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Our 15 year old wants to be a photographer, he has said this for a couple of years and has now asked for a camera etc for Xmas. I am not looking forward to Xmas at all and will be glad when it's over. But it's going to happen and I have to do what I can for the kids.
I know there are a few photography types on here, so what sort of thing should I be looking at? And do I need accessories, books or any other stuff to go with it?
Thanks
Books:
Langford's starting photography
http://amzn.eu/d/d6e8wLM
I've got the 5th edition, I assume the 7th linked above will be just as good.
Give them the freedom (and opportunity) to explore and learn with the camera on their own
Book... Tough one. Nice thing to give. Nice thing to receive as a present. All information is on the internet and has probably been read by your kid, tbh..
Books! There are 10's of thousands of hours of tutorials and getting started guides on YouTube.
Pick up a cheap 2nd hand Canon 450D or the like on eBay. They can be picked up for sub £80 or sub £200 with lenses, bags, books thrown in etc. It the perfect camera for youngster to learn on. Lenses for canon are cheap to pick up as and when they want them.
p.s. what do you call a photographer without a wife / husband? ..... Hungry. No money left in this game.
If he's really interested then I would definitely look for an older model entry level DSLR (or mirrorless) body that has full manual control, though it'll obviously depend on your budget. I wouldn't worry too much about brand as all the manufacturers are pretty decent. Annoyingly I'm down to one body now, or you could have had my spare one for him.
For lens, either a kit lens or a cheap prime will be grand to get him started. But bear in mind some bodies won't autofocus with some lenses.
As for learning, is there anyone on here that can show him the ropes? I'd be happy to volunteer but I think I'm at the wrong end of the country.
Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson
Gnus - drop me an email, I've got a Sony dslr you can have. I bought it years ago and never really used it much. It'll get him going 🙂
Might even have a book or 2 to go with it
Pick up a cheap 2nd hand Canon 450D or the like on eBay. They can be picked up for sub £80 or sub £200 with lenses, bags, books thrown in etc. It the perfect camera for youngster to learn on. Lenses for canon are cheap to pick up as and when they want them.
+1 (or Woody's offer).
Or any Nikon, Canon, Pentax DSLR. Realistically newer cameras are better, but they're like the brakes on a mountain bike, they're never really 50% more powerful with each evolution as the manufacturer's claim.
Pm me Gnus. I have a book or two I can send down.
Another tip - get him looking on somewhere like 500px where the majority of the photos are at least very good.
Get him to consider what he likes about particular photos - is it the framing, the subject, the colours, the textures etc - this will help him train his eye to start spotting potential shots.
Also get him to consider how outdoor objects change with the varying light of the day and what effect it being overcast has. Light is so important to photography so observing it in this manor is valuable.
‘Anything Goes’ Amateur Photography on Facebook is an excellent group - some good work in there (including a few of mine 🙂 )
Personally, I’d recommend a cheap manual film slr with a prime lens. Shoot some black and white. Film will teach exposure, and how to get shot first time, a prime lens will teach composition and be faster for low light.
Nikon FM or Olympus OM1. Ilford FP4.
Trouble with film though is the cost of processing, which can add up quite quickly and also be quite disheartening if you're learning as you go. Don't get me wrong, I love film, but it's not what I'd go for in this instance.
Bugger - not two hours ago, MPB picked up a package containing a 300d & kit lens that I'd happily have donated. It's old but a good cameras (bought from Dan Barham before he went pro, he used it for his first published shots in singletrack mag)
if they **** me about on the price, Ill get them to send it back and pass it on.
Some good advice above. light, framing, composition, subject are all important. influences can be important.
I'd learn basics on digital, then improve on film. I did a photography As-level at the local night school where we shot on B&W film, including processing and printing our own rolls
Check Woodys offer out, if not PM me as I have an old Olympus e-510 spare looking for a home, not new but OK to learn on. Worth checking how to view pics from digital, i.e. access to a PC/laptop/tablet, check they can read card from camera? 510 uses older CF cards so might need a card reader unless there is a cable included.
Regards, Chris