Hi and welcome to the April 2019 edition of my Instructional BLOG – Workshop at the Ranch. People continue to enjoy and learn from the current WATR theme of “Images and Backstories” … so let’s look at a few more.

Don’t Forget to:  Checkout my: 2019 Workshops Calendar to see when and where I will be teaching a workshop or seminar that you might be interested in: Dave’s 2019 Workshops Calendar:  https://daveblackphotography.com/upcoming-workshops/  

2019 Workshops Calendar: 

May 29, 2019 … Photoshop World Pre-Conference SPORTS ACTION SHOOTING Workshop in Orlando: (Skateboarding) www.photoshopworld.com

May 30-31, 2019 … Photoshop World Conference in Orlando, FL.  www.photoshopworld.com

June 19-20, 2019 … UPPA University Professional Photographers Association Workshop in Grand Valley State Univ. MI.  http://www.upaa.org/content/2019-symposium  

June 20-23, 2019 … Summit LIGHTING Workshop in Denver, CO. www.photographyatthesummit.com

July 10-15, 2019 … Summit SPORTS Denver Workshop in Denver, CO. www.photographyatthesummit.com

August 20, 2019 … Photoshop World Pre-Conference LIGHTPAINTING Workshop in Las Vegas, NV: venue: Nelson Ghost Town  www.photoshopworld.com   

August 21-23, 2019 … Photoshop World Conference in Las Vegas, NV.  www.photoshopworld.com

September 14-19, 2019 … Summit ADVENTURE Workshop in Jackson Hole, WY. www.photographyatthesummit.com

September 22-27, 2019 … Summit NATURE Workshop in Jackson Hole, WY.  www.photographyatthesummit.com

November 7-10, 2019 … Summit SPORTS California Workshop in LA – Thousand Oaks, CA. www.photographyatthesummit.com

Images and Backstories:

Image 1 …  “MOTO Close-Up” … #NikonZ7, ISO400, 1/2000 at f8, NIKKOR 16-35 mm f4 lens with NIKON FTZ Adapter, WB 5500K, 2 Profoto B1 strobes with clear Glass plate and Tele-Zoom Reflectors … Z7 AF mode: Dynamic-Area AF and AF-C (Continuous AF means continuous tracking) and Single Frame rate as I shot with Flash.

NOTE: This image was previously posted in my annual Year in Review December WATR 2018, but I am stunned as the close-call situation still gets my adrenaline to rise, AND, the remarkable performance of the #Nikon Z7 … thus, I felt it was worthy of a re-post.

First let me say that this is a commercial shoot and not an actual race. 

Let me also say that this was a “close-one” for me regarding the 4 foot proximity of my 20 mph subject advancing towards me laying in the dirt race course.

HOW THIS IMAGE WAS MADE:
Despite being concerned for a split second of the possible “sudden impact” I intuitively pressed the AF back button and Shutter Release button at nearly the same time before rolling out of the way of the athlete … and Voila’… one of the coolest Motocross images I’ve ever made.

Proof that the Nikon Z7 mirrorless camera has what it takes to capture fast action sports and that by locking-up the front brakes the bike up-ended on the ground by my head while tossing the athlete over the top of me.

In fact, the two hour commercial shoot involving 3 pro MOTO riders produced a total of 73 action images, ALL of which were tack sharp and in-focus. ALL means ALL … 100% … 73 for 73 images were sharp and in-focus … I used Dynamic-Area AF and AF-C (AF-C means continuous tracking)

I shouldn’t be surprised, but I was, only because I couldn’t find any mention regarding the Z7 AF capabilities posted anywhere. It was my good friend and colleague Mark Terrill with the Associated Press @mjterrill who shot the recent 2018 World Series using the Nikon Z7 and said he found the camera’s AF system to be very fast and recommended I use the Dynamic-Area AF for my first Action job with MOTO.

I’ll finish up this post by adding that for this FAST Action shoot I used the Nikon FTZ Adapter to connect my NIKKOR: 14-24mm f2.8, 24-70mm f2.8 and 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 lenses to the Z7. Beautiful edge to sharpness and detail … no degradation of image quality edge to edge.

