I came across an advertisement for a camera. It reminded me of the camera that sent me tumbling down the photography rabbit hole many years ago, a Lumix camera (a Panasonic sub-brand). It was a beautiful camera with a black body and well-placed stainless steel accents. It wasn’t my first digital camera, but it was the one that got me taking pictures of pretty much everything I laid eyes on. I remember I was on a trip with my parents when it suddenly stopped working. Thankfully it was covered by a very generous extended warranty, and they exchanged my broken camera with a newer model. I then became friends with a coworker who shared my interest in photography but had made the jump to DSLR cameras. I had been contemplating getting one myself and was torn between Canon and Nikon. He generously offered to lend me his lenses if I purchased a Canon camera. That settled the question–I would commit to Cannon. Shortly, I would embark upon my very first 365 project. I was ultimately unsuccessful at completing that project, but taking a photograph every day forced me to practice, which led me to develop my photography skills. My skills were good enough to attract the attention of the people around me. I actually ended up taking some portrait photos for a few friends, business profile pictures for a company I worked with, and even two separate engagement photoshoots for good friends of mine.

Today, I was reminiscing on those times when I was regularly taking pictures and was tempted to buy a new camera. However, I need first to take up my photography hobby with the equipment I already have before I end up buying some expensive equipment that will end up cast aside.

When I started my photography hobby, the cameras on phones were not suited for taking quality or, dare I say, anything artistic. However, they’ve come a long way and makes it easy to default to the camera on your phone instead of taking the 100 extra steps to adjust all the manual settings on a DSLR to frame and compose the shot exactly how you want it to. It’s far easier to defer to algorithms that can make all those decisions in a split second and wind up with a perfect photo. To make matters worse, it is far more convenient when the camera is already with you 24/7 and doesn’t involve packing a bag with your DSLR and extra equipment. So I wonder now whether I should compromise and go back to the camera that started me on my hobby, the Lumix. I can easily keep it in my bag all the time, and it would give me back some of the control I miss of a traditional camera