dumb ? but is it possible to take "sellable" photos w an rebel xti

wheresdavid · April 18, 2007

ok, i know it is all about the glass, but ... is it posible to take "sellable" photos with an xti?:dunno I am asking because I have been traveling several years and i have been taking "snapshots". well i recently upgraded to a DSLR - rebel xti. I will be taking a 1yr trip "around the sorld" soon and i had the crazy idea that maybe someday i could "sell" some of my photos. i cant afford a 5d and i was thinking of replacing my xti with a 30d.

any advice? thoughts?

as always thanks for your time and help!
Dave

Andy · April 18, 2007

My wife is a trained chef, and she can cook a gourmet meal if you gave her a wadded up ball of tinfoil, she doesn't need fancy pots and pans.

wxwax · April 18, 2007

I'd spend my money on learning how to make good images.

The XTi will be able to execute your vision, as long as you have decent glass. The problem is having a good vision.

hgernhardtjr · April 18, 2007

I've sold photos using all kinds of cameras. Heck, I've even sold FILM photos

.

In a half-century of photography I have used all types, brands, and quality levels of camera from the Brownie Flash to 8x10 plate to Minox-size film, from 1mp to over 12mp (my "tools") ... the better "tools" only made my job a bit easier.

The XTi will do you fine as long as you know how to "use" it!

wheresdavid · April 18, 2007

I was hoping that was the answer. Now the hard part is having the right vision and knowing how to use the camera. I am sure in a year traveling in exoctic lands the opportunity for a great picture will present itself thousands of times. Now the question is will i recognize it and know how to take it.

hgernhardtjr wrote:

I've sold photos using all kinds of cameras. Heck, I've even sold FILM photos .

In a half-century of photography I have used all types, brands, and quality levels of camera from the Brownie Flash to 8x10 plate to Minox-size film, from 1mp to over 12mp (my "tools") ... the better "tools" only made my job a bit easier.

The XTi will do you fine as long as you know how to "use" it!

colourbox · April 18, 2007

Bear in mind that thousands of the stunning travel and sports photographs printed in magazines going back a few years were shot with digital bodies that probably had lower specs than a Rebel XTi.

If you put a pro lens on it, or at least a lens appropriate to your purpose, you can blow away someone with a more expensive Canon body and poorer choice of lens.

wxwax · April 18, 2007

wheresdavid wrote:

I was hoping that was the answer. Now the hard part is having the right vision and knowing how to use the camera. I am sure in a year traveling in exoctic lands the opportunity for a great picture will present itself thousands of times. Now the question is will i recognize it and know how to take it.

Werd.

jdryan3 · April 18, 2007

Andy wrote:

My wife is a trained chef, and she can cook a gourmet meal if you gave her a wadded up ball of tinfoil, she doesn't need fancy pots and pans.

Ummm! Wadded Ball of Tin Foil with marinara! One of my favorites

:giggle

greenpea · April 18, 2007

The original Digital Rebel (quite a bit less of a camera than the XTi) was used to take several of the winning pictures in 2006 Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest (which I saw on tour at the Burke Museum in Seattle) and winning pictures in the 2006 Nature's Best contest (which is currently on display at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History). These two photo contest are (I believe) two of the most prestigious photo contests in the world.

And although as a winner they didn't technically sell the images, they were definately "sellable".

gpphotos · April 18, 2007

andy's wife is a gourmet chef? heh, i know where im eating next time im in new york!

who needs those fancy expensive resturants anyway?

wheresdavid · April 18, 2007

Thanks that is good to know. I guess the other day i was out taking photos in Cusco peru and i saw all kinds of tourist with 30d, 5d, and even a mark II (not to mention the nikons) several with L series glass. I guess I was thinking, "hmm, I have this little old REbel, how can I take a photo like those guys

" (or something like that).

greenpea wrote:

The original Digital Rebel (quite a bit less of a camera than the XTi) was used to take several of the winning pictures in 2006 Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest (which I saw on tour at the Burke Museum in Seattle) and winning pictures in the 2006 Nature's Best contest (which is currently on display at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History). These two photo contest are (I believe) two of the most prestigious photo contests in the world.

And although as a winner they didn't technically sell the images, they were definately "sellable".

digismile · April 18, 2007

I need to echo the messages previously posted. Here is a sample of what I think is almost Andy's "Wad of Tinfoil" for a camera (at least by today's standards).

This website was the main reason I chose my very first digital (point & shoot, no less) Canon G2 Camera (4Mp) 4 -5 years ago. This photo gallery is this photographer's examples of shots taken with a Canon G1 (3Mp). The gallery used to be huge, as he put the G1 through it's paces. Now, it's just a select few, but you get the idea.

http://photography-on-the.net/gallery/list.php?exhibition=2

If great shots can be done with a 3 Mp P&S, there is no reason that you can't take some great shots with the XTi!

Good luck,

Justiceiro · April 18, 2007

Absofrickenlutely

I took this with a 20D, which has about the same megapixel count as the Xti, and I used the crappy 18-44 standard kit lens. I sold it for $150.

