if you know me in real life, you will know that i am a minimalist. i don’t like stuff. don’t get me wrong, i love to shop and bring home nice things, but i don’t have my house full of unnecessary things. and i purge on the regular. in our home, we are on the “less is more” bandwagon and i quickly found this to transfer over to my photography. as i was packing up my camera gear for a newborn session, i opened up my lens drawer and quickly picked out the same two camera lenses that i carry each and every time i want to photograph anything, whether it is a client, my family, or what’s on the dinner table. i noticed that, while i had 6 lenses to choose from, time after time i was only using 2 of them. it seemed obvious that the remaining 4 were like old sweaters from high school….time to go. since selling all of my photography lenses and only keeping two, i am convinced that i have all that i need and am the happiest i have been with my photography gear.
do you need a good everyday photography lens? you might be surprised by my favorite lens choice for photographing my everyday.
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Camera Lenses : Why I Sold All My Lenses, Only Keeping Two
.jpg "Camera Lenses : Why I Sold All My Lenses, Only Keeping Two | Bethadilly Photography")
So, What Did I Keep?
the only two camera lenses that i put on my camera are the sigma 24mm f/1.4 art lens and the sigma 50mm f/1.4 art lens. that’s it! when photographing for my clients or photographing my everyday, i only do to things…get close to capture details/take portraits (cue: 50mm) or incorporate my surroundings within the frame for additional storytelling (cue: 24mm). of course, i do other things but those other things can all be achieved with these two lenses.
let me tell you, it’s freeing to sell all of your gear and downsize. and here are some more reasons why i decided only having two lenses is necessary.
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photo taken with : sigma 24mm f/1.4 art lens
Quality Over Quantity
my husband taught me something important in the years we have been married…30 pairs of cheap shoes isn’t as great as 3 pairs of nice shoes. i am not sure if it was wise or not of him to teach me to hold out for the good stuff (now i have pretty nice taste), but that is what i have learned. in the photography world, having 2 camera lenses that are top of the line is way better than having 6 lenses that aren’t. i am not saying the gear i sold wasn’t great, it was. but it wasn’t the best i could buy.
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photo taken with : sigma 50mm f/1.4 art lens
My Photos Are Better
because i sold all of my lenses, i was able to invest in a better 50mm. since upgrading my gear to the 24mm art and the 50mm art, my photographs are noticeably better. why? because the glass on theses lenses is top notch. you get what you pay for and i notice this in terms of overall crisp photos. my photos are definitely more crisp and in focus, than they were with my other lenses. i love that, even though i only have two lenses, i know that the photos i am going to take with them are going to be really good.
.jpg "Camera Lenses : Why I Sold All My Lenses, Only Keeping Two | Bethadilly Photography")
photo taken with : sigma 50mm f/1.4 art lens
Less Lenses, More Inspiration
listen, i am a firm believer that one can have too much photography gear. yes, i did say it. after i downsized my gear, i felt that i was more inspired. i wasn’t cluttering my brain with thinking of ways to utilize all of my lenses, but instead allowed creativity to flow with the two lenses i do have. i also think that stopping to switch out lenses totally ruins the moment. i love the idea of putting one lens on my camera and just going, not stopping. for the times when i do want to use two lenses, i attach one lens to each camera body so that they are ready to go and i am not switching out lenses. for times like this, my 24mm art is on my nikon d750 and my 50mm art is on my nikon d610.
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photo taken with : sigma 24mm f/1.4 art lens
Focus On What I Do Have
you know those people who know a little about a lot? that’s cool, but not something i strive for. i would rather spend my time learning a lot about one thing. this is also true when it comes to my camera lenses. instead of knowing how to use a lot of lenses just okay, i would rather spend my time learning how to master two lenses. sometimes we get so caught up in having so much photography gear that we don’t have enough time to learn that gear really well. and what good is gear if you aren’t using it to it’s potential? instead of having tons of gear, have a couple pieces that you can use really well. it will show in your photography.
selling all of my camera lenses and only keeping two has been so freeing. i feel like i am more inspired, i am taking better pictures, and i am learning more about how to take really great images with the lenses i do have. freeing up space in my lens drawer surprisingly freed up space for more creativity.
