Any other photograpers here?

Now, I'm not a professional, but I love getting outside and shooting (pictures). Mostly film but also digital when I get roped into a wedding or a birthday party. I shoot mostly with a Nikon F5 and a Pentax 645. What does anyone else shoot with?
I saw an example of a disturbing app today. One that takes a digital shot and makes it look like it was taken with slide film and then scanned to digital?!? This is progress?

 

I try to fancy myself an amateur photographer but those thoughts are often chased away when I look at the shots my niece and nephew got with my camera. I have a Nikon D40 DSLR with a 18-55mm lens and a 55-200mm lens. I have taken some nice groups shots and some nice scenery ones in the fall

 

I've heard some good things about the D40. Digitally, I shoot a D300. Of course, 2 months after I bought it, Nikon dicontinued the D300 in favor of the D300S because it shoots video.
Used film cameras are a HUGE bargain and they've already been discontinued.

 

Tell me about it. I got the D40 in a package deal at Best Buy and then they slashed prices on the D90 which I really wanted. Now those are being phased out for the D500's I believe. Bottom line the 700+ bucks I spent on my camera is now worth 75 bucks in the best buy trade in program. So I think I'll keep it. I always wanted to get into 35mm film cameras and developing my own photos but life always has different plans. I will say that my older brother was glad I had the Nikon when he got married and my pictures were almost better than their paid photographer and like I said I gave it to my niece and nephew at my wedding to snap pictures through out the day and they are some of the better ones we have.

 

I send my film out to be processed. There are 2 semi-local places here. I've never had the desire to learn film processing. Maybe I should. Shooting film has gotten to be an expensive hobby!

 

I thought it would be a cool skill to have just to get some nice black and white shots. Digital Cameras and home computer software have made that almost unnecessary but I always pictured having a dark room with pictures drying on wires, maybe just cause TV and movies made it look good. What do you use for editing? I have been going with corel paintshop pro because they have some nice how to videos on you tube that can help you really get into making some photo's pop. I have tried the black and white pictures with just a splash of color with some close-ups of my kids because they have some awesome blue eyes and they just looked cool.

 

My dad used to develop his own B&W film. For post production and editing, I use Nikon Capture NX2. It's really easy to learn.

 

Thinking about taking Photography as an elective to my degree.

Been shooting with a Canon T3i and a Prime 50 (the cheap one at f 1.8), Sigma 70-300 (no image stabilization), stock 18-55. Got some of my best shots with the 50 prime. It's great for depth of field when you just want the focus to be on the subjects. I did get to use the more expensive one with a metal case. That one was an f 1.4.

Now I'm not that great with all the technical jargon, really just know the specs of the lenses. I did a little skimming over at Digital Photo Reviews.

Also, like you guys, I've seen some really great shots by other people and some I thought were good being torn apart by real photographers.

I'm more than likely moving up to the Canon 70D. It's still not full frame, but has a faster shutter speed than the Rebel series and a lot of the features of the pro models.

 

I've got Nikon's 50mm f/1.8. I think it's a great lens. I don't shoot in low enough light to warrant the extra $1000.00 the 1.4 would cost.
If you want to hear other photographers ripping someone else's shots apart, try entering your shots in a County fair contest!