Feeling Overwhelmed

[moppet39]

<p>Hello! I am some what a new photographer. I have been taking pictures for a few years. I own a Canon rebel 35 mm (which my sister is using) and a Digital Canon Power Shot S5 IS. I am being encourged by several of my friends to pursue photography more aggresively because of a few pictures that I took at band camp this year (I know, I know..."This one time at band camp"...). I know I need to learn more about every aspect of photography, including more about my camera. With my job, I am on the road 6 months out of the year and at home the other 6 months. I have been looking for online classes and even looking at the universities that are close by, but really not having any luck. I am also feeling very overwhelmed with all the information that is out there. I am looking to upgrade my digital camera also so I can get different lenses, would that be a wise thing to do or should look into just purchasing the lenses that are available for the power shot? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.</p>

[victorwei]

<p>Can you tell us what you mostly shoot and your budget? Do you intend to take this to a professional level one day? </p>

[phule]

<p>I would recommend sitting down at a local library and going through some basic photography books with your camera and your cameras manual at hand. Now, there are going to obviously be some differences between a film or digital SLR and your S5, so not all that is in those books would apply (or your results may be different). But I think there is value to be gained in learning the right terms. If you can't properly describe the problems you're having (to yourself or to others) then it's hard to figure out a solution!</p>

<p>Before you upgrade the S5 you should probably figure out /why/ you would want to upgrade. Moving to a DSLR brings with it a whole new learning curve that you may or may not want to tackle right now. (Only you can say.) So, perhaps spending more time with the S5 and learning where its limits are will help you make a better decision about a DSLR and lenses down the road.</p>

<p>Personally the only add-on lens for the S5 that you might want to get would be something for wider-angle shots, but the value of such a purchase, IMHO, is minimal.</p>

[jackaldridge]

<p>Hi Dawn,<br>

Welcome to the world of "Now What?" :-)<br>

We all go throught these stages, so don't feel alone or unusual.<br>

Usually that means you are growing in your interest and ability.<br>

One of the first things you might want to decide is why you want to learn more. Is this going to be a hobby? Are you going to try to make a living at it? Etc.<br>

Photography is a great avocation for many of us because we can do it more or less as our time permits. When times are tough otherwise it may be an occassional outlet. When possible it may be much more involved with classes, personal mentoring, etc. For others photography is a vocation- a day to day means of earning a living. For still others it may be the culmination of artistic ability (you know the folks I mean...you see their work and go "Wow!").<br>

How you approach the near future really does depend on what you want this to be for you in your life at this time. I would highly recommend classes at places like the Santa Fe Workshops group if the time and means are ever available. They have great classes in every aspect of photography year round.<br>

Otherwise look for night classes at nearby community colleges, camera clubs, online sources such as photo.net, etc.<br>

Be your own boss with photography. When it becomes a chore you'll back away. Keep it fun based on what <strong><em>you</em></strong> want.<br>

Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it! :-)</p>

[matthijs]

<p>Another "grandpa's wisdom": <strong>don't read too much on the internet</strong> .</p>

<p>Find a reliable source and stick with it.</p>

<p>If you start reading everything there's:</p>

<ul>

<li>Always something wrong with your choice.</li>

<li>A better camera coming out next wednesday.</li>

<li>A better camera/lens for just a few dollars more.</li>

</ul>

<p>Now for some <strong>wild guess advice</strong> on my part:<br>

I guess you really can't go wrong with a recent digital rebel and the new (18-55/IS) kitlens.<br>

What's a recent rebel?<br>

The XTi (400D) is in my opinion the first mature digital rebel. That Canon model and any that come after it is probably good enough for a long time.</p>

<p>After shooting a lot of pictures you'll probably know in which direction your needs will flower.</p>

<p>If at this moment you can already tell us what's the kind of photography you prefer and whether you want to spend a big lot of money we might give other advice.</p>

<p>One thing about the digital rebels: they're small. If you have large hands you might want to look at other cameras and maybe even other brands. The best thing will be to borrow one or go to a store to hold one before you buy.</p>

<p>Canon's bigger bodies climb steeply in price. (Though a second hand 30D might be affordable.)</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Good advice here, even the ones that seem to be at odds with each other, for there are many paths which can be taken.</p>

