The newbie photographer

I got this pix from Elise and she took it while we're having a photo shoot at the Getty. She was using a telephoto lens that's why I have no idea that she was actually taking a pic of me... which is cool.... So, I'm having a dilemma of either getting that same lens she has for paparazzi-like photos or a wide angle lens for panoramic shots.. Hmmmm.. Budget-wise, I can only afford the first one. OMG! I need to save up! This is a really expensive hobby =P

Anyways, I was able to get a FREE EXIF Metadata reader so I can see the manual settings of the camera such as aperture, shutter speed, ISO, etc... when the picture was taken. There's a lot of things to change when you're on MANUAL mode coz you have to consider the light coming in to your camera by looking at the light meter, then change settings on the depth of field you like, get a good angle, frame it.. so it's not easy. You have to do everything fast or you'll miss the "moment".