Posted by Ryan Petri on August 2, 2006 at 11:02 AM
Ok so I wanted to start a new hobby with taking semi-awesome pictures of nature.
Ever since I was a kid I've had a huge love for traveling and nature so I figure, why not bring these memories back with me.
I'm thinking of buying a camera. I've got the cash so don't worry about throwing expensive ideas at me. I have NO CLUE on what the terms are for cameras or what extra peices I'll need to apply to the camera so please, the less technical the better.
I've been to Alaska recently and plan on going back again. Amazing pictures I could have goten there!!
All I'm really asking is, fill me in with some ideas for cameras I could buy specifically for nature shots, only. What lens I'll need? What other nifty things I'll need to make shots sharper? Maybe even a stand? Help me out as much as possible.
I can't stress enough, though on teaching me the absolute BASICS. Remember, I know nothing.
Posted by Ryan Petri on August 2, 2006 at 11:05 AM
Oh I forgot to ask.
Do professional photographers these days actually use photoshop with their finished work?
I always think of those black rooms to get those excellent pictures.
Reason I ask is because I just got a brand new MacOS laptop. So I'm sure I can pimp some of my pictures out with photoshop.
Ditto what Guy said....regarding the camera/lens, I'd suggest to get the Canon 350D + Sigma 18-125: it is easy to use, not exaggerately exepensive, light and versatile.
Posted by Dan Borzynski on August 2, 2006 at 12:56 PM
I probably would look at Photoshop Elements rather than the full blown version of Photoshop (CS). It is a lot cheaper, about a sixth of the cost, and you can do a lot with it. The money you save will go far towards a camera, lens, tripod and tripod head, plus peripherals such as printer, memory cards, gas to go shooting...
Realistically, I know a lot of people are going to recommend buying the full version, but if you are just getting started, it will do almost everything you will want it to. Once we have completely assimilated your soul and checkbook, then move up to the full version
I do like Juza's gear suggestions. It is a good camera body and range of focal lengths.
I'd recommend investing in a copy of John Shaw's Nature Photography Field Guide. Though it's pre-digital, it's still one of the best nature photography references you can buy. Lots of basics in there.
I have a short "Back to Basics" series on my website as well that might be of help.
You can't go wrong with either Canon or Nikon. I always suggest that people actually hold the camera and see how it feels in their hands. You might have noticed that we all recommend SLR cameras. That's because you have the most control over your images with SLRs.
The Canon suggestion was good. If you're looking into Nikon, look at the D200 or D70. There's supposed to be a new D80 out soon but I don't know yet what features it has.
Be sure to look through the Nature Photography 101 articles on this site as well.
And be sure to ask more questions here too, especially when you start looking at specific gear.
Posted by Randy Beacham on August 3, 2006 at 12:40 AM
The first thing that you'll realize is that there's no camera out there, no matter what the price or how sophisticated, that will take great pictures. Only "you" can take great pictures so you must realize that just as with any craft it will take lots of practice and time until you start becoming satisfied with your photos. I'm fortunate to live in an area with lots of wildlife and I can't begin to remember the number of times I've heard friends say something like, "boy if I had your camera or if I had a telephoto lens I would have gotten a fantastic shot of....."
There's no secrets to learning the basics, it will be a combination of going out and taking lots of photos, taking a local intro to photography class if there's any offered in your area, reading lots of magazines and books on the subject (Rod's advice on John Shaw's field guide is an excellent one), reading and posting comments on the NPN forum, etc. As you start learning you'll also begin to realize what kinds of photography you enjoy the most, wildlife, macro, landscape, travel, etc.
I would advise keeping things very simple to start with. Digital speeds up the learning curve drastically, but I'm actually glad I learned before digital. In fact, if money is not too much of a problem I would recommend deciding on one brand like canon or nikon, then purchasing one digital slr and one film slr. To start with all you should need is perhaps two lenses, a wide-angle zoom and telephoto zoom, that will match up with both cameras. If you shoot film half the time or so it will help you out I think in learning exposure, which is perhaps the most difficult thing for beginners to grasp. If you have a solid understanding of exposure and can learn to "see what the film sees" it will make it that much easier when shooting digital.
