April Activities and an Online Class

As I look back at the last few weeks, I realize I've hardly touched my camera.  If I have, it's been for my fiber arts activities.  I've knitted a cardigan and finished it back in March.  I'm now focused on knitting warm weather garments.  Mostly sleeveless.

Here's the results:

My hand knitted Ocean Cardi

Knitting the back of my Maremma two tone vest (pewter & garnet colors)

My Rosanna sleeveless tunic (black tweed)

Tomorrow, I start an eight week class using Illustrator.  I've been "teaching" myself for the last year and most recently using it to create brochures, posters, flyers and a magazine ad.  "Google" had been my loyal friend, but now I must take a class to make sure I'm using Illustrator to it's fullest potential.  Also, to make sure I haven't picked up any bad habits like creating huge files sizes.  

I've realized there is never a good time to take a class.  I'm always busy between work and home life. My motto has been "just do it" and make time.  So far, it's been working.  :)

More White Stuff

I know it's March.  I know there's always the possibility of a snow storm.   I'm reminded that Spring starts this Thursday.  Really?  Hard to believe.

Twenty year old tree (D600)

I really did enjoy seeing this white stuff called snow.  The snow flakes must have been huge because it coated everything nicely.  Stacked high.

This picture was taken with my Nikon AW100 camera.  I enjoy using this all weather point and shoot for days like today:

Looks like a winter hat (AW100)

And speaking of white stuff and the AW100, here's a picture taken in Cozumel this past January.

Passion Island, Cozumel (AW100)

Are you feeling the warmth?

Love my Nikons....

Nikon Technical Service Advisory for D600

When I first bought my D600, back in September 2012, I was thrilled with the capabilities of my new camera.  A few weeks later, I started reading reviews from fellow Nikon camera enthusiasts about oil spots and dust spots.  I hadn't noticed anything with my camera.  My pictures in the upper 1/3 corners were looking fine.

As months went by and I was close to rolling over the shutter count of 10,000 pictures, I started to notice some spotting in my pictures.  I had photographed a wedding in May 2013 and noticed the spots in the corners of my pictures.  Of course, they were more noticeable when I photographed the wedding with a wall in the background.  I zoomed into the already taken pictures and sure enough...oil spots!  A few small ones and 5 large oil spots.  It was downright ugly.

I made arrangements with my local camera shop to do a camera sensor cleaning.  They needed at least 6 hours to do several cleanings on my camera.  Ninety dollars ($90) later and a picture of the sky, no oil spots and no dust spots.  I know, I spent $90 to have a sensor cleaned when I could have sent my camera into Nikon for a cleaning under warranty.  I had heard the turnaround time with Nikon was on average 4 weeks.  I couldn't live without my camera and had upcoming photography commitments.

I photographed the rest of 2013 and didn't notice any outrageous spots.

Sometime around the end of February 2014, I happened to be following DPReview.com and saw an article in regards to Nikon's Technical Service Advisory notice for the D600 DSLR camera.  Nikon was offering a shutter replacement to address the "dust" issue.  This included inspection, cleaning, and replacing the shutter mechanism for the D600.

That morning, February 26th, I received an email from Nikon:

Nikon Inc. is contacting you regarding your D600 D-SLR camera. As you may be aware, Nikon Inc. recently issued a Technical Service Advisory for Users of the Nikon D600 D-SLR camera.

This Advisory related that some users of Nikon’s D600 D-SLR camera have reported the appearance of tiny spots on certain of their images. Not all users have experienced this issue. Nikon has thoroughly evaluated these reports and has determined that these spots are caused by dust particles which may become visible when the camera is used in certain circumstances and/or with certain settings. It is a well-known fact that the presence of dust particles cannot be completely avoided when using a D-SLR camera even after normal sensor cleaning procedures, because of a number of factors including components moving at high speeds when images are taken, the use of interchangeable lenses and the different environments in which a D-SLR camera may be used. As part of its customer-service commitment, Nikon is providing a customer-service measure to reduce the potential impact of dust particles on images taken by its D600 D-SLR cameras.

