DSLR Newbie - Asheville NC Foliage Trip - Advice Needed

I'm a DSLR Newbie, having bought my Nikon D80 about 2 months ago. I'm
planning a trip to the Asheville NC area in a few weeks to take in and
shoot the fall foliage, and can use some advice.

1. I'll be using Nikon's 18-200VR lens, and figure that I will need a
tripod at the high zoom settings. I'd like purchase something fairly
light-weight, but sturdy, that extends up to at least 4 feet tall.
Folding down to compact size would be a plus, but it's not a must. Can
someone provide me with some recommendations on tripod models to check out?

2. What camera settings would be best for most foliage shots? I know
that it's hard to generalize, because it depends upon conditions at the
time, but I'm looking for some general guidance. For example, should I
set the White Balance strictly in accordance to whether it's a sunny or
cloudy day? What ISO should be used in general? Which metering mode
(spot vs matrix), etc. I usually shoot in aperture-priority, Raw, and I
usually bracket the exposure by .7 to 1.0EV. But I'm open to better
ideas, since I still have lost to learn. Of couse, the goal is to bring
out the fall colors as much as possible.

3. Finally, does anyone have any specific recommendations for shooting
locations in the Asheville area? I've never been there before, but will
be staying in Brevard NC. I don't mind driving quite a bit to scenic
sites from the hotel, if they're worthwhile, so I'd be interested in
eastern Tennessee, as well. I'll be driving home thru SW Virginia, so
any good locations in that area would be welcomed, as well.

Thanks!

BRH wrote:

I'm a DSLR Newbie, having bought my Nikon D80 about 2 months ago. I'm
planning a trip to the Asheville NC area in a few weeks to take in and
shoot the fall foliage, and can use some advice.

1. I'll be using Nikon's 18-200VR lens, and figure that I will need a
tripod at the high zoom settings. I'd like purchase something fairly
light-weight, but sturdy, that extends up to at least 4 feet tall.
Folding down to compact size would be a plus, but it's not a must. Can
someone provide me with some recommendations on tripod models to check out?

Here's what I got (Gitzo G1298 Basalt):
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/...p/t-98607.html
It collapses small enough to fit in my day pack

2. What camera settings would be best for most foliage shots? I know
that it's hard to generalize, because it depends upon conditions at the
time, but I'm looking for some general guidance. For example, should I
set the White Balance strictly in accordance to whether it's a sunny or
cloudy day? What ISO should be used in general? Which metering mode
(spot vs matrix), etc. I usually shoot in aperture-priority, Raw,

With RAW you will be fine using auto WB.

and I usually bracket the exposure by .7 to 1.0EV.

That's good. Look at the color histogram to make sure you aren't blowing
out particular color channels. Usually the sky suffers most, turning
irretrievably aqua when the blue channel blows.

Also you might consider a polarizer to reduce reflections on the leaves
& show their true color better.

But I'm open to better
ideas, since I still have lost to learn. Of couse, the goal is to bring
out the fall colors as much as possible.


--
Paul Furman Photography
http://edgehill.net
Bay Natives Nursery
http://www.baynatives.com

On Fri, 05 Oct 2007 12:55:29 -0400, BRH BRH wrote:

I'm a DSLR Newbie, having bought my Nikon D80 about 2 months ago. I'm
planning a trip to the Asheville NC area in a few weeks to take in and
shoot the fall foliage, and can use some advice.

1. I'll be using Nikon's 18-200VR lens, and figure that I will need a
tripod at the high zoom settings. I'd like purchase something fairly
light-weight, but sturdy, that extends up to at least 4 feet tall.
Folding down to compact size would be a plus, but it's not a must. Can
someone provide me with some recommendations on tripod models to check out?

