First Day with My New Camera

Boston, MA

A few days ago, I decided to finally upgrade my camera and get the one I’ve been dreaming about for months (Sony a7 III). It just arrived yesterday along with a new lens I ordered as well (Tamron 28-75mm). Since today happened to be a warm, sunny day in Boston, I decided to go out after work to try out my new baby.

This camera was great. Why wouldn’t it be? I did months of research into it. It was so relieving to finally pull the trigger and get it. For reference, my old camera is a Canon T4i. It’s almost a decade old. Not only is it severely outdated, it is also a budget crop-sensor camera. The Sony is a upgrade in every way possible at triple the price…

Anyways, look at this beautiful sunset I took today. The photo was taken with autofocus, because I’m still trying to learn all the controls to shoot manually. When I shot this photo, I didn’t think it would turn out as well as it did. Thank you Lightroom for transforming my work. Seriously, editing is essential but also time consuming as hell.

It’s tough sometimes to take pictures of strangers, because it can get uncomfortable or even creepy for some people. Even with the 75mm, I find that I still need to get relatively close to get a clear shot. Most people ignore me usually, but others can notice and be visibly weirded out. I think it’s just something I have to get used to.

Peep this couple on the bus. She looks annoyed with something he said. I love these little moments of emotions. I love candid photos because they can serve as snapshots of life. We usually pose for photos, which may not be a true representation of real life. In the cases of candids, especially of strangers, I get to capture the raw, unfiltered moments.

I tried to make this shot look cinematic. When I first took this shot, I couldn’t quite figure out what I wanted the final product to look like. I knew the signs were really cool but had no idea how to make the photo more interesting. As I was standing there, people kept passing by in front of me, so I just clicked away on my shutter.

I actually quite like how this photo turned out due to the blur of the movement of the passerby. I feel like this could pass for a still in a movie.

I’m still trying to figure out how to use this camera. There’s still so much to learn. I feel like I’m just getting started, it’s crazy. I see all these great photos online taken by talented people. They inspire me to go out and get my own shots. I want to be on their level. I know it takes a lot of hard work, persistence, confidence, and luck, but I know I can pull it off.

I love photography. I love capturing emotions. I love exploring places and trying new things. I even love writing though I write very colloquially. People say don’t make your passion your career. I don’t think I will listen.

If you’re reading this, then you are seeing (hopefully) the beginning of my professional content creation life.