Photo Editing Software For Beginners 2015

 Hello and welcome to Digital Photography Gear. When you usually think of photography gear you envision sultry and sexy DSLR camera bodies and lenses that you drool over, awesome tripods with 3 inch diameter legs made of carbon fiber, hefty lenses that enable you to photograph the moon! What most don't think about initially though is photo editing software. This is about photo editing software for beginners 2015. I am a huge believer in getting it right in camera, don't think that I condone taking hundreds of crappy photos in full auto mode at a wedding shoot that your clients are paying you good money for only to have to spend hours upon hours trying to fix bad photos. I am proud to say that most of my photos need little to no editing...but there are always those times when it becomes an absolute must.


Which Photo Editing Software To Choose?

1. First up is tried and true Adobe Photoshop Elements 13 which I actually use myself. I have always been skeptical of photo editing software but this one really seems to shine and is jam packed with lots of features from the original Adobe Photoshop that is basically industry standard costing hundreds of dollars even if you go by their new monthly subscription basis, this will cost you hundreds or even thousands over the years. Ease of use, simplicity and great features are all huge selling points of this photo editing software. You can check this photo editing software for beginners Here for yourself along with reviews by others. All photos in this blog are clickable and will take you directly to reviews and purchase pages on Amazon.


2.Paint Shop Pro X7 Ultimate is next. It cost less than $60.00 and is a valuable asset to have in your photography equipment arsenal. Remove unwanted objects seamlessly with new "Magic Fill." Includes perfectly clear instant image correction, Reallusion Face Filter 3 Portrait enhancement tools. Red eye correction on this software works extremely well, is noticeably faster loading than Photo Shop Elements above. Digital art media is not quite as good as PSE, such as creative filters, chalk sketch, water color and other features to make photos look like paintings. If you don't plan on doing any digital photo paintings or such than this should not be an issue for you. Overall this photo editing software for beginners should work just fine and you will be more than happy with the outcome.

3.  MAGIX Xara Photo and Graphic Designer 10

• High-performance image and graphic editing combined in an easy-to-use interface
• Draw and paint real vector graphics on your PC. Scale and edit graphics without jeopardizing quality. Graphic design becomes a real pleasure.
• Transform snapshots into stunning photographs: From fast picture enhancement to detailed retouching you will find everything you need.
• Optimization of lighting and shadows.
• Online catalog for additional content.

This Photo editing software has received four out of five stars in approval ratings. It is supposed to be easy to use, but don't just take our word for it. Visit the link and see for yourself. You can click the highlighted link or the picture on the right. 

See what others are saying about this .

4.  Photo Expressions Platinum 5 This software is very affordable and very simple to use. It does what most would ask out of photo editing software. Eliminate red-eye, mask wrinkles and blemishes, create greeting cards, calendars and even CD labels. To get rid of red-eye all you do is click Red Out and it takes it out of everyone in the photo with one click! This program also offers cool templates Such as Wanted Posters you might enjoy. This works for Windows 7 and XP.







5.  Portrait Pro 12  Portrait Pro 12 is less than fifty dollars with our link and is specifically for Portrait Photographers as its name suggest. This software actually maps the human face when you open a file. You can change facial structure, eye color, lighten eye bags, smooth eye bags, reduce or eliminate crows feet, hair color can be changed as well. You can add a light source to the image and position it where you want it and it looks well compared to some other platforms that attempt this.

This program is fairly simple to use and even has a FaceBook page you can contact should you run into any problems. This software is highly recommended and should you purchase it enjoy!



We only chose 5 Photo Editing Software Programs because we feel these are beginner friendly and we would never recommend inferior products that you would not be happy with. We did not showcase video editing software because this post is strictly for photos. We sincerely hope that one of these programs will be helpful to you in your specific needs. Please feel free to leave a comment here or on our FaceBook Page Photography For Beginners

Best Wedding Lens and Body Choice Guide

Best Wedding Lens and Camera Body Choice Guide.

Are you just getting into becoming a wedding photographer and want to know which camera lens and camera body combinations are best? Which lens is the most useful during wedding photography? Well there is no single best lens and or camera body to use. In wedding photography there are so many variables that just using one single lens and camera body combination might not work so well for you...at least not for long.

