File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
I got a D40 just under a year ago and realised what a bad mistake I had made. It still suits me alright though for college work despite missing some of the features of a better SLR.

What would you reccommend me get for my camera to improve the quality of photo's, and help me develop my skills.

I want something that could be an investment and could reuse if I decide to get a new body in the future.

Is getting the SB-600 speedlight a good idea?
EXIF data available. Clickhereto show/hide.
Camera-Specific Properties:Equipment MakeNIKON CORPORATIONCamera ModelNIKON D40Camera SoftwareAdobe Photoshop CS3 WindowsMaximum Lens Aperturef/3.5Sensing MethodOne-Chip Color AreaColor Filter Array Pattern834Focal Length (35mm Equiv)27 mmImage-Specific Properties:Image OrientationTop, Left-HandHorizontal Resolution300 dpiVertical Resolution300 dpiImage Created2008:09:24 16:55:06Exposure Time1/60 secF-Numberf/3.5Exposure ProgramNormal ProgramISO Speed Rating200Exposure Bias0 EVMetering ModeCenter Weighted AverageLight SourceUnknownFlashFlash, Auto, Return Not DetectedFocal Length18.00 mmColor Space InformationsRGBImage Width1000Image Height665RenderingNormalExposure ModeAutoWhite BalanceAutoScene Capture TypeStandardGain ControlNoneContrastSoftSaturationHighSharpnessNormalSubject Distance RangeUnknown
>> Anonymous
>>261973
oh and pic related one I took today
>> Anonymous
yes
>> Anonymous
Get it, and learn how to bounce light instantly make your pictures sharper and better quality.

Also cool picture, although it confuses me :3
>> ac !!VPzQAxYPAMA
>What would you reccommend me get for my camera to improve the quality of photo's, and help me develop my skills.
Books. Both books on photography and books of photography. Look at other people's work, read up on composition and technique, etc.

The best thing you can get to improve the quality of your photos is experience and talent. Until you figure that out, all the gear in the world won't help you.
>> Anonymous
>>261992
and photography classes
>> Anonymous
>>261992
>>The best thing you can get to improve the quality of your photos is experience and talent

spoken like a true DICK
How does someone GET talent, homer?
>> Anonymous
>>262338
Talent can be learned, homesketch. That "artists are born" shit is bullshit, and I was born an artist.
>> Anonymous
LOL CROCKWELL
>> Anonymous
>>262340
this the line used by people born without talent. Like you.
Working your ass off to become proficient is not the same thing as being talented.
>> Anonymous
>>262346
To have talent is to posess exceptional abilities, to be better at what you do than someone else. You can be born with a greater chance at becoming talented, but you aren't born with talent. Olympic gymnasts don't pop out of the womb going one quarter turn left, bending trunk forward and thrusting arms downward on their way to a gold.
>> Anonymous
>>262338
Take your camera everywhere and take pictures of everything. Look at all of them closely at home. As long as you have any artistic talent at all you will improve!
>> Anonymous
>>262354
what on earth are you talking about???

To prove to yourself that what you say is not true do this:
Find something you are talented in (if that exists) then compare it with something you still enjoy, but worked very hard to be good in. This will tell you everything - assuming you're honest. People like to believe that nature/the world/the universe/reality is fair and that everyone gets a fair shake. It's a lie.

Of course people don't pop out of the womb as gold medalists, but only certain of people who do pop out of the womb can become one. Do you think you could hit like A Rod? Or paint like Caravagio? Or play guitar like Hendrix. If you're so sure that you can master things like really talented people, why aren't you working that so you can be famous/rich/sucessful
What you say simply isn't true, and when you are old enough you will know it.
>> Anonymous
>>262361
You missed the point. The point is "you can't learn talent, you have to be born with it" is bullshit.

Talent is learned. Talented people are people who worked hard towards something they had an interest in from an early age or were predispositioned towards (which isn't the same thing as talent, faggot, Van Gogh didn't start painting masterpieces at 3).

I like all of this self-projecting you're doing, gonna try to paint yourself as a "true talented artist" next, big guy?

