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The Tuesday Composition: Just Move!

If you like this article, you can now get the book! Joe has expanded the “Tuesday Composition” series into an inspiring new ebook on composition, especially for nature photography. Check it out: The Tuesday Composition.

Keep moving!

One of the best things about giving “shoot and critique” workshops is that I get the opportunity to see what participants can make out of a given situation. It’s great to see how different and interesting their visions are-I constantly learn things from my students by observing their photographic vision. But it’s also a great environment for me to be able to give knowledgeable feedback. Over the years, one of the most common themes I’ve seen in my feedback, particularly to beginning photographers, is suggesting that the image might have improved if the photographer had moved a little-whether left, right, forward, back, up or down.

Every movement of the camera and photographer changes the “choreography” of the images, some subjects get bigger, some smaller, and the position of the elements involved changes as well. Perhaps some appear – or disappear – around other objects. The positioning of the objects in the frame changes as well, movement is a powerful photographic tool. (more…)

Tamron 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di-II LD SP AF Aspherical [IF] Zoom Review: Field Test Report

Peter Burian tests this new lens with true ultra-wide angle capability when used on a DSLR with an APS-C size sensor

Since the vast majority of digital SLR cameras employ a relatively small sensor, there’s a definite need for very short lenses for an expansive angle of view. Hence, Tamron’s highly-rated 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6 Di II zoom has been a best seller among serious photo enthusiasts who appreciate ultra wide angle images. In my tests, that zoom produced beautiful results, but the new 10-24mm model is even better in some respects.

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Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S DX VR Nikkor Review

This zoom has taken me far and wide, expanding my creative vision.

I wasn’t about to be swayed easily. Until now I was not a Nikon enthusiast–my camera allegiances lay elsewhere. So, if I was going to start using Nikon gear seriously, that gear had better prove itself. Accordingly, when I tested out the D300, I chose the one lens that I’d anticipated would either demonstrate the merits of this system or let it fall flat on its face. I wanted a lens wide enough for scenics and groups and long enough to capture people and wildlife unobtrusively. In an all-purpose lens, I also wanted image stabilization, or, as Nikon calls it, Vibration Reduction (VR)–or specifically second-gen Enhanced VR II Vibration Reduction–a nice adjunct when shooting by available light or stretching the limits of a low light-sensitivity rating (ISO).

What I really wanted was one lens that would do it all. I didn’t want to schlep around three or four lenses as I did with my other DSLR system. I wanted a compact solution, but one that would not involve compromise–at least, none that I would notice in everyday shooting.

And that search led me to Nikon’s 18-200 VR. Aside from a fisheye that I carry for an entirely different perspective on the world, this lens is all I’ve carried on recent trips to Germany, Miami, and Las Vegas. It has so much going for it that–well, maybe we should start at the beginning…

jn_01a-compact2 — THE LENS. The AF-S DX VR Zoom-NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED is fairly lightweight, and relatively compact when not zoomed out. Note the three switches: one governs focusing (auto with manual override or full manual), VR on/off, and VR mode ("normal" for camera shake and smooth panning or "active" for shooting from a moving vehicle). Frankly, I rarely used this last feature, and when I did, I didn't notice a measurable difference. When fully extended, this lens becomes obvious for what it is: a zoom with telephoto reach. The petal-shaped lens shade may not seem deep enough, but it does the job well. Photo Copyright ©2009 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.

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