Full Moon Storm Approaching

Canon 50D | Full Moon Storm Approaching ^©2011 Wray Sinclair

Hurricane Irene has made her debut on the East Coast. Nature has it's way of "showing off" just like models do. Except with nature, you at times experience events that some may never see. Hurricanes are known for their calmness before and after the storm, as seen in the vivid colors of the skies, but the eye truly brings a different message.

In this exposure, Virginia Photographer Wray Sinclair captures the storm approaching. The full moon in the background gives the image a signature quality, and this could easily be made into a beautiful poster sized print. This isn't so much an artistic approach to a photograph, but rather a solid composition that truly captures nature in it's own beauty. This gives the image incredible value.

This photo was taken from the Smokey Mountains. Check out Wray's flickr for more great images from his trip.

Autofocus, When You Say So

^©2011 Curtis Harper

Autofocus (AF) is a great feature that was first introduced by Leica in the 1960's. This technology works by using the camera's sensor to define accurate focus. Some professionals simply live by manual focus and believe it is the only way, but again, we must realize that has it's place, just like a flash or a zoom lens.

Many times when shooting, you may find it annoying that you can't get the AF just right. You might accidentally focus on the background, or focus on an ear when you should be on the eyes. Well, there is an easier way! It is the AE Lock/AF feature. Some cameras come with this as its own button, while others may need to be mapped. Also, the terminology may slightly vary on different bodies.

When looking at the Canon EOS 50D pictured above, notice the AF-ON button. From the manufacturer, this is the same as pressing your shutter button half way to autofocus; however you can customize this. By mapping this to enable exposure lock, you can use your autofocus as desired, lock it, and then not have to worry about the camera changing focus every time you press the shutter.

To enable AE Lock/AF (EOS 50D):

1) Navigate to your Custom Settings Menu

2) Select C.FnIV: Operation/Others

3) Select 3: AE lock/Metering + AF start

4) Press OK

Now whenever you press your AF-ON button, AF will engage. Pressing and releasing the shutter will not change the focus!

Editor's Post: Follow Curtis

New Body, Old Flash

Each Photographer is different. Different ideas, different needs, different budgets. A popular discussion that is always brought up is the possibility of using older flashes on newer bodies. It is a dangerous thing to do because of the different voltages present in each device, but some brave souls do it. Not everyone can afford the SB900, and not every one needs a 580EXii. Some of us will go for the Vivitar or even the Opteka. If you are say shooting on a Canon 50D and looking at the Vivitar 283, this may be a bad idea. Not only because of it's low power output, but because of the risk of frying circuitry on the flash or even the camera body. And personally, I would recommend the YongNuo units if you're considering a third party.

Why does it have to be so difficult, right? Well it's not. Wein makes a product called the Safe-Sync. This device regulates and reduces the flash sync voltage of the flash from up to 400V to less than 6V, making it safe to use all flashes on your camera. It also provides a PC female flash connection, in which you can feed to a second flash if you so desired. B&H Photo sells these for less than $50.

If you haven't purchased a flash yet and don't want to worry about extra accessories, the Vivitar 285HV is made for the newer camera bodies like the 50D. Or for a few dollars more, you can grab one of the YongNuos mentioned above. Be sure to look for the features you may need such as ETTL, Guide Number and swivel head etc. The ultimate goal is to have controlled light. Any of the units mentioned will take you leaps further than an on-camera flash.