thinking about photography

[AlwaysExplr87]

I've been considering getting into photography more seriously lately. I have always been in love with photography (thanks to natgeo) and I really need an artistic outlet to blow off some steam and stress from school. I have taken a few photography clasess in highschool and middleschool, mostly dealing with 35mm film SLRs, so I am familiar with the basics of shooting. My concern is with all the digital stuff out there is that it is overcomplicated. I like things to be simple, I dont want to have to change a ton of settings everytime I want to capture an image. I have a decent point and shoot that I have been taking alot of pictures with lately and just feel like I could get more out of a DSLR but dont want things to be overcomplicated. My question is can you take good pictures without blowing a ton of cash (not alot of that floating around right now) and getting into all the technical details of digital images. I really just want to focus on being creative and capturing good images right now, not all the technical crap that people seem to love so much. I actually really like my cannon AE-1 35mm but it has been having an issue with not rewinding film lately so it has got me thinking about going to digital. What are yalls thoughts?

 

[Stan the Man]

You can get pretty creative and have nice shots with a P/S. They let you adjust some settings, but not all. You'll get better quality out of an SLR and there are pre-set settings for various scenarios. Look into a low end SLR like the Canon XS kit. You'll have nice first lens (18-55mm IS) and the ability to adjust as you go. That kit is priced ~$570.

 

[AlwaysExplr87]

Thanks for the help. Yea the quality is what im looking for, I just cant seem to get the same quality out of my point and shoot that I feel I could get with the DSLR. I really enjoy doing close up stuff of bugs, lizards, fungi and flowers and my P&S falls short in this area. Im going to start researching my options and checking it out, thanks for the suggestion on the canon (right in my price range).

 

[Safado]

Get an entry level DSLR. Nikon D40 with the kit 18-55 and 55-200 is a great platform to start on and figure out what you want to do...plus it's got the fully auto for those don't care moments as well. You can pick up the whole deal for around $400, even cheaper on local used markets if you care to check Craigslist or something. Canon I'm sure has something comparable, just don't know Canon well.

 

[Every Miles A Memory]

No matter what you're shooting, either P&S or DSLR, photography will be as complicated as you make it.

For me, its actually more complicated with my P&S because the camera is always trying to do all the thinking and I have to turn a million dials to turn off all the automatic settings plus fumbling with buttons that are smaller than the numbers on my cell phone....uggh!!

I can change almost every button on my DSLR with my eyes closed because the thing spends so much time in my hand, I know where everything is without even thinking about it.

Where it will get really complicated is once you've taken the shot, what you decide to use to post process it. For me, that's easier when using a DSLR again because my image is usually much closer to where I want it straight out of the camera because of the ability to use the settings that I want to use to begin with

I find myself adjusting shots alot longer when shooting with my P&S than when out shooting with my DSLR

No matter which brand you go with, check out a few of the photography forums and there are a ton of used kits out there to get you started for very inexpensive. Plus, like you originally stated, it's a great way to blow off steam and forget about everything else in life that might be stressing you out

 

[nwoods]

I think as others have stated, the camera is just the begginng of the slippery slope. Other factors to consider are:

1. Memory cards & batteries
2. Computer hard drive space
3. Back-up utilities and more hard drive space
4. Software for managing all the photos
5. Software to post-process your photos as needed.

If you are a Mac user, I think the best thing to do is get an external hard drive (under $200) and Aperature v3.0 ($199), and you will be pretty set no matter what camera you get.

For PC users, ACDSee is not too pricey, and also manages and processes images quite well and easily. Adobe Photoshop Elements is pretty good also, but its weaker on image management (in my opinion). Lightroom appears to be very robust, but there is a steep learning curve (in my opinion). The full version of Photoshop is also something that you'd want to be trained on (lots of web tutorials for free), but it takes time to master. GIMP is free, but not as usable in my opinion, though the features and power are similar to Photoshop. Photoshop CS3 came with Adobe Bridge which is a pretty good image management tool, comparable in management features to Aperature, but more limited on editing options.

Regarding cameras, the better the lens, the better the image. Buying a cheap dSLR like a rebel XTi or D40 is fine, and you can upgrade your lenses and get really nice images out of them, but if you are really in a budget pinch, going with a Canon G10 or G11 will do nicely. Full creative control like your 35mm, but only $400 or so, complete. The G10 my wife uses has taken some great shots, like this one:

 

[AlwaysExplr87]

Thanks for all the help guys. I'm going to try and get my AE-1 going again this weekend, but I'm going to keep an eye on an entry level DSLR. I think I would be better served by a cheaper body with an upgraded lense. Hopefully this would eliminate alot of the features I would either never use or have to turn off. Been looking at processing stuff too, man this stuff is a whole new world.

