Ask a Photographer

Dear Readers,

I’ve been writing this blog now for 1 month and 23 days – wow, it seems like a LOT longer. In that time, I’ve posted a bazillion photos – all of which, I have taken. I have liked and followed and been liked and been followed by amateur and professional photographers as well as people who have a passion for snapping a good photo!

When I was 16 years old, my Christmas present from my sweet dad was a Fujica 35 mm film camera. I don’t know if the word, digital, even existed in 1983. I took pictures for our school yearbook and local paper of the Lion’s Club, Rotary Club, and any other group that got together and wanted their picture in the paper. I got paid $11 USD per photo. Whoo hoo! I decided I was going to become a professional photographer and take pictures all over the world for National Geographic and World Magazine (which no longer exists). And then my camera was stolen two years later – not so whoo hoo….

Now I have a Nikon DSLR and I’m a dreamer – I am actively learning to use this thing so I might be able to actually pursue this goal, or some semblance of it. 45 years old isn’t too old to start anything! So here are my questions for any and all types of photographers who like to take a good photo:

• What kind of camera do you use? Canon or Nikon? (or other…)
• Do you have an “every day” lens? What kind is it? I read an article that said to ditch the kit lens because even though it is a Nikon lens if I want to be serious – I need a serious lens. When I went to research lens’ – there were a zillion and I was overwhelmed.
• If you shoot macro, what lens would you recommend – especially if you use Nikon.
• How important is ISO? Is there a setting that works for most shots? Is ISO really akin to film speed? So at night – 200 ISO just won’t cut the mustard?
• What kind of finishing software do yo use? I am a Mac girl and have Aperture. It’s pretty intuitive but I’m sure I’m underutilizing it.
• Best filters for camera?
• Anything else?

Thanks for your input and have a groovy day! Off to my job for now!

Namaste,

Joie