On this our first episode of NatureScapes Radio Live! we introduce our host Dave Warner and our featured guests Greg Downing and E.J. Peiker of NatureScapes.net.
Greg and E.J. give a little background on themselves and NatureScapes and they talk about what's happening around the site and take questions via email, Twitter and the live listeners.
They discuss everything from the Images of the Year winners to the newest gear and building the ultimate digital darkroom.
In addition Greg and E.J. answer your questions that came in via email, Twitter and from the live listening audience!
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Show Notes for NatureScapes Radio LIVE! Episode 1:
Length of Podcast: 1:16:16
Hosts: Dave Warner, Greg Downing, E.J. Peiker
Aired Live: Tuesday, March 2, 2010 at 9PM EST
The pilot episode of NatureScapes Radio LIVE! aired Tuesday, March 2, 2010, and was hosted by LensFlare35’s Dave Warner, NatureScapes publisher Greg Downing, and NatureScapes Senior Technical Editor E.J. Peiker. At the beginning of the program, E.J. and Greg discussed how they each got involved in photography, how they met, and the birth of NatureScapes.Net.
E.J. got his start in photography as a seven year old in Germany, when his grandmother sent him a camera in the mail (1:12). Greg, on the other hand, didn’t pick up photography until his late twenties, when he turned to photography as a way to share his passion for birding with others (5:10). They first met at Crane Creek in Ohio in 2001 (3:06) and later developed NatureScapes.Net as a website and resource for passionate nature photographers interested in learning and sharing with others.
This episode offered a great inside look at NatureScapes.Net, as Greg and E.J. explained the Images of the Year selection process and discussed this year’s winners (8:48). (You can see the 2009 Images of the Year at http://www.naturescapes.net/docs/index.php/images-of-the-year-awards/85-images-of-the-year-awards/index.php/images-of-the-year-awards/85-images-of-the-year-awards/387-2009-images-of-the-year-awards or the Images of the Year archives for selections from all the years at http://www.naturescapes.net/docs/index.php/images-of-the-year-awards.)
Dave, Greg, and E.J. then dove into questions posed by listeners (15:28), the first being “Please explain your experience using the Better Beamer while shooting birds in flight with high speed sync. What distances do you find it is effective at?” The Better Beamer is a brand name for a flash extender, an accessory that attaches to the front of an on camera strobe unit and increases the effective range of the flash when used with telephoto lenses. (The Better Beamer is available for sale in the NSN Store http://www.naturescapes.net/store/visual-echoes/). Greg advised using the flash, with Better Beamer attached, set to manual to shoot at full power. He explained that the distance of flash coverage will vary depending on many factors, including ISO and shutter speed. By taking several test shots, he said, you can tell if the settings are effective and then adjust them accordingly to get the desired result. E.J. added (18:45) that by shooting at full power, the flash will only fire for one frame. He recommended shooting a reduced power if it is necessary to have the flash fire for multiple frames when shooting several frames per second, and also suggested taking test shots to determine the best settings for a particular setup and situation.
The next question came from a Westchester, New York based listener via the chat room, who asked about using a 2x teleconverter with his Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens mounted on a Canon XSi camera body (23:45). Greg recommended trying the 1.4x extender instead with that combination, as the 2x extender would greatly darken the viewfinder and make focusing difficult. Non-pro Canon bodies will not autofocus at higher than f/5.6, so that combination would require focusing manually on the XSi. In order to trick the camera into autofocusing the 400mm f/5.6 lens, E.J. gave the option of using a non-reporting Kenko teleconverter, but warned that the darker image will still make focusing slow. The guys also discussed shooting at locations where subjects are tamer and using blinds and vehicles as blinds in order to get closer to the subject and possibly eliminate the need to use a teleconverter (25:15). When starting out, Greg suggested photographing larger, slower moving, more common subjects, like wading birds or Canada Geese, to practice techniques and refine your shooting skills.
In an email, one listener asked, “What are your thoughts on the Nikon 10-24 D lens? If not favorable, can you recommend a good wide angle lens for use with my Nikon D300 that is not too bulky?” (24:47). E.J. who has used both Canon and Nikon camera systems and currently shoots Nikon, took the question. Because the Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 10-24MM F/3.5-4.5G ED lens in question is designed specifically for cropped sensors, E.J. was unable to offer his own review of the lens. He did say that the Nikon 14-24mm lens, which is designed for use on full frame sensors and can be used on cropped sensor cameras, such as the D300, as well, is the best wide-angle zoom lens ever made, and that it outperforms many prime lenses in its range. A newly announced Nikon lens, the 16-35mm f/4 lens, might be a good, although possibly expensive, option, said E.J. He is happy to see Nikon producing professional f/4 lenses, as in the past, most of Nikon’s higher end optics were f/2.8 lenses, which are larger and heavier than their f/4 counterparts.
Cory (32:00), who uses a Canon 7D, wondered what wide-angle lens would be appropriate for his camera. E.J. recommended the Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM lens for Canon users shooting with 1.6x crop factor bodies. Both E.J. and Greg warned that the Nikon DX and Canon EF-S lenses cannot be used on 1.3x crop factor or full frame camera bodies. The Sigma 12-24mm lens, said E.J. is “pretty good” and can be used on both full frame and cropped sensor bodies for those looking to go super wide.
Listener Sid asked E.J. how he manages to balance working full time at Intel with his professional photography career (33:30). E.J. who recently retired from Intel, said that when he did juggle the two, he did so on very little sleep.
