Photographers help please

[reas0n]

ok so my newest (hopefully) endeavor is photography...i have given this much thought and i want to learn how to take GOOD pictures i am a graphic designer and being a photographer at the same time helps business especially for web pages and stuff like that so as a beginner i was wondering what camera would best suit my needs... here are a FEW things im looking for

something versatile (lots of adjustment options)
interchangeable lenses (fisheye photos are amazing)
digital
good quality at hi-res
good night time quality photos/low light
EASY TO USE!
good price

and also i saw some guy using a camera filter called infa-red i'm not sure if it works with digitals but it looks really neat can anyone clarify on that?


for those of you wondering why i asked on a iPhone forum its because there are quite a few photographers ive seen floating around here with awesome work...

thanks in advance
-r

[psylichon]

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1041948/1_image_stabilizer_for_any_camera_lose_the_tripod/

Best piece of photography advice (on the cheap) that I've probably ever seen.

Steadiness is the absolute key to good photography. ^^^ that helps a LOT.

[reas0n]

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1041948/1_image_stabilizer_for_any_camera_lose_the_tripod/

Best piece of photography advice (on the cheap) that I've probably ever seen.

Steadiness is the absolute key to good photography. ^^^ that helps a LOT.

i already have a tripod also... but i did see that and thought it was nifty a while back thanks for the reminder

[psylichon]

Ok, something that helps me when not using a tripod is to set a 2-second timer. That way you can take a breath, squeeze the shutter, then recover your composure before the exposure.

I'm a poet, but I barely know it.

[christian1230cg]

Ok...I am what i consider to be a pretty good photographer (you can go to www.cgausvik.com (http://www.cgausvik.com) and click portfolio if you want to see my work) and i use the Sony Alpha A100. They have essentially rebranded it as the A200. From what I see the A200 has no real big chnges from the A100. They also have an A300 and A350 that have live preview on the LCD. The A100 was the Camera of the year one year and it takes wonderful shots. Most of the pictures on my site were taken with it. It has a good mixtures of strong points. Night shooting, action and it is an SLR which means it has interchangeable lenses. However for any camera these lenses can be quite expensive. The plus to the sony SLR's is that they also accept Minolta lenses, which you can get used very reasonably. Infrared is a type of filter that can be used on SLR cameras, digital or not. So my advice would be the A100 (they don't make them however you may find one cheap somewhere left over from when they did) or just pay a little more and get the A200. It has very few upgrades from the A100.

Lastly all my advice is if you have your heart set on an SLR. However, you could get a point and shoot pocket camera and achieve similar results. A good photographer is not made by their equiptment. Photography is an art and just buying an SLR isn't going to make you good. You have to learn composition, white balance, aperture, shutter speed and how to employ all these things together to get a great photo. Maybe you should start with a little compact point and shoot before you spend hundreds on an SLR.

Christian
www.cgausvik.com (http://www.cgausvik.com)

[themanofthedark]

Ok...I am what i consider to be a pretty good photographer (you can go to www.cgausvik.com (http://www.cgausvik.com) and click portfolio if you want to see my work) and i use the Sony Alpha A100. They have essentially rebranded it as the A200. From what I see the A200 has no real big chnges from the A100. They also have an A300 and A350 that have live preview on the LCD. The A100 was the Camera of the year one year and it takes wonderful shots. Most of the pictures on my site were taken with it. It has a good mixtures of strong points. Night shooting, action and it is an SLR which means it has interchangeable lenses. However for any camera these lenses can be quite expensive. The plus to the sony SLR's is that they also accept Minolta lenses, which you can get used very reasonably. Infrared is a type of filter that can be used on SLR cameras, digital or not. So my advice would be the A100 (they don't make them however you may find one cheap somewhere left over from when they did) or just pay a little more and get the A200. It has very few upgrades from the A100.

Lastly all my advice is if you have your heart set on an SLR. However, you could get a point and shoot pocket camera and achieve similar results. A good photographer is not made by their equiptment. Photography is an art and just buying an SLR isn't going to make you good. You have to learn composition, white balance, aperture, shutter speed and how to employ all these things together to get a great photo. Maybe you should start with a little compact point and shoot before you spend hundreds on an SLR.

Christian
www.cgausvik.com (http://www.cgausvik.com)
Wow, those are some really nice photographs.

I take pictures as well, although my pictures are usually of skylines, and streets, because I love big cities.

[reas0n]

thaank you sir...ayne else with some help ideas hints suggestions?

[coasts]

look up "The Rule of Thirds". it sounds basic but it will help you frame your shots better. i also recommend throwing away convention and using toy cameras. they're much more fun and the results are always a complete surprise. digital is so 2007.

[dcom]

I'm a photographer and can tell you that if you want to get started right, don't go get a simple point and shoot to learn on, they're way too automatic and you end up being reliant on the built-in settings. They're great to keep as a camera to take with you everywhere for grab shots, but if you want to learn how to take good pictures, go ahead and spend the extra $$ to get a good entry-level DSLR body. All the top manufacturers make one so you shouldn't have a problem picking one out. With them, you'll have more flexbility and be able to control more aspects of the shot like aperture and shutter speed. Learning to shoot on all manual is the best way to start. I've always used Canon bodies but you want to consider the availability of lenses for the one you get. Once you get the body, you can start building up your lens arsenal and when you're ready to move up to a higher end body, you don't need to get new lenses.

Most simple P&S cameras will let you adjust f-stops and shutter speeds but only on a limited basis and it's usually a pain. You also want something that has a low shutter lag (the time it takes the camera to actually take the picture after you press the shutter button). This lets you more easily capture the moment. The DLSRs are good about that, the Point & Shoots aren't. Check out www.dpreview.com (http://<a href=) for a good forum on digital cameras and accessories, it'll give you a good idea of what's out there and what to look for.