People like you are the reason I hate art school. My school is filled with people who talk about how they were born with their talent, and they all produce shit.
>> Anonymous
>>262361
>Of course people don't pop out of the womb as gold medalists, but only certain of people who do pop out of the womb can become one. Do you think you could hit like A Rod? Or paint like Caravagio? Or play guitar like Hendrix. If you're so sure that you can master things like really talented people, why aren't you working that so you can be famous/rich/sucessful
>What you say simply isn't true, and when you are old enough you will know it.

This anon is correct.
Once you've gotten past college and had a few years in the working world you'll understand.
Your options in life are severely limited, and true geniuses are recognized when they are very, very young.

PROTIP: If you haven't been "discovered" yet you aren't going to be. Ever.
>> Anonymous
>>262368
The samefag couldn't be any more obvious.
>> Anonymous
people in your class making fun of your lil d40? just tell them it's about how you work the machinery not how big it is
>> fence !!POey2hdozCZ
>>262368

give up on life some more, why don't you?
>> Anonymous
>>262366
>Talent is learned. Talented people are people who worked hard towards something they had an interest in from an early age or were predispositioned towards (which isn't the same thing as talent, faggot, Van Gogh didn't start painting masterpieces at 3).

Wrong.
Wrong, wrong, WRONG.

You could take 100 kids and train them all to be gymnasts from a very young age, and more likely than not NONE of them would become Olympic-quality gymnasts.

SKILL is learned.
Talent is not.

Unfortunately for you, the fags at your art school have neither.
>> Anonymous
>>262369
either that or emotional friends
>> Anonymous
>>262369
>samefag

No.

>>262369
>give up on life some more, why don't you?

Oh boo fucking hoo.
That's how it is. If you don't like it, an hero and GTFO.

I'm content to have a girlfriend I live with and a job I don't hate. If you need more than that out of life you're going to be sorely disappointed when you get out into the real world.
>> Anonymous
>>262373
Protip: Skill and talent are the same thing. Talent as a born-trait is just marketing that you're buying into. Enjoy your class systems.

You could take 100 kids and train them all to be gymnasts from a very young age, and more likely than not NONE of them would become Olympic-quality gymnasts because they're not skilled enough to make it that far.

Although olympic gymnasts are more common than you seem to think. Making it onto the mat every 4 years is the hard part.
>> Anonymous
LOL @ how AC has started posting as Anon in this thread because he doesn't want his tripfag name sullied with this argument.

Also he's a fucking coward.
>> Anonymous
>>262380
>Protip: Skill and talent are the same thing.

Holy shit, AC, are you really this stupid?
>> Anonymous
>>262386
most tripfags have a lot at stake with their rep's here. so no doubt you will see anons backing them up.
>> Anonymous
>>262386
actually I believe anonymous was referring to how talent and skill are almost always used to differentiate between social classes, in that the lower class is not afforded the talented label, and instead have to become "skilled"

Skilled workers are considered inferior to the upper class talented AND skilled individuals, who succeed among other lower class individuals primarily on the basis of their higher standing in society.

Talent is evident at the extremes, however I among other people who are posting seem to agree that the middle ground (great, decent, good, average photographers) can't be differentiated between their talent and skill.
>> Anonymous
>>262371
This. (Also, that's what she said.)

D40 does offer one advantage that the D40x/D60 doesn't: higher flash synchronization speed (1/500 vs. 1/200). The SB-600 and a sync cord (to let you use it off-camera) could give you some nice options. Use it on manual, get some rechargeables, and experiment relentlessly. You'll know the good stuff when it comes. (That's -also- what she said.)

Some folks will razz it, but read Strobist (or at least look at the pretty pictures for inspiration). A lot of the stuff frequently used there is within college student means.

If you've got a little more money, I'd also suggest a telephoto lens if you don't have any beyond the kit. A 55-200 f/3.5-5.6 VR is only about $200, and the extra focal length can be heavenly at times. (Also what she said.)
>> soulr !lK4GD5SleY
OP get a film slr, a book about painting, and a book about photography.

