So here is some things to think about If you are looking to buy a new camera.

Hobby or Business: If you are planning on just taking snapshots around the house you might look in to a Point-and-Shoot. If you think It might lead to something more than snapshots you might look into getting a DSLR. A point-and-shoot camera, also called a compact camera, is a still camera designed primarily for simple operation. A digital single-lens reflex camera (digital SLR or DSLR) is a digital camera that uses a mechanical mirror system and pentaprism to direct light from the lens to an optical viewfinder on the back of the camera. Also you can change the lens on a DSLR, where with a point-and-shoot you cannot.
Price: What is your budget. This will determine what kind of camera you buy ( DSLR or Point-and-Shoot ).
What your Friends Have : No I’m not talking about keeping up with the Jones. Almost everyone now has a camera of some sort. Ask your friends what brand of camera they have. Why? Because if they have a DSLR camera and you get they same brand you can trade, sell, or barrow lenses. Lenses are expensive therefore I have friends that have Nikon cameras so I got a Nikon. If you have friends that have a Cannon, or Sony you may want to think of going in that direction. While we are on the subject of lenses… once you decide on a brand you will want to stay with that brand for the rest of your life, or your lenses life that is. Because If you take care of the lenses you have they will be around long after the camera body is gone. You just buy a new body and use the old lenses. I reason the lens will out last the body is all cameras have a certain number of exposures (Shots it will take). How many depends on what camera you get, but don’t worry about that when your buying the number is in the hundreds of thousands range.
MegaPixel: Don’t worry about megapixel It’s not that big of a deal. I’m so sick of the megapixel crap it’s not even funny. My phone has a 3.1 megapixel camera in it  and I could print 5×7 with it. The only time you might see a difference in a photo taken with 8 megapixel and a 12 megapixel camera is if you blow it up to a 8×10…. ad thats a 8 foot by 10 foot picture, not a 8×10 inch picture (how many of those do you print).

Thats just a few things to think about when buying a camera. No I’m not endorsing  any camera brands so don’t ask. There is one thing to watch out for. If you find a camera online that the price looks to good to be true, IT IS! When I was buying my first camera It was priced at my local electronics store for $1100. Well what do I do? I go home do a search for that very camera and find it “ON SALE” for $500. What they don’t tell you is thats with out, battery, charger, lens, and manuel. You add all that stuff and the price sky rockets to $2300. I couldn’t believe it. So if you can go to a brick and mortar store and buy.

In the next post we will be talking about ISO.

“A photograph is usually looked at – seldom looked into.”
Ansel Adams

I have started this blog to help people  understand photography. I will start out by saying I’m not a writer or an english major. There will be incorrect grammar in all my post and more than likely some misspelled words and run-on sentences (like this one) in every post. But as I’m here to teach photography, I hope you will… live with my short comings.

Now on to the reason for this blog. Over the past few years I have been learning more and more about photography. In this time I have had friends ask me al kinds of questions about there cameras. Some have said they wanted me to teach them how to use the camera they have. But with all of our busy lives its hard to find time to sit down one on one and go over everything. I find the best way I can learn to do something is by reading tutorials that I can work from. ie. If I need to know how do something in Photoshop, I will find a tutorial read it step by step following along in my own Photoshop app. If I make a mistake I can reread it anytime because its always right there online. Thats a lot easier than some one telling me how to do it and then 5 seconds later I have forgot what they said and I’m asking them again and again how to do it. This method also lets me work at my own pace reviewing and analyzing all the steps.

So where do we start? Glade you asked. In this first post I want to give you a overview of what’s to come.

In the next few post we will be taking the leap into setting your camera to shoot in different modes ie the A,M,P,S modes on that little dial on the top of your camera body. I have seen to many people spend thousands of dollars on a nice camera just to never take it off auto mode (that little green icon on the dial) and it almost makes me sick. Don’t get me wrong folks auto works great, but your really not using the camera to its full potential. Sorry If I have offended anyone, but If I have those will be the ones that need to read this blog every time there’s a new post.

We will also be going over some definitions of things like ISO, Aperture, Shutter Speed, and alot more. I will make you one promise this blog will be easy to understand so that anyone will be able to follow along.

I will try to post something new at least twice a week, and if you have any questions feel free to ask away.

I leave with a quote.

“A good photograph is knowing where to stand”

Ansel Adams