did you know i have been a professional photographer shooting with not-so-professional equipment? for years i told myself that it's not what you're shooting with, it's who's behind the camera. which is oh so true.
but i consistently found myself bumping up against some obstacles because of my equipment. what it couldn't do, being stuck in a hard, frustrating place while at a job. but i did what i could and made it work. i valued myself and knew what i was worth, even after continually being questioned by wedding guests that had cameras better than my own. but it was all good. i stood tall and delivered more than i thought capable each and every time.
but when i thought about going into this season, i suddenly panicked. i'm at a place where this is my life; this is what i do and how i make ends meet. and i want to take it further and do more and more. mark kept telling me i needed equipment that could do the job. i kept putting it off. could i use the same equipment that i've been using for the last three years? no. not really. i needed a push. i needed to take that leap.
i researched, read reviews, almost clicked the "purchase now" button many times. and almost two years has passed since i first starting thinking about upgrading. but i did it last week. my new camera arrived in the mail. it's crazy to me. i was too afraid to touch it.
mark will tell you that i'm absolutely scared of debt. i work hard to make it all disappear as soon as it happens. he'll also tell you i'm the last person i'll buy something for. everyone else in the house will have new socks, and i'll still be walking around freezing in my ones filled with holes. i'll make sure everyone else has proper running attire, but i'll be out there freezing in what i've owned for 10 years. but nevertheless, this purchase has been huge. and scary. and it's not over yet. being a professional, i need another one. a back up. with two more lenses. i'm really trying not to think about it. too scary.
i'm just getting over my fear of somehow ruining my new camera before the season starts, so i took a few photos the other day. it's a full-frame, a different lens (i miss my 30mm!), and a CANON. so it's all new to me. buttons are different, the look and feel is different. it's like starting all over and learning from scratch! even the light meter is backwards...
so these are the first images i took with it. tonight i have to master the video capabilities because we fly out to DC on friday to shoot a promo video for a band and music venue on saturday. i've got mics and lights and a new camera to deal with. so i'll be practicing like crazy this week.
in the meantime, i'm selling my Nikon gear. some of it is already sold but here's what i have left:
- Nikon D300s
- Sigma 30mm 1.4f
- Nikon 85mm 1.8f
- Nikon 60mm Macro 2.8f
- Nikon 10-24mm 3.5-4.5f
If you're interested, e-mail me at: erinlittlephoto@gmail.com
