Photographers' Union Thread

[Justin24]

The best times to shoot are sunrise/very early morning and sunset. The worst times to shoot are any time from 10 am to 330pm. To much light can wash out a pic unless your using a lens hood, neutral density filter or UV filter.

[randhail]

Two questions for the more seasoned photographers here:

I'm going to be spending 3-4 day in Yosemite this summer as well as 2 days in Santa Cruz and was wondering if it's worth my while to lug a tripod around with me on the trip - more specifically taking it with my on my hikes at Yosemite.

Second, I've got a 40d and have the 17-40L lens and am wondering if I should consider getting something wider (like the sigma 10-20)?

[Justin24]

To answer your first question. I would not bring a tripod unless you camping and plan on taking dusk or dawn shots, you hands are shakey or you plan to put your self in the photo. Having a tripod will only add wait if you need a stable surface try find a boulder. This is my recommendation but its always up to you. They do sell aluminum light weight tripods too.

As far as lenses go there is also the 14-24mm lens but it is quite pricey. The 17 to 40 should be fine. If you ever want to try a lens out go to BorrowLenses.com - Camera Rental and Canon/Nikon Lens Rental

[Diemen]

Originally Posted by randhail Two questions for the more seasoned photographers here: I'm going to be spending 3-4 day in Yosemite this summer as well as 2 days in Santa Cruz and was wondering if it's worth my while to lug a tripod around with me on the trip - more specifically taking it with my on my hikes at Yosemite. Second, I've got a 40d and have the 17-40L lens and am wondering if I should consider getting something wider (like the sigma 10-20)?

I disagree with Justin on the tripod. For landscape photography I almost never leave my tripod behind unless I'm just looking for snapshots. The possibilities for getting a sharp shot with everything in focus are severely limited by the amount of light when shooting handheld. Using a tripod eliminates shutter speed as a concern.

There have been a few times where I've left my tripod behind because I didn't think I'd need it, then i found a scene that was in the shade and I'd either have to bump the ISO way up (and introduce a lot more noise into the image), or have too shallow an f/stop to get a decent shutter speed, and then I wouldn't get everything sharp that I wanted to be sharp. Even with image stabilization lenses and all, a tripod will always get you a sharper shot. And especially in a place like Yosemite, where there are massive canyons and huge granite cliffs that can leave you in the shade much earlier than you thought, a tripod comes in handy. For example, these shots would've been impossible without a tripod:





Because I could never hold still enough for the length of time to get the water to look like that. And in the second shot, it was just after dawn on an overcast day, so even if I didn't want to blur the water, the shutter speed would've been really low. Bring the tripod along.

The only time I'd say to leave a tripod behind is if you're going for a strenuous hike (like the Half Dome hike or something similar). If it's a hard core trail, you definitely want to save weight where you can. Though something you may want to consider is the GorillaPod.

I would also definitely look into something wider. The Sigma 10-20 is a good lens. I've got the Canon 10-22 and love it - use it all the time in Yosemite, too.

[Justin24]

Diemen may be more correct than I. I hard use Tripods, and should use it more often. I have like 3 of them, which are collecting dust.

[jets]

I use a tripod too (when I remember to take it)


I also have a Gorillapod & its fantastic when your hiking or travelling & don't have room for a big tripod.

[Jive Turkey]

By the way, your tones in this shot are gorgeous

Originally Posted by Diemen

[ntalwar]

I'd have to say bring a tripod. Most if not all serious landscape photographers use them.

Originally Posted by randhail Second, I've got a 40d and have the 17-40L lens and am wondering if I should consider getting something wider (like the sigma 10-20)?

I think that body has a 1.6 crop factor, so the 17 is really 27mm . The 17-40 would work great on my full-frame body (and I will probably buy one). I'd browse flickr etc for other photos taken with that body/lens and see what type of shots are taken.

[randhail]

Originally Posted by ntalwar I'd have to say bring a tripod. Most if not all serious landscape photographers use them. I think that body has a 1.6 crop factor, so the 17 is really 27mm . The 17-40 would work great on my full-frame body (and I will probably buy one). I'd browse flickr etc for other photos taken with that body/lens and see what type of shots are taken.

I'd hardly consider myself a serious landscape photographer, but I'd love to get some nice shots at dawn and dusk and had a feeling a tripod would be necessary. I know that Manfrotto seems to be the choice amongst many photographers, but do you know of any decent ones that are relatively cheap (say around $100) and lightweight enough to be taken on some long hikes?

The 40 is a 1.6x crop so you're right on with the actual length. I've been poking around the photography on the net forums and it seems like a wider lends would be a good choice. We've have to see what the funds allow though.

Another question that I thought of it would renting a longer lens (70-200) be a decent idea? I've got the 28-135 kit lens which is pretty good, but have read that some people recommend the longer reach to get more detail in the photos.

[Justin24]

i hardly use a tripod for landscape

[ntalwar]

^ I think Slik makes some good compact tripods. I need to get a decent one, and I want a pistol-grip head. Not too familiar with the big zooms.

Luminous landscape might have good advice on it.

[randhail]

Thanks, I'll have to check them out.

[ntalwar]

Another thing with landscapes is exposure bracketing. So you'll need a tripod for stuff like HDR and making composite images later.

[randhail]

Originally Posted by ntalwar Another thing with landscapes is exposure bracketing. So you'll need a tripod for stuff like HDR and making composite images later.

I've never tried the bracketing and HDR, but it definitely something I want to take a shot at.

[Justin24]

randhail i recommend BorrowLenses.com - Camera Rental and Canon/Nikon Lens Rental if you want to rent lenses. since you will be in the bay area they are localb her in sf and you can save money on shipping.