An Evening Among Friends

D7000 + 70-200I took photos for my friend's party.  It was an intimate affair for close family friends, with approximately 60 people, at a hotel.  In this post, I'd like to share some of the photos and give my thoughts on the cameras and lenses I used.I used three cameras: the Nikon D600, Nikon D7000 and Fuji S5 Pro.  I used a clone of the black rapid strap (reviewed here) while the other camera was on my neck.  The...

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How to Synchronize Multiple Cameras

I took photos for my friend, whose parents were celebrating their 50th anniversary.  I used three cameras for this party (the Nikon D600, Nikon D7000 and Fuji S5 Pro).  The cameras are usually not completely synchronized.  When editing the shots, this can be a headache.  Fortunately, synchronizing multiple cameras is easy enough in Lightroom.1. Take a shot of a clock (such as my computer's clock) with each camera.  You can...

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Lab Experiment on Three Koi

Three KoiHappy Memorial Day!Today, I'm going to discuss a Lab experiment on three koi.  Don't worry, no animals were harmed in the making of this post :)Here is how the shot above looked originally:Quite different from the final result, and something that I probably would not have known how to do a few months ago.My son and I were watching some koi in a pond.  I let my son take some pictures with my camera while I fed the fish.  He...

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Coming up: Nikon 28-70 2.8 vs. Tamron 28-75 2.8

UPDATE: the Tamron 28-75 and Nikon 28-70 comparison is here.  The party photos are here: This weekend I will be taking event photos for a friend.  Her parents are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.  I initially planned to rent a Nikon 24-70 2.8G (I already sold mine) and a Nikon 70-200 VR II (sold my VR I too).  However, on eBay I came across a listing for a Nikon 28-70 2.8D (reviewed here).  It was listed for less than $800, whereas I usually see it for around $9xx, $1000, or more.  I ordered it and received...

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Phone Photography, Mirorrless Happiness And The OM-D EM-6

Say hello to my new phone. I have been a faithful Samsung Galaxy S owner since the series was first introduced more than three years ago, I owned the original Galaxy S, the Galaxy S II, the Galaxy S III, and now the latest Galaxy S4 (yes, Samsung ditched the Roman numerals). You see, here in Egypt we don't have the concept of carrier locked phones and 2 year contracts, phones are usually (97%) sold unlocked, and you have zero obligation to stay with...

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Tamron 24-70 VC earns DPR Gold

DPReview posted their review of the Tamron 24-70 VC, giving it their prestigious Gold award: http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/tamron-24-70mm-2p8-vc-usd/ DPR's evaluation agrees with DXO's, which found that the Tamron was "impressive," and even outresolved the vaunted Nikon 24-70 2.8G (15 vs. 14 perceptual mp). http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/Publications/DxOMark-Reviews/Tamron-SP-24-70mm-f-2.8-Di-VC-USD-review-A-uniquely-versatile-pro-worthy-alternative/Comparisons (In fact, in DXO's comparison, the Tamron bested the Nikon even though...

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Settings for Lighting Scenarios

When I'm using flash, I have a usual starting point for certain scenarios.  A couple of them can be programmed into the custom U1 and U2 settings of the Nikon D600, D7000 and D7100.  Hit the jump for my specific settings.I have four typical lighting scenarios:1. Mixing ambient and flash: flash as fill.  The primary light source is the existing light.  I'm only using flash to supplement the existing light, usually to add a little fill to the shadows. 2. Mixing ambient and flash: flash as key.  There is still some ambient...

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Mother's Day Brunch with My Favorite Lens

I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day.  Our family had brunch at a restaurant in Santa Monica called the Lobster.  I brought my D600 and my favorite lens, the Nikon 85 1.8G.To me, it is a little strange to have a favorite lens since each of my lenses has its purpose, so I can't really compare them.  Nonetheless, the 85 1.8G is my favorite because it is very good at what it's supposed to do: it gives me sharp images, with quick and...

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