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Do you really need to upgrade your gear?

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 As photographers we are always looking at ways to improve.  We scour the net looking for articles and tutorials that will help us improve our photography as well as our workflow.  A lot of that time is spent looking at what others have achieved with all their different camera's, lenses, filters...  (the list goes on and on). This always leads us to the assumption that we need better gear to up our game so we can get to the next level that we so desire to reach.  Here is what we fail to realize.   How long have the people we are watching and learning from, taken to get to the point they are in, in their careers? We spend so much time looking and learning from all these people that we forget that they too, were just like us at one point.  Trying anything and everything to achieve the results that they've been chasing. I bet that if you ask any one of these people if they are happy with where they are with their photography, most of them will tell you that they are still working
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Time to get to work..

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It's been a long while since I posted anything on here.  Here's a shot I forgot about.  I captured this a few months back. I've decided that I'm going to do tutorials for using ON1 Photo RAW 2022.  As you know I switched to the ON1 software a fair while ago and I couldn't be happier. I would love to help others get free from the dreaded subscription business model that everyone seems to be following these days.  ON1 does have a subscription based plan if you'd like to go that way but I love the fact that they allow their customers the choice to do that or to buy the software outright. I'll be back soon with my first tutorial for ON1 Photo RAW 2022.
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Why I switched from Adobe Lightroom to ON1 Photo RAW 2021

Why I switched from Adobe Lightroom to ON1 Photo RAW 2021 I had been using Adobe Lightroom for a long time.  I am pretty sure I started with the first release of Lightroom and stayed with it all they way up to about 6 months ago. Lightroom is one of the best pieces of software for photography that I have used. Lightroom took the place of photoshop for me. It had every tool I needed for editing my photos and it was quite simple to use.  Then the dreaded subscription business model entered the scene. I, like most other photographers at first thought that this was a great idea. So I jumped at the chance and signed up on one of their photographer plans. I think It started at $9.99au per month for access to Lightroom and Photoshop.  Then after a while the price went up, then it went up again. I started getting sick of this business model and went looking for alternatives. That's where I stumbled upon ON1 Photo RAW 2019. I was very surprised by this software package and started trying to
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What tripod should I buy?

  Tripods, some people love them, some people hate them. There are times where a tripod will enable to capture something that you just couldn’t do handheld. Here are some tips on what to look for in a tripod and also, on how to get the most out of using a tripod. If you are looking into getting a tripod here are some things to think of before purchasing one. How heavy is my camera/Lens combination? All tripods and tripod heads indicate how much weight they can support in their specifications. If your camera and tripod combinations are too heavy for your tripod you may find that the tripod won’t be stable and maybe even fall over and damage your gear. How tall do I need the tripod to go? This depends on how tall you are and whether or not you mind bending over a little bit to use your tripod.   These days a lot of cameras have fold out LCD screens that make shooting lower or higher a lot easier. So, this may not be as important as it once was but it’s still a point that you ne
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What do the different auto-focus options mean?

ONE SHOT   One shot is best used for still subjects. In this mode the camera will only focus once.  If there is any movement or change in the subjects distance or positioning it will need to be focused again. AI FOCUS In this mode, the camera will switch itself between One Shot and AI Servo depending on what the subject is doing. AI SERVO This setting is best used for subjects where the distance is always changing (like sports). While you hold the shutter button down half way the camera will continuously focus.
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What do the metering modes mean?

The metering modes on your camera are as follows. Evaluative Metering This is a metering mode for use in most situations.  Even works with backlit subjects. The camera will automatically set the exposure so that it suits the scene. Partial Metering This mode is most effective to use when the background of the subject is much brighter.  Partial metering usually is in a small area in the center of the frame. Spot Metering This is used to find the exposure of specific areas in your scene.  Just point the middle focus point at the area you want to find the exposure for.  Landscape photographers really like this mode as it helps you figure out how to even out the exposures. Center Weighted average Metering The metering is weighted at the center and is averaged across the entire scene. I would recommend playing around with these settings to see which you prefer and in which situations you prefer them. Depending on what you are shooting you will find that some of these work for you but others
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What do the letters on my camera's dial mean?

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There are many different shooting modes on many different cameras.  On a SLR or DSLR camera you will see these modes. • A + = Auto • P = Program • Tv = Shutter Priority • Av = Aperture Priority • M = Manual • B = Bulb Here’s what they mean. Auto mode is when the camera makes all the decisions for you.  It will pick the ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed depending on your metering mode and what the camera thinks are the optimal settings for the scene you are shooting. Program mode is when the camera will choose the optimal shutter speed and aperture depending on your metering mode. Shutter Priority mode is when the camera will choose the optimal aperture depending on the shutter speed you have selected. Aperture Priority mode is when the camera will choose the optimal shutter speed depending on the aperture you have selected. Manual   mode is when you make the decisions on all the settings. ISO, Aperture and Shutter speed. Bulb is for when you want to leave the shutter op
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