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So, I know that many of us ladies need to start OUR own Christmas lists! ย So, here is an idea. ย If you don’t yet have one consider asking Santa for a nice camera. ย Maybe a lower range DSLRย (like mine) or a high end point and shoot. ย Something to help you take your family pictures to the next level while giving yourself a new hobby.
I get asked almost daily about what camera I use. ย First, I want to point out something that I have really learned over the past few months. ย A good camera is to photography what a good oven is to a baking. ย It certainly aids you in creating the best product but there are a million other things that go into it. ย As I have been learning more and venturing out of the automatic modes and into the manual modes I now understand how it is that 100 people could hold the same camera and stand in front of the same thing and not a single picture of them will be just alike. ย But, ย that is the fun part! It’s given me something new to learn and my mind loves soaking it in! ย So, this might just become a fun hobby for you too!
The camera that I use is the NIKON 3200. ย I bought the bundle off Amazon last year. ย I have since bought a 35mm 1.8 lens that I use more often than the basic kit lens. ย I do use the kit zoom lens fairly often though.
Another huge part of this game is the editing. ย Now that can take one photo and make it look a trillion different ways. ย From cleaning up an eye sore in the background to creating a magical storybook look, you can paint the light however you see fit! ย I use Lightroom for my editing needs. ย And editing is a whole other beast. ย I was shocked to learn how powerful it was. ย If you can learn to photograph in the correct light you can create something magical when you process your image.
I love my camera. ย I am not a professional photographer nor and expert on this topic so this is just simply answering the question of which one I use. ย Everyone will have an opinion. ย Canon vs Nikon. ย Coke vsย Pepsi. ย Photoshop vsย Lightroom. ย Tea vsย Coffee. ย Although I hear that Photoshop is much more powerful, their Lightroom is very user friendly once you get the hang of it. ย I have my eye on next level of cameras right now. ย I am challenging myself to really learn the craft over the next year and then reward myself with an even better tool!
Also, read your user manuals through and through. ย And then start reading books and tutorials to learn how to maximize your experience. ย I just finished “How to photograph your kids like a pro” and it was a really great basic books that I think most of you would benefit from. ย I have taken several online photography classes and learned vocabulary and parts of a photo that I never knew existed.
Happy Holidays!