Hey everyone!  Hope everyone is healthy and safe. This week's topic is about upgrading your camera kit to a full frame sensor camera set up.  Is the grass always greener on the other side?  As photographers we are always looking for an advantage or something to make our photographs better.  Buying new gear is something we think will improve our photography.  I am no different than any of you.  I love gear and do have GAS (gear acquisition syndrome).  Nowadays, I try to do it smarter and research instead of emotionally making decisions about gear.  Almost every YouTube video by your favorite photographers praise the advantages of full frame cameras over smaller sensor cameras.  But they are all professionals or professional-want-to-be's and make their living from photography.  I am not.  I am a hobbyist and do photography just for me. So do I need to go by the same standards that professionals go by?  I have owned and used both full frame and crop sensor cameras and will give you my take on this subject.  Today we're going to look at the advantages and disadvantages of full frame cameras and the questions you should ask yourself before you buy one.

Advantages of Full Frame.  There are lots of advantages of full frame cameras, especially if you make your Living as a professional Photographer and depend on your equipment to put food on your table.  Full frame cameras tend to be built better than their smaller sensor counterparts.  They are heavy duty and sometimes built like a tank.  They tend to be better weather sealed in most cases to keep dust and moisture out in rugged weather conditions.  Larger sensor cameras collect more light than smaller sensors, so they are better in low-light conditions.  They can have more resolution with massive amounts of megapixels, and you can print larger prints.  Depth of field (the amount of what is in focus in the frame) is shallower.  They are great cameras and perform well under many circumstances.

My Camera's Disadvantages of Full Frame.  There are some disadvantages of full frame also that aren't talked about as much as advantages are on YouTube videos.  Full frame cameras have large files.  The files take up lots of space on your computer, and your computer needs to be pretty fast to edit them.  So if you get a new full frame camera, you better upgrade your computer system also.  Full frame cameras are big and bulky and heavy, whether they are mirrorless or DSLR.  Although the mirrorless camera body may be smaller, the lenses are the same size.  A 70-200mm f2.8 lens is heavy!  Shallow depth of field was mentioned in the advantages, but can also be a disadvantage.  If you're doing landscape or architecture photography, you want depth of field, not shallow depth of field.  And of course the elephant in the room is price.  On average, full frame cameras are at least twice the cost of smaller sensor ones.  Lenses are much more expensive also. 

Questions you should ask yourself.  There are many questions you should ask yourself before going to a full frame sensor camera.  The first question is what type of photography do I do, and do I need full frame to do it?  If you are a professional, I think the answer may be yes, but many professionals do use smaller sensor cameras with lots of success.  If you are a portrait photographer and that's all you do, the answer may be yes.  If you are a landscape photographer, the answer may be no.  In landscapes you want the largest depth of field in your subject, not mentioning the weight of the equipment you'll have to carry to get to those subjects.  If you are a street photographer, I would say no.  The small size and being able to conceal your camera is an advantage over the large sensor.  If you shoot sports, the answer may be no.  Many sports photographers shoot crop sensor cameras in JPEG to make the files smaller because they shoot so many photographs at one time, like a machine gun.  The same may be said for wildlife photography.  If I am a hobbyist and only shoot for myself and my photos go to Instagram and Facebook and only print occasionally, then the answer is, no, I don't need a full frame camera.  If you're a gear head and really enjoy spending lots of money on new gadgets and must have the newest, then knock yourself out and buy that full frame.

My Two Cents.  As a former full frame Nikon shooter and now a crop sensor Sony shooter, I can see both sides of the argument.  For me it kind of happened full circle.  I started with a crop sensor Nikon and had to have that full frame and all of the gadgets that went with it to big fast glass.  And the photos I was getting were great.  Then I got a mirrorless camera for hiking because the full frame with a 24-70mm lens was over seven pounds and heavy and the mirrorless was much lighter.  I started using the mirrorless more and more.  And before I knew it I was grabbing the crop sensor 90 percent of the time over the full frame.  Finally, after a couple of years, I went on a workshop where my crop sensor camera was my main camera, and my full frame I used as my backup.  I go to this workshop every year, and the photos are similar year after year.  I compared shots from the crop sensor and from the full frame from the year before and really had to pixel peep (zoom in really far) to tell the difference.  To the naked eye I couldn't tell.  I had over $15,000 invested in the full frame set up and only a few thousand for the crop sensor.  That's when I made the choice to go to crop sensor and sell all of my full frame stuff.  I took a beating on selling everything, but in the long run I'm really happy with the kit I have now and feel confident that my photos are of the best quality.  I shoot as a hobby.  I don't need all of the megapixels, and I'm not printing a lot.  Most of my photos go on Instagram or Facebook.  When I go on photoshoots with my friends, I have the smallest kit, and I love it.  It doesn't weigh me down, and I have more energy to go exploring and find new things to shoot.  It is totally the best decision I have made in my photography journey, and I wish I had asked these questions before I jumped into full frame in the beginning.  Those are my thoughts on the subject.  Please think long and hard before you commit to full frame. If it's right for you, great.

