Photography Tips

[marlee73]

I have seen some great pictures. Can you share your photography tips with those of us who have not sailed yet?

[photodoodle]

Wow, I wouldn't know where to begin, this is such a big question. Photography really is a learn by doing kind of thing. I don't know how much photography experience you have, but here are some thoughts for a beginner. The best suggestions I have are:

 

Practice taking photos before your trip. It's important to be comfortable with your camera and its features so you can concentrate on what you're seeing and not be unsure about how to use your camera.

 

Take a class that's appropriate to your level at a community college or learning annex. Many camera retailers offer free or low cost seminars, too.

 

There are countless books on photography at all levels.

 

Take plenty of memory cards and shoot a lot. Sort it out later. That's the beauty of digital photography.

 

Here's one specific tip I can think of that will help a very common type of travel photo. When you want to take a photo of a person in front of scenery, don't put the people right in the middle of the shot. Put them to the side. You'll be surprised what a difference that makes.

[fti]

I have seen some great pictures. Can you share your photography tips with those of us who have not sailed yet?

 

I second photodoodle's suggestions. Besides memory cards, bring extra batteries. I could get spare lithium batteries for my camera on EBay for 1/3 of the cost of buying the original Nikon battery and it works just the same. I really needed three batteries during my Alaska trip last month. I was three days at Katmai NP without an opportunity to recharge.

 

The local community college class is a great suggestion. I have been taking such courses the past three years in the fall. The main reason? Not at all for the grade or the credit, but to be as close to the pro photographer who teaches the class as possible. This one happens to be very much a "hands on" class - very little time in the classroom. We meet two consecutive weekends Fri evening, then all day Saturday and Sunday (great for my schedule - not needing to be around a certain night every week for 15 weeks). Friday evenings are in the classroom (second Friday showing the photos we took the previous weekend). Otherwise we are out shooting. And the instructor spends at least some individual time each weekend with each class participant. Then just hanging around him as he helps the others in the class is very helpful too.

 

For Alaska, having a camera that has a zoom lens is a real plus. The longer the zoom, the more opportunities you will have to zoom in on more distant wildlife. If you look at the photos from my Alaska trip last month (scroll down for the Land Tour report started by me) most all those photos were taken with a 200mm lens on my digital camera.

 

If you don't have a camera with interchangeable lenses, so be it. You can still do the best you can with a point and shoot. I have seen lots of great photos from such cameras.

 

Good luck!

 

John

[kingfish06]

Best advice I can offer is to use several different (smaller) memory cards rather than one big one and be sure to rotate the cards often and transfer to computer or CD every chance you get. We took approximately 300 pictures on a Canon SD800 with a SanDisk Ultra II SDHC 4GB SD card and when we tried to download the pictures when we returned home, we found the card to be unreadable. We have sent it out to a data recovery specialist and are hoping for the best. Our only savings grace, was that this was our camera we used mostly as a backup or for a quick picture here or there. The bulk of our pictures (1000+) were taken on our Nikon DSLR and stored on various 2GB SD cards and are now all safe and downloaded onto the computer and backed up on external hard drive.

[fti]

Best advice I can offer is to use several different (smaller) memory cards rather than one big one and be sure to rotate the cards often and transfer to computer or CD every chance you get. We took approximately 300 pictures on a Canon SD800 with a SanDisk Ultra II SDHC 4GB SD card and when we tried to download the pictures when we returned home, we found the card to be unreadable. We have sent it out to a data recovery specialist and are hoping for the best. Our only savings grace, was that this was our camera we used mostly as a backup or for a quick picture here or there. The bulk of our pictures (1000+) were taken on our Nikon DSLR and stored on various 2GB SD cards and are now all safe and downloaded onto the computer and backed up on external hard drive.

 

I have been advocating this ever since I saw the photo threads on this board. Actually, I only get 300 photos on a 1GB card with my 6 megapixel camera (I shoot at the finest setting). I don't own a memory card over 1GB. I took over 2000 photos during my 10 day trip last month and will probably take a lot but not nearly as many during my cruise in 2 weeks (our ship departs two weeks from today!).

