NEW as new can get!!!

untouchednalive · Sep 2, 2011

hey everyone! i am really excited to have stumbled on to this site:lmao:. my husband has a few he has joined but i myself have never joined one. i'd like to start off by saying that i am a mother of two, so i do indeed take plenty of pictures lol. i am a college student, majoring in art education, in hopes of someday becoming an art teacher. this semester i am trying something not required for my degree and that is photography. taking photos has always been sort of a hobby that helps me escape from the stressfulness life can bring. with my artistic eye some times i manage to find a pretty neat picture i have shot without knowing i even did. although they are not perfect or professional, i tend to call them "pretty neat" just for the sake that it's the 1st thing that comes to mind when i take a look at them. anyways, i am just now starting the semester and am waiting for my financial aid to arrive before getting a camera. i am taking beginners photography and we were told to bring any camera or our choice. from my understanding we will be learning terms and how to use and take care of our cameras, as well as take some shots, but mostly it's going to mainly focus on the camera(s) and other equipment for them. for now i am using my husbands point & shoot compact digital camera....can't seem to remember off the top of my head which one it is exactly :lol:

lol. i did however consider that after this class i will be taking the following and know i will be needing a dslr and was told we could get that for this class (early) and already be aware of it's functions and uses by the following class. so i found myself looking around and gathering information. it came down to the canon rebel xsi and the nikon d3000 (from online searches). after looking at reviews i decided my best bet and only thing to do was to actually go to the store and get the feel of the two and see which one felt more comfortable to me. this was hard! as they both had wonderful features and of course their own faults. surprisingly enough as i looked around there was a camera that caught my eye....i grabbed it n held it...did a 360 with it n finally looked through the lens and was able 2 take pictures with manual and auto settings....it felt natural to me, as if it was apart of me. so it was decided! i will be getting a nikon d5000 within a couple of weeks and i am so excited i can hardly wait. it's as if i feel empty without it!

so like i said i am not a professional and i do not claim to be one, i just want to be able to enhance the talents that i already have, take things step by step and learn a lot along the way. i saw this site and knew right away the added help it could bring into my learning experience.

so wish me luck and stick around for me...i'd love to get your opinions and helpful information/tips/help & pointers. i'm sort of interested in seeing how i improve and grow in the world of photography!

***untouchednalive***

eric-holmes · Sep 2, 2011

Wow, I can't even begin to read all of that simply for the lack of capitalization. I know there is punctuation, but I feel as if I am reading a huge run-on sentence. Organize into paragraphs for a simpler read.

untouchednalive · Sep 3, 2011

eric-holmes said:
Wow, I can't even begin to read all of that simply for the lack of capitalization. I know there is punctuation, but I feel as if I am reading a huge run-on sentence. Organize into paragraphs for a simpler read.

alrite, here we go...dang bro it was my 1st post n ya totally came out all rude on it jus cuz it ain't written in a way ya like? sorry 2 say this but it was just an intro so chill dawg! sorry if i'm 2 tired 2 b writin all proper n stuff since it's all do paper after paper in my classes. yet i'ma b real n say that i'm sorry cuz obviously i just figured this was a fun thing not a proper thing..........i'm just here 4 advice n pointers no big! i doubt i'ma b writin a lot of posts this long. at the most i'ma be askin how i could improve on pics i shot n goin around lettin people know how i admire there talent... n i'm pretty sure u now u gonna like how i wrote the 1st time then how i'm doin it now..rite?!?!?! so i was doin better then i normally do n that should b enough. not every1 is like u, people r different.people read n write differently....that's y certain people like certain authors. if all u were gonna say in ur reply was bout my writin n how u ain't gonna read it then y bother replyin 2 it @ all? cuz obviously 2 u it wasn't worth tryin 2 learn about a new person in it's self, 2 u it was bout the way i write n how it could better b read by u...seems like a pointless reason 2 reply @ all.

but yea, alrite i'ma try.................

cgipson1 · Sep 3, 2011

Ok.. the first post.. coherent at least, if somewhat long (I am glad you will teaching art, and not writing skills!). Second post.. using the "stupid" abbreviations brought on by a under educated generation of "Twits" and "Texters"... not even cute, although I will assume that was the intent? Artistic license in writing only applies to those who have earned the right.

