In the "dating myself" category, I have always been an amateur photographer - but in college took several required journalism photo course where I used a couple different school rental manual cameras and learned both black/white and color photography (yeah - pre-digital, pre-memory cards. Darkrooms and everything.)
However, what I learned in those classes were the skills I needed to take a good shot with whatever equipment I had available. Sometimes, it's been a really nice digital DSLR (I'm a Nikon girl, although I've got a soft spot for those manual Pentak K1000s that I learned on.) Once, it was even a vintage Leica. More often, it was my old reliable Nikon CoolPix with a zoom - which is still the camera of choice I carry when I want better than phone quality but don't have room for bulk or weight...its smaller than a deck of cards. Last year, I treated myself to a bridge digital camera, a 14mp Fuji with an 18x zoom, which I love - perfect combo of light and fast with a long enough fixed lens to give me versatility in any lighting.
Would I love a DSLR? Yeah. But Sloan Kettering would like to get its payments, too.
The reality is that a huge part of photography is knowing how to make a good shot, and knowing how to position yourself in the right place at the right time. I discovered yesterday that my NYC weekend rental apartment was just about 100 yards and around the corner from mile-marker #19 of the NYC Ing marathon. So I told a writer friend who covers marathons where I was, what equipment I had with me, and that if I could get any shots, I'd email him. I only had with me my
Blackberry phone camera. I made not promises, wasn't sure I'd even be able to get into a good position.
Well, turn out precious few photographers were working the Spanish Harlem leg of the race, and NY's finest were very tolerant of bystanders moving alongside the race course. I happened to be in the right place at the right time, and even though it is a freakin' phone camera with no zoom, my friend can use over a dozen of the 20 shots I just sent him. I knew how to use the light, catch the action, frame the runners, and catch interesting color shots on the sidelines...all stuff I learned 30 years ago in photography class taking black and white photos. And with good digital photo software, he can clean up any small issues good enough for web publishing.
The knowledge to take a good shot takes practice until it becomes second nature, but a good shooting eye doesn't need good equipment to develop. Good equipment will extend your possibilities, but the shooting eye is the first priority.
There are three camera shops in my city, and all of them sell used equipment and lenses under some variation of warranty. I agree, it's great to start with the best equipment
you can afford. But don't neglect that she'll also need to invest in the practice/learning situations that can help her develop her shooting eye, and that in this day and age, she needs digital photo software skills just as badly as good photographers 30 years ago needed solid darkroom skills. Don't neglect those student discounts on Photoshop - getting comfy with other variants of photo software can be valuable, but if she wants to be marketable, she needs to know the best software like the back of her hand.
And don't ever underestimate how important it can be to be able to apply your well-developed shooting eye at the right place and the right time. I just sold a dozen photographs, from an event I'd had no plans to cover, AND I can deduct my trip to NYC since I "worked." That's making what you love to do pay the bills.
Best of luck to your daughter - it's good to have dreams and to have such a clear idea of what she wants to do.
by mikeschn » Sat Nov 05, 2011 7:48 pm 
