1-2-3 SHOOT!

This is a Leica M2. I got it from my dad, who bought it around 1962 or '63. Let's take a quick look at it. First of all, it's a hefty camera. It's metal and glass. It's heavy. It seems strong enough to hammer nails with. I get that same feeling as when I hold my old Lumix DMC-FZ30. It just feels like a good camera. Oddly, the Leica almost seems heavier since it's in such a small package. On the top right is the film advance lever, which is really satisfying to cock, and when you push the shutter release, there's a gentle little click. There's a shutter speed setting, and a film counter. On the left, we can see the rewind knob, which sits flush with the top when not in use, and can be pulled up and twisted to rewind the film. In the middle is a cold shoe. On the front there is a self-timer (the long lever on the left) which runs just about 11 seconds. Above that is a small lever that needs to be pushed when you rewind the film. Just ...

The Lumix DMC-FZ30 was released around 2005. I got it as a hand-me-down from a family member. At the time I wasn't really excited about it. To be honest, I really wanted a video camera so I could become the next big YouTube star. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) that didn't happen. I have really come to like this camera, though. I'm not about to start listing pages of technical stats. If you want to read a very in-depth review of this camera, DP Review has a great one. In fact, they have great reviews for almost any digital camera. Check out their review here if you want to know more. For now, I'll just go over my personal feelings about this camera. WHAT I LIKE: -The FZ30 has many of the buttons and controls of an actual DSLR. Aperture and exposure can be controlled with dedicated dials on the front and back. It's hefty, and feels really good to hold and shoot with. -It has a built-in digital viewfinder. This is good because you don't need to use the ...

I noticed that as soon as I started really getting into photography, I often seem to say... I WANT THAT! I look at gear reviews and I start salivating. I know I don't need most of it, but it all looks so nice. I believe the term for this is  G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). Not flattering, I know. But for now, I wanted to go over the gear sitting in my homemade "drawer of photographic wonders!" Let's start with the cameras. I'm not really specs guy, but here's what I think of them. Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30 I got this used as a hand-me-down from someone. If you want to know more about this camera, click here. Ricoh GXR I bought this camera to take product photos. Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 My father-in-law recently gave me his old camera when he heard I was learning photography. Score! I don't have many other goodies. I have a tripod I got for about ¥2000 (about $18 USD) at an electronics store. I bought a lighting kit ...

So the first thing I did when I wanted to learn more was go directly to the mother of internet teachers - YouTube. I have found so many people out there who not only teach, but really inspire me to learn. Here are some of my favorites. They all have videos that are entertaining and educational. Just click on the name to go to their YouTube page. PIXEL VILLAGE Based out of India, Pixel Village is headed by Radhakrishnan Chakyat. His knowledge of photography science is amazing, and his teaching style is very friendly and laid back. I think he's a Nikon advocate, so he uses mainly their cameras. But come on, who doesn't love Nikon? What to start out with: Excellent color balance tutorial. Clear explanation of different focal lengths.  TONY AND CHELSEA NORTHRUP The Northrups are a photography couple who love talking about photography as much as they love teaching other people about it. If you're looking for YouTube photography teachers, they are at the ...

It's only recently that I started to get into photography seriously. I had a camera and would take photos on vacation every once in a while. Over the years I bought a couple of gadgets: lights, a tripod... things like that. But I'd take some photos, and put the camera away until the next time I went on vacation. But for some reason in the summer of 2018, I decided to really learn how to use my camera and get nice photos. This blog is as much for me to keep track of things I've learned as it is to share my photos with people.  I'm a beginner, for sure, but I thought some people might want to follow along and see what happens. I don't intend to "teach" anything. I'll post links to videos or articles that really help me, as well as try to give tips for things that helped me take better photos. If anyone out there notices something I say is not accurate or completely wrong, please jump into the comments and let me know. By the way, that photo...