Camera: Nikon D300

Lenses: Nikon 18 - 135 mm Zoom
                Nikon 60 mm Macro f2.8
                Nikon 70 - 300 mm Zoom

Flash: On camera

Computer: iMac

Photo software: Adobe Lightroom

 

 

How and what I shoot--Bill Holstein

I shoot with a Nikon D-300.  I mostly use the 18-135 lens for all of my shooting.  I do have other lens and will use them when I want a closer up shot of something.  This usually means using the 70-300 lens or the marco lens. I shoot almost entirely in the camera raw except when I take photos of some kind of event and know I will be taking a ton of photos.  For these events I will change my setting to JEPG fine so I am able to get more photos on the card.  I use Lightroom for up loading and editing the photos.  I do have Photoshop Elements but mostly use Lightroom for everything I need.  I do have folders for some of my photos.

My process for keeping and uploading photos.

Take a look at the photos while still in the camera.  Eliminate any that are out of focus, bad lighting or just plan bad photos.

When I download the photos I will again take a closer look at the them before I upload them to Lightroom and eliminate the ones I don’t like.

After the photos are in Lightroom I will take a closer look at them again and eliminate anything that just don’t if for me.

After all of this is done I will wait a couple of weeks before I eliminate any more photos.  This way when I go back and look I will not be so attach to any photo I thought was good but in reality were nothing special.

I mostly file my photos by date.  In other words I do not do much organizing with them.  I do have folders for different things I might want to back and look at, lighting, subject  matter, different times of year of the same subject.  I find it helpful to go back and look at photos I like and see why I like them.  What was it that made this photo a good photo.

I do like to take photos close up and of older things, but I will take photos of almost anything.

One thing I do is put myself out there to be judge and see how people feel about my work. Each year I enter into the county fair and the state fair.  The county fair is fun because every photo entered is displayed, nobody gets rejected but they are judge and ribbons are pass out. I have always been able to pick up a couple of ribbons each year.   The state fair is a different animal.  Just for photography they will get around 350 - 400 entries and will except only 40 -50 of them.  So far I have been excepted every year I have enter, I did get a ribbon once, but to me just getting excepted is winning.

The other thing I do is try and sell my photos.  Each year I will try and do a couple of photos shows at different galleries and businesses around town.  This will usually generate a few sales.  I also have a couple of businesses around town that have my photos for sale.  Again I usually able to sell a couple of photos each month.  This does not not make me rich but it does help with the cost of my hobby.  Plus it give a good feeling to know people are willing to pay for your photos.

 

 

© Jim Bellomo 2013

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