stoatsngroats

Andy & Kathy,

The 18-55 is definately NOT long enough for what you require unless you're front row, I'd guess anyway.

I KNOW you'll get comments about lenses which are £500+, but, as you state that £100 is your max. then I think

that a Sigma/Tamron for about £100 will be good enough...

If you can, it'd be worth your while getting it soon, so you can practice with it.....manual prefocus on a point - a

fence will be good, and wait for a moving horse to jump the fence....it's NOT difficult, it just needs practice.

Regarding the ISO, 800/1600 would be good, because it will PROBABLY give you enough speed to capture a moving

horse, lets face it - they're not moving at full speed often are they...? It will need some watching to make sure that

you have a high-ish shutter speed, say 1/250s, and an aperture of 5.6 should cover the depth of field of a

horse....BUT your wife's artistic skill will 'fill in the blanks'.....graininess shouldn't be a problem for you (in that kind of

arena lighting, I don't think you'll have too much trouble reaching an acceptable shutter speed.)

Really, if the budget is only able to get you a £100 lens, what choice DO you have...? At the very least, you've got a

picture which Kathy can improve on - if it's me, I'm stuck with what I capture...!

Let us know how you do, and what lens you eventually use - I'd be really interested to see Kathy's efforts after the

show..!

Hi Andy & Kathy, I'm just along the coast from you, in Sussex...!

I have A 350D, and find it a wonderful camera, feel free to checkout my PF.

I think Michael's point about distance is the critical one - I've not been to Olympia, but I'm certain that the lighting will

be more than sufficient fro your needs, after all the TV cameras can show it off well there..!

I wonder also at what kind of detail you'll need if you're using the pictures as prompts for painting - do you need

exceptional detail, or would a higher ISO, and less detail be enough to allow your artistic abilites to 'fill in the gaps'.

What I mean to say is - are you intending to do a direct copy, in paint...?

A higher ISO - 800 - 1600 will, I'm sure, give you some decent speed to be able to capture the horses, but with some

artistic ability to fill in where te higher ISO leaves detail out. I have a very cheap zoom lens, which, at the longer end

(300mm) is only f5.6 - not real quick I know, but the lighting, and ISO push could be ok.

"dp challenge" has user reviews of the Sigma v Canon, and a quick search of prices gives the Canon 70-200 f4 at

£650, Canon 70-200 f2.8 at £779, (these at Best Price Brands), and the Sigma 75-300 F4.5-5.6 at £135, (this at

Microglobe). I've no experience of any of the aforementioned retailers, but I'm sure these prices will be reflected in

your prefered supplier. Any other Q's, please feel free to email me...

dpchallenge is at http://www.dpchallenge.com/forum.php?action=read&FORUM_THREAD_ID=279794

Hi Jeff....

You and I must have posted at the same time..!

Of course, you're right about beginning at the lower level, and making a name for yourself, based on quality of work....it really IS perhaps that obvious, isn't it..? But, When I asked the question, it was merely a musing as to whether the modern age required a proveable education, rather than an image portfolio...I was really just on the cusp of wondering whether it would be possible for me, (uneducated..!) to be able to begin an attempt at working in a photographic capacity.

Through all the above comments, there was a basic thread calling out to me.....the answer was possibly, but GO FOR IT ANYWAY!

I intend to review my enjoyment of photography, and relate it to the area in which I live in a MUCH more thorough, and dogged way, because I can see some plausible business here, and thse comments of yours, and those before you have persuaded me that I may yet prosper.

Only time will tell whether I have the ability, and that's for a future post........thanks though, for your comments..

best regards to all whom have posted here..

Well, thanks so far to you all...

@ Amber.....Your point about the portfolio is valid, and one which I'll concentrate on, I hadn't had any thoughts, other than those which provoked my question. As I read all the replies, I'm spurred on to make a more considered decision towards whether to begin some saleable images, and my PF will now be more of a thoughtful perusal.....my thanks to you..!

@ Eric......The points you make are similar to Amber, above, and the same goes to you for this...Thanks to you too..!

@ Keith......Thanks to you for your points....It's allowed me to review where I live, and what opportunites exist. I've even begun to have a semblance of an idea of how I may choose to invest my time to get a portfolio together....so, many thanks go to you..!

@ Mike......Again, similar point to those above, But, interesting nonetheless....thanks fr your thoughts...!

