Golda setting up a sunset shot from The Pier looking at downtown St. Petersburg - DSLR Photography LessonsIt was yet another beautiful Florida sunset for Golda's second of four DSLR Photography Lessons. For the first lesson we went to Vinoy Park, for this one we went from the top to the bottom of The Pier. This day ended for me as it began, teaching how to photograph pelicans, which is one of my favorite things to do so not a bad day!
The other focus for the lesson besides bird photography was sunset & twilight images using a tripod. Despite the small size of Golda's tripod, I helped her position it between the railings so that she could still get good sunset shots. Students often ask about tripods. They ask, "should I get one?" and, "what is a good tripod to get?" The first question is easy to answer: YES . . . get a tripod for sure. The second one is very difficult to answer. When I tell someone I think acceptable tripods start at $300, they usually blanch. When I say a real no compromises tripod is around $600, well, that loses most people. So then I come around to saying that maybe for $150 you can get one that is not entirely junk that sounds more reasonable. Photographers have a saying though, "you only want to buy a tripod once."
That said, next on Golda's gear list to get is an external flash, which I think is another must for any DSLR photographer. I will be seeing Golda next Thursday evening as well and I look forward to showing her what new photography opportunities a proper flash brings.
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