Read the books as you learn that every useless snapshot you take is going to cost you money.
>> Anonymous
Never underestimate the power of a lens. a camera body is not even half the equation its like 1/32 of the equation. if you want to invest in something that can really aim to make your fotos better, high quality lens can bring sharpness and color that you didn't realize you were missing, and you can swap them later on to bodies that you can invest some serious dollars.

this is only a technical fix, but could bring some life into your images. also learn the power of not having a flash. flash can really suck up an image and people don't realize. i think op your image would have been better without such a direct light source as is.
>> ac !!VPzQAxYPAMA
In after shitstorm.

From wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
># endowment: natural abilities or qualities
># a person who possesses unusual innate ability in some field or activity
Talent is, by definition, natural. I.e., unlearnable. I should've said skill. Thanks for defending me guys, but I misspoke.

>>262383
>>262386
Fuck you, troll, I was asleep. I'll agree that it does seem mighty samefag in here, but that samefag is you double posting to back up your own argument because I wasn't getting into a posting frenzy like you wanted me to. Which I wouldn't have anyway because I agree with your side of the argument. So, suck it.
>> Anonymous
>>262386
>>actually I believe anonymous was referring to how talent and skill are almost always used to differentiate between social classes,... blah, blah, blah

This opinion is most often supported by whites who have a negative opinion of non-whites. Did you ever hear of anyone with a brain say that Muhammad Ali, or Charlie Parker, or Tito Puente or Michael Jordan were skilled? Of course not. They have talent. You cannot teach someone to be that good. You can only help someone who has the propensity to be that good to be the best they can be.

The worst bigot - the veiled bigot - will say that these people are "skilled" because he refuses to admit that "fate" had given these men a level of skill that could not be accounted for by ordinary means. For these bigots it would mean that God was a "nigger lover" - one that loved those non-white men greater than themselves.
I went to grad school for math and I was pretty good - 3.85 gpa. But I met people along the way who were better, and not because they had necessarily a better gpa, but because I saw how seamlessly things went for them.
The world need less mediocity. Fewer people who think they are in the the top when they are not. Better that you do the average job in a way that is above average. Sorry life is depressing and disapointing. It ends in death. No matter what you do or how you do it, you end up dead. Fighting a fight you cannot win will not change this.
>> Anonymous
>>262358
>>262358
>>262358
>> Anonymous
>>262515
I'm the person who said that. I'm Asian, and I'm homoflexible. Your argument is null and void.

I can't help but laugh at you for trying to use "bigot" as your argument when I say that skill and talent are the same thing.
>> Anonymous
>>262536
that just show what a bigot you are. You think just because you are asian that you cannot be a bigot? That's double bigotry.
Homoflexible? You think THAT makes you immune from being a bigot? Unless you live in Podunkt you must be the most naive person I have ever encountered.
WTF is homoflexible? And what does that have to do with talent, skill, photography or anything?
To make matter worse, your simple mind really thinks that to call another's argument "null and void" make it so!!
I constantly get an education as to how stupid some people in this world are.

Galileo : Me thinks the world might be round
Church : your argument is null and void
Galileo : If you say that you must be right.
>> ac !!VPzQAxYPAMA
I've got "Everyone's A Little Bit Racist" from Avenue Q in my head now.
>> Anonymous
simple solution to racism? KILL ALL THE FUCKING NIGGERS. all i would need is a giant bucket of fried chicken to act as bait
>> Anonymous
>>262538
You are, by far, the biggest moron I've ever talked to on /p/. Thanks for that.

It's your arguments that make you that, not that you believe skill and talent are different. I don't hate AC because he actually said so based on the definition of the word, not OHMYGODBIGOT.

I didn't say being Asian and a gayfag means I can't be a bigot, I was responding directly to;

"This opinion is most often supported by whites who have a negative opinion of non-whites."

