Ever looked at your camera lenses and wonder what everything does? Then this is the blog post for you!

I’ll explain everything you can see on your lens, so what each switch does, and what that funny little window thing is meant for too 😀

Learning about the tools of your trade is important, so take five minutes to cast your eye over this, and have your camera lenses explained…..

The two lenses that I see people deliberating over a lot is the 35mm vs 50mm prime lenses, so if you are currently having an internal debate between these two, and wondering whether the 35mm or 50mm would suit you best, read on…

So, you’ve been hearing a lot about shooting in manual mode, and thinking to yourself “Hmmm, I’d like to try manual mode, but i’m still on AUTO, what do I need to do to help me make the switch?”

Well, wonder no more, because that’s where this blog post comes in. 

I’m going to break down the steps you should take, and the things you need to understand before moving on to the next step , so that moving to Manual Mode is a smooth transition. Think of it as your own little roadmap for switching to manual mode 😀

You see, it’s not as simple as turning the dial on your camera to the big “M”, which is where a LOT of people fall down.

So, are you ready? Let’s dig in.

It’s getting to be that most magical time of the year: the time when you might be allowed to get your hands on some new photography loot!

To help you with some ideas of what to put on your own wish list, or what to give a photographer friend or family member, here are some ideas that I know you would love to receive in your stocking this year.   

Pin it or share it with your family so they know what they can get you!

One of the most common questions I hear about Lightroom is "When should I take my images into Photoshop when I've been working in Lightroom?" 

Following closely on it's heels is this question: "I'm not getting the images I want in Lightroom, do I need to learn Photoshop?" 

The good news is I can answer both questions in one blog post!  

So if you are currently using LIghtroom, and are wondering about when and why you should sometimes use Photoshop, OR if you feel like you are not getting the images you want in Lightroom, and are wondering if doing more in Photoshop is the answer to your prayers. then this is the blog post for you :)  

Sound good? Then read on...

There are a few questions I see time and time again, and one of these is about which camera to buy. It doesn't matter whether it is for buying your first DSLR, or you are looking to  upgrade and getting the next "step up" up:  buying a new camera is a big commitment so it can get a little nerve wrecking to know which one to get!  It's also damned confusing out there, with so many options, and all having different prices and benefits, to know which is going to be best for YOU. 

One of my absolute favourite lenses for child photography is the Canon 85mm F1.8 Lens.  It's definitely my go-to lens for portraits, but what many people don't realise is that the 85mm is useful for so much more than portrait photography!  I love to use this lens for capturing candid shots outdoors with my child at the park or garden, for taking detail shots, and even for indoor documentary photographs.  In short, this lens can be a great all-rounder. 

There are several other reasons why I love this lens, so today I want to go over WHY this lens is so freakin' awesome, and why you might want to consider it for your own camera bag!  

If you are shooting Lifestyle or Documentary images - in other words capturing your everyday life - which lens is the best for you to use? Well, that is a pretty big question as there a number of options available to you, and each have their own plus and minus points, or things they are best suited for.  This is one reason why many people will have two or three prime lenses, or a couple of zooms, so that they have a range of lenses that they can pull out to give a different look. That, or they have a small lens addiction 😉

Let me start by saying this is a LONG post - not one of those "quick lists" of camera gear that doesn't really tell you very much nor is particularly helpful.  Today, I'm going to break this down for you - what you need, why you need it, what you can get away with using just now, what you should invest it first to get the biggest return on investment, along with a few tips and tricks for using them. 

Although I never want anyone to have to go out and buy new equipment,  I also want to keep it real. I don't want someone who keeps hearing that "it's not about the gear",  feeling discouraged because they are not getting images that are as good as they hoped when in fact, their gear DOES have some impact on their images.  That's not fair nor helpful in my book.

In the Live Snap Love Facebook Group, I notice that some of most common questions that come up is around camera gear, and lenses in particular.  I also know that for many of you just starting out with a new DSLR, and wondering what lens you need to get, it can be especially confusing! 

So, today, I'm going to break down why your kit lens is NOT the best lens for you when trying to learn photography and what you should look for instead.  Upgrading your lens from the kit one really will help you enormously when you starting out, as you will be more easily able to get sharper, cleaner images. 

Let's dive in! 

Buying yourself a new lens - particularly if this is your first purchase away from the kit lens - can be an overwhelming experience!  It's an important decision for you to make too, since your lens choice plays a critical role in making sure you images look the way you want them to! Unfortunately, there is no one single lens that will suit everybody, all of the time, so which lens is best definitely comes down to personal choice. 

With that in mind, I've come up with 8 questions that you can ask yourself before you buy a lens to determine which is the best lens choice for  YOU, and help you narrow down all the options that are out there. 

A couple of months ago, I finally caved and bought myself a new tripod.  My old one had been designed for a point and shoot camera, and as such, wasn't really designed to take the weight of the Canon Mk3 and a heavy lens!  Fearing the worst could happen to my kit if I continued to use it, I knew I needed a new tripod, but just wasn't keen on spending a lot of money on something that only gets used once or twice a month, and the roughest terrain that it is likely to be used on is the carpet in the playroom. 

When starting out in Photography, you can easily get overwhelmed about you need to purchase. As you are being constantly bombarded with information about all the different accessories available you might be wondering about which ones to get- and which ones to forget about! 

Although everyone will have different needs, I thought it might be useful to some of you to list a few of the little "extras" that I think are extremely useful to have with you on your photography journey. These will either simply make your life a little bit easier, and in most cases, improve your end result - which can only be a good thing right?

I'm in the process of buying myself a new tripod, and boy, it can be confusing to know what you are looking for!  So, I thought I'd write up a quick post on how to choose a tripod: what to look for, and how to narrow down the choices.  On thing I want to point is that I write all my posts with people like me in mind - lifestyle / portrait photographers who mainly shoot at home or in the local park, maybe dabble in macro or landscapes and so on, so if you intend going trekking in the Amazon for National Geographic, this post on tripods might not be the best one for you :) 

It doesn't matter where you are in your photography journey - just starting out or a seasoned old timer - lenses will always be important to you, since they are pretty essential tools in digital photography! So I figured it would be a good idea to put together a post that brings together all the posts I've written about lenses over the last year or so, so everything you need to know  is all in one place for easy reference.  

Whether you ready to buy your first lens or just looking to add to your lens collection, there should be something for you here!