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Choosing a Camera Body

Choosing a camera body 

Sometimes you can hear people say,
“Wow! What I great photo. You must have a really expensive camera.”

Or

“I wish I had a camera like yours. Then I’d be able to take so much better pictures.”

How many times haven’t I heard phrases like that. If you have been a photographer for a while and you have showed your work to people, chances are you have too.

So is that all there is to it? The price tag?
Of course not. A good photo still depends very much on the decisions of the person behind the camera (thank goodness, that is a big part of what makes this hobby interesting).

Some say, “But I need a BETTER camera. I want to take BETTER pictures.”

Then I ask them, “Better how?”

Then there’s silence…………

That is something that many people don’t think of. HOW the more expensive camera can improve their pictures.… Read the rest

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Panoramic Stitching: Fireworks

 

Panoramic stitching: Fireworks

It was New Year’s Eve. Last day of 2014. Most people were probably thinking about which party to go to, or what to wear.

Not me.

All I could think of was where I could go to get the most out of this year’s fireworks….photographically speaking.

The last couple of years, the New Year’s Eve weather has allowed for some great possibilities for shooting fireworks around here (Gjøvik, Norway). This New Year’s Eve it was a little uncertain for a while, as there was some fog drifting by, but it cleared up in time for the midnight show.

Last year I shot the fireworks over the town from a view point up high, a bit to the north  (you can see that photo here, it is also a panoramic stitch.)

This time I decided to try something different. I decided to go across the lake and take the photos from the other side, with a tele-zoom lens.… Read the rest

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My Photography Gear

 

The following is a list of the photographic equipment I currently own and use. Updated September 2017.

In time, I will go more into detail on my blog, about different parts of my photo equipment and how I use them.

This is just the list with short descriptions.

Camera bodies

Pentax K-5
This is my current main camera body.

Pentax K-7
This is my backup camera body.

Pentax K200D
My very first DSLR. The camera I used to take the pictures in this story. I have kept it, and nowadays I use it to take pictures for time-lapse videos.

Click here to check out my post on what to consider when choosing a DSLR camera body


Lenses and filters

smc PENTAX DA 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL II
A wide angle to normal zoom kit lens that came with the first DSLR I bought.

smc PENTAX DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED
A normal to telephoto zoom kit lens that came with the first DSLR I got.… Read the rest

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Surprise Sparrowhawk Photo Op

Surprise Sparrowhawk Sighting

Back in 2008, right after I bought my first DSLR, I went for a walk into the woods looking for opportunities to try my new camera.

I knew very little about using a DSLR. I had only owned the camera for about a week, when I set off with my Pentax K200d on full auto (green mode), with the 50-200mm kit lens attached.

As potential picture subjects, I was thinking along the lines of colorful plants and foliage, as this was in September and colors were starting to shift for autumn here in Norway.

I hadn’t gotten very deep at all into my thoughts along the dirt road I was walking on, when suddenly, around the corner, I saw something move.

I stopped.

Crouched down.

There in the middle of the road not far away from me sat a sparrowhawk, preparing its freshly caught prey.

Surprised by a not too common sight I almost forgot I had a camera with me, and I just sat there for a while, observing this bird of prey preparing its dinner.… Read the rest