I have been interested in photography for a long time for a few reasons, some good and some bad. Good reasons might be the enjoyment you get from getting a beautiful shot, or the pleasure other people derive from having a good photo of them. Bad reasons might be a love of gadgetry and technology which induces me to spend far more money than is right and proper on gear.
Beyond those, I can also cite good reasons for getting into photography (my dad giving me a film compact when I was about ten years old) and bad ones (wanting to share a common interest with a girl that I fancied in secondary school). What has ended up mattering, ultimately is that I enjoy getting out and taking photos - of people, of landscapes, of travels.
I shot a range of Pentax DSLRs over the course of about ten years. They were brilliant. They took wonderful images, they were sturdy, and the lenses were beautifully made (I used the Limited lenses, which were awesome). They were also heavy, and bulky, and I didn't use them as often as perhaps I ought. I remember coming to a decision on holiday walking up Mount Triglav (in Slovenia - it's gorgeous) that I didn't want to carry a gigantic camera everywhere I went and so I went the other way. My loyalty to Pentax was strong and I got their CSC - the Pentax Q. I loved that, too, but it had its limitations (especially for taking nice portraits of people at weddings, which is one of my favourite places to snap away). I ended up not taking that one with me that often either.
I don't remember when I first heard the adage that 'the best camera is the one you have with you' but it rang true for me and I realised that in the single phrase lay the heart of the problem. I turned to the internet, and discovered the micro four-thirds system. I read many reviews (gadget freak, remember?) and oogled many photos. And then I sold every piece of camera equipment I owned (okay, I kept a couple of pieces but only like the REALLY GOOD THINGS) and bought a Panasonic GM5 with the 12-32mm 3.5-5.6 kit lens. It was dinky, and light, and it still took good pictures. I walked for 6 days up and down mountains in Mallorca with it in the blistering heat, and I did not feel the pain of heavy glass or have difficulties keeping the camera somewhere accessible. I was converted.
I've started this blog as a way of both reviewing things (I like reviewing things) and sharing some of the photos I've taken since I've been converted to having the camera with me. I'll bang on about things (like how good micro four thirds is, or places I went, or why I feel like I'm just lucky with the photos I take) - feel free to listen, or escape into the rest of the internet. Feel free to share your experiences of photography, of lenses and cameras, of trials and tribulations that led you to where you are.
Look forward to it.
Callan
Beyond those, I can also cite good reasons for getting into photography (my dad giving me a film compact when I was about ten years old) and bad ones (wanting to share a common interest with a girl that I fancied in secondary school). What has ended up mattering, ultimately is that I enjoy getting out and taking photos - of people, of landscapes, of travels.
Landscapes...Dartmoor, GM5 with the 14-140mm at 32mm.
I shot a range of Pentax DSLRs over the course of about ten years. They were brilliant. They took wonderful images, they were sturdy, and the lenses were beautifully made (I used the Limited lenses, which were awesome). They were also heavy, and bulky, and I didn't use them as often as perhaps I ought. I remember coming to a decision on holiday walking up Mount Triglav (in Slovenia - it's gorgeous) that I didn't want to carry a gigantic camera everywhere I went and so I went the other way. My loyalty to Pentax was strong and I got their CSC - the Pentax Q. I loved that, too, but it had its limitations (especially for taking nice portraits of people at weddings, which is one of my favourite places to snap away). I ended up not taking that one with me that often either.
GM5 with 35-100mm f4.0-5.6
I don't remember when I first heard the adage that 'the best camera is the one you have with you' but it rang true for me and I realised that in the single phrase lay the heart of the problem. I turned to the internet, and discovered the micro four-thirds system. I read many reviews (gadget freak, remember?) and oogled many photos. And then I sold every piece of camera equipment I owned (okay, I kept a couple of pieces but only like the REALLY GOOD THINGS) and bought a Panasonic GM5 with the 12-32mm 3.5-5.6 kit lens. It was dinky, and light, and it still took good pictures. I walked for 6 days up and down mountains in Mallorca with it in the blistering heat, and I did not feel the pain of heavy glass or have difficulties keeping the camera somewhere accessible. I was converted.
I've started this blog as a way of both reviewing things (I like reviewing things) and sharing some of the photos I've taken since I've been converted to having the camera with me. I'll bang on about things (like how good micro four thirds is, or places I went, or why I feel like I'm just lucky with the photos I take) - feel free to listen, or escape into the rest of the internet. Feel free to share your experiences of photography, of lenses and cameras, of trials and tribulations that led you to where you are.
Look forward to it.
Callan
Zuiderhavendijk in Enkhuizen, Holland, with the GM5 and Samyang 7.5mm fisheye
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