bkburns' photostream

I am a married to an awesome wife and proud father to two small boys. I try to live with God in the center of my life, but stumble more often than I don't. I am only human, to Him be the glory!

I bought my first Canon DSLR in November 2006 as a replacement for my aging 2.1mp Powershot S110. I primarily upgraded to improve the framerate and shutterlag issues I had with the 2001 model point and shoot. However, a funny thing happened - I began to discover that it was a phenomenal creative outlet I had ever had, and I have been shooting with some degree of passion ever since.



I periodically am asked about getting into photography - specifically what equipment I use and how did/do I learn. So below is a list of my equipment and answers to questions I hear from budding photographers, and some advice for what it is worth!

My equipment
Don't let the volume of equipment scare you off - I have been accumulating this for several years and have grown into each piece when I had a specific need. You don't need all this stuff to take good pictures ;-)

Canon EOS 40D
EFS 10-22 f/3.5
EF 50 f/1.8 II
EF 50 f/1.4
EF 100 f/2.8
EF 28-135 IS f/3.5
EF 70-200 f/4L
430EX Speedlite
Bogen 3021BPRO tripod & 322RC2 Ballhead
Manfrotto 681B Monopod & 486RC2 Ballhead
Macbook Pro
Adobe Lightroom 2 and Photoshop CS4

How did you Learn?

I haven't taken any classes, but I have gotten involved in some online forums and some communities on Flickr that have helped me sharpen my skills. I also have made several friends that shoot and we go shooting together. We are not afraid to critique/take criticism on our work. Criticism is my friend - it is the single best tool for improving my work!

Mostly however - I get lots and lots of practice chasing my boys. Especially during the summer and spring, I'll just go outside when they are playing and follow them around as they play. They get used to it and ignore me after a while, which is exactly what I want most of the time :-)

How Can I learn?
The best way is to just pick up a camera and shoot. Practice makes perfect, or at least makes better :-) Find a mentor or others that shoot and want to learn. If you are local to me, let's go shooting together! Take a class at a local school. Obviously, you are reading this so you are understanding the power of FLickr - it is an awesome place to be inspired and learn.

Do I need to spend a fortune on equipment?
The short answer is, that depends, but for most people - no. It also depends how you define fortune ;-)

An expensive camera does not automatically mean great photos. Good tools count for a lot, but skill counts more. Anyone can be a better photographer, regardless of their equipment. It all depends on what you want to do, how much quality you demand, and how much you are willing to spend.

A good point and shoot will take you far, but a DSLR will take you farther. A point and shoot will fit in your pocket, but I carry a backpack with my DSLR gear. A quality point and shoot only costs a few hundred dollars or less. You can spend thousands+ on DSLR gear if you want.

The best thing to do is to take the equipment you have and learn the basics. Only then can you make a realistic determination if making a bigger investment is worth it.

Do you have any tips, advise, or wisdom?
Wisdom - debatable. Some good advice, maybe!

1.) the best camera for you is the one you will actually use. Just shoot.
If you don't get out and shoot, you will not get any better. this sounds basic, but it needs to be said! Unlike film cameras, there is no cost to clicking your digital camera. Especially when you are learning, take all the shots you can. Don't be afraid to try something!

2.) Conquer exposure, conquer the world.
Other than #1, this is the best advice you can take. Whether you use a point and shoot or a DSLR, you need to learn about the exposure triangle. That means learning about ISO, f/stop, and shutter speed and how they relate to each other. This is the foundation of photography. Once you understand how they work, you get dramatically better technical and creative control of your photos. I recommend reading the book 'Understanding Exposure' by Bryan Peterson. I still reread it periodically - every time I do I either rediscover something I forgot or learn something new.

Don't be frustrated if it takes a while to really understand exposure intuitively - it will click one day. It is not really that complicated and once you understand the relationship between the 3 components, you will have much better control over your photos.

3.) An expensive camera does not mean you will automatically take great photos.
When I bought my first DSLR I thought it would do all the work for me. I was sooooo disappointed after my first photos were *awful*! Until I learned about exposure and composition, they did not improve much. Until I had the basic skills conquered, it didn't matter what kind of camera I was using, the pictures were still going to suck.

Tools count, but skills count more! Keep practicing!

4.) Do not underestimate the power of a modern point and shoot camera.
they are powerful and in the right hands can take beautiful shots. yes, there are limitations but depending on what you are shooting it will not matter.

5.) Only upgrade when your skills demand it
Upgrade them when you hit limits on your equipment and need feature X. Do not upgrade solely because you want the latest and greatest, it is generally not worth it.

6.) Kids always move two frames faster than the max framerate on your fastest camera.
Kids move *fast*. 'Nuff said. that being said, look for a camera that has a satisfactory speed from the time you click the shutter to focus and take the shot.

7.) The art of photography only starts with the camera.
For me, the digital darkroom is powerful, and the art ends with a beautiful print I can hold in my hands. Costco and MPix make great prints.

8.) A good workflow is worth its weight in gold.
Process. Process. Process. Process is king.

9.) There are three guarantees in the material world: taxes, death, and hard drive crashes.
You do have a backup, right? And that backup is not kept in the same place as your computer, right?

10.) Seek out and accept constructive criticism.
Find other people locally or online who can critique your work and help you improve.

11.) By shooting RAW I can really save a shot from my own mistakes.
For me, RAW is a lifesaver. I can pull so much more out of the photo in post processing, but it takes more work. I think it is worth it though!

12.) Nikon and Canon are both really nice
And so are man of the other lines. As much as I pick on my Nikonian friend, I actually like both Canon AND Nikon gear. I do wish my friend CISSP2B used a Canon, but only so I could borrow his glass ;-)

13.) He who dies with the most glass wins.
Well, not really. But my point is that I would rather invest dollars in buying quality lenses that in upgrading my camera body. For the most part, you will get a better return that way.

14.) Keep it fun.
Fo shizzle ;-)