Photography For Moms: It's Not All About The Expensive Gear • RI Children's Photographer

Getting a DSLR is exciting.  It's a step up (a BIG step up) from the phone on your camera or from a point and shoot.  You probably got the camera when one of your children, maybe even your first child, was born, or was small, to document their tiny eyelashes, their smiles, their very being. Or maybe you got it when the kids were a little older, after deciding that you loved documenting  your family and you wanted to kick your photo game up a notch.

So you got that camera, and you read the manual.  You've been watching YouTube videos like it's your (second) job.  You frequent Facebook forums.  You Google everything.  But still, your photos suck.  (Please know, dear reader, that I am not judging you.  I am saying this from experience.  There have been a number of posts I've done about progressing in photography, like this one, where I share plenty of examples of my early suckage).  Your photos are just not what you have in your mind, what you want them to be, what you see elsewhere and really, really want to create for yourself.  BELIEVE ME,  I know.  I've been there.

So you start studying those posts in Facebook groups even more.  You talk with your friends who also have cameras.  You watch more YouTube videos.  And you start thinking. "Hmmm.  I think in order to get better photos, I need better gear.  A new camera body.   Maybe a full frame.  More expensive lenses.  My photos will get better as soon as I get that new camera/lens."  Trust me, I know...I've thought these things before.  As a RI children's photographer, I've done both group and one-on-one classes with lots of wonderful local ladies (and guys!).  This is a lament I've heard often:  the I-need-more-expensive-gear lament.  

Well, I am here to tell you something:  you can get good photos with the cameras and lenses you have.  It's not necessary to spend a ton of money.  (Full disclosure:  I'm a professional, and yes, I shoot with some pricey gear.  I've chosen a lot of what I shoot with due to its durability, longevity, and several other factors that I require for my job, and that often comes at a higher price.  That said, a hobby user may not have all these requirements.)

The two photos above are very similar.  The one on the left was taken with $200 worth of gear (an 11-year-old Canon Rebel XT and a Canon 50mm 1.8).  The one on the right was taken with over $5000 worth of gear (a Canon 5D Mark IV and a Canon 85mm 1.2).  Are there differences?  Yes, there are some slight differences, but are those differences worth spending $4800 on?  In my opinion, no.  Knowing how to use your gear is SO much more important than the cost of that gear, or whether it's "pro" gear or not.

The bottom line is, it takes time for your photos to come out the way you picture them in your head.  (See:  previous suckage above).  Time and patience, and lots and LOTS of shooting and experimenting.   If your photos aren't coming out the way you want them to, figure out why they aren't.  Then figure out how to rock what you've got.  There is nothing wrong with upgrading your gear to something that costs a little (or a lot) more...but that shouldn't be until you have realized the limitations of what you're already shooting with, and that camera or lens is holding you back. You CAN create so many of the photos in your mind with the gear you've got....even if it's an entry-level body and a kit lens.  And then when you do finally decide on an upgrade, your photos will be that much better.

Happy shooting!

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