True. I am a hobbyist photographer and no professional as I have said many times. But I do hope to capture some great photos at Golden Gate.
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Is Photography fun?
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I'm just a hobbyist, but I want to learn to always get better. Learn how to frame a shot, the small things will make you a better photographer.
There are a lot of elements which go into the process of photography. Some include the specs of the gear, yes, but others, actually the more important ones, include how the person with the camera approaches the subject. Good technique and knowledge of various settings makes a difference, of course, but so does creativity, the ability to really look at a potential subject and SEE something, hopefully something unique and different about that subject which can be brought out by the way the person with the camera works with what he or she has in hand. Taking the time to thoughtfully analyze the scene, looking at it from various angles and perspectives before actually shooting anything, then taking additional time to compose and frame the subject just the way the photographer wants it before pressing the shutter button goes a long way towards coming home with something special.
The Golden Gate Bridge has been shot by zillions of cameras, zillions of people, so coming up with something brand-new and unique at this point in time would probably be challenging for even the most experienced professional photographer.... Nonetheless it is likely that you'll be able to bring home a nice shot or two of it that will make you happy.
The Golden Gate Bridge has been shot by zillions of cameras, zillions of people, so coming up with something brand-new and unique at this point in time would probably be challenging for even the most experienced professional photographer.... Nonetheless it is likely that you'll be able to bring home a nice shot or two of it that will make you happy.
Hi all. First post from a longtime lurker/reader.
My reply to OP is yes, photography is fun. I started in high school with film cameras. Photography has since become my career. I'm currently at my 7th newspaper, as either a photographer or a photo editor. Plus two wire services - shooting at one and editing at the other. I've taught photography here in the U.S. and overseas. There is nothing I'd rather do than photography.
OP, don't worry about megapixels. Don't worry about whether you're using your phone or your DSLR or a pinhole camera. The best camera is the one you have with you.
Likewise, don't worry about the other people taking photos of the same thing. Just look for some good light, find a good composition and wait for some interesting moments. You're not in a competition with anyone else there. Your only competition is yourself.
I hope you make some great photos. And keep your eyes open for other photos when you're not next to the Golden Gate bridge. Some of my favorite photos are from moments I hadn't counted on, going to or from the thing I had planned on shooting. Have fun and let us know how it goes.
My reply to OP is yes, photography is fun. I started in high school with film cameras. Photography has since become my career. I'm currently at my 7th newspaper, as either a photographer or a photo editor. Plus two wire services - shooting at one and editing at the other. I've taught photography here in the U.S. and overseas. There is nothing I'd rather do than photography.
OP, don't worry about megapixels. Don't worry about whether you're using your phone or your DSLR or a pinhole camera. The best camera is the one you have with you.
Likewise, don't worry about the other people taking photos of the same thing. Just look for some good light, find a good composition and wait for some interesting moments. You're not in a competition with anyone else there. Your only competition is yourself.
I hope you make some great photos. And keep your eyes open for other photos when you're not next to the Golden Gate bridge. Some of my favorite photos are from moments I hadn't counted on, going to or from the thing I had planned on shooting. Have fun and let us know how it goes.
I don't know what your experience with Nikon but can you please elaborate?
What about those who use Instagram and Facebook as their digital exhibit? Those who upload photos from their digital camera/DSLR using their desktop [which was not possible a few years ago]
My first attempt was with a film camera which was short lived and I never got to see the photos from it due to the film got exposed... When I had enough money I bought a digital camera and felt it was a bit of an upgrade since you have a screen/monitor that allows you to see the scene you are about to take a photo of, however, flash photography and low light were both a hit and miss... Seeing how some of the photos turned out, which I shot them to keep as memory, I decided that if my purpose of photography is to capture moments and be able to keep them as long as possible, I would have to go with a dedicated [or higher level] camera and I went with a Nikon upper entry level DSLR which is within my budget and the features are just right for me although I still have some gear missing like lens for low light and external flash...
I agree that it is not just about the megapixels, not just about the equipment but also depends on how you maximize the tools using the skills that you have... I can say I still have a long way to go with my photography and editing skills and with my lack of other camera gear... Is photography fun? It is no matter what type of photographer you are, landscape, people, events, etc. and whatever your purpose of entering the photography world...
I agree that it is not just about the megapixels, not just about the equipment but also depends on how you maximize the tools using the skills that you have... I can say I still have a long way to go with my photography and editing skills and with my lack of other camera gear... Is photography fun? It is no matter what type of photographer you are, landscape, people, events, etc. and whatever your purpose of entering the photography world...
Well I am not worried about megapixels entirely because I choose to shoot at 10MP instead of 20MP with my Powershot. However if I want a photo zoomed in and printed I may choose the high res. But by default 10MP is just fine for my uses.
I believe I am content with my hobbyist skillset. My first love is theology and nothing can get in the way of this and in this field there is so much much to learn and why I just love to buy book after book. Photography is a interest but not to be placed above theology for me.
Instagram and Facebook should not be the only place people use to showcase their work. It’s just not meant for that.
It was more fun for me when we shot on film.