@ Bernhardt......You're right, consistency of quality images is paramount - and I have a fear of weddings, so that's not my chosen field, but my thoughts are beginning to develop, and quality, I hope, will be easier to achieve on a regular basis.....thanks to you for your thoughts...!

@ Will......Of course...you mention the most obvious, and, certainly, that which I overlook....".try!" Now THAT is quality advice...and I'll follow it....MANY thanks to you Will..!

@ Peter......Your 2p is a valuable comment....." The more work I do, the more I'm aware of all the things I don't know or can't do well. "...how true.....and your point about 'unrelenting expectation' is taken, many thanks to you too Peter, for your comments.

....and to all, I'm grateful for your thoughts on my post, I'm currently considering a number of possibilites which may bring me fame, and fortune...(Ha!), or, at the very least, another way to enjoy my photography, which after all, is what this is all about....eh..?

Hi Joseph,

I'd be more than happy to be your repository for the Canon gear you have - the 'help' is free!

Why tho'..?

I wonder at the 'Professional' photographer....(I'm not). This is a general thought, rather than a specific musing, but I

have to ask...

Is there anything to be made of the fact that someone who is being paid to make an image has a better opportunity

to get that image, because they have the opportunity to be ina given place, at a given time, with better quality

equipment?

..and anyone else has a lesser opportunity because they're prevented from this..?

This is not a 'sour grapes' kinda thing from my perspective, it's a 'crossroads' point in my life.......I could be on the

verge of changing career, and wonder whether my 'uneducated status' would, in itself, have the likelyhood, or

probability, of making barriers which would prevent me going farther in this field.

I see images here which are so fantastic I could not imagine them being images made by me, and others which have

been produced by peple who seem to imply that photography is their business...their career, and their

profession....which are, in my humble opinion, images similar to some I've made, and rejected asnot wrthy of my

further attention....

I know it's all subjective, but my point is, where do Professional photographers start to become someone who has

the chance to be where professional photographers get, and the others are prevented from getting, because they're

considered, unworthy..?

If you have a cheap tripod, a large-ish torch, and a plain black card background, say 3-4ft square you can come up with this kind of image. (for less than $30/£20)

It'll allow plenty of learning, with lighting, focus, composition, and you'll be able to always expose the bckground to the same exposure, giving loads of scope to test your ability, and all for a very cheap cost.

When you're ready, you'll know what kind of setup suits your needs much better, and also, whether this kind of photography grabs you enough to want to spend such amounts!

Best f luck!<div></div>

Hi Moin,

I'm no pro - my telephoto is a Sigma 75-300.

I can get some good quality shots from this, if I can get close enough, so there is some technique to learn with approaching the wildlife you want to photograph first. (checkout the birds in my PF).

I think this is more important then the difference between long end of the 55-250 and the 75-300.

My choice - again, based ENTIRELY on my budget, go for the best YOU can afford at a given time....you'll ALWAYS hear people give advice on their preferred quality lens, but, at the end of the day make a decision based on YOUR criteria, because, at some stage down the line, you can upgrade based on your KNOWN requirements.

What I mean to say is, there's prbably NO great difference between those lenses....

best of luck!

Shaun

In the image I post here, My problem concerns the washed out white, and deep black, which I'm trying to correct. I

think that an underexposure of perhaps 1-stop, would allow the white to show detail, but I'd lose then the detail in the

black.

In PSE, I've tried to adjust highlights/midtone contrast etc, but only manage to end up grying-out the black...

Is this a lost cause, or am I missing something..?

Thanks for your tips etc.

Shaun<div></div>

How you must struggle to get up in the morning!

I, too, like the last image, and wonder what this would look like in a high contrast mono image...

Good luck with the forthcoming weather...!

Best regards,

Shaun

You should look at ALL lenses, not just Canon...My Sigma 75-300 F4-5.6 DL Zoom, would allow you some extra reach, and macro too, please, checkout my portfolio....

If you're anywhere near Sussex, PM me....we couldmeet up, and you can try mine....you can get one of these for £150 new!

HERE

I'm not sure if anyone sent it to me...i've moved since March, but I did mention that in the last posting about 'Where's the camera', I even suggested that it should be sent to Pete, and we could arrange a face-to-face exchange....

I hope it's not lost due to this, but my previous address has had a redirection, and I've received nothing!

I admit to having been here less frequently, but I'm still interested in acheiving what was originally proposed.....