shiny new digital camera

[Willow]

I'm planning to get a SLR camera soon (not digital, though - they're too expensive, and there's quite a few decent second-hand old film cameras around these days).

But while I'd like to have a go at an SLR, I've never used one. Where's the best place to start learning about these things?

The link on Marvin's last post is very good.

 

[marvin]

Not something you can do over night I have been using SLR's for 15 years now and I am still learning.

Learn the basics from a simple book I have good one around here somewhere depends on where the son has hid it.

The best way to get started with SLR is to just start, most good camera's today have ease of use for the really clueless (Even my camera has a point and shoot mode!).

SLR's allow you to grow as a photographer but they are not small and they are fing heavy if you have a lot of kit that goes with them. Although most would be happy with a body and a 28 - 200 zoom with an f stop min of about 5.6 (my kit 3 camera body's 1 28-70 f2.8 lens 1 70 -200 f2.8 lens 1 lens doubler (turns me 70 - 200 into a 140 - 400 f5.6) 1 28-80 f3.5 - 5.6 lens 1 75 -300 f4 -5.6 lens 2 flash guns and spare batteries to make these work. Film for the analogue camera's and spare cards for the digital. various filters etc all mounts up.)

If you are looking for an analogue SLR to learn on you could do no worse than getting hold of an EOS 100 (EOS is Canon), I have 2 of those the last one cost me about £150 sh a few years back before I bought into digital.

Now pro photography easy to get into very difficult to make any money out of. There is a lot of competition and the big photo agency's and newspapers are always trying too shut down avenues for the freelance. (Exhibit 1 the Football photography licence, designed to cut out freelancers and semi-pro's)

If IT pays the bills sitck with it and do some semi-pro freelance work, go to events (free outdoor concerts etc, hang around outside stage doors do a bit of paperazi stuff) and try to build a portfolio and if you can get a link with a relativly good level team (local semi-pro outfits are a good start).

Then, if good enough/lucky enough the photography will take over the other job. The only other way is to get taken on by a photo agency (had offers have turned them all down as I did not like the deals offered) then you will do better as they can sort out access to things for you where you are more likely to earn som money.

The other way of doing photography is to be a general/wedding photographer. Intensly boring but an easier way for an average photographer to earn some cash. Heavy layout though as you need a shop or studio with little or no competition in the locality. If you can build a specialism into that then it helps.

 

[Willow]

Cheers for the info, Marv. I thought it might be a difficult field to break into. Maybe I'll get a camera with a mega powerful flash and hang out outside the Royal Courts Of Justice waiting for prison vans with high profile cons. A good picture is a lottery but I've heard theres money to be had in them there hills...