Travel by Any Means Necessary

Category: Photo Tips

Storm Rolling In

Sand Dune Panorama

Over Spring Break, one of the places I wanted to visit was the Silver Lake Sand Dunes. It was supposed to start raining and turn into snow on the day we had chosen and I was skeptical about whether or not we should still go. Well, Chris talked me into and I’m glad I decided to brave it! It was a great photographer’s sky! Those rays in the sky are not Photoshopped in! That is the rain coming in off the lake! Tip for photographers: Don’t let “bad” weather stop you from exploring and shooting! Be brave! Clear sky days are the time to stay home and do housework!

About this Photo:
I knew going to the dunes that I was going to want the widest lens I have and that wasn’t even really wide enough, so I decided to go the panorama route. This was 5 shots stitched together in Lightroom. Once Lightroom did its thing, I did my basic edits and voila!

Camera Gear:
Nikon D3100 with 18.0-55.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens, handheld. Tip: If you’re planning a visit to the dunes, bring your camera bag with you. It is quite a climb up there and you don’t want to get any sand in anything!

Date Taken:
April 1, 2016

Thanks for stopping by! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr!

The Great Camera Bag Search

Camera as Subject
I feel like my life purpose has been to find the perfect camera bag. I want something that I can travel with, that doubles as a purse so I don’t have to carry two bags (granted, since I got an iphone wallet, I rarely carry a purse these days). I want something inconspicuous; I don’t want it to yell “HEY! I’M CARRYING A BUNCH OF EXPENSIVE CAMERA GEAR!” And the trickiest parameter, I want it to be fairly fashionable. Let’s go through the bags I have and my thoughts on them:

Lowepro Passport Sling:

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This was the first camera bag I purchased for my DSLR. This was the perfect bag for my Disney trip! It held my D3100, an additional lens, camera accessories, and everything else we needed for a day in the parks (sunscreen, ponchos, fold-able water bottles, etc.). I like that it is a sling design, so you’re not carrying all that weight on one shoulder, and you don’t have to take it all the way off to get anything out of it, the way you would with a backpack. It is a larger bag, so if you’re looking to just carry a single camera body and lens with minimal accessories, this is probably not the bag for you. While this is a good bag, its very utilitarian looking and didn’t meet my fashionable needs. This is the bag Chris uses these days, but all of the pockets can make it hard to find things, especially little things like extra memory cards.

Eddie Bauer Adjustable Shoulder Strap Camera Bag:

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Honestly, this is not a bag we use too much. We bought a used camera and it came with this bag. But, if you’re looking for a simple bag to carry a single camera body and lens this is a good, inexpensive choice (its $11.99 on Amazon).

Ghope Black Canvas Messenger Bag for DSLR Camera:

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These days, my gear lives in this bag. I’m able to hold my D3100 – lens on and two backup lenses (although one is a small prime lens). There are two pockets in the front for small accessories and a pouch on the back for skinny things like cable releases. The detailing on the front gives it a little added aesthetics and while its pretty boxy for a a messenger bag, it doesn’t scream “camera bag”.My one complaint is the strap is kind of short so it rides a little high if I wear it cross body.

My dream camera bag, if you’re looking to buy me a gift, is the Kelly Moore B-Hobo Bag. It looks like a handbag, but has built in padding for your gear. The price tag is the only thing holding me back. I haven’t been willing to shell out over $150 for a camera bag.
Thanks for stopping by! Do you have a camera bag you love? Let me know in the comments! To see what I carry in these bags, check out my gear page. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on  Flickr! This month I am taking part of an Instagram Travel Challenge, posting a travel photo a day on Instagram and I’d love for you to follow along!

What to look for in a camera

Photographing the Photographer

Chris photographing the Livingstone Lighthouse on Belle Isle.
I’m sure if you did a search for most commonly used phrases on this blog, the phrase, “you don’t need an expensive camera to take good pictures” would probably come out on top. This is something I mention a lot because I know the price of camera gear can hold photographers back from pursuing their hobby or make them think they can’t make good images on cheap gear and that is just not true. Yes, an interchangeable lens camera system (either DSLR or mirrorless) will make it easier to get quality shots, but the camera does not make the photographer. I figured its time to start a series of photo tips on the blog and I wanted to start at the beginning – choosing a camera. I won’t get into the Nikon vs. Canon debate (although I’m a Nikon shooter, only because it was cheaper that day) or DSLR vs. Mirrorless  (there’s a lot out there on this topic right now) but just simply what specs to look for when purchasing your first serious camera. Let’s get to it!

In my opinion, one of the biggest things you want to look for is that the camera has the capability to shoot in RAW. I didn’t understand what RAW was when I first got my DSLR so  up until recently I did all my shooting in JPEG. When I go back and look at those older images I’m frustrated because I’m unable to do as much to them as I am to RAW files. My friend Steve at Burnsland.com recently posted a great article about the power of RAW files that is a must read for anyone who is scared to switch from JPEG!

Another thing to look for when camera shopping, is manual controls – the ability to control your aperture and shutter speed and do it easily (a lot of cameras have the setting buried in menus and that’s no fun for anyone). To be able to get full control of your images, you’ll want to be able to control your depth of field and the motion in your shot and you just cannot do this in camera that will only shoot in fully programmed mode.

And then there’s the sensor size question but honestly, any camera on the market today has a big enough resolution for most of the things you’ll be doing and, if you ask me, some of these new giant megapixel cameras are kind of a gimmick. Go out on one shoot and your hard drive is full! It is important to note that with smaller image sizes it is harder to do any significant cropping to the image without taking a hit in quality. But, for the average photographer doing basic printing and online sharing, you’ll be fine with most any camera in today’s market.

Interchangable lenses like mirrorless and DSLR camera systems have are obviously a better but more expensive choice than a fixed lens camera. But, if your budget doesn’t allow for that, definitely consider something with a optical zoom (the lens comes out of the camera) over the strictly digital zoom (like an iphone camera). My first digital camera was strictly digital zoom and I hated it because the zoom was basically worthless; it made everything very noisy. But, if that’s all you can afford, you always have the old-fashioned zoom, your feet!

So, to recap, when looking for a camera look for the ability to shoot in RAW, manual controls, and optical zoom. If you’re looking for an entry-level DSLR, I highly recommend the Nikon D3x00 series (I have the D3100 but the D3300 has newer features). You can also get older cameras used for a good deal (although, this is where you’d have to watch out for megapixel count)!

Thanks for stopping by! Did I miss something? Let me know in the comments! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on  Flickr! This month I am taking part of an Instagram Travel Challenge, posting a travel photo a day on Instagram and I’d love for you to follow along!

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