Hurr. I'm a non-white, your argument is null and void, faggot. Mentioned my sexuality because I read incorrectly, I thought you said "straight white males" since that's usually used every time someone wants to bawww about bigots.
>> Anonymous
>>262552
since there are more "niggers" + asians + hispanics than white wouldn't it make much more sense to kill all the whites?
>> Anonymous
>>262561
Asian Gayfag here, I say let's wipe out the Asians first. We're all gay and short, and our eyes look like >o<

Fuck Asians, we're worse than niggers.
>> Anonymous
there's nothing wrong with a D40, especially in college. No matter what you get, there's always something better. The D40 is extremely capable.
>> Anonymous
>>262561

no, because we are trying to save humans, not the beasts.
>> Anonymous
>>262554
>>is null and void, faggot

Your even a bigot against those of your own kind. And on top of that paranoid. I never said anything about straight or gay. And btw - I noticed you did not tell me what homoflexiable is. You have no business discussing art, photography or bigotry because you have not even joined the human race yet. Since you know nothing of my race (and actually race does not exist) and nothing of my sexual persuasion, you are taking stabs in the dark. Here's a dare - print out your post, save them in a drawer for a year and then read them. Your level of embarrassment will be a measure of your increase in maturity. Good luck - you are going to need it.

Have more insults? By all means post them and prove that you are not up to the task of having an intellegent debate with adults
>> Anonymous
>>262573
when people in what was to become europe were still in caves, Africa already has the first hospitals and libraries.
Don't be so anxious to show your remarkable ignorance
>> ac !!VPzQAxYPAMA
>>262574
>what homoflexiable is
I assume it means he can suck his own dick. Though that doesn't really make sense, 'cause if he could do that, why would he ever do anything else?
>> Anonymous
>>262574
Adults? I highly doubt you're an adult. Every argument you've tried to make has pointed towards you being a teenager trying to act culturally aware and racially blind when you're really not, so you project that on whoever you're talking to by implying that THEY are the bigot, not you.

Learn to English if you don't know what homoflexible means. Disecting spelling to find meaning isn't exactly rocket science.

Homoflexible, homo-flexible, homosexual, to like those of the same gender, flexible, to be capable of change.

Which means I'm homosexual but not exclusively so.
>> Anonymous
>>262589

niggers don't do anything other than draw welfare, eat fried chicken (bought with welfare check) and kill each other in tribal wars. africa is a shithole.

what great african nations can you point to today? zimbabwae? lol! niggers are useless without humans to rule them.
>> Anonymous
>>262618
That's called being BISEXUAL, you enormous faggort.

I honestly can't tell who's trolling whom or if they're all just trolls in this thread. Is that 0/10 or 10/10?
>> Anonymous
>>262627
No, it's not. I'm a gay male, I've just done it with girls before when I'm drunk. Bisexual is a 3 on the Kinsey scale, I'm a 5.

You probably don't get that, though.
>> Anonymous
>>262630
I was under the impression that everything on the Kinsey scale that isn't a 0 or a 7 is bisexual. Cause, you know, 1-6 means you consider having sex with both men and women, just that you prefer one or the other.

So you may consider yourself a gay male but the fact that you have sex with women makes you bisexual. There are plenty of men-who-have-sex-with-men who consider themselves straight, but the fact that they choose to have sex with men makes them bisexual. Not straight.

Oh and I"m not>>262627btw.
>> Anonymous
>>262638

the scale goes to 6, moron. no seven
>> Anonymous
>>262638
nope, 0, 1, and 2 are varying degrees of heterosexuality. 3 is bisexuality. 4-6 is varying degrees of homosexuality.

Easiest way to explain it is that I'm a sex addict. Bisexual folks are attracted to men and women. I only have sex with women when I'm drunk because I really, really like fucking stuff. I usually have a cigarette afterwards and tell them I'm a faggot, sends the bitches crying.
>> Anonymous
Bisexuality has an ambiguous definition, so saying to say "NO BISEXUALITY IS ONLY THIS" is wrong. Some define bisexuality as equal attraction to both sexes, but others define bisexuality as anything that's not pure homosexuality or heterosexuality.

