If you are a photographer or just really good with a DSLR, how did you learn?

[lailasmum]

I would take a breath. You will be able to get great things out of your camera, yes you need to add the appropriate lenses for specific things, but it doesn't have to all happen at once, there's a lot of photography to learn and most people start with limited resources and kit lenses. When you do come to buying lenses I would agree that on a crop sensor you probably want a 35mm and it could be a good starting place, however usually there is a basic 50mm in most camera ranges that is very cheap and if that's the budget you have then make it work while you learn.  You might even be able to trade in your kit lens for a basic prime lens. Also, there are companies that sell second-hand photographic equipment with warranties, so that is another place to start for a budget lens and also don't forget that companies like Sigma, Tamron and Tokina make wonderful lenses and you can get a lot of for your money. I don't know which camera you have (not sure if you mentioned it) 

Edited November 20, 2015 by lailasmum

[tammyw]

I TOTALLY disagree about 2.4 being a bad aperture!!! One of my favorite lenses is a very expensive 24-70 that starts at 2.8. The images I get from it are amazing! It's not the specific camera or the lens or whatever. It's the photographer. A good photographer can make a wonderful picture with the cheapest camera and lens. Having the best camera and lens will NOT result in the best pictures, unless you know what you're doing. Your gear is FINE. I still say get the 50 1.8. Yes, it will be tighter indoors, but go OUTSIDE and shoot and learn and play. It will be money well spent. And I recommend that even though you're on a crop sensor, because it is a good quality lens for very little investment, and it will be a PERFECT lens for learning and shooting outdoors (and even doing close-ups indoors).

 

Everyone is going to have their opinions. You have to kind of step away a little and just play. You have enough information to do much here. I'd say step away from this thread for a bit, go explore the books we've recommended, the forums, sign up for Creative Live notifications (so you can see what classes are coming free soon), etc. And just start practicing. THAT is the key. Practice. You won't get better without that. Then analyze the pictures. What don't you like? Try and figure out why. Look at pictures you do like and try to figure out why - where is the light coming from? What do you like about them specifically, eg the emotion, the light, the background, what? It's a looooong process. Do not be sad. Don't let anyone get you down. Be excited. Don't let this thread get you down.

 

And just to show you that you can take beautiful pictures at smaller apertures (aka 2.4 is a great aperture and not something you should be worried about).

 

ALL of these shot at aperture 2.8 or smaller:

 

293 / 365 ~ 2015 by Tammy, on Flickr

 

283 / 365 ~ 2015 by Tammy, on Flickr

 

257 / 365 ~ 2015 by Tammy, on Flickr

 

186 by Tammy, on Flickr

 

Shot at 5.6!!!

193 by Tammy, on Flickr

 

Shot at 6.3!!!

211 / 365 ~ 2015 by Tammy, on Flickr

 

Shot at 3.2:

155 / 365 ~ 2015 by Tammy, on Flickr

[tammyw]

And a few more, in case you're not yet convinced about shooting with smaller apertures (and yes, I know you probably don't yet understand the term "smaller apertures" but I just wanted to clarify that the 2.4 lens referenced above is TOTALLY fine). :) :) :)  Could someone have gotten these with an iPhone? Eh, perhaps. I don't really use my iPhone to take pictures - I just love the experience of shooting with a dSLR. And will I eventually get a mirrorless camera? Yes, probably, as a backup, but it's NOT something I am worried about in the least, and neither should you.

 

Shot at 5.0

148 / 365 ~ 2015 by Tammy, on Flickr

 

Shot at 2.8

149 / 365 ~ 2015 by Tammy, on Flickr

 

Shot at 16.0

140 / 365 ~ 2015 by Tammy, on Flickr

 

Shot at 2.8

137 / 365 ~ 2015 by Tammy, on Flickr

 

Shot at 2.8

134 / 365 ~ 2015 by Tammy, on Flickr

[38carrots]

Patty, Tammy, Thank you! :001_wub: 

 

I'll breathe, won't stay up too late, and will learn and expand my horizons. :o

 

Tammy, thank you for sharing your photos. They are amazing.

[tammyw]

One more word of wisdom. One of my very good friends shot for YEARS with a crop sensor and ONLY a 50mm lens. She is now a VERY highly paid photographer for magazines, catalogs, etc. And her work with that crop sensor and 50mm lens -- AMAZING!!!

