New in photography? help please.?

Question

I have always loved and been really interested in photography. I currently have a Nikon coolpix E4600 and am really good with it.

However, I'm looking to taking more professional pictures so I'm looking for a new camera and some kind of photoshop.

I'm looking at a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8.

Would you reccomend this?

What other cameras would be good for me to look at?

(I don't have too much money to work with)

Also, what kind of photoshop? Adobe?

Any suggestions or advice would be wonderful. Thanks!!

Answer 1

I just went to a seminar about photography. The speaker said that if a person takes their time and frames their pic correctly, you don't need an expensive camera. Happy shooting :)

Answer 2

Moving from one P&S camera to another will not give you what you need to shoot "professional" pictures.  To do that, you will have to buy a camera that allows you to adjust all the important controls on a camera ...  mainly the shutter speed, f/stop and change lenses as necessary.  To do this you will need either a 35 mm SLR or DSLR.

Photoshop does not make professional pictures.  It is the 12 inches behind the camera that does that.  Putting your faith in Photoshop to "fix" mistakes made in the camera is not a good way to reach your goal of being a professional photographer.

Answer 3

Well, you see, point & shoot cameras aren't really good for photography. SLR cameras are, and DSLR. It means Single Lens Reflex and Digital Single Lens Reflex. The settings in these cameras are very useful for great pictures that don't need editing. But, they are also expensive. So, you could just look for a Point & Shoot camera with a few basic settings like shutter speed, aperture balance, and all that jazz. Canon Powershot A series may not look very nice but they have some of those important settings you may find useful. :)

Answer 4

HI Alex.    The Lumix you are looking at would be a very nice camera for you... even nicer if you have decided that it meets your specific needs and it is in your price range.   Photoshop IS Adobe...  But the starter more reasonably priced version is called Photoshop Elements...  maybe about $99.00... not actually sure but that is close.   The next thing I think you should do to ready yourself to take nice pictures is to get books, magazines, look on photo internet sites.. to see what other photographers are shooting and apply some of their ideas to pictures you would like to take.    The most important aspect about imagemaking is the composition.   Good composition, even in adverse conditions is still good composition.   You will learn new things about photography every day... IF you shoot everyday.   Look at your bad pictures as mistakes to improve upon.  Bad lighting?  Change it....   Out of focus?  Why?  -  Study your pictures and then retake them... trying to make corrections.  You see...  photography is a discipline and an education all in one.   Get a couple of photography books.  General photography and digital photography.  In the General photography book you will learn the basics of photography...  In the digital book... you will learn how to apply the basics to digital shooting.  Get that book.  Look at those pictures and go out and try your hand at it.   It is a great experience.  Thanks for reading.  I hope I was able to help    :))