Photography equipment

This post is in response to recent questions about my photography equipment. Technology is not my strong suit, so I tend to keep my equipment simple. My primary camera is a Canon Rebel XSi. It’s lightweight, just over a pound, which was a big reason for my choice.

This was the camera I used to capture my first Eastern comma butterfly (Polygonia comma) of the season. I used my favorite lens, a Tamron 18-27o mm zoom. I took the photo from 12 feet away and cropped it to get this close-up.

I also frequently use a Canon G12. It’s a sophisticated point-and-shoot camera that does quite well on a variety of automated and manual settings.

I often use this camera when I’m wandering in the garden, on a hike, or when I want to travel light. I recently used it to get this image of our backyard redbud (Cercis canadensis).

Although I prefer to hold the camera, I use a tripod for higher-quality images, especially for enlargements. For close-ups, butterflies and other fast-moving insects, I often use a 100 mm macro lens.

I enjoy using my equipment, but having any camera outdoors encourages me to slow down and see more. I end up deleting most of the photos I take, but taking them encourages me to look more closely and that’s reward enough.