Basically, it's totally pointless because this guy's still a fucking cockbite.
>> Project !dashI8UpO.
     File :-(, x)
meh, didn't wanna participate in this shitstorm but w/e

Without Asians, we wouldn't have Canon, Nikon, Pentax (Asahi), Olympus, Fujifilm, Sony, Hoya, Yashica, Minolta, Zenza Bronica, Casio, Kyocera (Contax), Mamiya, Panasonic, Ricoh, Samsung, Sigma, Tokina, Tamron, Konica, Epson(lol, just found out it was Japanese now), Sanyo, Toshiba, and you know this list goes on.

and am I bisexual for liking androgynous people? Pic related, no one is completely heterosexual.

Camera-Specific Properties:Equipment MakeSONYCamera ModelDSC-T7Camera SoftwareAdobe Photoshop 7.0Maximum Lens Aperturef/3.5Image-Specific Properties:Image OrientationTop, Left-HandHorizontal Resolution72 dpiVertical Resolution72 dpiImage Created2005:09:05 23:06:30Exposure Time894785/44739251 secF-Numberf/3.5Exposure ProgramNormal ProgramISO Speed Rating80Exposure Bias0 EVMetering ModePatternLight SourceUnknownFlashNo Flash, CompulsoryFocal Length8.23 mmColor Space InformationUncalibratedImage Width413Image Height550
>> Anonymous
>>262692
Don't forget Wacom, who I shit bricks about when I found out they were Japanese.
>> fence !!POey2hdozCZ
>>262706

same here. i had always thought wacom was european for some reason.
>> Anonymous
>>262618
you posted a word I have never seen. It look it up in the Oxford English dictionary and a Webster's. (psst- that's what adults do). Neither had the word. So I was asking YOU what it meant. That makes me stupid. I didn't think it mean "bisexually" because there is already a word for that. This makes you a probable hipster child.
>>Which means I'm homosexual but not exclusively so.
oh aren't you cool
I no longer stand by what I previously said about you -
you're actually a total idiot, who has no business interacting with anyone. Now go back to your little friend and suck their dicks. You probably don't have sex with girls because girls in their teens are more mature than boys and want nothing to do with them.
>> Anonymous
OP here 50 posts ommited and only this anon was helpful to me, thanks.
>>262476
I will probably go with the SB-600 this month then get the DX VR 55-200 next month
>> Anonymous
disgusting the argument in this thread is disgusting
>> Anonymous
>>262616
Shut the fuck up, you idiot.
>> Anonymous
>>262554
haha! go on, compare him to hitler.
>> Anonymous
>>262476
The d40 only has ISO 200 speed and NOT ISO 100.

In daylight, balancing flash with ambient using ISO 100@1/250 is the same as balancing flash with ambient using ISO 200@1/500.
>> Anonymous
>>262973
Having such a zoom lens isn't always that useful. I have a 18-70 f/3.5-4.5 and have found it to fit everything i've ever needed to do. The extra zoom can be "heavenly" or it can be useless. Plus it's always betetr to get closer to your subject then zooming. It'll make your images pop a little bit more.
>> Anonymous
>>262490

If you were serious about that post, why would you suggest a film SLR?
>> Anonymous
>>264338

i assume its because you have to think about what you're going to shoot before wasting a frame that compared to digital is mighty expensive. Probably to help one get away from the shitty snapshots mentality.
>> Anonymous
>>264338
Because he's a vocal filmfag who's otherwise pretty much in the right direction.

I wouldn't get a book, unless it was a photobook or a nonfiction work on visual art generally or photography (like a book of criticism or history) not intended to teach you how to do it, most of those are for people just looking for a fun hobby.

The how-to of photography you can learn on the Internet, and you can look at photos and other visual art online, too. And, of course, museums. Study those and their principles and practice, and that's how you get good.

But in the "focus-on-art" angle is right.

The get-a-film-camera-so-you-think-about-it approach is flawed in that if it has to cost you money for you to give a damn how your stuff comes out, you're probably not going to wind up very good any way.

Taking lots of shitty, casual snapshots with no intent to ever do anything with them is also a good way to get the kinesthetic side of working the camera down.