I had a conversation recently with a friend who was talking about photo quality. She said she wanted a more powerful camera to achieve higher quality photos… I bought my first DSLR, a Canon Rebel XTi, when I had my daughter in 2006. I got to know the camera. I became extremely comfortable with it, and could use it blindfolded. The thought to upgrade really hadn’t crossed my mind. After all, I was (and am) very satisfied with the quality of my photos.
I’m comfortable with my camera, and when it comes to things like cameras and cell phones, the thought of upgrading, switching ‘brands’ or even shopping around and researching scares the living daylights out of me!
This photo was taken with a Canon Rebel XTi and a 50 mm f 1.4.
Last year I met someone who had just upgraded, and he was selling his Canon EOS 5D. He said I could try it out to see how I liked it. I liked it. A lot. The price was great. The camera was in great shape. So I worked really hard to earn some extra cash, and… I upgraded.
I don’t believe the camera ‘makes’ the photos, it’s the photographer. It’s KNOWING your camera and how to use it. It’s investing in a few good lenses. If you don’t know your camera very well, or are still trying to get comfortable with the settings, check out my board on Pinterest: photography how-to.
When you invest a lot of money into a lens, it’s important to protect it. Had I not protected my lens with a filter, my lens would have broke and the cost to repair a lens would far exceed the cost of a filter! I typically use a UV filter. Nothing fancy. The one in the photograph is a polarizing filter.
I am on the hunt for an awesome camera bag. For now I use a knock-off Coach bag that I picked up in Texas a few years ago! (If you know where I can get the real thing, PLEASE let me know, I’d love to have it!) So, whats exactly in my camera bag?
In my camera bag you’ll find:
Canon EOS 5D.
28-135 mm f 3.5-5.6.
50 mm f 1.4.
Sunpak Ultra 7000 tripod/monopod.
Canon Speedlite 430EX.
Flash Diffuser.
Black Rapid Elle Strap.
Here’s a photo I took with the 5D… same lens.
This photo was taken with a Canon EOS 5D and a 50 mm f 1.4.
The photo of the little girl, and the photo of my son, were both edited with Florabella’s Colorplay Actions. I absolutely love this set of actions, and several others from Florabella. I can stay true to my style while quickly editing photos I love. To perform these edits, I use Adobe Photoshop CS6 for Mac.
