Yesterday morning and a couple others

[Jon Holcombe]

 

[Toothy Critter]

Holy crap Jon, that first one belongs in The Louve. A new side to your artistry

 

[Jon Holcombe]

Thanks Critter. I finally figured out that if most of Al Horner's great shots have morning mist, maybe I should adopt the same strategy.

 

[Toothy Critter]

Thanks Critter. I finally figured out that if most of Al Horner's great shots have morning mist, maybe I should adopt the same strategy.

Follow your own path, not what others do. Your pics should relay your view of the world, not someone elses. 'Specially THAT guy

 

[Jon Holcombe]

Using mist in forest photography is a widely acknowledged strategy, I'm just late to the game. And by the way, I finally followed your advice and bought stocking foot waders and wading boots. I've used them a few times but find them less convenient than hip waders, especially when answering the call of nature. Still, when water is deep, they are the only things that work.

 

[Toothy Critter]

Using mist in forest photography is a widely acknowledged strategy, I'm just late to the game. And by the way, I finally followed your advice and bought stocking foot waders and wading boots. I've used them a few times but find them less convenient than hip waders, especially when answering the call of nature. Still, when water is deep, they are the only things that work.

Yup, they allow you to go far and deep. Just please, always remember to wear the safety belt around your waist, tight...it can save your life !! And when these get ruined, your next pair should be Simms, they have a waterproof flap for just that purpose

 

[Toothy Critter]

One last suggestion. You can buy a cheap pair of nylon rain pants to wear over the waders to keep some of the gnarly sticker bush from tearing the wader material. Just cut any elastic bands from the bottom of the pants legs

 

[Jon Holcombe]

Great suggestion Critter, as well as the Simms waders suggestion, thanks. I bought Simms wading boots and they seem very good. The guy on "MeatEater" wears Simms, so I figured they have to be good.

A couple more shots from the other day.

 

[old jersey girl]

Holy crap Jon, that first one belongs in The Louve. A new side to your artistry

How can I buy a print of the first one? I'll take something else iff the wall so I can look at yours. You are better than good.

NOT to revive an old thread: the sales for SLR cameras have commenced. I haven't bought one yet because when handled them several months back, I was put off by the weight.
Both the Canon rebel and equivalent Nikon package are about 400 dollars.
Either one?

 

[Boyd]

I have been shooting with Nikons since 1967 and have a bunch of lenses, so I'm locked into their system. But last summer, my old D-80 died with a jammed shutter and I still haven't replaced it. Just haven't used it much in the past few years, but if I was going to replace it, the models I like are all $1000 or more just for a body. Finding it hard to justify that kind of expense without a clear need. Last I checked, I could get another used D-80 body in good condition for around $150 at B&H Photo, if I wanted to get back to where I was before.

But my iPhone is getting old, and I'm thinking of upgrading to one of the top new ones. They have some very impressive photo capabilities, including built-in dedicated telephoto and wide lenses, low light mode, etc. Even my 4 year old iPhone 6s+ has a surprisingly good camera. If I had plenty of disposable income, I'd get another DSLR, but honestly it's not something I crave much these days.

Anyway, you might consider investing a similar amount in a current generation smartphone instead of an entry level DSLR with the cheap lenses they typically bundle with them. Another thought is to get a used DSLR at one of the big stores with good warranties (like B&H or Adorama). They typically have bundles with all-purpose lenses, or just get the body and start collecting your own primes. Price should be comparable, without any special Black Friday deal. Since you don't really seem to be in a hurry, you could spend a little time educating yourself in the meantime. And a visit to B&H in New York is an experience everyone should have... it's just a few minutes from the Lincoln Tunnel with parking right across the street that's free if you spend $100.

Just some random thoughts....

 

[Jon Holcombe]

Thank you for asking Jersey Girl, and I appreciate your kind words. The landscape photo thing is a serious hobby, but I have never really gone to the trouble of getting up to speed with the right printer, or sourcing an online print shop. I have a few photos in the "Thriving Together: People and Nature in the NJ Pinelands National Reserve" show at the Lakefront Gallery in Hamilton in January and that is the first time I will actually see my shots hanging on a wall. That is a long winded way of saying I don't do prints at the moment. But hopefully, in the not too distant future I will.

Boyds advice on cameras is very good. One caveat is Nikon imaging division is in real trouble (I have a Nikon system). Unless you are really interested in buying into a DSLR or a Mirrorless system, with a camera and multiple lenses, and spending time on your computer learning a lot of photo processing software, mobile phones take great pictures, as Boyd said.

If you are determined to buy an interchangeable lens system, or entry level fixed lens camera, "https://www.dpreview.com" is a great source to figure out what to get.I can't make any recommendations because I just haven't looked for so long I do not know what is available. If it were me, I would avoid Nikon right now because of their financial troubles, and look at Canon, Sony, Fuji or Olympus.

 

[Boyd]

I really don't follow the industry anymore. Are you saying that Nikon is having an existential crisis and could actually go away? Whatever happens, there should be plenty of supply of great cameras and lenses in the used market for years to come.

 

[Jon Holcombe]

Boyd, all of the DSLR and Mirrorless imaging divisions are in trouble because of the convenience and excellence of cameras on mobile phones. But Nikon in particular is in super bad, double secret probation trouble. If I were buying INTO a new camera system right now, I would not buy into Nikon. I have a Nikon system, and have no immediate worries about their imaging division going under, but their financials are worse than Canons. And they have made one bone headed decision after another. They are from the analog world of the past century, with manufacturing and fine optics. The new world is digital, and software. The D850 may be the best camera in the history of the world, but the paradigm is shifting quickly.

 

[Toothy Critter]

Jersey Girl. I recently bought the Canon Rebel 6 package deal and could not be happier. its 18mp compared to the Nikons equal which is 24mp. But other than that I could not tell you which is better. I shoot in RAW and use simple editing, so my pics are basically what you see, and I am by no means a photographer of any ilk. But nowadays the real trick is your editing program. With Photoshop (which I do not use) you can transform just about any photo into an almost masterpiece. You can layer multiple pics to appear as if its one. Its like a graphic designer. So don't be concerned about the camera as much as you think. Both Canon and Nikon kits for $400 to $600 are up to the task for a casual shooter. And although cell phones take excellent pictures now, the real fun in photography is setting up the shot yourself and then tweeking it in an editor afterwards. Think of a cell phone as those electronic keyboards that when u press one key, the whole band starts preforming for you. Don't make you no musician, only learning and playing the music qualifies you as one. Same as phones, they do all the work, don't make you a photographer. You would be surprised at all the work Jon puts into his pics, from spending hours stalking them, to tons of shots on different settings, to going home and putting the time in on the editing. The results prove my point. I'm rambling...shutup

 

[old jersey girl]

Thank you, thank you all for VERY helpfull feedback, esp toothy critter! I liked the description of real camera vs. smartphone "band" analogy.

Also interesting Nikon company info.

Jon, let me know if/when you make prints or have a company make them for you.

And again, thanks to all (and hope you are enjoying the turkey day leftovers!)
Carol