AboutPat G Expertise I can answer questions about the artistic aspects of photography, and tricks for shooting landscape, scenic, macro, and animal photography. I am familiar with Pentax SLR cameras, both film and digital. I have also done work in urban photography and creative photography, and I am familiar with creative uses of filters and lenses. I am familiar with composition and color theory, and know how to make use of light. I can answer questions about things like lightning photography and moon photography. I spend time studying the techniques of the well known photographers. I work exclusively in color. Although I travel anywhere and everywhere in pursuit of landscape and scenic photography, my main area of expertise is the American southwest, and I am familiar with many scenic areas. I also have familiarity with the plants of the Sonoran Desert, having studied not only their appearance but also their uses, including ethnobotany. See my educational credentials for other art that I do.
Experience I have spent the last ten years as a semi-professional photographer, selling my work on the internet, and having won international honors. The gallery of my most recent work, where I usually post frequently is http://patgoltz.deviantart.com/ I will take questions about how I did various photographs.
Education/Credentials The first prize I won for my art was when I was in third grade. I have a bachelor's degree in art from Ohio Dominican University, where I learned mainly ceramics and glaze calculation. I have also done various kinds of fiber arts. In addition, I do digital landscapes, abstracts, and fractal art.
I am looking for a digital camera preferably by canon and is one of those fast shutter speeds camera - slr?. Don't know what that type of camera it is called. I do know that type of camera is expensive. What I want to know is how much money should I spend and what type of camera should I get for freelance photography, possibly professional photography as well as what I need for this profession. Thank you for the help if provided. It is much appreciated.
Best regards,
Joseph
Answer Hello, Joseph,
I am going to make this message public because hopefully, other people can benefit from it.
Let me talk for a moment about this question about fast shutter speeds. You mention SLR. An SLR camera is one that has the viewfinder looking through the lens so you see exactly what you are getting when you shoot. If you are at all interested in professional photography, don't look at anything less. SLR's allow you to change lenses, and this is VERY important. Also, the lenses will take filters, which greatly widens the scope of what you can do artistically. SLR's also let you set things like shutter speed, aperture, and the like. My camera has 1/3000 maximum shutter speed. Being able to adjust these can lend themselves to certain artistic effects. For example, if you don't want much depth of field, you can open up your shutter, and you can then get a crisp flower against a blurred background. Slowing down the shutter speed can give you action shots. You can also vary the apparent sensitivity of the "film". I'm talking about ISO here, which can range from 100 to 1600, for example. I have mine set at mid-range and let my camera choose from that range. Professionals often shoot with film which is 100 ISO, and this leads to less graininess. It works that way in the digital camera as well.
The only camera I really have experience with is Pentax. They're making a couple of VERY nice models. The K10D is the next one I will be getting, as soon as I find one at a price I'm willing to pay (around $500-600). The K7D looks to be an awesome camera, and it runs around $1500 normal price. The sensor is large enough that it really operates more like a medium format camera.
I currently have a K100D, and I LOVE that camera! I have horsed it to death; taken probably 10,000-20,000 photos, at least. It cost me a little over $400 when I got it. I am already using it semi-professionally. The K7D is completely adequate for professional use. The digital camera plus a set of rechargeable batteries and chargers will cost a little to begin with, but after that, the photos are practically free. Prints, of course, will cost something. You can choose just the ones you want prints of, and can throw many others away. It lends itself to a willingness to experiment. I have memory cards that run about $25 apiece and will hold something like 800 pictures. One of the secrets to good shots is to take LOTS of pictures of the same thing and choose the best. The other thing I have been able to do is if I take a picture of a critter in my house, I can go download it to my computer, look at it, and decide if I need to take more. I have done this particularly with spiders and insects, because I don't really like to flash at them too much.
I don't know anything about Canon, but I'll tell you a couple of reasons why I would choose the Pentax, because it has some unique features. The first is that the image stabilization mechanism is in the CAMERA, not the lens. It has a mechanism based on gyroscopic action, which moves the sensor to compensate for camera movement, and I can tell you from experience, it's awesome! The reason why it shouldn't be in the lens is because it makes lenses VERY expensive. You can buy used lenses for Pentax, and as long as the camera can "talk" to it, it will use it. I have one Tamron macro lens, 90mm 1:1, that set me back $500 when I bought it. It's hand focus only. But my camera will talk to it, and I have made some awesome pictures with it. Here is an example: http://patgoltz.deviantart.com/art/Banded-Gecko-95115302
Take a look also at the enlarged section of his head here: http://patgoltz.deviantart.com/art/Gecko-Up-Close-95114558 If you look at the file size version, you will see that every scale on his head is in perfect focus! Use the Download link on the left. I never even knew geckos had scales until I took this picture! Now this fellow was probably no more than 4" in length, so that will give you some idea. There are some secrets to getting images this sharp, and if you want to ask, I'll tell you. Also, feel free to look at my gallery. I have plenty of other macro shots.
I currently have three lenses I use constantly, and the other two cost under $100 apiece, and they're auto-focus zoom. One goes up to 400mm. And I have another I use occasionally which is 500mm, which in a camera like mine is equivalent to 750mm if used on 35mm film. I don't normally carry it, because it's big and heavy, but I can get the other three lenses and the camera in my somewhat oversize purse, and I carry them everywhere. You never know when an opportunity for photography will come up. You can get lenses as you have the money, and like I said, you can buy used lenses.
The other feature is that the newer Pentax cameras have a mechanism for getting rid of dust specks on the surface of the sensor. These have been the bane of my existence (they have to be edited out of the image by hand), and the new method of dealing with these sounds very promising. The sensor is covered with a coating that tends to repel specks, and the camera itself will shake the dust off when you first turn it on if you want it to. It has some sticky stuff that will hold the dust so it doesn't get back on the sensor. Very important in a dusty climate like mine! Some of the others, like Canon if I remember correctly, simply edit out pixels where there are dust specks. Eventually this leads to erosion of image quality.
I'm sure the other cameras have good features, but these reasons plus the fact I already had a collection of Pentax lenses, decided me.
If you want to learn about other cameras, feel free to ask other folks here. I hope this helps.
