Nikon D3000: From Snapshots to Great Shots

289 Pages·2010·27.108 MB·English

by  Jeff Revell

Nikon D3000:
From

Snapshots
to
Great Shots
Jeff Revell
Nikon D3000: From Snapshots to Great Shots
Jeff Revell
Peachpit Press
1249 Eighth Street
Berkeley, CA 94710
510/524-2178
510/524-2221 (fax)
Find us on the Web at www.peachpit.com
To report errors, please send a note to [email protected]
Peachpit Press is a division of Pearson Education
Copyright © 2010 by Peachpit Press
All photography © Jeff Revell except where noted
Editor: Ted Waitt
Production Editor: Lisa Brazieal
Interior Design: Riezebos Holzbaur Design Group
Compositor: WolfsonDesign
Indexer: James Minkin
Cover Design: Aren Howell
Cover Image: Jeff Revell
Back Cover Author Photo: Scott Kelby
Notice of Rights
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission
of the publisher. For information on getting permission reprints and excerpts, contact permissions@
peachpit.com.
Notice of Liability
The information in this book is distributed on an “As Is” basis without warranty. While every precaution
has been taken in the preparation of the book, neither the author nor Peachpit shall have any liability
to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or
indirectly by the instructions contained in this book or by the computer software and hardware products
described in it.
Trademarks
All Nikon products are trademarks or registered trademarks of Nikon and/or Nikon Corporation.
Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed
as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book, and Peachpit was aware of a trademark
claim, the designations appear as requested by the owner of the trademark. All other product names
and services identifi ed throughout this book are used in editorial fashion only and for the benefi t of such
companies with no intention of infringement of the trademark. No such use, or the use of any trade
name, is intended to convey endorsement or other affi liation with this book.
ISBN-13 978- 0-321-71308-7
ISBN-10 0-321-71308-7
9 8 7 6 54 3 2 1
Printed and bound in the United States of America
DEDICATION
For my nephews and nieces: Sam, Ben, Veronica, and Daphne.
You make your Uncle Jeff proud!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Someone once asked me where I fi nd the time to write all of these books while still managing a full-time
career, writing a blog (www.photowalkpro.com), and still having time for family. The truth is that it
wouldn’t be possible without the latter, my family, who give me the encouragement, time, and inspira-
tion to be able to balance all the things in my life. They truly are a blessing unto me and I am extremely
grateful to have them in my life.
I also need to give credit to the great team at Peachpit who help pull all of this together in a fashion
that lets me focus on the content and not sweat the small stuff. Everyone from my publisher Nancy
Aldrich-Ruenzel to my editor, Ted Waitt, my production editor, Lisa Brazieal, and all the other great folks
at Peachpit. You make writing these books a smooth process and really help me roll these books out the
door and into the readers’ hands.
Of course, this book wouldn’t exist unless I had a camera to work from and that wouldn’t have hap-
pened without the help of Anne Cahill from Nikon Professional. She helped me get hooked up with the
gear so that I could explore all of the technical aspects of this great camera. Anne and all of my friends at
Nikon have been so helpful to me throughout my career as a photographer, and I look forward to more
collaboration in the years to come.
Finally, I would like to thank you, the reader, for putting your faith in me by purchasing this book and
trusting me to guide you through the camera and also into the world of photography. It is one of my
great passions, and I am thankful for the opportunity to share that passion with you. I hope that you fi nd
this book useful and that it, in some small way, is able to nurture your passion for this wonderful craft.
Contents
INTRODUCTION X
CHAPTER 1: THE D3000 TOP TEN LIST 1
Ten Tips to Make Your Shooting More Productive
Right Out of the Box
Poring Over the Camera 2
Poring Over the Camera 4
1. Charge Your Battery 5
2. Adjust Your Auto Off Timer Setting 6
3. Set Your JPEG Image Quality 7
4. Turn Off the Auto ISO Setting 9
