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Merrylog Help

What camera do you use? 

Merrylog has gone through several cameras over its lifetime! From its beginnings to mid 2004, the photos were all taken by an old Olympus point-and-shoot digital camera. From 2004 to January 2007, photos were captured with a Canon Powershot G5, typically called a "pro-sumer" camera (the most recent version of this camera is the Canon Powershot G10).

In January 2007 I finally upgraded to a full digital SLR: a Canon EOS 30D (the most recent version of this camera is the Canon EOS 40D or the Canon EOS 50D). I own two fixed lenses (a 50mm f1.4 - often called the nifty fifty - and a 100mm f/2.8 Macro and one zoom: a 17-40mm f/4L. All Merryvaluations photos are taken with the same cameras in the same time frames.

If I've learned one thing, it's this: it matters very little what camera you have while you're learning. Every camera on the planet can take good photographs - it's crucial to take the time to practice. Spending more money will not make you a better photographer.


How can I take photos like this? 

Good question! I used to ask the same thing. After nearly five years of shooting daily photos of the princess, I can say this:

  1. Turn the flash off. If there isn't enough natural light to shoot your dog, don't shoot her.
  2. Try different angles, different light conditions, different times of day.
  3. Practice, practice, practice. We shoot nearly every day, and we take at least 50 shots with every shoot - sometimes for a single great shot, there will be 49 really terrible ones!
  4. Make sure you read our Ultimate Guide to How to Photograph Your Dog from stem to stern.

How can I learn what camera to buy? 

Try one of these sites for excellent camera reviews:

Two Poodles and Me
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