I started from a DSLR camera, the Canon EOS XSi... In time, I have advanced to the 5D mark II full frame (which I am in love with), and two L lenses: 100mm Macro and the 70-200mm "Big White".

Recently I got a 35-80 f/4-5.6, the 40mm f/2.8 Pancake (cute little very useful adorable thingy) and the 17-40 f/4 (which became somehow my main lens).

 

Tips:

There are different kinds of tips that vary from the picture style (which contain the artistic part of a picture such as color, subject positioning etc. and is more subjective) to the physical part, like camera settings.

 

Camera settings:

I think the easiest way of taking good pictures is on AV or M. I usually set the aperture, iso speed and white balance and let the camera do the rest, especially if I'm on a trip or I'm visiting something. I use the full manual when I try to take one of those perfect shots when the light does not change.

 

Picture style:

Even though it's easier to criticise, take the picture just as you fell it is best. Rules, especially in art, are made not to be respected. You should decide what is beautiful. :)

 

Editing:

The best and easiest way to edit a photo, no matter how much, is Photoshop. What I usually do is put pictures into Lightroom, edit the light, contrast, shadows etc. there and then I export it in CS5.

 

By using Lightroom, you have lots of advantages, as working easily with lights, put a watermark over all your pictures, having a sorting program which allows you to find pictures later on. Also, you can make web galleries (as those here) with Ligtroom very easy, as well as other stuff. CS5 gives you a larger range of editing posibilities as it has got more tools that allow you not only to change the light, but also to work with selectable layers, add text easier, etc.

 

As you may have seen, most of my pictures are not editied. The main reason is that they are from different events, and I want people to have them as they were taken there.

 

Don't take a picture. Make it.