5. Set Your Focus Point and Mode 11
6. Set the Correct White Balance 13
7. Set Your Color Space 16
8. Know How to Override Auto Focus 18
9. Review Your Shots 19
10. Hold Your Camera for Proper Shooting 24
Chapter 1 Assignments 26
CHAPTER 2: FIRST THINGS FIRST 29
A Few Things to Know and Do Before You Begin Taking Pictures
Poring Over the Picture 30
Poring Over the Picture 32
Choosing the Right Memory Card 34
Formatting Your Memory Card 34
Updating the D3000’S Firmware 36
Cleaning the Sensor 38
Using the Right Format: RAW Vs. JPEG 39
Lenses and Focal Lengths 42
What Is Exposure? 48
Motion and Depth of Field 51
Chapter 2 Assignments 54
v
CONTENTS
CHAPTER 3: THE AUTO MODES 57
Get Shooting with the Automatic Camera Modes
Poring Over the Picture 58
Poring Over the Picture 60
Auto Mode 62
Portrait Mode 63
Landscape Mode 65
Close-up Mode 66
Sports Mode 67
Night Portrait Mode 68
Child Mode 69
Flash Off Mode 70
The Guide Mode 71
Why You May Never Want to Use the Auto Modes Again 71
Chapter 3 Assignments 73
CHAPTER 4: THE PROFESSIONAL MODES 75
Taking Your Photography to the Next Level
Poring Over the Picture 76
Poring Over the Picture 78
P: Program mode 80
S: Shutter Priority Mode 83
A: Aperture Priority Mode 87
M: Manual Mode 92
How I Shoot: A Closer Look at the Camera Settings I Use 95
Chapter 4 Assignments 98
CHAPTER 5: MOVING TARGET 101
The Tricks to Shooting Sports and More
Poring Over the Picture 102
Poring Over the Picture 104
Stop Right There! 106
Using Shutter Priority (S) Mode to Stop Motion 109
Using Aperture Priority (A) Mode to Isolate Your Subject 112
Using Auto ISO the Right Way 113
Keep Them in Focus with Continuous-Servo Focus
and AF Focus Point Selection 115
vi
NIKON D 3000: FROM SNAPSHOTS TO GREAT SHOTS
Stop and Go with 3D-Tracking AF 117
Manual Focus for Anticipated Action 117
Keeping Up with the Continuous Shooting Mode 118
A Sense of Motion 120
Tips for Shooting Action 122
Chapter 5 Assignments 126
CHAPTER 6: SAY CHEESE! 129
Settings and Features to Make Great Portraits
Poring Over the Picture 130
Poring Over the Picture 132
Automatic Portrait Mode 134
Using Aperture Priority Mode 134
Metering Modes for Portraits 136
Using The AE-L (Auto Exposure Lock) Feature 139
Focusing: The Eyes Have It 140
Classic Black and White Portraits 142
The Portrait Picture Control for Better Skin Tones 144
Use Fill Flash for Reducing Shadows 144
Portraits on the Move 146
Tips for Shooting Better Portraits 147
Chapter 6 Assignments 155
CHAPTER 7: LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY 157
Tips, Tools, and Techniques to Get the Most Out of Your
Landscape Photography
Poring Over the Picture 158
Poring Over the Picture 160
Sharp and in Focus: Using Tripods 162
Selecting the Proper ISO 164
Selecting a White Balance 166
Using the Landscape Picture Control 168
Taming Bright Skies with Exposure Compensation 170
Shooting Beautiful Black and White Landscapes 173
The Golden Light 175
Where to Focus 177
Easier Focusing 179
Making Water Fluid 180
vii
CONTENTS
Directing the Viewer: A Word About Composition 183
Advanced Techniques to Explore 187
Chapter 7 Assignments 194
CHAPTER 8: MOOD LIGHTING 197
Shooting When the Lights Get Low
Poring Over the Picture 198
Poring Over the Picture 200
Raising the ISO: The Simple Solution 202
Using Very High ISOs 204
Stabilizing the Situation 205
Focusing in Low Light 207
Shooting Long Exposures 210
Using the Built-In Flash 212
Compensating for the Flash Exposure 215
Reducing Red-Eye 217
Rear Curtain Sync 219
Flash and Glass 222
A Few Words About External Flash 223
Chapter 8 Assignments 223
CHAPTER 9: CREATIVE COMPOSITIONS 227
Improve Your Pictures with Sound Compositional Elements
Poring Over the Picture 228
Poring Over the Picture 230
Depth of Field 232
Angles 234
Point of View 235
Patterns 235
Color 238
Contrast 240
Leading Lines 240
Splitting the Frame 240
Frames within Frames 244
Chapter 9 Assignments 245
viii
NIKON D 3000: FROM SNAPSHOTS TO GREAT SHOTS
CHAPTER 10: ADVANCED TECHNIQUES 247
Impress Your Family and Friends 247
Poring Over the Picture 248
Poring Over the Picture 250
Spot Meter for More Exposure Control 252
Metering for Sunrise or Sunset 253
Manual Mode 255
Avoiding Lens Flare 258
Macro Photography 259
Active D-Lighting 260
Customize Your White Balance 262
Conclusion 263
Chapter 10 Assignments 264
INDEX 266
ix
CONTENTS