Welcome to ‘A Click Away’ – A New Blog Series With Photography Tips for Moms

Welcome to ‘A Click Away’ – a new blog series featuring tons of tips, tricks, and tutorials for moms (and dads) interested in capturing better pictures of their children. I asked for your help on FB naming this new series and I loved A Click Away. Isn’t it awesome?! I’ll be posting Monday – Thursday with a wrap-up on Fridays. If you’d like to sign up to receive the Friday wrap up in email form, click here. You can also follow along on Instagram using the hashtag #smpaclickaway. This is where you’ll find more pictures and examples of what I talk about on the blog. I’d also love to see your work so tag your pics!

For my very first post, I’d like to start with choosing a camera that’s right for you.

First, you need to decide whether you want a DSLR or a point and shoot. A point and shoot camera is usually small, affordable, and easy to use. You basically point it at your subject and shoot. There’s not much else you can do in terms of getting creative. A DSLR (digital single lens reflex) is kind of like a point and shoot, but the quality and response time is much better. Have you ever tried to take a picture with your point and shoot and it took FOREVER to get the shot? Yup! Me too. Kind of makes me feel frustrated like my friend in the photo up there.

If you want to take your photography to the next level, I’d recommend a DSLR for sure. Here’s why – the image quality is better, they are faster, you can change lenses, the ISO range is better, and you are getting quality optics. There are other things you need to consider too. Lenses, batteries (you really should have extra), memory cards, and a camera bag (something cute of course!). All of this costs money! You can find an affordable entry level camera or you can get really fancy and spend a small fortune. Figure out what’s in your budget and start there.

Once you’ve decided that it’s time to make the investment in a DSLR, here are some do’s and don’ts.

Do think about what you’ll be shooting. Since you’re a mom, you’ll likely be taking pictures of your children in and out of your home.  You’ll want a camera that shoots well in low light. You’ll also want a fast lens to keep up with the kids.

Don’t be concerned with megapixels. Unless you are printing images the size of a billboard, you don’t need a whole bunch.

Do some research and read reviews. Don’t just pop into a store and ask the salesperson what the best camera is. They may not know much about cameras to begin with.

Don’t buy without trying it out. Once you’ve narrowed down your choices, go into a store and check them out. Pick up each camera, feel how heavy they are in your hands, see where the controls are, take a few test shots, etc. You can also rent a camera. Borrowlenses is a great resource.

Do shop around for the best price. Start online. Amazon, B&H, and Adorama are a few you can check out.

A DSLR is an investment for sure, but you will get a lot of use out of it and it will hold its value better than most point and shoots. A lot of people like to have both – a DSLR for quality and a point and shoot for convenience. In my opinion though, you’ve got your phone for convenience. Here’s a list of some of the best DSLR cameras of 2015.

So what kind of camera do you have? How did you decide on that model? I’d love to hear from you!