Any Photographers Out There?

[BOOSTD]

I have recently become very interested in digital photography and digital photo editing (currently using photoshop 7.0 but will be upgrading to CS2 soon). Unfortunately, I do not have a camera, nor do I know how to use a SLR camera. I am fairly good at basic photo editing, but taking the pictures is new to me. Are there any websites that would help me learn the theory of photography?

I recently posted a thread asking for digital camera advice. I found the sony cibershot to be very intriguing and nearly bought it. However, a friend told me that a digital SLR camera is the way to go. After looking at the prices, I am hesitant to put that much money into a camera that I barely know how to use. Should I experiment with a film SLR camera first and then move to digital SLR? Are there ways to efficiently convert photos into digital pictures or does one have to scan in all of the pictures?

Thanks in advance,
BOOSTD

[third_shift|studios]

good sir, i'll be happy to help you in any way shape or form. I'm an avid photographer and a photoshop guru to boot. My profession is graphic design so i work with photographers a lot, plus i shoot somethings if i need to.

I would highly suggest starting off with an entry level camera. SLR's are for pros and are expensive. YOu can find a handy 400-500 dollar camera with the features you need; manual aperture/focus/shutter speed. You want one that can do the full aperture gammut: from f2 - f16 and speeds from 8seconds to 1/1000 or better. You want a camera where as you adjust the aperture and speed setting, you'll see it preview on screen BEFORE you snap the shot. My sony cyber shot does just that, it adjusts the screen as I dial in new settings, once i'm satisfied with the preview, i click the button. Also, get a camera that you can attach lenses too. Wide angel/telephoto/and filters are a few to keep in mind.

Things to know about general photography: The camera sees less than our eyes ever could. You'll learn to balance that using photoshop "levels" and various exposure settings. If your shooting at night, you'll use a wider aperture [like f2-f4] and a slower speed [like 1/60th- 1 second]. A wider aperture = less depth of field though, it's the balance you have to play with. A smaller aperture = further depth of field [more things in focus off in the distance] BUT need a longer exposure time [unless shooting a well lit/bright day subject]

a few pieces i've done:




















Pro Calendar Shoot:

[01camaross]

sorry off subject,
hey Boostd do you live in Carbondale or just going to school there, i live about a hour and a half from there and have some freinds that go there also.

[BOOSTD]

First of all, VERY cool photos!!!

I just found out that my dad has an older but recently refurbished slr minolta, so I'm thinking that would be a good learning camera. I really like the sony cybershot, but I dont like the fact that one can not change the lenses. the cybershot seems like a great learning camera, but I dont want to spend $300 on a camera and eventually have to buy a slr digital (looking at the canon eos rebel 350d). Would I be able to learn on my dads older slr (which has all of the options you mentioned) and then switch to a digital SLR?

Also, are there any websites/books that I can look at which could help me learn the theory of photography better. I understand the basic apeture / shutter speed stuff, but I'm sure there's much more that I need to know.

Thanks,
BOOSTD

[BOOSTD]

sorry off subject,
hey Boostd do you live in Carbondale or just going to school there, i live about a hour and a half from there and have some freinds that go there also.

Im not originally from carbondale. Im only down here to go to school at SIUC. Will be graduating next spring (sweet!).

[third_shift|studios]

yes! as a matter of fact, you would benefit tremendously from a film SLR. It will educate you in predicting correct exposures, teach you how to adjust for film speeds, etc. That's a great route to go.

As for self teaching; I was educated in a class room for a few semesters at college, our books were very hardcore film treatment/development books. I was also educated as a graphic designer which gave me my artistic ability. I really can't recomend any books by titles, but i'll tell you to do this: Get a "how to do graphic design" book-one that explains the basic elements of line/shape/value/texture. This will develope your ability to "see" potentially good photographs. Also get a how to do film photography book. One that explains lighting, film development, camera features and all the other technical stuff. I suggest you concentrate on getting a good negative first. That's the most critical part. Books will teach you how to get the perfect combo of light and dark so you can have rich shadows and detailed highlights. Don't use kodak film. Experiment with Ilford and other brands too. Learn the difference between chroma/IR/monochrome film and where one benefits over the other.

