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How the Sony a6000 helped me fall back in love with photography

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I set up my business as a photographer because, you’ve guessed it, I love photography. I generally like to make things look beautiful in all aspects of life and I love to create visual memories.

When my daughter was born, I was borderline obsessed with taking photos of her. I’m pretty sure that she’s in the top 1% of ‘World’s Most Photographed Babies’. I was (and still am) petrified of her growing up and changing too quickly. I obviously want her to grow and flourish, but what I don’t want to do is forget how tiny she once was – how she had rolls of fat on her chunky thighs, how she used to sulk even at 10 months old, and how squishy she was before she started crawling.

So I began documenting every part of our lives together, learning how to take better photos, learning how to use my camera to its full capability, and enjoying printing the 1500 photos I took of her in her first year. Yes, really.

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How (and why) I’ve been photographing Disneyland in black and white

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I’ve always had a lot of fun challenging myself with creative and/or technical limitations. Like giving myself a photo assignment to spend the day or even an entire vacation with a certain camera/lens combination and a limited shooting style, like to shoot only macro or only black and white, etc. It usually makes me work harder to get the shots, but more importantly, I often come home with photos I probably wouldn’t have if I had taken my best equipment and approached shooting in my usual way. And who knows, what if through an exercise of self-imposed creative or technical limitations, I accidentally “stumble on a style”?! Which is exactly what happened to me and why I’m suggesting you try it yourself!

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5 Cameras Get Put Under the Microphone to Hear Their Shutter’s ‘Clack’

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It’s a sound many of us either take for granted or have been conditioned to tone-out entirely, the ‘clack’ a camera makes when the mirror lifts and shutter fires. But there’s something magical about it.

Like the roaring exhausts of two supercars, no two camera shutters sound the same. They have their own personalities defined by the format, camera design and speed at which the shutter goes off.[Read More…]

The (Drunken) Camera Store Guys Rate The Best And Worst Photography Trends Of 2014

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As 2014 begins drawing to a close, it marks the official beginning of an onslaught of year end lists. If you only have the time (or patience) to sit through one of them, I hope you choose this silly 19-minute long clip from the guys at The Camera Store. Their refreshing departure from the traditional year end list is presented in video form, probably because they want us to enjoy their progression from sober to flat out wasted as they play a drinking game while delivering their top and bottom picks of 2014. They save the worst of lists until the very end, when they’re nice and hammered, so rest assured, you’re getting their unfiltered feelings about the gear. Hilarity is bound to ensue….

Take a look at the clip, below, and be sure to read on for a follow up…[Read More…]

Sony’s a5100 Brings a Fast Mirrorless in a Smaller Package

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With six months passing by since the release of the a6000, last night held the announcement of Sony’s new compact alternative to the mirrorless camera. Called the a5100, the new camera’s name echoes exactly what its purpose is: to serve as a lower-priced option for those who still like what the a6000 has to offer.

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