Nikon SB-900 Flash - A great flash but...

There are a lot of good review on the Nikon SB-900 flash so I won't give you all the technical info. I am just telling you my experiences with the flash. If you want there is a very good review on DPRReview.com. Here is the link: http://www.dpreview.com/news/0807/08070101nikonsb900.asp I've used the SB-900 about 4 months now and this is indeed an excellent flash. Before I purchased it I read all the comments and there are some very good and detailed comments regarding this flash. But over and over the issue of the thermal protection came up and that caused some concern. I was conflicted over whether to buy this flash. So I took a gamble. Closed my eyes and clicked the purchase button. In the end, all say and done, I believe I have a very good flash. No regrets. But back to the thermal protection that cause all the anguish. I did my research. I read comments at Amazon, read many reviews and comments from professional photographers but they all said the same thing. Great flash but... I read comments about using only certain type of batteries or batteries from certain manufacturers and even some that didn't understand all the fuss because they never experience the problem. When I first received the flash I did my own test. I hit the flash manual button over and over again trying different batteries to the point where I was satisfied I would not have the problem. Then a few months later it happened. I was in Chicago shooting a birthday party and I was continuously shooting couples as they came down a dance line and then it happened. The flash stopped working. Sure enough the thermal protection circuit kicked in. Now the only difference between my test and the actual shoot is that I was using the SD-8A battery pack, however, I don't feel the SD-8A was the cause of the problem. The batteries in the flash were so hot I could not hold them but this was not unusual I had this same situation with hot batteries with my SB-800 flash after a long shoot. That experience as well as some of the comments I read makes me think that the best option is to just turn the thermal protection off. Yes it will get hot but I would rather do that then to worry about when the flash is going to cut off. So I've turned it off and have for about a month been shooting without it. So for now that is where I will leave it.

Once again if you want to see a review of this flash click here. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0807/08070101nikonsb900.asp

Falling water

In September of 2006 we took a two-week long motorcycle trip from Michigan to Pennsylvania. The route included crossing the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron MI a couple of days stay over in Niagara Falls, Canada

then down though New York state and finally a 6 day stay in an Inn in Hawley PA. The weather was perfect with the exception of the last three days of our journey when it just rained nonstop. Hawley, although a popular recreational spot for New Yorkers, is about as secluded as you can get. It is located in the scenic Poconos Mountains and has a population of about 1200 people. The roads leading to the town are steep, winding twisting and the entire area is surrounded by forest. While in Hawley we stayed at the Country Inn next to the Old Mill Stream. The Inn is located just downstream from a dam that creates Lake Wallenpaupack, which is used for recreation activities.

The Inn is a stone structure built as a glass mill back in the 1800s complete with a water wheel.

Up on the cliffs behind the Inn is another huge stone structure that is a store filled with antiques. The biggest and most diverse collection of antiques I’ve ever seen at one spot. But while in PA we spent most of our time sightseeing and one of the most scenic areas was the nearby Delaware Water Gap. It’s a 40 mile stretch where the Delaware River cuts through the mountains. This are also 6 or seven waterfalls along this 40 mile stretch of river. This is where I took these pictures.

The Delaware River

My thoughts on the Nikon D90

I recently purchased the Nikon D90 in November of 2009. I have several Nikon cameras and this is by far one of the best cameras I have purchased. This camera is loaded with features. I am not going to list them here but if you are interested here is a link to a site that provides that information along with all the technical data you need.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikonD90/

The features I like best are the 3 inch high resolution screen where you can use “Live View” in lieu of sighting the shot through the view finder and the use of the “Info Button” to view the camera setting on the larger 3 inch screen. I also love the 11 point autofocus system that can follow the subject as it moves around keeping the subject in focus at all times. As a bonus it also has face recognition for which I find occasional use. But first, the 3 inch LCD screen has great resolution and is well suited to view the shot before or after it has been taken. You can also call up histograms and other information about the photo you just took. The screen is also great for viewing the camera setting especially in situations where it is difficult to see on the traditional small monochrome LCD located on the top right hand corner of the camera. The camera information is transferred to the larger screen with the push of a single button “Info Button” making it much easy for these old eyes to view. The 11 point AF system in Dynamic mode is great for action pictures or in situations where you want the subject to be in focus at all times. Once locked on the subject it will follow until you recompose the shot.

Finally the feature I find most exciting is the built flash commander. It is with this feature that you can wirelessly control flash units such as the sb-900, sb-800 and any other combination of Nikon flash units off camera. You can control the flash units in groups of three and turn any group of flash units on or off; make them manual or TTL flash; control the compensation or the intensity of the flash all through the camera. It will save a lot leg work especially while using multiple flashes during that experimental shot when you are attempting to get the lighting just right.

A. David Samuels (Chop)

Don't forget to check out my photo website.
Website: www.chopper52.smugmug.com

Dequindre Cut - Detroit's newest walking park

Detroit has a new walking/biking path that runs about one mile from the Eastern Market to the Detroit River. It was where the old railway ran below the street level along Dequindre and St. Aubin streets. The tracks have been removed and the area landscaped and lighting has been added. Future plans call for a light rail along the path to connect the Eastern Market with the riverfront, People Mover and the new Detroit Bus Terminal. This is also a place where "taggers","writers" or "graf artists" show their artwork or Graffiti depending on your point of view. Here are some pictures I took. Hope you enjoy.

A Perspective

This picture was taken on a job site in downtown Detroit. I am not sure why but I have always liked these type of pictures. I think it may be because it reminds me of my architectural drawing classes where we did perspective drawings of buildings. That was back in the days before computer aided drafting (CAD). Drawings then were done by hand by picking vanishing points and drawing lines out to the vanishing points to simulate the sloping lines of a building. Then you had to plot the perpendicular lines. Finally you can poche, add in all the little details such as the grandular detail on the brick work. It was a very laborious process but very effective. To hand draw this picture would take hours. Now with CAD it takes less than a second. But I find the hand drawn method more rewarding. It has been years since I drew….Where is my old 'T' square and triangles? I wonder if I still can do it? UMMM

Trip along the Detroit River

This picture was taken along the Detroit River by the Great Lakes Steel mill in River Rouge, MI. The tug boats are actually on a canel that runs off the Detroit River. The famous Zug Island is to the right and the bridge to the island is behind the tug boats. There is a huge freighter in the background beyond the bridge. Zug Island is a man made island and for years and years industrial waste was deposited on the island. Today the island is where huge coke ovens and blast furnaces churn out steel for Great Lakes Steel. There is also large amounts of coal stored there for the ovens. The tugs are used to move coal barges up and down the river.

The end of Fall isn't always bland just less colorful

As fall comes to an end and the leaves completely disappear there are still opportunities to find something colorful to shoot.

These photos were taken at Elmwood Cemetery.

It was a bright sunny day and most the leaves from the trees were on the ground. The few remaining leaves offered spots of color throughout the photo.