Beginner Advice

[mattlfc06]

Hi Guys n Gals, Im interested in photography and i am starting out. What advice can you give me? Where do i start?

Is there such a thing as a Photography Apprenticeship?

Which camera do you suggest for me?

Fuji Finepix S9500 or Canon EOS 350D
or another Camera?

Any help would be much appreciated!

Please be patient i understand you probably get queries like this everyday!

 

[Digital Matt]

Hi and welcome to the forum. A photography class would be a great place to start. Local community colleges usually offer them. If you decide to do that, you're going to need a 35mm film SLR and lens. You can buy a nice used SLR on Ebay, or www.keh.com for pretty cheap, and I recommend you get a 50mm lens to go with it. You can probably get both together for under $200. Brands like Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Minolta, all work. That would really be a great way to get into photography, and learn it from the ground up.

If you decide you'd like to go digital, then I'd recommend the Canon 350D over the Fuji, because the 350D will let you use interchangable lenses. You can start with a 50mm prime, and eventually build a collection of lenses that will work with other cameras in the Canon line up, and allow you to expand as you grow. That being said, if you start with a Canon EOS 35mm SLR, you can use those same lenses with a Canon digital SLR in the future.

You can learn a lot right here on this forum, as well as books. John Hedgecoe has many great books out, which you can find at Borders or Amazon.com.

It all depends on what you want to do with photography and how far you want to go. I'd really recommend a photography class if you are serious.

 

[mattlfc06]

Thanks for your kind words of advice. I think i will buy the Canon EOS 350D

 

[bigfatbadger]

College is definately they way to go IMHO, lets you try out lots of different sorts of photography. See which one syou like etc.

 

[mattlfc06]

College is definately they way to go IMHO, lets you try out lots of different sorts of photography. See which one syou like etc.

Is it expensive to do a photography course in college?

 

[Simon]

Have you looked at the Nikon D50 and D70s both very good cameras IMHO

 

[bigfatbadger]

I dont know where you are, but over here it costs about £60 to do one term (3 terms in a year, I think others call them semesters?) or the whole year which leaves you with a BTEC is £200.

It probably does work out as fairly expensive, but, IMHO, you will learn far more by being taught by a good teacher than trying to tach yourself. But then, I never have been very disciplined at teaching myself!

 

[mattlfc06]

I dont know where you are, but over here it costs about £60 to do one term (3 terms in a year, I think others call them semesters?) or the whole year which leaves you with a BTEC is £200.

It probably does work out as fairly expensive, but, IMHO, you will learn far more by being taught by a good teacher than trying to tach yourself. But then, I never have been very disciplined at teaching myself!

Im from Ireland, and any courses i have priced have been around €900 for a 30 week course with out examination(125 for exams)

 

[Digital Matt]

Going to school for photography is going to be expensive yes, but everything that is involved with photography is expensive. It always has been, and always will be. That's the first thing you should learn

 

[kelox]

Going to school for photography is going to be expensive yes, but everything that is involved with photography is expensive. It always has been, and always will be. That's the first thing you should learn

never was a truer word spoken!!!

 

[mattlfc06]

So I guess I'm looking towards €3500 to start out. Inc, studies, exams, camera and laptop.

 

[rmh159]

You can also find online classes all over the place for significantly cheaper than a traditional class. I'm sure there are benefits to having the in-person interaction with a teacher but if you're on a budget the on-line courses are good alternatives.

I would also suggest a trip to the library... there are TONS of books out there for all levels of photography. There are some National Geographics books that make good references too. My recommendation would be to find a couple general, well rounded books to purchase and keep in your camera bag for reference. Then just rake in the late fees at the library by checking out any others or books on more specific topics.

I would also suggest trying to get info from multiple sources as I think with any art if you rely to heavily on one source (like an instructor) your art might tend to mimic theirs. Just something to consider.

 

[elsaspet]

You know what? I'd just go out and take pictures. Get a decent camera and then just go out and play with it. Find what YOU like. Spend lots of time of photo forums posting your photos, and get lots of feedback.
The only thing I have against a lot of the mainstream schools out there, is they are filled with old film guys, and they are going to make photography boring. You are gonna spend weeks alone on apatures, and how lenses work, and tons of math figuring out flash ratios and soforth.
I do this full time, and I'm embarrassed to tell you I couldn't figure out how to figure out a flash ratio if my very life depended on it. But I've done it enough, (without knowing the how or why because frankly I don't care) to do it in my sleep. School would have been a real kill joy to me.
Make it fun. Maybe someday it will be a job. If you keep it fun, and make it your job, you will never "work" a day in your life.
And that's my take on it. :greenpbl:

 

[Torus34]

I'm an old film guy. [Looks at self in mirror, thinks of the days of long ago when the Kodak 35 didn't even have a rangefinder. Tear runs down cheek . . .]

 

[elsaspet]

Ohhhhh. I'm sorry. Don't have tears....
I didn't mean it that way. I was thinking more of the teacher in Farris Bueller's day off with that monotone voice and all that.
I shouldn't have said that about film. Hell, film can be way cool.
Group Hug.
Sorry.
Cindy