Originally posted by PapioGuy: I have been "taking pictures" my whole life. Now I want to learn how to become an artist with my camera.
Same here. I have mine now for nearly 1.5 years. My passion lies in seascapes. 3 weeks ago I got washed by a slightly larger ocean wave and that includes my k-x as well as my sigma 10-20. And it is still working fine - although I am waiting for problems to set in.
Anyway, at home I could not find a single drop of water in any of the compartments (battery, SD card, etc) and I am still hopeful. However, my LBA fund is now frozen in case I need a new camera(K5). The lens is going great too.
I started out with the cheaper Sigma 17-70 that came with my camera and I learned a lot and took also some great macros. In general I don't subscribe too much to LBA because I have come to realise that in order to take great pics one does not need expensive gear (otherwise I would have bought a much more expensive camera - the choice would have been a k-7. There are too many other variables that matter when it comes to taking a good shot - the camera and lens probably only contributes to 10 - 20%...
The best advice someone gave me in the early days: be happy with the gear you got and save up you money to travel to locations known for the scenery (eg New Zealand, or North Scotland which is on my list of places to see).
Anyway you may check out my flickr page.
Flickr: Maggon (Falke)'s Photostream