New to Photography - UK

[groovesection]

Hi everyone,

I am a total novice when it comes to photography, I used to do video work (BMX) but as i have gotten older and the riders get younger i found myself yearning for something new which would still be creative.

At this point i decided to sell my HD camcorder and purchased the entry level EOS 1100D (with kit lens)
I soon realised the kit lens did not have enough zoom, I certainly do not need telephoto (250mm+) but i wanted a tad more than the 55mm on the kit.
After some research i decided upon the Sigma 18-125mm.

I have been reading and researching (and hopefully learning) to the point i understand the exposure triangle and how aperture,ISO and shutter speeds all tie in together, and how aperture affect DoF.

I found this forum today whilst trying to glean some more knowledge and so i decided to sign up, Not sure i can actually contribute anything of substance being a total noob,
Please be patient with me I have only had this camera for a couple of weeks!

So far i have only taken 2500 pics and to be honest 99% have been utter sh*t that never even got copied to the PC,
Here are 20 of my "best" pics here: They should be good for a laugh for you guys....

http://500px.com/groovesection

Whenever you feel the need for inspiration, just look at my pictures and laugh with delight at my pathetic attempts

Anton aka GrooveSection

[JPS]

Hi Anton,
Welcome to CiC, it's great to have you join us.

I think many of us discard pictures we are not happy with; so you are certainly not alone there.
I have looked at some of your pictures and I think there are some nice shots amongst them .
I look forward to seeing you posting into the forum. I hope you enjoy being a member and continute to learn from both the tutorials and the members.

Kind regards

[Quinn]

Hey Anton, Welcome aboard !!!
There are some decent shots posted at your link. Looks like your getting to grips with your camera!
This is a great community for novices and experienced alike. Friendly, informative and active with no 'bull'
There is lots going on, you'll find you get more out the more you put in. Like most things in life!
Cheers
Phil

[groovesection]

Hey JPS & Phil
Thank you both for the kind welcome, I am just starting out on this journey in to photography so i have much to learn,
and the thing that appeals to me about photography is the seemingly limitless possibilities, only really limited by your own imagination
(I sound like an old hippy)

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Anton,

Welcome to the CiC forums from me, great to have you with us.

I hope you do get around to posting an image or two here for comment, you will find these two threads useful;

HELP THREAD: How can I post images here?
How to Get Effective Feedback for your Posted Images

By the way, as you have seen, we like to call people by their first name here at CiC and once focus shifts off this thread, I fear many will not know you as Anton - the good news is that is easily fixed, if you Edit your Profile and pop "Anton" in to the Real Name field and perhaps a City/County plus UK in the Location field, it will help others give you more relevant advice in future.

I had a quick look at your link - that's no laughing matter - in all seriousness, there is less wrong with them than some I've taken
While it is true some could have done with a little more attention to keeping the camera level and/or the perspective straight, (easily fixed in PP) other things; like exposure and white balance do not exhibit nearly as many problems as they might.

Cheers,

[groovesection]

Thanks Dave,
Have amended my profile as you suggested, and thanks for the kind words regarding my images,
I must admit though all my images (except the most recent upload) were all shot in RAW and tweaked in post using PS CS5 (Camera Raw 7.1).
The most recent upload (Autumn Sunset) is SOOC at L-JPG (shot RAW & L-JPG)

Your kind words are very encouraging considering i have only been shooting for a couple of weeks

Anton

[Mark von Kanel]

welcome Anton, norfolk is a beautiful part of the world, and near to WEX photo as well!! your images are better than a lot of mine buddy, keep it up and get em on here!

[groovesection]

Hey Mark,
Your comments on my photos are an inspiration for me to go out and shoot/learn some more! Thank you my friend.

Norfolk is indeed a beautiful (if not flat) part of the UK.
Being my home area it is so easy to take it for granted, especially the architecture in and around Norwich which has a history going back well over 1000 years.

I am familiar with wex, It is where i purchased my EOS 1100D & Sigma 18-125mm,
I even managed to get an ND4 thrown in with my Sigma lens purchase

[Mark von Kanel]

Ill be up your way sometime nov/dec/jan visiting friends and ill have my shiny new full frame to play with, hoping to catch some of your beautiful vistas! so might see you around!