[38carrots]

double post. I thought there was a delete button now? I don't seeit however.

Edited November 20, 2015 by 38carrots

[Garga]

Don't fret. It takes years to learn photography--enjoy the journey and don't worry about the destination. There's no rush. None.

 

Use ipiccy.com for editing. It's freeeee! I have used it for almost everything and have had spectactular pictures come out of that free program. Just remember to click on the paintbrush that appears when you choose an editing feature--the paintbrush will open a little box with a box to check at the bottom. If you check that box, you can apply your changes to just part of the picture. Being able to change just part of the picture is key to awesome editing.

 

If you don't have lightroom and photoshop, then don't worry about shooing in Raw. Just forget about that for now.

 

Please don't worry. Enjoy the present and use whatever free resources are out there to get started.

[PeterPan]

He's a very sweet husband to get this for you!! I agree, just enjoy it! :)

[PeterPan]

Totally agree with Tammy about going forward with the 50. It will let you see things new ways and stretch you.

[Spy Car]

I'm with Tammy on the lens speed. A 1.8 is a nice luxury on a 50mm, and one that most people can afford, as 50mm lens design is relatively easy, the scale is huge, and therefore fast 50 mm lenses are inexpensive. But there are many (many) expensive lenses (especially zooms that start at 2.8 and might go to 5.6). I would not buy a 50mm at 5.6 (or even 2.8), but a 35mm 2.4 if one is counting pennies? Not a big deal.

 

And one can play with the "depth of field" (if desired) in post to make a photo "appear" to be shot more "wide open" in post. 

 

Tammy, would you mind if I used one of your photos as an example?

 

Bill

Edited November 20, 2015 by Spy Car

[tammyw]

I'm with Tammy on the lens speed. A 1.8 is a nice luxury on a 50mm, and one that most people can afford, as 50mm lens design is relatively easy, the scale is huge, and therefore fast 50 mm lenses are inexpensive. But there are many (many) expensive lenses (especially zooms that start at 2.8 and might go to 5.6). I would not buy a 50mm at 5.6 (or even 2.8), but a 35mm 2.4 if one is counting pennies? Not a big deal.

 

And one can play with the "depth of field" (if desired) in post to make a photo "appear" to be shot more "wide open" in post.

 

Tammy, would you mind if I used one of your photos as an example?

 

Bill

No problem on using one of my images as an example, Bill!

[Spy Car]

No problem on using one of my images as an example, Bill!

 

OK, great!

 

Bill

[Spy Car]

OK, so looking at Tammy's photos yesterday I was really impressed with the lack of artifice in her collection. In an age when every image is seemingly "photoshopped" to death, her approach—more like straight photography—where the skills of lighting and composition are "real" and not heavily manipulated in post is refreshing, honest, and a sign of a very good photographer.

 

But (for sake of contrast) here is a down and dirty example of what one might do *if* one were aiming for a more stylized look, including a faux "shallow depth of field" emulating what one might get shooting with a faster lens wide open. Not necessarily "better," definitely more manipulated, and just an example of what being a little  heavy-handed with an image editor could do to change the look.

 

Bill 

 

 

 

Adding Original to make comparison easier

 

Edited November 20, 2015 by Spy Car

[tammyw]

OK, so looking at Tammy's photos yesterday I was really impressed with the lack of artifice in her collection. In an age when every image is seemingly "photoshopped" to death, her approach—more like straight photography—where the skills of lighting and composition are "real" and not heavily manipulated in post is refreshing, honest, and a sign of a very good photographer.

 

But (for sake of contrast) here is a down and dirty example of what one might do *if* one were aiming for a more stylized look, including a faux "shallow depth of field" emulating what one might get shooting with a faster lens wide open. Not necessarily "better," definitely more manipulated, and just an example of what being a little  heavy-handed with an image editor could do to change the look.

 

Bill 

 

 

 

Adding Original to make comparison easier

 

 

I appreciate your kind words Bill. And yes, I typically don't do heavy editing. I always try to get it right in camera. I always try to think about what my goal is, and then I select the appropriate lens, shutter speed, aperture, etc. My goal with editing is only to enhance, rather than to "fix". I do have a serious love for good lenses though, and it's one of those things I could always want more of. :)

 

Here is the SOOC (straight out of the camera) of that image.

