My kid in his Christmas jammies

He's was really being a ham.

Taken with D300 SOOC, resized and sharpened for web, flash used.
ISO 400, f/2, ss 60

I am trying to learn how to do the shutter drag thingy...did I do it??

 

good shots, but bad example of the shutter drag. The flash was bounced, so nobody has any idea what the ambient lighting was like. That's the whole point on dragging it.

 

There was one lamp on in the room with one of the power saver bulbs and the tree. I took a pic of the room with no flash and all I could see was an orange glow to the right and the tree lights.

So there is no point in dragging the shutter if you bounce it??

 

what is dragging shutter?

 

Wait...stupid moment. I think I get it.
It's a well lit shot BUT not if I was trying to preserve the natural state of the room. I should of bounced my flash from the same direction of as the lamp that was in the room and not allow the light of my flash to overpower the ambient light from the tree and lam. Yes? It's not just about trying to get a well lit photo it's about creating a mood. I feel like an idiot.

Here ya go sideburns.
http://planetneil.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/3-dragging-the-shutter/

 

or you could do a rear shutter flash so hit your shutter release and its gonna take in all the natural light and then the strobe goes off when the shutters closing so you get the sharpenss but also the natural light. I think that woudl work.

 

I don't know how to do that...but I will learn. It would still pickup light from the flash right? Cuz the room was totally dark aside from the lil lights on the tree and lamp(which is very very dim) and it was pitch black outside so there was no "natural" light.

 

yes you would still get the light from the flash because what its doing is exposing with the natural light first for a bit and then bam it puts in the flash light after it does that.

 

AAH! Thank you! I will be trying that very soon

 

Good shots. Quick question for the OP, 80-200mm, how is that? I might be picking one up this week for a concert. Is it a good low-light performer?

 

Yup! I shot a horse show at night with overhead stadium lights (that didn't put off good light). I was impressed with the results

 

Nice! Do you find yourself wanting VR (70-200 f/2.8 VR)? Because I'm looking at getting one of the two, the 80-200, or the 70-200, and there is a pretty large cost gap, like $600 at least.