Nikon has resolved this by making available to you (even if Nikon’s product warranty has expired) this customer-service measure, which includes the inspection, cleaning and replacement of the shutter assembly and related parts of your camera, FREE OF CHARGE as well as the cost of shipping your D600 camera to Nikon and its return to you. Once again, please understand that regardless of this service, your D600 camera as is the case with all D-SLR cameras, will continue to require normal periodic sensor cleanings.

In the email, was instructions for sending my camera in along with a link to start the repair process.  The email continues with:  

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this issue may have caused. Nikon remains committed to providing only the highest quality cameras and components, and we hope that you will continue to choose Nikon for your photography needs.

Contact
For more information regarding this matter, contact Nikon Customer Relations by phone at 1-800-Nikon US (1-800-645-6687), 9AM–8PM EST, Monday to Friday (closed certain holidays).

Sincerely,
Nikon Service

The next day (27th), I clicked on the provided button/link and started filling out a simple online form.  After providing the information, the system created a UPS Ground label and packing sheet which I printed out.  I rushed home after work to gather my camera and remove the battery, camera strap, media cards, and attached lens.  I put on the camera's body/lens cap and placed my camera along with the packing sheet in a plastic bag and into a box with peanuts.  I dropped off my package at my local UPS store just in time for a pickup.  It was that easy!

I tracked my package and it arrived on a Monday, March 3rd.  I went to Nikon's website and clicked on their Product Service and Repair link to check the status of my camera.  I ended up contacting Nikon to get my order number.  The kind and friendly Nikon support person gave me the status of my camera (waiting in queue to get into the Nikon repair shop) and my service order number.  

Sometime during the week, I checked on the repair status:

Problem: SENSOR DUST No Charge/Good Will Repair
Total cost of repair: $0.00*

No worries.  They were going to repair my camera even though it was out of warranty.  All is good!

The following Tuesday, March 11th, I received in the mail an Estimate/Acknowledgement from Nikon.  Since the repair was going to be "no charge", I didn't have to respond.  It was basically to let me know that they received my camera with just the body cap and the reason for the service.  

That evening I checked the status of my camera and it had SHIPPED!  Included in the status was my UPS tracking number.  Expected delivery date was March 13th!  Wow!  The whole process was quick!  I had expected to be without my camera for a few weeks.  

Here's how Nikon packaged my camera:

They included an Invoice Repair sheet which stated they replaced the shutter mechanism in my camera:

So what do I immediately do?  I put my battery and two media cards back into my camera.  Attach my 24-120mm lens and run out the door to take a picture of the sky.  I then zoom in to upper left corner of the picture and move across to the right side.  No dust!  No spots!

My camera now has 17,252 shutter clicks.  For some reason, when they replaced the shutter mechanism, they didn't reset my shutter count/clicks to zero.  It doesn't bother me.  I plan on keeping my camera.  :)

It appears that Nikon also updated the firmware on my camera.  Sweet!  

All in all, I had a wonderful Nikon service experience.  It was especially nice as I received my camera back sooner than expected.  

Enjoying the Rest of 2013 and a New Job!

I've been out of pocket for many months.  Summer turned into Fall and I found myself with a new job.  I went from being a Systems Engineer at my old job to an MIS Manager at my new one.  My old job was stagnant.  The contract had ended and I was floating around the company supporting Contracts (boring!) and supporting other contracts by doing some graphics support.

I was biding my time doing what I could do to keep busy.  I could only do so much before I became bored.  Another company was showing interest in my skills and experience....basically, the ability to wear many hats.

After two interviews I finally landed a new job.  I'm now a wearer of many hats just like in my previous job, but more fun and many more challenges!  One of my skills being used is photography!


The first six weeks I wore my graphics support/printing production hat.  I extensively used PhotoShop and had to quickly build on my Illustrator skills and learn new things on the fly.  A great way to learn Illustrator...try and apply.

