michaeljlawson

@ Pam...

 

I totally agree, it's just the way I happened to do it the first time I tried. I did end by stating Patrick's method was safer. You did a nice job of explaining why.

I know this isn't an answer to your question, but if you just spent money on a brand new XSi, and apparently have an investment in Canon glass, why are you thinking of switching to Nikon?

Check this out for a comparison of some of the models: http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/digital/canon_eos_xsi_vs_xti_vs_40D.html

 

Also, there is nothing wrong with buying used if you trust the source. Check out KEH , Adorama, or B&H Photo Video for starters on trustworthy used equipment.

Hello and welcome. The XTi kit is where I started in digital a couple of years ago and it was a great way to get started (again) for me. I know you said you are new to photography,but do you have any idea what you might like to focus on? Landscapes, Wildlife, Street, Portrait,Macro, Etc? You may get some more specific direction if you have a goal. There are certainly different lens choices for each area of photography. If you aren't sure, stick with the kit and see what you enjoy the most, then expand from there. Take lots of pictures, and when you think you took enough, take more. Then sit down and get a better lens for the photography you do the most. As far as the body goes, they are all pretty good. If you can get to a store that has multiple models, hold them all and check out the controls, you may find one suits you better than the others. Good Luck.

Take a look at the bottom of my gallery. There is a picture of my daughter with a stuffed dog. It was a color shot, that I converted to B&W and then used the history brush on the stuffed dog to color it back in per Christopher's method. It was quick and easy. Patrick's method is another great way to do this, It takes a little more thought, but working on a separate layer is certainly safer as he mentioned.

Click on the image and choose the "Photo Admin" tab below it, then Edit Image info.

Rent before you buy. I had a great experience with lensrentals.com. I rented a 100mm macro just before I took a week off work. I wasn't sure if I would enjoy macro photography that much, but now that lens is on the top of my wish list. Plan a long weekend and rent the 100-400. If you find most of your pictures are taken over the 200 range and you are happy with the quality, you know the 100-400 would be a good investment for you. If not, go the other route. Small investment for a fun weekend out and avoiding a lens purchasing mistake.

The only time missing info bothers me is when someone is asking what they did wrong, and you have to guess or try to find out what they did on order to help them. Worse when the original poster never replies back.

 

As far as a teaching tool, I don't think many people would be in the field and remember the settings on a particular image that matched the exact conditions they are actually shooting in. If they did it would more likely cause them problems, especially if they don't know what post processing went into correcting for possible bad settings. Better to learn how to use your histogram and the manual settings on your camera than extrapolate from someone's photo data I think.

Valerie, I sent you an email in case you don't check back here. The time of was great, but I did not make it to Shawnee. I did go to Broofield Zoo twice, Fermilab, Starved Rock, Peoria Wildlife Park, and Silver Springs state park. Thank you for asking. I sure would like to see some of your shots from the area. Are they posted anywhere?

Another good site for Photoshop tutorials: http://www.photoshopsupport.com/tutorials.html

 

You may have to dig a bit to find what you want.

From your workspace page click the "Manage Portfolio" link on the left about half way down. Then near the bottom will be a "Manage Equipment" link. Enjoy the new toys, Michael.

If you are using Windows XP, try this: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=d48e808e-b10d-4ce4-a141-5866fd4a3286&DisplayLang=en

Always a bad idea to post your email address in the forums. We can email you from the members page link. There is a Jim Murray listed in Florida that does wedding videos: http://www.photographer-source.com/photographer-directory/photographer-detail-2848.asp Try a google search with "Jim Murray" or "James Murray" in quotes and various other keywords following (weddings, videographer, etc).

Ashley, you didn't tell us your favorite. As average (or below) as it is, since it's the only lens I own other than the XTi kit lens, my favorite to use is the 75-300 USM non-IS. I did rent the 100mm macro and loved it too. I'm hoping to get the 100-400 this coming year.

Your shot showed up in the Landscape critique forum for me on the 2nd refresh, and in the All(no nudes) critique forum on my first try....seems to be working for me.

Read this post about a change in the way the critique forum now works: http://www.photo.net/site-feedback-forum/00QfCZ

Do some searches in the forums about the 75-300. It is very much a budget entry level lens (and happens to be the one I use the most). I would not likely purchase it again if I had to do it all over again. There are better used lenses that offer higher quality for a few dollars more. You can see from my gallery that it is a usable lens, but conditions have to be right. Don't expect extreme sharpness or perfect color\contrast from it. I also would suggest renting a few if you don't know what you want and renting is an option for you, before you make a major investment into an expensive lens that doesn't give you what you expect.

Ghost is a good choice if you want to buy it. If you do a Google search for Open Source Ghost you will also come across several free imaging software options (OSALT, FOG, etc).

I usually go out alone. Sometimes because I like to, but mostly because I haven't really found anyone who was interested in getting up early and simply enjoying the day. Sometimes having a plan is good, but I hate being so structured that you can't take advantage of other opportunities or a have a bit of spontaneity once in a while. If I could find someone as interested in enjoying what nature provided on a given day and not so worried about if they had better equipment than the other guy, or lack the patience to take a few extra shots of an Egret that posing nicely because they already got one they liked, I may be more inclined to look for a buddy. I love nature and I love photography. I insist on being allowed to enjoy both when I am out, even if I don't make it to every possible location that day.

Ross, that is an excellent idea. I am actually working on trying to start a photo class\club for our local Special Olympics division that my family is heavily involved with. We were hoping to expose them to an alternate way of expressing themselves other than the win\lose of a sports competition. If this ends up being in semi-decent working condition I will donate it to that cause.

You can always rent lenses from places like lensrentals.com and try them out for a week and see if you really want them. The 70-200 f4 without IS is 34.00/week with IS is 51.00/week. Small price to pay to not make a 1000.00 mistake or have to hassle with returns.

Thank you Peter. Looks like I'll have to go buy a roll of film for the first time in years and give them a test.

I have some old Pentax equipment I am thinking about selling\trading. How do I find out what the fair value of

this equipment is? I have a Asahi Pentax Spotmatic, a Super Takumar 1:4/200 lens, a Super Takumar 1:1.4/50 Lens,

a 1:3.5 80-200mm zoom (brand unknown) and a Vivitar 2x teleconverter, and some misc accessories (Bulb flash,

light meter, etc). It has been sitting in a box in a closet for years, but last I knew it was all in working

condition. Any Thoughts?

Read the rules carefully. Many contests require you give up all rights to your image, sometimes just for entering even if you don't win. You may or may not care if you're only interested in winning, until your photo is used in their new add campaign and you get neither compensation or credit. Some also have very specific display requirements, and some still have not caught on to the digital age. A local state park where I live had rules obviously geared to film with the "absolutely no computer enhancement" type rules. I had to call them and get them to amend the rules to allow for at least minimally post processed digital images that would have been disqualified under their current system.

You may not be copying hidden files. Make sure your view setting are displaying hidden files and your backups are backing them up. Any password protected folders? They may be missed by the backup\restore process also depending on the user rights the software is running under.