mccormick

I use a Nikon camera/PC/HP computer/Samsung phone... what does it really matter?

I would have to commute to the VMFA for the classes (close enough though), but it may be more helpful to take the Beginner and Intermediate Digital Photography classes with them, rather than the Fundamentals class with NYIP. I'm sort of holding off on the paid education right now though, just taking pictures.

Thank you for the additional responses. I suppose that after shelling out 1.5g for camera and gear another $350 for a few resources seemed like a bit much, but apparently not. Pretty much every single person agrees that the communication in NYIP is very poor (critiques are vague and you are lucky to get a response from a mentor), and that if you can get hands on training with a photographer you will gain much more. I will probably start the course before the first of the year if I do not decide otherwise before then.

Well I'm on the fence again. Almost everywhere I look people are saying that when given the chance take a photography class with actual instructors, photography is not meant for correspondence learning. Many people also say that since the critiques are awful, you are basically paying all the money for learning material that you could buy anywhere else (for less than $350).

 

Maybe I will take one of the 5 part classes at Ritz or Richmond camera, then see where I stand.

Well, I feel like an idiot. Like I said, I am very new to photography and although I know what all of those do, I still do not know when to utilize them to make the photo better. So, I will go ahead and try the course.

I hate that you can't edit posts...

 

So after finding the sub-category within the sub-category within the forums that held the many posts about this program (I'm new to the site and photography if that wasn't already evident), I have decided that I will stick with my original plan of taking the course.

 

The biggest two complaints were that the information is dated (it has apparently been updated since most the complaints were made) and that it takes a long time to get feedback/the next lesson (what can you do?). I was also completely wrong when saying the price was high after seeing what it used to be and what other courses cost (photography sure is an expensive hobby). In addition, I have seen that many people loved the course, but many people thought it was a waste of time and money as well. So, it would seem that if anybody is thinking about taking the course they need to stop and think whether it is right for them.

I guess I was comparing the price to the local classes that have less than 10 hours of teaching and are half the price. After looking through a couple threads (Once I found where they were all hidden... from me at least) it seems that it is indeed very cheap for all that you receive from it. It also seems that people either love it or hate it, but since I am very inexperienced I imagine it would help me a lot.

Wow - so I skimmed the forum for NYIP threads and did not see that there were actually a few until after posting this, I will take a look at those. Doesn't mean you guys can't share your experiences though!

Has anybody tried <a href="http://www.nyip.com/courses/ds/">this program</a>? It seems like it covers what really

matters when it comes to an amateur and photography and I just wanted to know if it was worth the hefty price

($350).

<p>

I have received the free course catalog and the program covers everything from the very basics (aperture, shutter

speed, exposure, etc.) to how you should think about taking a shot to make your photos look "professional". In

addition, the catalog says it will take 4-6 months to complete if you work hard, but you have up to two years to

complete it - so it sounds they have a lot more to offer than one of the month long weekend programs most

photography shops offer.

True enough. I am obviously bias then, because there are plenty of other unoriginal pictures in the pets forum and I believe some of them are less interesting than mine, yet they are getting comments and views. Perhaps I should just shoot a lot more before I upload any more photos.

Those are good Cheryl, a lot of them could be applied to any amateur photographer.

<p>

Sharvon, it seems like that is the norm for amateurs, we both just need to keep shooting and consider any advice

that is given to us.

<p>

Can somebody also look at <a href="http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?

topic_id=1481&msg_id=00QVtU&photo_id=7671651&photo_sel_index=0"> this picture </a> I submitted for critique?

I put it in for critique only which is leaving me with absolutely no feedback. It seems that nobody wants to even click

on it to get a better look, so there must be plenty wrong with it, I just need some guidance.

Jeff is correct. Movie Maker does not process AAC files so you must either get a converter or make the CD. Movie Maker is an awful videography tool though, I suggest you look into other video editing software if you are truly interested.

Thank you all for your responses. First off, Pete made me realize that I still have a long ways to go before I understand how my camera works. I will admit that when I took the shot a couple weeks ago I had how aperture and depth-of-field work mixed up (thought a bigger iris would produce wider focus), so that prevented me from having a lot in focus. But, even then I would not have a clear subject (like Spencer said in his photo critque). I also had no idea that the ISO was set that high, it was an overcast day (destroying the lighting in my shot) so maybe the camera was trying to compensate while in Program mode, not sure. Also, thanks for the quick edit Pete, I really need to learn how to use the editing software I have so I can improve my photos.

 

As far as being discouraged goes I think I was like Alexa and became attached to my photos, so when I found out they were not very good pictures, I took it personally. As many of you have said, the number system is worthless when no actual critiques are given, so submitting photos for critique only is probably the best way to go.

