Online help?

[drave199]

I am pretty new to this whole thing. i bought a Panasonic Lumix g5 with a 14-42mm and 45-150mm lens back in March. unfortunately have not been able to really learn how to use it yet.

Looking for an online class or something that can help me learn some of the basics like what shutter speed is, iso, etc. i know a little but need a bit of a refresher. also some help with the actual shooting. like what settings to have in certain circumstances like low light etc. it is easy to just turn on the camera with the "automatic" mode but the pictures dont always turn out very good. i want to be able to use my own settings and shoot. i just need help with what they mean, when to use them, and what to set them for best results.

looking at other lenses and such for this camera and realizing that they are REALLY expensive, i thought id better learn how to use this with what i have before spending a ton of money that i really dont have haha. is what i have good for me as a beginner?

Thanks for you help!

 

[lennon33x]

Buy this:

Understanding Exposure, 3rd Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera: Bryan Peterson: 0884798534707: Amazon.com: Books

Whether in hardcopy or e-reader. It's amazing.

 

[Overread17 5]

Pointer - I've found ebooks great for reading stories but hopeless for reference material. They are slower and harder to work with (in general) than a real book which makes them much harder to flick through and reference - portable options like tablets generally make this even worse.


For the basics you're after the linked book above is a solid and oft recommended guide to getting started. I'd also recommend the "Digital Photography Books 1 through to 4" by Scot Kelby. These books again provide a general introduction to photography for the beginner.

 

[KmH]

One stop shopping - Digital Photography Tutorials

What you have is good to begin with.
Compared to a lot of other hobbies, photography is relatively inexpensive.

 

[drave199]

Thanks for the responses so far!

Another question. as far as a photo editing software, what would you guys recommend that is good enough for me. I dont need anything special or over the top and something that wont break the bank?

 

[lennon33x]

Thanks for the responses so far! Another question. as far as a photo editing software, what would you guys recommend that is good enough for me. I dont need anything special or over the top and something that wont break the bank?

Lightroom is always a good place to start. I jumped on the Photoshop/Lightroom package they had.

I worked with LR for a year and felt I could do some amazing things.

 

[Overread17 5]

Software wise things have changed now that Adobe is doing its subscriber access instead of purchase access. As a result you can jump right into photoshop for a modest cost per month.

I would suggest that Lightroom is enough to start with for most photographers today. If you want bought software and no monthly fee approach then go for Photoshop Elements. It's got all you need to get started and there are a lot of addons that can increase what it can do.

 

[rukhsana]

Almost everytime I try to upload a picture to this website it says it is too big. What is the maximum size to upload?
​

 

[The_Traveler]

Almost everytime I try to upload a picture to this website it says it is too big. What is the maximum size to upload?
​

Although you really should start a new thread with a new question, let me answer this by saying the image should be about 1200 pixels long or 900 pixels wide max. AND there are several stickies in the Beginner Forum that will answer all your basic questions.

 

[JoeW28]

Buy this:

Understanding Exposure, 3rd Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera: Bryan Peterson: 0884798534707: Amazon.com: Books

Whether in hardcopy or e-reader. It's amazing.

Great book for understanding a range of stuff yet not dumbed down or of no use once you move past complete beginner stage. Also, let me add this thought: Bryan Peterson is a prolific writer. So if you decide you like his writing style and approach, then you can buy more of his books.

Or, you can check out "Adorama TV" (basically, quick videos of a range of pro photographers...including Bryan Peterson) explaining a range of stuff...from basic to more sophisticated. Just be picky about which videos you choose to watch otherwise you'll spend hours there and most of it will be beyond that of a newbie. Adorama TV from Adorama Learning Center

I also happen to like Photo Tuts (short for "tutorials") at: Photography ? Tuts+ Tutorials