# Advice: Where To Start?



## Deviant (Dec 22, 2009)

Personally I don't do video (yet) but can offer some advice on the photography side of things, how much are you looking to spend on a camera?


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## The Donohoe (Oct 30, 2011)

I don't want to spend much more than $300. In what little camera research I've done, I've been able to find what 
i believe are decent cameras but I honestly have no idea.


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

Do you mean specifically doing snowboarding videos, or just photography in general?

If the latter, my daughter owns a cheapo digital camera and she's still able to take pictures that indicate she's got talent in this area (I just point and shoot). Same principle applies though, even if you're going to do snowboarding stuff. Buy the cheapest piece of crap you can get and just see if you enjoy it and have talent. If so, it's time to invest.


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## NWBoarder (Jan 10, 2010)

Good luck finding a nice DSLR with a lense for $300 or less. I'm not saying you can't do it, I'm just saying good luck. I've been looking for one for the last few months and still haven't found a deal I can afford. Craigslist will be your friend in finding one though.


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## The Donohoe (Oct 30, 2011)

Donutz said:


> Do you mean specifically doing snowboarding videos, or just photography in general?
> 
> If the latter, my daughter owns a cheapo digital camera and she's still able to take pictures that indicate she's got talent in this area (I just point and shoot). Same principle applies though, even if you're going to do snowboarding stuff. Buy the cheapest piece of crap you can get and just see if you enjoy it and have talent. If so, it's time to invest.


Photography in general, however, I do want to focus on action sport photography, that's what interests me the most. It would be nice to have a general skill in the area and some knowledge in cameras on what i'm about to buy. So far i have learned faster shutter speed = less blur, also learned that I don't know shit when it comes to cameras.



NWBoarder28 said:


> Good luck finding a nice DSLR with a lense for $300 or less. I'm not saying you can't do it, I'm just saying good luck. I've been looking for one for the last few months and still haven't found a deal I can afford. Craigslist will be your friend in finding one though.


I don't think I want a DSLR yet. I'm thinking more just a fairly decent camera right now. If its something that i don't like then I won't have wasted too much time or money.

Also any tips on quality editing software that won't cost me an arm and a leg, something simple and easy to use, but not so simple that it's pointless.


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

The point I was trying to make though is that you have to determine if you have the talent for it. Anyone can point a camera and press a button. I'm in that category. But with someone who has the 'feel' for composition and framing, the pictures they take are simply more interesting in some way that I can't describe. Maybe get a book on photography that goes into detail on this. Figure out if it makes sense to you, if you can do it, and if it's interesting enough to keep at. In my personal experience, I've had enthusiasms for different things (guitar for one) only to discover that I had no talent (in some cases _negative_ talent -- I'd actually lower the total talent in the room :laugh: ). Best to find out _before_ you start spending the big bucks.


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## NWBoarder (Jan 10, 2010)

Use GIMP. It's free and just as good as Adobe Photoshop. That's the best low cost photo editing software I know. Honestly though, the best pics IMO are un-edited. Any point-and-shoot you buy will not be as good as a DSLR for taking action photos, but there are proficient ones available. Look at the newer Sony Cybershots, or the Fuji FinePix. Just make sure they are newer and not older. I am just becoming familiar with DSLR's since I have spent the last quarter taking a photojournalism class. There is a lot more than just shutter speed that goes into getting a good shot. And sometimes, a little blur isn't a bad thing. It can give the photo a feeling of motion where it otherwise looks motionless. It's all about how you do it though. Just get a camera and start shooting. Then you'll be able to develop your own style of photos. You'll also learn what you like and dislike, and what does, and doesn't work.


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## Deviant (Dec 22, 2009)

The Donohoe said:


> I don't want to spend much more than $300. In what little camera research I've done, I've been able to find what
> i believe are decent cameras but I honestly have no idea.


Post up the cameras you're looking at.

As far as what you said about shutter speed, yes. The shorter the exposure the less handshake that will cause blur, but not as much light is let in. This is why we use tripods when doing _long_ exposures of waterfalls and such, it really can't be done when your shutter is open for, say 10 seconds. You can't keep your hands/camera perfectly still for that long.

Faster shutter:
timseydell's deviantART gallery

Long exposure:
timseydell's deviantART gallery

About cheaper DSLR's you might want to check out the Canon XT or what I use) XTi. They are both older, but I love my XTi and use it all the time (shown in photos above). If you're looking to do the sequencing photos you see in snowboard magazines, you're going to need something with a faster FPS than the aforementioned cameras and it's going to cost you quite a bit more.

I don't know how legit this site is, but they have the Canon T3 DSLR for $365.00 right now.

CameraPromo.com - Canon EOS Rebel T3, 12.2 Megapixel, Digital SLR Camera w/ Canon 18-55mm IS II Lens Kit

A really good site with a TON of camera reviews is Digital Camera Product Reviews: Digital Photography Review

GIMP is most certainly a great program. One of the things I always tell people is once you get a camera go to a zoo. I know it's not action sports photography, but it will give you opportunities, everything from action shots to setting up for a photo of an animal where you can try it from all different angles and compositions. Sign up for one of the free online photo hosting sites too. I use Deviant Art and you can request ideas from other people who view your photos on what to change, what to do differently, etc.


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## The Donohoe (Oct 30, 2011)

Thank you guys so much, has anyone read or heard of a good book with photography information? And where i could find it. I'll be going to barns and noble in the future and I can do some looking there. And thanks for the the tips guys my knowledge has already increased double fold haha. Thanks for the links on camera reviews and photos. I do have a question about exposure however. Does the longer exposure make the colors more vibrant compared to the shorter exposure which looks more clear? Not sure if i'm noticing the right things lol.

