Hello from Texas

Hello from Dallas, TX. I am a newbie photographer. Just recently purchased the Nikon D3200 for my first DSLR. I have previously only used a Nikon Coolpix point and shoot and decided I was ready to make the leap to a DSLR.

I am excited to get to know my camera and learn how to shoot in manual mode. I unfortunately haven't had much time in the week that I have owned it to get outside and get my feet wet. Though, I now have tons of pictures of my dog, my apartment, and the view from my balcony, lol.

I have always loved photography, and even as a child told everyone that would listen that I wanted to be a photographer. As an adult life got in the way and with so many interests I have let photography fall to the wayside. My recent spark came from when I took a trip to NYC in July of this year (2015) and though I did get some great shots, I was frustrated with not only how long my camera took to take the photo, but of how it would sometimes focus on the wrong things, and I had no control. I would like to say that I favor a certain type of photography, but I love it all. I love portraits, wedding, landscape, silhouettes, nature, you name it, I love it.

So any tips or tricks I can learn from my fellow nikonites is much appreciated.

Welcome to the forum

Welcome to the website.

hello and welcome

best tip i can give is read the exif details from a certain shots that you like and try to remember them, then apply these as a starting point, if you are stuck take the shot in auto mode then transfer those into manual, you will learn after a while, took me 3 weeks until it sunk in, i got black pics then white then blury ones, all part of the learning process. Good luck.

Welcome

Welcome to Nikonites! My wife is originally from San Marcos TX

Pat in GA

Howdy from Dallas and welcome to Nikonites!

There are a lot of locals from the DFW area around on the forum. Let us know how we can help.

Thank you all for such a warm welcome! Rocket cowboy, what are some great places in DFW to shoot? I haven't ventured out much past my apartments, but I have no idea where to look for some shots to help me learn.

Welcome Amber. The best advise I can offer is shoot everything; cat, dog, window, chair, silverware, neighbor, well, you get the idea. The thought here is to get comfortable shooting with your camera. Change the ISO settings, change the aperture setting and shoot again. Go outside and shoot the sidewalk, a tree, cars in the parking lot, a cloud. Again you're getting to know your camera. By familiarizing yourself with your camera's capabilities, when you want to shoot a "keeper image", you'll be ready.

Welcome along..

Welcome, another DFW shooter here. What part of Dallas, North, East, West or South. There are bunk of places in Dallas and almost all of the suburbs. Also depends on what you like to shoot.

Don't forget Ft. Worth also.


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Hello Krs_2007 I'm in Irving, close to the airport, so I'm pretty central.

Las Colinas has some great places to shoot. Are looking for portraits, landscape, wildlife or just places to practice.

Grapevine has botanical gardens as well as Dallas and Ft worth, with the later having the Japanese water gardens.

I am north of Ft Worth by Texas Motor Speedway, so I go to either Ft Worth it Grapevine. Look up the parks department for Irving, I am sure they have some great places too.

AmberLaShell said:

Thank you all for such a warm welcome! Rocket cowboy, what are some great places in DFW to shoot? I haven't ventured out much past my apartments, but I have no idea where to look for some shots to help me learn.

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What kind of photography are you into? I live close to Whiterock Lake, so I do a lot of my shooting over there. The Trinity River is popular right now while it's in flood stage too, for the mirrored reflections of downtown.

I got a list of DFW locations off one of the Facebook groups (including the cost to shoot at the locations, if there is one).

RocketCowboy said:

What kind of photography are you into? I live close to Whiterock Lake, so I do a lot of my shooting over there. The Trinity River is popular right now while it's in flood stage too, for the mirrored reflections of downtown.

I got a list of DFW locations off one of the Facebook groups (including the cost to shoot at the locations, if there is one).

Click to expand...

If you can share Charlie, I would be interested in that list also.


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Krs_2007 said:

If you can share Charlie, I would be interested in that list also.

Click to expand...

