Couldn't resist putting my 2 cents in!

Buy basic SLR and an inexpensive zoom telephoto lens and get started. If you like what you are doing you will develop your own technique to add to the basics you will glean from all the articles you will read about your new love.

Once you get to that point you will have some experience to make choices for yourself about what will work for you. Quite often as you continue you will upgrade equipment, and that's better done after you know what it does and how it works.

"f8 and be there" is more important than any other thing. Having some knowledge and good equipment make it more enjoyable for some of us but getting 'out there' is still what it's all about.

I would like to mention pbase at $23 a year for a posting option. It allows for blogging and is much more customizable than many realize. I personally questioned some things but having done some comparison find my fears were unwarranted.

Joseph Higbee
Spanaway, WA
Mailto: jvhigbee at hotmail.com