Q: "I'm a huge fan of your photography. I've been a constant follower of your page and I get to learn a lot. I've been doing photography with a point and shoot camera for like a year and a half. I tried to get as much as I could from it and I'm jumping to get a DSLR. So what would you suggest to beginners like us. How do we take on photography and give our picture's a professional touch ? How much is post processing important ?" Sahil M B
A: "Thanks Sahil! Sounds like you've outgrown your point and shoot and you are ready for something a bit more challenging. That's the best reason to upgrade, good for you! So many photographers upgrade because of gear lust when they don't even make full use of their current camera.
First, do you really want to go with a DSLR? Just because the camera looks 'professional' doesn't mean it's going to be the best fit for you. I would certainly look into a mirroless system before making the decision. Smaller cameras are now coming out with some amazing sensors. If you do buy a DSLR, you're better off buying the camera body only and the lenses separately. Kit lenses are usually not that great and glass is what's going to make the biggest difference. Good lenses for DSLRs are super expensive, keep that in mind too.
If you are stepping up your game you will probably start shooting RAW. I would definitely invest into a really good processing software such as Lightroom 5. You can't beat the value of LR ad it's all you'll need. It's a bit overwhelming at first but learn it step by step with some online tutorials. You will soon be able to give your images some pop with just a few slider actions. It will make a huge difference if you haven't used any image processing software in the past. So, to answer your question: YES, post processing is very important but it doesn't mean that you need to spend much time doing it. I never spend more than a minute on an image. Just remember, post processing will not turn a bad picture into a good one. But it will make a good picture even better!
Remember the famous quote by David DuChemin: "Gear is good, visions better!" Good luck with the upgrade Sahil!"
Time for an upgrade?
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