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oh, lord. writing this post has me hinting at the husband for another baby. having photos of myself when i was pregnant with our first was so important to me, as i really wanted to document the time and the experience of pregnancy in photographs. looking back on these photos makes me realize how important maternity photos are. it seems like, once the baby is born, you literally forget what feeling pregnant was like. all those aches and pains when walking, the feeling of baby kicking inside, the waking multiple times a night to pee…those memories can be forgotten, without photos. but the second i look at these photos, i remember exactly what pregnancy was like. photos spark a memory, and take you back to that moment. if you don’t want to hire a photographer for formal maternity photos, taking your own maternity photos is so easy. in fact, it’s almost better because you can take photos throughout your pregnancy instead of having photos done all in one day. as you are documenting your growing belly, here are 8 ways you can photography your sweet bump.
need help with self portraits? be sure to check out my step by step guide to taking self portraits.
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Taking Your Own Maternity Photos : 8 Ways To Photograph Your Bump
.jpg "Taking Your Own Maternity Photos : 8 Ways To Photograph Your Bump | Bethadilly Photography")
Helpful Gear
besides your camera, having a couple others items like a tripod and a wireless remote can make taking your own maternity photos so easy. especially the wireless remote because you can control the camera from the same position instead of waddling back in forth from your camera to your pose, each time.
check out this great tutorial on how to use a remote to take self portraits. it’s crazy easy.
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1. Your Bump With The Daddy
it’s so important to take a photo of the two of you, with your growing bump. when you look back on the pictures of the two (well, three including your baby) of you, it will be so fun to see what you both looked like during that time. even better, take this photo in your nursery so you can remember what your nursery initially looked like. for us, we didn’t know the gender of our little one so our nursery changed a bit once we found out our baby was a girl when she was born. it’s fun to see what the beginning stages of her nursery looked like, while we were planning for pink or blue.
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2. Your Bump From Above
probably the most realistic way that you see your bump every day is from above! whether you are standing or sitting, take a photo of your bump from above so you can remember what it looked like when you were looking down at your belly! place your hand on your bump to help show perspective for size.
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3. Your Bump With Creative Blur
there is something to be said about taking intentional out of focus photos. they can be so dreamy. when i think of pregnancy, i think of the words “soft” and “calm.” creative blur can be a wonderful way to portray those words within a photo. have fun getting a photo that is intentionally out of focus to document the profile of your baby bump. for the photo above, i placed the focus on the crib rails in the foreground, allowing me to fall out of focus in the background.
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4. Your Bump In A Reflection
probably one of the easiest ways to photograph yourself without having to set up a tripod is by taking a photo of yourself in a mirror. i love the little mirror in our baby’s nursery for taking photos like this. find a fun mirror around your house and take this quick and easy photo.
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5. Your Bump, Laying Down
despite my wanting it to be, my baby bump never got very big. this photo above was taken only a few weeks before delivering our daughter and everyone always said, “there is no way you are having a baby in a couple weeks!” smaller bumps can be harder to photograph sometimes, but laying down is a great way to show that belly off. plus, laying down just feels plain good when you are in your third trimester. am i right?
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6. Your Bump, Standing
there we go, i popped a little. standing also helps to shift that bump a little so it will photograph well. also, placing your hands around your belly can help pull your clothing snug so you can show the round shape of your baby bump. when taking your own maternity photos, be sure you photograph from the side to show off that profile.
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7. Your Bump, Sitting Down
although sitting down can hide your bump a little, it still makes for a beautiful photo. this photo and the photo before it, standing up, were actually taken on the same day. note how much smaller sitting down made my bump appear to be. never the less, sitting down is a beautiful way to take a photograph of your baby bump. even better, take this photo in your nursery to create a feel of you waiting for your baby. look at your bump, like you would look at your sweet baby.
