Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Lessons learned from a point-and-shoot camera

Ever since I knew they existed, I have wanted a Digital SLR camera. I just have. Nothing against compact point-and-shoot cameras, but they just don't give me the control that I want when taking pictures or shooting video.

I am a third generation amateur photographer. My grandfather shot black and white film and developed it himself late at night for the want of a dark room. My father bridged the gap to color film, and finally to digital. My interests (which are primarily in video) rely heavily on that foundation of photography for training in light, exposure, and composition.

About a year ago my wife and I went shopping to get a camera for me to shoot videos with, knowing our budget wouldn't permit a DSLR I found what I thought was a suitable replacement. While I was able to shoot video and make a few short films, it didn't give me nearly the control I was looking for. I wanted to stylize my video, but the camera wouldn't allow me to do so. It was then that I came to a startling realization.