If you had to spend $1,000...

marie1128 · Nov 1, 2013

I am getting about 12k dollars from an inheritance at the end of the month. I'd like to get some gear, books, programs, etc, that all equals out to be 1000 dollars. I'd like to stay with Canon products. I think I would like to get an editing program. I'm still fairly new to my camera, but I know it well enough to be confident when taking pictures. I take pictures of everything (daily life with my one year old, trying to do his one year pictures, vacations, etc.), and my signature says what I have.
If you recommend books, please be specific. Thanks!

Derrel · Nov 1, 2013

I would buy John Hedgcoe's classic book, "Complete Guide To Photography", so you can learn how to see pictures, and how to find and identify types of lighting conditions, and learn the types of things that make up good photographs. SKIP all the new digital photography books that are basically recipe books, and learn the real, underlying "basics" of how pictures are made...if you need to learn how to run your specific camera model, the Canon instruction book is what you need to read.

Software? Buy Lightroom 5, and learn to use it.

ronlane · Nov 1, 2013

There is a lot that you could do with $1,000 for photography. As far as editing, I would recomment Lightroom 5, that is about $175 and the rest I would look at getting some more glass.

ronlane · Nov 1, 2013

Derrel said:
I would buy John Hedgcoe's classic book, "Complete Guide To Photography", so you can learn how to see pictures, and how to find and identify types of lighting conditions, and learn the types of things that make up good photographs. SKIP all the new digital photography books that are basically recipe books, and learn the real, underlying "basics" of how pictures are made...if you need to learn how to run your specific camera model, the Canon instruction book is what you need to read.

Software? Buy Lightroom 5, and learn to use it.

Typing our post at the same time, it occurs to me that Derrel's brainwashing is working. (Well except for that whole Nikon thing)

lambertpix · Nov 1, 2013

As I'm sure you're aware, it's pretty easy to burn through $1,000 or more on even one lens. Given that you want to get an editing program, though, I agree that Lightroom is the way to go. If you're feeling patient, you might just see it go on sale over the coming weeks. I also noticed that you're looking at Canon's 50mm f/1.8 lens, and I think that's also a good buy. It's not super fast to focus, which could be an issue chasing your kids around, but at around $100, it's still among the best bang-for-your-buck lenses you can find, and it's a passable portrait option for a crop-sensor camera.

One of the biggest revelations for me as I worked my way up the DSLR learning curve was off-camera lighting. I purchased a cheap manual flash pretty early on, but if I were starting today, I think I'd just go straight for something like the Yonnuo YN-565EX, which supports ETTL and HSS for around $100. The Canon alternative, by the way, is around $500. While you're at it, Yongnuo's YN-622c triggers also support ETTL and HSS, and work great with the 565EX. They're around $85.

One of the benefits of a strobe is that you'll be able to supplement available lighting to help with the (relatively) slow kit lens you've got. It would be great to be able to start right out buying fast (f/2.8) lenses across the board, but you'll chew through your budget in no time that way. The artificial light of the strobe might never be quite as nice as all natural light, but it's a great way to leverage entry-level lenses for a while, in addition to opening up a whole gamut of light-shaping possibilities (see strobist).

After all that, you'd be about half-way through your budget, and I do believe I might take a little break and think about where you want to go after that -- chances are, you're either going to want to upgrade your kit lens or start looking at something a little longer (70mm+), but that choice depends greatly on your specific needs.

Also not mentioned is a tripod; I'd be lost without one, but it may not be a great benefit to you if you're chasing kids. Vacations, though, would be another story.

DougGrigg · Nov 1, 2013

If you're a student I'd recommend buying the adobe creative cloud rather than investing hundreds into a piece of software (Admittedly I did this with CS5 and now find it obsolete) this is just £15 a month and you get access to ALL adobe software.

In terms of books I'd Recommend David Bates - Photography Key Concepts (brilliant read in all aspects of photography)

Research what type of photography you like, if its landscape then invest in artists books such as Jem Southam or Portraiture, Marco Grob

In terms of camera I'd Recommend a Eos 550D if you haven't already got a Decent DSLR.

kathyt · Nov 1, 2013

I would invest instead. Stocks are doing well these days.

Most books can be checked out at the library. Adobe software programs have a 30 day trial membership as well so you can check them out. YouTube is also a great free resource for learning editing software.

ronlane · Nov 1, 2013

kathythorson said:
I would invest instead. Stocks are doing well these days. Most books can be checked out at the library. Adobe software programs have a 30 day trial membership as well so you can check them out. YouTube is also a great free resource for learning editing software.

Brains and looks. Guess all she needs you guys for is your braun.

robbins.photo · Nov 1, 2013

marie1128 said:
I am getting about 12k dollars from an inheritance at the end of the month. I'd like to get some gear, books, programs, etc, that all equals out to be 1000 dollars. I'd like to stay with Canon products. I think I would like to get an editing program. I'm still fairly new to my camera, but I know it well enough to be confident when taking pictures. I take pictures of everything (daily life with my one year old, trying to do his one year pictures, vacations, etc.), and my signature says what I have.
If you recommend books, please be specific. Thanks!