Via email, the guys were asked “With the airlines cracking down on carry on items, or charging through the nose for them, how do you approach carrying your gear for travel?” (34:14). Number one, said Greg, is to avoid ending up on regional jets or any of the smaller planes, where you may have to gate check your carry on bags. On domestic flights, Greg uses the ThinkTank Airport Security, a wheeled carry-on, and crams as much gear as possible into it, along with a Think Tank Urban Disguise 60, a shoulder bag, which carries his computer, spare hard drives, and Bose headphones. When flying internationally, he uses the smaller, lightweight Gura Gear Kiboko bag to hold his gear. Greg offered an ingenious tip for plane travelers too – he packs a lightweight photo vest with many pockets into his carry on. If ever stopped for his carry on bags being too large or overweight, he can wear the photo vest and stuff the pockets full of smaller and heavier weight items instead of carrying them in his bag. The biggest thing, Greg said, is to do your homework: know what type of plane you’ll be flying on, talk to other photographers who have flown on that airline before, and call the airline itself and double check all rules and regulations before flying. If you must pack some of your gear in your checked luggage, Greg said to pad it very well and use a hard sided suitcase. E.J. recommended flying Southwest Airlines, as they do not use smaller, regional jets at all and do not charge for checked bags. He also said “Pack as if you’ll be forced to give it up” meaning to make sure all of your items are properly padded, even your carry on items. In order to ensure that you will be among the first to board a plane and able to secure space for your carry on items, E.J. said to book window seats in the back of the plane, unless you are a member of an airline rewards club that offers such privileges regardless of your seating assignment.
Greg discussed some changes to the NatureScapes Store (43:22). A recent redesign has made the store much more user friendly, adding a smart search feature, streamlining the checkout experience, and other new features.
You can see the spiffy new NatureScapes Store at http://www.naturescapes.net/store/.
Dave, Greg, and E.J. then dove into the topic of gear (44:15). Greg discussed the new Gitzo 3 series basalt tripod tripod. The NSN store now carries the basalt 3830, which is a great option for bird and wildlife photographers looking for a high quality tripod that is strong and sturdy, but lighter in weight than aluminum without the cost of carbon fiber.
While discussing the latest gear and technologies related to photography, Greg mentioned a blog post by Utah based landscape photographer Guy Tal (48:12), who wrote about how many of today’s photographers get so wrapped up in technology that they forget the art of photography. Read Guy’s blog entry “Have We Made Things Too Complicated?” here: http://guytal.com/wordpress/?p=750.
Greg then talked briefly about using his Canon SD90, a point-and-shoot, in lieu of his expensive SLR equipment as an exercise in creativity (49:33), and said it has been a good challenge to try to capture images using only that camera, without too much technology getting in the way.
A couple minutes later, the guys jump back to listener questions (51:08). “What is a good priced portable blind for bird photography?” asked one of the users in the chat room. The cheapest option, said Greg, is to buy lightweight blind fabric (available at Walmart) and drape yourself with it to conceal your outline. The NatureScapes Store also sells Kwik Camo blinds (http://www.naturescapes.net/store/kwik-camo_photography-blind-sale-99.95.html) that have Velcro fasteners to hold the blind in place and a mesh window to see through. The disadvantage of these blinds though is they do not hide your movement, whereas a pop-up blind creates a little tent for you to sit in with your camera and tripod. Pop-up blinds are heavier, bulkier, and less portable however. The NatureScapes Store sells a handful of pop-up blinds by Ameristep (http://www.naturescapes.net/store/ameristep/) available in different sizes, shapes, and camouflage patterns.
Dave, Greg, and E.J. then discussed the constant evolution of digital cameras (53:55). They briefly addressed the new firmware update to the 5D Mark II, designed to improve the camera’s HD video capabilities, and talked about the 1D Mark IV, the Panasonic GF-1, and Nikon’s new f/4 professional lenses and 24mm f/1.4 lens. E.J. brought up the new iPad (58:04), which was discussed for a bit.
A question was asked about the Pribilof Islands workshop that Greg is offering during the first week of August (59:18). Information about this workshop, which is co-led by NSN birds forum moderator Alan Murphy, can be found on Greg’s website: http://www.gdphotography.com/workshops_stpaulisland_2010.htm
The next question was by John, who asked, “If shooting handheld, what is the best way to carry a heavy lens like a 500mm f/4 for long distances? Will a Black Rapids strap work for this?” (1:00:51). The Black Rapids strap is not designed to hold something as big as a 500mm super telephoto lens. Greg recommended carrying the lens on a tripod slung over the shoulder and detaching it when you want to shoot with it handheld. If not using a tripod at all, Greg and E.J. both recommended carrying the lens by the lens foot.
The guys then dove into a discussion on setting up a digital darkroom (1:03:16). E.J., a computer expert with 27 years of experience working for Intel, laid out his suggestions for the ultimate home computer setup, as well as a setup that would work for those on a budget, and he discussed the Mac vs PC debate. He owns both, and said that right now, using Photoshop, the PC has an advantage over Macs because of 64 bit processing. E.J. then discussed specifics in terms of processors, RAM, and other components for building the ideal digital photography workstation.
To wrap up the episode, Greg and E.J. answered a final question about photo editing software (1:11:00). In an email, it was asked “If I’m just starting out in digital photography, what is a good software program to use to convert my images and edit them without going through the expense of buying Photoshop?” Greg suggests using Adobe Photoshop Elements, as the commands in Elements are similar to the more advanced versions of Photoshop and would help speed up the learning curve of someone who later upgraded to Photoshop CS4. E.J. also suggested Adobe Lightroom as a great program for someone who is starting out, and Aperture was mentioned for Mac users.
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