Do I need a upgrade to take better photos?

alfanoc

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Hi all

I know every year there's a new camera or upgrade and unfortunately I can't afford a new camera as the Canon Mark 5D iii that I would love to get. I am not a professional photographer but have been taking photos for many years of friends and family and feel I have some talent. I'm not great but I would like to get a lot better. I've had the following equipment for awhile now and slowly trying to brush up on my skills now that I have a little more time and my children are getting older. I'm wondering if this will do in order for me to take professional looking photos.

Canon Rebel T1i (yes, the first Rebel)
with a EFS 18-55mm

Canon Zoom Lens Ef 75-300mm 1:4-5.6

Canon lens EF 50mm 1.4 (this is actually a pretty awesome lens that blurs the background w/ portraits)

Canon SPeed lite 430EX11

Is the above still ok, or is it just me that needs to learn to take photos out of AF mode.
 
Is the above still ok, or is it just me that needs to learn to take photos out of AF mode.

yes, it's you.
sure you could spend more money but experience and effort is a better investment.
it's not AutoFocus that's the issue, usually.
Start posting images here and learn about composition, aperture choice and editing.
 
They made Rebels with film. Thiught my xs was first if the line but nope.

My advice, save for a 70-200 and put that in your T1 that would be awesome. Why not new gear is fun right and smells good too. Then gdt an older Rebel and put the new lens on, that would be F.U.N.
 
this is what i mean... does the body of the camera matter? Or should i be investing in better lens and classes instead?
 
Yes, and yes?
 
this is what i mean... does the body of the camera matter? Or should i be investing in better lens and classes instead?
Naturally, the camera body matters some, otherwise all the pros would never need to use a $6,000 camera.

However, the camera body does not matter enough for you to go into hock and buy something you can't afford.

Good lenses matter more, and good technique matters even more than good lenses.

Start by going over everything you're currently doing. Make sure you're not doing something dumb. Find a local mentor who can watch you in action. Post some photos here for critique. Read some books. Practice a lot. There is much to do before you actually need a better camera body.
 
thank you kindly, i'm actually looking for a local mentor right now and starting to read up again on everything. I just wanted to be prepared with the right equipment and have a little advice before I invested in a mentor for couple of hours.
 
does anyone know how to make my photos smaller because I try to upload and it says the file is to large to upload to the server
 
ANY editing software can resize images.
 
Welcome to TPF! :)
I have a T3i, and I nearly every time a photo isn't what I want it is me not my gear. And if it is my gear, it is the lens. But normally it's me. LOL
If you have $50 or so wandering around, the best piece of gear you could buy, would be a tripod. You don't need something carbonfiber, or even new. Just nice and solid! I have two tripods one cost $50 and the other cost $60, I got them both on Ebay. Make sure you read reviews, some that look good, aren't. So do your homework! :)

Good luck and stay active on the forum. :)
 
The question, does gear matter. Terminally yes. I can build a house with wood, nails and a stone but a hammer would be better....of course you'd need the experience and skills to use the tools properly. I personally feel every upgrade I bought improved my output but for sure I can produce with my first camera, a 2.5MP Oly no problem, just wouldn't be as good as my more modern gear.
 
Photo 5.jpg Photo 1.jpg Photo 3.jpg Photo 4.jpg Photo 2.jpg Photo 6.jpg

I took these photo using my 50mm 1.4 canon lens , how do they look, and this is using Auto Focus
 
Welcome to TPF.
What is the question? Do you NEED better gear to progress?
Now don't look at my sig line 'cause I like gear but the answer could be looked two different ways.

The quick answer.
This is what most people WANT to hear. Why yes if you upgrade from the T1I to The 1DXmk II you will have better IQ, dynamic range............

The second answer is cheaper but requires more work. Learn how good you can be with the gear you have. Watch videos, learn from a mentor and really shine.

Option one will get you quick gains that will fill a void if only for a while.
Option two will set you up to take excellent photos with everything from disposable film to the best DSLR.
 
Your camera & lenses are capable of taking fantastic shots. Newer kit would probably give you some advantages, but setting up what you have to the optimum will make a MUCH bigger difference.
Some of your examples would look better with the subject of center - read up on the 'rule of thirds' - it works so well that many use it slavishly all the time. Your last example has the eyes on one of the thirds which strengths the shot, having a little more space in front of the boy could strengthen it further.

Personally I think it's worth experimenting with the semi-manual modes. Switching to manual focus gains a lot less than controlling aperture, but it's rewarding to have a go at each. I know some photographers who always focus manually.

Post processing is another field that will improve your images. I have a huge amount to learn myself on that. There are some excellent packages available free for editing. FastStone is my software of choice, but GIMP is more powerful (and more complex to master).
 
does anyone know how to make my photos smaller because I try to upload and it says the file is to large to upload to the server
This was copied from a post of mine yesterday:

"I don't know very many editing softwares, but I'll tell you how mine works:

After I have finished editing, I can export a photo. When I export, I have the option of file type and photo dimensions in pixels. I say; "JPG" and "fit within 1,000 pixel rectangle". The longest side then is no more than 1,000 pixels, and the short side (if applicable) is at whatever dimension it is proportionally. I export to my desktop to make it easy to grab and drag the photo into the composition box (where I am writing this now). Then when I am ready, I just drag and drop. After you drop it into the box, a dialog will appear asking if you want a thumbnail or full size. Click full size. Then post."


Thank you for posting some photographs. First let me say; Cute kids!

Very common style for beginners, so you're right on track with everyone else! Yes, I see the most common places in which to coach someone, but I won't call them "errors". Awkward poses, missed frames, and needing light manipulation. #3 is the best overall.

No, please don't buy new gear right now. If you're thinking that a mentor will laugh at your existing gear, he/she won't. Or if the mentor does, then you've got the wrong mentor. These people should be offering to help you at no charge, so if you're thinking that you might have to pay, my answer would be no.

We also have a mentor-ship program right here on this site. I forget who is doing that, but just search the forums for mentor and you'll run into them. A local mentor is what I suggested, because he/she could look over your existing equipment to spot any obvious problems. Also, by watching you in person, can give you pointers in the moment to give your technique an immediate boost.
 

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