I want to be a photographer when I get older, what do I do to become one?

Every photographer I know, amateur & professional, started out by reading books, magazines & everything they could find on the photography. Today, moreso than in the past, reading is so vital because of the constant advances that are occurring in the many different areas of today's field of photography. Knowing how to handle a camera is like a carpenter knowing how to use a hammer; it's only one of many tools used, right?

Start off by going to the library & pick up an old book on black & white film photography. You’ll find chapters on camera parts, different types of films, filters, different types of lenses & their uses, etc. Learn the vocabulary (f/stop, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focal range, depth of field, etc) & you'll find photography so much easier to understand once you understand the jargon used.

Take a Beginner's Course at a local college (they usually offer this through the Adult, Evening & Continuing Education Department offered at night or on Saturdays) or at a local YMCA/YWCA or some other similar organization near you. You'd be surprised how much you can learn in a matter of a few sessions, & how much fun it is. You can also join a photography club where the other more experienced members will help you with suggestions, feedback & constructive criticisms.

If you’re looking into a film camera to learn with, nothing beats a Nikon N80 with the Nikkor AF 28-105mm f/3.5-5.6D lens for beginners & advanced beginners; a slightly cheaper alternative lens is the Nikkor AF 35-105mm f/3.5-5.6D(macro) lens, a bit older, more affordable but equally as good. (If or when you move to digital technology afterward, you'll want to keep the Nikon N80 as a backup camera, like many advanced & intermediate AND pro photographers do)

The N80 can be used manually (you set the aperture & the shutter speed in either auto-focus or manual focus), semi-automatic (either in aperture priority OR shutter speed priority; with manual focus OR auto-focus), or in total automatic mode where it sets the aperture & shutter speed, either auto-focus or manual focus.

It is the preferred camera for beginners to take classes with. The options & features are similar to the pro-level camera, Nikon F100. This camera is ergonomically made, it is very sturdy with has a no-nonsense feel with THREE metering modes: center-weighted, spot metering & matrix metering. This camera will also set the film's ISO automatically for you, it will advance the film automatically as you take a photo & it will rewind the film when you take the last shot; it also has a few extra features to customize the camera to your personal comfort. It also has a built-in strobe!

I recommend the most versatile lenses put out by Nikon, the Nikkor AF 28-105mm f/3.5-5.6D lens, which can be used as a wide angle, a regular lens, a portrait lens, a short telephoto lens & as a macro-lens, too. Nikkor lenses are known for their superior build & superior glass formula. If, you can also afford to get the Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8D lens (about $70-$75 used), you will also have an excellent lens for low-light situations that is easy to carry & will save the day when you most need a fast lens. When you buy a camera, remember that you're also buying into a lens system, & you will want other lenses for other uses in the future, & the AVAILABILITY & QUALITY of lenses will play a major role in your future purchases. With Nikkor lenses (that's what Nikon lenses are called), you'll find that they will also fit cameras from 1959 & all present-day modern camera mounts, including digital Single Lens Reflex cameras; the quality of lens build & the quality of glass formula is superior to those commonly found on the market. (If the 28-105mm f/3.5-5.6D is a little too pricey, consider the Nikkor AF 35-105mm f/3.5-5.6D-macro, the older but equally as versatile & equally good alternative lens but make sure it says, "macro" because there's a much cheaper lens that cannot be used for macro-photography).

You will NOT outgrow this camera or the lens anytime soon. The features are there to help you, not to confuse you; it also has on-demand grid lines to help you keep the horizon level when you're shooting landscapes and/or seascapes! It’s the preferred camera for photography classes, too, because you can use it as a totally manual camera, or semi-automatic camera or as a totally automatic camera. Be sure to also get the instructions manual or Hogan's book on the N80, which is also very, very handy & most helpful.