Will you be needing a flash? Will you need a wide angle or zoom lens? Full frame DSLR or crop sensor body? These are all valid questions and deserve an answer. The trouble is there is no one size fits all solution. 

This is not a tutorial on how to do wedding photography, hopefully you already know how to go about it. If not we will try to make this equipment guide simple as we can.

You are going to need a camera body of high quality, our friend TheSnapChick recommends carrying up to three different camera bodies on a wedding shoot. First and for most is the d300s if you can find it used. If not we highly recommend the Nikon D300DX  to go with this is the Nikon 17-55mm DX Zoom Lens To go with is the recommended Nikon SB 800 Flash This camera body, lens and flash will be your primary equipment you will you for the majority of your wedding shoot.

Next camera body and lens combo you will need in your arsenal for your wedding photoshoot is as follows, Nikon D60 Camera Body the Nikon 50mm 1.8 lens with this very large aperture lens you will be letting in a lot of light and most likely won't need a flash for this. 

Next suggested camera body and lens combo is the Nikon D80 paired up with the Nikon 18-200mm Zoom Lens

Please check out the video below for a more complete walk-through. If you would make your purchases from our links above we would greatly appreciate it so we can eat, thanks!

Be sure to watch part 2 of her video. If you have not already joined our Facebook group you can do so here Photography For Beginners

Join our YouTube Channel here DFPV where we offer tons of free photography tips and reviews of equipment.

Equipment Beginner Photographers Need

See what others are saying
about this great guide.

As a beginner photographer there are certain types of photography gear that you will need to achieve your photography goals and those goals vary depending upon the type of photography you are interested in.

1. You may need a tripod.
Now you don't have to go crazy here buying the best tripod money can buy. It is just to hold your camera steady after all. Sure you can place your camera on a stack of books, on a bench seat, on the hood of your car or any stationary object but that might not always be convenient. You don't have to spend $800 on a tripod with carbon fiber legs as thick as your wrists...yes there are actually tripods like this, but sometimes spending a little money on one just makes sense. This Manfrotto is less than $80 




2. Lenses. 
If you are just starting out you may not have tons of money to buy a million different lenses to lug around with you. In order to use your money wisely you should consider your lens selections carefully or else you might wind up with lenses that you will rarely if ever need. 

Decide what you will mostly be photographing, whether it be people, landscapes, insects or wildlife. Landscapes usually you will need a lens that is wide angle. Portrait lenses you will need in the 85mm range although many will debate which focal length is best for portraits. For insects macro lenses are best.

What if you could get a lens that could cover almost all of these ranges? What if this lens could be relatively affordable as well? This lens can handle anything from 18-270mm focal range! This is tremendously useful as it does the work of several lenses that could cost you thousands. For Canon Here You can see the Nikon Version Here



3. Speedlights And Related Equipment.


If you are a beginner or not you will find this section useful. No matter how much experience you have you don't need to spend $600 on a single speedlight. You can get great manual speedlights for well under $100. Even using a 3 point lighting setup you will spend less than $300 for the speedlights. Check out this awesome Speedlight by Yongnuo that is very effective, reliable and affordable!

Are you an event photographer and looking for and ETTL or ITTL flash?
If so you might want to check out the YN-568 EX II Here you won't find it brand new and cheaper anywhere else. Nikon Version Here



4.Light Modifiers.
There are many different light modifiers that you can use with your photography depending on what you are trying to achieve. The soft box to the right is compact and very portable while being able to use it with just a regular speedlite. With it you will have more control over your light with less light spill. Take a better look here

A more affordable alternative is the stoffen diffuser which simply just slides over the head of your flash. See this here.

Next up is the shoot through umbrella. With this umbrella your flash will fire through it while diffusing the light making it softer.

The light spill from it will be more but if that is not important during your shoot then this is the modifier for you. All images on this page are clickable for direct purchase.

Okay you have an umbrella, now you need to mount it so you can take great photos! Check out this Link for the complete kit you will need.




5.Home Studio Setup That Won't Break The Bank.

So maybe you want to be a portrait photographer. How will you do it? Will you set up a home studio and have your clients come to you? Or do you want a setup that you can easily take to them and complete their photoshoot in their home?