 

One more suggestion - do NOT delete the photos from your memory card until you have them backed up onto CD's, external hard drive, etc, not just on your computer. If you delete the photos from your memory card before you back up to a secondary source, then your hard drive crashes.....

 

John

[Amaranthine33]

 

For Alaska, having a camera that has a zoom lens is a real plus. The longer the zoom, the more opportunities you will have to zoom in on more distant wildlife. If you look at the photos from my Alaska trip last month (scroll down for the Land Tour report started by me) most all those photos were taken with a 200mm lens on my digital camera.

 

John

 

I'm going to check out your pictures, but I'm glad you mentioned the zoom lens. I have one that 250mm (actually 18-250mm), so I hope it's enough to zoom in on glaciers/ice from afar. I actually use my kit lens (18-55) for 18mm because the 18-250 has more vignetting than I like.

[fti]

I'm going to check out your pictures, but I'm glad you mentioned the zoom lens. I have one that 250mm (actually 18-250mm), so I hope it's enough to zoom in on glaciers/ice from afar. I actually use my kit lens (18-55) for 18mm because the 18-250 has more vignetting than I like.

 

The main problem with an 18-250mm lens is lighting - at 200mm the f-stop is really slow. You might consider bringing a monopod or tripod. It would work great on the ship at glaciers (even in spite of the ship's movements).

[Amaranthine33]

The main problem with an 18-250mm lens is lighting - at 200mm the f-stop is really slow. You might consider bringing a monopod or tripod. It would work great on the ship at glaciers (even in spite of the ship's movements).

 

My tripod is a bit on the heavy and bulky side, but I shouldn't complain because a friend gave it to me. I was going to bring it, but then ruled it out because of the ship's movement.

 

So, I should bring it huh? How much luggage am I allowed onboard? If it's two suitcases then I'll bring it.

[fti]

My tripod is a bit on the heavy and bulky side, but I shouldn't complain because a friend gave it to me. I was going to bring it, but then ruled it out because of the ship's movement.

 

So, I should bring it huh? How much luggage am I allowed onboard? If it's two suitcases then I'll bring it.

 

Tripod by nature are bulky. I didn't bring mine last summer on the cruise and regretted it. I brought a small one to Katmai last month and I used it at the falls - pretty much only where I was focused on one spot (bears at the falls). I am going to Haines in November for the bald eagle festival and am taking my sturdier, bulkier metal tripod for that (my smaller non-metal one could crack in the cold they say). For my cruise in two weeks I am not taking a tripod unless it fits in my one suitcase (my 200mm lens is f2.8 so light is not the issue - but holding the camera to my eye for 45 minutes waiting for calving is hard without a tripod!). Traveling alone with a carry on and the camera bag as my personal item then one checked piece is enough for me.

 

It is hard to say whether to bring it or not - the only reason I suggested the tripod for you is because you said you had an 18-250mm lens. I am sure that is a 5.6 aperture. That makes it tough unless the light is really bright. Also, having the tripod helps with the holding to your eye issue. If you don't have room, you can live without it. If you have room and can take it, do.

 

Luggage allowance varies by airline but the least I have seen is 2 pieces per person, each piece weighing up to 50 pounds. Some airlines allow more for their first class passengers, some more for their elite passengers, etc.

 

John

[GORDONCHICK]

Some one from my company took an Alaskan cruise in May. She's done professional work (mainly weddings) for 25+ years. She suggested a polarizing filter. What do you guys think? I have one for my SLR but my digital is a Canon S1-IS, and filters aren't an option (that I know of???).

[photodoodle]

Some one from my company took an Alaskan cruise in May. She's done professional work (mainly weddings) for 25+ years. She suggested a polarizing filter. What do you guys think? I have one for my SLR but my digital is a Canon S1-IS, and filters aren't an option (that I know of???).

