I thought I’d include a post about my photography equipment, that is my cameras, and then later I can expand a bit by giving tips about how I use them. Mostly how I use them in the field for reference photos but maybe some of my tips may help someone out and that’s a good thing! When I do a post that includes something useful about photography, I’ll link it to the category on the right under “Lessons + how to’s > Photography”.
I consider photography to be a hobby, though I sell lots of note cards and gifts with my photos on them (see my Photography page here), I still like to take pictures just because I love doing it. I love traipsing through a field following behind a flitting butterfly, or capturing a bird up on a branch (not blurry while hand holding my camera) or wading around in water studying frog eggs and frogs, all while smacking at mosquitoes, black flies etc and sometimes balancing my sketch book! I LOVE IT!
I have learned to put picture files into different folders on my computer under Reference photos. Wow my collection of reference photos has grown and I could use it for painting for quite some time! I say it’s best to study from life, but take pictures too if you can, to study later, they are loaded with information.
Here’s a few pictures of my simple cameras I use right now when I go in the field to sketch or just shoot pics for references and study. I have a long lens and tripod I’ll get pictures of later to include.
my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28
I just love this camera! It’s lightweight but takes great shots. I put a different strap on it using one from some other bag that’s nice and long. I wear it across my body, not hanging from my neck; this way it stays relatively out of the way and doesn’t strain my neck. I put special little rings on the clips from a binocular strap I got, it allows more movement of the strap without stress on the clip. Do you see how I put clear tape on the clip too, that’s to keep the clip from slipping off the tiny rings.
My Lumix is pretty lightweight and not too bulky
You can see it fits in my hand and sometimes I hold it up to take pictures of myself working, a little awkward but it works. It has automatic settings and manual, I use both. Most of the time I use the “Landscape” mode because it has super zoom capacity (that’s as far as my tech talk goes!) on that setting. From there I select manual only when having difficulty getting the auto focus to ‘see’ what I want it to focus on. That’s a lot tougher to use! More about that another time.
My tiny Olympus FE-220 7.1 megapixal
This little camera deserves a gold star! I’ve had it years and years, use it all year round and never fails me! My favorite thing to use this camera for is close-ups. It has a Macro and Super Macro, I always use the Super Macro. There is no zooming on this setting you just get as close as it allows you and snap. It’s just great for bugs and for peeking under mushrooms where a larger camera can’t go (or you just can’t get your head under with it!) I’ll show you why I have the super long lanyard on the handle later.
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The backside of the tiny Olympus.
This is the backside, small, easy, compact. I put some of that special ‘stuff’ on the viewing area, ahm…bought it in an office supply store, I’ll have to look up what it’s called. I put it on all my cameras.
Then there's always the cell phone camera in a pinch!
And then there’s always your cell phone in a pinch. They take better pictures than ever, but it’s hard to see what you’re shooting when outside, but sometimes it’s fun to take a picture and upload it to facebook immediately so your friends can see what kind of trouble your getting up to! (or just wish they could be there with you walking in the fields!).
I also have a Cannon 20D that is just a beautiful camera and takes marvelous pictures, but I don’t use it anymore. I have given up the extra weight so I can carry my art kit, I have to be careful how much weight I carry because I get trouble with my neck and back if I don’t.