Absolutely, just had to go find it in my Evernote. Also tagging @AmberLaShell so that it's not missed. This came from the Dallas Photography Group on Facebook, the Facebook version of the Meetup group.

* Addison Circle Park – FREE
* The Adolphus – $395 plus 15% hotel tax.
* Aldredge House – $150
* Allen Station Park -FREE
* The Arbor Hills Nature Preserve – FREE
* Arlington Hall @ Lee Park – Outside – FREE – Inside – $200 (2 hours, includes dressing room)
* Cedar Hill Park/Penn Farms – $50.00 event fee (no admission fee). Cedar Hill park must be named as insured and certificate on file with Cedar Hill Park
* Celestial Park – FREE
* Central Park Frisco - FREE
* Chandor Gardens – $75 (2 hours, includes dressing room) Weatherford, TX – 817-613-1700
* Clark Gardens – $100 (all day, includes dressing room) Weatherford, TX – Appts & Prepay required: 940.682.4856
* The Crescent Hotel – $500 for non clients
* Dallas Arboretum – $15 per person and $10 per car
* Dallas Suspension Bridge - FREE
* Deep Ellum- FREE
* Downtown Dallas- FREE
* Downtown Celina- FREE
* Downtown Denton – FREE
* Downtown Fort Worth (Sundance Square) Free but call for permit: 817-255-5700
* Downtown McKinney – FREE
* Downtown Prosper FREE
* Fair Park – FREE (non-fair times)
* Filter Building @White Rock Lake – ???
* Flippen Park in Highland Park -FREE
* Flour Mill in McKinney – FREE to shoot outside and around it
* Flying Museum Fort Worth – $100.00
* Ft. Worth Botanical Garden – ??? – Rose Garden – $25 – Japanese Garden – $75
* Gaylord – $1500 for 4 hours
* Grapevine Botanical Garden – FREE
* Grapevine Vintage Train Depot – FREE
* Hickory Street Annex – $250 Hilton Anatole – $250
* Hotel Palomar – $500 + signed 3 page agreement
* Hotel ZaZa – Unavailable for portraits for non-clients
* Joule Hotel – Unavailable for portraits for non-clients
* Lakeside Park – FREE
* Lakewood Theater – $200
* Las Colinas Canals – $50 for a day permit – City of Irving 972-556-0625
* Lee Park – FREE
* Lone Oak Winery in Burleson – $25 http://www.loneoakwinery.com/
* Lone Oak Ranch – $35 – 40/hr
* Majestic Theater -$150
* Marriott Solana Westlake – FREE, notify management (this may need to be re-confirmed)
* McKinney Cotton Mill – $75/hr with 2 hr minimum
* Melrose is $1500 Meyerson – $150/$300
* The Milestone $300 on Sundays, $150 during the week * The Nasher Entrance Fee $10.00 -$300 for pro shooting Photography & Filming
* NYLO Irving – $300 Includes guest room for changing Proof of Insurance needed.
* NYLO Plano – $500 for 2 hours, must shoot between 1-5pm, Monday-Friday only. Contact Melissa (sales manager) for reservations.
* Off the Grid – $75/hr
* One Eleven Ranch Park in Richardson – FREE
* Old Red Courthouse – $150 Quorum Park – FREE
* Spring Creek Forest Park Preseve - FREE
* The Room on Main – $250 1/2 day Ryan Manor – $250 (3 hours)
* Stoneleigh – Unavailable for portraits for non-clients
* Texas Sculpture Garden Frisco - FREE
* Towne Lake Park Mckinney - FREE
* Turtle Creek – FREE
* Vintage Flying Museum (Fort Worth) – $100
* Watter’s Creek – FREE, notify management as courtesy.
* White Rock Lake – FREE
* Winspear Opera House- $150/300
* Zion Cemetery – FREE – great for bluebonnets Frisco, TX

Thanks, That is a great list. I would say that I love all types of photography, but the ones that really get my heart pattering are usually landscape photos. I also really love photos that show something abandoned and left to decay. I find such beauty in those things

RocketCowboy said:

Absolutely, just had to go find it in my Evernote. Also tagging @AmberLaShell so that it's not missed. This came from the Dallas Photography Group on Facebook, the Facebook version of the Meetup group.