SO, I’m a believer … and believe I will be using the #NikonZ7 for my SPORTS coverage and commercial High Speed Sync FLASH Action shoots. 

IF YOU WANT TO LEARN LIGHTING: Come join me for my “Experimenting with LIGHT” classes during the @summitworkshops in Denver, Colorado for LIGHTING workshop: June 20-23, and again for SPORTS workshop: July 10-15, 2019.   #mirrorlessreinvented

@nikonusa @nikonambassadors #nikonnofilter #nikonambassador #nikonz7

Image 2 … “November Lake” … #NikonZ7, ISO1000, 1/500 at f5, NIKKOR 14-24mm (at 14mm) with Nikon FTZ Adaptor, WB 4000K and M4.0 Magenta (via the Green-Magenta Axis scale)

I could see from my office window last evening that a nice sunset was developing. So I turned off the mouse and grabbed my #NikonZ7 and attached my NIKKOR 14-24mm f2.8 G ED lens … Nikon’s Ultra-Wide Rectilinear zoom lens which keeps the ultra-wide angle perspective lines straight. Time for a fun picture…

HOW THIS IMAGE WAS MADE:
I walked across the street and began taking some images at 14mm and WB 8000K which added some warmth to the overall scene … all looked beautiful.
Then the sunset REALLY WENT OFF … so, for the sake of experimentation, I changed my WB to 4000K to add Blue and also added M4.0 Magenta via the Z7 Green-Magenta Axis scale which is found adjacent to the Kelvin scale in the WB menu.

WOW … A Big and Pleasing difference. The sunset held its warmth while the sky returned to Blue and clouds became a soft Violet.
I then made 4 horizontal images from my far left to center on the sunset and finally a far right image … my thought was to make a 4 image merge Panorama of 180 degrees.

I allowed plenty of overlap with all 4 frames shot at 14mm to help with the merging post process and the Rectilinear properties of the 14-24mm lens kept the ultra-wide perspective straight “enough” to allow me to “manually” merge them in Photoshop to give me a 180 degree view.

Post processing work is not my expertise or my cup-of-tea so to speak … that I usually leave up to experts like Scott Kelby @scottkelby … but I continue to learn each time I go out to make a picture and I think this 4 frame / 14mm 180 degree merged panorama was worth turning the mouse back on this morning.
Final dimensions: 30 inches x 80 inches 618M Panorama 

@nikonusa  #nikonnofilter #nikonambassador  @nikonambassadors #mirrorlessreinvented.

Image 3 … “Window Walkers” … Nikon Z7, ISO2000, 1/50 at f5.6, WB 4500K, NIKKOR 28-300mm f3.5 – 5.6 Lens with Nikon FTZ Adaptor.

So, what’s going on in this picture from Tokyo? … As per the typical American in Japan first night jet-lag I woke up at 3:15AM … so why not make the most of being wide awake and take a few pictures.

Would have loved roof-top access but at 3:20AM that was not an option for this #NikonZ7 image which makes use of the cameras Multiple Exposure mode. Fortunately a clean window on the 24th floor was available at 3:30AM.

HOW THIS IMAGE WAS MADE:
First Exposure: is of the famous Shibuya district intersection of 5 crosswalks with Tokyo pedestrians criss-crossing in all directions at all hours of the day and night.

Second Exposure: is several stories of glass windows from a nearby sky scraper being built.

The Z7 Multiple Exposure mode allows you to capture the first image and then actually see it “faintly” displayed in the EVF (electronic viewfinder) so that you can then compose the second capture in perfect placement together … a sort of LIVE preview of the end result image. Love this feature !

@nikonusa  #nikonnofilter #nikonambassador  @nikonambassadors #mirrorlessreinvented.

Come by my Instagram @daveblackphoto each week to learn something new about photography.  I’ll see you next time here on Workshop at the Ranch.

Adios. Dave