I brought one, but never used it - but that's just me. When it's overcast there is no glare to worry about and you need the extra stop that the polarizer takes away. When it's bright and sunny, particulary with Alaskan scenery, sometimes you want to see the reflections on the water that the polarizer reduces. And for increasing the drama in the sky, you can do that with photoshop. Anyway, that was my thinking, so the polarizer never came outof the bag.

[Keith1010]

For our last cruise I bought a DVD and Book which gave some great advice on taking good pictures. I would recommend that. The one we bought was for a Nikon Camera but I'm sure there are lots of these specific to camera/manufacturers.

 

Keith

[kb996]

For our last trip to Alaska I learned how to use the panaramic mode on my camera and also the mode where you just hold the shutter down and it keeps taking pictures (not sure what that's called).

 

The panaramic was great to capture the beautiful sceanery. The multiple picture mode was great for whale watching. The moment I heard the whale blow I just pointed the camera and began shooting until he went under again. Got a few really nice tail pictures this way. That mode was also good for catching the calving glaciers.

[Na2PtCl4]

Was In Alaska the end of June - Filled almost 9 gigs - I get 84 pictures to a Gig when using shooting raw - and about 300/gig Jpeg - 90% of my pictures were

shot raw - A Wide angle (28 mm or better is a must) - A good zoom - up to 200 mm or better, (if you want to shoot wildlife 300 mm or better) - a polarizing filter is handy.

 

Learn to post process your pictures using Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, or a program that lets you process the digital image using layers, levels and curves.

Use exposure bracketing. When you get home you can combine two or three of the bracketed exposures to form a GREAT picture (e.g. having a blue sky instead of a white, overexposed sky.)

 

Also, if you have a camera with greater than 6 megapixels, and you postprocess you own images, you should include more "background" in the frame, and crop for the best framing of the scene during postprocessing.

 

Barry

[deadzone1003]

Make sure you know how to use the exposure compensation on your camera in order to get proper exposure of glaciers, snow, or ice (if you don't have that, learn where the snow or beach option on your scene option on your Point and Shoot camera.) If you like your spouse in the photo with the glacier in the background, make sure you know how to use forced flash. (If you want proper exposure of the glacier and your spouse, better learn to use the flash compensation option on your camera.)

 

If your camera can utilize it, get a polarizer filter.

[OldCodger73]

Read your camera's instruction manual thoroughly and bring it with you on your cruise.

[SakeDad]

There have been ALOT of great suggestions here that should help you. But you also say in your original post that you like some pics you have already seen. My advice is study those pictures. What it is about them that you really like? Is it the scenery? The way the people are a part of the scenery? The fact that there is no one IN the scenery? Is it that there is some scale in the picture (i.e. large ship vs MUCH larger glacier)?

If you can figure out what makes a great picture for YOU then you're half way to taking great pics yourself. One person may like people centered in the pic while others prefer them to the side to highlight the scenery...it's all a PERSONAL choice and none of them are wrong.

By no means am I saying my pictures are the best or what you may like, but I have had alot of people tell me they enjoy them so feel free to browse my galleries below and maybe you'll find a few shots you never would have thought of taking yourself and you can look out for those on your trip.

HAPPY SHOOTING!!!!

[Nukesailor]

I actually use my kit lens (18-55) for 18mm because the 18-250 has more vignetting than I like.

 

If this is the Canon kit lens that came with the 20D, better check out the lens. I had noticed some colored halos around bright spots of lights in night photos or from reflections of flash in some of my photos. Particularly annoying in wedding photos I took - required a lot of work in Photoshop. After research, I discovered some of the 18-55 Canon lenses have a manufacturing defect that causes the halo effect. It is particularly noticable in night shots. I have since purchased a replacement lens that seems pretty good. Check the lens by taking night shots with streetlights in them, look for the halos. If they're there, get a replacement 18-55, if under warranty, or get a better lens.