I've looked at various photography channels on YT. Some are genuinely great photographers who have an eye for detail, composition and capturing the moment, way better than me. Some however are fundamentally mediocre photographers but Jedi Masters in Photoshop, using their post-production skills to make a masterpiece from the best take (or takes) out of 100 similar shots of the same scene. That's clearly a skill in its own right, and is probably art, but it's not what I call photography. But their channels attract millions of views so who am I to judge.
I've looked at various photography channels on YT. Some are genuinely great photographers who have an eye for detail, composition and capturing the moment, way better than me. Some however are fundamentally mediocre photographers but Jedi Masters in Photoshop, using their post-production skills to make a masterpiece from the best take (or takes) out of 100 similar shots of the same scene. That's clearly a skill in its own right, and is probably art, but it's not what I call photography. But their channels attract millions of views so who am I to judge.
That’s an unfair generalisation, based solely on your own opinion/use case/experience.
I had different experience than you. When I started photography with my Nikon DSLR I was so crazy about DoF and making background blur because I felt it’s look pretty. Then I got a hand on an iPhone 4s. I tried take some photo with them. Then my thoughts about photography change. Because smartphone camera lack DoF with fixed focal length. I having more fun trying to get out from the 4s‘s camera as much as possible. Reaching and passing its limitations. I very light than have some something hanging one my neck all the time.
But yeah, maybe just you like said. Some years later I tried a Sony point and shoot, cybershot. And it was also kinda fun to shoot around with.
But yeah, maybe just you like said. Some years later I tried a Sony point and shoot, cybershot. And it was also kinda fun to shoot around with.
Film photography is everything that digital is not. The differences are either an advantage or a hindrance depending on your viewpoint. It's probably going to be impossible for me to explain the attraction of it.
I personally think photography is fun. iPhones can take great photos and there are people who have success using it as their only camera, but for me over the years I find that I use my iPhone for "snapshots" of life because it is quick and I generally always have my phone on me. I do my best to bring my A73 with me whenever possible just to make those photos that just have a longer lasting impression imo. I import all my edited photos into the photos app and can always tell which are from the A73 (not just because I took them) even others who I show the photos to can tell because of the amount of detail especially with zooming in a little and the natural bokeh made by the lenses rather than a combination of natural and artificial from the iPhone.
I'm the person @Sheepish-Lord hates. I'm very definitely a "Slow photographer". Deliberately so 
. That said, there are rarely masses of people around when I'm changing settings for stuff I shoot. I like big, heavy, slow. Slowwwww. It takes me 10 minutes to unpack and set up properly, 10-30 minutes to get the few shots I want, another 10 to re-pack and make sure I've got all my bits in the backpack. However long to hike to where I want. Perhaps 15-25 pounds of kit, depending. I won't be able to do that forever, but it's what I like to do now. I enjoy the optics, the framing (I mostly get that wrong still - my hope for this year is to "get better"), the decision points, the post processing, the printing. It keeps me sane or at least more so than I would be otherwise .
I should add of course, that I use my iPhone with the best of them in the usual ways. I love all image capture.
. That said, there are rarely masses of people around when I'm changing settings for stuff I shoot. I like big, heavy, slow. Slowwwww. It takes me 10 minutes to unpack and set up properly, 10-30 minutes to get the few shots I want, another 10 to re-pack and make sure I've got all my bits in the backpack. However long to hike to where I want. Perhaps 15-25 pounds of kit, depending. I won't be able to do that forever, but it's what I like to do now. I enjoy the optics, the framing (I mostly get that wrong still - my hope for this year is to "get better"), the decision points, the post processing, the printing. It keeps me sane or at least more so than I would be otherwise .I should add of course, that I use my iPhone with the best of them in the usual ways. I love all image capture.
Wait until you try a Leica...
only half joking here. I do genuinely enjoy the experience of shooting a rangefinder though my eyes are losing the tolerance of youth and so focusing becomes more challenging each day.
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Don't neglect your iphone when you are there. Make use of it your powershot may disappoint you.
Narrow apertures are your friend. Back in the day, I took many a sharp shot with an original Olympus Trip 35 which only had zone-focussing, not even rangefinder-focussing. Its photocell-powered mechanical 'brain' was designed to select the smallest aperture possible to give the correct exposure with its default 1/40th shutter speed. Its only other shutter speed was 1/250th which it would only select when 1/40th at F16 was still too much exposure for the film. Obviously it wasn't great for those wide-open narrow-DOF shots with great bokeh, but it was one heck of street-shooter and virtually impossible to get a duff shot from outdoors in daylight.Wait until you try a Leica...
The Powershot doesn't handle over exposure very well. The iPhone will do a better job.
It's fun, but then you learn more about it and need more lenses, and more filters,, and then some lighting gear, and then more lighting gear, and then film is pretty sweet too, so maybe a nice 4x5 camera for that, plus some lenses, plus developing $, plus a nice scanner, no not this scanner, that new scanner, no screw that a scanning service, but is that service using an oil slide that alters the refractions on my specular highlights? And then you're 17 books into photographing metal and glass in a black-on-black environment and you remember that it used to be fun once.