I must admit, I have been a little lax about taking pictures lately. However, the holidays are coming and I am vowing to change my ways. I thought a little camera inspiration would go a long way towards helping me make more photos.
1. I found this adorable ruffled camera strap at the Etsy shop Eclectic Whatnot. I love the colors and the ruffle. Now this would make me want to pick up my camera!
2. After showing you the strap above, this one looks a little boring utilitarian. This is the strap I currently use: the Lowepro Transporter. Now, I have seen many cute camera straps, (although nothing like the little ruffled number above), but I have resisted for one reason: this strap comes with a memory card wallet on the strap. I cannot tell you how convenient that is. If you shoot a lot of photos, or you just want to carry your camera and nothing else, you will understand my choice of form over function.
Alas, you cannot buy the memory card wallet separately. Oh, sure they have other memory card wallets...but this neat thing-a-ma-jig only comes with the strap. Now you could rig it up to work with another strap...but then you have bought two straps, and I would rather save my money for mojitos lenses. Sigh.
3. Now, I realize that not everyone uses a dslr camera. And to tell you the truth, sometimes I hate taking my big camera with me. It's heavy. It's bulky. It gets in the way. Sometimes you just want something small to record the moment. Enter the Canon PowerShot A1100IS. It's small, it takes great pictures (12.1 megapixels) , gives you some manual control, and its relatively cheap.
The other feature I love about this camera is that it takes standard AA batteries. Which is great if you travel to remote places like I do where there is often no electricity to recharge a battery. And you can buy AA batteries anywhere in the world, so no frying you battery with wonky electrical current in some third world country. They may not have power, but they will have AA batteries.
Now there is an updated version of this camera, but it takes a Lithium-ion battery, which negates all of the positives I stated about the AA batteries above. On, the bright side, since there is an updated model, you may be able to snag this one cheap...if it's really cheap, let me know, I want one too. What can I say, I love this camera.
4. If you are just starting out in photography, or you want to take pictures this season that are more than just snapshots, take a class. Local community colleges are great resources. There are also many online seminars to choose from.
One great site for beginners is BetterPhoto.com. You can choose course by your area of interest and also by your level of expertise.
Of course, taking an online class requires dedication, you have to be self-motivated to do the work. Then and only then, will your skills improve.
5. A cheaper, self-paced route to improving your skills is to read a book. ('Cause you have sooo much time on your hands, right?) Below are several good ones that I have found helpful.
How to Photograph Absolutely Everything: Successful Pictures from Your Digital Camera by Tom Ang
Tom is a master photographer, and his books are to the point, with lots of illustrations and step by step instructions. True to the title, it tells you how to photograph everything.
The Digital Photography Book:
The Step-by-Step Secrets for How to Make Your Photos Look Like the Pros, Volume 1 by Scott Kelby
This book is full of short tutorials that give you information you can use. Besides, Scott is entertaining, so it's not a dry read.
Photographing Children Photo Workshop: Develop Your Digital Photography Talent by Ginny Felch and Allison Tyler Jones
I was lucky enough to take an online workshop with Allison Tyler Jones. Take a look at her website...if you take photos of your kids, you want this book.
Whew! Long post! Well, if you made it this far, I hope that you are inspired to take some great photos over the holidays. I know I am !
