Becoming One with My Camera - New York City - Lifestyle Photography

Blogging has been a bit slow for me these past few days, but I'm working hard at playing catch-up! 

This week I decided I should try something different in terms of my relationship with my camera. I really feel that I need to bond more closely with my beloved Nikon. In order to do that I've decided to REMOVE the camera strap from the camera body!! *GASP*

I've done this for two reasons ...

1. As much as I love the Nikon Brand - I totally hate the huge, bright yellow logo plastered across the strap. Fashion Faux Pas! Yuck!

and

 

2. I believe that in order for me to be the best photographer I can possibly be, the camera must become an extension of my arm -- I must be one with my equipment!

When I think about my favorite wedding photographer, and the several amazing commercial lifestyle & fashion photographers I've worked with in the past, the one thing that is absolutely consistent across the board is they used their cameras without a strap around their neck. As they worked, the camera stayed up to their eye 90% of the time. Even when giving direction, they did so from behind the camera. They didn't dare drop the lens from the eye, which I assume, is so a  fleeting expression or emotion is not missed. I hate to admit it, but I've totally missed a "look" from someone because I chose to let the camera hang from my neck while I asked her to move her hip this way, or turn her chin that way. Quite frankly, this camera body attached to my favorite 105 2.8 lens easily weighs about 5LBs, and because I don't enjoy stiff-achy-neck-syndrome, I have absolutely no business letting it hang there.

My hope is this exercise will allow me to be able to think with my camera first. I wont drop the body to change the ISO, I won't feel nervous about changing my battery, lens or memory card "without security", and it won't hang from my neck or be deep in my hand bag with the lens cap on. I will be one with my Nikon. What it will be is in my hands and ready to go - Lens cap off and power ON! I won't have to think so hard about whether something is picture worthy .....  then dig out the camera .... then take off the lens ... Awww,  I missed it! Nope - from now on, I will be prepared to react!

So, I did it. I removed the camera strap ... Actually it was really difficult to take those suckers off, so Aloysius did it for me. I swear ...  most days, he really is my back bone. I love the way she looks already!

Photo taken with the Nikon D200