Alaska Cruise

I have a Canon 60D. So far, I've mostly just taken pictures of my son with it, but have been very pleased with how they turned out. Even though friends/family tell me I should take up photography, I know I am not as skilled as they think I am :)

We are going on an Alaskan cruise in June, and I really want to bring my camera to capture some of the beauty. Any recommendations on Go To settings?? I have very little experience with landscapes. I've just started playing around with the ISO & aperture. But, I know there will be times when I don't have time to play with the settings. So, I'm trying to figure out now what to have my camera set at for those quick photo opportunities. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

You're on the right track - play with those settings and experiment! There won't be any magic combination that will work for everything, so lots of practice is the only remedy. What works for a sunrise/sunset will be different from a sunny day, will be different from a gloomy drizzly day. And what works for a wide landscape image will be different from what you want to use for zooming in on wildlife. Makes a huge difference what lenses you have also.

Best intro I have seen is "Understanding Exposure" - hardcopy at Amazon at http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCsQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FUnderstanding-Exposure-3rd-Edition-Photographs%2Fdp%2F0817439390&ei=qeVnU47VA8SxoQSFyIDQBA&usg=AFQjCNHOCSx0kYzTI_E6efEDZqa_7GqA9A&sig2=SmuUSUXbZNIUbFXOAmiL4Q&bvm=bv.65788261,d.cGU

or numerous online tutorials

Jim (also going to Alaska in June so hoping for the sunny days!)

You're on the right track - play with those settings and experiment! There won't be any magic combination that will work for everything, so lots of practice is the only remedy. What works for a sunrise/sunset will be different from a sunny day, will be different from a gloomy drizzly day. And what works for a wide landscape image will be different from what you want to use for zooming in on wildlife. Makes a huge difference what lenses you have also.

 

Best intro I have seen is "Understanding Exposure" - hardcopy at Amazon at http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCsQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FUnderstanding-Exposure-3rd-Edition-Photographs%2Fdp%2F0817439390&ei=qeVnU47VA8SxoQSFyIDQBA&usg=AFQjCNHOCSx0kYzTI_E6efEDZqa_7GqA9A&sig2=SmuUSUXbZNIUbFXOAmiL4Q&bvm=bv.65788261,d.cGU

or numerous online tutorials

 

Jim (also going to Alaska in June so hoping for the sunny days!)

Thanks!! I'll have to check out that book.

Do a search on youtube for instructional videos. There are lots of very helpful clips. Specify landscape photography and you should find something that is helpful. You will even find very specific topics covered, like depth of field, aperture, iso, focus etc etc. I recently bought a macro lens and found that my shots improved 1000% after watching the experts offer tips - much better than trying to learn by hit or miss shooting.

I a sure you will find something that will improve your shots.

Obviously start with green box (full auto). When you're ready to take control of the flash (yes/no), graduate to P. While in P, you can use the big/little knobs to take control of the aperture (or shutter) while maintaining the same general exposure. Somewhere around that point, start taking control of your white balance by picking the preset that most closely matches the main light source in your shots.

As you move further down the scale, consider Av, where you control aperture and ISO, leaving the camera to choose shutter speed. I live in this world 95+% of the time, keeping the aperture as open as possible without accidentally defocusing the wrong thing(s), and keeping the ISO as low as possible to keep the shutter speed above the minimum necessary to either avoid shake (usually 1/focal length, or 8/focal length if you're using IS) or avoid subject blur (usually 1/60th for posed subjects, 1/250th for elementary sports, 1/500th for HS sports, 1/1000th for collegiate, or 1/2000th for pro).

IMHO, save Manual for pesky wedding photographers who know it all. *wink* I only use Manual when I'm "bringing my own light" (using my studio lighting kit).

After that, the major things left are AF mode (I'm a firm believer in AI Servo, as it makes the metering continuous as well as the AF), AF point selection (very camera-dependent), and drive mode.

Do a search on youtube for instructional videos. There are lots of very helpful clips. Specify landscape photography and you should find something that is helpful. You will even find very specific topics covered, like depth of field, aperture, iso, focus etc etc. I recently bought a macro lens and found that my shots improved 1000% after watching the experts offer tips - much better than trying to learn by hit or miss shooting.