Some camera manufacturers change their lens mount every few years or have different lens mount on different camera models, which limits the camera owner; Nikon has NOT changed its lens mount since 1959 & has no plans on changing it, either. So, you can, basically, mount any lens made since 1959 & those to be made in the future, with the only restrictions that you cannot get auto-focus from manual lenses or metering from those without the contacts to send info back & forth to the camera.

Lenses normally outlast cameras unless submerged in water or dropped on a hard surface; so, don't hesitate to buy used if the lens is good quality (no dents or obvious signs of abuse/misuse) from a reputable place.

If you're not sure what camera to get, go to any camera shop & ask to see the N80 & compare it with any other camera brand/model you may be considering; hold them both in your hands & look through the viewfinder & see which feels more comfortable in your hands.

There are cheaper camera brands still around with the barest of essential features & options, but you'll outgrow them soon & will be looking to spend more money on another camera with features to meet your growing needs. Get a camera you will not outgrow anytime soon, a camera that you will grow into, & not a camera that you will outgrow!

If, on the other hand, you’re looking for a digital SLR to learn with, there are a two great cameras that you can consider: the Nikon D50 or the Nikon D80; both are recent vintage with excellent features. If you’re already familiar with cameras, I suggest that you consider the D80, which is the most popular model today, aside from the semi-pro-level D200. Otherwise, consider the D50, the entry level digital-SLR camera, at the most affordable price tag. I would suggest the D80 for the same reasons as the N80 (film) camera suggested above. I would also suggest that you consider a lens that will give you the most versatility & a lens that you will want to use with other cameras in the future: the Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5 DX; it's a bit pricey but, believe me, you'll want to keep this lens for a long time to come (remember, lenses normally outlast camera bodies).

Check with www.keh.com for the N80 & the recommended Nikkor lenses, & see what you can find; they have excellent & competitive prices (& they're very courteous & helpful, too). If you don't see what you want, go back in a couple of days; they get new merchandise in almost everyday, but be ready to buy when you see what you want because their merchandise doesn't stay on the shelves very long.

Check with B & H at www.bhphotovideo.com for the D50 & D80 camera models.

DON'T buy gray market digital cameras... too many problems with repairs & servicing will follow. DO NOT EVER BUY form pawnshops... you don't know what you're getting & there are no warrantees/guarantees. Buy only from reputable places even if "Shady Joe Blow" from down the road is offering the same item cheaper!

Photography is a great hobby, which has therapeutic properties & you can participate in this hobby for the rest of your life, & it will keep you always learning something, always finding fun & interesting things to capture & always an adventure. Read everything you can find and stay current!

start now to learn all you can abouot light and how the photograph is manipulated with it. Think into the future and learn digital photography... 35mm is obsolete. get a good pro-sumer camer like the Kodak P880 or P715. Use the manual and learn the camera. it will propare you for what is to come.

We concern ourselves with Mega Pixels MP now, but in the future there will be tera-pixels TP.

Cameras in the future will take images the size of billboards from a hand held camera. We are not that far away now.

Take any classes offered to you, and if you want to make it a business, you should probably take their advice. I can understand having a style and all that, but you're going to end up living in a cardboard box if you act like one of those stuck up "artistes" who takes a picture of god knows what, then yelling at anyone who "doesn't understand you". Good photographers have their own flair, but also realize they should satisfy their customer and do so in a timely manner. A photography class will teach you to satisfy the needs of the assignment, meet deadlines, and build up a portfolio, which is what you need to have to get jobs and build a reputation.

As a fellow artist I can say this, keep close friends. They always make good models. Whether it is to have them model for more experience, pleasure, or a serious art piece. And don't be afraid to carry a camera with you at all times. You never know when a opportunity may strike. Depending on your tastes senior pictures and baby photos are a great way to get your name out there.

Listen........... to yourself. To your surroundings. Take photo classes ONLY to learn the different uses of a camera.be it 35mm, digital..whatever. Just like art, if someone tries to get you to see or do photography the way they do it then it's not really your style. and that's what will bring you a real future in the field.

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go to college and major in photography