 

Art

[plenox]

Read your camera's instruction manual thoroughly and bring it with you on your cruise.

hehe.. I have been doing that for quite some time. But it seems it helped better if I actually practice more on the camera. Digital camera rules! I don't have to worry about film and developing cost for my practice shots.

[paulam]

Make sure you have a good camera that you are comfortable using. I bought my 13 yr old daughter a Fuji Finepix s700 with a 10x optical zoom. It's a great camera, not too expensive (about $250) and was just perfect for the trip. She took the most amazing pictures (about 400) of bears, eagles, seals and the glaciers. It's funny when we look at the pictures we know in an instant the ones that I took -- the blurry ones -- while every one of hers are beautifully focused.

[kehlx2]

Make sure you have a good camera that you are comfortable using. I bought my 13 yr old daughter a Fuji Finepix s700 with a 10x optical zoom. It's a great camera, not too expensive (about $250) and was just perfect for the trip. She took the most amazing pictures (about 400) of bears, eagles, seals and the glaciers. It's funny when we look at the pictures we know in an instant the ones that I took -- the blurry ones -- while every one of hers are beautifully focused.

 

Oh I am so glad to hear your daughter's camera took good pics..as I have another 2 fuji's--I went ahead & bought another one with optical zoom..got it casue my other camera also has the XD card--the one before it is old & has a bit larger card--but I use that around the house (I quilt--so use it for pics for webshots--as have a printer that the larger card fits in)..I have just now 30 days to get it figured out...mainly the snow/ice setting & find out what I can use the stablizer with & without..will make a short note on what settings this time I plan to have to change to snow/beach mode for the glacier pics. Did your daughter have any problems taking pics around the glaciers?

[LHARTWICK]

Best advice I can offer is to use several different (smaller) memory cards rather than one big one and be sure to rotate the cards often and transfer to computer or CD every chance you get. We took approximately 300 pictures on a Canon SD800 with a SanDisk Ultra II SDHC 4GB SD card and when we tried to download the pictures when we returned home, we found the card to be unreadable. We have sent it out to a data recovery specialist and are hoping for the best. Our only savings grace, was that this was our camera we used mostly as a backup or for a quick picture here or there. The bulk of our pictures (1000+) were taken on our Nikon DSLR and stored on various 2GB SD cards and are now all safe and downloaded onto the computer and backed up on external hard drive.

 

Out of curiosity, why are the higher capacity memory cards a problem, such as the one referenced above? I need to purchase some more cards before we cruise in September. Should I stay with 2GB and lower??

[fti]

Out of curiosity, why are the higher capacity memory cards a problem, such as the one referenced above? I need to purchase some more cards before we cruise in September. Should I stay with 2GB and lower??

 

There are differences of opinion but more than one person has commented that they have lost their pictures because the memory card has gone bad. Think of the memory card as a hard drive in your computer - chances are really good that nothing will go wrong but if it does....

 

So I only use 1GB memory cards (for me that is 300 photos per card). I am not willing to lose more than 300 photos (I take 1,000-2,000 photos on a week trip). If you use a setting that gets you 500 or 1000 photos on a 1GB memory card and you are comfortable in possibly losing that many photos, OK. If not, perhaps 512MB cards are the max for you. I decided (somewhat arbitrarily) that 300 photos is probably 25% of my total photos for the week and that is the absolute maximum number I would be willing to lose. It would still be heartbreaking, but not as bad as if I had a 4GB card and lost all my photos.

 

John

[viajeros]

I agree with FTI. Digital memory cards do sometimes, but not often, go bad. It is too much to risk an entire trip's pictures on one card. Was in Galapagos Islands last year with a person whose large memory card could not be read after 3 days in the Islands. Many, many, irreplaceable photos were lost. I also get about 300 images on a 1 gigabyte cards. I take multiple 1GB cards on a photo-intensive trip...won't go larger than 1 GB.

[Boytjie]

Can one use the computers in the Internet cafe to download the photos and burn it to a CD? If so, do you supply your own CDs or do you have to buy it from them?