[ecitraro]

Hi all, my name is Emily and I live in the Bay Area. I've lurked here for months, but today I finally have saved enough to put my order in for a K-3 with the 18-135 lens. It's on order with Adorama. I went with them because of an Ebates discount of an additional 1% - any little bit helps. I work for a non-profit (my day job) and I consider myself a working artist (my real job). I have an MFA in painting, and I paint nights, weekends, and maintain a studio where I show a few times a year for "Open Studios" events.

I initially learned b/w photography back in the dark ages in Art School (circa 1980's), but I haven't had access to a camera with manual controls in something like 20 years. I got an iPhone a year ago and find myself taking endless Instagram pictures, which I am enjoying immensely, but I want to up my game. I also have a lot of artwork I would like images of, and possibly, I will finally complete my website and maybe I'll even be able to sell some paintings and drawings online. I'll also hope to get images I can submit to a gallery for possible representation of my paintings, and also competitions, residencies, grants, etc.. The phone is great but not especially great for these sorts of imaging.

Toward those goals, I will probably be looking at adding some used lenses, specifically something that will shoot 36" x 48" canvases (the largest I have to date). I'll also need an improved lighting system as I have a number of very heavy impasto works, as well as shiny pieces, drawings, and watercolors, but for now, I will just use northern shade/daylight.

I look forward to this terrific community, and sharing some of my creative vision with you all.

[Adam]

Hi all, my name is Emily and I live in the Bay Area. I've lurked here for months, but today I finally have saved enough to put my order in for a K-3 with the 18-135 lens. It's on order with Adorama. I went with them because of an Ebates discount of an additional 1% - any little bit helps. I work for a non-profit (my day job) and I consider myself a working artist (my real job). I have an MFA in painting, and I paint nights, weekends, and maintain a studio where I show a few times a year for "Open Studios" events.

I initially learned b/w photography back in the dark ages in Art School (circa 1980's), but I haven't had access to a camera with manual controls in something like 20 years. I got an iPhone a year ago and find myself taking endless Instagram pictures, which I am enjoying immensely, but I want to up my game. I also have a lot of artwork I would like images of, and possibly, I will finally complete my website and maybe I'll even be able to sell some paintings and drawings online. I'll also hope to get images I can submit to a gallery for possible representation of my paintings, and also competitions, residencies, grants, etc.. The phone is great but not especially great for these sorts of imaging.

Toward those goals, I will probably be looking at adding some used lenses, specifically something that will shoot 36" x 48" canvases (the largest I have to date). I'll also need an improved lighting system as I have a number of very heavy impasto works, as well as shiny pieces, drawings, and watercolors, but for now, I will just use northern shade/daylight.

I look forward to this terrific community, and sharing some of my creative vision with you all.

Congrats on the purchase! You'll love your new kit when it arrives

[hcc]

Welcome to PF. The K-3 ad DA18-135mm is a great combo. You will need to master it and you may need to read the instructions manual together with Adam's in-depth review.

You will find a lot of useful information and helpful comments. Look forward to read your post and see your photographs.

[Kerrowdown]

initially learned b/w photography back in the dark ages in Art School (circa 1980's)

Welcome, nothing like jumping in straight away and getting the very best.

I went the same kind of route too, back in those "dark ages".

[Jean Poitiers]

Bonjour from France and welcome to PF, ecitraro ... Enjoy & hope to see some K-3 images soon ... Salut, J

[normhead]

Welcome to the forum... that 18-135 is a great start. I'm really curious as to what a K-3 image would look like printed to 36 x 48. If you were able to frame to use the full 6000 pixels, you'd be priming at over 100 DPI, and past experience has taught me that anything over 120 pixels per inch (then expanded to 300 dpi) looks pretty good. So if that's your preferred size, you might want to try a test print, before you decide you need something bigger than your K-3.

[Oldbayrunner]

Welcome to the forum... LOL, if the 80's are the dark ages then I must be from Cro Magnon. Enjoy your artistic venture with your new gear.

[Kerrowdown]

80's are the dark ages then I must be from Cro Magnon

Did they have B&W film even then?

[TaoMaas]

Welcome, Emily. Just from your back-story, I like you already. You've chosen a great kit for jumping into the digital photography waters.

[carrrlangas]

Toward those goals, I will probably be looking at adding some used lenses, specifically something that will shoot 36" x 48" canvases (the largest I have to date). I'll also need an improved lighting system as I have a number of very heavy impasto works, as well as shiny pieces, drawings, and watercolors, but for now, I will just use northern shade/daylight.

Welcome! for the past year I´ve been working with art reproduction. You´l need a lens with even resolution (form center to corners). the longer (between 35mm and 100mm) you can afford (due to subject distance and reflections), the better. a 50mm Macro lens is a good start. Even better a 70mm or 100mm Macro lens (Pentax, Sigma, Tamron). This is also a great general purpose lens that should be in every photographer´s bag. And regarding lighting, continuous lighting is far easier to set up (to ensure even lighting).
I´ve been working with the K-5IIs and it´s great. So the K-3 should be even better. Good luck!

[ecitraro]

Thanks everyone! To clarify, my paintings are 36 x 48 and I need to photograph them, without distortion, but not output photos that big (thank goodness for that) though there is an interesting concept for a grant proposal lurking, somewhere...

I am already looking at the 100mm macro lens, but I will have to save up a bit more for that; luckily, I get a lot of overtime at the end of June as work is closing the fiscal year. So that can be put toward some more of the kit. I am also going to take a course in the fall at City College on Digital Photography to get up to speed even faster, and put myself and the camera through our paces. I know there are a couple on shooting artwork as well, and I'll see what's being offered.

Anyway, because nothing is seamless, the camera is on backorder, the credit union protectively refused the transaction and I'll have to get on the phone on Tuesday when everyone is present in offices again to try it a second time. Also, I leave for vacation on 6/5. I am hoping I can add a rush to the delivery now; that is, if the camera does arrive at Adorama soon enough. Never-the-less I am fairly jumping out of my skin already with anticipation.