Digital cameras forum: DSLR, new parents, learning curve

but it's not something you'll grasp completely without with a lot of practice and learning the concepts. It's also a very expensive hobby. Let's say you want to take photos of your baby without the flash. Well, after studying photography you realize that you need a large aperture lens(probably a zoom because most people don't like a lens that doesn't zoom in and out) and you then realize that the cheapest option, with image stabilization, is over $600 and the very good lens for this runs almost $1000. You'll realize very quick that the kit lens is good for scenes with good lighting but indoor shots, without the point and shoot type of harsh flash, struggle quite a bit.

If you're unsure, then go to the library or buy the book "Understanding Exposure in the digital age" by Bryan Peterson. That book will give you a solid footing to start practicing and understand the concepts that you can practice on and make purchasing decisions with.

I want people to understand in an easier way, and the only thing I can think of is that it's like golf. If you only play sporadically and never work on your game, it won't matter what equipment you use because your performance will be poor/mediocre, but most people are happy with that and that's completely fine. If you want to get results then you have to learn how to do different shots for different environments, practice, and learn to use your equipment to the fullest.

You can have the best driver, irons, and putter, but they won't make you a great golfer. A $2000 set of clubs will almost always give better performance than a $100 set, even for a scratch golfer, but a great golfer is great no matter the equipment and can make the great equipment shine.

I also like the golf analogy because, just like in photography, a person will spend their whole life working on their golf game and never reach perfection. Golfers are always learning new techniques and experimenting new ways to play, and I find the exact same thing with photography. I'll get some great shots with my camera, I improve as time goes on, and I'm always learning new things.

You can learn enough about photography to get what you need, that may take you a couple of months or a couple of years to get good at it. It varies with each person. There are probably three areas that take considerable effort/learning to do much better than average, they are exposure, photo rendering, and lighting. I've probably spent equal time in learning each and I'm not anywhere near "pro" level, but I have some wonderful shots that I've put on the wall.

Just a few observations.

First of all, even if you don't know much at all about all the controls & features of a DSLR, virtually all of them have an 'Auto' mode, which makes them much like a point-&-shoot except for zoom control with a zoom lens. The point is that you can use the camera out of the box before hitting the learning curve.

Then the fun begins. Read thru the operation guide that comes with the camera (assuming you are buying a new one).

Go through the camera's menus, getting at least a little familiar with the options & features. Keep in mind that, when you start manipulating controls while learning your way, there is likely a menu option that lets you reset the primary controls to the manufacturer's default settings.

One control that is interesting to learn about is 'white balance'--this can make a huge difference in the color tones of your images. Find a nice outdoor scene, for example, and take the same shot of that scene, changing the white balance setting with each shot. You may be amazed how different the photos will look. Often the distinctiion is described as 'warm' or 'cool'. White balance also makes a HUGE difference when shooting with artificial lighting. Be aware of the type of lights when shooting inside--incandescent vs fluorescent is a common distinction.

There is, of course much more to learn.

Understand that a DSLR can be used just like a point-and-shoot. Just leave it set on automatic and it'll outperform any camera you've ever had in terms of the quality of your snapshots simply because the lens will certainly be far superior (and in most cases the pickup is physically larger, allowing smoother pictures in low light). Furthermore, it is MUCH easier to zoom the lens that comes with most DSLR kits than it is to fiddle with the little buttons atop smaller cameras. You just twist it.

Also, the warm-up time and shutter lag on DSLRs is virtually nil, like a film camera's.

In most cases, however, you give up the capability to shoot video. This drawback is fading away, as newer DSLRs increasingly include that feature.

One of the chief drawbacks is the size and weight of the cameras, which don't let you even THINK of putting them in a pocket even if you're dressed like Harpo Marx. If you spend a day walking around Disney World you will wish you had a little Canon PowerShot instead of your spiffy new Nikon D90.

But the rewards are spectacular. After you start becoming less of a novice you find that you can control your photographs to a wonderful degree. You can get lenses that let you do things that those little pocket cameras can't even dream of doing. Some lenses turn it into a telescope, some into a microscope, some take closeups that let you see the individual elements in an insect's eye, and some let you shoot wide-angle vistas of breathtaking scope and beauty.

The thing about a DSLR is that YOU get to choose how much expertise to put into your pictures. You can just point and shoot if you wish, or you can control aperture, exposure time, white balance, and whatever all else at your whim.

I won't delve into Canon v. Nikon (there are others, but why?), although people with Nikons don't suffer as much from buyer's remorse.

Go to a "real" camera store and start asking questions and acquire a feel for what's out there. A / B testing is the best way to reach a decision on a final buy. Whatever you do, I consider it paramount to not delay the purchase. It's better to get some practice before the big event. Otherwise, and while you will be trying to figure out how things work, you will only stand the chance of missing out on once in a lifetime events and will be left with regrets and disappointments (and the not so relevant pictures of others). The quality of your images will only improve with time and practice.

Photography is a lifetime experience with a matching learning curve.

Other than getting your camera and learning how to use it, you can also easily enhance the quality of your photo by choosing a good background.

A simple solid color background can be very effective. Here is my son's 6 day old photo, using a black cloth that I bought from a local linen store as a background (I didn't use the professional background on him in case he soiled and ruined it).
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u45/hjfok/Isaac%202009/6DayOld.jpg

Sometimes a more fancy background can be very fun. This one I use a green background (as a green screen), and use photoshop technique to exchange the green background to a digital background. This is actually quite easy to learn, you can google "chroma key" and watch a youtube video to learn how to do it.
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u45/hjfok/Isaac%202009/IsaacLeaningontheMoon.jpg
You don't really have to buy digital background for interesting background. You can use an old photo as the digital background. This is my older son's Halloween costume photo. His portrait was done with a green background and the digital background is from an old photo taken in Disneyland.
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u45/hjfok/Knight/IMG_9373_1_1copy.jpg

Obviously most of the time you won't be using an artificial background. But paying attention to your background can enhance your photo easily. Here is a quick snapshot of my son on the bed, just took a second to organize his toys and pillow before taking the shot.
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u45/hjfok/Isaac%202009/IMG_5141-t.jpg
By the way, this is taken with the 50mm f/1.4 lens. No flash is used.

Using a shallow depth of field (large aperture, small f number) is an effective way to isolate your subject from the background, and make an effective portrait.
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u45/hjfok/DOF/IMG_3047.jpg

Good luck!

So, my parents got us the Canon Digital Rebel XSi. I'm sure I'll be back with more questions later, and the tips to contact tech-help departments and camera clubs great ideas.