If you want to be serious, and learn photography... that is wonderful. We will help all we can. But you will need a thick skin.. as honesty comes before being tactful around here.

mjhoward · Sep 3, 2011

untouchednalive,

May I suggest a different body? I realize you are on a tight budget, but I think that a used D90 would serve you much better than the D5000 that you currently have your eyes on. I've seen many D90 body's for around $550-600 in practically new condition. For another $200, you can get a new 18-105 VR lens that someone got with a kit and never used. The benefits of the D90 over the D5000 are many. Perhaps one of the bigger perks is that it has an AutoFocus motor built into the body so you can use older (and usually cheaper) lenses that do not have AF built in and still have autofocus. The D90's popup flash can also be used as a commander for other Speedlights off camera while the D5000's cannot. The D90 also has the top LCD and better low light capabilities, etc.

As for what others have said, if you plan to only pursue photography as a hobby with no intention of ever presenting yourself as a professional then the way you represent yourself is mostly irrelevant (other than some people may decide not to provide their help). However, if you can ever see yourself trying to sell yourself as a professional photographer whom makes money from your new craft, then you should consider how your interactions portray your image to others. Many potential clients may pass you by simply due to professionalism.

Good luck and have fun!

bazooka · Sep 3, 2011

The first post was a tough read, but I got through it. I hope you understand that it's not a matter of taste or preference, but a matter of communication. It really takes a lot of effort to read that much text when it's not broken up into separate blocks at the least (paragraphs are even better). The second post, I just gave up. It's way too much work to decipher.

Anyway, I wish you well in your endeavor to learn this challenging but rewarding hobby.

cgipson1 · Sep 3, 2011

I agree with mjhoward.. the D90 would allow far more creative possibilities.. or even the 5100 over the 5000.

untouchednalive · Sep 3, 2011

Thanks for the great advice on everything. I will take another look at the D90 before making my final purchase. I am not sure what my budget is until my financial aid arrives, but I have been saving as well and hope to have enough for a camera and an extra lens.

I once owned a DSLR a few years ago and although i cannot recall the name, I do remember enjoying the picture quality and being fascinated by it. I also remember kicking myself for selling it because of the new "compact" digital cameras. I just remember thinking.."it's so much easier to carry with me than this big thing". Never would have thought I would be missing my DSLR, but I am glad to be getting a new one very soon!

On another note, I do have two questions about something. I go riding a lot in the woods with friends and family, and although I usually go off on my own and take advantage of all the nature shots I can get, I often get caught in the cross winds that are created from every one trying to show off how much cooler or better one person's vehicle is to the other. So the first question is- how can I better protect my camera from this flying sand? and the second- for days I might actually take shots of the riders, how can I take better action shots?

mjhoward · Sep 3, 2011

untouchednalive said:
<cut>

A few things... To take better action shots, you need more light or sensor sensitivity to light. There are a few ways to get more light, but since we are talking about action photography, you can pretty much eliminate the option of leaving the shutter open longer or you are going to have a lot of blur. The other options are:

-Using a lens with a larger aperture (something like f/1.8 or f/2.8 rather than say f/5.6).
-Adding more light with flash or reflectors.
-Or, you can increase the sensors sensitivity to light (ISO). The problem with this option is that as you increase the ISO, you will get less contrast/Dyamic range and more noise in your photographs.

I am not exactly sure what you mean by protecting your camera from flying sand but if you mean while you are taking photographs, then I wouldn't worry about it unless they are flinging a lot of water too. Sand wont really hurt your lens, at least not enough to effect image quality. It can be surprising to a lot of people just how abused the front element can be without effecting the image quality. Some people that worry a lot about it will put a cheap UV filter on their lens and this will degrade image quality more than anything. If you mean protecting your gear while not in use, then a good camera bag works great. Most will suggest an inconspicuous bag like Domke, Crumpler, or Lowepro... something that doesnt scream 'I have expensive camera gear inside' like a bag with Nikon plastered all over it.

The other point I would make is maybe rather than getting an extra lens, get one good walk around lens with a wide range of focal lengths and spend the extra money on a speedlight to experiment with. You can make a dramatic difference with off camera lighting and this is something that is often overlooked. It is at least something to consider, or maybe you know someone with a speedlight that you could borrow and experiment with.