Whichever you decide you can actually do both and look professional while doing it! Sure you could use hardware work lights, brooder clamp lights, floor lamps etc. However you might not want to do that because you would start to lose credibility especially with clients you don't know.

Unlike many lower end lighting and photography backdrop kits, this one has 3000 watts of power with 3 point lighting that will actually be bright enough for most of your photography and even video needs. The problem with almost all of the really cheap kits is that they are not nearly bright enough.
See all of this kit's Features and Ratings 

You Save:

$166.16 (35%)  with this link.

Well that was our top 5 needed photography items needed for beginner photographers. We hoped that this will help you decide which equipment you will need first off. Just getting into the world of photography can be a difficult journey, but we have done extensive research and testing to save you time and money, all while providing access to affordable and reliable equipment. We at Digital Photography Gear think of you as part of the family and we love to help you out as much as we can.

Please feel free to comment on this blog, share it etc. Please feel free to check out our other blogs and pages as well.

1. If you want to learn how to use the equipment you purchased check out Photography For Beginners On Facebook you can join the rest of the photography community and interact with others as well as receive newly updated material.

2. DFPV is our photography channel that covers photography tutorials, equipment reviews and photography travel to cool and also strange locations that is sure to spike the interest of anyone.

Best Third Party Lenses For Canon And Nikon

Find Out More About This Lens Here

If you are a brand name purest then this post is not for you. However...if you are willing to look beyond your Canon, or Nikon brand, and are willing to save some money in the process to gain some lenses that offer excellent performance, than you are in for a treat!

We are going to cover a variety of lenses that cost less than a thousand dollars. Some will cost so little you won't believe your eyes! All of these lenses will vary in build quality and some will have trade-offs. You have to decide which is the right one for you.

Let's get started with our third party lens shoot out. Photo to the right is a Sigma Art Lens that offers superb quality that you can read about below.

1. First up is the most expensive lens of our lineup. At $949 you just might find this lens worth every penny. It is the  Sigma 311101 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lens for Canon Cameras It is very sturdy and has an aperture range of F1.4 to F16. It has excellent build quality and many say it outperforms the Canon 1.4 in any way, at a lower price. Click the link provided and see all the specs for yourself. For Nikon cameras click Here
2. Next up is the  Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras At around $499 it is nearly half the price of the bigger brother above. It features a plastic barrel and metal mount, no image stabilization and weighs 1.11 pounds. Useful for those who are looking for a fast normal lens with quick auto focus. It is large and heavy for a 50mm 1.4 however, so if you are looking for small and lightweight this is not for you. You will save $100 off by using our provided link. You can order the Nikon version of this lens Here
3. Here is the Sigma 635101 24-105mm F 4.0 DG OS HSM Zoom Lens for Canon EF This lens is very versatile and high quality. The Nikon link is Here I am going to put a video of this lens vs. the Canon 24-105 f4 and I want to see what you guys think. Canon the Sigma kick Canon Butt? Please leave your comments on this blog.
4. Looking for the ultimate 'Vacation Lens?' If you are planning a vacation and don't want to lug around a million lenses with you, okay maybe not a million but you get the idea. Wide angle, portrait length ect, then this  Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 VC PZD All-In-One Zoom Lens for Canon DSLR, Model BOO8E Filter Size 062mm is the one for you. You can view the Nikon version Here Save $200 off with our link. Both versions are not recommend for sports that require fast auto focus.
5. Telephoto on a budget for Nikon.  Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 SLD DG Macro Lens with built in motor for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras Up to 300mm for a lens that won't break you bank.
6. Last but not least. This is the cheapest 50mm 1.8 prime I have ever seen so far brand new. Less than half the price of the Canon "Nifty Fifty." This little lens by Yongnuo is definitely worth checking out and you can't beat its price Yongnuo 50mm 1.8

 So there you have a handful of lenses that can prove to be a great value to you for years to come. No matter what your type of photography surely at least one of these lenses can be added to your arsenal. Before you think about trading out that crop sensor DSLR body you own, thinks of upgrading your lenses first. That way when you do decide to go full frame you already have lenses for it and you can use your crops sensor body as a backup, especially if you are going to become a wedding photographer.

This video will show the Sigma 24-105vs. Canon 24-105.






