Lynny
Member
Registered: 3rd Jan 03
Location: oop north! Where people talk properly
User status: Offline
|
Hey, I was hoping for some advice!
I'm interested in getting into photography, mainly photographing pets, specialising in horses including at eventing and racingm, etc. I've a number of photos on my facebook that people have loved and asked me to photograph their horses etc.
It's something I'd been keen to do in my spare time, bit extra cash etc, but I have no idea where to start on camera, lenses, editing software etc. Any advice would be great. I understand that to get decent quality I need decent kit, but don't want a massive outlay initially.
Thank you
|
BluKoo
Member
Registered: 8th Apr 02
Location: Stonehaven (Scotland)
User status: Offline
|
My first SLR was my 450D. It was about £500 and for me its been the perfect camera. Does everything I need and delivers good quality.
For a similar price now you could get the Canon 500D which is the step up and it includes HD video recording.
http://www.jessops.com/online.store/products/78164/show.html
^^^ Just to show you, not necessarily the cheapest.
The standard 18-55 lens you'd get with the body will be fine for photographing things up close, but for shows and races where the subject if a little further away etc you'd probably want a lens like 70-300.
I'm sure someone else here would be able to help you further with that aspect. I don't have any lenses like that so I don't really know what i'm talking about.
As far as editing software goes, Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended is the most recent version and the best.
For a beginner it can be quite daunting, but with plenty of trial, error and experimenting you'll soon pick it up.
There are loads of online tutorials and youtube videos to help too.
The rrp for photoshop is £657 but you can download a free 30 day trial from the Adobe website, and if you're feeling naughty a crack can be aquired to keep the software forever, however I and Corsasport do not condone that sort of behaviour...
|
AndyKent
Member
Registered: 3rd Sep 05
User status: Offline
|
Get on eBay or TalkPhotography and find a secondhand setup with a slightly older body. Even a 400D is absolutely fine. You'll definately want a longer lens - 200mm minimum, 300mm better. The more you pay, the better you get. Don't just get the cheapest as some of the basic lenses are pretty shocking tbh.
Photoshop can be had for free, but if you don't know how to use and not the type of person who wants to learn it's a bit pointless. There's loads of good cropping/tweaking tools available. Canon provides it's own software for free.
Also, beware that a lot of equestrian events already have pro photographers employed and trying to compete with these might be easy for friends, but you'll not be able to advertise to everyone at the event.
|
emicen
Member
Registered: 26th Jul 10
Location: Glasgow
User status: Offline
|
I decided to get a decent set up for photoing cars on track this year and like the guys have said, second hand kit is a good call. 18-55 was fine close up but I needed to get a 70-300 for further away.
Bought second hand from a bloke I trust rather than eBay. Canon 20d, 50mm lens, 18-55 lense, wad of memory, battery grip, 4 batteries and chargers was 300. Sigma 70-300 was about 200 on top but that's me got everything I'll need for the foreseeable future, except maybe a flash unit.
|
Lynny
Member
Registered: 3rd Jan 03
Location: oop north! Where people talk properly
User status: Offline
|
Cheers guys for the help  I'll start looking
|
|
