Episode Summary 
DTown TV is a weekly show brought to you by Scott Kelby and Matt Kloskowski with KelbyTraining.com.
Episode Summary
Matt is on the road this week so Scott has asked D-town TV's technical editor, Brad Moore, to be a guest host. In this week's episode, Scott and Brad discuss:
- Scott shares a tip for shooting better panoramas and editing them in Photoshop
- Brad talks about the multiple exposure option and how to put it to use
- Visit Zarias.com for some examples of multiple exposures
- Bill Sanders from Bogen Imaging stops by to demonstrate the Manfrotto Quick Stack Stands for use with off-camera flashes
- Brad has a tip on using the help button to describe your camera's menu options
- Viewers can submit questions to the Ask Brad section of the website
- Scott has a helpful tip when using the camera's diopter to adjust the focus of the viewfinder
Yet Another GREAT SHOW! It’s amazing how many “ah -ha” moments I have. This one was with the diopter adjustment!! i thought I had to have a subject in focus. Duh! What a great tip!! I can’t wait to get home and try this!!
Thanks again,
Jorge
[...] 1 votes vote Episode 23 This video player requires Flash Player 10. If you are not able to watch the video, you may need [...]
Hi Scott
Regarding your tip on moving your feet when taking a panorama.
I was reminded of my days panning with a camcorder.
The secret of successful panning – is to first position yourself including your feet in position at the end of your panning shot, as though you had just finished your sequence.
Then – without moving your feet – turn your upper body to your starting point. Start taking your shots unwinding your body as you go until you reach your final position.
By following this procedure you are releasing tension on your body instead of increasing tension.
You will find that you get a much smoother set of images and – as the tension on your body is releasing (rather than increasing) all the while – you are much more likely to get sharper images.
Bob Spree
England
Great shows by the way.
Brad’s audio was at times too low to understand without replaying it.
Great show guys!!!
Thanks so much for the great tips. The one that did it for me was also the diopter trick. Who’da thunk!? Amazing! The Pano tip was also very great. Thanks again for very useful little tips that make shooting just that much better and easier. Look forward to next week!
Nate
Sound was out of sync in this episode, and the video quality was so-so as well. Quite short on the tip too…
Another great show guys, worth the extra day of waiting. I didn’t have any problems with the audio or video.
Another great episode. That diopter adjustment tip was great. Keep it up guys.
Szabi
Thank you for the tips on the multiple exposure and the little button i couldn’t figure out on the viewfinder.
tons of help!
best wishes
Bogdan
HI MANNY HERE.I LOOK AT YOUR SHOWS EVERY WEEK RELIGIOUSLY SINCE I OWN A NIKON D300. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW YOU DO CONTINUOUSLY BRACKET SHOOTING TO GET A HDR EFFECT WHERE EACH SHOT IS ONE STOP HIGHER. WILL YOU BE HAVING THIS IN ONE OF YOUR SHOWS IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
THANKS MANNY
Thanks guys!
I watch your show every week, and get so much information and knowledge from it!
Please keep them coming!
Also, for those who have not yet joined Kelby Training, you are missing some really great classes/tutorials that have such a wide range of subjects withing photography etc!
Again, Thanks!
Alise
Another great show, I needed the pano tip. I haven’t been happy with the pano’s I’ve taken in the past. I have had to crop too much of the image. Love all the shows!
Hi,
I would like to ad some ideas to the multiple exposure:
you can reduce noise by shooting multiple exposure on not moving objects, especially on night shots (using a tripod of course:-)
I also used it with the D3 on stills and it even works with i-TTL!!!
regards
dierk
I can’t view this episode on my iPhone, looks like a problem with the compression. There’s lots of full frame green flashing throughout everything. Anybody else see this? (Other episodes and/or podcasts are fine.)
Ben
I concur with the comments by Bob Spree…” to first position yourself including your feet in position at the end of your panning shot, as though you had just finished your sequence. Then – without moving your feet – turn your upper body to your starting point. Start taking your shots unwinding your body as you go until you reach your final position.”…
I use that technique to photography birds in flight.
Great show! One remark: Brad’s voice is way too low, I had to increase the volume of my speakers and listen harder to understand him! Scott (and Matt as well) was easy to understand, as usually.
AF-ON Button. What’s your take on this button? I hear evangelists on both sides and it’s hard to fathom why this one feature creates such debate. I use it because I was told it was better, but I can’t see that it makes a huge difference to how I shoot. Any tips gladly recieved.
Cheers.
Scott – it would have been nice if you had explained why you get the bowtie, then people would understand the solution(s).
Folks – I’m pretty sure the bowtie is a projection problem from not rotating the camera around the nodal point. Nothing to do with how smooth the panning action is – which were the suggested techniques in the commentary.
Ever do a pano on a good quality tripod mounted straight to the camera’s tripod thread? Bet you still get a bowtie, even though it was a really smooth pan.
Watch the video, when Scott ‘readjusts’ his feet, he’s actually stepping backwards just a little. This brings the camera’s nodal point back closer to the initial starting point, reducing the bowtie.