Most importantly, go out and have fun. One pitfall to avoid is buying so much equipment at first that you lug around so much gear and have so many different choices that it will take the spontaneity out of your hobby. Good luck! Randy
Posted by Patrick Nixon on August 3, 2006 at 10:10 PM
After research, I just purchased a Nikon D70s with the standard 18-70mm, f 3.5-4.5 lense. Equivalent to 28-105mm in 35mm format. I'm having lots of fun with this camera. I would stick to Nikon or Canon because of the availability of lenses (Nikon, Canon, and others) in the US. If you want to go between $1000-$2000 consider the Nikon D200 which is the first Basic-level "professional" camera. I notice it has bigger buttons, etc. than the D70s.
Discussion
7 repliesEver since I was a kid I've had a huge love for traveling and nature so I figure, why not bring these memories back with me.
I'm thinking of buying a camera. I've got the cash so don't worry about throwing expensive ideas at me. I have NO CLUE on what the terms are for cameras or what extra peices I'll need to apply to the camera so please, the less technical the better.
I've been to Alaska recently and plan on going back again. Amazing pictures I could have goten there!!
All I'm really asking is, fill me in with some ideas for cameras I could buy specifically for nature shots, only. What lens I'll need? What other nifty things I'll need to make shots sharper? Maybe even a stand? Help me out as much as possible.
I can't stress enough, though on teaching me the absolute BASICS. Remember, I know nothing.
Do professional photographers these days actually use photoshop with their finished work?
I always think of those black rooms to get those excellent pictures.
Reason I ask is because I just got a brand new MacOS laptop. So I'm sure I can pimp some of my pictures out with photoshop.
Guy
Realistically, I know a lot of people are going to recommend buying the full version, but if you are just getting started, it will do almost everything you will want it to. Once we have completely assimilated your soul and checkbook, then move up to the full version
I do like Juza's gear suggestions. It is a good camera body and range of focal lengths.
I have a short "Back to Basics" series on my website as well that might be of help.
You can't go wrong with either Canon or Nikon. I always suggest that people actually hold the camera and see how it feels in their hands. You might have noticed that we all recommend SLR cameras. That's because you have the most control over your images with SLRs.
The Canon suggestion was good. If you're looking into Nikon, look at the D200 or D70. There's supposed to be a new D80 out soon but I don't know yet what features it has.
Be sure to look through the Nature Photography 101 articles on this site as well.
And be sure to ask more questions here too, especially when you start looking at specific gear.
There's no secrets to learning the basics, it will be a combination of going out and taking lots of photos, taking a local intro to photography class if there's any offered in your area, reading lots of magazines and books on the subject (Rod's advice on John Shaw's field guide is an excellent one), reading and posting comments on the NPN forum, etc. As you start learning you'll also begin to realize what kinds of photography you enjoy the most, wildlife, macro, landscape, travel, etc.
I would advise keeping things very simple to start with. Digital speeds up the learning curve drastically, but I'm actually glad I learned before digital. In fact, if money is not too much of a problem I would recommend deciding on one brand like canon or nikon, then purchasing one digital slr and one film slr. To start with all you should need is perhaps two lenses, a wide-angle zoom and telephoto zoom, that will match up with both cameras. If you shoot film half the time or so it will help you out I think in learning exposure, which is perhaps the most difficult thing for beginners to grasp. If you have a solid understanding of exposure and can learn to "see what the film sees" it will make it that much easier when shooting digital.
Most importantly, go out and have fun. One pitfall to avoid is buying so much equipment at first that you lug around so much gear and have so many different choices that it will take the spontaneity out of your hobby. Good luck! Randy