 

Edited November 20, 2015 by tammyw

[Spy Car]

I appreciate your kind words Bill. And yes, I typically don't do heavy editing. I always try to get it right in camera. I always try to think about what my goal is, and then I select the appropriate lens, shutter speed, aperture, etc. My goal with editing is only to enhance, rather than to "fix". I do have a serious love for good lenses though, and it's one of those things I could always want more of. :)

 

 

Your work gains from the "honesty" IMO. It was quite apparent looking at the portfolio that the the beauty of the images came from a good eye, and not from image manipulation.

 

What you have can not be faked. I'm very impressed with your work!

 

Bill

[tammyw]

One final example to demonstrate depth of field. When you shoot with a longer lens, you will get more blur. For example, this is one of my favorite lenses - 135mm 2.0. Others love a 200mm focal length to get a good blur. And depth of field also comes from other factors - the closer you get to your subject, the more blur you will get. The further away your subject is from the background, the more blur you will get. Those types of things. This is all part of the process of learning photography though. Like I said, so many, many things to learn. I will never stop learning. There will always be more to learn!

 

This shot was pretty much SOOC. This has great blur because I am closer to my subject, she is further away from the background, and because I used a longer lens (135mm).

 

100 / 365 ~ 2013 by Tammy, on Flickr

[tammyw]

Your work gains from the "honesty" IMO. It was quite apparent looking at the portfolio that the the beauty of the images came from a good eye, and not from image manipulation.

 

What you have can not be faked. I'm very impressed with your work!

 

Bill

 

That makes me feel happy, Bill. I do it because I love it! I love being able to capture my kids in a way that will be memories for life.

[tammyw]

I found out the discount code for clickinmoms, if anyone wants to check it out. I believe it expires at the end of November, so you would want to do it quickly.

 

Here is the code: DOLLARTRIAL. It is a dollar for the first month and $10.00 for every recurring month.

 

[Spy Car]

That makes me feel happy, Bill. I do it because I love it! I love being able to capture my kids in a way that will be memories for life.

 

it will be a treasury. I was fortunate to grow up with a father with a masterful eyes (and a love of good glass) and my family photos from childhood are my most prized possessions.

 

You are making a great gift for your children (who are beautiful btw).

 

Bill

[tammyw]

it will be a treasury. I was fortunate to grow up with a father with a masterful eyes (and a love of good glass) and my family photos from childhood are my most prized possessions.

 

You are making a great gift for your children (who are beautiful btw).

 

Bill

 

Oh wow, what a gift your father gave! I can only imagine the joy you have in looking at those images. I'm jealous!

 

I think it's especially important to print in this day and age of mostly digital images. Too many people forget that, and then they will be left with nothing when the technology changes, or a system crashes. They say we are the most photographed generation but that most of those memories will be lost forever because they are not printed :(

[Spy Car]

Oh wow, what a gift your father gave! I can only imagine the joy you have in looking at those images. I'm jealous!

 

I think it's especially important to print in this day and age of mostly digital images. Too many people forget that, and then they will be left with nothing when the technology changes, or a system crashes. They say we are the most photographed generation but that most of those memories will be lost forever because they are not printed :(

 

What do you do for prints? My father used to use the best labs in Hollywood. It was never "cheap," but now that option has become almost outlandish for custom work (unless one is in the industry and has the budgets). I used to print my own, but have no darkroom access anymore. We had a very nice compromise, a lab that had high-end machines (even one modified to do high end b/w)that were carefully maintained and calibrated with good techs, but the instant photo places undercut them and they went out of business. 

 

The local CVS had shockingly not bad Japanese photo-process printers, but they were ripped out in favor of cheap ribbon printers (which I refuse to accept).

 

So, I must admit I've not printed much in recent years (but have backups of back ups of the digital files).

 

I should make some prints. Suggestions?

 

Bill

[tammyw]

What do you do for prints? My father used to use the best labs in Hollywood. It was never "cheap," but now that option has become almost outlandish for custom work (unless one is in the industry and has the budgets). I used to print my own, but have no darkroom access anymore. We had a very nice compromise, a lab that had high-end machines (even one modified to do high end b/w)that were carefully maintained and calibrated with good techs, but the instant photo places undercut them and they went out of business. 

