USCG Barque Eagle

[FrankMi]

This is really dumb. I know better. I should have had my Nikon D3100, tripod and cable release with me but didn't. I wasn't expecting to see the Tall Ship 'Eagle' in Baltimore Harbor that night and I really wanted to try to get a picture of it.

Fortunately there was some light on the dock so I braced myself against a wall, set the exposure for 0.6 seconds at f6.3, held my breath and fired away.

The image is not very good but under the circumstances, not too shabby either. I guess this was one of those cases where not having a good camera and setup is better than not having a camera at all so I'll take my lumps!



Lesson to be learned (yet again!): Take all of your kit with you whenever you can. You never know when you'll need a tripod, spare battery or even just a lens tissue!

[Wavelength]

Very impressive; i get a hilarious mood and want to join there; i think you have some solid stance like a tripod; well done

[IzzieK]

Frank...this is an excellent shot for what you have, whatever camera you used. -- ? iphone? ipad? point and shoot?

I always have a camera with me...usually my Nikon point and shoot simply because I do not want to lug around my gear at all times. So be gentle with yourself when you didn't plan your outing...

[Inkanyezi]

Frank...this is an excellent shot for what you have, whatever camera you used. -- ? iphone? ipad? point and shoot?

Image metadata says it is a Canon PowerShot SX40 HS.

[Downrigger]

Darn impressive steady hand (arm, torso, legs, etc.). Wise counsel to have gear whenever possible. Nice testimonial to the bridge equipment. And, mainly, nifty image.

[Clive125]

Well Frank, I think you did very well. I reckon that's quite an impressive shot all things considered.

[FrankMi]

Very impressive; i get a hilarious mood and want to join there; i think you have some solid stance like a tripod; well done

Thank you Nandakumar! Fortunately, the Canon SX40 has some decent image stabilization so that helps. It also has image bracketing, which I used to blend in some of the sharper parts from the -2EV image and the hint of city lights reflecting off the clouds from the +2EV image.

[FrankMi]

Frank...this is an excellent shot for what you have, whatever camera you used. -- ? iphone? ipad? point and shoot?

I always have a camera with me...usually my Nikon point and shoot simply because I do not want to lug around my gear at all times. So be gentle with yourself when you didn't plan your outing...

It was my go-to Canon SX40 Isabel. I like to keep it handy because it is compact, fast to grab & shoot, and has an 840mm FFE lens. However, it is no where near the capability of the Nikon D3100 on a tripod, particularly for night shots, focus stacking, or any other photography where I have the time to set-up and need the precision.

[FrankMi]

Thank you for the kind words Urban, Mark, and Clive.

I have been impressed at what the SX40 can do in a pinch. It's been a great backup camera and I often use the Op-Tech dual harness and keep both cameras at my fingertips for photo shoot walkabouts. When I am traveling and need to travel light, as I was in this case, I usually bring just the SX40 on a Black Rapid sling and a spare SD card and battery in my pocket.