The DSLR, Digital Single Lens Reflex Camera is a super advancement on cameras of old and not even that long ago. The photography World has moved on and in a very big way too. It all started with the digital compact and has moved on gracefully from there; even your mobile phone camera is more than capable of producing some pretty interesting pictures these days.
But some of the more specialist subjects still require a certain amount of specialist knowledge and equipment if you are determined to create a highly impressive picture…
Take the moon for instance, ordinarily you would think it fairly straight forward to photograph, and in a way it pretty much is, but remember the planet is a quarter of a million miles away and only three and a half thousand kilometres in diameter so giving it some respect when wanting to get some great images is the only way to go.
Let us say that you have or are thinking of getting a DSLR camera of some description, which are more than capable of taking some amazing pictures of the moon, but with most DSLR cameras you will only get a standard lens, generally these are very good all round lenses, but unfortunately will not provide very impressive results when photographing the moon or any other part of the Solar System, so an upgraded lens would be a must for good high quality images.
A 28-200mm will provide you with good quality close and mid range pictures, ideal for everyday use and air-shows etc as well as some very nice distance shots that are not mega miles away. Ideally you would want a 70-300mm or even a 100-500mm where possible, but with a lens like this it is only really ideally suited to the longer distance shots and not very good with anything very close up.
Top Tip: The bigger the lens the harder it is to take still perfect pictures, so a tripod, monopod (monopod = tripod with one leg) or bean bag is a must. Using a tripod and taking the pictures on timer or even using a remote control will yield excellent results.
But wait, before you rush out and buy masses of lenses there is a way around this. One of the ways of getting a benefit out of your standard lens that comes with your camera is to use a 2x converter; this does exactly what it says on the tin.
So for instance if the standard camera lens is only an 18-70mm it will increase the distance pictures to 140mm and is also pretty good for close ups too, even insects in some cases, so an ideal digital DSLR digital camera kit would consist of the camera of choice with standard lens, a 2x converter and a 28-200mm lens.
This kit would allow you to capture some awesome images of pretty much everything and anything that you want to.
The 2x converters are a pretty good option if budget is an issue as lenses can in some cases work out quite expensive, but certainly a must at some point. One of the downsides with a converter in some cases is that you might have to lose the autofocus facility on your camera and focus manually, but this is a small sacrifice for highly improved amazing photos.
Finally, if it is a bright moon you might want to try using a low ISO, something like 100 ISO should do up to 400 ISO, but for best results take a few on each ISO setting and check your results in your cameras LCD display. You will soon be able to tell if it is too bright. Taking your first great picture of the moon craters an-all is a pretty awesome experience and not one to be taken lightly.
By now you should have a pretty good idea on photographing the moon with a digital single lens reflex camera, which is an amazing subject when you start getting it right.
Maybe you have a digital camera, enjoy taking photos and want to become a photographer. Or you don’t have a camera but are seriously thinking of buying one and to make money with photography.
Becoming a photographer is possible. Unless you want to make a living as a photojournalist, you don’t need formal education. You can learn as you go and become skilled at digital photography.
A good digital camera will be your best friend. If you want to take quality photos, you will need a digital camera that has a resolution of at least 5 mega pixels. With this resolution it’s easier to post process your photos and they can be printed out at a decent size. Also a five mega pixel resolution is what you’ll need in order for your photos to be accepted on microstock photography sites if you want to sell your photos online.
Once you’ve gained more experience and have clearer ideas of the types of photos you want to take, you can make the investment to a higher-end digital SLR camera and a fast lens.
Take as many pictures as you can. At the beginning, you’ll want to take as different kinds of photos as possible. In the process you’ll learn to master your camera. You’ll experience all sorts of settings under different lighting, expositions.
At the same time, you will make selections of your photos to build up a portfolio so you can show to your prospective customers. Some of the most popular themes include landscapes, portraits, wedding, pets photography to name few. As an example to build up your portfolio in landscape photography you might want to take pictures of sceneries that are typical to your town, city. If you are invited to a wedding you can practice taking photos of the wedding and ask for feedback from the groom and bride. For portraits, you can start by taking photos of friends, colleagues, family members.
Specialization. This is up to you and it also depends on the market. If you want to take photos and sell them online, then you would not necessarily want to specialize. The reason being to be successful at selling photos online you’ll need to take photos that sell. You can read more on this in the article I’ve written for EzineArticles called “Selling Photos Online – Foundation of Your Success at Selling Your Photos Online”. You can find the link to that article on my Bio page.
On the other hand, if a specific segment of the market is not saturated and it’s a theme that interests you then you might want to specialize in that theme. As an example if you enjoy taking photos of pets and your market research indicates there are opportunities in this niche then you will invest and work to become the best pets photographer in your area.
Look for freelance jobs. The majority of photographers are self employed. To be successful they need to work on the art of photography as well as the art of marketing. Freelance jobs in photography are great to get work. There is a variety of freelance jobs. It could be taking photos as a field photographer for an insurance company or being an assistant photographer to an established wedding photographer in your city. There are websites where you can go to look for freelance assignments. You can also take photos of cars for people who are looking to sell their cars on eBay Motors.
Keep learning as you go. Photography evolves. As a photographer you will keep learning all the time so you can stay ahead of the game. Read websites, magazines, buy e-books to learn techniques and tricks. Attend seminars on your areas of photography to keep your skills up to date. Visit manufacturer websites to download the latest firmware for your camera.
Learning how to become a photographer comes at ease for those who have a passion for this art. You’ll find photography is a very appealing field because each photo you take is unique.