sunset is the first one we have ever seen. In a way, it is.

If you follow these simple procedures, you're sure to get great sunset pictures. As we said at the head of this article, the problem is to get to a place that has great sunsets. The rest is easy!

Photographing moving water

Photographing moving water

Water, rocks and roots

You can elevate your photos of moving water from “Okay” to “Wow!” by stretching out your exposure time. While fast exposures freeze the look of moving water, long exposures produce misty creeks and waterfalls and impart a silky smooth, dreamy quality to larger bodies of water.

Go long on exposure

To give your photos of surf, creeks and waterfalls that misty, dreamy quality, dial down your camera’s ISO and aperture as far as possible. The idea is to get your shutter speed down to a half-second or longer to capture cascading currents, and even longer exposures – up to 20 seconds or more – are needed to smooth out ripples and waves.

Check out your camera manual to learn how Program mode can lower the shutter speed. You’ll have to step away from your camera’s automatic settings a bit to get these types of photographs.

Moonrise

Lighting

The best light for shooting moving water occurs early or late in the day when lighting is less intense, warm and at a low angle. This time of day, known as the Golden Hour, is a favorite among photographers.

You can also shoot moving water almost any time on an overcast day. Direct sunlight casts harsh shadows and makes it difficult to achieve the long exposure time needed to blur the water’s movement.

Filtering your water

In addition to decreasing the ISO and aperture, use a circular polarizing filter to cut the light further. A polarizer also minimizes bright reflections in the water that can show up as distracting blown-out white blotches.

Placing a neutral density filter on top of the polarizer will cut the light even further, ensuring that your exposure time is plenty long enough to make moving water go misty.

More hints for photographing water on the move

• You’ll need a sturdy tripod or other means of holding the camera still, such as bracing the camera against a solid object. This is a must for minimizing camera shake during long exposure times.
• Try to get as close as you can to the moving water and set up low to the ground. This will magnify the effect of the water’s motion and make it more prominent in your picture’s composition.
• The great thing about digital photography is that you can easily try out some shots, note the results and make adjustments as needed.

Controlling the depth of field (DOF)

Controlling the depth of field (DOF), or how much of your shot is in focus, is simple enough, and can have a real impact on your photos.

Chances are not everything in your picture will be the same distance from the camera. In some cases you want as much of the photo in focus as possible (when shooting a group of people for instance), but in other cases you can help draw attention to the one subject in focus by having the rest of the background out of focus and therefore blurry (most commonly used in portraits). The following two photos demonstrate the difference. In both cases I focused the camera on the red car in front.

For a shallow depth of field: Set the aperature value as low as possible. Get as close to the primary subject as possible. You'll need lots of light. You may have to increase the ISO setting.

To maximize the depth of field: Set the aperature value as high as possible. The farther away you are the greater the depth of field. A longer exposure will maximize the depth of field; you may need a tripod, or other steady surface for your camera.

Shallow depth of field 1/30th of a second exposure f 3.5 aperature value

Greater depth of field 1.5 second exposure f 22 aperature value

Photographing moving objects: add motion to boost emotion...

Do your photos all seem a bit static and bland? Capture the idea of ‘speed’ by adding blurring to fast-moving objects.

Using a fast shutter speed to ‘freeze’ an object at high speed might give you pin-sharp focus but without movement some photos can look cold and clinical.

Photographing moving objects: using 'panning' to create blurring

Try using a technique called ‘panning’ to enhance your photos with a ‘blur’ effect.

The aim is to keep your subject as sharp as you can while blurring the background.

Just slow down the shutter speed and track the object you want to shoot. It makes photographing moving objects easier and your pictures more exciting.

If you’ve never tried it before, it can be slightly harder than it looks ­ not least because today’s highly automated digital cameras will do everything they can to reduce blur!

You will need manual override facilities on your camera and training is essential if you are to get the best out of them.

But in the meantime, here are some handy tips if you want to try panning when photographing moving objects…

• Tip 1. If you can’t get your shutter speed low enough without over-exposing the picture, try reducing your camera’s ISO setting to its lowest point.
• Tip 2. If after lowering your camera's ISO you still can't get a slow enough shutter speed to blur motion, get yourself a couple of Neutral Density filters which act like sunglasses for your camera ­ they lower light levels and make everything darker. A polarising filter will have a similar effect.
• Tip 3. Don’t be tempted to increase speed of a moving object by panning in the opposite direction ­ that will blur the subject beyond recognition. There are ways round this but they’re very advanced.