 Who won? You be the judge. Here is the link again for the Sigma 24-105 for Canon cameras. Here is the link for Nikon

Well goodbye for now, we hope you enjoyed our lens buying guide and comparison. Check out our other blog Photography For Beginners where show you how to use the equipment you buy. Nothing worse that having great equipment and not knowing how to use it.

DSLR Buying Guide For Beginners

Hello, if you are looking for a DSLR Buying Guide For Beginners, welcome to Digital Photography Gear. We feature
great gear and all related accessories related to photography, videography, film making, etc. We are here to help you choose the best equipment for your individual needs, such as cameras, DSLR's, camcorders, lenses, filters, memory cards, carrying cases, lights, stands, flashes and more.

DSLR Buying Guide For Beginners isn't just for newbies, seasoned veterens looking to upgrade their DSLR and other equipment will find Digital Photography Gear very useful in picking out their next equipment. Once you purchase equipment, you will want to learn how to use it at our Photography For Beginners Blog. Don't worry, even if you are not a beginner you are sure to find the blog very useful.

So you want to find a camera and lens combination, for beginners, enthusiasts, or full blown pro photographers/videographers? Let's start with simple affordable setups, then work our way up to the very high end. First up is,

1. Canon T3 DSLR This camera and lens package feature the 18-55mm IS II Lens and also the Canon EF 75-300mm f4-5.6 III Telephoto Zoom Lens. This camera is considered consumer but provides many professional features. It offers ease of use and high quality sharp images as long as tried and true reliable Canon performance. It is a great package for photography enthusiasts or to start off your photography career.
2. Nikon D3100 This DSLR is entry level but a great and affordable choice of camera body. It possesses excellent image quality along with simplicity. It lacks some advanced features but is very high quality with less confusing functions and settings. 
3. Canon EOS 60 D 18MP This camera is a step above entry level, while not spending thousands of dollars for the super high end. This camera does not have the magnesium allow body but still feels very solid. Exterior buttons and controls on this camera add to ease of use. 
4. Nikon D7000 16.2 MP The D7000 is a camera that a beginner as well as professional can use. It offers excellent image quality with a 16.2 megapixel sensor, with addition of 1080p HD video recording that is a great bonus feature.
5. Sony A77 24.3 MP The Sony A77 steps up to full frame 24.3 mega pixel sensor that enables it to rival some of Canon's best full frame DSLR's for a fraction of the price. Your can easily use this camera for professional use. Whether you want it for portrait photography, landscape, wildlife or whatever, there isn't anything I can think of that you can't do with it.
6. Canon 7D Mark II Build quality featuring a magnesium alloy body and excellent heavy duty weather seals make this a go anywhere adventure camera. You can take this on your road trip, wildlife adventure, or on your trip to Mt. Kilimanjaro if you want. Excellent image quality and easy to use controls are what you can expect from this camera as well as ruggedness.
7. Canon EOS 6D 20.2 MP Step up to a full frame Canon DSLR without spending nearly $4,000 for a Canon 5D Mark III.
8. Nikon D810 36 MP The Nikon D810 is a newer version of the D800 is a little more refined. External buttons are plentiful enough to keep from having to hunt in the electronic menu. At 36 mega pixels one of the highest in its class. Also measures seem to have been taken to dampen shutter sound, it sounds quite different from the previous D800. This DSLR shoots 1080P video for 30 minutes continuously and is good for film making.
9. Canon 5D Mark III Okay the Canon 5D is the professional 'go to' camera for tons of pros out there. Let's see why. It is full frame with a 22 mega pixel sensor, not the highest out there. It boast 6 frames per second continuous shooting, 61-point auto focus system that is the absolute best auto focus system you can get for a DSLR for under $4,000, a 3.2 inch LCD, 100% viewfinder coverage and so much more. 

We hope you found our DSLR Buying Guide For Beginners camera list useful in selecting the right camera for yourself. You must weigh cost vs. benefit. Sometimes the most expensive camera is not always the best for your particular intended use. The links to the cameras above will save you some money, also be sure to check out Photography For Beginners Facebook Page where we share tips and how-to info regarding your new or existing equipment.

Well we are out for now, but be sure to check out our camera lens selection/reviews on our next post. Be sure to subscribe to this blog for automatic updates. Happy shooting and filming, we hope you enjoyed digital photography gear.