Photography

We have been bad bloggers lately. In a way, it's a good thing, because that means we have been very busy! Between Family and work we have been tapped for spare time!

Anyways, this post is about my favorite thing... Photography! I get a lot of questions from people about photography. The number 1 question is 'What is the best camera for X amount of money?' The second question is 'How can I make better pictures?'

In all honesty, you can take fantastic pictures with a disposable point and shoot. Most of the time it has very little to do with the camera. It is the person behind it that works the tool. :-) At any rate, here are my answers:

1. Best Camera: Buy the best camera you can afford. If you cannot afford an entry level Digital SLR such as the Nikon D50, D70s or the new D80, look for higher end Point and Shoot cameras. The Digital SLR is your best bet, because there is very little shutter lag (delay once you press the button to take a picture) and you can buy different lenses to suit your needs. Good lenses are very expensive as well. So if you cannot afford Nikon glass, look into Sigma or Tamron with Nikon Mounts. You want to buy at least a 2.8 aperture lense. These are considered fast, because they let more light in. One of the best bangs for the buck is the Nikon 50mm 1.8 Lense. This lense is about $100 and possibly could be the best $100 you spend on photography. I have this lense and use it often. It is a wonderful piece of glass.

2. Better Pictures: There are three KEY ingredients that make an image, from the camera point of view. Shutter speed, Aperture and ISO. I won't go into all of the details, but that is how a camera captures an image. There are many non camera ingredients, two that stand out are Light and Timing. Good Light is essential. My favorite ingredient for making better pictures though is Timing. Timing can make or break an image. Always be aware and be ready!
(although it can be done with a disposable point and shoot, it is much easer having a fast camera and lense! hahaha)

Here is one of my favorite images of lately where Timing was KEY:


Had I been a second earlier or a second (heck maybe even a 1/16 second) later, I would have missed this shot. I love this shot! His expression says it all.

I wouldn't spend too much time on things like, 'What is the best camera or What is the best lense...' Be decisive. Think about what is important and go for it. When I was first starting out, I used to search every forum possible, hoping that someone would tell me what the best tool was. There are many. Buckle down, pick one and get shooting! Have fun!!