One of the easiest ways to get into photography is very possibly as easy as grabbing your current point and shoot camera. I know, I know, you may think I am crazy and maybe I am. But in this case, just trust me. Just because it isn’t one of those big fancy cameras the pro’s use, doesn’t mean you can’t take stunning, fantastic pictures in challenging lighting situations. I say very possibly because not all point and shoots have manual mode capabilities, but many of them are providing this level of control to their owners.
Why the point and shoot you may ask? A photographers life is a hunt for moments of interest, which means a nice little point and shoot that fits in your pocket can come in very handy. Another reason is cost. While point and shoots can be a bit pricey, they cost very little when compared to most entry-level Digital SLR Cameras and in many situations can create just as amazing pictures. Try perusing the point and shoot flickr group for some examples.
Canon S95
Canon Powershot A590 IS
I will warning you though; photography is an addictive habit for which there is no known cure. Once you get the bug, you will slowly start to accumulate camera gear. I strongly suggest you do your own searching on sites like Amazon or Adorama for top ranked point and shoot cameras that have manual control capabilities. I use the Canon Powershot A590 IS as my point and shoot. I read reviews around the web and have found it to be an excellent point and shoot with manual control capabilities. Look for a review of the Canon Powershot A590 IS in the near future, but you can check it out yourself on Amazon.com. Based on the reviews, another really hot point and shoot with manual capabilities is the Canon S95 which you can get via Adorama.
Either way you slice it, if you follow the tutorials in the upcoming posts you can make great strides in learning about the art of photography. A word of warning however. If you start on this journey the next thing you know a cheap point and shoot will have companions like a nice tripod, and then maybe another nicer point and shoot with more features. Next thing you know, you will be moving on to that nice entry-level Digital SLR camera that you never thought you would be able to use.
I know this, because that is the path I followed, and now I have several professional level Digital SLR cameras, awesome lenses, and so on. Don’t get me wrong, the point and shoot as I said above, has way more power than you have probably ever used them for, but at a certain point you may want to upgrade to something that can handle even more diverse lighting situations. Never fear, www.hazardmanual.com will be here to guide you through the photography addict..er… hobby regardless of what camera you are using.
