I'm just a girl with a camera... a Canon to be precise. I started with a few different Canon cameras and I have stayed with them because I like the way they feel in my hand. Plus, I can tell people I'm shooting my Canon.
My first "real" camera was a simple point-and-shoot, but one day I accidentally dropped it! Subconsciously, I wanted to break it... I must have because I was really wanting an interchangeable lens camera like my friends had. In fact, I was already researching cameras and had my eye on the Canon EOS Rebel T6i. Oh, what a beauty! But my talented husband was able to fix my old one and I moped about for a few days before he told me to just order that Rebel. So I did! Oh, this little device was my new best friend! I went everywhere with it, and at one point, my husband gave me a Lego minifig that looked like me (my sigfig, or signature figure) to take on my photography adventures.
A few weeks after getting my Rebel, I attended the Arkansas Women Photographers retreat in Little Rock with my Aunt Debbie. She introduced me to a whole world of photographers that weekend! It was wonderful! I learned a lot and made some new friends. One night we did a photo shoot of the Junction Bridge over the Arkansas River. The city lights up the bridge at night with different colors, and it was the perfect opportunity to learn how to do long exposures at night. As a huge fan of bridges, this was exciting to me! I was thrilled that I could capture what I saw with just one click and quickly had my favorite image printed on metal to hang in my house. This began my love of seeing my own work printed and displayed in my house.
That summer I attended the Photo Expo in Memphis sponsored by our only camera store here in Arkansas, Bedford Camera & Video. Again, I learned so much and met new friends. This was a trend I could get used to with no problem! In addition to the interesting sessions, my Aunt Debbie and I trekked around the city and took in the sights. My favorite part was the bridge over the Mississippi River.
Bridges definitely make up a good portion of my portfolio and I keep adding more and more each time I go out to find something to photograph. Honestly, any kind of architecture intrigues me. I love all the lines and curves. It's especially interesting when there are old buildings next to modern ones or when you can see a bit of landscape nearby... I take it all in! If I could spend all day taking pictures of buildings and structures, I would!
Usually I end up taking a lot of pictures of flowers and animals, mostly from my own yard! I have some cats that indulge me for photos every now and then as well. Really, I just love shooting my Canon!
At some point I switched to a mirrorless camera and carried the petite Canon M50 for a little over a year. It was great to take with me when I went hiking all over Arkansas with my friend Karen. I almost always had my Tamron 18-400mm lens attached to it! That lens was super versatile in capturing anything on our adventures. Then Canon came out with a full-frame mirrorless that I drooled over for a year. I finally got it and I love it! The Canon EOS R is my camera of choice now. The images are crisp and the colors are consistent.
So if you see me out in the world shooting my Canon, feel free to tap me on the shoulder to say hello! But remember, I may ask you to take MY picture! ;)
*Photo credit Paula Volpe Photography.
2 Comments
Jan 29, 2021, 1:54:51 AM
Shauna Raduske - Haha! Thanks, Robert!
Jan 28, 2021, 8:11:23 PM
Robert Richard Guillemette - Love your work...to bad you shoot with the wrong brand, but I would tap you on the shoulder and take your photo anytime!