First day out with Tripod!
You guys are so right! Get a decent tripod and all this camera shake malarkey goes out the window! I couldn’t wait, had to get out today to try it out – even though winds were gale force and the Forth Road Bridge was closed to high vehicles as a result.
So, there I was, sturdy tripod in hand taking shots of the boats at Dysart Harbour and trying hard not to get blown into the harbour in the process! I know it doesn’t look like it in the photos but, I can assure you, I needed the strength of ten men/women to keep myself steady out there today! Have a look at the pics – I’ll let them speak for themselves.
I’m cold, wet, dirty and hungry and I need a hot bath! Cheers, Y. 
Glad to see you made it back OK. Obviously you do have the strength of ten men then?
A tip for anyone trying to keep a tripod still in a high wind, suspend a weight from the central column, a carrier bag full of beers for example. This will increase the weight of the tripod and hence it’s stability. Just don’t drink the beers too quickly.
Yes, eventually! Note to self: Do not venture out to exposed harbours in high winds unless I have beer in the fridge! That’s not going to happen anytime soon, however, with my student son around – the beer doesn’t stay in the fridge long enough for me to decant into carrier bags. Guess I’ll have to make do with a few kilos of potatoes instead! @geofflaw
I can see the first pic is blown top left corner. I should have positioned myself better or adjusted settings. Liked the composition of the three vessels side by side.
Yvonne – when taking pics like this – always do a couple of test shots first – look at the histogram on your D40 and then adjust both the EV and your position to compensate. Also, IF you do get a blow-out area like in the top left corner..you can correct that in Capture NX using the simple ‘colour point’ tool. However, the best route is to get it right ‘in camera’ so that a minimum of post-take touchup is required.
I realize it’s just another expense – but IF you are going to be taking a lot of outdoor, nature pics involving sky, sea, water, reflective surfaces, etc (which it seems that you are) – then I highly recommend that you also purchase a decent polarizing filter. It will greatly improve the skies for sure, and the water, plus help to cut down on reflective glare, etc. It really adds that extra dimension when shooting around things like boats in the water, harbour scenes…anything where one would like to see into or just under the water.
You read my mind! I have been thinking about this – needed tripod first, however,you are right, it seems I do veer towards pics with reflective surfaces. Can you recommend a decent filter for Nikon D40? I think it would really make the difference between a good pic and potentially great one. Cheers, Kev. (y)
The filter you get all depends upon which size lens (ie: the diameter, 77mm, etc) you are using. The new Nikon Polarizer II filter is really good – costs about 80-90 quid in the UK. There are cheaper versions, but I stick with Nikon accessories coz they are made for your gear.
Also, don’t forget – IF you have several different lenses they probably won’t be all the same diameter size – so buy the polarizer to fit the one/s that you will be using the most outdoors.
Cheers, Kev – I’ll get onto that.