So the answer is yes. Just take good pictures.

thebigsky · April 19, 2007

wheresdavid wrote:

I was hoping that was the answer. Now the hard part is having the right vision and knowing how to use the camera. I am sure in a year traveling in exoctic lands the opportunity for a great picture will present itself thousands of times. Now the question is will i recognize it and know how to take it.

I think you've just summed up the key to successful photography, we're all surrounded by wonderful photographic opportunities but ony a few spot them and know how to capture them.

I really struggle with this, I often see something that catches my eye but I fail regularly to capture it in camera.

You can also find yourself going around in circles wondering about rules of thirds, DOF, this that and the other, sometime you just need to see the picture and take it.

As if to prove a point, Lee Frost took a plastic Holga Toy Camera to Cuba and produced these results, very sellable images.

http://www.toycamera.com/profiles/Preview/user_preview_gallery.cfm?Name=lee%20frost&thisTable=lee1&item=4

Charlie

MooreDriven · April 19, 2007

Dave,

I am new to DSLR's myself. I have read it many times, even before buying the camera, that it's the creativity of the photographer, and their individual skills that allow them to take wonderful photo's. You can have the most expensive camera and lens in the world, but your creativity will probably determine the outcome more than the camera.

Good luck. Keep us up to date on your shots.

Dale

agunther · April 19, 2007

Most photos I have sold so far I wouldn't exactly classify as being my best.
I just happened to be the one who had this specific subject that noone else had (maybe this means I am a lousy photographyer

)
I have sold other photos that I quite liked but that were older ones taken with my first DSLR a Rebel 300D (6.3MP).
I still like the photos from the 300D and most people don't buy extremely large prints anyways (actually it appears I am only selling image files for books and brochures and noone is interested in my prints

)

Hell, if you can capture a photo of a real alien with your Camera Phone, you will make much more money then some guy taking yet another shot of Yosemite with his ultra expensive camera.

I am still learning all the lessons, but people want uniqueness and that is not dependent on your camera but on you.
I think the Rebel Xti is an excellent camera and you should be able to sell many photos.

Imagine what Ansel Adams could have done with a Xti !

Personally I own a 20D and despite what I said above I have been eyeballing the 5D and 1DsM2 for a while, but I want to wait for the 1DsM3 to come out (Canon whats taking so long?) in the hope the prices for these fine pieces will drop a bit. I guess I am a bit of an hypocrate.

jdryan3 · April 19, 2007

agunther wrote:

Hell, if you can capture a photo of a real alien with your Camera Phone, you will make much more money then some guy taking yet another shot of Yosemite with his ultra expensive camera.

:photo :photo :s85

Mike02 · April 19, 2007

wheresdavid wrote:

I guess the other day i was out taking photos in Cusco peru and i saw all kinds of tourist with 30d, 5d, and even a mark II (not to mention the nikons) several with L series glass. I guess I was thinking, "hmm, I have this little old REbel, how can I take a photo like those guys " (or something like that).

Well, generally its the glass that matters more than the camera; I'd rather have a D50/70-200, than a D200 with a 55-200 vr.

agunther · April 19, 2007

wheresdavid wrote:

Thanks that is good to know. I guess the other day i was out taking photos in Cusco peru and i saw all kinds of tourist with 30d, 5d, and even a mark II (not to mention the nikons) several with L series glass. I guess I was thinking, "hmm, I have this little old REbel, how can I take a photo like those guys " (or something like that).

Well easy:
Again bringing up my Yosemite Example (I love the park like no other).
There is always a large crowd at Tunnel view and there are always tons of photographers taking the same photo every day. You can try to be unique:
I took a nice panoramic, but chances of selling it is still close to 0 (simply too many people photograph it):

So you pick a different subject (like the Firefall that has been photographed somewhat less because its rare):

Still too many takers. This one may some day see a buyer:

because not too many people catch a rainbow like that (I waited nearly 2 hours and was frozen stiff after that). It's an old shot though.

Coming back to Cusco since you mentioned it. It really wasn't easy to find a place where I could take this photo (pretty much the entire view is blocked). I took the time and I bribed some little girl and she fiinally took me where I wanted to be so I could get the shot (I guess not everyone has the same photo for sale, although I have seen it before):

But now this. The picture below isn't actually what I consider one of my best shots, but someone was looking for a submarine shot in San Diego and I was able to fill the order:

Thats how it goes. Its supply and demand and it is rare (at least for me) that people buy photos to hang on their wall (it happened before but not as often). Usually some publisher is looking for something specific and they don't care what camera you used to get the shot (they care about things like "half a page at 300dpi"). The submarine was shot with a 300D when I started getting into photography. Its an early image and now I somewhat don't feel like I should be showing it around anymore, BUT IT SOLD!

Now I understand why paparazzi make so much money. They are filling a demand and the journals don't care about the quality of a photo showing Brad Pit with a beer belly.