After Thanksgiving, I had the opportunity to travel to Orlando and provide support for a trade show booth we had.  Then we hit Disney!  We started out at Epcot:

Merry England at Epcot

Character photography moment

Morocco @Epcot

The Japanese drummers @Epcot

Another character photography shot...this time in Mexico

We managed to get to Magic Kingdom in the late afternoon:

The Castle at Magic Kingdom!

I had a great time at Disney.  It was my first time there.  I know, it took me over 50 years to get there. Hey, it was fun to be a kid again!

Time Out at the Beach!

Hubby and I took a break this past weekend.  We packed up the truck and headed to the Eastern shores of Maryland.  When we arrived on Thursday the air temperature was in the 70s.  The sun was hiding behind the rain clouds and it made for a chilly day.  Still...it beats a 100+ degree humidity and heat wave we experienced only a week ago.

Apparently, others thought it would be a great weekend to head to the beach.  Here's a picture from Friday afternoon taken from the pier near the beginning of the boardwalk/beach area:

This next picture was taken early Sunday morning before the clouds rolled in.  This was taken further north near 80th Street.  It was a calm and peaceful stroll along the beach.

Couldn't ask for better beach weather.  More pictures to come....

The Other Hobby...Knitting

My knitting mojo came back at the end of last year.  I've knitted through the end of winter and I'm still going strong into the summer.  One thing I'm doing different this year is to keep one or two projects in my queue.  That means having the pattern and yarn on hand ready to go.  When I've completed a project, I can immediately start another one.  There's no waiting or wondering what I'm going to do next.

I've found a fascination for cotton yarns.  While I enjoy knitting with soft wool, I do find them a bit scratchy against my skin.  So I've been building my cotton yarn stash this year and well...knitting up a storm.

Here's some of the results of my knitting adventure:

A cardigan made from recycled cotton blend yarn:

A lace cape made from the same recycled cotton blend yarn:

Another cardigan made from a cotton blend yarn called Candy in Sour Apple color:

A two-tone vest made from the same Candy yarn:

I started a new knitting project last night.  A colorful tee.  This yarn color is called Sunset.  Appropriately named and such a beautiful yarn to knit with.

My final knitting projects above were taken while they were being "blocked" on the towels.  One weekend I need to setup my portable studio and take pictures of moi modeling each of the garments.

Knitting is a great stress-reliever.  It's portable.  I keep my current knitting project in my messenger bag.  Ready to go at a moment's notice.

Birthday Art!

I quietly celebrated a birthday earlier this week while Hubby was out of town on a business trip.  It's hard to get excited about birthdays especially when they land on a work day.  After work, I spent my evening perusing knitting patterns and then ordering yarn...gift/treat for myself.  I ended up knitting and watching chick flicks and enjoyed my quality time.

Hubby came home the next day and patiently waited for me to get home from work.  He presented me with a small box that was in the fridge.  Hmmmmm...something edible?!  Of course!

He found a shop that specializes in hand painted chocolates:  Le Chocoholique in Columbus.

I'm saving the chocolate goodies to enjoy over the weekend.

A good friend of mine and a fellow photographer, sent me something in the mail.  When I opened the box, this beautiful tin appeared:

A huge tin!  

Three popcorn flavors and they're all mine!  :)

I think there's a theme to my birthdays....  Yes, I'm a yarn junkie and a foodie!

Happy 4th!

Hubby was asking me when do the fireworks start?  I told him around 9:15 or so.  I was busy knitting and pretty much content to stay inside.  Hubby disappeared and came back, dressed to go outside.  Are you going somewhere I asked?  Let's go see the fireworks!  I dropped what I was doing and quickly gathered my camera and tripod.

Hubby drove (5 minutes away) to nearest parking lot which was packed with locals and everyone had the same idea.  I was the only with a DSLR and tripod and I quickly setup my equipment.  Crack!  Boom!  The fireworks started:

 I set my camera to Shutter mode and 3 seconds.  I set my 24-120mm f/4 lens to manual and infinity.  I watched for the bursts to see where I needed to zoom in and just snapped away.

There is a trick to capturing fireworks shots.  I've learned to listen for the launch.  Since I had my lens open for 3 seconds I knew I would be capturing the bursts at different stages

A Quiet Morning!