All the prior comments about how to do a smoother pan – useless for the bowtie problem. These are techniques for maintaining a smooth panning motion while shooting through the pan (e.g., making a sharp picture of a moving car with the background blurred or for tracking a bird in flight). For those purposes, they are quite useful techniques.
Want to diagnose your bowtie problem?
The warped shape of each individual picture (once projected by photoshop, for a given focal length) -
The bigger the bow, the further the camera is rotating from the nodal point.
If some of the bows are high, and some low -> you’re not keeping the camera level as you pan
If the sequence of pictures tilts up or down -> you’re not panning level w/Horizon.
Some other tips for handheld panos:
1) Use manual exposure
2) Use two of the autofocus points to align the horizon for each picture. This will keep the horizon level and at the same height within each frame.
And if you really want to get rid of the bowtie – get a pano plate from Really Right Stuff or Nodal Ninja or other manufacturers.
I’ve got no affiliation with any of these manufacturers. Though I do swear by my Gitzo 3540 w/RRS BH 55.
Once again a great show. I’ve learned something valuable from each and every show. The diopter tip was just fantastic. I was never sure if I had it in focus and it never occurred to me to look at the indicators at the bottom. Great tip!!! It’s not even in the users guide.
Keep up the great work……….Mel
I am so surprised there is not a single word about the new Nikon D300s and the new lenses… hey common guys it`s the big buzz and you don`t comment anything on that??
Will you guys ever do an episode on tripod? There are so many to choose with sticker shock price ranges on a few. My sole concern is vibration transfer. I have a very inexpensive tripod and I have to wait for the vibrations to stop while watching the camera strap as a movement gauge. I am considered semi-pro with limited funds. Help me out please as I have to trek up mountain trials to get the isolated wildlife and waterfall shots.
Thanks, Tim
PS: Your shows are excellent-I am hooked!
Please consider explaining the effects of changing the file size in camera. I am especially interested in the effect this has on ink use in a printer.
Love the show.
Alan Pototsky
I would be glad to come by and do a spot on tripods, if Scott and the guys can put up with me again……
Quick suggestion: Like probably a lot of viewers I download your shows with iTunes. How about giving the title of the episode a description of the content (you sort of did that with ‘lenses part 1-5′). In the show you often say ‘we covered that in an earlier episode’) but in iTunes it would make it eaier to see which episode covered what.
For this week, the description might have been: ‘pano’s, multiple exp., flash stands, help function, diopter adj..’ Obviously, some abbreviation would be necessary, but I think most people would get this.
Just a thought. Love the show; I started watching when you first started and have watched every episode since then.
Thank´s for the tip on shooting panos for less bowtie effect. But you didn´t mention what´s the best focal length to use. Think I read something a long time ago not to go under 50mm. Is there anyone whoá got a tip on this.
Thanks
Robert
Hey guys:
I have an episode request for you. So far, you’ve shown multiple episodes on Flash, and on Lenses…..What about cameras????
I know you guys don’t have all the latest cameras, but you do have a good representation of them.
How about a couple of episodes describing some of the features of the different cameras….and….why and when you might choose this one over that one…including “second” cameras.
This would be really helpful to those of us who are planning to upgrade to a better camera in the near future, and are not quite sure which one to pick.
Just an idea….
Thanks much for the show and great info…
Richard H.
I loved the tip on the help button and on what to focus on when adjusting the diopter. Dtown is the most help of anything I have ever gotten about using my Nikon. I look forward to it every week.
Joe McNalley’s little western scene is getting old. If he insists on “shooting” something, how about a new subject.
I thought the new episodes were released on Thursday ??
Is there a new schedule ?
Let’s take a vote.
OK, How many of you would like to keep Episode 23 around for another week? Raise your hand.
Come on now, I meant the whole hand, not just a finger.
If we can’t laugh a little what is there?
What do you do if the Diopter adjustment goes the wrong way (makes things even less in focus) and you can’t wear contacts?
where is it?
Another great show… wish you had taken another second or two on that new Lastolite cold shoe head piece… looks real sweet
When comes episode 24?
can’t find anything here in holland.
not on the site not in itunes.
i love to wacht every episode it very creat and i still learn some new things.
i’m wacht to show form they first day.
gr TE
Yes, it’s downloading now!!!
The diopter always give my glasses fits.
Hi guys…
Great show as always! However, regarding the tip on the technique on shooting panoramas, I tried exactly what you said to do but all my panoramas turned out like this…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ematt14/3856844941/
Any idea why?
Hey guys first here for no23 and great show i will be checking out the other 22 shows, thanks
Alan
Maybe I am just missing it, but where is the Search function on your site. I would love to be able to search for a topic and see a list of every video that touches on that topic.
Hi there…
Any train model collectors here?
My granddad left me with old lionel model trains 027 & O Scale engines #5651945 set and I’m not sure how much its worth.
The motor also needs some repair. Has anyone used these lionel trains manuals before? I need help in valuation and repair of this old set as I dont know what to do with it.
I have the 7 ft Manfrotto stackable light stand.
Can I stack different size stands together?
ie a 9ft stand with a 7ft one?