 

In the thread Spencer linked to, Melissa may have hit my problem spot on - "I have gotten pretty overwhelmed by everything I have been reading "the how’s", "Why’s" and the cost of gadgets. I decided that I needed to refocus on "why I” take photos in the first place.". That is exactly what I have been doing, and exactly what everyone has said I need to do. I need to remember that photography is a hobby and I should enjoy it. No doubt there are moments that I will get frustrated, but then I just need to remember my lack of experience (Like Maija).

 

Like suggested I will just keep shooting and experimenting to get practice as well as picking up a few books to learn what changing the different camera settings can do for my photos. In addition, I was thinking about taking the photo classes that Ritz offers. Has anybody tried these? Were they helpful?

Have any of the amateurs or veterans that were once amateurs gotten discouraged since coming here? After seeing

the many great pictures (that seem unbelievable to me) and seeing my low critique scores (with no comments of why

my picture isn't very good), I have started to become discouraged. All of my friends and family tell me they like my

pictures - maybe they are not being truthfull, or perhaps they don't have an eye for photography like the professionals

here. Although I am simply an amateur right now, it seems that I am a long ways off from being a good photographer.

 

I have done plenty of research on basic composition and still need to figure out how to successfully light a

photograph, but I think a lot of what photography is can not be learned, it comes naturally. Maybe I simply don't

have the gift, maybe I just need to keep working at it, either way I will keep taking pictures and try to develop my

skills - just wanted to know if anyone else has had these thoughts.

I don't plan on buying one for a long while (If I ever do), but I was curious about them. For doubling the zoom of your

lens they seem decently inexpensive (as far as ebay goes), so what does it do to the image quality? Would any

photographer even suggest one to somebody?

ugh, forgot I was dealing with html when separating the paragraphs in my last post.

 

Again, thanks for all your cooperation and help. I will continue to dabble in macro photography research and take a look at "Closeups in Nature" so I can try to understand the big picture without having to get you guys to spell it out for me.

I am in the process of getting that book right now actually. After reading the Macro article again I realized that it was

indeed saying that extension tubes, reversal rings, and bellows are for when you already have a 1:1 and want to

exceed that (like Alex said), whoops. So until I can dish out the cash for another lens, I suppose when I play with

macros I will just have to zoom the best I can and crop the photos.

 

I apologize for any frustrating ignorance I may have, I have been doing all kinds of research on composition and gear

(as you can see sometimes get way ahead of myself) that I have a thousand questions (until last night I didn't even

know what an extension tube or reversal ring were). Instead of trying to make it a science perhaps I should just go

out and take some pictures, do whatever feels natural.

 

Robert, in <a href="http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00PtRc">this</a> thread the quality of Kenko tubes are

discussed, it may help to answer your questions.

All very good suggestions. I have obviously gotten ahead of myself since I got my camera less than 2 weeks ago. As suggested I will simply play around with different types of shots and composition before I start trying to cut corners and get into a much more advanced form of photography. If I decide that macro is truly what I want to do then I will just have to wait until I can spend the money needed to get the correct gear to practice such shots.

 

Thanks all for your cooperation with my many questions and advice on what to do, it is all greatly appreciated.

Didn't see the posts after Jackie before...

 

So you are saying it would be wiser to invest in a decent extension tube before a reversal ring Alex? From my research and vague understanding it seemed like the reversal ring alone did a lot for the zoom/ratio, even when trying to get to a 1:1.

 

I am going to read the Macro article here once again and see if I can pull anything else from it now.

Thanks for the info Jackie and all the others that posted! I am going to have to join this site, seems like it can really help me advance my photography (looks like a $50 macro budget now haha).

 

So fixed lenses are better for macro photography because they produce high optical quality (meaning they are able to focus better on the object and produce a crisper image)? What are telephoto lenses good for then?

 

Yea I had to deal with the mm of the front thread when picking up a few filters (52mm actually) so I will make sure to get the right reversal ring size.

 

More Questions! When I get the reversal ring would it be better to use it with the wide angle lens or telephoto lens? Isn't there a way to combine lenses? Would that help with the zoom/ratio?

Well I apparently do not understand the lens mm system. I thought that a 18mm lens is more of a wide angle lens and a 200mm lens is more of a zoom lens. So why is it that a 50mm or 55mm would be better for macros than a 200mm?

So are the extension tubes much better than the reversal rings? AFAIK the reversal rings are fairly inexpensive and make the shots much better. Am I wrong?

 

Also, can anybody tell me if using a close-up filter with a smaller mm lens yields better results than with a larger mm one?

Can't edit responses I guess. Well, my budget is less than $75 for necessary macro gear if that helps narrow the possibilities.

I have a close-up +3, but it wasn't quite strong enough. Do the smaller mm lenses work better for macro photos? I have been using the filter with my 55mm-200mm, maybe that was my problem?

ok, new question then. I am on a rather low budget since I just spent all my money on a D60 and a 18mm-55mm and 55mm-200mm lens so what is the best choice of extension tube to get the most for your money (Still the Kenkos? What is the next step down?)? I am also planning on picking up a reversal ring so would an extension tube even be necessary?