A little direction for a newbie.

Laine · Jul 3, 2003

Hey, a little bit ago my father seen that I was interested in taking pictures with my digital camera and he went and gave me his old professional camera, its real nice and is worth alot.

But anyways, i've got a few stupid questions.

After I have the pictures finished and taken, how much is it usually to get them developed, and i have a feeling that i'm going to haev to take alot to accually get used to all the odds and ends to my new camera, is there a way I can save money? Or am I going to have to keep paying for the film to get developed.. how much would a dark room cost to get going??

Also, when you get them developed, do they do them or those cheesey normal photo sizes, or can you get them on like the 8x11" ones?

Are there any good beginner websites that you guys know about??

Well thanks anyways, help would be really appreciated.

metroshane · Jul 3, 2003

a bunch of questions that will probably end up with "depends...where do you live?"

There are professional photo processing labs...and your local photomat. I always suggest going professional, but that can get expensive.

voodoocat · Jul 3, 2003

Was it a 35mm camera you got?

ufocus · Jul 3, 2003

i don't think photography can be taught.. you either have it or you don't.

Same with artists.. you can't teach people to have an eye for images.

enigma · Jul 3, 2003

ufocus... i do not agree. Photogharphy like any other art can be taught. Art school are just around for the fun of it. A creative eye on the other hand i do agree, you have it or you dont. That does not mean you can not be a good photographer. BOB ROSS... at wonderful painter, but i think he had very little creativity (he painted the same thing all the time) Tech stuff like film speeds, apature, focal lenth, can all be tought. You will know if you are cut out for it if here all that stuff does not put you to sleep. To some it may seem like number and bla bla info, but to some (me inclubed) there are the tools that i can use to be creative, and make my images the way I want them.

Before I take a picture, I already know what I want the finish, mounted print to look like. The is the eye, but I can LEARN how to get there. It is my road map to peace..lol

sorry for long post.

Back to the question at hand. If you are at a school that has a photo lab you may be able to use that for free. Also pick up a fundementles of photography book. All you need to know. Come to this forum everyday. It is wonderful. As far as getting film developed...hmm i have not done so in such a long time. It is maybe about $8 USD to have prints also. those would be 5x7, 8x10 i would think would be more. If you want to save money in the LONG run, and you plan to do this for awhile. you could set up a simple dark room for.... hmmm... $1500, for a very simple one.... maybe I could be very wrong on that.

(almost done.)

Which ever way you go, just take lots of picture, I like to develpoe them myself, for that is half the creative prosses. Good luck, hope somewhere in my novel I anwserd your questions.

Laine · Jul 3, 2003

Thank you all kindly for the help, tomorow i shall pick up some film for it and some batteries.

And yes, its a 35mm

ufocus · Jul 3, 2003

enigma said:
ufocus... i do not agree. Photogharphy like any other art can be taught. Art school are just around for the fun of it. A creative eye on the other hand i do agree, you have it or you dont. That does not mean you can not be a good photographer. BOB ROSS... at wonderful painter, but i think he had very little creativity (he painted the same thing all the time) Tech stuff like film speeds, apature, focal lenth, can all be tought. You will know if you are cut out for it if here all that stuff does not put you to sleep. To some it may seem like number and bla bla info, but to some (me inclubed) there are the tools that i can use to be creative, and make my images the way I want them.

Before I take a picture, I already know what I want the finish, mounted print to look like. The is the eye, but I can LEARN how to get there. It is my road map to peace..lol

sorry for long post.

Back to the question at hand. If you are at a school that has a photo lab you may be able to use that for free. Also pick up a fundementles of photography book. All you need to know. Come to this forum everyday. It is wonderful. As far as getting film developed...hmm i have not done so in such a long time. It is maybe about $8 USD to have prints also. those would be 5x7, 8x10 i would think would be more. If you want to save money in the LONG run, and you plan to do this for awhile. you could set up a simple dark room for.... hmmm... $1500, for a very simple one.... maybe I could be very wrong on that.

(almost done.)

Which ever way you go, just take lots of picture, I like to develpoe them myself, for that is half the creative prosses. Good luck, hope somewhere in my novel I anwserd your questions.

Yes.. the technical aspect of photography can be taught and learned. But that doesn't mean you'll be a good photographer.

Except for boring mediums like portraits and landscapes.. photography takes a certain eye. not many people have it. I'm not even sure that i do.

enigma · Jul 3, 2003

yes... i agree. I have been to your website, and I must say... you have a large body of work. I like most of it. Some people may not... weather you have "the eye" i am not one to answer that, but im not sure anyone is in the place to judge. It is personal taste on so many levels. Just like in a art contest. The jugde that you get may hate landscaps, but yours may be outstanding... anyway....