The Official Photography Thread - Vol. 3

[COLOR=#red]Here's an excerpt from an article I read about a pro photog who upgraded from a Full Frame camera into a Digital Medium Format system (medium format sensors dwarf even full frame sensors). In the excerpt he mentions making do with what you have at the time and in due me you'll be able to upgrade. I've always stated in this thread that awesome equipment doesn't necessarily mean you are a pro, and entry level/costumer oriented equipment doesn't mean you can only be an amateur.[/COLOR]

I say all this to say that if a $2,200 camera body to you today is, in your mind, the pinnacle of quality and “really expensive” you should spend some time looking at the recent history of photography and realize how “cheap” that camera actually is comparatively. I’m about to start talking about a $25,000 camera system I just bought into that a few years ago would have been $50,000 or more. Ten years ago it wasn’t even on the map.

That is sort of what it’s like pulling the Phase (the name of his medium format cam system) out on jobs. No more hanging out with your D700 while the client talks about buying his wife the new D4. It’s a pro camera for pro jobs. I’m not shooting $50 bands anymore. I started there. Doesn’t mean I need to stay there. That sounds “smarmy” and I don’t want it to. I don’t want you to think I’m just rolling deep. YES this camera was as much as a car but… so is my 35mm kit. Take note that making this move was a tough decision and one that I’ve been working toward for at least four years now. Note that I have a new camera but an old car. I have a new camera but some old shoes. I have a new camera but furniture that I pay cash for instead of financing. You can buy a new car and have a decent camera or keep pushing your old one and have a better camera. I remember assisting Joe McNally about five years ago. As I helped Brad Moore unload Joe’s Suburban I was doing photo math in my head. Photo math isn’t figuring out reciprocals. It’s figuring out how much money another photographer has in gear. I quickly figured that Joe had more money in Lightware cases alone then I had in all of my gear combined. That was just his bags. Then I realized Joe had been pushing that button on a camera since I was in diapers. He didn’t start with a Suburban full of Lightware cases. He started with a camera and a lens. Whatever gear you have now, no matter how “measly” it seems, will not be the same gear you have 10, 20, 30 years from now if you continue that long in photography.
 
A few of the pics I feel good about, critiques are appreciated:

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Its 9am over here right now, gonna go and do one of those big bus tours. My day shots haven't been good imo. Hope I can snap some better shots today.
 
Ended up going to a Holi event on Saturday. Wish I took more shots, I was just worried about ruining my camera. I saw a bunch of people shooting with (seemingly) unprotected entry-level DSLRs though. I heard that it was colored corn starch being thrown around. I know my D3200 isn't weather sealed so can't the corn starch get in and damage the camera?
 
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Just got gifted a D3200 with 18-55mm and 55-200mm lenses.

Anyone got any advice for a n00b just starting out?
 
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Just got gifted a D3200 with 18-55mm and 55-200mm lenses.

Anyone got any advice for a n00b just starting out?
From one noob to another: don't go too crazy buying lenses and other gear. Work with what you have and just keep shooting.

However, when you do feel comfortable shooting and want to buy another lens, I highly recommend the Nikon 35mm f/1.8G. It's relatively cheap and I find it extremely useful. I don't think I've used the kit lens since I got the 35 earlier this year. 
 
haha thanks, Khan. i think i could've done better with the composition i think but i was by myself and looking over my shoulder ever snap since i was in a sketchy part of town. still learning exposure so i think this would be a good place to play around
 
Would have been really cool to see some of those a little underexposed and just letting the light from the sun lighting the ground up. That looks like a cool spot to snap some portraits for some look book.
 
^^^Yeah, something like that. Even darker would be more interesting. Honestly I am not even a 100% sure how to shoot something like that cause I've tried it and never quite get a good balance of light and dark. Maybe even a little HDR would have helped.



These are some examples I pulled from Google:

old-room-abandoned-places-room-with-a-bed-gary-heller.jpg
amazing-old-and-abandoned-house.jpg
abandoned-places-asylum-old-windows-waiting-room-gary-heller.jpg
abandoned_01.jpg
abandoned-building-old-asylum-open-cabinet-doors-gary-heller.jpg
 
^^^yea that makes sense. I'm hoping i can get some decent ones when i go back......and no drugged up homeless guys waiting in the shadows.
 
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