Eric Gofreed
Well-Known Member
Ben had a long and wonderful life and from reading the comments loved by everyone who knew him. It was a privilege to know him through Focal World. I wish everyone only fond memories of Ben. Rest in peace
In Memory of Ben Egbert
- Thread starter JimFox
- Start date
AdamM
Active Member
Hello everyone this is Ben's grandson Adam. I am crying quite a bit reading the heartfelt messages and thoughts from everyone. I have since relocated to Washington state near Ben's old haunts. I am a teacher and am working for the Coeur D'Alene tribe for the summer to help teach students about photography. Any tips for children 10-14 would be amazing. I am also looking to get back into photography (I obviously went with Ben on several trips) but don't have a camera for myself. Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated.
Welcome Adam!
Ben was an amazing man, and we think about him every day, he was one of a kind.
That's awesome you will be working with those kids this summer.
As to a camera and gear. There isn't really a wrong choice anymore. The main 3 camera's, Nikon, Canon and Sony all have great gear.
My suggestion would be to go with a camera that any friends you have also have. That way they can help you. But if that's not an option, I personally like Nikon the best, but again it's all up to personal preferences.
When you do pick up a camera, I would suggest getting a basic model. Don't spend too much until you know you will be happy with that brand. But pick up one with a Zoom lens. Often they will come with a 16-50mm and a 50-200mm. That way you will have more freedom as you photograph. And again you haven't spent too much money until you really get a feel for what you want.
It's good to see you, and please keep checking in.
Jim
AlanLichty
Moderator
It's fun to see you following in your grandfather's footsteps Adam. Welcome to FocalWorld. I have never tried teaching photography for the age group you are working with so I'm afraid I can't be of much help with your students but I do wish you luck with that task. Sounds like a lot of fun.
My own take on what kind of camera to get is to recommend you wander into a store that will let you handle several different brands. The ergonomics of each have differences and one of them is more likely to inspire you to go out and shoot. Everyone has slightly different tastes for what feels right on their hands. For me that's the key to which one is "better" for you. Brand popularity is entirely secondary to having a camera that will get used.
Good Luck!
Kyle Jones
Moderator
Hi and welcome!
My primary advice for children getting into photography would be for them to find what they truly enjoy and work that into their photography. I have always enjoyed the beauty of the outdoors. Shooting landscapes became a natural passion for me, and the desire to "get the shot" has driven me to travel and see things I would never have experienced.
I can see how passions for people watching, architecture, birds/wildlife, flowers, antiques could all drive a joy in photography.
Welcome to the forum Adam !
Good advice from Jim, Alan and Kyle. You can't go wrong with any of the top brands - they all do a great job of capturing the image you want. It primarily comes down to two things.
1. Budget. Jim's advice is spot on. Don't go overboard even if you can afford it. Start with something reasonable and figure out what about what you are working with is limiting you. You will gravitate to the right equipment once you know what type of photography you enjoy.
2. Ergonomics is important. It has to feel right in your hands and quickly get to a stage where all the controls are part of your muscle memory. In the moment, the equipment becomes a natural extension of your hand/eye and you focus on the image rather than the equipment.
All the best !!
PS: Ben had pretty good set of body and lenses. If these are still around you can't go wrong with it.
Good advice from Jim, Alan and Kyle. You can't go wrong with any of the top brands - they all do a great job of capturing the image you want. It primarily comes down to two things.
1. Budget. Jim's advice is spot on. Don't go overboard even if you can afford it. Start with something reasonable and figure out what about what you are working with is limiting you. You will gravitate to the right equipment once you know what type of photography you enjoy.
2. Ergonomics is important. It has to feel right in your hands and quickly get to a stage where all the controls are part of your muscle memory. In the moment, the equipment becomes a natural extension of your hand/eye and you focus on the image rather than the equipment.
All the best !!
PS: Ben had pretty good set of body and lenses. If these are still around you can't go wrong with it.
Mike Lewis
Staff Member
Any posts that remind us of Ben are very welcome - he was very special, and one of those people I felt I had 'met', even though we only ever interacted online.
Congrats to your passion for teaching kids, arguably the most important job in the world.
All good photo advice here. As stated above, if any of Ben's gear is still available it would be fantastic. Otherwise, a less expensive body allows for you to spend a little more on a lens or lenses, and those have more to do with your photographic opportunities and results than the camera body these days when all 3 of the manufacturers mentioned above (Canon, Nikon, and Sony) have excellent choices at virtually every price point for cameras. I would add one more though - Fujifilm is an excellent manufacturer of cameras as well, with very impressive lenses too. They do not make 'full-frame' cameras (i.e. sensor the same size as the most popular 24mm x 36mm film size) but I think that is not an important distinction these days for many of the types of shooting you might want to pursue.
Welcome to FW and good luck! Don't hesitate to use us as a resource and we would love to hear how you get on with your photographic teaching and pursuits!
ML
Congrats to your passion for teaching kids, arguably the most important job in the world.
All good photo advice here. As stated above, if any of Ben's gear is still available it would be fantastic. Otherwise, a less expensive body allows for you to spend a little more on a lens or lenses, and those have more to do with your photographic opportunities and results than the camera body these days when all 3 of the manufacturers mentioned above (Canon, Nikon, and Sony) have excellent choices at virtually every price point for cameras. I would add one more though - Fujifilm is an excellent manufacturer of cameras as well, with very impressive lenses too. They do not make 'full-frame' cameras (i.e. sensor the same size as the most popular 24mm x 36mm film size) but I think that is not an important distinction these days for many of the types of shooting you might want to pursue.
Welcome to FW and good luck! Don't hesitate to use us as a resource and we would love to hear how you get on with your photographic teaching and pursuits!
ML
Mike Lewis
Staff Member
Oops - apologies - I missed the date on this, my bad.
ML
ML