This post and the following several come from classes in Digital Photography and Photo Editing which I taught at Colorado Mountain College (CMC). I am not a professional photographer so the tips are aimed at beginners and are geared to the technical, not artistic side of digital photography. I will not address composition, lighting and creative use of lenses, filters, etc. and photo editing software.
Hopefully you will pick up some tips on equipment, accessories and saving, cataloging and basic editing of your photos. Once you are comfortable with the basics, let your creative juices flow and create those eye-catching, awe-inspiring or just plain fun shots.
To the future Ansel Adams among you, enjoy.
The first few tips will deal with selecting hardware. I don't intend to review any products, just some ideas on what to look for as you shop to replace or upgrade your digital camera. If any of you don't have a digital camera here are some things to keep in mind for that first one.
Before we start, a few tips about the sales people whom you will be meeting. While some are quite knowledgeable and actually use the equipment they are trying to sell you, many are not.
My first tip is, before you even mention what you are looking for, ask the sales person what he or she personally uses. Are the a point and shoot photographer or have they advanced to a full digital SLR with a variety of lenses and accessories? If their level of experience is not greater than your own move on.
On the other hand, be careful of the self professed expert, they may either try to dazzle you with their brilliance of baffle you with their bull****. Don't be afraid to ask questions. If you are interested in snaps of family members or simple vacation pictures, run, don't walk to the exit when they start talking about aperture settings, shutter speeds, focal lengths, frame rates and recycle times.
Determine what you need and start there. My next post will address how to lay out you needs and wants and to prioritize them.
The question of where to shop depends on what's available. Here in the mountains, it Wal-Mart or online. In even a small city there are dedicated camera shops, whose staff are usually more knowledgeable and helpful than Wal-Mart. Shopping on line requires that you do all the work and research in advance, but the prices are usually better.
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