[condor27596]

You can feel free to call me clueless. It's OK I am still learning about cameras
and with a day job and a daughter I'm definately on the slow track.

Birthday one: We hire a popular photographer for about $600 for the birthday
pics and family photos. Having grown up with just school pics or at most k-mart
pics I considered this price extremely shocking. These were the best photos I
have ever seen and being the first ones, figured, all pics non-kmart come out like this.
I noticed she had a Canon camera but I only had point and shoot at the time so
I did not look close.

Birthday two: We hire a person with a groupon coupon for about $250. I think she
was just starting out. She was a nice person, but definately qualified as a person
with a camera and a dream. These photos were positively no better than I could
do myself with the pentax I have. And compared to the birthday one pics, they
were k-mart quality. (relatively speaking) In fact, I considered them "shockingly horrible",
and for sure no better than I could do.

Birthday three: We hire (I'm separated kinda) the first person, $600.
This time I look at her camera closer (and also she does a lot of post pic processing which
I already knew). It's a Canon D something (my eyes old). But the lens is maybe 5 or
6 inches in diameter. Huge.

Anyway, I was just writing a story. A camera and a dream is nice, except for your daughter's birthday pics.
Then its better to throw out some coin.

[Rupert]

Didn't you know? Everyone with a camera or a cell phone is now a photographer.

I like that old Clint Eastwood line about "knowing your limitations". That can also go for knowing your camera's limitations.
A really good shooter and a really good camera can do wonders, but remove either from the equation and you don't end up with the full picture.....maybe a half-ass picture?

My limitations? We don't have room here to discuss them, but send a self addressed envelope, $20 and a 50# bag of exotic nuts and Otis will give you every tiny detail.

Regards!

[Rondec]

It has been said many times, but it is not as much about the camera (just about any SLR made in the last five years can take great photos), or even the lens (although good glass always helps), but the skill of the photographer, both in capturing good images and then in processing the photos well.

Photographers that are just starting out may struggle in harder situations (low light, lots of people).

[jrpower10]

"The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it."

Ansel Adams