Through the process I was able to answer most of the initial inquiry questions that I had:
- What camera will I use to get started with photography?
I used my fiance's Nikon SLR camera. I played around with a lot of the different settings but found that for the most part, the photos turned out best when I had it set on "auto". I think photography itself could be a whole other 20% Time Project. - Will I check out books or use the internet to learn basic photoshop skills?
I bought a book called Photoshop CC For Dummies but I found that the resources that I found online were better. In my opinion, the tutorials that came from the photoshop software were the best. I also used a ton of video tutorials from youtube. That said, I also watched a lot of not very helpful youtube videos-- it was all great for the learning process though! Pinterest also led me to a ton of different sites and articles with tips and tricks for Photoshop CC. - How much does photoshop cost? Can I get a student/educator discount?
I did get an educator discount but I had to sign up for a 1 year subscription. I think that is probably a good thing though so I can continue my learning with this program. With the discount, I am paying $19.99 per month for the full Photoshop CC program. - Should I practice taking pictures of people or just take photos of all things interesting and beautiful?
When I first started on this project I went for long walks and took pictures of things that I thought may be interesting. I live downtown so there are lots of photo opportunities. What I found though, was that I much prefer taking pictures of people and beautiful scenery than of statues, sculptures,and "things". If I were to continue studying photography and Photoshop, I would want to work largely on portraits.
- What local resources can I use?
I did not end up finding any local resources to help me with photography or Photoshop. I probably should have taken a trip to the downtown library! - Who do I already know that I can reach out to?
My fiance is a landscape architect so he uses Photoshop for work frequently. He helped me initially kind of figure out what the symbols all meant. He also showed me some of the brushes that he regularly uses. It was really fun though because I ended up teaching him a lot of new things! When I was watching video tutorials he found himself eavesdropping and coming over to learn with me! :) - Where do I want to publish my photos?
I loved posting my photos to the blog and getting comments from peers. I posted the double exposure project of Matt and Machu Picchu on my instagram and I also ended up making a card out of the photograph of my sister. - Where would I print them?
I printed the project of annie with the text on our nice laser printer at work. I would love to print the double exposure project of Matt at Kinkos to frame and hang on our wall. I was really happy with the final product on that one. - Who would actually take the engagement photos?
We ended up having a friend take the engagement photos of us- I am planning on designing our "Save the Date" on Photoshop in the next few weeks. I am super excited and proud to be able to add text to the photo and design our own "Save the Dates"! - Where would we want to take them?
We took our photos at the lake where we are getting married next summer, Coeur d'Alene.