January 31, 2017 – Day 4 of 365

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been drawn to technology and the mechanics of how things work.  I enjoy being the “go-to” techie resource when friends and family have a “run in” with their electronics.  Consequently, I love talking about technology and the camera gear I use. 

MY CAMERAS

Because I like to use multiple lenses when I’m out and about on my photography safaris, I carry two camera bodies in my camera bag.  I find it easier to have a lens on each camera body than to keep switching out lenses.  I shoot with a:

• Sony Alpha a99 II – primary
• Sony Alpha a700 – secondary

MY LENSES

Without a doubt, my lenses have been my best photography purchases.  Here are the top 4 lenses I currently carry in my bag  and why I swear by them:

• Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 ZA SSM II Vario-Sonnar T* Lens: this lens comes out of my bag when I’m capturing wide landscape vistas or when I’m indoors shooting in cramped close situations and want to fit more of my surroundings into the image. 
• Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 ZA SSM II Vario-Sonnar T* Lens: This lens lives on my primary camera and I rarely take it off.  It’s especially great as my “walking around lens.”  I love the wide aperture capability and this has become the primary lens that I use for most of my everyday photography.  This lens is great for getting that creative background blur and gorgeous bokeh.
• Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 G SSM II Lens:  I carry this lens on my secondary camera for those moments when I want to quickly zoom in to get a closer/larger view of distant objects.  The autofocus capabilities of this lens make it especially good at freezing action when working with pets or at sporting events.
• Sony 100mm f/2.8 Macro Lens:  this lens comes in especially handy when I’m working close-up in nature — insects, flowers, etc.

AND THE KITCHEN SINK

In addition to my cameras and lenses, I carry lots of other goodies in my Peak Design Messenger bag, including:

• 3 extra camera batteries
• 4 extra memory cards
• an IR remote control
• Sony HVL-F43M External Flash
• a lens pen
• Field Notes memo books to jot down important details I don’t want to forget about the shoot
• a tripod