 

[AlwaysExplr87]

Anybody have any suggestions for free photoshop software thats available just so I can get my feet wet? Kind of on a side note but where are ya'll hosting your photos? I've been using photobucket and it is a pain,mainly its just super super slow.

 

[Every Miles A Memory]

I cant say enough good stuff about Smugmug

Great way to upload full rez. images and either right click protect them or add a watermark to them that is just added as a layer. This way if anyone wants to buy one of your images, they can and the print the recieve doesnt have the watermark on it, but if they try and copy it off the gallery they have to have one with a watermark on it

Enter that Promo Code (cge80uNDMZZ1Y) and you'll save $5 when you get a pro account

 

[Stan the Man]

I've been happy with my Pro Flickr account.

 

[nwoods]

Anybody have any suggestions for free photoshop software thats available just so I can get my feet wet? Kind of on a side note but where are ya'll hosting your photos? I've been using photobucket and it is a pain,mainly its just super super slow.

basic editing: Picasa from Google. Really good little program and excellent management features too.

Another free but good management/viewer tool is Ifran (sp?). It's ugly, but fast and powerfull.

For robust photo editing, GIMP is very comparable to Photoshop, but the interface is a bit rough.
Not free, but a fraction of the cost of Photoshop is ACDSee. It's pretty awesome, and much faster than Bridge.

For hosting, I think PBase is free and not too bad, nothing compares to SmugMug though, it Rocks! The Flickr/Picasa combo is pretty decent, but no equal to Smug. What ever you do, stay away from PhotoBucket, it's aweful. Even Kodak's EasyShare gallery is better than Photobucket.

 

[AlwaysExplr87]

I just found out our school has a few computers set up for photo editing with adobe photoshop that I have access to. Ill definitely look into Ifran and picassa though. Yea photobucket is awefull! I feel like its 1996 again when I'm using it and as fond of memories as I have of dialup it's not fun.

 

[nwoods]

Well, my reasons for avoiding Photobucket is because their image compression just destroy's your images.

 

[DiploStrat]

Ymmv

I, too, am a NatGeo wanna be. Take the plunge, you will never regret it.

Full disclosure I use:

-- Nikon
-- Mac (Mini)
-- RAW
-- Aperture/Photoshop Elements
-- Canon printers
-- Red River and Costco paper
-- pbase.com (See: www.pbase.com/diplostrat)

I can tell you why I made each of these decisions, but would not spend a lot time debating; lots of folk who take better pictures than I do use Canon, PC, Lightroom, etc. (Of course, it is their time and money !)

If you have a PC and want to try some good, free software, try: http://www.fxfoto.com/ The last time I looked, a limited version of their software was free and tends to work well. Try: http://www.fxfoto.com/fxdownload.htm

If you have a Mac, the combination of iPhoto and Photoshop Elements is very, very powerful for all but RAW shooters.

If you shoot RAW, then I strongly recommend that you go with Aperture or Lightroom. Most photographers (as opposed to graphic artists) no longer need the full blown Photoshop. (Elements does a great job of greeting cards, calendars, and other such small projects. And I do them all.)

Aperture and Lightroom are deep powerful programs, capable of organzing thousands of images a dozen ways and performing amazing recovery, etc. Just don't expect to master either during the 30 day free trial.

Welcome to a great hobby and overland travel is a great way to feed it.

Finally - your eye is much more important than your gear; develop that and the rest will fall into place.

 

[cybercat]

I, too, am a NatGeo wanna be. Take the plunge, you will never regret it.

Full disclosure I use:

-- Nikon
-- Mac (Mini)
-- RAW
-- Aperture/Photoshop Elements
-- Canon printers
-- Red River and Costco paper
-- pbase.com (See: www.pbase.com/diplostrat)

I can tell you why I made each of these decisions, but would not spend a lot time debating; lots of folk who take better pictures than I do use Canon, PC, Lightroom, etc. (Of course, it is their time and money !)

If you have a PC and want to try some good, free software, try: http://www.fxfoto.com/ The last time I looked, a limited version of their software was free and tends to work well. Try: http://www.fxfoto.com/fxdownload.htm

If you have a Mac, the combination of iPhoto and Photoshop Elements is very, very powerful for all but RAW shooters.

If you shoot RAW, then I strongly recommend that you go with Aperture or Lightroom. Most photographers (as opposed to graphic artists) no longer need the full blown Photoshop. (Elements does a great job of greeting cards, calendars, and other such small projects. And I do them all.)

Aperture and Lightroom are deep powerful programs, capable of organzing thousands of images a dozen ways and performing amazing recovery, etc. Just don't expect to master either during the 30 day free trial.

Welcome to a great hobby and overland travel is a great way to feed it.

Finally - your eye is much more important than your gear; develop that and the rest will fall into place.

I've got to agree with DiploStrat except for the Nikon it’s practice that makes good pictures. Just about any P&S for $100-$200 will and come with software to make basic changes.