What Kind of Camera Should You Buy?

I get asked this question ALL the time. Deciding on camera gear can be tricky. I cover this more in depth, based on individual needs, in my photography class. Your gear depends a lot on what you are planning to shoot.

Here are my suggestions for Canon gear with different budgets in mind. Don't pay extra for kit lenses.  They are okay to start with, but you will want to spend that money on better lenses. 

A great beginner camera is the Rebel T7i 

   Canon EOS Rebel T7i DSLR Camera (Body Only) $749.00 $649.00    

Intermediate FULL FRAME Camera 6D Mark ii

Canon EOS 6D Mark II DSLR Camera (Body Only)

Advance FULL Frame 5D Mark iv

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV 

My favorite lenses 

50mm A great lens for a great price. 

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM $125.00

One of the best selling lenses a bit of an upgrade compared to the one above, but still affordable. 

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM $329.00

This one is a zoom lens and it is my favorite especially for sports. 

Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2

You can buy other brands that fit your canon camera.  Just make sure it is made for your camera. Tamron is a bit cheaper than the canon lens 70-200. 

Hope this helps give you some ideas for your next camera purchase. https://www.bhphotovideo.com is a great resource and it lets you compare different cameras side by side. 

💕 Catina 

www.facebook.com/catinamichellephotography

Painting With Light

Want to capture some fun designs or words with SPARKLERS? 

Try out these camera settings.  

Use a tripod or flat surface to keep camera steady. You can't do this hand held because you want to wait until it's dark!

DSLR Camera 

Beginners: Set to Shutter Priority    

Set your SS at 3" ("= seconds) 

Have your subject start drawing as soon as you click the button and continue until you hear the shutter click.  Stick with something easy at first like a heart. You may want to draw with a sparkler in each hand. 

How does it look? 

Too bright?  Click shutter speed to 2"

Too dark?  Try changing your shutter speed to 4"

Experiment and have fun. 

Writing words should be written right to left unless you plan to flip the photo in edit. Cursive is easier.  For longer words you may want to try out a longer shutter speed like 6 or 8"

Intermediate: Let's go MANUAL Mode (not to be confused with manual focus)

Now YOU are in control of it ALL!! 

NO FLASH....YAY

Try out these settings and click away and play!

Apeture 16

ISO 1000

Shutter Speed 3"

Play around with settings and be creative.  That is why the delete button was created!

The SLOWER you DRAW the THICKER your lines will be
The FASTER you DRAW the THINNER your lines will be

BUY the LONG sparklers or safety sparklers.  You can also find great options by searching wedding sparklers.

Post yout images on insta and use #cmpphotogclass

💕 Catina 
          from Catina Michelle Photography 

Back to blogging!  It has been a while....I now have a high school graduate and one starting high school. I think this is a great place to document our "everyday" even if I don't post consistently. Life is busy.  Plus, I am now the owner of my own photog business and that takes up a lot of time. SO this blog will be undercontruction....it does need some decorating updates. I hope to continue to capture our life as well as add some business aspects to the blog. I hope you are having a great summer. ENJOY!

Teaching my girls to bake with my grandmas recipes. So happy to have these recipes in her own handwriting.

Back to the blog

Getting back to blogging. Documenting my every day blessings and our much needed family get away. We had a blast and just enjoyed our time together. 

Easter Eggstravaganza

P

Lots of fun celebrating Easter at Faith  Southwest! Music, crafts, egg hunts and pictures with the Easter bunny!!! Sadly made me realize how fast my girls are growing up! 

Decorating Eggs

Loved pulling out all our creative stuff and  decorating eggs in our own way!! 

Why can't I keep up with this??

I love keeping this blog... Just a way to document our every day blessings BUT I am so bad at keeping up with it!! Here's a few pics to just catch up! 

Christmas is my favorite time of year!!!

Don't let comparison steal your JOY!

"The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind the scenes with everyone else's highlight reels.

This is my highlight reel, a 2 second snapshot of a blessed life. But what you don't see is how I struggle to measure up. The way I compare myself to that girl who is everything I am not.
You don't see how I scream at my kids to wash their cereal DOWN the sink. How I always seem to have a pile of clean clothes getting wrinkled on the couch. You didn't see how I completely lost the "mother of the year" award 10 minutes before our nerf gun war. You see fun times cooking in the kitchen but you don't see the frozen pizza I burned. I work hard to make time for the little things because they are really the big things. I document the sunsets and the highlights to keep me thankful for all my blessings. But I doubt myself, I ridicule myself, I wonder what could have been. It is ridiculous to me that anyone would ever compare themselves to me the way I compare myself to them. So we should continue to document the good times as well as some bad, but just know that it is only the highlight reel!! ❤

Masyn's 12th bday 4.2.13

Happy birthday to my nephew!! Masyn, I love your confidence and your natural ability in all you do! You are going to do great things!! Happy 12th birthday! I love u!

Happy Easter 3.31.13

I boiled/baked 6 dozen eggs and pulled out all the CrEAtiVe tools I had (including kool-aid packets for the dye!!) the boys spent the night and all the kids spent the day letting their creative juices FLOW!! Creative juices can be MESSY! 😳

Homemade pizza

I love making my own dough and letting everyone add their own toppings! We had a busy but blessed evening. Everyone helping with chores while I cooked dinner. We had a bit of drama with our oldest but so blessed to all be together! 💗

 

Happy 8th birthday to my Smiley Girl!  It is so hard to believe that 8 years ago today we were blessed with such a joyful, kindhearted girl! We scheduled to have you 2 weeks early because your mommy has BIG babies...and we couldn't wait to see you!  You had so many visitors and your big sis couldn't wait to bring you home.  You have such a kind heart and so much JOY!  I love you so much! Happy Birthday my Smiley Baby Kait!  I love you!

Road trip to grandma's

We took a road trip to visit grandma this weekend. The perfect place to relax, unwind and treat grandma to some early birthday treats. We did some shopping and took grandma out to eat. We also got to take in Rex's art show and enjoy some time wrapped in a blanket on grandmas deck. It was so good to visit with everyone and spend some time with my grandma. ❤

A perfect snowy night!

I love listening to my kids read. It is something we have done together since before they were born. 💗

Kaitlyn Grace

My smiley!! Always happy, always kind, always brightens my day!! I LOVE to hear her sing...it is full of passion and expression and one of my very favorite things. A complete Diva, with her own awesome style and lots of bling! She is full of creativity and confidence!! I hope that stays with her all through life!! I love you kait!!! Always and forever!!❤

Happy birthday Payton!!

Happy bday! I hope you have a fabulous 10th bday!! Double digits dude!! Thank you for being the best cousin and friend to my girls!! You are awesome! Love u!!!

Happy 2013

Happy New Year! 

No resolutions for me...just a word HEALTHY.

Healthy in my body, mind and spirit. 

I hope to work on healthy relationships, healthy thoughts and habits.

Let go of past hurts and regrets and be the best I can be in 2013.

 

 

 

I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11