 

The local CVS had shockingly not bad Japanese photo-process printers, but they were ripped out in favor of cheap ribbon printers (which I refuse to accept).

 

So, I must admit I've not printed much in recent years (but have backups of back ups of the digital files).

 

I should make some prints. Suggestions?

 

Bill

 

Yes, you must print, Bill! Seeing my images in print gives me so much happiness!!

 

I mostly use ProDPI for the bulk of my printing needs. WHCC is also very good, and a lot of my friends use Miller's Lab. For all of those labs, you can get free test prints, to see which one has color that most matches your monitor. They will also give instructions on how to calibrate to their machines, if you so desire that.

 

For my yearly books I make, Blurb is AMAZING. Seriously, seriously amazing. I just printed a 200 page 13x11 book. It would have normally cost around $200 but they always have great coupons and I had a 40% off, so it was just over $100. And it is sooooo dreamy. I actually design the book right inside Lightroom (there is a book tab and it's so easy) then you can send it direct to Blurb right from LR.

 

You could also do canvases (they can be fun). Pixel2Canvas is the best for that.

 

There are really so many fun things you can print on these days - metal, acrylic, wood, etc. It can be fun to try out different labs and the different products they provide.

 

Some of these labs may require the user to have a business. I did when I first set up my accounts. But not all are like that, so just poke around. Mpix.com is more for the consumer but at a quality that you'd get from a professional photographer's print shop.

 

Artifact Uprising is another nice printer. Pricey, but gorgeous stuff.

 

Hope that helps!! I think you'll be surprised at all the offerings these print labs have nowadays. You can get them framed and matted if you want, even.

 

[Spy Car]

Yes, you must print, Bill! Seeing my images in print gives me so much happiness!!

 

I mostly use ProDPI for the bulk of my printing needs. WHCC is also very good, and a lot of my friends use Miller's Lab. For all of those labs, you can get free test prints, to see which one has color that most matches your monitor. They will also give instructions on how to calibrate to their machines, if you so desire that.

 

For my yearly books I make, Blurb is AMAZING. Seriously, seriously amazing. I just printed a 200 page 13x11 book. It would have normally cost around $200 but they always have great coupons and I had a 40% off, so it was just over $100. And it is sooooo dreamy. I actually design the book right inside Lightroom (there is a book tab and it's so easy) then you can send it direct to Blurb right from LR.

 

You could also do canvases (they can be fun). Pixel2Canvas is the best for that.

 

There are really so many fun things you can print on these days - metal, acrylic, wood, etc. It can be fun to try out different labs and the different products they provide.

 

Some of these labs may require the user to have a business. I did when I first set up my accounts. But not all are like that, so just poke around. Mpix.com is more for the consumer but at a quality that you'd get from a professional photographer's print shop.

 

Artifact Uprising is another nice printer. Pricey, but gorgeous stuff.

 

Hope that helps!! I think you'll be surprised at all the offerings these print labs have nowadays. You can get them framed and matted if you want, even.

 

 

Thank you for all the resources Tammy, I really appreciate it. And good timing too.

 

Off topic, but this year (after more than two decades using Photoshop (and purchasing PS3, PS5, PS7, CS1. CS3, and CS6), my head exploded when Adobe announced we'd now have to rent their software. This summer I started playing with the "beta" of Affinity Photo (now in full release). I must say, what began in a pique of anger with Adobe, has become a love affair with Affinity Photo. $50 to purchase. Highly professional software. Mac only. No reason to switch if you're happy with Adobe, or on a PC, but an amazing (and affordable) alternative for those who want a professional level image editor for Mac.

 

Thanks again!

 

Bill

 

 

[tammyw]

Thank you for all the resources Tammy, I really appreciate it. And good timing too.

 

Off topic, but this year (after more than two decades using Photoshop (and purchasing PS3, PS5, PS7, CS1. CS3, and CS6), my head exploded when Adobe announced we'd now have to rent their software. This summer I started playing with the "beta" of Affinity Photo (now in full release). I must say, what began in a pique of anger with Adobe, has become a love affair with Affinity Photo. $50 to purchase. Highly professional software. Mac only. No reason to switch if you're happy with Adobe, or on a PC, but an amazing (and affordable) alternative for those who want a professional level image editor for Mac.

