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dSLR Must Haves

August 18, 2016 By Faison Weiss Leave a Comment

MWOA august post jpg-9500

Congratulations! You just bought your first dSLR camera! … Now what?!  Today’s post is for all the mom-tographers (mom photographers) out there- yes, you! Whether you’re simply wanting to capture action shots of your kiddos playing around at home or taking your photography skills to the next level and building a business, I’m sharing three things to help you learn your camera and that will help you to truly enjoy your new baby.

mwoa august owner's manual

The first thing to do with your new camera is to read the owner’s manual. Yes, read it. Put the kids to bed, pour a glass of wine and curl up on the sofa with your new reading material. Is it boring? Eh, maybe. Is it a waste of time? Absolutely not! Skimming through your owner’s manual will get you familiar with your new camera, and you’ll be able to find things like “white balance”, automatic focus options, and facial tracking options much faster, and this is great especially when you’re in a quick!-must-shoot-now moment. Many newer cameras have wifi built-in to directly share with your phone (hello awesome and instant photos for Insta!), and linking your camera to your phone is a feature you need to know how to use.  Can’t find your owner’s manual? Try using Manual Owl online to find a copy of your camera’s manual as a digital download.

 

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Please note: I use Canon lenses dSLRs, so the lenses that I recommend will be based on Canon but I will gladly answer any questions about Nikon lenses! 

Your shiny new camera came with a lens, and most likely came with an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom lens (or something similar). While it is a “free” lens, do yourself a huge favor and upgrade your stock lens (the one that came with the camera). Many stock lenses have very basic technology, and normally don’t have an f/* low enough to get a photo with a bokeh or blurry background.

I recommend getting one prime lens and one zoom lens to have a little variety. Prime lenses are my favorite, to be honest, and they are the lenses that I use most of the time during portrait sessions. Every lens has a positive and a negative; prime lenses are fixed lenses, meaning that they have no zoom capabilities; where you are standing directly affects what your shot will look like. If your subject is too far away, you need to move closer. The positive with prime lenses is that their f/ is usually much lower than a zoom lens, so your depth of field will be smaller (read: you’ll have professional-like blurry background photos! ).  Want to try it before you buy it? You can rent the 50mm f/1.4 here. 

When it comes to zoom lenses, there are so many options out there: 18-55mm, 18-135mm, 24-70mm… the options are nearly endless! So, what’s the best option? Well, if you’re using your camera to capture your little ones playing in a soccer game or playing in the sprinkler in the front yard, I’d really recommend you get the 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM. This lens will give you the opportunity to be a decent distance from your subject, and two added bonuses: this lens has an internal stabilizer (IS: to reduce blurry photos from shaky hands) and a stepping motor (STM: silent zooming, perfect for videos). Want to try it before you buy it? You can rent the 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM here. 

*(f stop number: a number that express aperture, controls depth of field)

 

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And finally, treat yourself to a few accessories! I cannot tell you how important a good camera strap is- cameras, especially dSLRs, can be incredibly heavy and having a soft but strong strap is absolutely necessary. I shoot weddings that last over eight hours, family portraits that include chasing after little ones, and the strap that I always rely on for these situations is my Shop Cinta “Estilo” camera strap. They come in sixteen different colors and eight different patterns, the straps are real cow hide with water-resistant nylon inserts, and the best part? These straps are proudly made in the USA. These straps are so comfortable, and I’ve never had any strap rash or seam cutting on my neck. My “Estilo” strap has gotten softer each month, but still has the same strength and durability as the first day I used it. I promise you, they are worth every single penny. 

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My other must-have accessory is a durable (and stylish) camera bag. I recently purchased the Ona Berlin II bag (pictured above) to hold multiple lenses for weddings, but I really love the Jo Totes Missy Camera Bag. Can we talk about how adorable the mint color is?! I love how this bag looks like a purse, and then surprise! It’s a camera bag!  pssst… every Jo bag is on sale on their website through August 20th! 

mwoa august final missy bag

So, there you have it! Invest in yourself and in your camera by reading the owner’s manual, upgrading the stock lens, and protect your new baby. If you have any questions about camera lenses for Nikon or any questions about your camera, drop me a note! I’d love to hear from you. Thanks for reading today, and I hope you have a wonderful week! 

DSLR Musthaves

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Filed Under: Photography

About Faison Weiss

Hi there! I'm Faison (pronounced fay-sun), and I'm a wife, mother to a wild toddler named Walter, and I'm a professional photographer. We recently moved to Orlando, Florida and we're loving it so far, especially because Disney World is so close! We take Walter to Disney World at least three times per week, and it's been an absolute joy capturing his excitement at the happiest place on earth. I fully believe that a handwritten note is the best way to show someone that you care, and that listening to Backstreet Boys in your car on loud is the best remedy for a crummy day.