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8. Your Bump, With A Little Help
hand your camera off to your husband or friend and have them help take some photos of you. having someone help you can be wonderful when taking more close up, detailed photos of your baby bump. be sure to tell them exactly what you want, if they don’t have an eye for photography. but also, let them take the photos they would like, as well. sometimes their ideas can be really great!
taking your own maternity photos is so easy and i hope it is something you do for yourself, and for your baby. it will be so fun for your little one to see what you looked like when you were expected him or her. again, it is also a wonderful way for you to remember what your pregnancy was like. it is amazing what memories a photo can hold and how just one photo can take you back to the moment, allowing you to remember all the details of pregnancy.
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this time last year, i was doing anything and everything to avoid shadows in my photography. heck, i was doing this 6 months ago. shadows were something that i found to be annoying and i was always searching for a way to avoid them while shooting, or painfully edit them out in post processing. to be honest, i was exhausting myself. i would only take pictures during the brightest part of the day, to avoid shadows, and i felt that this fear of shadows being present in my photos was ruining my passion for photography. it was making me feel extremely limited, as i was only picking up my camera during certain parts of the day. learning how to love shadows and incorporate them into my photography was a huge step for me and, ultimately, i am happier with my images. now, i am actually searching out the times of day that offer the potential for shadows and am so glad i have learned their importance. as you are photographing, don’t be afraid to let shadows play a role in your image. here are 5 really good reasons why you should begin to embrace shadows in your photography.
learning to embrace shadows encouraged me to take on a new photography style that represented me better. read about that story here.
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5 Reasons To Embrace Shadows In Your Photography
.jpg "5 Reasons To Embrace Shadows In Your Photography | Bethadilly Photography")
1. Shadows Create Depth
when you embrace shadows in your photography, you are encouraging depth to be present within your images. because shadows come in all shapes and sizes and at varying degrees, how a shadow gradually enters your image or falls on your subject will create depth in your photograph. photos that don’t have shadows tend to be more one dimensional and flat, while photos with shadows take on more dimension.
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2. Shadows Help Showcase Your Subject
incorporating how you use shadows within your photo can be a really strong element as you can use the separation between dark and light to showcase your subject. in the photo above, shadows and light played a huge role in the success of this photo. i intentionally worked with my light so that my daughter was the brightest part of the photo, to bring the viewer’s eye directly to my intended subject. i even was mindful to place myself opposite of the light source to fall into the shadow slightly, to ensure she was brighter than i. embracing shadows in your photography is a wonderful way to showcase your subject.
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3. Creates Visual Interest
embracing shadows in my photography has brought more visual interest to my photos. instead of being flat, shadows help my photos to take on more dimension that is visually pleasing to the eye. playing with light has given me the opportunity to see all the possibilities that light and shadow offer, including sun flares within images. when you embrace shadows in your photography, in turn, you are also embracing the light.
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4. Shadows Create Realism
once i began to work with shadows, i began seeing my images take on a more realistic feel. shadows do encourage an element of realism as we embrace photographing our world how it really is. our world is not without shadows so learning to incorporate them thoughtfully into our images is a great skill to have. where i see this the most is in skin tones. allowing shadows into my images has especially made the skin tones on my subject take on more realism and texture.
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5. Shadows Encourage Photography
once i decided to say the words, “I am not afraid of shadows,” aloud, i felt like i began to pick up my camera more and more. i began to feel more comfortable photographing in any situation i was given, despite the light. in fact, i began to take better pictures of my everyday because i was picking up my camera during all times of the day, instead of waiting for just the right light.
when you decide to no longer be afraid of shadows and, instead, embrace shadows in your photography, you will see a huge different in both your images and in yourself, as a photographer. have fun experimenting with how shadows can create depth, realism, help to showcase your photography and encourage you to be a more thoughtful photographer. not to mention, the time you used to spend worrying about shadows will not be spent photographing.
