Chaxl

Later t6oday I am taking a roadtrip with a friend to a small town in the country. She told me this will be up my alley as there's a few abandoned barns (one bright red), an very old windmill, a old mailbox, etc.

I use a Nikon Coolpix P500 with a 35X zoom. My camera is not a SLR but is great quality. What ISO setting should I use? Should I put my White Balance on the highest "sunny" setting and would using my flash add more detail?

Thanks,
Chaxl

olcoach Loc: Oregon

ISO probably 100 and WB depends on time of day and conditions but probably sun or cloudy often as good or better choice. Have fun and keep shootin'. Mike

Chaxl

Thanks a lot Mike. I'm excited.

Chaxl

Time of day will be 3:30 pm, so very sunny.

les_stockton Loc: Eastern Oklahoma

I'd probably just keep the white balance on auto in most cases, especially if it's a sunny day. The only time it gets a little trick is if you are shooting into the sun. At 15:00 or so, that shouldn't be any issue.

Gidgette Loc: Boerne,Texas

Good luck, be sure to post some of your pictures. I like old barns also.

Julian Loc: Sarasota, FL

I have always enjoyed photographing old barns. They present a great photo op. Texture is important especially when capturing old wood grain. Here are some of my shots. Most likely you will encounter some old and rusty farm vehicles and cars; don't miss the oportunity.

wilsondl2 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska

On the White balance - Why not take a pic on sunny, then one on cloudy, then one shade? Look at them and see what you like best. Always use the loest ISO you can while keeping the apature and shutter speed where you want them. - Dave

Photogdog Loc: New Kensington, PA

Chaxl,

Old barns are probably in my top three for subject matter. I live in Western PA & there's an abundance of these all over the place.

You're shooting digital, so try AWB, Sunny, Cloudy, Kelvin (warm or cool) & then check at the display to see what looks best.

One thing you might want to keep in mind: before you shoot, ask permission. I always do this if there's someone home or nearby. You didn't mention your locale, but around here just jumping out of a car & taking pictures of someone's farmland doesn't always go over real well. I don't know if it's a property tax phobia thing or what. I have business cards that I keep in the car & offer one or two as bona fides. I've never had anyone refuse to let me shoot, but I HAVE had a number of property owners thank me for asking first. (More flies-with-honey-than-vinegar sort of thing I guess).

If I get a decent shot, I also offer to give them a free 8x10 print. This is good if I decide I could get a better shot later on & want to go back.

Hope this helps & PLEASE post!

PD

mafadecay Loc: Wales UK

I live in the UK and it is now night time (sorry I never answered you sooner). Hope your shoot went well and please let us see the results good or bad.

Lionsgate Loc: Sierra Vista, Arizona

Since you don't show your location we can only assume you are somewhere between Texas and the Ohio Valley or possibly New England.

This type of photography is also an interest of mine. If you get some really nice photos you should contact your state's historical preservation office. Many states are in the process of documenting this structures as part of wider project to preserve some farm buildings for future generations. I'm currently working with preservation commissions in Oklahoma and Missouri to do just that. If your camera is GPS capable make sure that feature is turned on. If your camera is not GPS capable use your smart phone "Latitude" app to get the information. If you don't have a smart phone you can record what highway you are on and the nearest crossroad in reference to the barn. You can then look up the location later on Google Maps and get the latitude and longitude. Send that information with the photos to the preservation office. This type of work doesn't pay much unless you can sell the photos to other interested "country artists". However, working with preservation and historical societies will lead to other money making projects.

Dr Rae Loc: Sarasota Florida

Would you mind talking about your post processing on this 2nd image? I like it a lot.

Lionsgate Loc: Sierra Vista, Arizona

The second image is a digital remake of a 1979 photo I took in North Dakota using Kodachrome 64. When the digital copy was made some detail and contrast was lost. All of the treatments I attempted in Photoshop simply would not bring back the original "pop". I had the satisfaction of having an 11x14 print from the original slide but no way to reproduce that "haunted" feeling in a second print. When I purchased Photomatix Pro I started going back through all of the digital copies of my slides. This unretouched photo is the result from that HDR single photo processing. The ability to save older work and photos that would otherwise be discarded is one the reasons I selected Photomatix Pro.