I was reading a recent article at the Subtraction Project that referenced taking more pictures and the “the D-SLR that has been collecting dust” and HOLY CRAP, did that hit home. Mine is SO DUSTY. So! I’ve been trying to leave it out and within sight so that when I want to take a picture of something random, maybe I’ll grab that instead. While I adore the nice photos my iPhone takes, I do often pull up older photos I’ve taken with my real camera and think…but MAN, those are still so much nicer!
For example, I was digging up old photos from Thanksgiving 2 years ago to compare some of the kid’s sizes from this year and when you put my D7000 photos from 2012 next to my iPhone 5S photos from 2014? You realize that maybe the iPhone pictures are not as awesome as you think they are.
SO! I’m trying to use my “real” camera more. And this morning I had to get up early for a work project and thought, “I’ll take a coffee-drinking selfie!”
And y’all? It’s HARD to do that with a REAL camera. After like 20 shots, this was the best one I came up with.
But I’m going to try to get used to getting it out more. I used to carry my real camera EVERYWHERE and I’d end up with really good pictures of my kids just because it was there at the right moment. I hate that I don’t use it anymore because that used to be my favorite thing to come home at the end of a day when I had taken a bunch of pictures, and just go through them all. I miss that. I also miss some of my artsy photos because they’re hung up all around the house and I haven’t added any new ones in YEARS.
SO. That is my challenge to myself: TAKE MORE PHOTOS. And WITH THE GOOD CAMERA. I haven’t done a good job of documenting our life with GOOD photos the last few years, so I’m trying to be better about that. What’s the point if having a nice camera if you don’t use it, RIGHT?
You have always taken such beautiful photos! Even the ones with your phone are great but the ones you took with your camera were wonderful. Definitely dust that camera off and take more shots, especially if it makes you happy.
I’m glad it wasn’t just me!
I finally got a great camera this year (Canon Rebel T3i) and have really enjoyed going out and exploring with it. I left it out during Thanksgiving and got some great family shots. I have a cheap cell so my photos from it aren’t that great–quick shots but nothing art worthy.
I miss your pictures from the botanical gardens. They were beautiful 🙂
Good camera. Get it out. Check.
But, I’m really stuck on the throw away line “I had to get up early for a work project.” What in the world could constitute early in your world? Your already up during the hours I still consider “middle of the night.”
I need to do the same! You take great pictures and better something w the phone then nothing.