Pulling away from being a beginner

[Timo]

I am at the point that I want to be more than just a beginning photographer. I want to do more than take just nice snapshots.

I'm trying to think about things like form and lighting and am trying to take more photos.

What are some more ways I can work on improving?

I think I'm going to get a new lens soon. So far I've just had the 18-55 kit lens that came with me Rebel T1i. Any suggestions on a good second lens?

I guess this is a pretty open question but I want to hear what everyone has to say.

I suppose it's worth noting that I love photos like these: http://duckduckcollective.com/blog/americana/
They're the kind of photos that inspire me.

[PJL]

Regarding lenses, what type of shots would you like to be able to take that you can't take now?

To get narrow depth of field shots, like the girl with the acoustic guitar, you'd need a "fast" lens with a wide aperture, such as the 50 f/1.4 or 50 f/1.8 (the first is better, but is more expensive).

[Felix 222]

if you like shots like that, your lens should do fine, but...if you prefer, find a fixed lens with a with a f 1.8 or something like that

[jbylake]

1. Take some classes.

2. If you can't take classes, for whatever reason, read some good books on the subject. Just do a search here, and you can find many recommendations for good ones.

3. Your missing part of the point of being here. Take photo's. Post them here for C&C. There are many experts, and professionals that are more than willing to give you all the help you need.

Good luck

J.

[myfotoguy]

- Visit the photo galleries on this forum and see what critiques are being made.
- Post some of your shots for CC
- Read hot ot blogs for ideas of things to try
- A couple good books may help: The Photographer's Eye by Michael Freeman and Learning to See Creatively by Bryan Peterson

[craig]

Arguably gear has nothing to do with it. Let's see a link to your work.

Love & Bass

[Timo]

Portfolio - a set on Flickr

I don't think the equipment makes or breaks it. It's like a guitar, either you can play it or you can't, but once you can better gear does make a difference.

[pbelarge]

Tim
I have the same camera and lens.
I am pretty sure with some practice, reading, posting here and being creative you can be well on your way.


Step 1. the desire

Okay, it seems you have shown some desire. Now to really move forward, go out there shoot, shoot and compose and look for light and great subject matter. Then bring some of that here and show the guys/gals what you have done

Step 2. grow thick skin

That right, the learning experience will require critique of your work and you may not like what you hear...you will get over it if your desire is strong enough to move past Step 1.



I forgot to mention what separates the really great from the just so good.
TIME



Good luck!!! lets see some "lights-action-camera"

[matfoster]

Quote: Originally Posted by Timo

: Americana | The DuckDuck Collective Blog
They're the kind of photos that inspire me.

i can see why. a stimulating photoblog (for a change).

[craig]

Quote: Originally Posted by Timo

Portfolio - a set on Flickr

I don't think the equipment makes or breaks it. It's like a guitar, either you can play it or you can't, but once you can better gear does make a difference.

Now we are talking. Your tech and especially your style is really strong. Lot's of emotion and a good eye. Improvements would be in more direction. Your work is all over the place, which is fine for now. Consider choosing portraits or landscape or whatever. Spend a lot of time focusing on one genre only.

Gear wise; drop $1,400 for a really nice lens.

Keep us posted.

Love & Bass

[Felix 222]

i enjoyed looking through your set. good stuff! PS: i added you as a contact

[Hamtastic]

Quote: Originally Posted by Timo

I'm trying to think about things like form and lighting ... I think I'm going to get a new lens soon.

Skip the lens. Keep concentrating on the lighting. If you are compelled to spend money buy some good speedlights and learn off camera flash, or spend the money on a vacation to a photogenically inspiring location. Spend money covering your walls with your work. Looking at it everyday, and in print, will inspire you to practice and keep improving.

Everyone wants the new lens, and it is exciting for a bit. Then you're back in the rut, because the new lens really doesn't do all that much different than the old lens. It might be a little faster, or focus a little closer, but basically it still takes the same pics.

