Capture the Dragon Fly, Canon 70-200mm L glass

So, yes, I wish that I had a tripod set up and could move it to wherever I wanted to in nanoseconds!  But I havent' been able to yet.  Shame on me.  Using a tripod will help you with those settings, where you don't have time constraints.  Take that Darn Photo is my motto when it comes to digital photography.  So you don't like the pic, well then, hit that delete button.  How hard was that.



Using the Canon 70-200mm, I have taken numerous photographs that I am very happy with.  I did get caught off guard though when I had a Dragon Fly doing circuits around me.  If there are any pilots reading this, they will know what circuits are, and for those who aren't and don't know it essentially means, doing circles around a airport.  The people flying the airplanes are practicing takeoffs and landings, using radio communications, and fitting into slots where they can practice their piloting skills.



Well here, I had a Dragon Fly, that was doing "Circuits" around me.  Like, I was the Airport.  Where was my camera?  ( I had of course put it away in my knapsack and never thought that I would use it again that day. )


So here for example is the reason I have the motto, "TAKE THE DARN PHOTO!", and then,

TAKE SOME MORE!

Bad photo.... the reason I take more!!!

So I guess that I have more than one motto.  I am going to have to say that this is, take the photo, click that button, and then keep clicking it!  The worst that will happen, would be that you have to hit the delete button more than once!

Oww, that really hurt.

I have to say that you must download all your photographs before you delete them, just because you never know.

The above photo is one that I wanted to delete.  Then I started this Blog and I thought that it might be useful as a example.


Using the Canon 70-200mm non image stabilized made me have to think.  It wasn't the image stabilization so to speak, as to the auto focus of the camera.  The Dragon Fly kept on going around and around.

I finally found the auto focus turnoff switch, and then used the manual focus to zero in on the Dragon Fly.  This is what I got...

Apparently the Dragon Flies like to hover, and explore some of the same areas.  This did allow me to get my camera out of the knapsack, and figure out how to turn the auto focus off! This is how I captured the Dragon Fly!  The auto focus wanted to continuously get the background and not the Dragon Fly.  By turning it off allows me to use manual focus and concentrate on the subject at hand.



Here is another...

Keep on clicking that photograph button.  You will never know what you have until you get home and put it onto your computer.  Don't ever give up!

So in order to take some of the pictures that you want, you may have to turn the auto functions off on your camera.

Don't be afraid to hit that button.  Take the photo's and then download them.  The absolute worst thing that could happen, is that you may have to delete a few, and that might really hurt.  LOL!



Next Blog.... hmmmm.....  Whales??

How To Take Excellent Digital Photo's

I am sure that we are all aware of the days when one had to purchase film, take some photo's, and then go to the local photo mart and have their pictures developed.  Wait some time, and then pay a sum, only to find out that they only got 1 or 2 really good pictures.  Don't get me wrong I still love my Olympus OM2N, but the waiting for the developing kills me.

Digital, versus film, is a argument that I don't think we want to discuss here.  I was a skeptic at one time, to think that digital was inferior, and now I guess, that I am a total convert.

• How do you take Excellent Photo's be it film or not?

This question really depends on your Subject matter, and how you set up your photo. Always try and set up your picture prior to taking it.  Imagine and look at what you want to see in a picture.  They have the rule of thirds when taking pictures, essentially splitting your subject into 3 equal, even areas, foreground (Bottom), mid ground, and background (Top).  In other words, frame your picture before you take it.  This usually works if your subject happens to be a landscape or a portrait, something that you don't have time constraints for.  I have always liked the larger image that was developed by film cameras, called full frame.  If you ever noticed, some of the photo's you took with film may not have had all the subject matter in the picture you recieved, especially if you ordered 4x6 pictures.  Some of your subject may have been chopped off.  If you had requested the 5x7, they would have been published with almost all of your subject matter there.

I am a aspiring photographer.  I love to take picures.  The more that I take, the more will turn out and bring enjoyment to all.  So, my next answer to that question.

If you have a     digital camera,



don't hesitate to



click that button!





Honestly all, the more pictures that you take, the more that you will be happy with.  This is probably one of the best pieces of advice I could give you.  TAKE THE DARN PHOTO!

Don't worry if it's not perfect.  Take another!  Change the settings, play with them.  Learn your equipment.  Buy your children a inexpensive camera and let them play with it!

Until next time, please remember that I hold the copyright to all my photo's and if you would like to use them for a project please ask.  This is why I do publish some of them in a smaller size.  If you would like to see them in full then contact me.  Feel free to comment.  All comments, good or bad would be appreciated!


My next Blog will be about, How I caught the Dragon Fly!

If anyone could tell me what the birds are in the pictures above, please leave a message.