I bought a D80..

Because I'm a bit whimsical like that. My girlfriend got one for her birthday and I liked it. I never got on with compact cameras, but I've clicked with this and it's an eye opener too! I've had it for about two weeks and taken just over 1,000 images.
I'm enrolling on a course that starts in may, so hopefully will learn a bit more.

Here's something I did today, I'm quite pleased with it
I took a few past it looking flowers from the garden and froze them in some water. Put it on a garden table that I could shine light through, and voila:



And something else:




I've read 3 magazines so far and bought another today. I love learning stuff and going out and trying it, it's great fun.

Any constructive criticism is quite welcome, and my flickr photostream is here


I know a few of you have DSLRs on the forum, how did you get into it?

heres me thinking a D80 was a retro motocross bike. god i feel old.

the ice flowers look awesome but the idea has been over used, your picture is great but id try it from a different perspective.. the main focus of your picture is on the flower.. what's wrong with more emphasis on the ice? refresh an old idea but i like it!

digital art is fun try some photoshopping too to twist up your image and add something different

digital photography is great but because its more accessible to people now it also means you have to be a shed loads more creative

now all you need is a great wok off lens and get your self down to your nearest race track

John

[Brettus]

I thought it was an alternative to a C90 (not sure whether cassette or Honda 90 heh)

Nice camera though! I've been tempted to get a DSLR myself, I'd like to do cleaner long exposures and more of them, its a pain with image stacking 15 second exposures from my Canon S3.

I like the idea of the flowers in ice, that worked really well, I'd never have thought of something like that I tend to imitate what I see on flickr, just have my own try at producing something like.

There's some nice pictures on your photostream too! very nice, very promising
keep up the good work hehe.

I want to have a go at long exposures. I might be more tempted when it's a bit warmer in the evenings..

I didn't realise flowers in ice was over done, I hadn't seen it before apart from in the magazine I read. I've got some focused on the ice, will see if any are decent.

Photoshop is good, but I much prefer getting something done in camera. I really like doing portraits, but finding willing people to photograph proves difficult! Nobody in my family wants to be photographed at all!

Nice images and a good choice of camera, dont be afraid to experiment, and dont nessecarily delete everything thats not perfect, stick em in a seperate folder and go back and look at em every now and again, its amazing how sometimes you can see something different when you look, also donr get hung up on the so called rules of photography, you know like the rule of thirds etc , do your own thing, you,ll develop a style quicker if you do your own thing, good luck with it.

Originally Posted by Gene genie

heres me thinking a D80 was a retro motocross bike. god i feel old.

+1!!

I've been reading about the rules of composition. It strikes me that if you followed them religiously you'd have a boring collection of shots.

I'm still struggling to look at things from a photographer's perspective, but getting there I think. Going out with Izi is good, because she sees lots of things I wouldn't, though I'm starting to see them too which is good.

Next up I want some good pictures of my bike!

Sean,
Just keep on practicing, that's the best way to learn. Like you're attached to your lens with your eye, in a good way Then you know what went wrong and what went brilliantly well.
Welcome to the photo-club
Check my flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/geertkusterjr/ and some more at http://portfolio.createxs.eu


edit: to h*ll with the composition rules, create your own style!!! No photographer learned his own style from a book.

Originally Posted by Sean_C

I know a few of you have DSLRs on the forum, how did you get into it?

I got into it because i enoyed looking at motorsport pictures, and realised that if i want to get good ones of my own, then i'll have to get a good camera

i keep at it because its all technical...

I buy alot of photo mags aswell, but only when there is something in it that interests me. I buy Perf. Bikes most of the time because i like the photography they have in there, and also motorcycle racer.



btw i love that shot of the flowers