Anybody just got the first digital camera of their life?

[aisajib]

In my childhood, I used to dream of having a digital camera. Quite a few years ago was the time I'm talking about. Digital camera was an expensive equipment by then compared how cheap it is today. However, because I'm just a student and have no decent income, I have never really been able to buy a camera for myself.

However, I often work online and do some blogging as a paid writer. In exchange, I get paid. I have had a dream of having a laptop computer of my own and a camera to shoot around. In fact, it was my new year resolution this year. (Find out more about it here: Laptop and Camera : Resolutions are fulfilled! AIS Journal )

After very hard work and kindness of my client who paid me in advance to allow me to buy a laptop, I was thinking of a way to buy a camera this year. I didn't have any idea where I'd get a camera until finally I won the second prize on a local blogging contest in technology field. The second prize was obviously a digital camera. I received it a few hours ago. It's a Samsung ST60. Some, or many of you may tell me that it's not a camera worth being happy for. Well, at least it is better than nothing, isn't it? I'm so happy to have my first digital camera. It's 5.18am in here and I haven't slept at all! I'm excited. I'm thinking of what to shoot.


I opened this thread to find out if there are others who have entered the world of digital photography just recently. If you are the one I'm looking for, do you mind sending me a message through my profile and adding me as a friend? This might help us get started in photography in a better way as that way we could help each other to improve, learn and apply to our works.

What do you say?

[Smallfish]

You're right to be excited the Samsung ST60 is a nice little digital camera, much better then my first digital camera. My daughters got the Canon equivalent and she takes some cracking pictures with hers.

My first camera was a 5 mega pixel HP but I loved it and it got me into photography. In good light you'll get decent photos from the Samsung. Hey a picture from my old 5mp HP digital camera recently got a "commended" in the UK's Sunday Times magazine competition and won me a case of wine. Well it won my wife a case of wine as she sent it in. So enjoy it and remember, within the restrictions of P&S, a good picture is the result of the photographer not the camera.

Plenty of people on here who'll help you get the best out of your camera whatever it is.

[aisajib]

And you are the first one to reply to me on board!

This is my first camera and it is a 12.2 MP. I do believe that a good picture comes from a good photographer (his mind, perhaps?). But the thing is, without a good camera, you can literally not take good shots. You still control the composition, but color and other settings are required in the camera (you set them, still). So, I wanted a camera that'd work least with me.

I'm already with a news organization over here in Bangladesh, so there's a low but existing possibility that someday my photo will be featured on its site and I might get paid (although getting paid is not my ultimate goal. My ultimate goal is to wow myself with my photos as well as wow others. )

That samsung works very nice without any light (I tried it turning off the lights in my room)

Just out of curiosity, what camera do you use these days and what type of photographer would you term yourself as?

[Smallfish]

Originally Posted by aisajib

And you are the first one to reply to me on board!

Then I should have said hello and welcome to DPS

It's good that you work for a news organization if you want to see a picture published I'd have thought. I have an acquaintance that works as a reporter for the BBC and he has a small digital camera that he carries with him everywhere. He's not only used it to take pictures of incidents he's reported on that have ended up on the BBC website but once he did a roadside report using the video record function which appeared on the national news.

I currently use a Canon EOS 550d for best and a Lumix FZ38 for fun. I take pictures for fun, family and friends so pure amateur. I tend towards people photography, portraits, candids, photojournalism etc so I'm constantly bugging people to let me take pictures

[aisajib]

Originally Posted by Smallfish

so I'm constantly bugging people to let me take pictures

Liked this one, seriously. A professional photographer I know will argue about it though. He'd say you take natural photos without asking people to pose. Posing kills the mood.

[Smallfish]

Originally Posted by aisajib

Liked this one, seriously. A professional photographer I know will argue about it though. He'd say you take natural photos without asking people to pose. Posing kills the mood.

I kind of disagree with your friend. Does posing kill the mood? Not always, try telling my wife or teenage daughter to pose when they don't want to and you'll get more "mood" in the shoot than you wanted

Yes it's true you get some great expressions/emotions from candids but with a little work you can get as much from a posed shot providing you keep the model relaxed and also take pictures when they don't expect you too. For example I got a couple of nice shots of my daughter by telling her to pose and that she should do a "grumpy" face. In trying to be "grumpy" she kept laughing and I got some of those in the camera which were the keepers. As I said previously also get her to pose when she does not want to and I'll get some great "moody" shots.

[daft_biker]

Originally Posted by aisajib

Liked this one, seriously. A professional photographer I know will argue about it though. He'd say you take natural photos without asking people to pose. Posing kills the mood.

I'm guessing your friend isn't David Bailey

Congrats on the new camera and welcome to the forum

[aisajib]

Originally Posted by Smallfish

I kind of disagree with your friend. Does posing kill the mood? Not always, try telling my wife or teenage daughter to pose when they don't want to and you'll get more "mood" in the shoot than you wanted

That's good for portrait photographs. In his opinion, if you're looking for a more natural type of photo, then shoot silently without the subject's consent. I've seen some of his photographs and seen this in action.

I'm curious to see those photographs of your daughter if you don't mind sharing here.

Originally Posted by daft_biker

I'm guessing your friend isn't David Bailey

Congrats on the new camera and welcome to the forum

Unfortunately, I don't know who David Bailey is. I'm new to photography (I've been doing it with my mobile phone but that didn't satisfy me at all). Therefore, I don't know photography personalities.

I was kind of scared with your macro photographs of bugs. Really scary.

[Smallfish]

Originally Posted by aisajib

I'm curious to see those photographs of your daughter if you don't mind sharing here.

I wish I could. Unfortunately those ones were part of a bunch I lost when my hard drive crashed last year. Now I not only backup every day but once a month also backup onto a 500GB portable USB hard drive I keep wth me.

Originally Posted by aisajib

Unfortunately, I don't know who David Bailey is.

One of my favorite photographers