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September 4, 2007
Technical Irkies
My brain hurts.
I spent a good portion of the weekend pouring over a book about my Nikon D200. You see, when it comes to photography, I'm not a photographer, I just play one on TV. What that means is that my brain fails to comprehend shutter speed and aperture. Though I've been lucky on occasion with some of my bird photos, I remain unable to fully understand settings.
My plan was to produce a photograph where motion blur was a key element of the composition. The idea, taken from a recent Digital Photography School blog post, was to take a photograph that consisted of two elements: an object in focus and a motion-blurred sky. I thought I could figure it all out and make the shot; unfortunately the results proved otherwise. Every single photograph I took was in focus, the brilliant blue sky with its billowy white puffs of cotton-ball clouds also in focus. Where's the blur? ARGH! What, pray tell, was I doing wrong?
I was stumped, so I hit the books in an effort to absorb and comprehend. As is often the case when I do this to myself, I find the self-induced pressure produces nothing more than a Texas-sized headache. For me, learning how to do something properly typically involves someone showing me how to do it and/or explaining it in a way you'd explain something to a 10-year-old. (I am fully aware of my, uhm, learning disabilities.)
That's only the first of my technical irkies. The second is my inability to comprehend my Sony HandyCam. I've had this camcorder for quite a while now and have managed to record some fun bits; however, I can't figure out how to port what I've filmed to my laptop. Surely this should be a simple thing. The HandyCam uses cassette tape or Memory Stick. My initial recording was via cassette tape, which is where the fun bits reside. I just can't seem to move the data from point A (camcorder) to point B (laptop). I even read the manual from cover-to-cover. Any suggestions?
*sigh*
My brain hurts.
Cindy
Comments
If the handycam's digital, it's highly likely it'll have a firewire port on it - iMovie and friends *should* be able to drive it to import the video directly from tape (unless it has a vendor-supplied program. Blech.).
If it's analog, you will most likely need to borrow a video capture device (converts analog to digital and is usually connected via USB or firewire). The capture device will should have it's own capture software which will spit out something that iMovie can use.
As for the motion blur, I've stuck up a couple of different shots in my (rather sparse) gallery showing different outcomes of this technique. If any of those look like what you're after I can go over a few of the specifics with you.
Brain matter deposited by: Greg on September 4, 2007 11:12 AM
Cindy, did you swap your d40 for a d200 or am I mistaken?
Brain matter deposited by: Joost Plattel on September 4, 2007 5:01 PM
You can always use the old standby -- a rock in a flowing stream.
Brain matter deposited by: Al on September 4, 2007 5:38 PM
Greg - it's a digital video camera recorder (at least that's what it says on the manual.) From the manual: "to copy recordings from a tape, connect your camcorder to the computer with an iLINK cable and use the standard software in the OS." iLINK? Could I possibly already HAVE something like that here? What else should I be looking for within the manual?
Joost - no, I have two cameras, a D50 and a D200. Lucky me, both were gifts as well as the rest of my camera equipment. :-) (YAY ME!)
Al - uh yeah, if I lived near a flowing stream that had rocks, that would work (I've actually done that but used the water faucet in my sink.) That's not quite what I had in mind; I want that damn shot of the sky with motion blur. (she says, hands on hips.)
Brain matter deposited by: Cindy on September 4, 2007 8:38 PM
Yay Sony!
iLink is FireWire; for some reason, Sony don't like using the same names as everyone else.
You'll need a FireWire cable with a six pin connector for the Mac side, and either a four or a six pin connector for the camera side (depends on what kind of plug they provide). Other than that, iMovie should do the rest :)
Brain matter deposited by: Greg on September 4, 2007 11:10 PM
Greg - remember when I used the iSight cable to connect my two laptops together? I'm wondering if I can do the same thing in this instance, or do I need to go out and purchase a different FireWire cable...?
Brain matter deposited by: Cindy on September 5, 2007 7:10 AM
That cable will work fine -- assuming it will physically fit in the video camera.
If the video camera has a 6-pin socket, that cable will be just fine. If it's got a 4-pin socket, you'll need to pick up another cable (which, unfortunately, is highly likely being Sony kit - they removed the two pins which supply power and left the rest intact when they renamed it to iLink).
That being said, I'd have expected that the "right" one would have come in the package. It might be worth looking through the box if you still have it.
Have a look at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:FireWire_cables.jpg
to see the two different connectors.
Brain matter deposited by: Greg on September 5, 2007 7:59 AM
Like you I suffer from an inability to make sense of the Destruction Manuals that come with techno-kit of any type. I learn just fine with the "show me and explain" technique though.
But it looks like you have plenty of techno-help right there on hand!
Brain matter deposited by: The Gray Monk on September 5, 2007 3:27 PM
Cindy, from what I have seen so far and for as far as I know you, I can only say you deserve such gifts.
Brain matter deposited by: Joost Plattel on September 5, 2007 4:53 PM
Greg - thanks for the info... i'll have to test things out before I go running to the store for a cable. *sheesh*
Pat - LOL-"destruction manuals" - true there's some help 'round these parts, but it's also great to read of others' technical irkies.
Joost - you're too kind. thank you :-)
Brain matter deposited by: Cindy on September 5, 2007 10:02 PM