It has been an incredible run of travel this year – well over 100,000 miles in the air and over 60,000 since July. I’ve seen a lot of the inside of a metal tube, but I’ve also had the chance to go to some amazing places. The more I shoot, the more comfortable I am with my equipment and just as importantly what I need to work on. So that is the lesson for this post – shoot more and think about what you need to learn to improve when you’re looking at the shots you don’t like as well as then ones you do.
I had my first try at bird-in-flight (BiF) photography. Verdict: HARD! Knowing how to set up my AF was key to getting some decent shots for a first outing. More knowledge and tuning needed. D300s & 70-200 f/4 @ f/4, 1/4000, ISO 320, AF-C w/ 51-point tracking
My son came out to feed the gulls. I sat down with my back against the house, and after shooting a few shots with flash I realized I was missing a much better shot without the flash… D300s & Nikon 18-200 @ f/7.1, 1/640, ISO 200
I left for Japan the day after returning from the beach. I took a few photos I like, but I really enjoyed a chance to get a better shot of Tokyo Tower from the Mori Tower. The conditions were tough again – very windy, but this shot came out OK anyway and really showed the value of VR (vibration reduction). D300s & 70-200 f/4 @ f/4, 1/15, ISO 1000
One of the next places I went was Bangkok. To say there is a lot of texture there is an understatement. I’d love to spend a few months wandering around there – amazing, beautiful place. These fruits were so colorful at a street-side stand, and seemed a perfect time to play nearly wide-open. D300s & 35 f/1.8G @ f/2.2, 1/60, ISO 200
The Chao Phraya river in Bankok offers just as much to see as the land. A good example of the versatility of the 18-200 VRII for both the zoom range and the stabilization. D300s & 18-200 VRII @ f/7.1, 1/250, ISO 320
Coming off the river is a combination of a dock and a shopping center, an awesome jam of people and products. D300s & 35 f/1.8G @ f/1.8, 1/160, ISO 800
At the temple of Wat Pho is the Reclining Buddha. Behind it are metal pots – you make a small donation and get a cup of old coins to plink in the buckets. The sound as many folks walk up the row is really cool. Tough to get a sharp shot as it was pretty dark and I didn’t want to push the ISO. D300s & 35 f/1.8G @ f/1.8, 1/30, ISO 800
An elephant statue at the Erawon Temple in downtown Bangkok. I should have dialed the ISO down to 200 here – it was pretty bright. D300s & 35 f/1.8G @ f/1.8, 1/1250, ISO 320
The Summer kept hopping from there – I took another trip to Asia and went a few other places too. I’ll post a few more photographs from those trips soon. In the meantime, I’d love to see YOUR favorite pix from this year so far!
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