Getting started

[DedeB]

I started with a digital point and shoot camera that would allow me to do the manual mode also. Once I started taking better quality photos, I outgrew that camera and then upgraded to a digital SLR camera.

Several years ago, back when I had a film SLR camera, I took a black and white photography course at the local community college. I originally took the class just to learn more about taking a better quality picture. I was very pleasantly surprised to learn that I loved the developing aspect also.

What does your budget allow you to do? You can also learn a lot of technical things from a book, but you must take the time to practice these techniques. Then find a photography group to join. I have learned a lot from these groups, be it online or in person.

Have you looked on meetup.com? They have photography groups to join, I am not sure if there is one in your area though.

Best of luck!

[Nicole]

Originally Posted by DedeB

Have you looked on meetup.com? They have photography groups to join, I am not sure if there is one in your area though.

And check Flickr.com to see if they have a group for your area that has meetups. And if there isn't, why not start your own group or suggest a meetup in an existing group if they aren't having any

[masonsands]

I have a Kodak z612 and the highest f/stop I have is 2.8. I want to know if adjusting the flash comp to 1.0 will make this work like a 1.8 f/stop. Please help.

[MarcelLuettmann]

Originally Posted by zoliky

Choose a camera and shoot in manual. First, learn how aperture and shutter speed affect your picture. The internet is full with information. Im not advanced in photography but I learn the most essential thing in 2-3 days.

Learning about shutter speed is important, aperture too - if you are already on a certain level.
But first, I'd work on composing. That has a greater impact on a larger part of all your photos than fine-tuning on aperture, at least for a beginner.
When I showed an article about rule of thirds and the golden section to my brother, he read the couple of pages and kept this in mind when we did a trip to Egypt. It improved his shots by a huge amount. (The article can be found at http://www.buxtehuder-fotofreunde.de...derschnitt.htm, even more basic is http://www.buxtehuder-fotofreunde.de...grundlagen.htm - if you don't understand German, you might want to use babelfish or something)

He read it, thought about it and tried it.



Once, a famous photographer said, the first 10,000 photos one takes in his life are not good.
Meaning: Practice, practice, practice. And listen to critics, even when it hurts to hear negative comments. And then go shooting again.
In 2004, I was proud of my photos. I had an experience of 2k or 3k shots. Now, 25k shots later, I'd consider them as hardly showable.

Marcel

[Ed.]

Originally Posted by MarcelLuettmann

Once, a famous photographer said, the first 10,000 photos one takes in his life are not good.
...
In 2004, I was proud of my photos. I had an experience of 2k or 3k shots. Now, 25k shots later, I'd consider them as hardly showable.
Marcel

Man thats so true - i'm easy up to 9k on this camera however i equally hit 4k on my last camera, prob racked up another 3k on camera's borrowed from parents and a few friends in the last 2 years, another 1k on my waterproof camera and goodness knows how many on my old film.... anyhow - i know that i'm so much better but i also know that even with easily like 18k under my belt i have miles to go but my shots just aren't comparable!

So keep practicing Charlie - remember that the photographers eye is somewhat more important than the tool but you want a camera which will allow you to grow and stretch you before you change up. Each person has differnt needs and what is right for one isn't for another... e.g. i have friends who swear by canon's DSLR however no matter how many dif. models i try i just can't get on with them despite living in hope yet Nikon is a whole dif. story....

Moral of the story : try before you buy - beg borrow try in the camera shop - what ever it takes. Just don't buy blind as feel and ease of accesiblity will never be found without trial run no matter how many reviews you read!

[cwphotography]

Originally Posted by Mefistofeles

And Remember: It's not about the camera, its about the person behind the viewfinder.
(something i learned trough DPS :-p)

That is the truth. No matter how expensive the equipment is, if the person can not take a picture worth a shit, it's not going to matter. I have seen bad photos taken by high end DSLR and I have seen a professional photographer take a great photo with a P&S. In the one magazine I have, a photographer took a really nice picture with his Iphone.
It's the person, not the camera that makes the photo. (the camera is just a bonus) :-)

[MarcelLuettmann]

Originally Posted by cwphotography

It's the person, not the camera that makes the photo. (the camera is just a bonus) :-)

You create the picture, the camera doesn't do more than just capturing it.

However, there are situations where the camera decides wether you can actually capture your picture. Maybe you need a certain focal length for one shot. Maybe you need good low light capabilities for another. Maybe you need a really fast reacting camera for a third shot. Maybe one photo just doesn't work if you have too much DOF. And for photo four, five, six, seven, eight, nine and ten it just doesn't matter wether you have a $5k DSLR or a $5 P&S with 2 MP and a fixfocus lens, made 2002.

BUT.

But it sure feels great to have the newest, fanciest, sexiest, most expensive, most 'wow! look what that guy got in his hands! isn't it the new...'-ish camera in his hands. Rats. Come on, let's go shopping. My wife needed yet another pair of shoes, and I absolutely need ... ;-)

Marcel