Hi

[detkhedrick]

Hi......

Im Ken from California. Im 49, married 27yrs, 3 grown kids and 2 grandkids (3rd on the way).

My interest in digital photography is mostly as a hobby as I will be retiring in about 8 months. As for my equipment....Ive got a camera and thats about it. Its a Sony Cybershot 5.0 with a Sony tele end conversion lens. My photo taking experience is pretty much limited to Christmas mornings and family gatherings. Im wanting to improve my photos and take "professional" looking boudoir/glamour photos of my wife. My funds are very limited so Im looking to obtain my goals as inexpensively as possible. Any tips on creating my own light sources with everyday thingws aqround the house would be very much appreciated.

Ive searched all over the internet for photo tips/tricks and i must say that DPS is by far the best site around.

Thanks in advance

[zona5101]

Hi and Welcome.

So what are your biggest limitations/frustrations in the images you are getting now?

[detkhedrick]

i guess my frustrations are that i reaqlly dont know what im doing. i just point and shoot. id really like my photos to be more artistic. im trying to learn more about my camera. it seems to be a fairly good one with a lot of options and not just automatic. its learning when to use the different settings, etc.

i guess theres a big difference in taking christmas morning photos and actually taking the time to set up portrait type photos.....

[zona5101]

lighting is really the key to good portraits. You don't have to buy $k's of gear. There are lots of good DIY lighting solutions for indoor photography. You need to have a good understanding of your camera settings and any limitations your camera may force on you. Probably the best approach is to read as much as you can...then take some portraits in the same lighting conditions you wish to use. Post examples here and we'll help you get it dialed in.

[detkhedrick]

Thanks. I have been reading everything I find on the subject of lighting and I'll get some pictures posted soon.

[Krusty79]

Welcome, fellow Californian. If you're retiring in 8 months, you'll have a lot of time to take pictures! You might want to check out the People - Critique section if you're into portraits. Even if you don't feel ready to give a critique, reading the critiques from others should help you figure out what works in an image and what doesn't. You can also critique images to yourself until you feel ready to post them yourself. I find that it forces you to analyze why a shot is good or what is detracting from it.