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Hi, friends! I’m Channing. I am mom to 3 amazing girls and wife to my fire fighting hubby, Eric. I loving sharing all things mom life related – recipes, DIY’s, real mom talk, crafts and more! 

Insta-Moms: @momswoa

Instagram post 17951785348338518 Happy 4th from these little cuties. It looks A LOT different this year but we are still having fun.
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#happy4thofjuly #happyfourth #fourthofjuly #redwhiteandblue #momblog #houstonmomblogger #momofgirls
Instagram post 17856710153004179 #blackouttuesday
Instagram post 17864637601827512 This is what happens on day number 3,568,743 of quarantine: ice cream sundaes for DINNER. We have been spending endless time together and decided it was time to start a new family tradition, so we picked up the new DIY Sundae Kit from @baskinrobbins! The kit comes with 2 pre-packed quarts of ice cream, 3 toppings, an entire can of whipped cream and cherries! Ice
cream for dinner will now be a weekly staple. The kids are definitely not complaining! It’s a fun day with a Sundae! 
Comment below and tell me your favorite Baskin Robbins flavor!

#QuarantineCreations #IceCreamforDinner #FamilyTraditions #ad
Instagram post 17855065096958471 Some of my #DisneyMagicMoments have been with some special moms in my life! So, I’m playing along and sharing some of these moments with you.

I have spent time with old friends and new and the magic is always there. 
If you scroll back far enough, you will see my first Disney experience and the moment I fell in love with Disney with my own mom! 
I would love for you to play along and share your favorite Disney moments with the moms in your life! Don’t forget to use hashtag #disneymagicmoments! I tag @pixiemousemichelle, @fivefortheroadblog and @mrsblinks! 
Happy Mother’s Day! 😘😘
Instagram post 17873430769680209 Happy Cinco de Mayo! 🌮 What is your favorite Mexican dish?

I could eat Mexican for every meal of everyday! If your looking for the perfect recipes to make for dinner, I’ve got you covered. 
Head on over the the blog for all of my favorite dishes! These enchiladas NEVER disappoint! I promise you will LOVE all of these recipes! 🎉
Instagram post 17885629336528535 May the 4th be with you! We cannot wait for the day that we get to be back at Star Wars Galaxies Edge. Batuu, we miss you! #maytheforcebewithyou #may4thbewithyou #disneycreators #batuu #bluemilk #wemissdisney
Instagram post 17850899390014309 Disney is challenging us to share our first pictures with characters! I had to join in the fun and it was the best trip down memory lane. Disney has been threaded throughout my entire life. I pulled a few of my most favorite memories over the years. From partying in the streets during the most epic dance party and meeting our most favorite princesses to me being a kid at Disney myself. Oh, I also had to add a picture of Cinderella’s Castle. She really is the most beautiful cast member of them all! 
@waltdisneyworld we miss you more and more each day. You’ve brought us joy beyond words and we cannot wait for the day when we get to walk down Main Street USA again! 
Ok, now it’s your turn. Find your old photos of your favorite Disney characters and share the magic. Also, don’t forget to tag me. I want to see all your memories too! 
@pixiemousemichelle @ericaligenza and @prettyprovidenceblog it’s time to share yours!#disneymagicmoments #myfirstdisneycharacter #disneycreators #disneyfamily #disneykuds #disneyworld
Instagram post 17904777073435611 EASY EASTER SUGAR COOKIE BARS! [AD] With Easter looking a little different this year, I teamed up with my friends at @hersheys to create a fun Easter treat using items you probably have in your pantry!
These Easter Sugar Cookie Bars are so easy to make. Store bought sugar cookie mix and cute colorful icing is the perfect foundation for @cadburyusa eggs and @reeses eggs. 
Looking for more treat ideas? Check out the fun recipes at https://Hershey’s.com/kitchen/en_us/home.html

Comment below and tell me your favorite Easter recipes! #cadburyusa #reeses #eastertreats #springdessert
Instagram post 18019712191263346 I’m joining my friend @andhattiemakesthree for #happymondaymemory to share some joy and fun around here!
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Let’s take it back to the #happiestplaceonearth and our time in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge! Y’all, I don’t even have words for how amazing it is. And #riseoftheresistance is everything! Check out our video to see for yourself. We miss you @waltdisneyworld and can’t wait to make more memories soon!
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Now it’s your turn! Share your favorite memory and let’s spread some joy! #evereveambassador #disneycreators #starwars #disneyhollywoodstudios #stayhome
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