Any professionals out there???

[SamF]

I don't know if this is any use to any of you photographers but Jessops in Blackburn is closing down, all stock must go etc so their could be some good deals there.


I keep thinking of trying photography but don't know where to start, good starter camera etc.

[KIPAX]

have you been on holiday samF theres a thread on jessops closing down about a week ago

deciding on a camera pretty much depends on what its needed for..

[SamF]

Originally Posted by KIPAX

have you been on holiday samF theres a thread on jessops closing down about a week ago

deciding on a camera pretty much depends on what its needed for..

Jesus that's two out of date pieces of information in 2 seconds I'm on a roll I'll tell ya.

And mainly stock photo's if you get what I mean, still people or objects.

[K.S.H]

Your doing right on asking to go with someone but I think you might consider doing it for longer than a week just to make sure its what you want to do full time, not for me either, I love it as a hobby, seen many togs at weddings and I wouldn't have that hassle if someone offered me a gold clock

Tony - might go again this weekend as not doing much Saturday after working Fri night, who's on this weekend?

[KIPAX]

not got my list of games from the telegraph yet so no idea where i am.. BUT its 20/20 semi finals friday night and i have beEN invited by enfield to go along... if paper doesnt have a set game for me friday will be there.. dunno about weekend yet...

been rained off last two weekends every game... i wouldnt hold my breath for anyhting played this weekend TBH

[andrewb]

I've just come back from St Annes where a friend of mine is doing Photography in college. She has a Canon 350d with the standard lens that comes with it I presume.

I had great fun taking shots with it, the manual focusing is great.

I'm deeply tempted to purchase one and go on some random trips to take pictures!

[KIPAX]

Its not the camera that costs.. its the lenses.. there a bit expensive for decent ones... cost a lot more than the camera

[WillowTheWhisp]

I've got a Canon 350D and tend to just use the standard lens most of the time. (That is when I remember to take the camera out with me and don't end up relying on a manky phone camera!)

[entwisi]

If you aren't doing Sports stuff(or things where you need fast AF) you can get good quality lenses for not a lot of money.

Canon DSLRs will easily take the old Pentax M42 thread lenses which sell on eBay etc for a fraction of the cost of the equivilant Canon AF lens. I have two adaptor, one is a basic one with no electronics which means I have to judge the focus by eye. I've actually become quite good at this. the second has a chip on it that enables the cameras internal AF confirmation. i.e. you have to turn the focus ring yourself but the camera confirms when each focus zone hits focus by flashing the indicators in the viewfinder. The basic one was £6 teh electronic one ws £30.

Up to know I prefer using these lenses than my two Canon AF ones

For reference I have

Mir1B 37mm F2.8 lovely old thing, came straight from Ukraine wrapped in 1970's Russian newspaper £17 delivered

Pentacon 50mm 1.8 - cost a tenner delivered, nice portrait lens and good on tubes

Chinon 55mm 1.7 - my fave general lens, superb colours and tack sharp above 2.8

Porst 135mm 2.8 - another cheap fast tele lens, good colour
Jupiter 37A 135 3.5 - lovely again, in my top three lenses, cracking bokeh and very good with macro tubes on

Asahi Super Takumar 200mm f4 - my most expensive buy at £65 and its quality is unbelieveable. Another one that performs really well on tubes

I keep looking for a nice 85mm and if I can get one a decent 300mm F4 (Garth Dawsons has one in but its got some dust inside on the internal lenses and he's a bit expensive at £125)

There is no way I could afford such a range of lenses if I bought them in Canon or even Sigma/Tamron.

[magaz]

just looked at one of those m42 adapters on ebay, got a few m42 lenses from my zenit 11 and pentax s1a, So I might aswel invest in one!

As for places to study photography, try Blackburn College, they offer a fantastic National Diploma in photography. It's a 2 year course, you learn the basics, (not just digital, but silver based photography too) and you will get set live assignments! I took the course 04-06, (Prior to that I studied at rawtenstall,) The course really boosted my skill and confidence. Since then I've gone onto my foundation degree at Blackburn, (I'm on my second of 3 years) And I'm working as a photographer to pay for it

I don't think being a "jobbing" photographer takes the fun out of it. You've just got to think like, "This is time for work, and this is time for play" the shots you take when your on a commission have to be exactly how the client wants them. But your artistic talent and unique style should still be somewhere in there! And the work you do for yourself is what you do to satisfy those artistic urges either way Whatever i'm shooting I'm very happy. And I couldn't imagine myself doing anything else as a career.

As for the money, it's not crazy amounts of cash that I do the job for.

Showing people the way I see the world is far more important!

Weddings, should never be scarier than photographing anything else. I've done a couple of them now, and even though I knew that I had "Only one chance" to get the shots right and to the clients liking. I worked in the same way I would shooting anything else. If you let everything get to you then your just going to mess up something simple or miss an important shot. Or the end results may lack the "character" that your personal work has.

Coolness and confidence and a little bit of cheekiness is the way forwards!

[entwisi]

heh, my list of lenses has changed a bit

37mm MIR
50mm 1.8 Pentacon
50mm Carl Zeiss 1.7 Planar (Contax fit) - this is pure class in glass
55mm 1.7 Chinon - still a lovely lens
135 3.5 Jupiter 37A
135 2.8 Porst - not as good as above but not bad
200mm F4 Super MC Takumar - still stunning
300mm F4.5 "Photosniper". This is a really quirky piece of kit, I'll let Google be your friend

Re teh M42 adaptor, teh last one I got was froma chinese guy in glasgow. good eBayer and fast delivery. Its one with teh AF conf chip on and it works really well.

[magaz]

that the zenit photosniper? with the stock and pistol grip that turns your camera into a "rifle"

I heard a story about a photographer "shooting" birds with one of those near an RAF base who was arrested for having a "firearm" on MOD property :S

Don't know if theres any truth in that but it's an interesting story

[entwisi]

yep, thats the one. lovely kit. Tair 300 lens, not one for taking on your hold abroad though, that is unless you like teh old rubber glove treatment