Nikon D4

Redefining Expectations
Astonish with every assignment
Exposure Compensation When Using
i-TTL Gets Easier with the D4
The Nikon’s new D4 D-SLR is unique in that it is the first Nikon
D-SLR to separate flash exposure compensation from the cam-
era’s exposure compensation when using the camera with com-
patible Nikon Speedlights in i-TTL.
Previously, when in i-TTL and shooting in an automated mode
like aperture priority, and you decided to use exposure com-
pensation on the camera (which affects the ambient light), the
change you made using the camera’s exposure compensation
feature would also change the flash exposure on the Speedlight.
In effect, the two would be coupled together, if you wanted a
different amount of flash compensation from that of the camera’s
exposure compensation setting you would have had to calculate
the two together and than change the Speedlight’s flash com-
pensation accordingly.
Confusing! Nikon thought so too.
The D4 is the first Nikon D-SLR to separate or uncouple the
exposure compensation from the flash compensation when us-
ing i-TTL in Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority or Program modes
with a Speedlight (wired, using a Nikon SC-29 cord, wirelessly
using the SU-800 Wireless Commander or another Speedlight
in the Commander role, or on the camera’s hot shoe. It will not
work when using a generic PC cord or slave). With the D4, after
making an adjustment through the custom settings, you set the
camera’s exposure compensation for the camera exposure and
it won’t affect the Speedlight’s flash exposure. Should you also
need to alter the flash exposure, you can do so separately. We
think this should make the whole process that much easier to
remember and result in some amazing images where the flash
and background exposures can be quickly and easily set.
The Human Connection in Photos
Bob Pearson calls it the human connection. Whether he’s shoot-
ing wildlife recovery efforts from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill,
space shuttle launches at Cape Canaveral or NBA basketball
games in San Antonio, Pearson is always on the lookout for those
recognizable moments of humanity that will make his photo-
graphs memorable.
“Wherever you are, you’re looking for eye contact, emotion,
something people can relate to,” says Pearson, a veteran news
and sports photographer whose pictures have been reproduced
in newspapers and magazines around the world. “There are al-
ways these little moments of real human reaction, and that’s what
you strive for in a news photograph, I think.
“You might be photographing a guy standing on a podium, and
most of it is staged. But if a reporter asks a question that surpris-
es him or makes him angry, those are the moments when you
can see that he’s human.”
These days Pearson works as a freelancer from his Texas home,
but for more than 20 years he was a staff photographer for
the Agence France-Presse wire service, or AFP. Eventually he
became the service’s chief photographer for North and South
America and then director of photography for North America.
1 NIKKOR Prime Lenses
What is a prime lens? Well, it’s a lens that isn’t a zoom. A prime
lens has a fixed focal length, which means it has only one focal
length. An example of a 1 NIKKOR prime lens is the 1 NIKKOR
10mm f/2.8.
Prime lenses, are smaller, lighter and more compact than zoom
lenses and tend to be faster, offering wide apertures of f/2.8,
f/1.8 or even f/1.4. The large apertures let in more light, which
benefits the photographer in a number of ways. First, you can
use fast shutter speeds with large apertures to freeze motion.
This becomes important when you’re shooting in low light. By
using a high ISO, and wide aperture, you’ll be able to use high
enough shutter speeds so you can hand-hold the camera. For
more info on the web visit www.nikon.com.
One of the most sought after benefits of using a prime lens is
for the bokeh achievable by photographers, especially portrait
shooters. Bokeh refers to the pleasing diffused softness of the
blurred background in an image with shallow depth-of-field.
Steps to Follow for Quality Photographs:
1. Shoot wide. Fill the entire frame with an entire tree or shoot
an entire grove of trees.

2. Zoom in tight. Zoom in for a close-up showing a small group-

ing of blossoms.

3. Depending on the size of the tree, you may be able to get up

close and even use a macro lens to capture the petals, showing
minute details.

4. Go high key. Shoot light colored blossoms against the bright

sky.

5. And low key. Shoot darker colored blossoms against a dark

sky or water in the background. Use a polarizing filter on your
lens to darken the sky or water in the frame.

6. Use your widest aperture to separate a bunch of blossoms

against the soft bokeh blur of color.

Where to find Cherry Blossoms

Here are some popular areas around the country with beau-
tiful Cherry Blossom gardens:
- Athens, OH

- Boston – Charles River Esplanade

- Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Botanic Garden

- Chicago, IL – Chicago Botanic Garden

- Dallas, TX – Dallas Arboretum

- Irmo, SC

- Macon, GA

- Nashville, TN – Cherry Blossom Park

- New Haven, CT