* Addison Circle Park – FREE
* The Adolphus – $395 plus 15% hotel tax.
* Aldredge House – $150
* Allen Station Park -FREE
* The Arbor Hills Nature Preserve – FREE
* Arlington Hall @ Lee Park – Outside – FREE – Inside – $200 (2 hours, includes dressing room)
* Cedar Hill Park/Penn Farms – $50.00 event fee (no admission fee). Cedar Hill park must be named as insured and certificate on file with Cedar Hill Park
* Celestial Park – FREE
* Central Park Frisco - FREE
* Chandor Gardens – $75 (2 hours, includes dressing room) Weatherford, TX – 817-613-1700
* Clark Gardens – $100 (all day, includes dressing room) Weatherford, TX – Appts & Prepay required: 940.682.4856
* The Crescent Hotel – $500 for non clients
* Dallas Arboretum – $15 per person and $10 per car
* Dallas Suspension Bridge - FREE
* Deep Ellum- FREE
* Downtown Dallas- FREE
* Downtown Celina- FREE
* Downtown Denton – FREE
* Downtown Fort Worth (Sundance Square) Free but call for permit: 817-255-5700
* Downtown McKinney – FREE
* Downtown Prosper FREE
* Fair Park – FREE (non-fair times)
* Filter Building @White Rock Lake – ???
* Flippen Park in Highland Park -FREE
* Flour Mill in McKinney – FREE to shoot outside and around it
* Flying Museum Fort Worth – $100.00
* Ft. Worth Botanical Garden – ??? – Rose Garden – $25 – Japanese Garden – $75
* Gaylord – $1500 for 4 hours
* Grapevine Botanical Garden – FREE
* Grapevine Vintage Train Depot – FREE
* Hickory Street Annex – $250 Hilton Anatole – $250
* Hotel Palomar – $500 + signed 3 page agreement
* Hotel ZaZa – Unavailable for portraits for non-clients
* Joule Hotel – Unavailable for portraits for non-clients
* Lakeside Park – FREE
* Lakewood Theater – $200
* Las Colinas Canals – $50 for a day permit – City of Irving 972-556-0625
* Lee Park – FREE
* Lone Oak Winery in Burleson – $25 http://www.loneoakwinery.com/
* Lone Oak Ranch – $35 – 40/hr
* Majestic Theater -$150
* Marriott Solana Westlake – FREE, notify management (this may need to be re-confirmed)
* McKinney Cotton Mill – $75/hr with 2 hr minimum
* Melrose is $1500 Meyerson – $150/$300
* The Milestone $300 on Sundays, $150 during the week* The Nasher Entrance Fee $10.00 -$300 for pro shooting Photography & Filming
* NYLO Irving – $300 Includes guest room for changing Proof of Insurance needed.
* NYLO Plano – $500 for 2 hours, must shoot between 1-5pm, Monday-Friday only. Contact Melissa (sales manager) for reservations.
* Off the Grid – $75/hr
* One Eleven Ranch Park in Richardson – FREE
* Old Red Courthouse – $150 Quorum Park – FREE
* Spring Creek Forest Park Preseve - FREE
* The Room on Main – $250 1/2 day Ryan Manor – $250 (3 hours)
* Stoneleigh – Unavailable for portraits for non-clients
* Texas Sculpture Garden Frisco - FREE
* Towne Lake Park Mckinney - FREE
* Turtle Creek – FREE
* Vintage Flying Museum (Fort Worth) – $100
* Watter’s Creek – FREE, notify management as courtesy.
* White Rock Lake – FREE
* Winspear Opera House- $150/300
* Zion Cemetery – FREE – great for bluebonnets Frisco, TX

Click to expand...

Thanks Charlie