Remember those lens scratches I mentioned having to edit out each shoot in my last post? No? Well there you go.
I have a few little lens scratches on the standard lens that came with my Sony A200 D-SLR a decade ago. I didn’t take care of the camera as I should have. I never even had a camera bag for it. Dumb.
Anyway, turns out that scratch causes big problems in sunlight. Whereas I kinda like lens flares, it turns out that photojournalists and photo lovers don’t and won’t use them for publication.
It also just so happens that I plan to be in sunlight and the outdoors a lot and would like for my pretty pictures to be published.
It’s such an issue that my professor now recommends I check out a camera for the rest of the semester’s assignments.
So, I need a new lens. Lenses are not cheap. I am.
No, not really. Champagne taste, water pocketbook. *sigh*
Anyway, here are two images I took as an assignment to submit photos for display as a part of something called “Taste of USC” and which will likely not be selected. Moral of the story: Love, love, love your lenses.
ISO| 3200 f-stop| f/16 shutter speed| 1/1000 sec.
Problems: grain due to too-high ISO; lens flare due to lens scratch.
I remembered to adjust the ISO but my camera sometimes moves a little slower in terms of listening to commands. So, while I had moved it up to 100 ISO, it actually went past that all the way to the bottom of the list again, selecting 3200.
I walked around shooting on similar settings, wondering why I was having to keep adjusting my settings so drastically before I finally hit the ISO button on accident and saw where it was at. After adjustment, all fell into place.
ISO| 100 f-stop| f/16 shutter speed| 1/1000
No grain. Just flare.
Today we head to the L.A. Times to check out the photojournalism department. More from that soon.
the RAMBLE 