Camera Upgrades

This week has been a busy one for the camera in terms of a couple of upgrades I wanted to do. The first came from browsing Nikon's web site and the second was bourne out of frustration when focussing during macro photography.

Firmware Upgrade To Version 2.00
After reading all of the instructions this was easy, quick and painless - which is more than can be said for some firmware upgrades (we won't talk about my router!). The instructions were easy to follow and 20 minutes later I had the new firmware installed.

A brief play and scan through the menus and it looks like they may have resolved one of my pet hates - the focus area would not lock between power cycles. Only time and a few more days playing will tell if this is correct.

Manual Focus Aid
For those of you who have not used the D70 my complaint here is that there is no manual focusing aid. This was not too much of a problem when I first started using the camera as I used the autofocus a lot. As I am getting used to using the camera I am manually focussing a lot more.

Time for a quick browse of the internet. I eventually found a few forums discussing the Katz Eye focus system from a US based company. There were plenty of reviews and most were favourable. The downside was the two week waiting list. This is where Nikonians came to the rescue. They do not have a wide range of kit on their site but they do sell the Katz Eye focusing screens. Seemless ordering and it was here in the UK from Germany within 48 hours of ordering.

The instructions were clear with a warning about reading them all - something I must admit to doing several times before attempting to start this. The last thing I wanted was a hefty repair bill from Nikon.

And Finally...
So now I've upgraded I suppose I should go and find some subjects...

Fireworks

I have been working with the Nikon D70 for about a year now. I have spent the time learning how the camera works one feature at a time. I must admit that I am still learning - but hey - that's the bit I really enjoy.

Two weeks ago I was presented with the opportunity to attempt to photograph fireworks during an open air concert in Leeds. Twice a year, Leeds Council put on two open air concerts, an opera/songs from the musicals concert in July and a classical music concert in September. I know from past experience that they have a firework display at the end of the concert and it was here that was off to.

The classical music concert was to take place at Kirkstall Abbey a short distance (by car) from Leeds city centre. I know from past experience that the firework display always takes place during the final piece. Throughout the night they also light the Abbey. It was the combination of the two that I was hoping to capture.

Equipment List
Everytime I use the camera I try to keep the equipment list as small and simple as possible. On this occassion I knew I would need a sturdy mount as I would be using long exposures and a remote shutter. For the lens I decided to go with the wider angle lenses (50mm and 28mm).

Technique
To take the types of photographs I was looking for I knew that long exposures would be the order of the day. The lighting of the Abbey during the early part of the concert gave me time to try an guage the exposure settings to use. A few "quick" tests resulted in a few images which I thought were satisfactory for the then light settings. A little compensation would be required to take into account the brighter light from the fireworks.

In the end I settled on the following:

• F16 to give a reasonable depth of field
• 4s shutter speed
• 50mm lens

The results were mixed to say the least and looking back I would have done a few things a little dirfferently but I did get one shot I was happy with. Maybe not competition standard by a long way but I feel it makes a reasonable desktop for my PC - for a few weeks at least. Although I am not too happy about the brightness of the fireworks as they launch; the light does show the ruined section of the abbey to the far right.

Lessons Learned
As I said, this was my first attempt at photographing fireworks so the lessons learned are many but will have to wait until November before I can see if I am right. Summarising:

• Wider angle lens for the distance I was away from the display
• Faster shutter speed (2s or 3s)
• Try to get a little further away from the display

Introduction

Yorkshire Photographer is a personal commentary on my learning experience as an amateur photographer. I have only recently taken up photography and when it comes to buying new kit I have a limited budget. I guess that puts me in the same position as a lot of amateurs.

This all started in the summer of 2005 when on holiday in Llandudno. I was sitting on a beach (for those who have not been to Llandudno, mound of pebbles is more accurate) and I wanted to capture the air display being put on. Let's face it, the "cameras" they put on mobile phones are not up to the job of capturing anything more than a social event. Well, the one on mine certainly isn't.

I had already decided that I was interested in digital photography so a little research was involved. This was about the time that Nikon had just released the D70 and was preparing the ground for the D70s. My wife already had a Nikon film camera with a few lenses so Nikon it was and in July 2005 I became the owner of the Nikon D70 (body only) with the intention of taking advantage of the lenses we already had.

Why Digital?
The decision really came down to two things:

• Cost of processing
• The desire to play with the images in a digital darkroom

Having owned compact film cameras in the past I know that the cost of film and processing can be expensive and as previously noted, I'm on a budget.

I think the decision to go digital was the correct one for me. I still have the old film camera should I wish to use it. I do however like the fact that I can go out with the camera and be looking at the result on the PC shortly after taking the photograph.

Also, when considering the film/digital question I asked myself the question What will I be doing with these images?. After thinking about this I realised that I would either be keeping them on my PC or displaying them around my home. Neither of these required the higher definition that is possible with film. Looing back, this was the right decision for me.

And Finally...
Hope that you enjoy what you read here. This is my journey and I am sure that I will make many mistakes on the way.