Over the years Stay Focused has accumulated a very large collection of photographic equipment. As a publisher of a growing line “how-to books“, we have purchased many brands and models of both point-and-shoot and digital SLR cameras (see below). It’s no surprise that the flood of new feature-filled cameras keeps coming at a dizzying pace.

The rate at which new features are introduced is simply amazing. What surprises me the most is the high quality of photographs that are within reach of the casual user while shooting under a very wide variety of conditions. No longer does one have to be a camera geek to capture technically excellent photos. (more…)

For me, Gordon Lightfoot’s music tells interesting stories while his soothing melodies and talented guitar-playing have kept my attention for more than 40 years. With camera in hand, we went to hear him perform again in concert at the lovely DeVos Hall here in Grand Rapids.

Concerts and Stage Productions
Concerts and stage productions are most often set against very dark backgrounds such as this one. Since the camera sets the exposure by averaging the amount of light in a scene, a brightly lighted face is often overexposed.	The easiest way to prevent the performer’s face from being washed out is to reduce the exposure. For this shot, I used the camera’s exposure compensation to make a -2 (f/stop) adjustment. The face is now clearly visible.

Note: this article was adapted from an earlier one published in March 2010.

So many new and amazing digital cameras, lenses and accessories seem to appear daily that I can’t help but feel overwhelmed with difficult choices about where to invest my hard earned cash in the name of better photography. When I see an announcement for a new camera with its tantalizing machine gun-like frames-per-second or super-fast auto-focusing ability my hands start to get itchy at the thought of feeling a new, sleek camera body; handling a bright, shiny lens or setting up a slick tripod head.

The problem is that I start feeling guilty when the itching starts. Why am I adding to the inventory of photo equipment when I already have an ample supply? I know a few other “collectors of photo equipment” and like them, the compelling draw of the latest and greatest is not unlike the effect that drugs have on an addict.

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