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truly becoming a lifestyle photographer starts with attracting and booking the right clients that are looking for the same style of photos that you are passionate about taking. being a lifestyle photographer means that you focus on taking more honest, unposed, candid, everyday imagery instead of posed and formal portraits. lifestyle photography can be defined differently by each photographer, but for me and my style it is creating images that are true and honest, depicting true moments. sure, i help my clients get into flattering positions that will photograph well, but i am not saying, “look here and smile!” building a business based on lifestyle photography was fairly easy for me because i knew i wanted to be a lifestyle photographer from the beginning. if you are interesting in taking a more lifestyle route and are just now accepting clients, or you are already established and want to start taking on lifestyle clients, here are 4 things you need to know that will help you attract and book lifestyle photography clients.
getting ready to book a newborn session? here are 6 questions to ask before lifestyle newborn sessions.
How To Attract and Book Lifestyle Photography Clients
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Get Initial Clients On Board
if you don’t have a portfolio of lifestyle images that reflect your style, you will need to start by taking a few sessions that establish your photography vision. this could mean asking friends or family to allow you to photograph them to create a portfolio of images that demonstrate your photography style. this could also mean offering discounted portfolio building sessions in the beginning to build up your portfolio. for these sessions where your main goal is to create images to market, it is important that the families you work with are willing to sign a release allowing you to use the images for marketing. i am not a lawyer, so i will not be offering contract advise, but get a contract and get it signed by each client.
Explain Your Style
knowing how to attract and book lifestyle photography clients begins with honesty. as you are taking on new clients and establishing your style, be sure to explain your photography style so the clients knows what to expect from you. this can be as simple as saying, “my photography is very natural and candid, so you will find that you are not looking at the camera much during my sessions, but interacting with your family instead.” lifestyle photography is at it’s height right now, so most people are aware of this more honest style, but being upfront about it will help prepare your client to know what to expect, should you not have an established portfolio of visuals to show them.
Scrub Your Website
if are already an established photographer looking to change direction and take on the lifestyle approach, scrub your website. this means, you will start to slowly fade out your old style with your new style. i am not telling you to go take down all of your old posts and current work this instant because you don’t want to have an empty website. however, you want to start showing more and more of your new style on your sight so the right clients start booking you. basically, if you don’t want to offer it, take it down. don’t want to do posed newborns? take those sessions down. don’t want to book senior sessions? take those down. want to stop booking posed family clients? take those sessions down. again, you don’t want to take these down all at once because you don’t want an empty website. think of this as your goal of phasing out the old with the new.
Share Lifestyle Images Exclusively
as you begin to build you portfolio of lifestyle images, be sure to share them everywhere. again, get a signed contract from your client! refrain from sharing images that aren’t truly you because your goal is to attract and book lifestyle clients that share the same style as you. you will only do that if you share your style exclusively with your audience. as you begin sharing these images, take down old images on social media that no longer reflect your style. the worst thing you can do is share too many images with different styles because it will be confusing to potential clients and they will be unsure of what they are actually hiring you for. additionally, keeping up older images of your older style will continue to attract the clients that you are not longer interested in booking.
need help finding your true photography style? be sure to check out my ebook, The Styled Photographer to help find your unique style!
knowing how to attract and book lifestyle clients will be your first step to turning your photography business into a lifestyle photography business. by establishing a portfolio, cleaning up your website, being honest about your style in explanation and imagery and sharing lifestyle images exclusively, you will start to attract and book lifestyle photography clients that are looking for the exact work that you offer.
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photography is such a personal hobby because we give so much of ourselves to it. with every picture that we take, we put a little peace of our soul into it as we create an image that reflects us. our photography resembles our style, our interests, our current life, our viewpoint and countless other things. being that it is such a personal hobby, photography can be so emotional. being a photographer, we take our success and failure of our images really personally because we feel that it is a direct representation of us, as a person. that is how i feel, anyways. when i take an amazing photo, i am proud of myself. but when i take a photo that isn’t so great, i am really hard on myself. on this crazy journey with photography, i have learned so much about the highs and lows that come with picking up my camera. and through the years, i have learned how to overcome those silly moments when i want to quit picking up my camera. today, i am happier than ever with my photography because i am no longer making these 5 mistakes. don’t make these mistakes that could cause you to want to give up on photography.
are you looking for a good everyday lens? check out my favorite lens for everyday photography.