<p>The first thing is to overcome the feelings of being overwhelmed. It's not productive in the long run. You can do this by taking smaller bites of the problem. You can learn much of what you need to know with a film Rebel, if you can get it back from your sister. ;) <br>

Although the Powershot is intended for more snapshot kind of use, look at the manual and see how you can take control of the camera. It has decent resolution, a broad focal length range, so if you can start to see how things like ISO speed, aperture, and shutter speed are related you'll be taking big steps toward better photography. Look at your pictures and try to see how more control by you might have made the picture better. In other words, use what you have to learn as much as you can, and when you're ready you can buy still more controllable cameras (that's ultimately what digital SLRs are all about, <em>more and better control</em> ).</p>

[charlesheckel]

<p>JDM's advice about taking smaller bites is the best you've had so far. You don't need to overwhelm yourself with a lot of new information at this time, or with new purchases. You need to figure out how to work with what you have, and hands-on is going to be your best teacher--with digital far more than with film, as it's instant feedback. Shoot with the light, against the light, at the camera's recommended exposure, and at values above and below that recommendation. Don't be a good girl and do the right thing--do wrong and see what happens--it's fun!</p>

<p>You'll find it helpful to be able to center your area of interest in the viewfinder, lock in focus and exposure for that area, reframe your picture as you see fit, and press the shutter, getting a picture with that area of interest in sharp focus and perfect exposure, with everything else allowed to go to the devil in its own merry way. Take pictures of any dumb things at hand and experiment with unusual points of view, extreme closeup, and the like. Take the lack of a class or community with a convergent set of values as an opportunity to revel in your singularity. It's too easy to get locked into technique for its own sake.</p>

<p>When your card is full, download it and edit your images. You can spend a mint on Photoshop, but there are lots of less expensive programs out there, including freeware. Noodle around with your images and do odd things that strike your fancy, but be careful of posting your more experimental work on sites full of purists who will jump on you for high crimes and Photoshoppery. Remember, when Van Gogh died, everyone thought his canvases were Technicolor pigeon poop. Why should the cognoscenti treat your genius more kindly than they treated his?</p>

<p>At some point you'll run up against the limits of your Powershot and start feeling frustrated, and that's when you want to go to sites like dpreview.com and compare and contrast the features of more advanced cameras, and the gobbledygook will actually start making sense. You'll also run up against the limitations of your own technique, and feel even more frustrated, and at that point you want to start exploring the portfolios and forums on <strong>a certain little-known Internet site</strong> more carefully. A number of members with really phenomenal portfolios are so lame that they will actually answer emails from beginners about how they done that.</p>

[elnoralouisa]

<p>For online classes, I highly recommend <a href="http://www.ppsop.com">www.ppsop.com</a> It's Bryan Peterson's school, author of "Understanding Exposure" a book you might want to check out.</p>

[hjoseph7]

<p>You never stop learnig when it comes to photography so get used to it. Yes it does become overwhelming at times, but try learning the basics first and adding onto these as time goes by. It's impossible to try to learn everything at once. Experience usually takes care of that though. That's when you are forced to learn, because either past mistakes, or you simply want to move to another level.</p>

[josephbraun]

<p>i know the Art Academy has a good online program. i could also recommend some great books if you like depending on what you are looking to master.. feel free to email me at tmax800@fastmail.fm</p>

[mark_drutz]

<p>If all of this seems confusing and overwhelming it's because it is. We've all been there. I agree that the best advice is to take it step by step. Get a good beginner book and go through it one section at a time. I like any of several books by Kodak and by John Hedgecoe. They are well written and more important, well illustrated. Do some reading and some shooting and when you have specific questions ask us.</p>

[johnw63]

<p>Learning photography is a multistage affair, I think. Just as with a musical instrument, you need to learn how to use the tool first. Once you know HOW to make the camera work for various situations, you can then learn to be creative and step out of the "snap shot" range of photos.</p>

<p>For a good over view, I like John Hedgecoe's "New Manual of photography". Once you have that book read through, a lot of the over whelming stuff will make sense. It will also allow you to read other web sites and other photo references.</p>

