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+++
date = 2021-04-28
title = "Jumping Back Into Photography"
description = "After a long respite, I have returned to my hobby of photography with a brand-new camera."
draft = false
+++
## Why Photography?
I've often wondered why photography is as enticing as it is. You can see
billions of people around the world taking photographs every single moment of
the day. New technology often boasts about their photographic capabilities,
especially smartphones. I would even assume that we live in a world where there
is never a moment in which a photograph is not being taken somewhere on Earth.
As for myself, I would simply say that I enjoy preserving a memory in physical
(or digital) form. I've never had the best memory when it comes to recalling
details of places and people gone by, so it helps to have a frame of reference
lying around.
Regardless of the reason, I think most people would agree that you simply cannot
have too many hobbies.
## Older Cameras
I started playing around with the idea of photography when my family purchased a
Fujifilm camera for family-specific events. I don't recall the specific model,
but I do recall it was a point-and-shoot camera without an interchangeable lens.
However, it was of great value to someone, like myself, who couldn't afford any
other camera. I took about 10,000 shots with that camera over a 3-5 year span.
Most notably, all of my trips to California were documented through this camera.
When possible, I would borrow my sister's camera, which is a Sony SLT-A58. This
camera was great and allowed for some of my best early shots, especially those
taken in Utah's and Nevada's parks.
## My Current Kit
I've finally come to a point in my life where I have the disposable income to
invest in a solid photography kit. I played around with the idea of a lot of
different cameras, different types, new vs used, etc. Finally, I settled on the
[Sony α7 III](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_%CE%B17_III). This camera is
mirror-less and uses a full-frame image sensor at 24 megapixels. I don't create
large prints, and I am mostly focused on preserving memories in high quality for
the next 5-10 years with this camera, so the specifications here are just
perfect for me.
For lenses, I decided to buy two lenses that could carry me through most
situations:
- [Vario-Tessar T\* FE 24-70 mm F4 ZA OSS](https://electronics.sony.com/imaging/lenses/full-frame-e-mount/p/sel2470z)
- [Tamron 70-300mm f4.5-6.3 Di III RXD](https://www.tamron-usa.com/product/lenses/a047.html)
In addition, I grabbed a couple
[HGX Prime 67mm](https://www.promaster.com/Product/6725) protection filters for
the lenses.
As I delve further into photography and pick up more skills, I will most likely
go back and grab a lens with a higher f-stop value, such as f/1.8. I toyed with
the idea of grabbing a 50 mm at `f/1.8`, but decided to keep things in a
reasonable price range instead.
Finally, I made sure to buy a photography-specific backpack with a rain guard,
and the zipper on the back panel, to protect the equipment while wearing the
bag. If you've ever had to haul around a DSLR (or camera of similar heft) in a
bag that only has a shoulder strap, you'll know the pain it can cause. Putting
all my equipment in a backpack was an easy decision.
|