 

I a sure you will find something that will improve your shots.

Thank you! That's a great idea.

Obviously start with green box (full auto). When you're ready to take control of the flash (yes/no), graduate to P. While in P, you can use the big/little knobs to take control of the aperture (or shutter) while maintaining the same general exposure. Somewhere around that point, start taking control of your white balance by picking the preset that most closely matches the main light source in your shots.

 

As you move further down the scale, consider Av, where you control aperture and ISO, leaving the camera to choose shutter speed. I live in this world 95+% of the time, keeping the aperture as open as possible without accidentally defocusing the wrong thing(s), and keeping the ISO as low as possible to keep the shutter speed above the minimum necessary to either avoid shake (usually 1/focal length, or 8/focal length if you're using IS) or avoid subject blur (usually 1/60th for posed subjects, 1/250th for elementary sports, 1/500th for HS sports, 1/1000th for collegiate, or 1/2000th for pro).

 

IMHO, save Manual for pesky wedding photographers who know it all. *wink* I only use Manual when I'm "bringing my own light" (using my studio lighting kit).

 

After that, the major things left are AF mode (I'm a firm believer in AI Servo, as it makes the metering continuous as well as the AF), AF point selection (very camera-dependent), and drive mode.

This is very helpful! Thank you very much for taking the time to help me! I have used Av a lot when taking pictures of my son, but I usually just keep the aperture very low, especially when he's willing to sit still:) At 8 months old, that's not very often anymore, so I've been trying to learn more about my camera. What is the difference between Av & Tv?

This is very helpful! Thank you very much for taking the time to help me! I have used Av a lot when taking pictures of my son, but I usually just keep the aperture very low, especially when he's willing to sit still:) At 8 months old, that's not very often anymore, so I've been trying to learn more about my camera. What is the difference between Av & Tv?

Av is Aperture-priority where you set the aperture and the camera adjusts the shutter speed to try and get the exposure correct. Tv is shutter-priority, where you set the shutter speed and the camera adjusts the aperture. The camera can also adjust the ISO settings (within the allowed ranges) at the same time, to try and get hte exposure right.

Those scene settings on most entry level cameras (including mine) are essentially pre-programmed combinations of these aperture, shutter speeds, and ISO sensitivity, optimized for the different conditions. Some experienced photographers will look down their nose and sneer at using those, but sometimes they are useful and can be a handy shortcut (and a learning tool!). It's a matter of practice to see what the combinations do and how you can use them. Tutorials, youtubes, and books all help the process of course!

Jim

Av is Aperture-priority where you set the aperture and the camera adjusts the shutter speed to try and get the exposure correct. Tv is shutter-priority, where you set the shutter speed and the camera adjusts the aperture. The camera can also adjust the ISO settings (within the allowed ranges) at the same time, to try and get hte exposure right.

 

Those scene settings on most entry level cameras (including mine) are essentially pre-programmed combinations of these aperture, shutter speeds, and ISO sensitivity, optimized for the different conditions. Some experienced photographers will look down their nose and sneer at using those, but sometimes they are useful and can be a handy shortcut (and a learning tool!). It's a matter of practice to see what the combinations do and how you can use them. Tutorials, youtubes, and books all help the process of course!

 

Jim

Thanks Jim!! I think I'm really starting to understand the basics. Now I just need to practice practice practice.....and Alaska here I come :)

There's an old PJ (photo-journalist) saying that goes, "f/8 and be there." The idea is to set your aperture to f/8 for a good balance of sharpness (a lot of lenses tend to peak in sharpness around f/8) and depth-of-field. This allows you to just snap away and you'll likely capture the entire scene in focus without worrying too much about trying to nail exposure while at the same time balancing other optical factours.

Of course you do give up on some amount of "creativity" but it works well for travel snapshots. Many street photographers employ the same technique. Set your camera to aperture-priority mode and choose f/8 as your aperture. If you have auto-ISO, you might want to turn that on too. Otherwise, dialling in something like ISO 200 or 400 should give you enough leniency on shutter-speeds to prevent blurry shots given reasonable lighting conditions... especially in the daytime. If things get darker, pick 800 which for most modern DSLRs should still give you relatively low-noise shots.

