Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I bought the Nikon D50 and love it. Although I don't know much about using it I will soon.
Just holding it makes me feel like I'm taking photos at a nfl sideline lol..

Congrats Joel! Consider yourself officially addicted to the bug! That shutter bug is a nasty little fella.. and an expensive one! Seriously, I am sure you will love the Nikon, and it will provide lots of quality photos for you. I would recommend reading the book very very thoroughly, then playing w/ the camera and re-reading the book. You will learn something new each time you re-read, and it will improve your technical abilities. National Geographic also has a great manual for understanding slr/dslr cameras and the beginner/intermediate principles of photography. I still reference mine on a occassion. You can get it in most of the larger bookstores (i.e. borders, barnes and noble etc.. ) or here at amazon.. www.amazon.com/gp/product/079225676X/sr=8-1/qid=1154030965/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-6445949-4552138?ie=UTF8. It is not expensive, and in my opinion, one of the best investsments you can make for your hobby. (make sure to get the 2nd edition, and the rest of the books in the series are certainly worth a look).

Good luck! now go take some pics!
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photos.xtremecombatsports.com

A very expensive, all consuming, and utterly enjoyable club!

I would reiterate Tim's advice, read the manual and then read it again. He gave me the same advice and it made a difference.

Also, if you can find someone local to you, consider spending a few dollars for some photo classes. I took some intro classes (4, 3 hour sessions) with a wildlife photographer in my area and my photos improved enormously. The class was $150 and well worth the time and $. I have now completed my second set of classes and did my first paying gig this weekend, only 8 months after buying my first camera! You can't improve that quickly on your own by just playing around snapping pics.

Lastly, if you really have an interest in taking this seriously, you're going to want to buy some lenses of the various focal lengths. This will seem fiscally shocking when you add up how much $$ good lenses cost, but keep in mind that once you have the right gear you really have very little in the way of recurring costs. Good gear will last years.

Congratulations and welcome to the club!!
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"Nothing happens in contradiction to nature, only to what we know of it."