Photography

[Picfan]

I have a total love for photography. It is the one thing I do for me. A way to express myself. It is such an awesome feeling to capture the one moment perfectly. Anyway I was wondering if anyone else going on the cruise to Alaska has a love, serious interest like I do. If so maybe we could start a little group and get together some during the cruise to talk and share.

[rbidwack]

We've started a group over on flickr.com for R Family Vacation photographers:

http://flickr.com/groups/rfamilyvacations/

You're welcome to join, especially if you have digital photos you'd like to share. I'll be bringing my digital SLR on the cruise again this year ... I got a lot of wonderful shots last year.

[jblksmith1]

Anybody want to share info about their cameras?

[rbidwack]

I'll be bringing my Canon Digital Rebel XT with a Canon EF-S 17-85MM f4-5.6 IS lens, and my Canon Photoshot S230 for times when I can't whip out a SLR.

[Happy]

I am not one of the all time great photographers (more along the lines of, my photos turn out like.... grass...grass...grass... person... grass... grass... grass). But, because I knew I was going to one of the most beautiful places on earth, I bought a decent (I hope) digital camera. I'd love some tips and advice!!!

Hali

[terese]

Hi All-

I will be bringing my Nikon D-70S with a 18-70mm lens and a 70-300mm zoom lens. I am also debating on whether or not to bring a medium format camera with me for fun!! I can't wait!:D

[WadyPhoto]

Happy-

I am a photography teacher and I always tell my kids...it's not the camera that takes the picture...it's the person BEHIND the camera. So it doesn't matter if you have a disposable or a $2,000 digital...pictures can still turn out cruddy!

[PhotoLover25]

Hello all you shutter bugs. I happen to love photography myself and cant wait for the alaska trip to get some great shots of the scenery. I have posted about 6 photos on flickr.com under the name PhotoLover25.

jen..

[tofer610]

i have a simple digital camera that provides good pictures but i want to buy a new camera for alaska that provides great pictures....any suggestions on what to get especially in the slr department....thanks in advance for any advice.....christopher

[kmoar]

I also love photography! I am an avid scrapbooker too. In anticipation of this cruise we bought a Panasonic DMC-FZ30 which has 8 mp and a 10x zoom. It has taken great pictures so far so we are excited to see how it works in Alaska. We will also bring our Nikon coolpix 4300. Excited to see how everyones pics turn out after the cruise!

[Picfan]

I have a nikon d-70 and love it. The only problem,like someone mentioned, is getting it out sometimes quick enough. I would love to get a small very flat compact digital camera for the trip to use also. Something I could stick in my pocket for easy access. Anyone know of any most do excursions for getting good shots.

[terese]

Hi Picfan-

I would look at the Canon Elph series, specifically the SD600. It has a faster shutter speeds that allow you to shoot in low light situations and it is really small. I also know that the Casio Exilim series cameras have gotten some pretty good ratings. It you check out the Circuit City website, they letter users leave reviews of the cameras, I also use epinions.com to read reviews. Good Luck!!

terese

[durango]

My partner just bought me a new camera for my birthday and it is the Canon A610!
Can't wait for the cruise to try it out!

[Chaylu]

I too love Photography. Most of our vacations are centered around taking trips for landscape photos. I am really looking forward to this cruise for the Alaskan scenes. I would love to meet others who also love photography.

[Picfan]

I too love Photography. Most of our vacations are centered around taking trips for landscape photos. I am really looking forward to this cruise for the Alaskan scenes. I would love to meet others who also love photography.


You sound like me. I was thinking it would be really cool to get together to share ideas and pictures during the trip. I am trying to select excursions with the best photo ops.

[Chaylu]

Me too! We are reading over the choices for excursions for the best photo shots. Unfortunately I will also bring a two year old on the excursions. I think he would be happier with other 2 year olds playing while we do a few excursions. He is not potty trained yet. We plan on taking turns watching him and redirecting him while we are out.
we both love to take photos. we have sold some as greeting cards etc..
A get together sounds fun.

[SFfamily]

I could use a seminar on photography to help me make the most of the photographic opportunities on the trip. Would any of our "pros" be willing to organize a seminar? I'm sure Kelly and Greg would go for it. The first day we are at sea. It would be a perfect way to get the cruise off to a good start.

-Gerry

[cebii]

Me too! We are reading over the choices for excursions for the best photo shots. Unfortunately I will also bring a two year old on the excursions. I think he would be happier with other 2 year olds playing while we do a few excursions. He is not potty trained yet. We plan on taking turns watching him and redirecting him while we are out.
we both love to take photos. we have sold some as greeting cards etc..
A get together sounds fun.

We are bringing two year old twins, and so have given up really good cameras for awhile. We have a Nikon coolpix 5200 and then a 3200 for back up. I've gotten some pretty good shots with each of them (but then if you take enough pictures, one is bound to turn out)

We still aren't sure how we are going to work handling our twins all the time. Last year, we kept them with us, but they are much more mobile and harder to contain now. I guess that will be part of the adventure.:)

[Picfan]

I could use a seminar on photography to help me make the most of the photographic opportunities on the trip. Would any of our "pros" be willing to organize a seminar? I'm sure Kelly and Greg would go for it. The first day we are at sea. It would be a perfect way to get the cruise off to a good start.

-Gerry


That would be an awesome idea if we did have someone that could give some tips. I am going to a Nikon class before the trip and hope to get some good tips from that. Just a thought....I wonder if there are any books that offer suggestions for picture takers on an Alaskan cruise. I guess I will go look on Amazon. LOL

[terese]

Hi Everyone!!

