Taking better pictures

[danam]

From my experience taking self-portraits while dressed, which is not insignificant, the real challenge is being able to take pictures while under pressure. I usually only have a few hours to dress and shoot, leaving precious little time to mess with photo gear, lighting, etc. I'm also worried about how I look, clothes, makeup, accessories, etc. I'm also always working alone. These are serious constraints to good photography. So the idea camera setup is whatever is EASIEST for you. One thing I've learned from this thread is that the wireless remote appears to be the killer device for crossdressing self-portraits.

As an example of how easy it is to screw things up while dressed, I made a video of myself last year attempting to take self portraits. You can see lots of errors in my approach--none of the shots came out. One thing I did do correctly is stand aside while pressing the button, to avoid messing up the autofocus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKkCHcQO0Nc

[Teresa]

Hi Jackie I was a professional photographer for thirty years, you appear to have most things sorted. Some confusion does arise with DX format cameras, the focal lengths are all over the place, FX ( full frame ) is the ideal but it's so expensive, I'm looking for a used FX framed Nikon to take my 20mm/f2.8, 28-50 zoom and 80-200/f2.8 zoom Nikon lenses.
A couple of portrait tips always use a long focal length ( normally 2X standard FL) and shoot at eye level or slightly higher to get the most flattering results. Never take portraits with a wide lens low down and try avoid using phone cameras for portrait shots the distortion is so bad.
If you'd like more help please PM me, and the same applies to other members.

[Abbygirl]

I like using this programmable remote on my Canon DSLR. You can set a delay to begin shooting, then set an interval between shots. When configured correctly, the camera will AF in between each shot. I have mine set for a 10 second initial delay to begin shooting, then it fires every 4 seconds until I stop it.

[andreanna]

HMMMMM, what is all this Canon stuff about, Ladies, please, Nikon, Nikon, Nikon, but you still have to learn composition and lighting, even a Nikon can't make your images perfect until you learn the basics

[Tracy Hazel Lee]

HMMMMM, what is all this Canon stuff about, Ladies, please, Nikon, Nikon, Nikon, but you still have to learn composition and lighting, even a Nikon can't make your images perfect until you learn the basics

Kinda the same point I was making... it's not the gear, it's the photographer. A skilled photographer can take good pictures with ANY camera.

Oh, and I think you forgot to put a happy face at the end of your sentence... People might think you're serious about the Nikon, Nikon, Nikon, comment. (Like it makes any difference)