Hi All
Greece cities top 5 cities are desired amongst travelers and
Greece is acquiring eminence for the reason that of its standing as a club-goers heaven but the Thessaloniki Greece would rather think of themselves as mavericks of Greece holidays in trying to continue a pretty island life. and I desire I could get discounts at Thessaloniki Hotels
L8r.
There’s one mic above us on the set, and I don’t have a good gauge of how loudly I’m speaking, so my apologies for not speaking loudly enough. I think the one spot where I say something too quietly, I just said something about Scott’s tip for setting your feet and editing the pano in Photoshop. If I’m a guest host again in the future, I’ll make sure to speak up a little more
Brad Moore
DTown TV Technical Editor
Hey Manny,
Check out episode 2. Hope this helps.
Johnnie
I think you may have mis-understood, what scott was explaining was a technique for shooting `panoramic`( pano`s for short )photographs and not `panning` which is the technique you have described which is used by sports photographers to employ movement to a scene.
Hey Steve,
I agree with you on this. This is a similiar procedure when you shooting skeet. Wind your body/torso and then let it unwind. It’s a natural movement.
Walt
I too had lots of problems with the iTunes version when viewed on my iphone. Lots of green frames flashing by. On the macbook it played perfectly.
This episode would not sync to my iPod as well. I hope the folks at D-Town fix this on future shows. I will have to stop watching if they don’t format it for the iPod.
Agreed.
I don’t see why a slight adjustment in the feet would change anything in the bow-tie effect if you do everything else correctly (keeping level + adequate overlap).
Particulaly with landscape shots (which most Pano’s are) since the change in distance will be minute in the scale of the shot.
This guy is absolutely right.
Another problem I have is that if you try to develop or photomerge in cs4 with the raw files (from D-3) it locks down the computor. I had to change to jpg and lower the file size on my 7 photos. I wished Scott would take us through the exct steps he used on the island shot (6ft. long) he did for the resort in the Bahamas. Shooting and post production.
Maybe waiting for them to become available to people 1st – particularly as this is more of an instructional website. Can’t use what you can’t buy (yet).
Hi Xavier – We film these shows at least a few days in advance, so we did not know about the new gear when we filmed this episode. We talk about them on next week’s show.
Brad Moore
DTown TV Technical Editor
Hi Brad, thanks for your answer.
You’re right, that make sense. I though about it but now it’s so easy to edit the show and add a little part at the end where you would say something like “hey guys you’ve probably heard about the new D300s and the amazing lens that were just announced, stay tuned we’ll cover that in our next show”.
That would be a great teasing for the next show and that would prove that you are reactive to any Nikon announcement. You know… like always on the edge
I mean I was kind of expecting something about those announcements and also about the Nikon roadmap, this is for sure something that we are all interested in, even though those cameras and lenses are not yet available.
Now I must also tell you that your show is such a present for all of us Nikon photographers so I take the opportunity to say a big THANK YOU GUYS for making us spoiled Nikon users.
Hi Scott
I have been reading the comments to your latest show regarding tripods and their stability.
I think you may be interested in my solution to tripod stability.
It can be had by buying two small items from any DIY store. The cost: Less than $10. It is adjustable to any tripod height. It can be carried in a pocket. You do not need to carry a big bag or fill one full of rocks. It guarantees stability regardless of the conditions. In England we have a saying “It does exactly what it says on the tin” and this is exactly what my solution does.
I have taken three or four images of my solution and if you are interested I can upload the images to you. Just let me know how to do this and where to send them. I do not even have a name for this solution at the moment. I was thinking “SteadyPod” or something on those lines. You may want to give it a name of your own.
Love your program by the way.
Bob Spree
England
This episode -23 definitely seems to have some sort of sync problem with the video. It seems to play ok in ITunes – but when synced to my ipod I have the same flashing screens as the other guys described. (IPod classic 80GB)
I thought it may have been a corrupted download so I deleted it from ITunes, removed it from my ipod, downloaded it to ITunes again, and re-synced – still the same problem – flashing green screens – eventually after a few minutes playing it seemed to freeze.
I have not had this problem with any of the previous shows or with any other video podcasts.
Thanks
Rick
Cape Town
South Africa
I have about the same exact gear as Scott Kelby or Joe McNally and if I had to throw away everything (except my D-3) and keep one thing it would be my Really Right Stuff ballhead and L-plate. You can put it on a somewhat good quality Manfrotto etc. and you will have the “cream”. The upgrade later would be a Gitzo tripod ( best you can by…if you ask me).I have both and bought them a piece at a time.
Susie,
I’m with you on the shootout scene. It’s time for something new.
Walt
Hey everyone. It’ll be up this morning. Sorry for the delay.
Matt K
thanks for the classy response Matt. I know waiting on new episode is worth it .
Matt, are you doing lightroom training in Hawaii right now? I know it’s still morning there!
Seriously, thank you so much for this free resource. You guys do so much for the digital photography industry it’s crazy. Get the episode up when you can. Just know how much everyone values your podcasts.
Steve. Nope but I wish I was in Hawaii!
Thanks for the kind words.
- Matt
There are various different eye-cups that you can get to replace the original (both from Nikon + 3rd parties). Think there are some around that are more suitable for glasses wearers.