osiris

Contrary to what others have said I would not reccomend the use of a digital camera if you are trying to learn. I say this as digital cameras do not teach you the fundimental aspects of photography such as the corrolation between shutter speed and aperature, depth of field or how to light properly. Though you are able to manipulate your images nothing can help you if you do not a have at least a decent exposure. Moreover, the forementioned "consumer" cameras do not offer the best overall features and or control to take photos in many of the myriad situations you will experience in the field. Lastly, these are just my opinions but I have a degree in photography and have a good deal of teaching experience as well as do a lot of hunters set up and animal photography. TGK

DamBigBuck

Check out this post on another board that I frequent. Look for the posts by a man named Bill Thebert and check out his work. There's some pretty decent information there regarding digital cameras.

Digital Camera post on Binder Bulletin

middaughm

Hello, I'm just getting started too!!! I'm not going to do it for a living. I bought one too take pictures of family and take with me everywhere i go. You never know when you'll need it,lol. I love hunting,looking, and observing whitetails. And while doing that, you get to see lots of other animals!

Anyway, i would look up some info. on the web. I found lots of stuff about beginner photo. I just purchase a Fugi S5000. It is a digital camera. I think it was the best bang for the buck! It is my first camera. It has a lot of features, which i'm sure it'll take a while to get use to using them (i'm no pro). I purchase it Brand New for 313.00, and thats shipped!! And it was from a recommened dealer too. I found cheaper prices, but the dealer look a little shaky! If you know what i mean! I'll post some pics, i'm schedule to get it Feb. 2. Good luck PHOTO ing!

thundermug

There has been some good advice here and some...well advice.
I used to do surf photography here in Florida and made enough to pay my rent at the beach and it was only a part-time job for me!

Sure you can start out with a digital camera, but use it to learn with for compostion...That means the way things are placed in the image. It is more commonly refered to as the 1/3 rule.
Take photo courses at beginner level and work your way thru the advanced courses. Then go to a private photo studio and offer your help for free, it is a common practice. You will be setting up backgrounds, lights, etc. and doing all of the "gopher" work. Listen and learn from a pro after you finish all the schooling you can take. He or she will tell you to do things they didn't teach at school.
BTW some classes want you to use 35mm only, because they will teach you developing procedures also. Do it. it will be very handy.

After you get more knowledge, get a medium format camera. they use 120 or 220 roll film. The negatives are bigger and when you do enlargements you don't see any grain, even if you do a wall sized enlargement. Be prepared for sticker shock when you buy one of them, they are $1500.00 for the body and that is the cheap ones. The lenses are extra and you need good ones, preferably Zeis...Planar...Heidomat. Expect to pay another grand for a single use lens such as 250mm for nature photos. You can get good results with 35mm cameras and a good 500mm lens so you can save some money if need be.

Magazines prefer slides, not negatives but you are several years from that stage unless you get lucky on a photo shoot, it can happen, one of my photos made a surf magazine once. it paid $25.00 and got my name as a photographer which helped me have the opportunity to do more private shoots at $200.00 and all they got were at least 40 4x6 pictures and the opportunity to buy enlargements. The most I made from an enlargement was 200 bucks.

There is money to be made, You just got to treat it as an education sorta like college. Expect to take at least 100 photos per one great one. and that is after you get the experience you need.


Good luck!

isatarak

I know a guy who is a professional photographer and takes a lot of pictures of race cars as well as family portraits, etc. He uses digital cameras, and I'm telling you, the quality is unbelievable. I know he's not using a 3 or 4 hundred dollar camera, though. No matter what you do, if you're going professional, it's going to take a lot of money. Film cameras are on the way out, maybe not immediately, but it won't be long.

EagleLake

I love photographing deer as much as anything also and what u gotta do is get a nice camera learn how to use it and go out in the woods and take more and more pictures learn how to position ur camera and u'll see how much better ur pics get. Also enjoy the excitement of bein outdoors, nuttin like it.