This was the turning point for me.

[jbird69]

It was this past oct I bought my first DSLR. Nothing fancy, just a nikon D3100. The first time I used it was a jaunt to one of my favorite spots. I shot this picture of my friend Jim and was just blown away by the quality of the photo. It was at that moment, I knew where all my spare money would be going. A camera so easy to use that captures photos at such a high level! That was the turning point from snapping a picture here and there, to really LOOKING for something to photograph.

 

[IPT]

yes, it is quite addictive! Nothing like capturing a shot that is just tack sharp. Have fun learning and raising the bar. Read up on Post Processing. It is at least 50% of the final product you'll output.

 

[Reef Bass]

Welcome brother. Your eyes have been opened. Isn't it wonderful how much better a picture a dslr with a decent lens can take compared to point and shoots or especially cell phones! P&Ss and cell phones just don't have the optics to compete.

The downside is now you'll be saying "I wish I had my good camera" whenever you're taking a pic with something else.

Eventually try turning off auto everything and make the appropriate settings yourself. For me, I find it makes me think much more critically about the shot, what I'm trying to capture, and the best combination of settings to achieve the results I'm after.

 

[Brett9917]

Welcome brother. Your eyes have been opened. Isn't it wonderful how much better a picture a dslr with a decent lens can take compared to point and shoots or especially cell phones! P&Ss and cell phones just don't have the optics to compete.

The downside is now you'll be saying "I wish I had my good camera" whenever you're taking a pic with something else.

Eventually try turning off auto everything and make the appropriate settings yourself. For me, I find it makes me think much more critically about the shot, what I'm trying to capture, and the best combination of settings to achieve the results I'm after.

Too true!! So many times I am like, crap! I wish I had my Nikon, not just my cell phone.... haha

 

[jbird69]

I feel I have really come a long way since that photo. Even when I had a high end P&S I always was shooting in manual modes, so when I stepped up to DSLR I was a kid in a candy store with all the manual settings. I knew I had to step up to SLR when I became friends last spring with a professinal wildlife photographer.
http://curtismix.smugmug.com/Nature
We have become inseperable since, and I am like a sponge when Im with him.

The only problem is my unending desire to upgrade and, once again, Ive discovered another expensive hobby I just sold my tank and am totally out of reefkeeping for the first time in a long time. Photography and flyfishing are it for my now.

I am also very familiar with photoshop and have used it for a long time. I dont think you could ever stop learning post production skills, but I put every single "usable" shot thru PSE9 to see if I can improve it in any way. Shooting and working in RAW is so cool after being a prisoner to JPEG with the P&S

 

[xtm]

Oh boy.. another one bites the dust. If you think you're hooked now, wait til someone lends you their fast 2.8 pro glass (or God forbid, an exotic 1.4 prime) You will not want to shoot anything slower. Soon, you'll be diagnosed with LLD (Lens Lust Disease) which eventually turns to a full blown case of NAS (Nikon Acquisition Syndrome) I have it. There's no cure. You'll want faster and faster and sharper glasses that turns the background into creamy mush, like the Nikon 180 2.8:

Fast lenses are expensive, but they are super addictive and they hold value for many years! I suggest putting your money towards lenses above anything else.

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

You were using manual settings that made sense from the starting line? Dang you must have done some homework.
ReefBass did you notice his settings?
35mm @ f/5 1/250 800 manual mode presumably with stopped down speedlight.

Anyway, fishing and photography are pretty good hobbies. I'm sure you'll get another tank someday but you seem to have the recipe for success in the SLR world.

 

[Brett9917]

Oh boy.. another one bites the dust. If you think you're hooked now, wait til someone lends you their fast 2.8 pro glass (or God forbid, an exotic 1.4 prime) You will not want to shoot anything slower. Soon, you'll be diagnosed with LLD (Lens Lust Disease) which eventually turns to a full blown case of NAS (Nikon Acquisition Syndrome) I have it. There's no cure. You'll want faster and faster and sharper glasses that turns the background into creamy mush, like the Nikon 180 2.8:

I know what you mean, my friend just upgraded from a D40 Nikkor 70-300 4.5 -5.6 to a D7000 70-300 2.8 VRII. I want it!! I am happy with my D90, but I need that lens!! lol

 

[jbird69]

You were using manual settings that made sense from the starting line? Dang you must have done some homework.
ReefBass did you notice his settings?
35mm @ f/5 1/250 800 manual mode presumably with stopped down speedlight.

Anyway, fishing and photography are pretty good hobbies. I'm sure you'll get another tank someday but you seem to have the recipe for success in the SLR world.

Thank you.

I learned every trick in the book for my sony cybershot. I learned how to use aperture+shutterspeed to accomplish certain looks in different lighting. When I got the Nikon slr and I could adjust ISO and exposure compensation and active D lighting, I felt like a carpenter that went from hand tools to power tools! There are just so many more ways to capture light now and still have control of shutter speed.

Oh, and lens envy? I have it! My friend Curtis has a telephoto lens thats like 2' long and I swear you could pass a soccer ball thru the hood. He shoots with a D300.

My camera is the D3100 that came with this stock lens

I quickly knew this wasnt gonna cut it and picked up this one.

Recently Ive been thinking about a macro lens and reading review after review on something I could afford. I was very interested in the new Tamron 60mm with the super fast f/2. Most reviews were good but I just thought it was gonna be too specific of a lense.

I kept reading reviews night after night trying to find a lense that would increase my enjoyment and not break the bank. The lens that seemed fitting for me is the new tamron 18-270mm PZD. I ordered it last night.

December 9, 2010
Introducing the 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD (Model B008), the World's Lightest, Smallest 15x Zoom*1, with Tamron’s First PZD (PiezoDrive)*2 AF

I also ordered a Nikon SB-400 speedlight. I dont do much indoor photography but I thought when I do it would be nice to have a bit more flash.

Heres a couple shots I took with the 55-300 while I was out and about today.