First day with first DSLR - Nikon D80

Hey all. Finally got my Nikon D80 and thought I'd share my first days results with it. I actually took the day off because I was such a goober about getting it. I edited these pics on my janky ol' laptop that doesn't have the best screen in the world, so if exposure or contrast is a little off that's my excuse. Can't be the photographer's fault now can it? I also edited the pics down to 800x600. Hope thats not still too big.

Heh, first thing I do is snap a photo of my stairwell right outside my door. (I said I was a goober)

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Then I walk across the street. There's a little park with a pond and a running trail around it. The pond is man made and designed to filter pollution from road runoff before it enters the creeks/lakes. Someone stocked it with some koi, and over the years some of them have gotten massive. Like over 3 feet long! For some reason they were all congregating by the colvert were the water enters the pond.

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There must have been 50 to 80 fish there!

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I thought it was pretty interesting so I slapped on my 70-300mm lens and I proceed to start taking goldfish pictures. :)

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Man, wish this one had been sharper. Zoomed out with a 300mm lens - really needed a tripod.

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Went for a bike ride after that (cyclist here), then grabbed some dinner before heading down to Antones that night. My friend Jason was playing there with a band he's in called Meagan Tubbs and the Shady Bunch. Antone's is a famous club in Austin. A lot of big time musicians got their start there. When I say big time I'm talking about people like Stevie Ray Vaughn. Its a pretty big deal to play at Antones and Meagan was headlining there! Things are really taking off for them. They also just got signed to Willie Nelson's label. (www.meagantubb.com if you want to check out their music). Anyway, photographing live music is one of the reasons I wanted to get a DSLR. Handle low light situations better.


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some more. ;) Meagan is an insanely good musician, song writer, and singer. It also doesn't hurt that she's very attractive. ;) lol. Her songwriting is interesting (often involves unusual perspectives) and is mature way beyond her years.

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My buddy Jason wailing away on his guitar. Man I want that Les Paul

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wasn't happy with the koi photos from yesterday. Its sunnier today so I went out and got some slightly better pics...

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Nice stuff! I can see a potential photographic obsession with those koi! And the band photos are very nice. I like your friend's guitar! Looks like bass boat sparkle on a Les Paul II? You should get some color photos of her with that guitar! She is purty and so is that instrument. It's too good of an opportunity to pass up. And if she's coming up, then maybe there might even be something in it for you!

Congratulations on the new camera! Please be sure to post a review for the camera and your new lenses after you've used them for a little while. We need your reviews.

Nice band photos! What lens did you use for those? And I gotta say, that band is pretty darn good. I just picked up her CD from CDFuse.com.

Great band photos.
And for some reason, I am digging the shot of the stairs.

Thanks guys - for the band photo's I used both the 18-55 DX Nikkor and 70-300 Nikkor. Mostly the longer lens. I have to admit, that little 18-55mm is a good little lens for the money. It suprised me a little. They're just the lenses that came with the camera. I'm wanting to get that 18-200 that Nikon has put out.

Its funny - I grabbed that stair shot because it was the first thing I saw when I stepped out my door. I'm kinda digging it too. ;)

Here's a color pic of Meagan and the guitar. I just kind of like the sepia - the band likes it too.

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hey bro

y not buy a 17-50f2.8 tamron instd of the 18-200! i mean y settle for less sharper glass when u hav alrdy got the 70-300! it really makes no sense in gettin the 18 200! even i faced the same problem when buyin the D80 but now m rly happy wit h my tamron n the kit 18-135 lenses! u chk the tammy out. its damn sharp n esp in low light it works wonders..u also got the option of a nikkor 50mm 1.8..or 85mm 1.8! both r also nice, price diff may vary..

Thanks - actually I found a 80-200 2.8 on ebay so I got that coming. The tamron is a choice I've also been considering.