new to photography, need advice

[burnerjunky]

for Christmas, i got a new canon rebel k2 (non date model) and a uv filter. i was wonder what other goodies i should get for this that would help me out in my photography

 

[Azuth]

Welcome.

Assuming you got the standard lens (22-90mm) you already have a camera with a reasonable range. It's hard for us to give any advice unless we know what you want to shoot (sports, birds, street, pretty girls, fast cars, landscapes etcetera infinitum.)

If you don't yet know yourself, then I suggest you take what you have, go out and take some pictures and learn. I'll understand if you have some spare Christmas cash burning a hole in your pocket, but believe me when I say if you're bitten by the bug you will soon have far more things on your wish list that you can count.

Having written all that, you might consider a tripod, even a cheap one can be very useful in tons of situations.

 

[burnerjunky]

thanks, i really haven't figured that out entirely yet. I'm pretty sure i will be mostly doing landscape and ocasionally taking some pictures of my friends or something cool i catch out of my eye. I was just wondering if there was anything i needed for all types of photography, like a certain filter or something that no photography should be without.

 

[Azuth]

Since you already have a UV filter the only other likely candidate for you would be a polarizing filter. Just google the words or search the board for examples of what they do. Essentially it will cut down glare and unwanted reflections, it will also add richness to the sky and other colours in landscape photo's.

 

[ksmattfish]

Flash, tripod, and cable release. Save some money for film and processing too. Taking photos will do more to improve your photography than any gadgets.

 

[markc]

Personally, I'd suggest getting to know what you have first before buying much else. A tripod would definitely be a good thing for landscapes, but I wouldn't bother with a flash until you know how to use natural light. You may never end up using it, and a good one can be a fair chunk of change. I completely agree with Matt that taking pictures is going to be more important than finding just the right equipment.

The only other thing I would suggest considering is a 50mm/f1.8 lens. You probably wouldn't use it much for landscapes, but if you want to do any held-held low-light photography or really blur out the background, it can be a really nice lens for cheap.

I'd also suggest only shooting at certain focal lengths with the zoom. It looks like the kit lens is 28mm-90mm, so if that's what you have, I'd only choose between 28, 35, 50, and 90mm. This will get your eye used to seeing at specific common focal lengths, and you'll learn how to use each one faster. You should have a reason for using the one you choose based on how it will make the image look, not to save you a walk.

 

[Mad_Gnome]

My main recommendation for someone completely new to photography would be to do some research on basic photography and exposure. There are literally thousands of books to choose from on basic photography concepts. Learn the exposure triangle, and how each element will affect the images you create. Learn the elements of composition.

Other than that, I think Mark is right on the money with suggesting a 50mm f/1.8 lens. Sticking to that lens for awhile will teach you a great deal about composition.

Remember that knowlege is more important than a bagful of gadgets.