Be patient. It takes a novice about 3-4 years of immersion to really get the knack. You are going to ruin your first 10-20 rolls of film. But as you read the books, and keep the lessons in mind, you'll start to see progression.

in recap:
_the negative is the most important element. [consider using 12-exposure rolls instead of 24 or 36, shoot items of similar conditions; don't use half a roll at night, and the other during the day]
_learn how to design a picture
_be patient


feel free to ask me anything.

[ninobrn99]

the rebel xt is a great camera!! My friend just bought one and Im saving up for one. I however would like a lens with a f/2.8 all the way through.. Im also just getting into photography. I have a sony V1 and its a great camera for point and shoot, but if you want quality pics, it doesnt get better than a D-SLR. You will also save $ in the long run because you wont have to buy different film ISOs.

[Cutlass454]

Just thought I would chime in here. I too am an avid photographer. Not to the point that I consider myself a professional, but more of an enthusiast. I have done portraits for family and friends, engagement and a couple weddings.

My current camera is a Nikon D70s DSLR. I upgraded from a Canon Digital Rebel and a Nikon SLR. Having used both digital and film, my suggestion would be to invest in an entry level DSLR with the kit lens that comes with the camera. I suggest this only to help lessen costs for film processing.

I would also recommend taking a photography class through a local community education program. There may also be class information at your local photo store. For someone with little to no experience, these classes will teach you the basics about aperture, shutter speed, focal length, composition, lighting, etc. From there, you take what you learn and take as many pictures as you wish. For the most part, unless you develop the pictures, digital pictures either on your camera or computer are free to take. If you don't like it, just delete it.

A very valuable forum that I spend time on is DPReview. They have more information on their than you could imagine.

Hope this helps.

Take Care,
Kevin

[third_shift|studios]

that's some good help right there.

[Motrv8d Steve]

Here's some good info on digital cameras. This Jeff guy really knows his stuff and it's easy to comprehend. I read it before I bought mine, a Canon Powershot A520, found a new one on eBay for around $200. I'm sure you can do better if you shop around for price.
http://www.dcresource.com/buyersguide/index.shtml

[snaggeltooth]

thing about a Cannon is you start with a film SLR you can used the lens if you go to a digital...

[ninobrn99]

thing about a Cannon is you start with a film SLR you can used the lens if you go to a digital...

i was almost certain that all the lenses were interchangeable not just canon or film slr's otherwise vivitar, sigma and few other i cant think of their names, but they wouldnt be out there.

[snaggeltooth]

Oh maybe . I just came across that one time on a review site.. I didnt know a 35mm lens would go with a digital ...

[Cutlass454]

Oh maybe . I just came across that one time on a review site.. I didnt know a 35mm lens would go with a digital ...

Yes, for the most part, the lenses are interchangeable between film and digital. Some of the newest lenses are designed specifically for digital and will not work on film cameras.

Take Care,
Kevin

[third_shift|studios]

Yes, for the most part, the lenses are interchangeable between film and digital. Some of the newest lenses are designed specifically for digital and will not work on film cameras.

Take Care,
Kevin

damn marketing advisors LOL.

[grandkodiak]

]Digital SLR all the way, ESPCIALLY for the beginner... I dont care about what otehrs say, they are more expensive then everything else out there, but they ar the ultimate learning tool. They have alot of buttons, but dont let you think that photography is a hard thing to get into. dont waste your money on a point and shoot digital, get a decent slr on ebay like a canon 10d (or even a rebel) and a basic lens and just start taking pictures. you can read all the information about shooting photography in the world, but its time behind the shutter that gets you real results. someone who reads a book about sniping isnt going to be able to hit a 600 yard target on thier first time out.

even digital slr's have full auto modes, and progressive modes, where you can pic and choose settings to make a difference in the shot to see what reacts to what.

dont waste your money on a super lens, 98% of the quality of a shot is from the shooter, not how clear the glass was or if it was 5 or 16 megapizel. a kit lens is FAR more then enough for everything but pros who do it for a LIVING.