Try something unique, thats all. This Page drives a large amount of visitors to my site, just because it used to be unique (until I got copied

:).
It got linked from a lot of places like this:
http://www.cnet.ro/2006/09/30/sute-de-megapixels/
or this:
http://peruvianamericanmi.com/
which in turn keeps driving travvic and eventually sales.

gtc · April 19, 2007

metal vs plastic
ditto to everything above about sales etc but if travelling i would prefer a metal bodied camera to plastic-a second hand 20D or a new 30D..something that can survive some accidental bumping etc.

i would also invest in a dry bag if you are going anywhere very humid or cold

evoryware · April 20, 2007

Andy wrote:

My wife is a trained chef, and she can cook a gourmet meal if you gave her a wadded up ball of tinfoil, she doesn't need fancy pots and pans.

mmmm tasty food for thought

Scott_Quier · April 20, 2007

There is a least one wedding photog I know of that is successfully shooting with a pair of Canon XT (not the XTi) and making money doing that. The photos are georgeous. So, like Andy was saying, if you have the skill, you can make a great dinner from a ball of AlFoil. Same with a camera - with an eye, you can make great images with a piece of film, a box, and small pin (to make the pin-hole!). Spend on glass and training. Practice. There you go!

largelylivin · May 2, 2007

I'll stick my neck out.

gtc wrote:

ditto to everything above about sales etc but if travelling i would prefer a metal bodied camera to plastic-a second hand 20D or a new 30D..something that can survive some accidental bumping etc.

i would also invest in a dry bag if you are going anywhere very humid or cold

I know this is Canon country and I started out to buy an XTi. It will spend its entire and probably short life on or at the ocean, in a boat, taking "event" photos. My local dealer steered me to the new Pentax K10D and I must say that everything he said made sense and has so far proven true. Consider this:

1. 10M pixel
2. Magnesium frame
3. "Built-in" anti-vibration feature, i.e. its in the camera instead of the lens. (I am very curious to know how well its performance compares with a Canon IS lens - the physics are entirely different. I suspect that there is a significant advantage to Stabilization versus anti-shake at lower frequencies - like ocean movement!)
4. over 200 water-resistant seals
5. Some new interesting auto modes (not yet sure of value)
6. $900 with kit lens

**** ALSO, a very neat and, I beleive, unique feature. A "RAW" button so that you can shots JPEGs all day and easily take a JPEG+Raw just by pressing a button. Cool!

The couple reviews that I read said that it might just be a "Canon Killer", although I don't really think Pentax has the wherewithall as a company to actually make a dent in Canon.

Other experience and opinions?

3n-out · May 2, 2007

Somebody said this best - A monkey with a camera is still a monkey. It doesn't matter how good the camera is - it's about vision and capturing that vision in the excact moment. With that said an XTi is perfectly capable of capturing the best photo in the world. A good lens wouldn't be a bad idea - at least you have peice of mind that if in focus it will be a sharp, killer picture.

nikos · May 9, 2007

Even point & shoots are capable...
... in the right hands. Alex Majoli is an award winning photographer armed with Oly point & shoots.

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=7-6468-7844

Nikos

ziggy53 · May 9, 2007

nikos wrote:

... in the right hands. Alex Majoli is an award winning photographer armed with Oly point & shoots.

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=7-6468-7844

Nikos

Some of my most satisfying images, IMHO, are taken with a Minolta DiMAGE A2. It has enough of the "right stuff" and I learned some special techniques like looking just above the electronic viewfinder to sight for action sequences, eliminating some of the perceptual delay induced by the viewfinder.

I still appreciate the virtues of a true dSLR and I just wish I had more money to buy everything I have convinced myself I need (want).

Manfr3d · May 10, 2007

wxwax wrote:

I'd spend my money on learning how to make good images.

The XTi will be able to execute your vision, as long as you have decent glass. The problem is having a good vision.

I suspect by good vision you're not refering to the tiny viewfinder of the XTi?

sirsloop · May 10, 2007

3n-out wrote:

Somebody said this best - A monkey with a camera is still a monkey. It doesn't matter how good the camera is - it's about vision and capturing that vision in the excact moment. With that said an XTi is perfectly capable of capturing the best photo in the world. A good lens wouldn't be a bad idea - at least you have peice of mind that if in focus it will be a sharp, killer picture.

I sold damn near 1000 prints in the last year with an XT, XTi, and E-500. Put your money in glass and training yourself

If you have extra cash laying around and want new toys that'll do 10fps and have 47 focus points... then get a 1d

BradfordBenn · May 25, 2007

I might be late coming to this thread...
I am currently debating if I want a new camera for my birthday - gotta love a wife that asks what to buy. So I have been browsing and looking trying to figure out whether or not I want one. Then I remembered that some of my shots that I took with a P&S Canon PowerShot S50 in JPEG format were used in print. (It was before I knew about RAW)

I am still learning how to see the shot and agree that with the right eye and skills one can get a good shot with a simpler camera. The way I look at it, I take lots and lots of digital shots and maybe one will be the good one - but I look at them all and try to figure out what I don't like about it.

dumb ? but is it possible to take "sellable" photos w an rebel xti

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