Before you go on your cruise, take some distance pictures. Then join a site like phototbucket or flicker, etc.

Copy and paste your pictures here and the experts will be able to tell you if you are doing all right or what you can do to improve your pictures. I am not an expert.

There's an old PJ (photo-journalist) saying that goes, "f/8 and be there." The idea is to set your aperture to f/8 for a good balance of sharpness (a lot of lenses tend to peak in sharpness around f/8) and depth-of-field. This allows you to just snap away and you'll likely capture the entire scene in focus without worrying too much about trying to nail exposure while at the same time balancing other optical factours.

 

Of course you do give up on some amount of "creativity" but it works well for travel snapshots. Many street photographers employ the same technique. Set your camera to aperture-priority mode and choose f/8 as your aperture. If you have auto-ISO, you might want to turn that on too. Otherwise, dialling in something like ISO 200 or 400 should give you enough leniency on shutter-speeds to prevent blurry shots given reasonable lighting conditions... especially in the daytime. If things get darker, pick 800 which for most modern DSLRs should still give you relatively low-noise shots.

Great tip!!! Thank you so much! I'm going to practice with that a little. I'm used to taking low aperture pics with my macro lens.

Do you think it's worth taking my 50mm lens or will I be ok with my standard zoom lens only? I think it's 135mm.

Before you go on your cruise, take some distance pictures. Then join a site like phototbucket or flicker, etc.

 

Copy and paste your pictures here and the experts will be able to tell you if you are doing all right or what you can do to improve your pictures. I am not an expert.

That's a good idea! I didn't know those websites existed. Thanks!

Do you think it's worth taking my 50mm lens or will I be ok with my standard zoom lens only? I think it's 135mm.

Which 50mm do you have? In general, my rule is "never leave a 50 behind." This is predicated on the fact that a fast 50mm is typically so small and light that it usually isn't even worth debating about the space it takes. When I walk around with just my camera and no bag, I can easily just plop my Nikon 50/1.8D into my jacket pocket and not even notice it's there. Even if I primarily use my standard zoom (24-70/2.8), it's nice to have the 50 as a low-light pinch-hitter. When I do have to grab for it, oftentimes, it allows me to get that shot which would have otherwise required I break out an external speedlight. For most travel situations, a fast-50 (f/1.8 or f/1.4) and possible addition of the built-in -pop-up (creatively used) along with bumping up the ISO a bit will be enough to obtain shots which would otherwise have been extremely challenging with a slower standard zoom... especially if your standard zoom isn't at least one of the f/2.8 variety.

Great tip!!! Thank you so much! I'm going to practice with that a little. I'm used to taking low aperture pics with my macro lens.

 

Do you think it's worth taking my 50mm lens or will I be ok with my standard zoom lens only? I think it's 135mm.

I would recommend a much longer zoom for Alaska. I shoot landscapes so most of my lens are wide angle. For my cruise to Alaska last year I rented a 100-400 and there were times I wish I had even more length!

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Which 50mm do you have? In general, my rule is "never leave a 50 behind." This is predicated on the fact that a fast 50mm is typically so small and light that it usually isn't even worth debating about the space it takes. When I walk around with just my camera and no bag, I can easily just plop my Nikon 50/1.8D into my jacket pocket and not even notice it's there. Even if I primarily use my standard zoom (24-70/2.8), it's nice to have the 50 as a low-light pinch-hitter. When I do have to grab for it, oftentimes, it allows me to get that shot which would have otherwise required I break out an external speedlight. For most travel situations, a fast-50 (f/1.8 or f/1.4) and possible addition of the built-in -pop-up (creatively used) along with bumping up the ISO a bit will be enough to obtain shots which would otherwise have been extremely challenging with a slower standard zoom... especially if your standard zoom isn't at least one of the f/2.8 variety.

I'm pretty sure it's f/1.8 and you're right it's not very big so wouldn't take up much space to bring it with. Thanks!

Av is Aperture-priority where you set the aperture and the camera adjusts the shutter speed to try and get the exposure correct. Tv is shutter-priority, where you set the shutter speed and the camera adjusts the aperture. The camera can also adjust the ISO settings (within the allowed ranges) at the same time, to try and get hte exposure right.