<p>Personally, I would feel to restricted with a camera that doesn't allow me to change lenses, but that doesn't mean you can't learn a great deal with a fixed lens camera. Again, once you read the above book, or something like it, you will have a much clearer idea of the how's and why's and you be able to make the right choice with equipment for the type of shots YOU like to take.</p>

<p>Once you have the mechanics down, it's time to learn how to becreative and take picures more people will want to look at. That's all about leaning about light and composition, in my opinion. There are good books on that as well.</p>

<p> </p>

[debasis_ghosh1]

<p>Hi Dawn,<br>

Some good advices have already been given. I may only add a few points from my point of view. The fact that you have been in to photography for a few years in fact makes you senior to me in the field.<br>

I feel that your tours and travel on work also give a great opportunity to click great photos. In fact some of my "better" photos were shot only during my official tours. Suppose the photo of blue sky dotted with white clouds underneath would not have been possible if I were not flying to my next destination. I am not saying that there are not enough subjets around your own place but going out gives an opportunity to show what people around you normally don't see or notice.<br>

I think the best way would be to know your existing cameras function fully well with the help of the Manuals., and a few basic things like how proper exposure can be achieved under different light conditions, how the various subjects can be framed so as to achieve better overall "composition" etc. may be learned before investing in a high-end camera.<br>

It is also important to judge if you really want to get into all this, let your friends say whatever they please.</p>

 

[dan_south]

<p>Dawn, I would suggest that you just relax and have some fun. Shoot things that interest you in the simplest way possible. Then review your images, think about what could have made them look better, and try one new feature/technique at a time. Read as much as you can about taking the kind of pictures that you want to take, then put the ideas into practice. Ask questions of people who take pictures that appeal to you. Before long you'll understand all sorts of new concepts and techniques.</p>

<p>The most imporant thing, though, is to ENJOY THE PROCESS. If you're not having fun, you're not going to be able to maintain the level of desire and energy that's required to improve. You have to TAKE and REVIEW lots and lots of pictures. You have to select your best shots and figure out why they're better than the rest. And then you have to figure out how to make them even better. You're not going to dedicate yourself to that kind of effort unless you're enjoying the process.</p>

<p>So....</p>

<p>HAVE FUN!!!!</p>

 

[mark_drutz]

<p>I think that Dan's recommendation to "have fun" is very important and often overlooked. Some newbies get so caught up in getting the "right" camera and lenses and in learning the intricacies of exposure, lighting, composition, etc that they forget to have fun. They want to learn everything right away and they want to go right out and take great pictures with their new gear and they get frustrated when the results don't meet their expectations. If they follow Dan's advice and enjoy the learning process, not only will they have more fun but they will relax and improve their skills far more quickly.</p>

<p>I was a middle school math teacher for 30 years and I found that even a bad joke now and then relaxed the class and helped the learning process. My greatest threat to my students was that they'd get left back and have to listen to the same jokes all over again.</p>

[moppet39]

<p>Thank you all for all the good advise. If anyone wants to look at some of my pics you can go to facebook.com. Of course the only people who can see my pics are my friends. This is where I post most of my pics. If you go there and request me as a friend, just put photonet as a message so I know. You can look under my name or under moppet39, you will find me. I have started going thru my manual. The advance one is 203 pages. I have gone thru 70 pages and went step by step and doing what they were showing me. I did learn how to change the aperture settings. Also learned how to change the intensity of the flash. <br>

Debasis, I do want to get into this. Been looking for a starting point so I can be one of the best and to do it quickly. I have to learn patients in learning, but when I want something, I am not the most patient person.</p>

[mark_drutz]

<p>Dawn, there's a lot to learn. I'm at it for 40+ years and I'm still learning. Impatience is OK, but don't let it lead to frustration. You wouldn't pick up a tennis racket for the first time and expect to be playing the US Open in a few months.</p>

[moppet39]

<p>I should have said about my facebook page, that I have an eagle looking over my shoulder. That way you know you have the correct Dawn</p>

[stein_andersen]

<p>Dawn: Ever considered what happens to the rights to your pictures once you've uploaded them to Facebook?</p>