Take Drawing 101 and Design 101 at your local college. These classes are all about how we see the 3D world, and how it translates into 2D. They will teach you contrast, and lighting, and colors, and tones, and how they all relate. Even if you don't want to learn to paint or draw these classes will teach you to see, and almost all the lessons are useful for photographers.

[kkamin]

Gear doesn't matter much and I defend that principal as often as I can on forums. But if you want images with shallow depth of field like many of the photos in that photo blog, you simply cannot get it with your gear. You have 2 things going against you: a crop sensor and a slow kit lens. I would get a fast lens so you can get more of that bokeh, something I think is a large component of those photographs.

Take a photo class at an art school. Many will offer extension classes. Another thing very apparent in the photo blog is that the photograhers are trained artists. Even though I find their images a little self-indulgent and over glamorizing the young 20 something art scene, I respect the architecture of their images and the conceptual nature of their images.

[Overread]

I'll chip in
Simply saying " I want to improve overall " is asking a lot and is partially showing that you don't quite yet know what areas are you strong and what areas are you weak points. That makes improvement hard as you don't know what area to focus on first and focusing on it all will likley just overload you with info and leave you forgetting key things when you need them.

So first step toward that end is to find out your weaknesses - the only way you will do that is with honest self and external critique of your work and of others (yes of others). Critiquing the works of others helps to build your eye for seeing possible errors as well as seeing good strong points - critiquing your own work lets you see those factors in your own images. Getting crits of others further helps to give you some focus as other people always see things that you might miss or they might consider points you overlooked or even consider some things that you think are errors as not.

After that you should be starting to get an idea where you are stronger and where you are weaker - now you can start to build up targets as well as objectives to overcome. This is key as it builds in a structure to your learning - we can all learn a little bit here and there, but its slow and haphazard. Focused and structured is far more effecitve and faster (provided that you work hard at it of course).

Projects and such can also be great ways to build upon this and also can start to work toward images or events that you want to shoot. A project can be anything from pure photography based to something that uses photography as a side process (ie using your camera for something beyond possibly just making pretty pics). You really are your own boss here and so you are free to focus a project and whatever you want. Use it to learn something new or use to pull together things you have learnt into a single endevour

[Jeremy Z]

I won't jump on the bandwagon here and say: "the lens doesn't matter." Because in a lot of circumstances, it matters a LOT.

For example, someone who likes to shoot bugs or flowers will not get far without a macro lens. Someone who wants to shoot sports & wildlife will not get far without some sort of telephoto lens. Someone who likes to shoot architecture without converging lines will not get far without a shift lens. Someone who wants to shoot portraits will not get far without a faster lens. (f/2.8 at the absolute slowest) Going beyond that, someone who wants to shoot weddings will not get far without a good flash.

So first & foremost, you have to decide what to do. If at all possible, try it with your current gear. Post the pix. If you find gear to be a limitation based on the feedback, by all means, buy better/different gear.

I'm at the point now where I'm capable of doing just about everything I want.

For me, the limiting factors are getting to the places that have the subjects I want, and getting my butt out of bed before sunrise to get the best light. Lately, my favorite thing to shoot is ancient architecture. To do that, I need to get the hell out of Chicagoland. I'm going to Poland, Prague, and maybe Frankfort next month to get these opportunities. The trip will cost about the same as 1 or 2 really nice lenses. If I had bought the lenses instead of plane tickets, I would not have the pictures I want.

Otherwise, just admit that you're at least partially a gadget hound. I didn't need a new camera to go shooting in Europe. But I admit that I'm a gadget hound and I bought a Canon S90 anyway, and I'm going to try shooting this trip with a handy point & shoot this time. I took some of my favorite pictures with my trusty Canon Elph and a table top tripod in Belgium a couple years ago. I took some pictures of my wife, dog, and I in the mountains of Poland a couple years before that, and they're very rewarding.

I guess after all that babbling, my point is to remember that the most important thing is that you and your family like your photos. That, and remember not to get so caught up in gear that you don't have money left to get out there.