Ok, so you have a canon t5i. Do you find it works for your needs? If your satisfied with it and it's working for you then there really isn't much point in upgrading the body. If however you find you are missing shots say because the camera doesn't shoot fast enough for you or that your disatisfied with the image quality or whatever it happens to be, then it might be time to consider an upgrade.

Next do the same thing with the lenses. Are they meeting your needs? Is there a lens that would do a better job or fulfill a certain need for you that isn't currently being fulfilled? If so then now would be a good time to think about maybe purchasing another lens or two - keep in mind that when you buy the better glass it's something you can still use the next time you upgrade your camera body, so try to think about it from the standpoint of "I'll probably be using this lens for the next several years if not longer" when evaluating if you really need it or not. But again if what you have now is getting the job done, not much point in upgrading just to say that you upgraded.

Then I'd go through your accessories with pretty much the same mindset. "Do I own a tripod. If so is it meeting my needs. Would it be beneficial to upgrade to something better". Evaluate each piece of equipment you have and ask yourself if an upgrade is necessary and will it really benefit your photography. Then go out and buy what you need.

So now the tricky part - if you have money left over, and if you do the above you most likely will have, put it away. Take it and put it in a savings account, or in the mattress, or in a sock, or whatever it is you do with money you want to hang onto for a while. Save it for a time when you might need a new camera body or lens, as opposed to just buying one out of impulse. Try to think of it this way, the longer you can put off buying the better it is for you, since as the newer technology hits the market the stuff that is top of the line and out of reach now might be available used and be a lot more affordable in a few months.

Just my 2 cents worth of course, but that would be my recommendation.

JacaRanda · Nov 1, 2013

Lightroom 5 student approx. $80

marie1128 · Nov 1, 2013

robbins.photo said:
marie1128 said:

I am getting about 12k dollars from an inheritance at the end of the month. I'd like to get some gear, books, programs, etc, that all equals out to be 1000 dollars. I'd like to stay with Canon products. I think I would like to get an editing program. I'm still fairly new to my camera, but I know it well enough to be confident when taking pictures. I take pictures of everything (daily life with my one year old, trying to do his one year pictures, vacations, etc.), and my signature says what I have.
If you recommend books, please be specific. Thanks!

Click to expand...

Ok, so you have a canon t5i. Do you find it works for your needs? If your satisfied with it and it's working for you then there really isn't much point in upgrading the body. If however you find you are missing shots say because the camera doesn't shoot fast enough for you or that your disatisfied with the image quality or whatever it happens to be, then it might be time to consider an upgrade.

Next do the same thing with the lenses. Are they meeting your needs? Is there a lens that would do a better job or fulfill a certain need for you that isn't currently being fulfilled? If so then now would be a good time to think about maybe purchasing another lens or two - keep in mind that when you buy the better glass it's something you can still use the next time you upgrade your camera body, so try to think about it from the standpoint of "I'll probably be using this lens for the next several years if not longer" when evaluating if you really need it or not. But again if what you have now is getting the job done, not much point in upgrading just to say that you upgraded.

Then I'd go through your accessories with pretty much the same mindset. "Do I own a tripod. If so is it meeting my needs. Would it be beneficial to upgrade to something better". Evaluate each piece of equipment you have and ask yourself if an upgrade is necessary and will it really benefit your photography. Then go out and buy what you need.

So now the tricky part - if you have money left over, and if you do the above you most likely will have, put it away. Take it and put it in a savings account, or in the mattress, or in a sock, or whatever it is you do with money you want to hang onto for a while. Save it for a time when you might need a new camera body or lens, as opposed to just buying one out of impulse. Try to think of it this way, the longer you can put off buying the better it is for you, since as the newer technology hits the market the stuff that is top of the line and out of reach now might be available used and be a lot more affordable in a few months.

Just my 2 cents worth of course, but that would be my recommendation.

Thank you for the advice!

Thank you to everyone else as well!

KmH · Nov 1, 2013

Photographer knowledge and skill has a major impact on image quality.
If you're not happy with the image quality your equipment provides, the least expensive and most productive upgrade is to upgrade the photographer's knowledge and skill.
Many people spend money upgrading equipment only to be disappointed that there is little, if any, improvement in the quality of their photographs.

There are free, open source image editing applications like GIMP.org and Photoscape.org.
Your T5i came with image editing software - Canon's Digital Photo Professional (DPP).

Lighting, composition, and effectively controlling depth-of-field are keys to pleasing photos.
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials.htm
Direction & Quality of Light: Your Key to Better Portrait Photography Anywhere
On-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography
Off-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Photographers

http://neilvn.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/
Strobist: Lighting 101

kathyt · Nov 1, 2013

ronlane said:
kathythorson said:

I would invest instead. Stocks are doing well these days. Most books can be checked out at the library. Adobe software programs have a 30 day trial membership as well so you can check them out. YouTube is also a great free resource for learning editing software.

Click to expand...

Brains and looks. Guess all she needs you guys for is your braun.

I need a man for other things too.......like to cuddle.

texkam · Nov 1, 2013

As Kathy suggests, hang on to your money and buy equipment when needed. As you gain experience you will learn where you are limited in terms of gear.

I think I would like to get an editing program.

When this changes to " I really need to buy Lightroom/Photoshop because I need/want to be able to do XYZ and what I'm using either can't do that or can't do it well enough, then it's time.