Also side note: 
If those pictures are yours, bravo those are beautiful pieces of art. Especially liked the waterfall picture the colors in that were amazing.

Yet Another Side Note:
I was looking at the Samsung Lumix FH-5 to start off. It looks like a decent camera without a hefty price tag. My brother has the FH-7, which is basically the same just it has a touch screen, and he can produce pretty decent pictures. I figure this will be a good camera to start out with, without being too in over my head.


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## Deviant (Dec 22, 2009)

First, yes that's my gallery, the waterfall photo is Niagara from the American side, thanks for the kind comments.

When there's low light, yes you can get more color with a longer exposure. You can also use the white-balance settings to bring in more color too. Daylight while balance tends to bring in more blues as well.
In the case of the waterfall photo, I think it was around a 15 second exposure, but the color is from the lights changing cycle. It's lit up from the Canadian side at night and the multi-colors were from it going from pink to yellow-ish if I remember correctly.

As far as information on photography, the internet is going to give you just as much info as any book. A few things to search for that will really help you learn more are:

F/stop
ISO Speeds
Shutter Speeds
White Balance settings
Lens Filters such as Neutral Density, Circular Polarizers, UV filters, etc
Composition

There's a ton to learn but eventually you'll start to see how everything kinda ties in together. Just going around and looking at other peoples photos really helps too, seeing what is possible, how the photo is composed, and what areas around you might be good spots for photography.


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## The Donohoe (Oct 30, 2011)

Deviant said:


> First, yes that's my gallery, the waterfall photo is Niagara from the American side, thanks for the kind comments.
> 
> When there's low light, yes you can get more color with a longer exposure. You can also use the white-balance settings to bring in more color too. Daylight while balance tends to bring in more blues as well.
> In the case of the waterfall photo, I think it was around a 15 second exposure, but the color is from the lights changing cycle. It's lit up from the Canadian side at night and the multi-colors were from it going from pink to yellow-ish if I remember correctly.
> ...


Thanks for all the help. Do you know of a few photographer that do action sport photography, just so I can get a look at it and maybe see a style I may like to base my own style off of? A snowboarding album would be awesome but just anything with a moving target really. Biking, Surfing, Skateboarding just want to see what some of them might have to offer.


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## mdmike (Sep 18, 2010)

if your looking for a cheap easy to use video editing software. sony makes a couple lower end products that you can get fairly cheap. you can also download samples of their software so you can try it out and see if you like working with it first


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## turbospartan (Oct 27, 2010)

I'll bump this, as I am interested and a noob as well. 


What are everyone's thoughts on the new compact internchangable lense cameras, like the Nikon J1 (not N1), Lumix GH2 (cancel this, too expensive), Sony NEX, etc. ?

Worth it compared to a DSLR?

Edit: Found this online too.... http://www.target.com/p/Canon-EOS-R...ory-Card/-/A-13853142#?lnk=sc_qi_detailbutton


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## The Donohoe (Oct 30, 2011)

Well feel free to jump in, you may ask questions i otherwise wouldn't lol


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## turbospartan (Oct 27, 2010)

The Donohoe said:


> Well feel free to jump in, you may ask questions i otherwise wouldn't lol



Sorry didn't mean to thread jack. 

But I have been sort of researching this (not very in depth though) and people were talking about DSLR's in this thread... so I figured I'd throw out the option of these new style of cameras (I guess they are mirror-less or something?). 

They seem to bridge the gap between a regular point and shoot and a DSLR, but are much closer to the DSLR in terms of quality. 

Plus some of them can record 720p at 60fps and some have 1080p capabilities as well.


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## Tarzanman (Dec 20, 2008)

Photography and videography/cinematography are related, but still two distinct disciplines at the more skilled ends. If you are serious about getting into photography, then if you hit up some photography message boards you should be able to find an old entry level DSLR to purchase used and start getting your feet wet.

Yes, you can take a picture with any type of camera, but you will not learn as much about the technical aspects of taking photos from a point-and-shoot camera.

Unfortunately, although camera bodies go down in price with time, camera lenses tend to hold their value very well. Many even go up in price. One hard and fast rule is that it is the glass (lenses) that determines how sharp a photo can be (with a few exceptions). Going with a more common first camera (Canon/Nikon) will give you access to a greater number of compatible lenses.

The best time to get a new camera is when you find yourself hitting the limits of what your current equipment can do. 

With me, I was starting to realize how horrible the dynamic range and flash was on my point-and-shoot compared to my uncle's point and shoot. I got a DSLR (used) a couple of months after that.


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## Deviant (Dec 22, 2009)

The Donohoe:

Sorry forgot to reply about the snowboarding photographers. Jeff Curtes is one of the biggest names you'll see and always a ton of stuff in Transworld from him. Cole Barash (I think I'm spelling that right) is another.

TurboSpartan:

There's quite a few Canon bodies that will do the HD video, but to the best of my knowledge you have to use manual focusing. In my opinion you're still better off buying a DSLR instead of these hybrid cameras.


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## The Donohoe (Oct 30, 2011)

Thank you, I've been really lazy and caught up in school work so camera research has been the last thing on my mind, but hopefully this weekend I can get some research done.


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## Sean-h (Oct 21, 2011)

This is a photography school in New York, they have a very comprehensive website, but also offer correspondence courses. I am subscribed to their newsletter, which has lots of tips and tricks. I have yet to sign up for a course, although I would like to.

New York Institute of Photography


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