r/AskPhotography

Could be gear, software, batteries, straps, weather apps, hotel WiFi, client timelines… anything.

Every photographer seems to have at least one thing they learned not to trust the hard way 😄

Hello everyone,
I’m a new editorial wedding photographer. And i like the style very much and have shoot 2 weddings with two canon R8 with 28-70 f2 and 85 f1.2.
I just upgrade to R5 for more resolution and double cards slot. I felt that i didn’t used the 85 at all so i sold it. Now i need another lens that fit into the style together with the 28-70 f2. I have the 35mm 1.8 and 50 1.8. I need a light lens so i can do off flash handheld camera in right hand and flash in the left cause i don’t have an assistens. I think like i need fast lens also for natural light but i feel like my rf 28-70 f2 is enough if i put it on the r8 cause it handle low light situation better if i pump my iso.

I want to use just RF lenses I’m standing between and i kan choose just one for the moment.

Rf 15-35 2.8
Rf 14-35 f4
Rf 24 f1.4
Rf 50 1.2

Do you have any suggestions or advice?

I thought buying a tripod is easy until i saw that you can spend up to 800 bucks on them.

I own a light weight A6000 and the longest / heaviest lens is a 55-210mm. It's nothing crazy but i also don't feel like putting it on something that costs 40€ on Amazon.
I hoped that i can get something under 200 bucks, like the Rollei C6I carbon. It looks good enough to me, i read that carbon has better vibration absorption than aluminium, but i wondered what other things a good and reliable tripod should have?

What kind of Tripods would you suggest and what should be avoided?

Hey everyone,
 
I'm considering getting my wife a nice camera as her "Push Gift" following the birth of our first child. She studied photography in college and has a ~12 year old Nikon that she rarely pulls out but was top of the line when released (sorry I don't know the model!). We also have the newest iPhone 17 Pros and will continue to get the newest phone because of our mobile provider plan. I'm hoping this gift will be a fun way to reignite a hobby while seamlessly connecting with our growing family. I want whatever I get to feel fun and not feel like more work for her but also that could grow with her if she ends up getting the itch again.
 
My debate is between getting something like an X100VI which is great but I'm worried she could feel a little too locked into due to the fixed lens, a Ricoh GRIV which looks great but might feel too simple to really dive back into the hobby, the Rx100 Vii which might feel superfluous next to a top of the line phone, or maybe an X-E5/X-T50 to give lens options while still being relatively compact.
 
Maybe I'm overthinking this but would love some thoughts.
 
(1) Budget, country, and currency: ~$2K USD, she's very particular so I'd let her choose any accessories and this price is mostly for the base purchase.
 
(2) What equipment, if any, you have now and why is it no longer meeting your needs? She has her Nikon DSLR that I think she's pulled out like 5 times in a decade. I think the size is a barrier to entry.
 
(3) What kinds of subjects do you intend to shoot? Mostly daily life shots. We live in the PNW and there's a good amount of nature but this isn't constant for us. Also, maybe some occasional light bird watching.
 
(4) Is it primarily for photography, videography, or both? Primarily photography.
 
Condition: Either new or used but would love to buy with my credit card since I have some insurance protection built in.
 
Type of Camera: Mirrorless or Point & Shoot
 
End use: Social media, small prints, occasional freelance work but this is a much lower priority.
 
What features do you absolutely need: Not sure!
 
Portability: I think something that fits into a purse would be ideal. I think part of the barrier to entry with using her full-sized camera over the years is the need to bring another bag along, whereas this camera could hopefully fit in a jacket/purse/diaper bag/etc
 
Cameras you're considering: Fujifilm X100VI, Sony RX100 VII, Ricoh GRIV, Fujifilm x-e5,X-t50
 
Notes: (any other considerations you think we should know about) She has brought up wanting a new camera multiple times over the past few years and I think has also hemmed and hawed about the very debates I'm having now. There’s a non-zero chance that she doesn’t want the camera I purchase but loves the idea and ends up returning and getting something else, but it’d be nice to get it right the first time.

Noob photographer here. I am trying to understand the best camera settings and well, really, how best to stage a shoot to get the best results based on sun/weather, or things to be aware of. I'm in the central southern U.S.

For example - let's say my scene is a brick wall facing directly south with a person standing against it also looking directly south. Is there a certain time of day (or time of year, even) where the natural lighting yields best results?

Also, same scenario, what sort of camera settings should I adjust depending on how much cloud cover there is?

Also, a flip of the prior scenario, let's say my scene is an open field with a person in it and I can move myself anywhere 360 degrees around the subject. Where is the best place for the subject to face, and me to stand, relative to the sun, I guess? And is there anything I should be aware of in the camera settings depending on the weather/cloud cover?

I have similar questions but for shooting indoors with windows, as well. Same rules apply?

Back in 2021 when I was 12 and just starting photography my mom took me to walmart and bought me the Kodak PixPro AZ528. It was my first ever camera and I loved that thing and I didn't know it was completely terrible because this was my first time ever using a "real" camera.

