Education Vs Equipment

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4 Dec 2008 - 9:16 AM

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irishman

8

4 Dec 2008 - 9:22 AM

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Practice, pratcice, pratcice and then understand your camera inside out, know what all the functions are for and how to use them and at that stage upgrade your camera.

Personally, I'd forget about the university route but don't rule out part-time evening courses.

Chris_L

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4 Dec 2008 - 9:23 AM

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LOL @ us both saying practice three times!

elowes

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4 Dec 2008 - 10:03 AM

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University will benefit you in many ways and is something you should consider. You can obtain advice from the university and local colleges. Local colleges may do university level or City and Guilds courses.

Practice is a must and good advice given above. Better equipment is also good advice but the equipment is only as good as the photographer. Spending large sums of money won't make you a better photographer though in my case it gives me a warm glow inside The 400D is a capable camera in the right hands. Perhaps a decent lens or two may be worthwhile and a decent flash will come in useful.

Some people have been successful in photography without doing any course and others who have done a course have not. It really is down to your drive and ambition. It is not just going to happen no matter what.

One thing you can do is to get out to local events and shoot some pictures. You will not have time to be timid so will have to push yourself forward without treading on the toes of the photographers there who are making a living at it and who know what they are doing. If you behave with respect they may even give you the benefit of their experience which something I have found in most cases if they don't see you as an immediate threat. If they are miserable sods, as some are, just move on.

Small locally lead charities will often welcome free pictures. If you have a local market then use that as an opportunity. don't be afraid to ask.

Local shop keepers will often let you take pictures. If you are building a portfolio then explain it to them and offer them a copy of a print. You can also offer to sell or give the best photos to something like the local council, Town Centre Manager (if you have one), local magazines, businesses, news letters etc.

If you are into landscapes, portraits or studio work a different approach is needed but again don't be afraid to try it out. Landscapes are generally free, studios cost but for portrait work the ambient light is free and models are easy to get.

Edit

I make a very small amount of money from photography. I used to do home portrait shoots, local football clubs and a little industrial work many years back when I worked as a police photographer. You would be surprised at what people will pay money for!! Now I do some event work locally and have done a few portraits. If I have made £1,000 in the last two years that is as much. I have probably spent £2,000 on replacement kit in that time.

richard00

5

4 Dec 2008 - 10:51 AM

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3 fps is fine for a lot of sports - I've used a 400D, and rarely used that option - you end up filling the buffer too soon [shooting raw], thats why I got a 40D with a larger buffer, not the 6.5fps. A 40D [pair really] with some L lenses or fast primes is good enough for most people covering sport - no weather sealing, but a rain sleeve and a towel will stop most. A 5D has obvious advantages too.
And if you're using flash, single shot is the way to go to help with recycling times

rowarrior

4

4 Dec 2008 - 6:33 PM

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I carried out a few experiments over the summer with sports stuff, and even when I had AI Servo mode on, the first shot was almost always the best of a sequence. The biggest trick I found was tracking things (yeah, I'm sure the pros have grown past this, but it helped me lol) Keep the eye open that's not looking through the viewfinder, and move the camera with the subject, then you're poised to press the shutter at the moment they do the critical move/trick. The more used you are to the subject, the more you can anticipate, and not look like quite such a numpty with the camera glued to your eye by moving it up later

Chris_L

8

4 Dec 2008 - 9:50 PM

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Three things you can tell us that would help us advise you better

What is your current kit, lenses, which flash etc.?

What's a realistic budget for any new gear you might need?

What are you going to be shooting?

Events/Freelance covers a multitude of things. In order of how much you're likely to shoot; greatest first.

Chris_L

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4 Dec 2008 - 11:39 PM

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There's 101 ways to spend that money.

There's no need to spend it all.

I'd buy a 40D, relegate your 400D to a back up body. You'll find the 40D focusses faster, processes faster and takes more shots per second and for longer. If later you went for a 1 Series camera, the 40D would make a fab back up body.

Your lenses are ****. For your close shots it's a toss up between the 24-105L f4.0 IS and 24-70L f2.8.

For telephoto work (like the rugby) 70-200 L series lens as a minimum. f2.8 is better than f4.0 but costs more and is heavier. IS (Image Stabilisation) is nice to have but adds to the price and is not completely essential.

If you get a 40D, one of the suggested wide L lenses and one of the suggested L telephotos, you will see a dramatic difference in sharpness, contrast, colour and you will miss less shots due to faster body, faster focusing body lens combo.

So easy really one new body, two new lenses and you're good to go!

You can add a much higher quality wider lens later when you see what route your photography takes (you can get by with the 18-55 for now). You can add a decent flash later, get a 580EX instead of mucking about with other models.