Suppose I'd best introduce myself!

Even though I've made a couple of posts already... I started photography a few Years ago with an old Nikon F65 that I loved to bits. I fought the "digital revolution" for some time before finally realising that they were the way forward when I invested in a 2nd hand D100. There followed a few dissapointing Years as it slowly dawned on me that I'd bought more camera than I was capable of using! I finally bought some books and started trying to learn more about the hobby a few months ago and started my first tentative shots using manual mode. It was all going quite well, but I kept getting shots ruined by dust on the sensor (my D100 seemed very prone to it?) I was also getting extremely frustrated at not being able to take decent wildlife shots, being hampered in some ways by the cheap old lenses I'd amassed along the way. Anyway, I made the decision recently to sell the lot and start again with a Nikon D90 and to only buy kit of reasonable quality so that I couldn't blame the tools for my poor results. So far, I only have the kit 18-55 and my new Sigma 105mm macro (that turned up yesterday) but all seems to be going Ok so far. I've no doubt I'll bore you all silly over the coming Months/Years (I really know nothing!) in my quest to improve my photography. Anyway, thanks for all the help I've received so far, speak soon, Chris

Even though I've made a couple of posts already...

I started photography a few Years ago with an old Nikon F65 that I loved to bits.
I fought the "digital revolution" for some time before finally realising that they were the way forward when I invested in a 2nd hand D100.
There followed a few dissapointing Years as it slowly dawned on me that I'd bought more camera than I was capable of using!
I finally bought some books and started trying to learn more about the hobby a few months ago and started my first tentative shots using manual mode. It was all going quite well, but I kept getting shots ruined by dust on the sensor (my D100 seemed very prone to it?)
I was also getting extremely frustrated at not being able to take decent wildlife shots, being hampered in some ways by the cheap old lenses I'd amassed along the way.
Anyway, I made the decision recently to sell the lot and start again with a Nikon D90 and to only buy kit of reasonable quality so that I couldn't blame the tools for my poor results.
So far, I only have the kit 18-55 and my new Sigma 105mm macro (that turned up yesterday) but all seems to be going Ok so far.

I've no doubt I'll bore you all silly over the coming Months/Years (I really know nothing!) in my quest to improve my photography.

Anyway, thanks for all the help I've received so far, speak soon,

Chris

[quote]I was also getting extremely frustrated at not being able to take decent wildlife shots, being hampered in some ways by the cheap old lenses I'd amassed along the way. Anyway, I made the decision recently to sell the lot and start again with a Nikon D90 [/quote] ....why not post some of these shots...let's have a look.....wise move though on the D90 idea. :) .....Mike

Quote:I was also getting extremely frustrated at not being able to take decent wildlife shots, being hampered in some ways by the cheap old lenses I'd amassed along the way.
Anyway, I made the decision recently to sell the lot and start again with a Nikon D90


....why not post some of these shots...let's have a look.....wise move though on the D90 idea.

.....Mike

[quote]I've no doubt I'll bore you all silly over the coming Months/Years (I really know nothing!) in my quest to improve my photography. Chris[/quote] Reading your post it seems you've learnt many of the valuable nuggets of knowledge already it’ll be techniques & skills now which is the easy part compared to knowing the lessons you’ve already mentioned Agree with Mike the sooner you can upload the pics the better

Quote:I've no doubt I'll bore you all silly over the coming Months/Years (I really know nothing!) in my quest to improve my photography.
Chris


Reading your post it seems you've learnt many of the valuable nuggets of knowledge already it’ll be techniques & skills now which is the easy part compared to knowing the lessons you’ve already mentioned

Agree with Mike the sooner you can upload the pics the better

Hi Chris, Sounds like you have some good and hard experiances, and the dedication to keep improving. These should all fit right in with loads of others that want to also keep improving and those who are happy to help other's keep improving too. I look forward to seeing your 1st few uploads, the sigma Macro should be amazing. and even the kit lenses are fine for most uses. Snap away and upload a few you like to the critique gallery and others will offer advice in exchange for a constructive critique vote where applicable. Keep enjoying, we may never get completly perect shots but we get damm close sometimes and that make it all worth it. Cheers, Stuart

Hi Chris,

Sounds like you have some good and hard experiances, and the dedication to keep improving. These should all fit right in with loads of others that want to also keep improving and those who are happy to help other's keep improving too. I look forward to seeing your 1st few uploads, the sigma Macro should be amazing. and even the kit lenses are fine for most uses. Snap away and upload a few you like to the critique gallery and others will offer advice in exchange for a constructive critique vote where applicable.