I saw hubby off to work early this morning.  I was standing on our porch enjoying the peacefulness of the morning.  The sky was overcast and the temperature was warm with a little humidity in the air.  I took a stroll around our garden and realized it was a perfect opportunity to take some pictures.  I grabbed my camera and my 60mm micro lens and headed back out for a quick photo adventure.

I took a few steps off our porch and noticed a few spider webs tucked in between the shrubs.  I got down really low to the ground and captured the morning dew on the webs:

I also found a spider resting in it's web:

I saw our colorful daylilies blooming.  Too bad the flowers don't last a long time:

I'm so thankful for a long weekend.  Time to unwind, rest, and enjoy my hobbies....

10,000 Pictures Later...

And I'm still going strong with my D600.  Yes, I rolled over my camera.  Only 9 months young!  I broke my own record.  My D7000 took a little over 12 months.  My D40 took almost two years.  What does that tell me?  I'm taking more pictures than ever.  I'm pushing my skills, expanding my knowledge, and well...I just enjoy taking pictures.  I take pictures of everything that peak's my interest or creativity.

I naturally see lots of leading lines, colors, textures, contrast, and mood.  I take pictures of things or objects that pop out at me.  I take pictures to document what I'm doing.  It could be a hobby like knitting.  I take pictures of my yarn, my garment, or work in progress to share with my fellow knitters.

I take pictures to document events.  They could be baptisms, baby dedications, plays, musicals, civil war weekends, wine tastings, or sports.

I take pictures of people.  Weddings, senior portraits and class photos.  I'll also include street photography.

I take pictures of buildings.  Old, new, contemporary, traditional, wood, brick, and/or stone.

I take pictures of flowers and plants.  Mostly flowers.  Bright colors stand out.

I take pictures of food.  I'm a foodie!  I take pictures of what I bake and what I like to eat.  I take pictures when hubby and I are dining out on our date night.  He's well aware of the 10 second "photo pause" after our food server delivers our food at our table.  Snap! Snap!  And yes, we do pray before we eat.

I take vacation pictures.  Reminders of "fun in the sun".

So, here's the 10,000 picture taken with my D600:

Can you see the spider?

I was following a bumble bee in our garden.  He got caught in a web and was trying to break free of the web.  Something caught my eye.  A black widow spider came out!  Unfortunately, I didn't have my zoom on my camera.  I did have my 60mm micro lens, but there was no way I was getting too close to spidey.  I'm sure it would have been a Kodak moment to get closer...like within an inch.  I just couldn't do it....

Oh and I guess I do take pictures of bugs and critters.  Just not too close.

A May Wedding...as a Guest

I had an opportunity to attend a wedding as a guest.  It was a neat feeling to be a guest.  A different prospective.  I brought my camera and flash with me to take some candid shots of the beautiful event.

I arrived early to take some outside pictures of the church.

The bride's gown was beautiful!

Here she is being "fanned" by her bridesmaids....

Taking a slow walk down the creaky old stairs....

I happened to be standing on the top landing and she looked up briefly...

Rolling out the rice paper...

As a photographer, I'm always on the look out for a good position or spot to take pictures from.  I have a height disadvantage so being around lots of people always poses a challenge for me as I try to avoid the "back of the head" shots.  

I asked if there were any issues with "flash" photography inside the church.  I was told it was up to the pastor.  I noticed many other guests with their DSLRs.  So I observed what others were doing before I started snapping away.  I figured I wouldn't be the first one to get scolded.  

This church had a rear upper balcony.  A fantastic location where I remained perched during the whole ceremony.  

The foot washings...

The wedding ceremony pictures were all taken from the balcony.  A creative perspective.  I used my flash with the flash head in the front position and thought the pictures came out beautifully.

I really enjoyed using my 24-120mm f/4 lens.  I think it did a great job capturing the special moments.

I did have a sore back after the wedding.  I used the balcony railing as my support (tripod) and so I was standing and leaning forward during the whole ceremony.  I must remember to take quick body stretches in between shots.  Yeah it really stinks to be getting old....