Adding a D800 to the bag

Well after an awful long wait, I have finally been able to add a Nikon D800 to my camera bag.  A 36MP body will be much appreciated while shooting the things I love.  It will by no means become the main camera for me, but it gives me the ability to capture awesome amounts of detail in images that will benefit from it.  My 12MP D3 will still be my tool of choice for the bulk of my work, but having options to shoot more or less MP will be wonderful.

 

I wish I had more time to practice with the new camera, but my show schedule and running the gallery are giving me little time this summer.  I'll post a few shots below just for fun though.  They are really just grab shots as I wander around the countryside looking for anything to practice on with the new body.  I'm a firm believer that shooting is also a skill you must practice.  You don't want your technique to become rusty so practice is a must.  A new camera makes it even more important.

 

In a few weeks I will be shooting fall colours in Great Smokey Mountain National Park and the practice I get now will let me capture the sort of images that Extraordinary Light is known for.  Colourful, crisp, eye popping images will be coming from this new tool soon.  For now, enjoy the practice shots.  It's still wonderful to just get out and shoot.

I'm impressed with the Dynamic Range of the D800.  The specular highlights on the tin of this home made grain shuttle cart and the darker grass areas all have detail and it was a simple snap with no worries about blowing out the high lights.

This old home near Tuxford, SK is still hanging in there.  I tried to shoot it about 4 years ago, but the time of day was bad and I had harsh light.  I was in the neighborhood recently and made an acceptable image.  There is lots of detail in this image at full size.

 

The shot of this old truck has so much detail it's crazy when you see the full resolution file.  Everything from the grasses to the tiniest specks of rust are crisp as can be.

 

I'm looking forward to putting the D800 to the test with the millions of leaves in some fall colour shots.  Stay tuned for those pictures in late October.