 

Thanks again!

 

Bill

 

Yes, they have changed their model, however, I'm still content with CS6 and don't see a reason to upgrade to their CC version. I like my stand-alone copy and until I find that it doesn't do what I need it to do, I'll continue on. I find myself using Photoshop a lot less these days (unless I need to get rid of an ugly ceiling light fixture like in that one ballet photo above, lol!) Lightroom has come such a long way and has fabulous functionality, that I mostly get by on just that.

Edited November 20, 2015 by tammyw

[Professormom]

Haven't read this yet, but I am responding because I am really interested in the replies. I have a DSLR but haven't had time to do it justice. My goal over Christmas break is a crash course, self-study in DSLR photography :lol: The wisdom on this thread will be of great help;-)

[Princess5]

 

I found out the discount code for clickinmoms, if anyone wants to check it out. I believe it expires at the end of November, so you would want to do it quickly.

 

Here is the code: DOLLARTRIAL. It is a dollar for the first month and $10.00 for every recurring month.

 

 

Is the clickin moms subscription useful? What is in there? I am sort of new to a dslr camera myself but want to improve too. Can it be cancelled after the $1trial period or will I be stuck for a long time with 10$ per month

[tammyw]

Is the clickin moms subscription useful? What is in there? I am sort of new to a dslr camera myself but want to improve too. Can it be cancelled after the $1trial period or will I be stuck for a long time with 10$ per month

 

It's very useful and totally worth checking out for $1. I am 100% certain it will give instructions on how to "quit" after the $1 trial. You'll probably have to go in to paypal or clickinmoms to cancel your subscription right before the second month bills. That's my guess and how stuff like that has worked for me in the past, when I did trial subscriptions at various places. Just remember to cancel before the next month bills.

 

It's got all kinds of tutorials, tips, information, inspiration, ability to read others' questions, ask your own questions, buy and sell stuff, etc. It's a WEALTH of information.

[Princess5]

It's very useful and totally worth checking out for $1. I am 100% certain it will give instructions on how to "quit" after the $1 trial. You'll probably have to go in to paypal or clickinmoms to cancel your subscription right before the second month bills. That's my guess and how stuff like that has worked for me in the past, when I did trial subscriptions at various places. Just remember to cancel before the next month bills.

 

It's got all kinds of tutorials, tips, information, inspiration, ability to read others' questions, ask your own questions, buy and sell stuff, etc. It's a WEALTH of information.

 

 

Thank you, from their facebook page it is offering 40% off their membership with code FRIDAY40 so 36$ for the year, wondering if I shuold do that instead?

[Guest]

Haven't read this yet, but I am responding because I am really interested in the replies. I have a DSLR but haven't had time to do it justice. My goal over Christmas break is a crash course, self-study in DSLR photography :lol: The wisdom on this thread will be of great help;-)

Yay!! I'm taking the free dale class I mentioned up thread and even though I am not in the market, and have heard all this stuff before, is refreshed and learning stuff I couldn't understand before. Greengo rocks!!!

[PeterPan]

David DuChemin of Craft & Vision is putting his whole store of photography ebooks, etc. 50% off for Black Friday, with part of the proceeds going to the Red Cross to support refugee efforts.  If you want a few inexpensive things (his stuff is very moderately priced to start with!), this would be it.  Pretty much can't go wrong with anything he sells.

 

http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=3a17aa8802f4a8960a46d1f26&id=0014de17e7&e=ff1b3b0c59

Edited November 24, 2015 by OhElizabeth

[dtsmamtj]

What about sports photography? Any good books you can recommend? Websites? Boards?

 

T

[PeterPan]

What about sports photography? Any good books you can recommend? Websites? Boards?

 

T

That's really different.  They shoot with LONG lenses and shoot jpg.  I'll bet they discuss it on some of the man-oriented (multi-gender) photography forums.  

[Lady Florida.]

Two Pea in a Bucket scrapbooking site is closed, but someone saved the entry level photography course they used to have. 

 

It's here and it's free.