photography is pretty basic. here are my list of priorities

focus: if the shot isnt in focus, its a bad shot.

framing: although you can crop, getting what you want in the shot how and where you want it make all the difference. dont be afraid to take several shots of the same thing, decide on the angles later. another beauty of digital.

f stop/apature: decides partially the exposure (i say partially because digital photography takes a HUGE cut out of the importance of exacting exposures) and sets depth of field, which is how MUCH of a picture is in focus. a small number apature (wider opening) lets more light in, increasing the exposure, but decreses the depth of focus, in other words, how much is in focus behind and in front of your main subject. a small apature (larger number) focuses on alot, great for landscapes. medium apatures are good for general pictures, larger make for cool effects and isolation, great for brining subjects out of the picture and good for macro (pictures of small things up close)

shutter speed: combined with the apature are the basis for exporure, but main purpose is to set the "blur" or stop motion effect of the picture. a super fast shutter will make a bird in flight like like a painting, you cna see all the details on the wing, looks like time stopped. a longer appature might blur out the wings, add a ghost shadow to a race car or make waterfalls stream into white crystals.... its all on what you are taking a picture of, and what you want it to look like.

iso: iso is the sensitivity of the film/ccd sensor. the higher the number, the faster if can gather light, so it makes a difference on your exposure. if you use the same settings at a day shot as a night shot, when you take the night shot, it will be dark. vice versa, the daytime shot will be motion blurred. setting the iso correclty can help this in a window of use. another thing to look at is that iso settings GENERALLY determin the sharpness of the shot. the higher the iso, the grainier or more speckled a picture will appear to be. you can reduce this with better lens or in photoshop, but you cant expect to use iso 1600 and print poster size shots. but you cant also expect to always use an iso of 100 and not get underexposed shots indoors or in low light.

exposure: using a balance of shutter, apature and iso will get you the correct features you want in a shot... long or short focus distance, fast stop motion or motion blur, super sharp and clearm or slightly grainy but fast dark shots. its all traded off. the great thing about digital is that you can change the exposure AFTER the shot is taken to a certain degree to make a over exposed shot more tame, or a dark shot bright enough.

white balance: this calibrates a shots color correctness... unlike the human eye, cameras dont know what kind of light is reflecting off an object... a white piece of paper under a yellow light can still be id'd as white paper to the human eye, but a camera will always tell you that that paper is actually yellow, unless the proper qhite balance is set. this is important because colors change from outdoors in direct, indirect or cloudy sunlight, night time, florecent or halogen light, xenon or any other photochemical light spectrums. best thing about white balance in a digital though, is that it can be changed later!! altough the best photos come out with the proper white balance at the time of the shoot, many good shots can still be taken with a best guess white balance setting that is corrected later.

saturation: saturation is the intensity of color in a shot. a shot with no saturation will be black and white for all intenstive purposes. many shots benefit to the human eye with a slight increase in saturation.. it makes the colors really pop out, which might not be real to life how it looked, but it sure as hell is popular with the average picture viewer. 9 times out of ten the average person will thing the semisaturated shot looks better then an undersaturated one.

erm i'm pretty drunk at the momment so if i missed anyhting i'll update it in the next few days, but ath prettty much sums up all the major points of basic photography. now like any field, you can take any one of those explinations and write a book on them indivudually, but thats getting down to the nit an gritty... the difference between the person who uses a custom ground cam, and the person who knows which side of the 3rd cam is a mm larger in diameter from the center.



ooo forgot some fancy pantys examples

[ninobrn99]

very nice pics and great info!!

[yellowscremer]

A used cam is perfect to "learn" on. The SLR is the way to go. It opens the doors for different lens, etc., etc. Get yourself a basic "HOW TO" book on photography and just shoot away. Take MANY, MANY pics. Record how, and when you shot your pics, i.e. F-stop, Shutter Speed, etc. etc. DO NOT USED THE AUTO setting. If you want to become a better photographer, don't let the computer in the camera do the work...............expect alot of mistakes, but it only takes 1 great one to make your day!!!!!

BTW............NICE work gang!!! Great shots!!!