In the city where you can buy anything, I somehow for months have managed to avoid major temptation and significant expenditure....until this week.
After weeks of research and comparing cameras online, and enlisting the help of a few friends in the know, yesterday I succumbed and ordered this - the Nikon D300 - my new best friend.
In addition to the 18-200mm lens, I've also opted to get the 70-300mm telephoto lens. Now the real fun is going to begin in learning how to handle a real camera for the first time in my life rather than just a point & shoot.
It arrives on Monday. It's like Christmas Eve again!
So today's the big day, eh? *envies* :)
ReplyDeleteAs for learning how to use it, besides the photography course, I recommend mostly just going out there and taking photos. And then going back inside and actually looking at those photos. Spend as much time behind the computer as behind the camera. Toss the photos into Photoshop and edit them. See which photos work and which don't. Crop aggressively until you're happy with the composition. Remember that composition and figure out why it works better than the original. Pay attention to apertures and shutter speeds and ISO and which you set wrong for which photos. (Shoot RAW so you can forget about white-balance early on and correct that after the fact.)
And then go back out there to take more similar pictures, and challenge yourself to do better than during the previous round.
Repeat as necessary. :)
~ Sander, who mostly figured he should write a comment to let you know he found this place and will be adding it to his daily read weblogs tabgroup.
Thanks Sander, great advice as always! Now if only I had you right here to actually give me a real live demo :D
ReplyDeleteHeh, that'd be dangerous. You'd have to let me touch the camera for that. I don't know what you could do afterward to distract me sufficiently for me to consider letting go again...
ReplyDelete*wants*
:D