Advice and Guidance for a Photography Newbie?

UPDATE 06.26.11: Here are some pics I took at SF Pride 2011 [Facebook Album].

Like many people, I have always wanted to dive a little deeper into photography. A very long time ago, I had a film Canon EOS and really loved the process of taking pics. Over time I went through various stages of digital picture taking eventually ending up, like so many, solely using my phone camera to capture life around me.

It really is amazing how far technology has come in such a short time.

After doing a year of daily pics in 2010 and then failing at the same project for 2011, I am diving back in. My search began with some helpful conversations with photographer friends and plenty of input from the Facebook crew. After comparing prices, features and how current I wanted my technology, I was still equally open to Canon or Nikon. In the end, I found some GREAT Craiglist deals on a Canon XSi and a 18-135mm lens, so it is TEAM CANON for me!

So now I have to figure out how do use the darn thing. I never really knew what all the buttons, dials and settings meant on my last fancy-schmancy camera, so I am not as much overwhelmed by the changes in camera technology, but by the reality that I pretty much have no idea what any of it means.

I am more or a “learn as you go” kinda boy. I’ll read the manual to get some basic foundational info, but for the most part, it’s trial and error baby, trial and error. I also know that some of you are WAY into all of this, so I would be a fool not to at least try to sponge off some of your knowledge and passion. So if you are so inclined, help a newbie out! Here are some basic questions for you to offer your thoughts:

How do you organize and store your pictures?
What inexpensive and user-friendly software do you use to edit photos?
How do you share your photos on your blog, facebook, twitter, etc,: smugmug, picasa, flicker, etc.?
If you happen to have a Cannon XSi, any pointers, tips and or must-have accessories?
What am I not asking or thinking about that I should be?
And finally, now that I am part of Team Canon, am I allowed to talk with The People of the Nikon Way?

I’ll probably be starting some kind of photo blogging project to help me stay disciplined, but for now, I’m going to just try and figure out what all the lights and letters mean

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/breyeschow/ Bruce Reyes-Chow

@07352f96fa9c961b173bea77896dcc72:disqus Thanks for the comment . . . really did not mean to offend you so apologies if I was too flippant in my post. I will def take a look at some of the book suggestions.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/breyeschow/ Bruce Reyes-Chow

@twitter-15786735:disqus Hey man! Hope you are well. Good advice. I did get Apature and am now trying to get organized over 7K pictures from my past. Any lens suggestions? I have a 18-135 at the moment.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/breyeschow/ Bruce Reyes-Chow

@facebook-681477273:disqus Thanks so much for this great advice! Very helpful!
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/breyeschow/ Bruce Reyes-Chow

@runshootnyc:disqus Thanks, awesome advice!
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/breyeschow/ Bruce Reyes-Chow

@c9cb5636b8618932ff5643cb3f87d926:disqus Thanks for the advice. Will this one help to also give me some basics on aperture, speed, etc.? Also are there are any good online or continuing education classes that give a good overview and introduction?
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/breyeschow/ Bruce Reyes-Chow

@google-95c70be409de7b44c8599b0eb9e8d984:disqus Thank you!
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/breyeschow/ Bruce Reyes-Chow

@yahoo-FFK6RDTP6YXNRRBNOFNJFKIJNQ:disqus Thanks for the advice. I am so very heartened by the passion with which folks express ideas about what they love to do. I am not really sure I have the time or resources time to dive in as deeply as you clearly have, but i do get your point. My intention at this point is to have fun and certainly do not want to offend any photographers who see this as their craft. I have not delusions about what I shall capture, but seek to try. Here is a first run at some pics I took a few weeks ago at Pride. Not a more colorful and expressive place to be . . . http://on.fb.me/lPys7N
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/breyeschow/ Bruce Reyes-Chow

Sorry it has taken to so long to get back to you on this. Thank you for the challenge as I begin diving into a new hobby. Here is a first try at capturing the things I love . . . faces, expressions, etc . . . http://on.fb.me/lPys7N
lovesettlement

Some lovely portraits.

