WHAT KIND OF CAMERA SHOULD I GET?
In the past 6 months or so I have had several people ask me what kind of camera I have and what kind they should purchase. I have the Canon Rebel XS EOS with 3 lenses: 50 mm, 18-55mm, and 75-300mm. I purchased my camera in kit. Since purchasing my camera this way, I have heard from some experts say this is not recommended. However, at the time of purchase I knew I wanted a nice camera but had not the slightest clue about anything photography! So for me at the time, purchasing my camera in a kit was SO much simpler than purchasing lenses, etc. seperately. I have loved my camera and I glad I went about purchasing it in the way I did. Here is a GREAT resource I have found since then on purchasing a camera. Jennifer Warthan, from Warthan Farms Photography, offers some great tips on purchasing a camera and what lenses you should purchase to have a good start-up kit.
Warthan Farms Photography - What kind of camera should I get?
Jennifer offers some photography workshops that I would LOVE to go to someday...it's on my bucket list!
RENTING CAMERA BODIES AND LENSES
I learned this past week from one of my professional photography friends, Wrenn Bird Photography, that there is such thing as "renting" cameras and camera accessories. Cool huh? So you might be wondering why on earth you would want to do this. This would be a good way to try out lenses and flashes before you buy. You can rent for 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, etc. An example would be, I am going to shoot a wedding in October and will need an external flash. I don't currently own an external flash but I could rent one for the week. Neat-o.
BorrowLenses.com
LEARNING HOW TO OPERATE YOUR CAMERA
Here is a YouTube video for learning the basic functions of your camera. This one is specifically for the Canon Rebel. However, there are many more out there and I am sure there are videos for Nikon, etc.
LEARNING TO SHOOT WITHOUT USING THE AUTOMATIC SETTING
When you buy your camera it will come with a handy dandy little manual. I have heard it said by several professionals that you should read that handy dandy little thing over and over until it's clearer than mud. If you are anything like me, I would rather read a blog or watch a youtube video. Here are some resources I have used over and over and would highly recommend.
The Pioneer Woman has a photography tab on her blog that is excellent. She did a little series called, "What the heck is Aperture?" EXCELLENT. This is a great resource for learning how to shoot photos without using the automatic mode! (It's not as scary as it sounds!)
What the heck is Aperture? Part 1.
What the heck is Aperture? Part 2.
What the heck is Aperture? Part 3.
What the heck is Aperture? Part 4.
Hope this has helped...GOOD LUCK! LJ
