I am often asked questions as it relates to my journey to becoming a professional photographer, so I decided to start an FAQ Series to answer many of the questions that I’ve been asked over the years.

Today, I will tackle the questions that I am often asked from individuals that are just starting out in photography. Granted, my journey, most likely, has been different from another photographer so please keep that in mind while reading this post.

Should I buy a Canon or Nikon?

I laugh when I hear this question because it’s almost like Canon and Nikon are sports team that are cross-town rivals, so Nikon users swear by Nikon and the same usually goes for Canon users. However, those aren’t the only two brands on the market. According to Bloomberg, in 2011 Canon had a higher market share when it came to the DSLR market, followed by Nikon and Sony. However, buying a camera based on brand recognition alone may not be enough.

I am a self-proclaimed Nikon groupie but that is because my dad is a professional film and digital photographer and when I started out he helped me buy my first DSLR, which happened to be a Nikon. Oh yeah, and Nikon users are pretty cool people in general!

For someone else that may be making a purchase decision, think about what your photography goals are before buying your camera. I started off slow by buying equipment based on price. Now, I warn people against doing that. I quickly outgrew my starter lenses, so the money I spent on them was wasted because I was unable to sell them for the price I payed. I am still trying to sell equip that I purchased that is of no use to me! If you have a goal of shooting weddings, don’t buy a camera lens with an f-stop of 3.5-5.6, because it will not be fast enough to get the proper exposure in a dimly lit church that doesn’t allow flash. The same thing goes for a camera body, if your camera can’t handle a high ISO without producing grainy images then you may disappoint clients when they see their images. The bottom line is both of these factors aren’t based on a specific brand of camera.

So regardless of brand, invest in the proper gear based on what you like to photograph. My challenge to you is to not buy what the biggest named photographer is using, but buy what makes sense for your style of photography. Below is a picture of some of my equipment. While I own zoom lenses, I’ve grown more in love with primes. Prime lenses challenge me more because I am forced to move to recompose my shot versus being lazy and standing in one place and adjusting my focal distance. Also, prime lenses allow me to shoot at a wider aperature which is helpful for low lighting situations and beautiful bokeh.

Stay tuned for more topics in this series and hopefully you can learn from the mistakes I made or share what works for you in your business!

What’s in my bag? Nikon D700 (2), Nikon D300s, 50 1.4mm, 35 1.4mm, 85 1.4mm, 85 1.8mm, 105mm Macro, 24-70mm, 70-200mm, SB700 (3).

 

Terri Baskin is a Virginia-based wedding and lifestyle photographer. Terri is passionate about her work and has shot weddings in Virginia, Washington, DC, Maryland, North Carolina, Georgia and St. Lucia! Her work has been featured on various wedding blogs such as Capitol Romance, United with Love, Every Last Detail and Pretty Brass Tacks. To book her for your engagement or lifestyle session or your wedding, please contact us today!