My first purchase from B&H, a Nikon 8008 25 years ago, turned out to be defective after a week of use. Called B&H and returned the camera pursuant to their instructions, and received a replacement within days. Many purchases later (a D800 not long ago), I have not had any other problems and remain a loyal customer!

Sounds really interesting. I shot sports for years and learned to be pretty brutal in editing. But it was a matter of eliminating - first the unworthy (bad exposure, focus, etc.), then go back through to get rid of the less interesting, virtual duplicates, etc. On some assignments I would have to go back through half a dozen times making ever more difficult judgements, to finally get down to an acceptable number.

The word Photography translates as writing with light. Controlling your light is the first thing to learn in photography.

In a wooded area with patches of bright light streaming through, you may easily lose that control. The contrast between the patches of bright and dark can easily overwhelm the capacity of the sensor - then you have properly exposed bright spots surrounded by blackness, or properly exposed shade with blown out highlights in the sunlit areas. Knowing that you probably won't get anything you will be happy with in those situations, allows you to avoid them. But, good photographs are available by narrowing your field of view to exclude those contrasts.

Fifty years ago I filmed family activities in Super 8 mm. But I felt more comfortable in still photography and haven't shot anything except stills since. But there have been times when I wished I had the ability to do a moving picture for a given subject. Now that, for the first time, I have the capability to go from one to the other without changing equipment, I'm going to try it. For me its about communicating the moment!

Coming from a lifetime of shooting film, where you might not have a higher ISO film in you bag, much less the ability to change ISO each shot, the use of variable ISO is totally foreign. Even though I've been shooting digital for a decade +, ISO settings over 400 have been for emergency only. But, I recently bought a D800, and have heard it provides excellent results at much higher ISO's, so I'll be experimenting.

I went to a Granddaughters wedding last month. Out of professional courtesy I left my camera in the car until all the mandatory shots were taken. (I did take pictures of my family during the dancing and partying later.) But what I noticed about the official, seemingly competent professional photographer, as we shot the outdoor reception well into the failing evening light, is that she never used a flash, or any supplemental lighting. Evidently she relies on using higher ISO's and post processing to get the results we depended on fine grained film and multiple lights to achieve!

Yep, I have a LOT of experimenting to do.

Thanks, particularly to Apaflo and Watchcow for the updated information. Living in the middle latitudes and being a weather Wimp, I have seldom had occasion to find what my equipment's limits are. Twelve - fifteen years ago I did take a nature walk in -10 deg F, knowing that batteries would be weak, I eschewed my newer Nikons for an Olympus Om1n (all mechanical). Everything went well, but on my way back after an hour or so, the sound of the shutter seemed oddly slow. Sure enough, when the film was developed, those shots were overexposed and blurred - a dragging shutter!

But armed with this new information, and several charged batteries in an inner pocket, I (if I can overcome my weather wimpyness) I will be able to venture out to capture the winter scene!

Thanx!

I've photographed weddings, christenings, bar/bat mitzvahs, reunions, first communions, etc. Never a funeral and I have no idea how I would approach one. But, I have taken a camera to, and recorded the funeral luncheon, which is after the funeral and, in all but the most tragic circumstances, is a celebration of the departed's life. If, as in the case of the events I have participated in, it was an elderly person who died after a long life, and potentially an extended illness, the funeral luncheon becomes a reunion, and a joyous event. Good luck.

I have just a bit of experience with SD cards, but a whole lot with CF cards. In 14 years I had just one failure, a couple pictures (out of a hundred or more) weren't there when I downloaded to the computer. The advice I received, and took, was to discard that card. And that's my advice to you. Do not mess around with cleaning contacts, et al; dump the card. Then if it ever occurs again, get that camera into an authorized repair facility.

Strong opinions! But I feel that digital imaging is capable of every bit of the quality, the "tonal graduation", et al that can be achieved with film. And the photographer is able to retain greater control of the final product. This in no way denigrates the work that has been done and is being done with film, but to dismiss digital because of a nostalgia for the "old" process, does neither justice!

