Photography...Tutorials, Websites, etc...

01bluecls · 08-19-06, 09:30

Hey all, seeing all the beautiful photos people take here and pretty much everywhere, I have taken an interest in photography in general. I was wondering if anyone has any good links, suggestions for books or the alike to learn about photography...etc. Basically something like "Photography for Dummies." Any suggestions??

Right now I have a Canon Powershot SD630. Its a compact camera that is good but obviously amatuer. I will be investing in a nice $1000 type camera next year but I want to learn the ropes of photography before I drop some coin in a good camera and lenses.

Thanks all!

O4cobra · 08-20-06, 02:07

This post is exactly how I feel lately.

If you are looking into $1000 type cameras. Nikon is coming out with the D80. 10.2 megapixels and many more features. I'm currently on the waiting list for it, as it's due to be released next month.

Here are some great websites.

http://www.dpreview.com

http://www.kenrockwell.com

01bluecls · 08-20-06, 03:35

Cool, yea the high end camera is gonna have to wait till next year. By then they will have different ones out. I will not only be using the camera for cars, but also, nature, scenery, etc... I think the local bookstore does have the book "Photography for Dummies," so I might look into that.

G35stilez · 08-20-06, 04:19

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/index.php

www.fredmiranda.com

www.picturecorrect.com

I like the first one as it's most similar to Autopia in regards to Canon Photography. There are many pros on there and they seem to be very helpful.

Sarcazmo · 08-20-06, 04:23

fredmiranda is a great site, I'm not sure how helpful it will be to a beginner though.

G35stilez · 08-20-06, 04:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarcazmo

fredmiranda is a great site, I'm not sure how helpful it will be to a beginner though.

Fun (envious) as hell to look at

.

Picus · 08-20-06, 05:23

dpreview.com has great reviews, and their forums are top notch; like autopia.org for camera enthusiasts.

JohnnyDaJackal · 08-20-06, 10:20

fredmiranda is pretty good, and one of my "main forums" these days. I would suggest looking past the review sections and go into the forums to see how lenses stack up though.

As for other sites I really don't know, the ones mentioned above seem pretty good. I got a lot of first hand experience with picture critiquing in the past year from my camera club. Theres also a ton of good magazines as well as books that teach you how to properly expose a photo, as well as using your equipment. Not that you have to buy them but you can go to Barnes & Noble and just sit in a chair and read them.

As for future dSLR owners don't get hung up on the body, but look more into the lenses and flashes available for your "system". Anyone looking to get their feet wet with dSLRs I recommend either Canon and Nikon, because of the huge lineup in lenses, flashes and accessories. I actually got roped onto the Canon bandwagon, because a couple of the pros at my club convinced me. Looking back I'm actually happy I went that route because Canon seems to be at the top of the class with their "L" series lenses. Although they are very expensive

If you got any questions let me know I'll try to answer them. I've been researching and trying to learn as much about this hobby for the past year.

01bluecls · 08-21-06, 10:22

Thanks for the responses and the links, the info I am trying to gather are things like correct settings of apeture, exposure, ISO, white balance, are things im trying to figure out what they exactly do. I have a general Idea of each term, but trying to figure out with each different picutre what settings are the best for the type of situation and the lighting, etc. Looks like I will be doing a lot of reading. Anyone know of a good book I can buy? At work I dont have much if any access to internet (firewalls and they blocked almost 99% of interenet), so a book is something I can take with me and read on my free time.

JohnnyDaJackal · 08-21-06, 10:48

I would try a local library and rent, as to buy a bunch of books would be costly. I went to Barnes & Noble and was so confused with so many options. I asked a similiar question on a couple forums I frequent; and Bryan Peterson's Understanding Exposure seemed to get really high praise. I'll probably pick it up one day this week as next week I'm working pretty much every night and could use the reading material

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/boo...17463007&itm=1

01bluecls · 08-21-06, 11:23

Thanks man, seems like there is a TON of info to learn about photography. I guess just like detailing, you have to start somewhere and takes times to get it correct.

01bluecls · 08-21-06, 11:25

BTW, John excellent photos in your link, if I get as half as good with mine eventually, I will probably be happy!