How to pick out a camera

One question that I get asked often by people is what type of camera he or she should buy. In most cases, the person is looking for a simple point and shoot rather than a DSLR. So I thought that I would share the advice that I usually give when asked that question.

It is important to figure out what features are important to you when picking out a camera. Do you want a camera that shoots video? Do you want a camera with touch screen controls? Do you ever want to use the camera in manual mode? Presumably, you are looking for a camera that has more options and features than the camera on your phone. Don't worry too much about the number of megapixels in the camera. Unless you are planning to print out poster size images or larger, 10-12 megapixels is more than enough for what you will need. I've printed out 16x20 prints from an 8 megapixel camera that look stunning.

There are hundreds of compact cameras out there, with new ones being released all the time, so I have 2 pieces of advice when trying to pick out a camera (both of which I followed when helping my children pick out cameras for themselves. First, read reviews on Amazon.com or DPReview.com. On Amazon, you'll see what other people have to say about the cameras, and on DPReview, you can read a professional's review of many camera models. Second, go to your local camera store or electronics store and get a hand's on feel for the camera. Reviews are great, but until you get a camera in your hands and see what it feels like, you won't know if you'll like handling that camera. Get a feel for the size and weight of that camera. Will you be comfortable carrying it around in situations where you'll want a camera.

Ultimately, the best camera is the one you have with you when you see something (or someone) you want to take a picture of.

Playing catch-up

After the long holiday weekend taking family portraits of my sister's family and then my brother's family, I am ready to jump back into some more creative shooting. While I was supposed to have an exciting fashion shoot today (we were going to spend part of that shooting in my neighbor's sculpting studio), for reason's beyond anyone's control, we had to push today's shoot off for a week. Instead, I spent the day playing catch-up on photos that needed editing. While the editing process certainly isn't as stimulating or "fun" as the actual shooting, it is just as important. However, when you get as much right in-camera as possible, that makes the editing process so much easier. As a result, I've been able to update my websites, Facebook pages and my studio slideshows with new photos.

I also learned to day that my web host now supports mobile versions of websites which can be displayed on smartphones and tablets. This is a welcome new feature that I have setup. While it is great being able to see my website exactly the same way on my iPad as my desktop, there are certain pages (mainly this blog) that don't display quite as well. I will definitely keep the mobile version for phones, but will take about a week or so to evaluate which looks better on my iPad, as well as on smaller tablets like the Kindle Fire.

As we approach the end of the year, I want to remind people that I am currently running several specials that will expire at the end of December. Most sessions are currently 20% off - a promotion I started when I moved into my new studio. This includes Family Portrait sessions, Senior Portrait sessions, Headshots, and Modeling sessions. Pet portraits I have been offering at a discount as well, but that price will be raised starting January 1st. Take advantage of these specials while they last!!!

POTW (Nov. 25, 2012)

This week's photo comes from a portrait session of my nieces and nephew who came into town for Thanksgiving. My 7 month old nephew is all smiles and a great subject for portraits. This is a great age for taking portraits!

POTW (11-18-12)

For this week's photo, I went out to a park I found when I drove an alternate route to my studio. For those who are familiar with Grand Ave, I found this fascinating looking tower, and thought it would make for a very interesting photo. I later found out that it is a water tower for the city of St. Louis. Definitely the most interesting water tower I've ever seen. After taking a photo of the tower, there were some trees with gorgeous yellow leaves, and decided to take a photo of those as well. Finally, there was a building that would be a beautiful spot for taking some senior portraits, and couldn't pass up taking a shot of that too. So, instead of a single photo of the week, this week I am posting all three of them. I hope you find them as interesting subjects as I did!

Art prints now available

My art prints are uploaded and now available for purchase through my website. As previously mentioned, all prints are printed on metallic pearl paper and mounted on a black 3/4" standout mount. Prints may be ordered in the following sizes: 11x14, 16x20 and 20x30.

Here are the pieces that I am initially offering for sale.

POTW (11-12-2012) and art prints for sale.

This weeks photo was taken specifically for my blog's POTW (photo of the week). One of the rose bushes in back of my studio still has some beautiful roses blossoming. I decided to take some macro shots of some of the blossoms and chose the best shot to post.

I am also getting ready to upload my art photography on my website for sale. I will start off offering the following size prints: 11x14, 16x20 and 24x30. The prints will be on metallic pearl paper and mounted on a 3/4" standout mount that is lightweight and ready to hang onto walls with a simple nail.

Photo of the week: November 4, 2012

I've decided to do a photo of the week projects. Often these will be from photoshoots I have scheduled, but on slower weeks, it will force me to go seek out an interesting subject to photograph and then talk a little bit about it. And now, with my iPhone, I always have a camera readily available.

This week's photo comes from a portrait session I did this morning, and will be adding to my portrait portfolio. I was booked to take Autumn themed portraits of 2 year old twins. It was both challenging and fun. Unfortunately, we were not able to get any shots of them together, but here is a lovely shot of the daughter, and one of my favorite shots from today's session.