New here

[Mrflippers]

Hi everyone! I am a new member here. I am not really a very good photographer, but I really want to get better. I currently don't have a SLR camera, but I am saving up for one. My birthday is less than a month away and I am hoping that I will get the last $60 then! I love to take pictures of animals and flowers. Go to this link to see some of my pictures from the Omaha Zoo:
www.dropshots.com/mrflippers#date/2007

[Buddy4344]

Welcome.

This site is a good place to get feedback. Make sure you enter 2 shots each week into the contest and, with time, the folks will learn your style and where you are trying to take your work. From there, you will grow. Good luck.

[Mrflippers]

Oh, and I forgot to say I am 12 years old. I am not sure how many people will check my profile so yeah.

[Sambo]

Welcome Grant! I already like your style (-:. Please participate in the contest as Buddy has mentioned. I promise you, if you like making photographs, and are serious about learning, this is the place to be. And please, feel free to comment and express your feelings about other members' work. Not just the good things, but the things you don't like as well. That's how we all help each other. I look forward to seeing your stuff!

Sam

[Mrflippers]

Thanks Sam! I am glad you like my pictures. Also, since the link is way too long, if you want to see what camera I intend to buy, go to Amazon.com and search for Konica Minolta Dimage A1 5MP Digital Camera with 7x Anti Shake Optical Zoom. I am curious to see if you guys think it will be a good camera for me.

[Mrflippers]

Hi everyone! I'm sorry I haven't been on much at all, but school and sports (and my girlfriend) have been keeping me busy and I just remembered this site a little while ago! I have a lot of pictures to share so see you all around!

P.S.
I still don't have an SLR, but I really like the camera I got last Christmas so I don't know when I'll get one.

[Rrdjserv]

At 12 years old, you will find it difficult to dedicate yourself to photography; too many other interests. A couple words of advice:
1) Watch you light direction carefull and also your point of view. Keep on the same plane as your subject. (Exceptions permitted.)
2) Join a photography club at school. You will learn a lot.
3) Use your money on a good camera. Girlfriends will come and go, but a camera will be you friend for years to come. :-)

--Rick

[Mrflippers]

Thanks for the advice Rick. Out of curiosity, what kind of camera would be good for me? I've looked at a lot of them, and the Nikon D40 is in my price range, but I don't know if its a good camera for me.

[Rrdjserv]

Hi Grant-

At 12, I would have jumped out of my skin to have a camera like the D40. I had a pee green box camera, which was a piece of junk compared by today's standards, but I enjoyed it very much. My grandfather had a dark room and processed his own film. He was the one who got me interested in phtography.

I read a review on http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40/ and the camera looks very nice. $500-$600 is a lot of money for your age, but if you treat it like a fine instrument, it should last a long time. If you decide to purchase news lenes in the future, be sure to get high quality glass.

At first, you will want to take photos of everything that moves, and doesn't move. That's fine. Get to know your camera. Then start looking at shapes and textures and shadows. Be aware of your background. Look for unusual angles. Check out the macro world. Experiment with b&w. Let your creativity flow through your camera.

Good luck with your hobby. Keep posting so we can watch your progress.

--Rick

[SMcEvoy]

Grant, if you can afford a D40, go for it. Nikon makes awesome SLR's - starter range to pro. I speak from experience as I've had my D50 for three years now and still love it. I've added a couple of upgraded lenses to it, and a flash, but the kit lens (18-55) does extremely well on most of my shots. My website is here: www.photoswithfinesse.com and most of the shots on it have been taken with the D50 - the few that weren't were taken with a Minolta DiMage Z1 - my first digital camera. I still use the kit lens for the majority of my landscapes. If you've got the knack (and I think you have) you can take good pictures with any camera. You'll learn a lot off this site as you read the commments on other peoples photos.

If you want to comment on people's shots, then start with what you like and then think about the 'what if's'. e.g. What if you cropped it this way... What if you looked at it from a lower angle etc. Those can be suggestions for people to learn from - or look at their photos from a different perspective. We learn a lot when other people share their thoughts.

Good luck and enjoy your time on byte! I, unfortunately, don't have as much time as I used to spend in here - probably because photography is taking up more of my time now too.