It's 2026 now and I genuinely hate this camera I couldn't find any information about it online, I don't know the manufacturing date, and it's almost completely useless to me now.

Since finals are ending and I can buy a camera of my own, what camera should I buy?

I don't know if I'm new to photography or not since I've been doing work for about a year now and I don't know if it's relevant but I want to photograph people and landscapes/cityside photos.

My budget is ~300-400

(1) Budget, country, and currency:

$300-400, United States, United States Dollar

(2) What equipment, if any, you have now and why is it no longer meeting your needs?

Kodak Pixpro AZ528 and because of how cheap and plasticky it is and that I've been using it for years now

(3) What kinds of subjects do you intend to shoot?

People/Landscape/Cityside

(4) Is it primarily for photography, videography, or both?

Photography mainly, but videography is alright. 65% Photography 35% Videography

Hello, I’m new here and very young, I’m trying to start real estate photography since all the house for sale where I live, also the expensive one (over 1 M in €) are advertised with “blown” exposure, shortly, I’m not a professional but I’ve learned all the basics and been doing photography since I was 8, so half of my life, and I’m 16 so I wanted to offer photo shoots for houses with a serious quality, but I don’t want to spend money on Adobe Lightroom subscriptions, and my only digital camera is very old, (Nikon D3400), so has no software for automatic shots or however you call it with different exposures, what softwares can I use for a M1 Pro MacBook Pro (2021).

I kind of searched all day and all softwares were full of bugs and crashes, the only one I’m a little familiar with that also worked is dark table but the image is horribly unexposed.
Thank you for reading all the yap, I home someone can help me.

I'm a beginner / amateur photographer with basic understanding of the setup / menu, and currently I'm using a Canon PowerShot S5 IS 8mp. It's a good camera but a bit old, and I'm comfortable with it, but the battery is draining super quick and photos when it's too dark often come out too blurry - I'm taking it on trips, so I just can't always get more light in some places.

My main question is, should I be thinking of investing into a new camera? I'd want it to be able to zoom nicely, have good quality, be a bit sturdy (I'd like it to last & be at least a bit sturdy) and not like super massive. Also, I'm not sure whether cameras use batteries or charge nowadays, but if they charge I'd prefer if it lasted like a day trip ~10h. Is what I want achievable under 500usd? Or is that a laughable budget and I should be aiming higher for anything usable? Or maybe should I stick to my old one?

(1) Budget, country, and currency: Poland, 500usd = +- 2000PLN

(2) What equipment, if any, you have now and why is it no longer meeting your needs? Canon PowerShot S5 Is 8 MP

(3) What kinds of subjects do you intend to shoot? People, nature, architecture, landscapes

(4) Is it primarily for photography, videography, or both? Photography though I'd prefer if it could take decent videos (not main focus)

Thanks a lot for any help

Genuinely curious here,

my question is quite straight-up: How are you guys making money? :))

I recently attended my first ever photography class. One comment from the instructor genuinely shook me : a photographer is responsible for everything in the frame, like a painter who paints every inch of the canvas. Beginners photograph a subject. Experienced photographers compose an entire image.

That hit harder than I expected. I realized I'd been blaming bad shots on poor conditions or bad timing when in reality I just wasn't putting enough effort into my framing.

After some reflection I identified my main crutch : years of shooting wide open. f/1.4, f/2, always. Blur covers a lot of sins. I never had to deal with what was actually in my frame. I'm switching to a 35mm prime and forcing myself to shoot at f/8-f/11 so I have to own every element in the image.

I shoot family, reportage and street, available light only. I can't always choose when I go out so I have to work with whatever conditions I find.

My question : when practicing composition, is it better to go out with a loose thematic intention ("today I look for geometry") or just go out freely and try to apply compositional principles to whatever presents itself ?

I'm not looking for theory or tutorials. I want actual training exercises or routines that worked for you at an intermediate level.

I’m currently interning for a solo photographer. She’s teaching me how to edit and use cameras, and I’m helping her with her work. She told me she only edits on photoshop. So alongside learning photoshop, would I be helpful for me to also learn Lightroom on my own time? Is there a difference? I heard Lightroom was better for editing a bunch of photos at once, but is that helpful when none of them would look as good as just editing a few in photoshop?

Hi! I do wedding makeup through a company and on my boss’ business account she often post our work crediting and tagging the photographer. Typically it’s mostly pictures of the bride which she often does the makeup for. I often do bridesmaids/mothers/grandmothers/MIL/GIL. I would like to make a portfolio soon and I do plan on asking permission from the photographers credited for the pictures I have seen of my work. I do take pictures of my work but they don’t even compare to how great the work from photographers. My question is should I also offer compensation when asking for permission using their photos is that typical? I also want to know if it is rude to ask for additional pictures of the bridal party if they are available? I would be more than willing to pay for that as well if that is common practice especially if they do have to edit additional photos. Thank in advance for any advice and thank you for your hard work in the wedding industry if you photograph weddings that is :)