I will be talking about Nikon cameras and lenses on these pages. I have been using Nikon cameras and lenses since 1975 when I got a pair of Nikon F3 camera bodies. I used them for wedding photography and studio model photography for a very long time. Things have sure changed since then. From the F3 I got the Nikon F100 and finally the latest Nikon F6. I now use a pair of Nikon D300 camera bodies for the weddings but before that I learned digital photography techniques with a pair of Nikon D70s camera bodies. You see, Nikki Nikon knows what he is talking about from hands on experience.

On these pages I will be sharing this experience and knowledge with you. I hope that we can learn together. You do not need the latest and greatest Nikon camera body to have a great time but you do need to read the manual and practice. Remember, they don't call it camera work for nothing. The more you shoot the better photographer you become, so get out there and don't forget your camera.I am one of those prime lens guys. I feel that prime lenses give less flare and more sharpness than zoom lenses. Also, they are more compact and thus easier to carry. Zoom with your feet is the conventional wisdom and it works to the extent that your long lens is long enough to get you into the scene. Don't forget to increase your shutter speed on your camera when you pull out your telephoto lens. My Nikon 105mm DC is so compact and the out of focus bokeh effects and diffusion effects really set it apart as being very special. The 105 F2 DC lens feels and handles like a 135/150mm lens which it is when you consider the DX crop factor of 1.5x. That is always an advantage to the normal and telephoto lenses for a people shooter. You really don't want to use the 105mm DC at 1/60 of a second shutter speed because it would probably show camera shake. Make your own tests. That is great advice and pertains to camera shake with any telephoto lens. I like to be at least 1/250 with the 105mm DCmm lens, just to be safe. You don't want to ruin your pics with camera shake and the resulting blur showing up in your photographs. You can always increase the ISO speed setting in your camera so that you can work at a higher shutter speed.

I am recommending that you place your camera on a table that is out in the open at home and find something to point it at every single day. Minimize your camera gear to make sure you know and remember exactly how everything works. Too much gear just sits there, is hard to carry and probably does you no good on a daily basis. Use your flash and try bounce and flash fill techniques. Make it work got you and try off camera lighting with a special coiled TTL cord. Try it in an umbrella with the flash on manual and try a shoot thru umbrella for greater softness. Compare the results. You will quickly find out where you are at as a photographer because only through practice will you find out how your camera, lenses and flash will work for you. Do you practice? It is not called camera work for nothing. Get it?

My current lens kit consists mostly of trusted prime lenses. I am usually not too keen on zoom lenses because they have a tendancy to flare. I hate lens flare. Usually, it will be your best photograph that shows flare in a difficult lighting situation. Try coming out of a church at four PM and having the bride and groom standing by the limo as the sun is shining directly into your lens. It happens quite a lot at weddings. A zoom lens only makes the situation worse. Of course, you will always want to use a lens shade on every lens to reduce flare and to protect the front element. I never use filters because they also contribute to lens flare and they can add some unsharpness.

Lately, I have been interested in increasing my wide angle usage and I had the opportunity to trade for a mint condition Nikon 12-24mm AFSG zoom lens. I had to give up my beautiful Nikon 20mm F2.8 AFD prime lens to do so but I knew I wanted more wideness at the weddings for greater variety. I am extremely happy with the new zoom lens as there is no flare to be seen yet and that is a very good thing. The overall quality of the photographs are outstanding. I will be posting sample images at some point in time.