Hi Guys... and Gals also...
I have some question to ask, but let me into myself 1st. My name is Voldi and I am living in Sembawang with my wife. I am Indonesian, and I moved to S'pore in year 2000.
I am not that new to photography, but I am sure that I am new here in this forum.
I learned how to use Camera since I was small in the 70s. My first camera that I use is my mom's Canonet QL17 GIII (I still have the camera with me now, and It's still working fine!).
I started learning seriously when I was in the university (around 1995). I bought Yashica FX-3 Super 2000 with Vivitar 28-200 lens, and I learn the basics of exposure, composition, flash photography, etc. After around 2 years I sold the Yashica and buy Nikon F70D + Tamron 28-200.
I did a lot of outdoor photography with the camera, and I actually getting money from it. You know, I have some younger cousins and I was introduced to their friends who wanted to be photographed outdoor. I was doing it for about 1 years then when I was graduated I started my full time job. I am an IT engineer, thus I hardly have time to do photography anymore.
I also have Nikon F3 with Koboron 17-24. A very nice Nikon F3 with a cheap lens which quite surprising it gives me a quite good result.
After I got married in Year 2000, and my moving to Singapore on the same year, I had to totally give up my photography hobby since It's quite hard working as an IT guy here in Singapore. Sometime I was working on saturday, even sunday. So my cameras and lenses were sleeping inside a plastic box with bags of Sillica gels. (but when I opened it abt 2 weeks ago, it seems that the fungus had moved in)
My introduction to Digital Photography came when I was working in one Secondary school in Singapore. I use The Fuji S2 Pro that belongs to the school to take student's portrait for their database. I did this every start of school year, and also if the school wants me to take picture of their activities. There was a very basic studio setting in their library which consist of 2 flashes with bouncer/diffuser, and a white muslin background. I did this between 2002-2004.
I am thinking seriously now to re-learn photography, and this time in Digital. However I can't start soon since I am still saving for my first DSLR.
My Goals:
1. I want to re-learn the outdoor model shoot, as I did this before.
2. I also want to learn micro photography with interest of static product photos.
3. And, of course, the end goal is that I want to get extra income during my extra time.
My Problems:
1. I have no portfolio. My portfolio was all in negative and print format, and I am quite stupid to leave it in my storeroom in my house in Jakarta. There was a terrible flood there last year, and all my photos and negative are gone... completely...
2. I do not know what camera should I buy. I have a church friend who is a photographer, and he said that if I am serious of my goals and want to get money from my hobby, I should buy a decent camera, not just a cheap one.
Ok, now here are my questions:
1. I am thinking that I'm going to buy a Nikon. Between D80 and D200, which do you think is good enough for me now and for another 3 or 4 years?
2. During my outdoor photoshoot, I always use filters, since I can't do much editing when printing my negatives. Nowdays there is editing software like Photoshop to edit your digital pictures. Should I make an effort to concentrate in choosing filters during photoshoots or should I just think about composition and then edit the image in Photoshop?
3. I am thinking to join a not-so-basic course on photography. So far I already found one in PSS, but is seems that they only have the beginner course. The NAFA one was quite interesting, but it might burn a hole in my wallet. Any suggestion?
4. For those shutterbugs who live in or near Sembawang, maybe we can exchange contact?
Thanks all.
I have some question to ask, but let me into myself 1st. My name is Voldi and I am living in Sembawang with my wife. I am Indonesian, and I moved to S'pore in year 2000.
I am not that new to photography, but I am sure that I am new here in this forum.
I learned how to use Camera since I was small in the 70s. My first camera that I use is my mom's Canonet QL17 GIII (I still have the camera with me now, and It's still working fine!).
I started learning seriously when I was in the university (around 1995). I bought Yashica FX-3 Super 2000 with Vivitar 28-200 lens, and I learn the basics of exposure, composition, flash photography, etc. After around 2 years I sold the Yashica and buy Nikon F70D + Tamron 28-200.
I did a lot of outdoor photography with the camera, and I actually getting money from it. You know, I have some younger cousins and I was introduced to their friends who wanted to be photographed outdoor. I was doing it for about 1 years then when I was graduated I started my full time job. I am an IT engineer, thus I hardly have time to do photography anymore.
I also have Nikon F3 with Koboron 17-24. A very nice Nikon F3 with a cheap lens which quite surprising it gives me a quite good result.
After I got married in Year 2000, and my moving to Singapore on the same year, I had to totally give up my photography hobby since It's quite hard working as an IT guy here in Singapore. Sometime I was working on saturday, even sunday. So my cameras and lenses were sleeping inside a plastic box with bags of Sillica gels. (but when I opened it abt 2 weeks ago, it seems that the fungus had moved in)
My introduction to Digital Photography came when I was working in one Secondary school in Singapore. I use The Fuji S2 Pro that belongs to the school to take student's portrait for their database. I did this every start of school year, and also if the school wants me to take picture of their activities. There was a very basic studio setting in their library which consist of 2 flashes with bouncer/diffuser, and a white muslin background. I did this between 2002-2004.
I am thinking seriously now to re-learn photography, and this time in Digital. However I can't start soon since I am still saving for my first DSLR.
My Goals:
1. I want to re-learn the outdoor model shoot, as I did this before.
2. I also want to learn micro photography with interest of static product photos.
3. And, of course, the end goal is that I want to get extra income during my extra time.
My Problems:
1. I have no portfolio. My portfolio was all in negative and print format, and I am quite stupid to leave it in my storeroom in my house in Jakarta. There was a terrible flood there last year, and all my photos and negative are gone... completely...
2. I do not know what camera should I buy. I have a church friend who is a photographer, and he said that if I am serious of my goals and want to get money from my hobby, I should buy a decent camera, not just a cheap one.
Ok, now here are my questions:
1. I am thinking that I'm going to buy a Nikon. Between D80 and D200, which do you think is good enough for me now and for another 3 or 4 years?
2. During my outdoor photoshoot, I always use filters, since I can't do much editing when printing my negatives. Nowdays there is editing software like Photoshop to edit your digital pictures. Should I make an effort to concentrate in choosing filters during photoshoots or should I just think about composition and then edit the image in Photoshop?
3. I am thinking to join a not-so-basic course on photography. So far I already found one in PSS, but is seems that they only have the beginner course. The NAFA one was quite interesting, but it might burn a hole in my wallet. Any suggestion?
4. For those shutterbugs who live in or near Sembawang, maybe we can exchange contact?
Thanks all.