To expand on this further, unless you choose Auto-ISO, Av means you're controlling the aperture and ISO, and letting the camera choose the shutter speed. Tv means you're controlling the shutter speed and ISO, while letting the camera choose the aperture. (Obviously Auto-ISO can relieve you of some of the burden, but then you'll need to become familiar with the logic of YOUR CAMERA to see if the results are what you want.)

If you're ready to begin taking control of two variables at a time, I'd highly recommend using Av. By doing so, you leave shutter speed up to the camera to choose, and that has a much larger range (roughly 17 stops on many cameras, maybe more on some) than aperture (often 5-6 stops dependent upon the lens) or ISO (rarely more than 5 stops of good-quality usable range, more if you're tolerant of noisy pictures). Choosing Av gives you more direct control of the depth-of-field of your shots, and keeps this artistic quality more consistent from shot to shot.

I'd also suggest enabling Safety Shift if your camera offers it. SS will get you out of trouble if you should end up in a situation where your settings make it impossible for the camera to keep the exposure within a reasonable "correctness". For example, if you put your 50/1.8 lens on the camera, set aperture to 1.8, ISO to 3200, and then go outside into afternoon sun, your camera will probably hit the 1/4000th or 1/8000th shutter speed limit yet still have too much light. Safety Shift will stop the lens down as needed, perhaps to f/5.6 or so. As you review your pictures, you might not notice the high ISO setting unless you're looking at the full detail page, but with the basic parameters showing you'll see that the shots are happening at f/5.6 when the camera was set to f/1.8 - your shots don't end up "pure white", and you can hopefully minimize noise from ISO 3200 after the fact.

I use Av about 95% of the time. I use Manual about 4% of the time, which translates into the times when I'm using studio lighting (so I want ISO 100 for maximum quality, 1/250th shutter speed for minimum ambient contribution, and whatever aperture value suits the artistic needs of the shot), and I use Tv about 1% of the time when I'm specifically trying to achieve a certain blur effect.

To expand on this further, unless you choose Auto-ISO, Av means you're controlling the aperture and ISO, and letting the camera choose the shutter speed. Tv means you're controlling the shutter speed and ISO, while letting the camera choose the aperture. (Obviously Auto-ISO can relieve you of some of the burden, but then you'll need to become familiar with the logic of YOUR CAMERA to see if the results are what you want.)

 

If you're ready to begin taking control of two variables at a time, I'd highly recommend using Av. By doing so, you leave shutter speed up to the camera to choose, and that has a much larger range (roughly 17 stops on many cameras, maybe more on some) than aperture (often 5-6 stops dependent upon the lens) or ISO (rarely more than 5 stops of good-quality usable range, more if you're tolerant of noisy pictures). Choosing Av gives you more direct control of the depth-of-field of your shots, and keeps this artistic quality more consistent from shot to shot.

 

I'd also suggest enabling Safety Shift if your camera offers it. SS will get you out of trouble if you should end up in a situation where your settings make it impossible for the camera to keep the exposure within a reasonable "correctness". For example, if you put your 50/1.8 lens on the camera, set aperture to 1.8, ISO to 3200, and then go outside into afternoon sun, your camera will probably hit the 1/4000th or 1/8000th shutter speed limit yet still have too much light. Safety Shift will stop the lens down as needed, perhaps to f/5.6 or so. As you review your pictures, you might not notice the high ISO setting unless you're looking at the full detail page, but with the basic parameters showing you'll see that the shots are happening at f/5.6 when the camera was set to f/1.8 - your shots don't end up "pure white", and you can hopefully minimize noise from ISO 3200 after the fact.

 

I use Av about 95% of the time. I use Manual about 4% of the time, which translates into the times when I'm using studio lighting (so I want ISO 100 for maximum quality, 1/250th shutter speed for minimum ambient contribution, and whatever aperture value suits the artistic needs of the shot), and I use Tv about 1% of the time when I'm specifically trying to achieve a certain blur effect.

Thank you so much Peety! I can honestly say that all made sense to me. Thanks for putting it into simple terms :) I'm going to get more familiar with the Safey Shift & Auto ISO features, assuming my camera has them. I stuggle more with indoor pictures than outdoor, so I'm hoping to be able to get nice pics in Alaska even if I don't figure everything out before the trip :)