Photography, now what

Shoot with money, not for money.

PhotosGuy wrote in post #17329803
Personally, I'd suggest that you get an umbrella, 3 light stands + two cheap strobes & work from there.

Afterthought... This would give you some options when the weather is bad. Personally, I'd rather shoot in the shade when I can:
https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=122297

https://photography-on-the.net …/showthread.php​?t=1155298

Equipment merely 'enables'...it is the 'eye' that must be developed! Compositional skills are involved...there are certain 'sins' like bulls-eye positioning of the subject (there ARE certain times when you DO want to bullseye, but most of the time NOT!). Some compositional 'rules' are merely rules of thumb that keep you from bullseyeing your subject, but are NOT inviolate rules!

So develop the compositional skills with the equipment you have, then acquire new equipment when you need to expand your shooting situations into a broader range of situations! Learn to exploit a single FL, then owning multiple FL simply widens the opportunities for your shooting.
Purchase lighting equipment first as 'illumination' to allow you to shoot when it is very dim ambient light, but then expand your lighting skills to FLATTER your subject! Speedlights generally 'illuminate', and you generally need to use modelling lights on studio flash to truly learn to best FLATTER you subject with subtle placement of light.

Lighting gear.

Start simple, one ETTL-capable Speedlight. Learn to bounce flash, and balance on-camera flash with ambient.

Then, once you're comfortable with that, get a set of triggers and a stand and umbrella, and get that one light off the camera.

Then, throw in one or two additional off-camera flashes.

Get a speedlight, a stand, a shoot-thru umbrella, a cheap set of triggers and a 24-105.

Put the stand and umbrella under the bed.

Put the speedlight on camera in e-ttl, your camer in manual and learn to bounce. Change your shutter speed, change your aperture, change your ISO, change your FEC and note the differences in direction, quality, amount, light color (based on the bounce surface) and exposure. Your lenses will be different so do it with both.

Once you are truly comfortable with bounce (shouldn't take that long), now get it off camera. Put the light in manual, the camera in manual and start doing the same thing. Use the umbrella, then remove it. Use it as shoot thru and then reflective. Alter your setting both in camera and power of the flash, so on and so forth.

By the time next Christmas rolls around, you'll be back asking not where to go, but suggestions for shooting with flash in sunlight, how to shoot 1.4 outside with flash and so on.

It took me 7 years, mostly due to lack of experimenting to get comfortable going off camera with flash. Now I don't go to a shoot without exactly what I suggested you buy.

Another thing I'll suggest, is try photographing different things. You never know what'll be the most fun and what you're best at

Thanks everyone! I'm going to be honestly, I love lifestyle photography, photojournalist, street photography, that sort of thing.

lmparker wrote in post #17334134
Thanks everyone! I'm going to be honestly, I love lifestyle photography, photojournalist, street photography, that sort of thing.

that's why a few of us are suggesting you branch out a bit, all of what you like doing is essentially just taking pictures of people. Often those situations speak for themselves. However, trying to get something out of "nothing" will not only force you to think more artistically and discover the rules of composition. Subjects that don't move or get hungry, or have to go the bathroom will allow you to experiment with light.

here's a pic of a vegetable i made.

https://photography-on-the.net …showthread.php?​p=16720433

In the second pic, you can see I used a piece of white cardboard to fill in the side of the subject opposite the direct sun coming in the window.

Left Handed Brisket wrote in post #17334255
here's a pic of a vegetable i made.

https://photography-on-the.net …showthread.php?​p=16720433

In the second pic, you can see I used a piece of white cardboard to fill in the side of the subject opposite the direct sun coming in the window.

Brisket, which forum is your vegetable on that I have hidden from myself?

hmm, i imagined that if you hid a forum it would just be hidden from the main listing and the "activity" thing, you're saying you can't even get there? Seems like that needs to be fixed.

I took the opportunity to add the two images to my gallery, but can't figure out how to repost them or link you directly to them. Luckily they are the only two i've put in the gallery.

:p

edit: oh yeah, it's the lighting forum.

Left Handed Brisket wrote in post #17334754
hmm, i imagined that if you hid a forum it would just be hidden from the main listing and the "activity" thing, you're saying you can't even get there? Seems like that needs to be fixed.

When a forum is hidden, it's hidden everywhere, including galleries and the Activity Tracker. Before I unhid Lighting to see your greens, your gallery showed empty to me.

Thank you guys! Can i ask, do you guys know anything about Lynda.com? I see where you an learn alot of different types of photography and do workshops etc. Its only $25 a month, anyone used it?

lmparker wrote in post #17335551
Thank you guys! Can i ask, do you guys know anything about Lynda.com? I see where you an learn alot of different types of photography and do workshops etc. Its only $25 a month, anyone used it?

i first used Lynda.com about 12 or 13 years ago for some tech training and have used them off and on ever since. I have not subscribed for a year or so, but will certainly do so again. Everyone of their videos is top notch, in fact I have started a few threads here when they announce free tutorials. Currently they have "12 days of xmas" going on right now where they open up one free video every day. I would have started a thread but the program isn't specific to photography.

Their videos are broken down into chapters and even folks that are not customers can sample multiple chapters of virtually every video. You could probably watch a couple hours worth of photography "preview" videos before joining.

What I do when i resubscribe is to pay, make sure my account is active, then quickly unsubscribe. They do not immediately cancel your subscription, but give you the full month that you paid for. That assures that my subscription doesn't go on for months without me remembering. All your account information (viewed and bookmarked videos, etc) is saved. Really no reason not to join, imo.

OhLook wrote in post #17335167
When a forum is hidden, it's hidden everywhere, including galleries and the Activity Tracker. Before I unhid Lighting to see your greens, your gallery showed empty to me.

definitely seems like that needs to be fixed. I was getting ready to hide some from the main page but don't want to be shut off from all content.

Your 50 is a fine lens.. that being said, I think that is what is holding you back. Your pics look real nice, they pop, they look good, their colorful, I think you are at a point to where you need another lens. Lighting is helpful for sure, but most of all your pics you have decent lighting. I think (take it with a grain of salt) another lens will make you smile. I have a 17-55 and it 80% of the time doesn’t leave the camera, with most of my pics in the 17-25mm ranges..

But, you might also be in a funk. Grab a book, sit your camera on the shelf, and distance yourself for a period of time. You just might find you’re back in the game afterwards..

I've been shooting for years, but just recently bought some gear for off-camera lighting. This two umbrella & stand kit for $100 http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …Flash_Umbrella_​Mount.html
a second Speedlight, and and some flash triggers (two YN-622C + one YN-622C-TX).

I did my granddaughter's senior shots a few weeks ago, and getting the light gear really helped:

https://photography-on-the.net …/showthread.php​?t=1410157