Keep enjoying, we may never get completly perect shots but we get damm close sometimes and that make it all worth it.

Cheers,
Stuart

I'm sure you will love the Sigma 105mm. Its a great lens, I'd be lost without it to be honest.

I'm sure you will love the Sigma 105mm. Its a great lens, I'd be lost without it to be honest.

welcome aboard :)

welcome aboard

Thanks for the warm welcome and advice :) I could put some shots up, but there probably isn't any point really. I'm very lucky in that there's a huge nature reserve just down the road from home that has a healthy poulation of Marsh Harriers that I spent a lot of time on last summer trying to get decent shots of with my 70-300mm telephoto. One evening, there was perfect light, low sunlight reflecting off the marshes straight upwards and a young harrier that was circling about 50 yards from me! Even with such perfect conditions, the shutter speed just wasn't fast enough to capture a decent image without turning the iso so high that it would introduce noise so I was left with slightly blurry, frustrating images. Thing is, they're quite fast birds, they never stop moving and you're not allowed out of the car (in case you disturb them) so it's very difficult to hold the camera steady. I'm going to invest in a decent-ish telephoto next Year to give myself a fighting chance (probably the Sigma 150-500mm?) but I shall ask for some advice nearer the time as I can't justify spending over £1000.00 on a lens as a hobbyist. I shall certainly upload some new pics though once I've got a bit more familiar with the D90, the critique gallery looks a fantastic way to learn :) cheers, Chris :) EDIT: Oh, and Merry Christmas all !!! EDIT Again ;) happened to have a shot on photobucket to show you waht I mean and this is about the best of litteraly hundreds of shots [IMG]http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h130/course-its-reefsafe/DSC_3929.jpg[/IMG]

Thanks for the warm welcome and advice

I could put some shots up, but there probably isn't any point really. I'm very lucky in that there's a huge nature reserve just down the road from home that has a healthy poulation of Marsh Harriers that I spent a lot of time on last summer trying to get decent shots of with my 70-300mm telephoto.
One evening, there was perfect light, low sunlight reflecting off the marshes straight upwards and a young harrier that was circling about 50 yards from me!
Even with such perfect conditions, the shutter speed just wasn't fast enough to capture a decent image without turning the iso so high that it would introduce noise so I was left with slightly blurry, frustrating images.
Thing is, they're quite fast birds, they never stop moving and you're not allowed out of the car (in case you disturb them) so it's very difficult to hold the camera steady.
I'm going to invest in a decent-ish telephoto next Year to give myself a fighting chance (probably the Sigma 150-500mm?) but I shall ask for some advice nearer the time as I can't justify spending over £1000.00 on a lens as a hobbyist.

I shall certainly upload some new pics though once I've got a bit more familiar with the D90, the critique gallery looks a fantastic way to learn

cheers,

Chris

EDIT: Oh, and Merry Christmas all !!!

EDIT Again happened to have a shot on photobucket to show you waht I mean and this is about the best of litteraly hundreds of shots

[IMG]http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h130/course-its-reefsafe/DSC_3929.jpg[/IMG]

Apologies, just read the terms & conditions and it seems I probably shouldn't have posted that link, but I can't now edit it out. Should've read those first...

Apologies, just read the terms & conditions and it seems I probably shouldn't have posted that link, but I can't now edit it out.

Should've read those first...

If you scroll down to the bottom of the page (in fact at the bottom of every page) you will find 'Create Report' (under More Info), click on that and follow the instructions. The-guys-in-the-back-room will be able to sort it out for you! :)

If you scroll down to the bottom of the page (in fact at the bottom of every page) you will find 'Create Report' (under More Info), click on that and follow the instructions. The-guys-in-the-back-room will be able to sort it out for you!