"... subjects are looking all over the place at different cameras."

Boy, does that bring unpleasant memories. It is extremely frustrating to get a group all posed, and never be able to get "the" shot because of all the subjects looking somewhere else! Sometimes you can get their attention by pointing this out, sometimes not.

Another pet peeve of mine is to be hired to take the official pictures of a performance, and be asked not to use flash, and then have everyone in the audience start flashing away. I eventually learned to respond, when told not to use flash, that I would only comply if they made an announcement to everyone that flash is not allowed. Helped, but didn't always work.

I was a small boy just after the end of WWII when a favored Uncle bought me an Ansco box camera. A few years later I used monies earned on a paper route to purchase a folding roll film Kodak. After the birth of my children and a whole slew of box cameras and instamatics, I bought an Olympus RC35, followed in a few years by an Olympus OM2n – it was stolen, so I replaced it with an OM1n, then added an OM2s. By now I was middle aged and auto focus seemed the way to go, but wasn’t available in an Olympus SLR, so I soon owned a spanking new Nikon 8008.

Then I got serious, bought a studio with a couple Nikon F3's, a couple of Mamiya RB’s, a Synar view camera, lots of lights, lenses, et al! The studio failed and I got rid of the view camera’s and one of the RB’s, but soon I added a Nikon F100. Then I tried early digital with a Nikon 5mp point & shoot – didn’t work out for my style shooting, but soon there was a D100 followed by a D 70. After I wore out both their shutters (having Nikon replace one of them), I upgraded to a D200. Then I retired and we moved back to the Midwest where my photography was limited to family and occasional wildlife, as I concentrated on working around the house. Then, for no reason I can ascertain, I started following the Ugly Hedge Hog blog, and the next thing you know, I’m the proud owner of a spanking new D800.

I explained away the significant cost of the D800 to my wife, by reasoning that this would probably be my last camera. I don’t have the heart to tell her about all the new glass I’m going to need to make use of the capabilities of this beauty!

Nat, in my opinion a “GOOD” club helps members share their passion for this craft/art and concentrates its efforts on teaching, on the how and why, at least as much as the appreciation of the photography of others. To accomplish this there should be a healthy mix of competitions, “how to” sessions, exhibitions of the artistry of accomplished photographers (both club members and invited guests), and field trips! The PSA can assist a club develop their schedule of meetings, events and field trips, but will tend to concentrate on competitions. Therefor, the club’s “Program Committee” will be of extreme importance to the club’s success.

Another aspect which can enhance the club experience is communication. Regular communication with the members should let them know what programs and field trips are coming up, who is doing what, who visited recent meetings, who has joined, et al. With computers and e-mail, this is easier than ever – I would want to show the best images from the most recent competitions, and of guest speakers every month (being careful to have the requisite permissions). But it is entirely too easy to get behind on communications and that is a drag on the club! You need someone articulate and willing to work to keep it up, but that isn’t enough if those responsible for setting the club agenda, developing programs, and scheduling field trips don’t get that information into the hands of the “Communicator” in plenty of time! (Finding out the club had a field trip you think you would have enjoyed, after the fact, is a real interest killer!)

My limited experience with camera clubs does not include cliques, but I understand that they can destroy an otherwise healthy club. So that is something for the officers of the club to be aware of and work to control.

The time I spent in a camera club was very important to me and to my development as a photographer. Do it. Be involved. Enjoy!

The "Golden Mean"? I don't know what that is. I have an appreciation of the Golden Ratio, and 35 mm film and sensor size completely ignores that. If I'm wrong, please explain.

Reluctantly, because it is your picture, I found the other cowboy distracting, and the cropped version more appealing. And, getting back to the original idea of this thread, a stronger composition.

Op-Tech! I photographed sporting events for years. Two cameras, two Op-Tech straps. Camera not currently being used flipped around behind me; camera in use with strap securely wrapped around right wrist (usually with 70-200 f/2.8 or 300 mm) as I shot activity. Now that I'm retired, I usually just carry one, but still tend to have the Op-Tech strap wrapped around my wrist while actually photographing.