Until next week keep shooting, stay safe, and go outside!

Hey, everyone!  I hope everyone is doing well and is healthy.  I'm all in, are you?  What does the title of this blog mean?  I heard a saying a while ago that you only get what you put into something, whether it's photography, a hobby, or a project.  If you don't put in the hard work, you won't get the results you're looking for.  We are surrounded by great photography, whether it's in a magazine, Instagram, Flickr, 500PX, or Facebook.  These photographs are impressive, and we think that ours aren't compared to them. But what we forget is that these are the contributors' best photos.  They probably took hundreds of photos to get the one that you're freaking out about.  That said, they put in the effort by shooting hundreds of photos to get that great one.

Putting in the work.  In photography, like most things, you must put in the work.  When I learn a new Cathedral Falls photography technique or editing procedure, I do a lot of research and practice, practice, practice.  But I'm all in!  I make mistakes and fail.  But I keep going.  I have an addictive personality, and I can't stop until I can do whatever I was trying to learn.  As photographers, we never know it all and are, or should be, constantly learning.  That's one of the things that I love about photography.  You never stop learning and can experiment with all kinds of stuff.  When I'm in, I'm in!  In life you must put in the work if you want it to turn out great.  Nothing ever happens without trying and putting forth the effort.

Pushn' up Dasies Failing.  Failing is a part of life.  Everyone fails at something and fails many times.  When you fail to do something, you have just learned a way not to do it.  Those who do not try are the only ones who won't fail. By trial and error do we learn the best in my opinion.  I can read about it all day long.  But if I actually try to do it and I fail a couple of times before succeeding, then I will have it forever.  Because I didn't only learn how to do it, but I also learned how not to do it.  And sometimes that is just as important as learning how to do something.  I just had a big fail that is and isn't photography related.  I lost a camera!  I have, or had, a Canon G7XMII point and shoot camera.  (Because I always want a camera that is better than my phone with me).  What I think happened was that it was very hot one day at work so I took the camera out of my car and brought it inside where it was cool.  When I went to leave, I think I placed the camera on the roof of my car while loading up and left it there.  Then I drove off.  I didn't notice it for a day or so.  I have searched everywhere for it with no luck.  I'm going to get with the security at the place I'm working and see if anyone found it and turned it in.  This was a big fail!  And it's not the first time I've done it either.  When I was in high school, I placed a lens on top of my car and drove off.  Luckily I found the lens in the gutter by the street unharmed.  Hopefully I'll find this camera.  If not, I will have learned a big lesson and will have to replace it costing more money than I want to spend.  We all have fails.

What I'm trying to say is you can't sit on your couch watching TV then go to a pretty place, pull out your camera, press the shutter button and expect to have a masterpiece.  It just doesn't work that way.  You have to learn by trial and error how to compose shots, how to set up your camera, and how to post process your images to get that masterpiece.  You have to learn all of the things to do and not do to get that shot that people will "ooh and ahh" over.  It's just not one click.  Thanks for listening to me on my soapbox for a while.  Hope everyone has a great week, and until next time be safe and get outside and shoot!

Hey Everyone!  Hope y'all are healthy and happy.  Last week we talked about the pre-shoot checklist, and this week I want to talk about the extra stuff you should have in your camera bag.  Last week it was all about the essentials that you need to have with you when you go on a photo shoot.  This week it's about the extra things that I think you should have with you when you go out shooting.  First of all, this is just things that I think you should carry, but you can modify or customize it to your specific needs. So let's get on with the list.

1. Emergency rain poncho.  Have you ever gotten caught in the rain?  Well I have.  I hiked in a couple of miles to get to a waterfall that I wanted to photograph.  When I got there it started to look a little stormy, and I was thinking, great, this will make my photos better with the stormy mood.  But then the bottom fell out.  I was two miles from the car or any shelter standing in the pouring rain with my expensive camera equipment getting soaked! Luckily, I did have a trash bag with me that I could cover my camera bag with to keep my gear from getting too wet. But I was soaked. From that day on I always have an emergency poncho with me.  They are cheap and don't weigh much.  You can get them for five bucks or so.  And if you're careful you can reuse them.  I have used mine a couple of times in the last few years.  I should replace it. LOL

2. Cold weather gear.  When it's cold outside and you're holding a metal camera, your hands get cold quickly!  In the wintertime bring some sort of gloves, head gear, and something to go around your neck.  You will stay so much warmer and get better shots because of it.  Hand warmers are a must in wintertime.  They are cheap and last for hours, and one in your pocket or jammed into a glove is great!  There are all kinds of gloves you can get.  I would suggest one that you can handle your gear with.  They make special gloves for photography, but you don't need to get those expensive ones (although I just got a pair last year and love them).  Any glove will do to protect your hands.