Edited November 26, 2015 by Lady Florida

[Rockhopper]

I just wanted to jump in here *really* late on the aperture thing: it takes a really, really good *good* ability to get the focus absolutely right in camera to get tack-sharp photos at larger apertures (1.4, for instance). There's just no margin for error. And most of us (especially non-pros or people who shoot casually or occasionally - weekly, say, not daily) just can't get it consistently. Heck, even 2.8 (and my favorite lens is a 2.8 all the way through) can be tricky to nail. And it's certainly not what you want all the time! If you want a great blurred background for a portrait, a large aperture/low f-stop is great. If you want everything in focus, if you're shooting a landscape -- well, just the opposite is true. (Ansel Adams famously founded the Group f/64 -- named for their "ideal" shooting aperture!)

Edited November 26, 2015 by Rockhopper

[Katy]

Thank you for all the resources Tammy, I really appreciate it. And good timing too.

 

Off topic, but this year (after more than two decades using Photoshop (and purchasing PS3, PS5, PS7, CS1. CS3, and CS6), my head exploded when Adobe announced we'd now have to rent their software. This summer I started playing with the "beta" of Affinity Photo (now in full release). I must say, what began in a pique of anger with Adobe, has become a love affair with Affinity Photo. $50 to purchase. Highly professional software. Mac only. No reason to switch if you're happy with Adobe, or on a PC, but an amazing (and affordable) alternative for those who want a professional level image editor for Mac.

 

Thanks again!

 

Bill

 

Most amateurs didn't spend for each upgrade, only pros did.  They explained the decision in a creative live class about CC the week it came out.  It was basically because the cost of a subscription model is 100% write off for businesses, whereas with thousand dollar software you spend for the software upfront, but then have to depreciate the value on your taxes over the course of a few years.  It was complicated and meant people didn't upgrade as quickly as would benefit them.  So the cloud keeps taxes simple and the cost is a write off.  They found it much more profitable, and overall a lower cost than upgrading each time.

 

Yes, they have changed their model, however, I'm still content with CS6 and don't see a reason to upgrade to their CC version. I like my stand-alone copy and until I find that it doesn't do what I need it to do, I'll continue on. I find myself using Photoshop a lot less these days (unless I need to get rid of an ugly ceiling light fixture like in that one ballet photo above, lol!) Lightroom has come such a long way and has fabulous functionality, that I mostly get by on just that.

 

I still use CS6 too.

 

I just wanted to jump in here *really* late on the aperture thing: it takes a really, really good *good* ability to get the focus absolutely right in camera to get tack-sharp photos at larger apertures (1.4, for instance). There's just no margin for error. And most of us (especially non-pros or people who shoot casually or occasionally - weekly, say, not daily) just can't get it consistently. Heck, even 2.8 (and my favorite lens is a 2.8 all the way through) can be tricky to nail. And it's certainly not what you want all the time! If you want a great blurred background for a portrait, a large aperture/low f-stop is great. If you want everything in focus, if you're shooting a landscape -- well, just the opposite is true. (Ansel Adams famously founded the Group f/64 -- named for their "ideal" shooting aperture!)

 

The trick to that is to reduce the focus points down to 1, and focus it on the subject's eye that is closest to your camera.  Then in post do a slight sharpen of the eyes and lips.  No one will even notice the soft focus on the skin.  Also, when there's more than one person you have to shut it down by at least one per person.

[Spy Car]

Just a note to mention that the new image editing program I've prattled on about in this thread, Affinity Photo, was named today as the 2015 Macintosh Application of the Year by Apple Computer. Best app of all applications, not just best graphics app.

 

To celebrate Affinity has the app at 20% off ($40). I have no financial interest in this software, but have grown to love it. It is a professional program, so it has a learning curve, but if one has a modern Mac and wants a serious competitor to Photoshop at a low cost....

 

Bill

Edited December 10, 2015 by Spy Car

[GoodGrief]

Clickin Moms is a great site, and there's a Facebook group called "What to Focus On" that is full of helpful discussion. I took a course from a local pro photographer several years ago that got me moved over to manual operation of the camera, then I went from there. I really like Damien Symonds' Photoshop courses and Facebook group too.

 

Though people will tell you to start with an entry level body, it's nice (assuming you can afford it) and less frustrating to learn on a body that has more of its functions on the camera itself, not buried in the menu, and can handle low light.