2. What camera settings would be best for most foliage shots? I know
that it's hard to generalize, because it depends upon conditions at the
time, but I'm looking for some general guidance. For example, should I
set the White Balance strictly in accordance to whether it's a sunny or
cloudy day? What ISO should be used in general? Which metering mode
(spot vs matrix), etc. I usually shoot in aperture-priority, Raw, and I
usually bracket the exposure by .7 to 1.0EV. But I'm open to better
ideas, since I still have lost to learn. Of couse, the goal is to bring
out the fall colors as much as possible.

3. Finally, does anyone have any specific recommendations for shooting
locations in the Asheville area? I've never been there before, but will
be staying in Brevard NC. I don't mind driving quite a bit to scenic
sites from the hotel, if they're worthwhile, so I'd be interested in
eastern Tennessee, as well. I'll be driving home thru SW Virginia, so
any good locations in that area would be welcomed, as well.

Thanks!

In my opinion you can't miss with the Blue Ridge Parkway.

I'd suggest you get a book on it.

If it were me, I'd drive north on the parkway.

Stop at every observation pull off and enjoy.

--
Scott in Florida

Every one had great ideas for you, I will add this one as a up and commming
DSLR shooter, I got my D50 about 10 months ago, and the one piece of advice
I will give you, is to pratice pratice pratice with the cam lens combo, get
used to it, how it works, feels, get to know the controls, try to do this
till you can just lay hands on it and fingers fall where they need, I know
it sounds strange, but in a hurry, you will fumble because your muscle
memory will take over and you will feel all thumbs, I know, so used to my
old but fathfull Cannon AE-1 it has taken me this long to start to feel
comfy with the Nikon, but I love the D50, its a great camera, and the D80 is
even nicer, but it was more then the better half would go for at the time.
Have a good time on the trip, get some good photos.
C
BRH wrote in message . ..
I'm a DSLR Newbie, having bought my Nikon D80 about 2 months ago. I'm
planning a trip to the Asheville NC area in a few weeks to take in and
shoot the fall foliage, and can use some advice.

1. I'll be using Nikon's 18-200VR lens, and figure that I will need a
tripod at the high zoom settings. I'd like purchase something fairly
light-weight, but sturdy, that extends up to at least 4 feet tall.
Folding down to compact size would be a plus, but it's not a must. Can
someone provide me with some recommendations on tripod models to check
out?

2. What camera settings would be best for most foliage shots? I know
that it's hard to generalize, because it depends upon conditions at the
time, but I'm looking for some general guidance. For example, should I
set the White Balance strictly in accordance to whether it's a sunny or
cloudy day? What ISO should be used in general? Which metering mode
(spot vs matrix), etc. I usually shoot in aperture-priority, Raw, and I
usually bracket the exposure by .7 to 1.0EV. But I'm open to better
ideas, since I still have lost to learn. Of couse, the goal is to bring
out the fall colors as much as possible.

3. Finally, does anyone have any specific recommendations for shooting
locations in the Asheville area? I've never been there before, but will
be staying in Brevard NC. I don't mind driving quite a bit to scenic
sites from the hotel, if they're worthwhile, so I'd be interested in
eastern Tennessee, as well. I'll be driving home thru SW Virginia, so
any good locations in that area would be welcomed, as well.

Thanks!

THO wrote:

In article , BRH BRH
wrote:


I'm a DSLR Newbie, having bought my Nikon D80 about 2 months ago. I'm
planning a trip to the Asheville NC area in a few weeks to take in and
shoot the fall foliage, and can use some advice.

snip

2. What camera settings would be best for most foliage shots? I know
that it's hard to generalize, because it depends upon conditions at the
time, but I'm looking for some general guidance. For example, should I
set the White Balance strictly in accordance to whether it's a sunny or
cloudy day? What ISO should be used in general? Which metering mode
(spot vs matrix), etc. I usually shoot in aperture-priority, Raw, and I
usually bracket the exposure by .7 to 1.0EV. But I'm open to better
ideas, since I still have lost to learn. Of couse, the goal is to bring
out the fall colors as much as possible.


