just join and excited on getting started help!!!!

anlynn

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I just became more serious about photography and want to know what a beginner camera to pick up I'm on about $150 to $200 budget... just something to get me in the mix... if there is something a little cheaper please feel free to let me know.... I'm going to be doing alot of lighting equipment and stuff yet just want to get the basics down... on taking good pics...and using different techinues for stlyes.....
right now I do alot of photo editing using Photo Explosion Deluxe making cute pics for family and friends for a little bit of cash.... what software would you suggest to upgrade for more of professional effects and editing ... I'll probably still using Photo Explosion because folks love the background and props I put in their pics... but for more professional opportunities I would like to step it up with a decent camera and software thanks for reading my long post lol... God bless
 
Welcome.

If I may, do you already have a camera? I am guessing you do since you have the program to edit with.

Reason I ask is I would bet a camera in the $150 to $200 range may not be that much better, unless yours is several years old. And if you do already have a camera, what are some of the things you would like it to do better?

Also what are you interested in taking pictures of? That would help with deciding between similar models.

As for software I only have experience with Photoshop and now learning Lightroom 2.
 
As far as image editing software you can get GIMP for free since it is open source software www.gimp.org . It has many of the same features as Photoshop.

You can buy the consumer version of Photoshop, Photoshop Elements 7.0 for about $100.

Corel makes image editing software: Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 for about $70.

You can also check out Googles free Picasa 3 Picasa 3: Free download from Google
 
I'm just using a samsung S860 8.1 pixels... zoom is 6.3-18.9 mm now this is consumer grade camera so what budget should I have for a professional camera and what features should I look for in a professional camera...
also I'm using Photo Explosion Deluxe which I'll never stop using because of the ease of use and the props and stuff...
but what does photoshop have that would drag me away from Photo Explosion
what features should a person look for in professional photography software...
now I did just order a catalog for professional photography equipment ...also going to start doing some serious research but thought I ask some questions here first to get me on the right track when I google.... lol.....
thanks for the respondes folks..
another question or more like a plan for me I'm thinking I should just practice with my samsung some things
thing is I don't know what I should practice... should I just focus on taking good pictures... but what techinques should I apply while taking shots...
thanks again.....
 
The next step up in cameras, to a Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR)camera, would still have you in the consumer grade of cameras but you would have the capability of changing lenses.

Nikons entry level DSLR, the D40 (6.1 mega pixel (MP)), with a single kit lens is about $500. The Nikon that would be closest to ythe number of pixels that you already have is the D60 and you can get a two lens kit for about $800.

Nikon makes an middle priced advanced amature/pro series of camera's the D300 and D700 starting at about $2000 with a kit lens.

Nikon's professional grade starts with the D3 at $4500 for just the camera body with no lens. Prices for Canon DSLR cameras are virtually the same.

You can look over Nikon's line of DSLR cameras at www.nikonusa.com .
 
Also you might want to look at your local Craigslist for cameras that are used. That will be your most inexpensive choice in buying used. This is the why I would even consider buying used online as you can meet the person and, try the camera out, unless they are hiding something most people will let you try it. You may find say a Nikon D50- D300 at a great price. Also if you can swing it Best Buy may still have some D200s at a great price.
 
Adobe's Photoshop is the industry standard for image editing. It's strongest feature is the ability to make layers.

If you've ever seen school books with several semi transparent pages that overlay each other to build a complete image, is the same idea as Adobe's Photoshop. You can take an image and add layers, each with it's own effect or processing. In some situations an image can wind up with more than 100 layers.

The current professional version of Photoshop, Creative Suite 4 (CS4) is about $700 or $1000 if you want to do 3D effects (CS4 Extended), but as mentioned before there is a consumer version (Elements 7.0) that can do about 80% of what CS4 can do for much less ($100).

Many photographers with a need to process large volumes of images use Adobe's Lightroom 2.0 which is about $300. Most also have a version of Photoshop to do the kinds of editing Lightroom can't.

You can check out Adobe's produts at www.adobe.com
 
Joves is right that a used camera may be right for you.

There is a major part of a camera that wears out, the shutter. Entry level cameras have an average shutter life of about 50,000 images. The camera makers don't garantee that number, its an approximation. How a camera has been cared for and the environmental conditions it has lived in can have a bearing on shutter life.

So, to a certain extent buying a used camera can be a crap shoot. You want to know how many images have been made with a used camera. One way to tell is to look check how worn the part of the camera that a person grips is. You can always ask too.

With newer Nikon cameras you can take a picture in JPEG format and look at the EXIF data embedded in the image and it will tell you how many images have been made with that camera. That doesn't work for Canon cameras nor any other brand that I know of.
 

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