When I first decided to get back into photography, it was because I wanted to appreciate the beauty of the things around me. It's very hard to break away from "the grass is always greener" mindset. That's not something you can do with photography. Photography is snapping present moment. You can wait for the shot, but what you get is what is there.

I had started taking pictures of parks and places nearby. Photography forced me to go out into the sun and find memories. I'm really not good yet, and I always forget to switch some setting or other. To my surprise (and much happiness!) one of my photos got picked for an online DC guide.

I didn't get any royalties for it or anything, but it was good to be featured somewhere. It's great encouragement!

I have to start editing my other photos next! It's just so much work sometimes, though!

Top 100 - Simplified Tips and Tricks

I finished reading Top 100 Simplified Tips & Tricks, Digital Photography 2nd ed. on the plane. Such a simple book with lots of pictures, but it's good because I find that digital photography books can be hard when you're learning on your own and are starting from zero. Until you start familiarizing yourself with the camera and the concepts, it can all go over your head. I'm sure that once I've read some books over and over, it will all get simpler. I think that there is no shame in starting from a dummies book, or an extremely simplified book, and going on from there.

I noticed that a 3rd edition had already been released. It's worth getting and reading over and over, especially when certain things just don't stick to your head!

Nikon Lens Problem?

From an earlier post, I said that I was using a 24-120 mm lens. Apparently, according to Ken Rockwell, it is one of the worst lenses ever made by Nikon! Ugh! For so long now, I have been wondering why my shots aren't as sharp as I would like them to be. I thought it was because of my hands, or lack of a tripod,...or something (maybe it was both). Finally, I began to wonder if maybe my lens just wasn't making the cut. So I've been checking reviews, and voila..one of the worst lenses ever? Sniff.

Anyway, I really don't have the money right now to upgrade to another lens, considering I'm just a beginner, a student, and I have no job. Soon, I will just be a beginner, with no job! At least that will give me all the time in the world to take pictures, although without the money to travel for more interesting photos. Greedy me!

Right now, on my lens wish list, I have 2:
1) 18-200 mm
2) 14-24 mm f/2.8

My D80 is also getting obsolete. Technology just moves way too fast! Maybe what I will do in the meantime is just learn composition with the stuff I have. I mean, a beginner like me can't afford to spend on all those gadgets.

I just read some reviews on Amazon. Some people said that the 24-120 mm lens is excellent. It appears that it is the VR that causes the pictures to be less sharp. Someone mentioned that one should turn the VR off under normal light. I should give try that out. Otherwise, I will just have to wait some more. In the meantime, I will have to make do with what I have, which is already a lot for a beginner! Lens reviews by photographers are really confusing. For example, Ken Rockwell loves the 18-200 mm lens, but you can see some bad reviews about it, too. If some people tell me that I have to know my own mind, well...I don't, because I haven't had enough experience with lenses. All I know is that sometimes, a point and shoot camera seems to take better pictures than my SLR does, and costs so much less!

Inner Harbor, Baltimore

 

I suppose this is a cliche'd picture, taken on a sightseeing trip to Baltimore in January 2009. I don't know why pictures I take tend to be a little fuzzy. I guess my hands might not be so steady, and I seem to be too lazy to bring a tripod around. I think this picture would have been better taken using a wider lens with a wider aperture setting. It's too bad that the red buildings on the back can hardly be seen. Plus, a tripod would have helped quite a bit, too!

I still don't know how to use photoshop, I'm sure I'll learn as I go along. The books I've been reading haven't been too helpful, especially since I can't seem to apply the principles yet. Maybe if I take more pictures, it will all start making more sense to me.

What grabbed my attention in this scene that made me take the picture are the small ice formations on the water that formed a certain natural symmetry.

Photography - First Steps

I would like to try to take photos again. I am not a very good photographer, but I would like to learn, though! I hope somehow, that I can bring in my own personal taste and eye into the pictures I take.

So far, I think I have all the required equipment. I have had a Nikon D80 for the past 2 years and 3 nice lenses (nikon 24-120 mm, nikon 50 mm 1.4F, and a nikon 18-35 mm). My favorite, so far, is the nikon 24-120 mm. That's the one I use all the time.

I also bought a tripod from Radioshack. It's a Targus 66" silver tripod, on sale for only $19.99. Another thing to be happy about is the point and shoot camera I bought, a Canon SD880 IS, which I picked up from Amazon for $240.99. It's not that cheap. I think it was on sale at dell.com last December for about $199+. I really need a camera I can take around with me all the time, though. I love my D80, but it's so big that I might break my back carrying it!

I am out of practice, though. I had not been very good to begin with, but a huge camera and heavy tomes are not valid excuses for continuing to practice! Thus, I finally gave in and got that point and shoot.

I would like to take some classes, but with the ongoing recession and my inability to get a job, I think I should try to make do with what I have. As part of my self-study, the following books are in my reading list:

Starting Photography 5th ed., by Langford & Andrews
The Art of Digital Photography - by John Hedgecoe

Perhaps, as part of my personal course, I will try to post a picture at least once a week.

It is a windy day here in DC. I wonder if the wind will carry a good shot with it?