Making it Lovely » Photography

Essential Photography Gear

Making it Lovely — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 19:02:53 +0000

My photography gear has changed a lot since I first started shooting with a DSLR in 2006. I want to share what worked for me as a beginner (and make a couple of recommendations to those of you looking to buy), and then I’ll share what works for me now.

For Beginners

My first DSLR was a Canon Rebel XT. I wanted to be able to shoot all of my product shots for my stationery line in-house, and my husband bought that camera for me in 2006. I used it with the kit lens (EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6) until Tristan generously sent her used 50mm f/1.8 to me when she upgraded to the f/1.4 lens in 2011. The nifty fifty was the lens that led to my photographic awakening. The next lens I got was a Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8. I bought it to replace the kit lens because I wanted the fixed 2.8 aperture, and I was very happy with it for a long time.

I no longer have that camera or any of those lenses. I sold the Rebel with its kit lens on eBay when I upgraded to a better camera body, and later sold the Tamron as well. I sent the 50mm back to Tristan so she can pass it on to her husband, and it became the traveling pants of lenses.

My Recommendation for Beginners

Buy the nifty fifty right from the start. Get the Canon Rebel T4i with its 18-55mm kit lens, and you’re set for around $1000.
If you know you want to upgrade that standard kit lens right away, get the Canon Rebel T4i body only, plus the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8. That setup, along with a 50mm f/1.8 lens, will cost around $1500.

Upgrading

I waffled between the 5D Mark II and the Canon 7D when it came time to upgrade. I went with the latter and I’ve been happy (though if I were buying a camera today, I’d want the new 5D Mark III). Next, I turned my attention toward photographing interiors. I rented and tested a few wide-angle lenses, and chose the Canon 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5.

I received the 50mm f/1.4 as a birthday gift in 2012 (that’s when I sent the f/1.8 back to Tristan). Just as the nifty fifty taught me the importance of lenses, the f/1.4 taught me about the difference in quality. Soon I wanted to upgrade my Tamron as well. When I’d heard that the new Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II had come out, I used my accumulated credit card rewards points to buy it. (Some people get plane tickets — I choose fancy photo gear.) It’s the most expensive lens I own, but photographers always recommend investing in lenses rather than a body, and this is a lens I’ll have for a long time.

I could have stopped there, except I went and fell in love with another lens. I was looking through a preview copy of Click Magazine, and I noticed that many of the photos I liked were all shot with the same lens: the Canon 35mm f/1.4L. My 50mm always felt a little too close/zoomed in since I have a crop sensor (APS-C) camera, but the 35mm is perfect. The lens has barely left my camera since I got it, and it’s my favorite for photographing my kids indoors and in low-light.

My Current Camera Body and Lenses

Other Gear

Make sure you have a UV filter for each of your lenses as scratch protection.
Pick up a lens cleaning kit and a blower.
Get yourself a proper camera bag. I like ONA and Epiphanie, and you can take a look at my roundup of cute camera bags.
Get yourself a tripod too. Originally, I bought the cheapest one I could find at my local camera store. Sure, it was a little wobbly and basic, but it was fine to start with. When I upgraded, I went with the same tripod and head that Nicole Hill Gerulat recommends.
If you want to get yourself in the picture, you’ll likely want a remote. The Canon RC-6 Wireless Remote is only $20. I keep one attached to my camera strap so I don’t lose it.

I’m only familiar with Canon cameras, but feel free to ask any questions you may have and I’ll at least attempt to answer them! I’m always happy to hear other opinions and recommendations too.

Looking for a Photography Class

Making it Lovely — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 19:53:31 +0000

This post is sponsored by Bing.

I took a 2-hour video class by Matt and Julie Walker of Tiger in a Jar when I was at Alt Summit last month, and I was inspired to learn more about lighting. I feel like I understand my camera and natural light, but I could still use some improvement and I have absolutely no experience with lighting equipment. I’m working with Bing, to help take my inspiration and ‘Bing it to Life,’ so I’m going to take a photography class to learn more.

Sometimes I can pull off a good shot, like the one below from the day I took August’s last monthly photo, but it’s hit or miss, and I’d like a little more understanding and control of the outcome.

I searched on Bing for photography classes in Chicago and came up with a bunch to check out. I visited each site and read Yelp reviews, narrowing it down to a couple of top contenders. I could see a few of my friends’ Facebook posts in the search results too, mentioning photography classes they’d taken, but I also used Bing to ask for some direct feedback on my Facebook page.

