 Elaine E. Mongno |
Is my equipment too amature? Hello! My name is Elaine and I am a mom from NY. I have always loved taking amature portraits. I mean I LOVE it! But I never had the guts to pursue it. I use the auto mode! CHEATER! I am the school photographer and am so proud! I put together a school magazine 4 x's a year with 100's of photos of the children and staff that is distribute to 600 students per issue! I have a chemistry with the students I just love working with them! All of the parents ask me why I havent opened my own studio and all ask me to take private photos of their children and family events. OK so I finally got the courage to take a course at the neaby college. It was such a great feeling. I rcvd so much praise. Every week my classmates and instructor looked forward to seeing my portraits. My instructor pulled me on the side and told me that I need to take this to the next level. OK so the problem...I am not knowledgeable enough yet and my equipment is too amateaur. Please help, am I fooling myself? I have a Pentax ZX-5n...which I love! I have a Tamron 28-200 1:3.8-5.6, Pentax AF 220T TTL Auto, and I purchased these lights no name http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1942392090. Are they horrible? Help...its christmas and a great time for me to ask for equipment. Do I need a better lense for portraiure? What meter do you reccomend Sekonic/Minolta? What about flash? I have enrolled myself in another photo class beginning in Feb. Thank you so much for any input!
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Jeff S. Kennedy |
Those lights are pretty low powered but should be fine for individuals. You may want something more along the lines of 5-600w/s for groups. For portraits I like fast lenses. They allow you to take advantage of lower light and are fast enough to keep motion blur to a minimum. My favorite lens is my 85mm f1.8. It's a great portrait lens. It's fast, light, and the focal length makes headshots as well as full length shots easy. The best part of it is that it's a fairly inexpensive lens compare to others in that speed. Of course I use Canon but I believe Pentax makes an equivalent lens. As far as meters I have a Sekonic L-508 (which is now a 608 or maybe a 708). I really like it. I am a professional wedding/portrait photographer and I try to use flash as little as possible. I am a firm believer in natural light. I shoot 90% of my shots in natural light using only reflectors and diffusion panels. I can't remember the last time I used fill flash for a portrait. The only flash I've used recently is my studio strobes for a family session the other day. Go for it. Post some of your shots here so we can see them.
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Judith A. Clark |
I'm with Jeff, go for it. I do use my lights all the time. It's just a matter of style. I would start by asking for a background stand or props. This is a great hobby for me, and I will probably never be what they consider professional (making over 50%of you income in photography, but I've been at it for about 2 years and love it. If you have the talent, you should use it.
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doug Nelson |
I'm only answering this because I just read something relevant. Be glad you chose Pentax. Look at their 85 1.4 and pay whatever they want for it, or look at their slower 85. Like Jeff, I like the 85. You won't go wrong. See http://www.concentric.net/~smhalpin/ for comments on Pentax lenses.
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Elaine E. Mongno |
Thank you so much for all of your help. OK so sounds like my camera body is fine. On a scale of 1-120 what would any of you rate the Pentax ZX-5N? I know that everyone goes for the higher priced brands. But, my first SLR was the Pentax ZX-50 and I absolutely loved it. My husband surprised me last Mothers day withthe ZX-5n because he knew how much I loved my first Pentax. I am going to look at the Seconic meters, backrounds, and the Pentax 85 1.4 on ebay and b&H. I went to the locas fabric store and bought a 6x10 black velvet piece for starters. I will start playing after the holidays. I appreciate all of your help!!! Thanks Elaine
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Deb Thomas |
Elaine, The camera doesn't make the picture, it only takes the picture that you tell it to. The best camera in the world will do is just another camera in the hands of a person who doesn't have the love of the vision for photography. You are what makes the image, the camera is your tool. And usually it is the lenses, not the camera that give a photographer an edge. Don't let a brand name intimidate you if you have the talent. Please show us some of your work! Deb
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Tony Peckman |
Gosh, I agree with everyone as I have recently become a portrait photographer. Similar to you, I use a Pentax zx-30, TAmron 28-105 and a AF220T flash (for fill). I'm not crazy about amount of fill flash the 220 puts out, but I am working with my Sunpak 433 and Gossen flashmeter to get the mild fill I'm looking for. I just shot about 6 families Christmas photos the last week and a terrific family portrait this summer that came out wonderful. Apparently you the great eye for portraits and you should go for it. For me, it's also a part time deal, but I am getting paid for all my shoots which are mostly friends. Sometimes I feel guilty charging friends but THEY don't seem to have a problem with it. THey love my work just like the people you're surrounded by. I am my worst critic. I gotta change that! Good luck.
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