Searching for advice!

Hey everyone.

I am really happy that i have people following my blog now. So now that people know my blog and most of you are Photographers i am looking for some help/advice from you all.

I recently started doing photography and i really love it so far! There is so much to learn first and so many things you can do. I currently have bought myself a Canon T2i with the standart lens that comes with it (18mm-55mm). I have also bought myself a Polarizing Filter for the lens, but that is it. I am looking for some help in what i could use or what i would need for my collection that i have so far.

My main area that i want to focus in is landscape photography. I am going to explore different fields as well once i become more familiar with everything. What i really really love doing is HDR and i have been doing alot of reading about it and how to improve in it and one of the first things someone told me is to get a tripod! Which i have order’t today.

I would appreciate any help someone could give me in any way (Lenses, filters, accessories).

Thank you all in advanced for your information,
Patrick

19 thoughts on “Searching for advice!”

  1. Hi there Patrick!

    Nice photos you have here. Here are som tips from me on gear you should get, if you’re practicing mostly landscape photography:
    – Tripod (on it’s way I saw, good :))
    – Graduated ND filters, very good when not shooting for HDR-images. I’ve got a kit from Cokin P-series with 3 different strengths. Not the best quality, but good enough for now!
    – A really wide angle lens. I haven’t got anything wider than 18mm myself, but I’d like to get a Sigma 10-20mm, tested one last weekend and you can get really cool effects shooting as wide as 10mm.
    – Some kind of shutter release remote, I’ve been looking at this: http://www.promotesystems.com/products/Promote-Control.html which I think would be great for HDR-shooting, but there are probably some cheaper and less advanced that still would certainly be good enough!

    Regards,
    Ulf

  3. Thanks for the advice guys. Yea for now i think I’m going to stick with my 18-55mm until i learn a bit more. My tripod should be here within a few day i hope and i will put it to use as soon as i get it.
    For the ND filter is there a specific brad that you guys would recommend? Current i have a UV filter from Tiffen.

  4. As a mountain walker, I simply use my basic Fuji Finepix. Give me reasonable pics with little weight. I have invested in a waterproof case, just yesterday. As I couldn’t take pictures in the heavy windblown rain. Might be something to consider. For landscape pictures I would recommend a wide angle lens of some sort. I used to have one for my camera before this, but can’t get an attachment for this one, and I do miss it.

    Jim

  6. I also have a T2i although I imported mine from London before it was available here so mine has 550D on it. Same camera, though. I don’t specialize in landscapes so I’m no help to you. When I capture them, though, I’m usually using a Tamron 28-300 zoom. Otherwise, my walking around lens is now the Canon EFS 55-250 f/4-5..6 IS.

  9. I use a T1i with a kit lens for a lot of my photos – and really love it! One of the things I couldn’t live without was a telephoto lens, but I do a lot of wildlife shooting, so it makes sense for that. Telephotos are less useful for landscapes, if that’s what you’re interested in doing. Also, I love my tripod – and it seems as though you’re getting one. I recommend something good and sturdy, which usually means a little more $$. I got a flimsy one to start, and it really hurt my long exposure shots, as it just did not stay still enough, and couldn’t handle the weight of the camera with some of my lenses.

  10. If you are in the Sourthern Cali area. I made that assumption bc the rose parade pic… anyway.
    Rent from samys camera lens. And I really advise prime lens. Those are my favorite to shoot with and the sharpest. Samys also gives you a discount if you are a student! Don’t spend more money on equipment unless you can easily afford it or have made money from your photos.
    And one thing I should do more is organize your photos. The simpler the better. Later on it will be a great benefit later.

  11. You know…..my best advice is to just shoot. Follow your instincts, NEVER listen to anyone’s “rules” about photography, which are nonsense, and shoot what turns you on. NOT what you think someone else would shoot. I rarely shoot what I think Ansel Adams or someone else would like. I “see” what I see. Everyone shoots differently. Actually…………….you shoot yourself. If you’re really being true, you are shooting you. That’s the thing. If you try to photograph like all the guys you see in NatGeo, etc., you aren’t being true to you. I rarely use my tripod. It’s a pain in the ass. But that’s me. I use an ancient Nikon D60 with a Tamron 18-270 lens. I never switch. Why? It works for me. However, I did recently get a really wide angle. Because I like my shots to a little “uncomfortable”.

    Just shoot. And shoot. And…………shoot.

    • Great advice. In many cases, it’s more about what you capture than what you shoot with. I took a photography course years ago. The instructor had a shoot one subject with a roll of film. He said we’d be lucky if we got one worthwhile photo off the roll of 36 frames. So, shoot away.

  14. Patrick, A good tripod is the best investments for photography, especially landscape photography. Cokin P filters too as someone already mentioned. The best filter makers though for landscape is Singh Ray (http://www.singh-ray.com/). If you want inspiration go to Darwinn Wigget site (http://www.darwinwiggett.com/). He has links to many other landscape photographers sites too, such as http://www.difrusciaphotography.com/. These are brilliant and you can follow these guys on Google+ too.

    Stick to equipment you have for now with regard to lenses until you have done enough and you know the limitation of lenses and what you need and the grow slowly. Almost always is quality wide angle lenses though and good filters.

  15. The best advice I can offer is: Just get out there and shoot.

    While Merilee doesn’t like rules, the best photographers have a few they like to follow.

    For instance, it’s helpful if you have a central subject of interest, not necessarily in the center of hour viewfinder. Eliminate clutter, non-necessary items unless that’s the effect you’re trying to achieve.

    While it’s not necessary to copy other photographers’ works, it’s often helpful to study the masters and take from them what you notice. It doesn’t hurt to copy others’ works while you’re getting your feet wet. But, in learning, learn to develop your own style.

    Cropping in your mind’s eye or camera display is good to do, but if you’re shooting with a lot of dpi, you can crop later. Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!

    Shoot in all lighting situations. For landscapes, I like the times around sunset and sunrise where the colors become magical. But don’t stop there. Shoot in fog, shoot in cloudy situations. Just shoot.

    Shoot from low angles and from high angles. Shoot with maximum depth of field; shoot with minimum depth of field.

    Get to know your camera. Learn what you can do with it and what you can’t. (I need to take my own advice there.)

    You don’t need an assortment of lenses to take great photos. Getting closer to a subject can make up for not having a telephoto lens. Getting farther away can make up for not having a wide-angle lens, although some wide-angle lenses do give you some interesting effects that merely moving away from your subject won’t give you.

    Use you imagination. See things that aren’t there but could be. (Check out my Goat Stump, for instance ( https://fstopfantasy.wordpress.com/2012/01/15/goat-stump/ ))

    Shoot sunrises and sunsets. Shoot moving objects; make them blur or make the background blur or make both of them blur.

    Just shoot and feel free to drop by and tell me what you think. I’m at
    f-stop fantasy ( https://fstopfantasy.wordpress.com/ ).

  17. I want to thank you all for all the advice you have been giving me. I am more and more outside when i get time to shot with my camera. I’m really loving it.
    I’m taking the best advice which is “Just go out and shot” i think everyone should just do that. Work with what you have!
    Hope this post gives great advice for other people as well.
    Once again thanks and happy shooting.

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