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I'm a Newcomer
Nov 22, 2016 07:40:58 #
Hi. I'm Harry, I live in Bristol (England), I'm 60 years old and I've been a 'bit of a photographer' since childhood. My first real camera was a Halina A1 twin lens reflex. I progressed through a Zenit B with the Helios 58mm lens, to a little Ricoh SLR (I can't remember the model). My first digital camera was a Minolta DiMAGE 3Mp compact. Then I actually managed to get a brand-new Fujifilm Finepix S7000 - bridge camera with 6Mp but pretending to be 12. I adored that camera and I took thousands of shots (mostly crap) with it. Sadly I had a fall whilst trying to take some close-ups of wild orchids and landed in the road, banging my head badly and also banging the camera hard on the tarmac.
My next camera was a (very) used Panasonic FZ7 which I liked but did not keep for long as I had a birthday coming up.
My wife had recently died and my son wanted to splash out a bit to cheer me up so he sold my Panasonic in part exchange for a Canon EOS 1200D (used, of course) with the kit 18-55mm lens. This is the camera I still have two years on and I expect to continue with it for a long time yet. I saved up and bought the 55-250mm 'kit' lens and those two cover most of my needs.
With this camera/lens combination I recently attended a photography course. After a lifetime of taking photographs - with the occasional lucky good one - I have finally begun to really think about my composition. After ten weeks of classes (one evening per week plus a few field trips) the quality of my images has rocketed. I would strongly recommend beginners and even old guys like me to do a course. It's amazing how much I learned. This particular course is run every year by a club called the Bristol Photographic Society and is taught by several people including professionals. I'd be willing to bet that wherever you are in the world, there is a club near you that can either run a course or point you toward one.
At the end of the course we had a little competition and one of my images was placed 1st. I was stunned! Yes I had thought about what image I wanted and how to achieve it but I really did not expect to get anywhere. I had seen the images produced during the course by some of other students and I was not exactly brimming with confidence.
I have just shelled out a (for me) vast amount of money on a used Sigma 150-500mm lens with which I intend to do wildlife photography. But first I need to study the beasts before trying to photograph them or my images will still be mediocre - just like they were before I did the course.
So now my girlfriend has declared that she is a 'photography widow' and I am much more keen on my photography than I ever was before.
My next camera was a (very) used Panasonic FZ7 which I liked but did not keep for long as I had a birthday coming up.
My wife had recently died and my son wanted to splash out a bit to cheer me up so he sold my Panasonic in part exchange for a Canon EOS 1200D (used, of course) with the kit 18-55mm lens. This is the camera I still have two years on and I expect to continue with it for a long time yet. I saved up and bought the 55-250mm 'kit' lens and those two cover most of my needs.
With this camera/lens combination I recently attended a photography course. After a lifetime of taking photographs - with the occasional lucky good one - I have finally begun to really think about my composition. After ten weeks of classes (one evening per week plus a few field trips) the quality of my images has rocketed. I would strongly recommend beginners and even old guys like me to do a course. It's amazing how much I learned. This particular course is run every year by a club called the Bristol Photographic Society and is taught by several people including professionals. I'd be willing to bet that wherever you are in the world, there is a club near you that can either run a course or point you toward one.
At the end of the course we had a little competition and one of my images was placed 1st. I was stunned! Yes I had thought about what image I wanted and how to achieve it but I really did not expect to get anywhere. I had seen the images produced during the course by some of other students and I was not exactly brimming with confidence.
I have just shelled out a (for me) vast amount of money on a used Sigma 150-500mm lens with which I intend to do wildlife photography. But first I need to study the beasts before trying to photograph them or my images will still be mediocre - just like they were before I did the course.
So now my girlfriend has declared that she is a 'photography widow' and I am much more keen on my photography than I ever was before.
Nov 22, 2016 07:45:34 #
Welcome Harry..if you want some great advice, this is the place to get it (not from me though!)
Nov 22, 2016 07:46:06 #
Check out Bridge Camera Show Case section of our forum.
Nov 22, 2016 07:53:22 #
Thanks everyone.
Actually I made a daft error. My current camera is not a 1200D - it is an 1100D. Yep it's knocking on a bit (and so am I) but it still works fine (unlike me) and I hope it keeps going for a few more years, especially now I'm really learning how to use it.
Actually I made a daft error. My current camera is not a 1200D - it is an 1100D. Yep it's knocking on a bit (and so am I) but it still works fine (unlike me) and I hope it keeps going for a few more years, especially now I'm really learning how to use it.
Nov 22, 2016 07:53:42 #
Nov 22, 2016 08:01:16 #
Nov 22, 2016 08:04:20 #
Harry_in_England wrote:
Hi. I'm Harry, I live in Bristol (England), I'm 60... (show quote)
Hey Harry, please share your winning image with us, I for one would enjoy viewing it, as others may too.
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Nov 22, 2016 08:12:41 #
Nov 22, 2016 08:18:08 #
leftj
Loc: Texas
Silverman wrote:
Hey Harry, please share your winning image with us, I for one would enjoy viewing it, as others may too.
Ditto that request and welcome to UHH.
Nov 22, 2016 08:21:01 #
Oke doke. She's my girlfriend and she's been extremely supportive of my efforts to improve my photography skills.
She agreed to 'pose' for me, thinking she'd just 'get it over with' but she actually had a whale of a time, laughing the whole way through and the competition judge picked up on that. Winning that little competition in the paddling pool has certainly given me the confidence to slide into the shallow end of the big pool next.
She agreed to 'pose' for me, thinking she'd just 'get it over with' but she actually had a whale of a time, laughing the whole way through and the competition judge picked up on that. Winning that little competition in the paddling pool has certainly given me the confidence to slide into the shallow end of the big pool next.
Nov 22, 2016 08:30:19 #
leftj
Loc: Texas
Harry_in_England wrote:
Oke doke. She's my girlfriend and she's been extremely supportive of my efforts to improve my photography skills.
She agreed to 'pose' for me, thinking she'd just 'get it over with' but she actually had a whale of a time, laughing the whole way through and the competition judge picked up on that. Winning that little competition in the paddling pool has certainly given me the confidence to slide into the shallow end of the big pool next.
She agreed to 'pose' for me, thinking she'd just 'get it over with' but she actually had a whale of a time, laughing the whole way through and the competition judge picked up on that. Winning that little competition in the paddling pool has certainly given me the confidence to slide into the shallow end of the big pool next.
I love it! It looks like a real moment, not just a posed one.
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Nov 22, 2016 11:16:47 #
Welcome to the forum. You'll enjoy your 150-500. Great for birds in flight. Have fun.
Nov 22, 2016 12:06:55 #
Nov 23, 2016 06:37:57 #
Hello Harry, you will like it on here, there are many very knowledgeable people on here, just as anything you want and you will soon get answer.
Nov 23, 2016 07:40:15 #
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.
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