I’ve heard good things about Clickin’ Moms, which was recommended, and I think I might join. A sample issue of their new magazine, Click, randomly arrived a few weeks ago and I liked it a lot. In fact, I cashed out all of my credit card rewards points to get a Canon 35mm f/1.4L lens because I noticed so many of the shots I loved were using it. I am looking for an actual class here in Chicago to go to though. A couple of people recommended Chicago Photography Center — one that I was already considering — so that helped me make my choice.

Now I’m just trying to figure out which class will be most beneficial. I want to learn more about lighting, and there are specific classes for Fundamentals of Studio Portrait Lighting and Flash Photography. I think I might want to start with Intermediate Digital Photography though, which includes “detailed review of light; a deeper understanding of exposure and white balance use and techniques; introduction to flash modifiers including flash lab and an introduction to portrait lighting.” It might be good to increase my overall photo skills before moving on to specifics, right?

Whichever class I take, I’m sure I’m going to learn a lot. They’re each three hours long, for seven weeks, and there are homework assignments to be done that will be critiqued. I’m looking forward to it.

Photo Skillz

Making it Lovely — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 19:35:27 +0000

I often see my old photos pop up on Pinterest, and I’m amazed at how much my photography has improved. I still have a lot to learn, but I’m pretty comfortable with my camera now — manual settings and all.

Here’s a shot of my library from 2007, about six months after I started this blog, and then a recent shot of the same space.

I remember having trouble with that first photo way back then, but I did my best and I thought it looked all right. I still see some problems with the newer one, but it’s clearly an improvement. The first one needed a lot of help from Photoshop to even get it to an acceptable level, and the second had just a little tweak for brightness and contrast.

I’d love to learn more about lighting. There was a professional photographer here yesterday (shooting my house for a magazine’s Christmas issue to come out next year), and the contrast between myself and him was stark. He took his time, perfecting every shot and getting the lighting just right. I usually come in, set up my tripod, take a few shots, and move on. I was easily five times faster than him, but I’m sure his photos will be five times better than mine.

This was a quick snap — one that isn’t very good — but look at all that gear. I wouldn’t know how to use a lighting umbrella, or where to shine a spotlight at the ceiling to better illuminate the area behind it.

Having a blog for the last five years has pushed me to better my photography, and the constant practice has paid off, but I’m curious about what my photos will look like in another five years.

The View from the Chicago River

Making it Lovely — Thu, 31 May 2012 17:17:19 +0000

This post is sponsored by Chase – a strong supporter of the Global Cities Initiative, a program that helps foster local economic development. Learn more here.

I’ve lived in the Chicago area my entire life, and Oak Park is just fifteen minutes West of downtown by car or train (the ‘L’). I know the city pretty well, but sometimes it’s nice to see it from a different perspective. Like a scary open body of water perspective.

In all fairness, it’s only scary because I can’t swim and I’m afraid of water. Adding “Take the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s River Cruise“ to my Lovely Life List was really in large part to get me on a big boat.

The tour was fantastic and thankfully the boat ride itself was uneventful, save for a passing barge blasting its horn at us (presumably having some fun with the tourists). I jumped in my seat.

The view from the river isn’t the most beautiful way to sightsee, but if you’re at least passingly familiar with Chicago, it’s an interesting new view of the city. Many buildings along the river, especially the older ones, completely turned their back to it. Our tour docent explained that “the river was toxic, whereas now it’s merely polluted.” Brandon succinctly said “no one wants to overlook a toilet.”

The city cleaned up its river eventually (magic, I assume, or maybe magic green dye), and people began to view it as a desirable location a few decades ago. Couple a newfound interest in riverfront living with the go-go eighties economic boom, and you have a recipe for city growth. Chicago holds itself to following a larger plan as it grows (a blessing to come out of the rebuilding following The Great Chicago Fire), and city plans call for all new structures to include a riverwalk. There is some access today, but the Chicago River will someday have public walkways all along its bank.

Chicago is still seeing new buildings go up too, with Trump Tower and Aqua being two of the most notable recent additions to the river. The Spire would be noteworthy too, but it’s on hold after having only the foundation built. Its drill bit design isn’t my favorite, but it is admittedly interesting and I hope to see it completed.

There are still plenty of new buildings going up all around the city, including along the Chicago River. New buildings bring new residents, they stimulate the local economy, new money begets new growth, and so on. We have an ever-changing skyline.

