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  1. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by UWone77 View Post
    Only if the stock one fits your needs.

    No reason to learn on a crappy 18-55 $50 lens if that's not what you plan to use 99% of the time.
    I am with UW here for sure. Learn the quirks of whatever lens you plan to use. If you don't know what you plan to use, go out and try to wear the shutter out of your camera. Take it on walks or whatever you do so that you can get used to it. It won't do any good being a 'shelf camera'.

    Even if you are not taking pictures of game fish or other stuff, just the sheer amount of 'quality practice' you put in will reveal itself later on when it matters.

    I don't know about other people but I think just going and getting some shots and putting the ones you like best up here and let us give you feedback will help with that initial learning curve.

    Me personally I don't focus on going 100 mph and taking 500 photos in one walk. I go for quality over quantity most of the time (at least when I am not being put up to taking pictures for the family reunion or something). Taking a dozen or two thoughtful shots is better than 200 just point it and click shots.

  2. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by alamo5000 View Post
    I am with UW here for sure. Learn the quirks of whatever lens you plan to use. If you don't know what you plan to use, go out and try to wear the shutter out of your camera. Take it on walks or whatever you do so that you can get used to it. It won't do any good being a 'shelf camera'.

    Even if you are not taking pictures of game fish or other stuff, just the sheer amount of 'quality practice' you put in will reveal itself later on when it matters.

    I don't know about other people but I think just going and getting some shots and putting the ones you like best up here and let us give you feedback will help with that initial learning curve.

    Me personally I don't focus on going 100 mph and taking 500 photos in one walk. I go for quality over quantity most of the time (at least when I am not being put up to taking pictures for the family reunion or something). Taking a dozen or two thoughtful shots is better than 200 just point it and click shots.
    Thanks. That was sort of my plan. Read my book, go for a walk and try to apply what I've learned. See what happens and go from there. I was just mostly explaining that I don't want to invest a few G's on the "best" lenses, at this stage of the game. When I get to the point of being able to take it off of "auto" and apply, hopefully, the correct settings, and IF I become reasonably proficient, then I'd explore more "quality" options. I just received the camera this evening, so now I'm just trying to get through thru the manual for it.

    FT
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  3. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by alamo5000 View Post
    Taking a dozen or two thoughtful shots is better than 200 just point it and click shots.
    That's good advice, but doesn't work for everybody. I take literally thousands of shots on a few days of vacation, for example. Especially when I get a new camera, it helps me really get to know the settings, and when I get home I can spend some time finding what I did right, what I did wrong, analyze my composition and subjects, basically just use these thousands of photos as research to get better. For me, this results in becoming less critical and getting better shots without thinking too hard about what I'm doing. It becomes instinctive. With so much available storage, IMHO there is really no reason to limit yourself. Take a zillion photos, find out what works for you and what you like. Try manual focus. Try adjusting exposure. Take 3 shots of the same scene with different settings. When you go look at them make a mental note of what worked and what you like.

    I have a friend who does the same thing, but he looks at the photos immediately afterward on the camera and deletes them if he doesn't immediately like them. I think he calls it "Chimping" LOL. This results in far fewer photos to cull at the end of the day, but he gets poor battery life and spends time dicking with the camera every single time he uses it, which I think takes him out of the moment and hurts his attention.

    Just a couple of different ideas ... good luck!

    PS One more thing, I see way too may people taking photos of THINGS. We like things and as men we are drawn to them, but PEOPLE make far more interesting subjects. Think about the photos you actually keep over time; I would bet that most of them have PEOPLE in them, not just things. People make a story, they make the scene interesting and special. Don't be afraid to ask someone to take their photograph, you might be surprised how many folks are more than happy to oblige. You might even make a new friend, too
    Last edited by MoxyDave; 7 February 2019 at 10:37.

  4. #19
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    Yep. Different strokes for different folks.

    I totally agree in a lot of ways MoxyDave.

    I kind of developed my way based on my needs. I would go take 700 photos and all of them sucked. Not a single keeper.

    I was past the familiarizing myself stage but not to the ok I'm doing better phase so in order to make that next step I needed to slow down and focus on quality over quantity.

    If I'm able to do it I might take 10 or 20 pictures of one subject maybe with different settings or composure but for me now I'm still in the "pay attention to details" phase which probably isn't going away.

    Basically when I slowed down my quality went up.

    There are certain times when I will still just gun it but not when I'm trying to figure out how to do something special or new or whatever.

    Like I said above, trying to wear out the shutter at first will be a crash course in itself of what you like and don't about a lot of stuff.

  5. #20
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    Thanks to all for your help. Between operating manual, beginners photo books and all the advice, my head is spinning.

    FT

    Moxy Dave, can I take my first 1000 and upload them to you to cull/critique? Just kidding, of course.
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  6. #21
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    ...don't listen to anyone about what your photography should be or look like. Do you own thing, figure out your own style.

    When you hit a wall with hardware upgrade, not before. Let your skill set guide your hardware, not the other way around.

    As I've stated, become intimately familiar with light and how to use it.

  7. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by voodoo_man View Post
    ...don't listen to anyone about what your photography should be or look like. Do you own thing, figure out your own style.

    When you hit a wall with hardware upgrade, not before. Let your skill set guide your hardware, not the other way around.

    As I've stated, become intimately familiar with light and how to use it.
    One of the books I bought is Understanding Exposure. Just a skim, and there's a whole lot about light and lighting. I'll take your word for it, and study as much as time allows. Thanks.

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  8. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by FortTom View Post
    Moxy Dave, can I take my first 1000 and upload them to you to cull/critique? Just kidding, of course.
    Hah, yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh let me get right on that

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