expanding my kit

[KaraM]

Photography has always been a love of mine since I was a child; but I was never really serious about it. Now I want to really explore photography more and find my "voice", so I am starting a "Project 365" to help me figure that out. After working quite of bit of overtime this year, I now have $1,000 - 1,500 to spend on anything I want.

Right now, I have the following equipment:
Canon Rebel XTi
battery grip and remote
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8
Canon EF 28-135mm IS f/3.5-5.6
Canon EF 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6
ProMaster 7500DX flash (which I really don't like!)
a cheap tripod from Wal-Mart

What are your recommendations for equipment and accesories (big or small) for expanding/improving my kit?

 

[IgsEMT]

How about a flash Canon | 580EX II Flash | 1946B002 | B&H Photo Video
Need light to take pictures

 

[.tAylor]

a flash

x2 :thumbup:

 

[KmH]

The Promaster speedlight looks like a decent unit.

What don't you like about it?

The only thing I see missing from your gear list is a wide angle lens, 12 mm or so to 28 mm and a remote triggering capability for your speedlight so you can get it off the camera.

Beyond that it's difficult to make other recommendations based on vague information like 'find my voice' and 'project 365'.

 

[Dao]

Do you run into a situation that your current setup is not able to do what you want to do?
i.e.
o You went to a place and wish that you can capture a wider view in one single capture.
o You want to take a photo of a bug, but it always show up very tiny in the picture.
o You want to take in door photos without using flash, but the people in the photos are always blur.
o You mount the telephoto lens on the camera and use the tripod, but it seems not too stable?

. . . . . .

If your current setup can do what you want to do, then you do not need to buy anything else. I believe it maybe hard for another person to tell you what to buy without knowing what you need. I may say add a fast standard zoom lens, but you really want to take sharp photos of a bird.

Maybe you can spend more times on reading more about photography and practice more. Then you may bump into something that you really want to do but find that your current setup is limited. At that time, we maybe able to tell you what you can do to solve that issue.

For example, you use your 50mm lens and take some low light photos, but the quality of the photo is not too good due to digital noise when you use ISO. Then a newer camera or a better noise removal software may help.

 

[grafxman]

Photography has always been a love of mine since I was a child; but I was never really serious about it. Now I want to really explore photography more and find my "voice", so I am starting a "Project 365" to help me figure that out. After working quite of bit of overtime this year, I now have $1,000 - 1,500 to spend on anything I want.

Right now, I have the following equipment:
Canon Rebel XTi
battery grip and remote
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8
Canon EF 28-135mm IS f/3.5-5.6
Canon EF 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6
ProMaster 7500DX flash (which I really don't like!)
a cheap tripod from Wal-Mart

What are your recommendations for equipment and accesories (big or small) for expanding/improving my kit?

Hi Kara, you must first state what sort of photos you like to take. For example, if you want to do macro photography then a proper lens, an appropriate tripod, focusing rails, etc. would be required or at least strongly recommended. If wildlife photography is something you want to do then long zoom or prime lenses are required as well as a tripod that will be different from the one appropriate for macro photography. If you want to do indoor portraits then your requirements will be different from doing outdoor street photography. To your credit, you have sufficient funds to accomplish perhaps two or more of the above listed photographic endeavors. So Kara, name your poison.

 

[KaraM]

Thanks for all your input. It sounds as if I probably shouldn't buy anything until I figure out what kind of photography truly interests me, what direction I want to take in photography, and what my style is. I suppose after a year or so of taking at least one photo a day, I should figure out this all out and know what else I might need or want.