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5 Mistakes That Will Make You Give Up On Photography
.jpg "5 Mistakes That Will Make You Give Up On Photography | Bethadilly Photography")
1. Not Being True To Yourself
not being true to yourself as a photographer is the biggest reason why you will give up on photography. if you take images only because you think they will be popular with your audience or because everyone else is taking certain images, you will quickly find that you are not picking up your camera for the right reasons. you aren’t pick up your camera for you. don’t copy others. don’t take on a style that isn’t yours. don’t recreate another photographer’s images. trust me, this will put you on the fast track to quitting because you will not be being true to yourself.
2. Not Taking Photography Classes
taking photography classes is one of the best things you can do for yourself and for your photography. taking the time to invest in yourself will help you become a better photographer and encourage you to grow your skill. this year, my goal is to take one photography class each month. it is just a little something that i am doing for myself. taking photography classes can be expensive, so if it is not in your budget, try buying photography books or eBooks to help learn something new. it is when you invest in yourself that you will grow and nurture your passion for photography. photographers who don’t learn or don’t want to learn will be the photographers that eventually give up on photography.
need some good photography book recommendations? check out what is on my bookshelf.
3. Not Saying No
there is something so important about saying no. when i was first starting out, i said yes to everyone who wanted a session or yes to anyone who said, “take a picture of this!” after awhile, i felt a little burnt out because i was picking up my camera for people and things that didn’t really inspire me. learning to say no was huge for me, as i am a people pleaser. but once i learned to say no and to only pick up my camera when i really wanted to, i became much happier with my photography. in a way, i was saving my passion for the moments that i truly loved and not wasting my passion on things that didn’t bring me joy. this will look different for each photographer but for me, i started saying no to anything that wasn’t lifestyle family and newborn sessions and, if someone said, “hey take a picture of that cool building,” i would politely just say, “oh, how neat!” and leave my camera in my bag.
4. Competing With Others
one of my biggest pet peeves is seeing photographers compete with one another. you guys, save your energy for your pictures! embrace friendship with other photographers, and don’t compete. competing with others will not only bring a negative connotation to your photography, but it will also be a huge reason why you give up on photography all together. be happy for others when they are rocking it with their camera, and let them inspire you instead of give you a reason to compete. cheer on other photographers and let their growth inspire you to learn more about photography.
read more: why photographers should embrace friendship, not competition.
5. Not Picking Up Your Camera
simply not picking up your camera is an obvious reason why you will eventually give up on photography. pick up your camera and take some pictures. know that not all of your pictures are going to be great, and that’s okay! it is when you take mediocre pictures that you are truly learning more about your photography. learn from your mistakes instead of allowing your mistakes to hinder your growth as a photographer. try starting a photography project to give you a little encouragement to pick up your camera. photography projects have been know to really inspire photographers who are ready to give up on photography.
need a photography project idea? here are 5 photography projects every photographer should do.
if you are feeling like you are in love with your photography one day and then hate it the next, it’s normal. we all feel that way, from time to time. photography is so personal that it is hard to not let being uninspired bother us. but turn those moments of being in a rut into moments of inspiration. try taking a class, starting a photography project, embracing friendships with other photographers, being true to yourself and learn how to say no to the photography opportunities that aren’t bringing you joy. by avoiding these 5 mistakes, you are more likely to be happier with your photography instead of encouraged to give up.
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Camera Lenses for Moms : The Only Two Lenses You Need - bethadilly - […] read more about why i sold all my gear, keeping only two lenses. […]
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Shanna Bradbury - Hi! Question for you, I’ve thought about keeping my lenses on two bodies like this, but wasn’t sure how they sync up when editing a gallery for a client. I use lightroom, but it won’t let me do a custom order sequence (maybe I’m missing something on how to do it?). Any insight on this would be super helpful! Love your blog.