My progression as a pictaker.

[FlightIsPossible]

Hello, I have decided to make a thread as a journal to follow my progression through photography. Since I am new, I figured it would be a good way for people to give me suggestions on what I am doing wrong... or even right for that matter lol. Plus I figured it would help people know my particular situation so that it would be easier to suggest equiptment that I may need or want. And last, I think it will be interesting in a year or two to go back and read this to see how far I have progressed. I have learned so much in the last month since I have gotten my camera, it has been nothing less than a spectacular experience. I don't consider myself a "photographer" yet, I am just a pictaker... a humble student of the craft. Someday tho, I hope to consider myself a "tried and true" photographer. This thread will hopefully follow my path. I posted this in the Nature/Landscape section because that is what I am most interested in, and participate in the most.

I will give a short background on my past photography experience... My first 2 digital cameras were Canon PowerShots. I was extremely pleased with both cameras, the latest being a SX120is. At the time I couldn't imagine taking better pics... set it to auto, press the shutter... and there it was... a nice pic. I had no clue what aperture did, no clue what ISO was. No clue about anything. The only time I ever used "Manual" setting was to take pics of waterfalls so that I could open the shutter long enough to create the "movement" of the water. I honestly thought that aperture was a tool to help slow down the shutter lol. It just never made that much of a difference with the powershot... at least not that I noticed at the time. I had no clue the you could manipulate the DOF with it. If only I had read the very basics, I think that I could have been taking much better pics with those powershots. I remember the first time I talked to a friend of mine that is a photographer... he said he typically keeps his camera in aperture mode. It seemed stupid to me, but then again I was the stupid one. The first time I knew anything about aperture was after I already bought my 7D and it was in the process of being delivered(a month ago lol). I downloaded(I paid for it, didn't steal it) the 7D crash course. I learned sooooo much in that 4 hours it literally changed my entire outlook on creative photography. It made me sooooo much more excited to get my new camera, and I have not been disappointed in the slightest bit. Everyday I learn something and everyday I love this hobby more and more. Love it... I even sold my motorcycle to support this hobby. That is a big step for a fella like me.

Here are some of my favorite pics that I took over the past couple of years with my PowerShots. I am also including a link to my photobucket in case anyone is interested to see other pics that I haven't posted to here. I am not trying to act like they are great photo's, like I said the point is to follow my progression. I was basically just focused on composure at the time I had the powershots, I didn't know there was much more to photography than that. Live and learn.

And here is the link to a photobucket album of some other PowerShot pics I took... Old Favorites taken with PowerShots pictures by flightispossible - Photobucket


Here are a few links to posts I have made since getting my 7D. One is for the first week I got the camera, one is for the first month... and one was for a Macro problem that I was having.
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...-week-my-camera-some-nature-shots-eos-7d.html

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/nature-wildlife/268247-pics-my-first-month-my-camera-eos-7d.html

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/macro-photography/268383-help-my-lens-crap-my-technique.html

Last is some of my favorite pics that I have taken with my 7D and a link to my photobucket "7D Album"

And here is a link to my "7D Album"
7D PICS pictures by flightispossible - Photobucket

 

[FlightIsPossible]

My current lens line-up is:
70-300mm IS USM.
50mm 1.4f.
100mm 2.8f Macro
28-135mm kit lens.
I also have a ND filter, cpl filter and uv filter. I have not tried any filter with this camera yet.

 

[MrSleepin]

where was the red panda at when you took the pic?

 

[FlightIsPossible]

where was the red panda at when you took the pic?

Knoxville Zoo