If you drop by a bookstore or newsstand, this months issue of Popular
Photography has some great suggestions on foliage shooting. There are
far too many to list here.

Thanks -- I'll check that issue out!

Scott in Florida wrote:

In my opinion you can't miss with the Blue Ridge Parkway.

I'd suggest you get a book on it.

If it were me, I'd drive north on the parkway.

Why drive north? Visiting the Blue Ridge in the fall
has always been on my list, but I've never done it,
so I'm curious as to why. Are the views better?
I would think driving south in the fall would be better
because the sun is to the south, you would get more
transmitted light through the trees so the colors
would look more intense.

Roger

I second this suggestion: Drive north on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Use a circular polarizer (being aware that the best effect occurs when
the lens is pointed at right-angles to the sun) or try a Tiffen
Enhancing Filter.

Shoot Raw, so you can open the images twice - once correctly exposed for
skies and once correctly exposed for forests. Then you can overlay the
two images and erase the wrong exposure area to get a shot that would
have required a custom neutral density filter.

On tripods, I can speak from experience that you will either buy several
tripods or you will buy one. You will buy several if you (like me) try
to economize. You'll choose some that are not strong enough, and some
that are too heavy. There are a million variations on the theme. So
save yourself money and frustration and go with a center-column carbon
fiber Gitzo. There are several with good load-to-weight ratios. Google
is your friend. Also, look here (beware of word wrap in the URL):

http://www.nikonians.org/html/resour...ripod/tripods_
5.html

You'll need a ball head. Really Right Stuff, Acra Tech, Arca-Swiss,
Kirk, etc. All are good. I have Acra Tech with Arca-Swiss quick
release plates and I'm very satisfied.

The camera support system will cost a bundle - probably at least $1,000.
And it will make your photos $1,000 better. Plus, you'll replace the
D80 in a couple of years. You 'pod and 'head will still work with the
next generation cameras. Heck, you'll probably leave them in your will!

Turn off the VR when you're locked on a tripod. And consider picking up
a wide angle prime lens like this one:

http://photo.net/photo/nikon/20-2.8.html

Good shooting! ~Ray



Good shooting


Scott in Florida wrote in
:

On Fri, 05 Oct 2007 12:55:29 -0400, BRH BRH wrote:

I'm a DSLR Newbie, having bought my Nikon D80 about 2 months ago. I'm
planning a trip to the Asheville NC area in a few weeks to take in and
shoot the fall foliage, and can use some advice.

1. I'll be using Nikon's 18-200VR lens, and figure that I will need a
tripod at the high zoom settings. I'd like purchase something fairly
light-weight, but sturdy, that extends up to at least 4 feet tall.
Folding down to compact size would be a plus, but it's not a must.
Can someone provide me with some recommendations on tripod models to
check out?

2. What camera settings would be best for most foliage shots? I know
that it's hard to generalize, because it depends upon conditions at
the time, but I'm looking for some general guidance. For example,
should I set the White Balance strictly in accordance to whether it's
a sunny or cloudy day? What ISO should be used in general? Which
metering mode (spot vs matrix), etc. I usually shoot in
aperture-priority, Raw, and I usually bracket the exposure by .7 to
1.0EV. But I'm open to better ideas, since I still have lost to
learn. Of couse, the goal is to bring out the fall colors as much as
possible.

3. Finally, does anyone have any specific recommendations for
shooting locations in the Asheville area? I've never been there
before, but will be staying in Brevard NC. I don't mind driving quite
a bit to scenic sites from the hotel, if they're worthwhile, so I'd be
interested in eastern Tennessee, as well. I'll be driving home thru
SW Virginia, so any good locations in that area would be welcomed, as
well.

Thanks!

In my opinion you can't miss with the Blue Ridge Parkway.

I'd suggest you get a book on it.

If it were me, I'd drive north on the parkway.

Stop at every observation pull off and enjoy.