I don't have any suggestions about books, but I do feel more inspired after looking at other people’s images. Check out this website www.fotocommunity.com . You can look at all types of images. You can even break it down and only look at images of Alaska. (this always gets me excited when I think the cruise is too far away!!) While I think books can be very helpful, I think we learn more by emulate those images we are inspired by.

It will be here before we know it!! :D

terese

[Picfan]

Hi Everyone!!

I don't have any suggestions about books, but I do feel more inspired after looking at other people’s images. Check out this website www.fotocommunity.com . You can look at all types of images. You can even break it down and only look at images of Alaska. (this always gets me excited when I think the cruise is too far away!!) While I think books can be very helpful, I think we learn more by emulate those images we are inspired by.

It will be here before we know it!! :D

terese

That was a great site. I do love looking at photo's and agree you can really get some great ideas from them. I did end up buying a couple books though. I will let you all know if any are worth looking into. I got them from Amazon. Got to love there used books for cheap prices. LOL

[Chaylu]

Carrie You are so right!
I have taken some really incredible pictures with a disposible camera. When we went to the hospital to have our youngest child we took a disposible camera because I didnt want to take my good camera. The pictures were great. I do have a Nikon D-70 and love it but your so right its the person taking the pictures and not the camera. I have also had a Nikon coolpix 5000 (which I wore out after about 5,000 pictures) that camera took some great pictures also.
Looking forward to the trip and taking some good shots!
Luann

[Picfan]

Carrie You are so right!
I have taken some really incredible pictures with a disposible camera. When we went to the hospital to have our youngest child we took a disposible camera because I didnt want to take my good camera. The pictures were great. I do have a Nikon D-70 and love it but your so right its the person taking the pictures and not the camera. I have also had a Nikon coolpix 5000 (which I wore out after about 5,000 pictures) that camera took some great pictures also.
Looking forward to the trip and taking some good shots!
Luann

Do you know the Nikon d-70 has a recall on some of the batteries. Also the camera some of them have a recall on them. Go to Nikon.com and you can check on yours if you didn't know. They are great about sending a new one and you returning the old one. So you aren't without. The camera recall though you have to send the camera in. I am getting ready to do mine. The say it is a 5 day turn around.

[Picfan]

I asked Gregg about having a photo meeting sometime during the cruise so we could all get together. I asked also if they have hired someone to do proffesional photo's of the cruise if maybe they could give a little talk. I thought that would be lots of fun. Not sure if it will workout but I think if there are enough interested they might do it.

[Happy]

I would love to get tips! sign me up for the class/group.

Hali

[Nightowls]

Definitely count me in if you do a photography session please :) I am the picture fanatic here and I would love new ideas to try to get better ones since I take them every change I get!

[jblksmith1]

I just bought a new digital slr Canon 20d for the trip. I can't wait to use it in Alaska. Any other 20d users out there?

[Nightowls]

If anyone of you goes on the Photo Safari excursion in Juneau I'd love to meet up and get some tips later :) PM me and I can give you contact information. I REALLY wanted to go but had promised my daughter that she could dogsled there before we got the lit that said this was also available at the same time. So, we wll be off dogsledding and taking the best pics I already know to take, lol. We are getting so excited as the days keep going by and its almost here, almost :)

[terese]

One tip I can offer is......I would invest in a polarizing filter for your camera. This filter will help saturate the colors and cut the glare off the water. This might be important if we see whales!! If you have ever worn polarized sunglasses you know the difference it can make.

[Nightowls]

thanks for the input :) I will have to see what Sony has.

[terese]

Hi Nightowls-

Sony might not make one, but there are tons of other makers. You can get a pretty good deal on Amazon. Just look for the mm on your lens, it is usually written around the end of the lens.

terese

[Nightowls]

Not only did I find polarizing filters but also special effects ones that I had no idea could be used on my camera. The last time I used all these cool filters was when I was using my AE-1 several years ago. Now I have one more thing to sit and wait on,lol, filters to play with before we fly away Seattle. Whoohoo~ and Terese, you live in Tempe, we are in Glendale :)

[terese]

Hi Nightowls-

I think we are the only people I have seen from Arizona (at least in the forum)! I am so excited, I can't wait! We will certainly all have to share pictures when the cruise is over. :D

[Picfan]

I thought the photo safari was not available. Does anyone know for sure?

[Nightowls]

It is listed in the Juneau excursions (JNU 035 of JNU0351) It was also listed on the pulldown menu on NCL. I guess the only way to know for sure is to try to book it and see if you get a confirmation. It sounds so very cool :) and I wish I'd been able to give it a try. I guess you could call but my experience in trying that last year is that you can be on hold forever and god help you if you push the wrong number for a choice and have to start over...its not easy to get thru to a real person quickly. Good luck!

[rbidwack]

Polarizing filter should be a "must have" for anyone on this trip with an SLR. It will dramatically improve your pictures of the ocean/skyline, and cut back on the glare bouncing off the ocean. If you don't get a circular polarizing filter (more costly than a normal polarizer), make sure you rotate the filter so that the polarization is "on".

[JNISfamily]

I plan to bring digital still and digital video for the cruise. I found last year the best subjects to photograph were the people on the ship. The kids were the best subjects to photograph!

I hope to get some good shots of Bald Eagles and Bears on this trip. I'm a scuba diver, and shoot video underwater, but I am not interested in dragging along more stuff for this trip. Above water there will be plent to film.