Three Years Old (Eleanor’s Yearly Photo)

Making it Lovely — Wed, 02 May 2012 21:14:30 +0000

I took a monthly photo of Eleanor in the same Eames rocker, in the same spot in my living room, every month for two years. (I’m currently doing the same thing for her little brother, August, but in a different room.) I kept her outfit simple so that the focus would be on her as she grew, not what she was wearing. When I came to the end of my two-year project, I decided to keep the tradition going, but to switch to yearly photographs at that point.

My baby girl turned three on Sunday. Here is her yearly photo.

Previous Photos
• View the Entire Series

Twelve Months Old (August’s Monthly Photo)

Making it Lovely — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:00:25 +0000

I’ll be taking a photo of August sitting in the Eames rocker and wearing his pin each month until he’s two years old. I also took monthly photos of his older sister, Eleanor, until she turned two.

Previous Photos
One Month Old • Two Months Old • Three Months Old • Four Months Old • Five Months Old • Six Months Old • Seven Months Old • Eight Months Old • Nine Months Old • Ten Months Old • Eleven Months Old • View All

Santa Visited

Making it Lovely — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 21:14:42 +0000

The kids have a new favorite toy, and so do I. And Santa filled our stockings with fun things. (I forgot to show you this little part of our home, all decorated for Christmas. There are brass deer.)

My Secret Santa was good to me too. I still don’t know who it is though! Another package arrived, this time with a set of personalized colored pencils nestled in more pink tinsel. Eleanor has been decorating the tree with the sparkly pink garland.

And then, a separate shipment arrived. Is it from my Secret Santa as well? It came directly from the shop, so no packaging to tip me off. It’s from someone who knows me well though — I wrote about wanting one of these camera straps a while back.

Santa is very thoughtful.

ONA Brooklyn Camera Bag (Giveaway)

Making it Lovely — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 15:43:15 +0000

ONA wrote to me after I had featured their Brooklyn Camera Bag in a roundup of cute camera bags, offering one to me for review. They’d also like to give one away to one of my lucky readers!

The bag is beautiful, and I can fit my camera inside with my nifty fifty attached, plus two other lenses. I like that there’s a big pocket along the outside to hold a notebook or an iPad, and then a smaller pocket under the flap to hold essentials (I carry a cute business card holder instead of my usual wallet, keys, my phone, a pen, and lipstick). The leather is thick and holds its shape well, and the interior padded compartments are adjustable so you can get a good fit for your gear. The buckles are pretty, but buckles can be tricky to undo in a hurry. Here, they’re actually a cover for quick-release clasps that can be done and undone with one hand. Smart!

I have another camera bag that is adorable, but this one is a better foil for all of my dresses. Plus I like that the strap allows the bag to be worn as a cross-body, since you can see that I usually have my hands full.

Win a Brooklyn Camera Bag

Would you like one too? ONA would like to give away a Brooklyn Camera Bag to one lucky Making it Lovely reader!

Leave a comment on this post to enter. One entry per person, open to U.S. and international entrants, and you can have your choice of color (black or chestnut). The giveaway ends Friday, September 2 at midnight CST, and a winner will be selected randomly. Good luck!

p.s. You can keep up with ONA by liking their Facebook page.

Congratulations to Julie, commenter #457 and winner of the camera bag!

Let’s Get Cute With Our Camera Bags

Making it Lovely — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 21:52:20 +0000

There are so many cute options for camera bags and straps these days. Which would you choose? There are a couple of fun bonus items to pick from too. I’ll show you my choices below.

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Wide Angle Lenses

Making it Lovely — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 16:23:19 +0000

I rented two wide angle lenses this week: a Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM and a Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X 116 Pro DX. I wanted to try them out to see if that might be the next type of lens I’d like to own. They are certainly not for everyone. They’re pretty much limited in use to interiors, landscapes, group photos, and not much else. Since I do photograph interiors though, a wide angle lens would be a very useful thing to have.

Take a look at August’s nursery, as seen through my usual lens.

my typical lens, a Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8

I was squished with my tripod in the back corner, and that was as much of the room as I could show you. Now, going wider and wider (but not moving my tripod), check out what these lenses can do.

Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM

Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X 116 Pro DX for Canon

Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM

Nice, right? I liked both lenses, but I think the wider focusing range of the Canon would be more useful. That f/2.8 on the Tokina is tempting, but I’d likely be using this type of lens on a tripod for still shots, so it isn’t as important to have that low, fixed aperture as it would be with other types of lenses.

Have you ever used a wide angle lens? Or a fish-eye (they get a similar wide shot, but with more distortion)? And did you know you can rent lenses? It’s such a great option. I’m glad I can rent again until the day I plunk down the cash for a wide angle lens of my own.