On Sat, 06 Oct 2007 14:46:32 -0600, "Roger N. Clark (change username
to rnclark)" wrote:

Scott in Florida wrote:

In my opinion you can't miss with the Blue Ridge Parkway.

I'd suggest you get a book on it.

If it were me, I'd drive north on the parkway.

Why drive north? Visiting the Blue Ridge in the fall
has always been on my list, but I've never done it,
so I'm curious as to why. Are the views better?
I would think driving south in the fall would be better
because the sun is to the south, you would get more
transmitted light through the trees so the colors
would look more intense.

Roger

From Asheville, north has the better views in my opinion.

Linville Falls is a must see.

http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/map5.htm

This map starts a bit norh of Asheville.

http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/maps.htm

When I'm not in a hurry on my drives up to the northeast, I'll stop to
visit my brother in Charlotte NC. From there I go over to the parkway
and wander north. At any time of year it is an outstanding way to
spend time and find excellent places to photograph.

The Parkway is numbered starting at the north end with mile 1.

Milepost 316.5


Linville Falls Spur Road, Campground, Picnic Area and Visitor Center
(317.8)

This campground has 50 tent and 20 RV sites which sit on the banks of
the Linville River. It is the Parkway’s smallest and most popular
campground. Linville Falls Visitor Center (MP 317.8) hosts 350,000
visitors annually, Linville Falls is probably the most famous
waterfall in the Blue Ridge.

Area hikes include: Flat Rock, Camp Creek, River Bend, Duggers Creek,
and Linville River Bridge Trails

--
Scott in Florida

Scott in Florida wrote:
On Sat, 06 Oct 2007 14:46:32 -0600, "Roger N. Clark (change username
to rnclark)" wrote:

Scott in Florida wrote:

In my opinion you can't miss with the Blue Ridge Parkway.

I'd suggest you get a book on it.

If it were me, I'd drive north on the parkway.
Why drive north? Visiting the Blue Ridge in the fall
has always been on my list, but I've never done it,
so I'm curious as to why. Are the views better?
I would think driving south in the fall would be better
because the sun is to the south, you would get more
transmitted light through the trees so the colors
would look more intense.

Roger

From Asheville, north has the better views in my opinion.

Linville Falls is a must see.

http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/map5.htm

This map starts a bit norh of Asheville.

http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/maps.htm

When I'm not in a hurry on my drives up to the northeast, I'll stop to
visit my brother in Charlotte NC. From there I go over to the parkway
and wander north. At any time of year it is an outstanding way to
spend time and find excellent places to photograph.

The Parkway is numbered starting at the north end with mile 1.

Milepost 316.5


Linville Falls Spur Road, Campground, Picnic Area and Visitor Center
(317.8)

This campground has 50 tent and 20 RV sites which sit on the banks of
the Linville River. It is the Parkway’s smallest and most popular
campground. Linville Falls Visitor Center (MP 317.8) hosts 350,000
visitors annually, Linville Falls is probably the most famous
waterfall in the Blue Ridge.

Area hikes include: Flat Rock, Camp Creek, River Bend, Duggers Creek,
and Linville River Bridge Trails

Thanks for the info.
Roger

On Sat, 06 Oct 2007 14:46:32 -0600, "Roger N. Clark (change username to
rnclark)" wrote:
: Scott in Florida wrote:
:
: In my opinion you can't miss with the Blue Ridge Parkway.
:
: I'd suggest you get a book on it.
:
: If it were me, I'd drive north on the parkway.
:
: Why drive north? Visiting the Blue Ridge in the fall has always
: been on my list, but I've never done it, so I'm curious as to why.
: Are the views better? I would think driving south in the fall
: would be better because the sun is to the south, you would get
: more transmitted light through the trees so the colors would look
: more intense.

When you stop at a turnout, you can point the camera in any direction you
choose. But driving northbound, you might be less likely to have the sun in
your eyes.

Bob