(Sorry about the single word comment below.)
lovesettlement

Some
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_FFK6RDTP6YXNRRBNOFNJFKIJNQ Stan Rothwell

You miss the point. I’m not dissing digital, as I have been using digital cameras for 15 years now. What I am trying to point out is that 99% of the people pointing their electronic boxes at stuff use a “quantity over quality” approach. Having to do some real work will force people to slow down and think a bit, something that the current generation that demands instant gratification can’t grasp…
Jhogan

I hear this a lot since I’m a photo teacher in Palo Alto and we use light room for all of our DAM (digital file management) & preliminary post production;120 high schoolers shooting is a lot of files! If you really want to get into taking great images I recommend the book, “The Elements of Photography” by Angela Ferris Belt. She does a great job of breaking the visual language down into digestible pieces and even has some fun exercises.
Jhogan

There is more to photography then film. The film vs digital argument needs to be abandoned. Its just another tool. You can create and learn on either platform.
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Anonymous

my suggestions (from a newbie as well)

- study the work of other photographers you like and analyze what you like about them–subject matter? composition? location? angle? lighting? color? etc.
- find subjects you find interesting and shoot them a lot
- pay attention not just to foreground but the background–no more trees or poles sprouting out of the tops of people’s heads
- learn how to control depth of field so you go shallow when you want to and deep when you don’t
- make a list of basic camera functions you need to master understanding of in terms of how they impact your photograph (ISO, aperture setting, shutter speed) and create exercises for yourself or find them on the net to see how they impact each other
- get a filter for yr lens so if something hits the front of the camera, it hits yr filter not yr lens
- check out canon’s photo editing software (should have come with yr camera). i haven’t used it but a photographer i talked to recommended it. and it’s free. i got the impression it was more for editing and less for organizing but don’t really know
- study photos on sites like http://1x.com/ for inspiration
- buy some books on photography
- post yr favorites on sites sites like FB. “likes” from friends are terrific encouragement
http://www.facebook.com/people/Denis-Evans/755748346 Denis Evans

Listen to some photography podcasts. You can learn a lot and the podcasts are free: This week in photo; tips from the top floor and photofocus are my favourites.
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http://pulse.yahoo.com/_FFK6RDTP6YXNRRBNOFNJFKIJNQ Stan Rothwell

[Ansel Adams didn't want people to suffer as much as he did, so he wrote
five instructional books which were eventually edited down to his
classic trilogy, "The Camera," "The Negative," and "The Print."]

Excellent books that will improve anyone’s skills far better than the most expensive camera/lens combination around. The technology may be dated, but the structure and approach are timeless…
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_FFK6RDTP6YXNRRBNOFNJFKIJNQ Stan Rothwell

Want to become a real photographer? Lock up your digital rig somewhere and buy yourself a used all-manual 35mm camera body along the lines of a Pentax K1000 or Nikon FM series. Pick up a fixed normal lens, a wide angle (28 or 35mm) FIXED focal length lens, then a good portrait or telephoto (between 85 and 135mm). NO zooms. No flash either – get a solid tripod instead. Get some decent black and white film, some D76 developer, some film processing reels, a good darkroom thermometer, and a Gra-Lab timer. Find a dark closet or bathroom in the interior of your home or office where you can load film into reals without light leaks. Learn how to load film in the dark, pour developer into a tank and manually agitate it, control the temp using hot and cold tap water, and how to remove processed film, squeegie it off, and hang it to dry. When you get to the point where you have something recognizable as images in your negatives, then you can move onto the next step is to learn how to print a contact sheet using RC paper and a piece of glass. When you actually have to do some work to produce a decent image instead of pointing in the general direction of something pretty and pushing a button, you will slow down a bit and learn how to THINK. Only then will you begin to learn something about photography…
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David

A nonspecific but fertile tip: take a class or join a camera club, maybe the computer club has a group. Do things with other people like nature photography, portraits, etc. and discuss your results with the instructor or leader. Have some fun. That’s a great way to learn the things you want, you can ask your specific questions, get hands-on demo help, etc. Plus, it’s a new enrichment add-on to your personal circle of friends.
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