Glad to give a helpful response. All who use cameras are not pros or highly skilled amateurs. Post so we know how things work out.

I agree market forces are a better force to govern the laws of supply and demand than anything else.

To quote the article you referenced, professional photographers, "buy Adobe products because you make amazing products and tools for creative people like us." Information Technology business areas went through a similar push when Microsoft changed its licensing model. The world does change.

I agree with the article and back the suggestion that would provide for a more reasonable transition. However, one must note that it appears there is a significant population of unhappy professional photographers. It is possible they want to remain back level on their media tools at a heightened cost to the supplier. Perhaps you could take them under your wing and transition them happily to Gimp at no charge.

Factory cleaning teams most often use a clean room for lenses and sensors. They are equipped to deal with foreign matter better than a lot of camera stores. Also, don't rule out oil and micro dust build-up that seeped through lens adjustment fittings. I would recommend you go to a camera store you trust and price sending out one piece of equipment for a factory cleaning. Put a loop on the lens to make sure you know what the intrusion looks like. Then loop it again after the cleaning. Before you invest in all equipment, price trade-in/replacement at Adorama camera (a good barometer for used equip) before you pay for referbs on all your old gear.

You let on that you know little about photography but need photo support. I shoot a Sony AX, so I am biased. However, I have recommended several persons with little experience to use Sony photographic equipment. They are happy with Sony. I support the SONY over my old Nikon for several reasons important to your described need. Sony lens are much faster and quieter than Nikon or Cannon. The camera's frames per second meets or beats the field. Megapixel sizes are competitive. Stay away from Tamron A-mounts (performance is noticeably lower). They are noisy and slow. Memory stick picture capture is extremely fast. In addition, you should kit-up with a few telephoto lenses. My son runs marathons and the like. I focus on him as far away as I can and shoot continuous until his number disappears going away. In a digital world, there is no waste in shooting a lot of throwaway pics. However, I seem to get better-adjusted shoots with the camera in AUTO than people standing near me using brands that are more common. It could be the same with horses.

If it comes to a function/feature comparison, photoshop gets the nod. Also upgrades, fixes, macros from others, integration with PDFs, as well as portability makes it the choice for the serious. There is a reason media professionals are Photoshop heavy. Personally I don't like open source. Bugs hang on and there is little market preasure to push them forward. If you spent a few hundred bucks on a competitive DSLR why would you balk at paying the freight for your media tool? Those that I know who use GIMP are happy with their situation so foregoing opinions are just one point of view.

Your location just says California so I have no idea what kind of winter you get or would have to drive to capture. Yet will remind you if you do have seasonal target area with good summer shots in your portfolio, go back where you had some good work and shoot with winter folage (or lack of it). You can look to improve lines, textures, patterns because of thinner cover or changed background. I think that the lines, textures and patterns are the earth as we percieve it.

I carry a Nikon 6006 loaded with black and white usually staying with a 35-80 zoom. I use it to document mostly. I collect vintage barns, old farm equipment and out building shots. Often times there is a sign with historical info or farm name. By black and whiting the general area including signage I can keep better track.

I am a barn collector via DSLR and just love your shots. Would particularly raise a shout for pic 2. Composition has great line in the form of fence rails that bring our eye straight to the waggon wheel. Leafless trees bring us down from the sjy. Its a beauty. I often vacation in the Pidgeon Forge area. any chance you could share the locale. I'd love the opportunity to snap this on my own.

Really good shot. If you get another chance like this, how about ratchetting up the ISO and shutter to see if you can give us mid air rain drops and splashdowns.

Looks to me more like he is waiting on lunch. With the curve of his tail and dug-in front foot he will likely snap up the bird if he ventures to close. Grew up in gator country and am fairly confident this guy is not napping

Hi p.ace.ugly here. A newbe in most ways that count on the forum, Recently retired, so I have more time to shoot than ever and have set a personal goal to improve. To that biker who snapped himself on the way to High Point, Looks like one of the final winding turns on Route 23 just above Sussex and before the park entrance. I was there 2/28/2012 taking some pics of barns. Grass was not green. Snow was ankle deep and park closed. But I got a few good clicks on my Sony AX. Planning on using the High Point NJ vistas and lake for learning material, when it opens. Anyone in NYC or North Jersey looking for a day trip photo buddy, give me a shout.

Hey I am a newbe to this group and struggling to produce better photos. Love all your shots; however, would bring to mind that in portraits it is far game to blur the background. You did a great job in photo #1. Looks like you went a bit too far in #2 and then lost confidence in #3. Whatever the cause or reason, I would love to see you edit #3 so that popping little girl comes right at us. If you take my suggestion please put it up. I, for one, would love to see it.