3. Hot weather gear.  When it's hot outside, you need to protect yourself also.  Wearing cool, non-cotton clothes is a first step.  A hat that can protect you from the sun is also good.  But what happens when it gets warm? Bugs!  Bring some sort of bug protection. You can get it in small bottles or packets.  I bring packets of bug protection with me always.  Sunburn sucks!  Bring sunblock and use it.  I also have these in packets that go in my bag all the time.  They take up little space and are lightweight.  There are all kinds of advances in cool-wear technologies.  They make bandanas that you can get wet and put around your neck to keep you cool.  When it's super hot outside, that's what I use.  They are very lightweight when dry and don't take up much space.

4. External battery.  It goes without saying that everyone will have their phone with them when they are out and about taking photos.  We will use them for navigation, sending photos, and all sorts of things.  But when they are dead, they are useless.  The same is true for our cameras.  When the battery is dead, they are useless.  The small external battery can be used to charge my phone when it gets weak.  I could recharge my battery in my camera (most cameras can do this now), or I could recharge my GoPros.  I use a 5200ma/h, and it's always in my bag.  Just remember, the bigger the battery, the heaver and bulkier it is.  It takes about 2000 ma/h to completely charge your phone and, depending on your camera battery, maybe a little bit more.  (But you should already have fresh batteries.)  It has come in handy on long trips recharging my phone or a photo buddy's phone.

5. Light.  Now, I'm not talking about a photography flash, although some people do carry one with them all the time.  I'm talking about a flashlight or headlamp of some kind.  Headlamps will come in handy when doing sunsets or sunrises. Being able to get to or come back from a photo location, safely is a must.  And they free up your hands.  They don't have to be expensive or bulky either.  I have gone through several over the years, and now I have a headlamp that is in my main bag (I think it cost 15 bucks) that works like a champ.  I have had more expensive ones, and usually they are more complicated to use and don't work as well for me, at least as the cheaper ones.  I also have one that will clip onto a hat like a baseball cap, and it's very small. ( I keep that one in my street shoulder bag.)  But any kind of small, mini flashlight will do.  They can also come in handy for light painting small subjects.

6. Rain Covers. These are the rain covers for your lenses and camera bodies while shooting in the rain.  Shooting in the rain can be very cool, and you can get some great shots.  But water and electronics don't mix well. You can get lens rain covers that are not more than clear plastic for five bucks or so, and again they are lightweight and don't take up much room.  I shoot with a small camera, so I made a rain cover out of an old pair of rain pants that I cut up and customized to my camera.  I have used the five dollar ones, and they work great.  Just make sure you get one that will cover your camera and lens and also make sure it's not too big.  They make covers that will fit over like a 500mm lens and camera, and if you're shooting small like me, that's just too big.

7.  Business Cards.  I know this sounds silly, especially if you're not a professional, but hear me out.  Business cards are cheap! You can get 250 for about 10 bucks.  You can have your name and your email address on them and website if you have one. When you meet someone who is interested in what you're doing or ask if you're a professional, you can pull out a card and have them check out your website.  Or if you took someone's photo and you can offer them a copy, give them a card and they can email you so you can send them the photo.  It's an easy way to share your info, and kind of cool.  I carry a couple in my bag and have a couple in my wallet if someone asks about my photography.

8. Pen/small pad.  I always carry a pen with me.  If I'm talking to someone, I can get their info or email address and write it on the back of one of my cards or a small note pad.  I can also take notes of places I've been.  I know this is old school and most people use their phones for this now, but this is my list. LOL

9. Microfiber cloths.  I have lots of these in my bag.  I put one in every compartment of my bag so they are always handy.  They are under every lens and camera body in the bag.  I always have one in my pocket for my glasses or in case someone else needs one quickly.  If you are out and it's misty or water for some reason gets on the lens, you can wipe quickly and clean/dry.  These are cheap and come with lots of things you buy.  I try to use brightly-colored ones so they don't get lost in the bag. (I can see them better.)

10. Personal things.  In this section, I'm talking about things that are personal to you.  I have glasses cleaners that come in the little pouches for my glasses because I smudge them when taking photos.  I bring a couple of the tooth pick/dental floss things with me for after I eat.  I bring toilet paper and/or wipes for emergencies.  And don't forget the hand sanitizer and I guess mask would be appropriate now.  I also put my car keys and wallet in my bag and secure them when on a hike so they won't fall out of my pockets and I lose them. 

Extra Extras. Here are a few others I thought about:  a lens pen to clean/brush lenses of dust; a hand blower ( a must - should have been one of the 10); an allen wrench that fits your tripod and quick connect plates; sensor swabs to clean your sensor; a rain cover for your pack; silica gel packs that you get in everything - throw one into your pack; sunglasses/case to protect your eyes from harsh sunlight; and I'm sure you can think of more.

All of these things I mentioned above are extra.  I assume that you're bringing cameras, lenses, batteries, and SD cards.  These are extra things that I have in all of my camera bags when I go out and about.  Being prepared like the Scouts is always good advice.  I hope this list helps or has given you an idea of what to carry when you go out shooting.  So get out there and start shooting!  So until next week stay safe and healthy.