I had a plan. And that plan was to get a camera. That took me a few years to get the Nikon D90 and despite my pessimism, I even got a lens for it, the Nikon 18-105mm f4.5-5.6. I didn’t honestly thought that I will get more than just the body in the beginning. Of course, I am still paying for them.
The next phase of my plan was to get accessories, like a bag. So I got a small backpack, the Kata 123-GO-10 which is very cool. The only downside it has is that there is no place left inside for the sandwich… I have also got a very cheap HAMA tripod for special cases.
Continuing, I had to buy a off-camera flash, so, as I was advised, I bought the cheap Nissin i622 Mark II which is rated very good amount other flashes. I works also remotely so it is a great addition. I did many cool pictures with it, it think… Anyway, together with it I bought a remote trigger, which is nice for certain cases.
Next step was to finally get a strap. And the best choice for me I think it is Black Rapid RS WS-1, yes, the women version. Seems to be working great with its “special” curve. Best strap to have around. And the price is OK for what it does.
Since my lens were no treated very well, I bought a cleaning set, blower and pen, which combined with a microfiber cloth works reasonably well. In extreme cases, the glasses cleaning wipers are just fine.
Then I bought photography books, many, many books. Most of them ebooks. Even if practicing will make you better with the tools, you still need books to make you smarter. It is always best to be able to understand why are you doing some things in a certain way. The “simplest explanation rule” can prove itself just wishful thinking in many cases.
And, the next phase of the plan was to get this:
The Nikon 35mm 1.8G! I was expecting much less so this lenses really blew me away. Maybe they are really inspiring for me, maybe I am just exaggerating, but really, I see a huge difference from my previous ones, even if they are made for different purposes. And I am not talking about the “shallow depth of field”. I am talking about everything, from their size, to their sharpness and low light capabilities.
Some may say that, yea, they are Prime lenses so they are suppose to be cool. Maybe, I don’t know. I am just a newbie in photography and I love every second of it.
The next phase of the plan is to get a macro lens, the Tamron AF 60mm f/2 SP Di II or a Nikon 105mm f/2.8G for butterflies. I was a passionate entomologist in the past, so why not combine the passions?! I also intend to get/build some basic studio equipment for macro photography in the same time.
Later I plan to get some tele lenses, for wildlife photography. I will leave this for the next year probably, since they are very expensive. I am planing to get, based on recommendations, at least a Tamron AF-S 70-300mm VC f/4-5.6. Hopefully a better one, if I’ll have what it takes…
And then… I don’t know, maybe a carbon tripod and a bigger bag. Maybe something else, maybe nothing… I’d better let the future decide. I am really deep into this right now and it is kinda nice, but dangerous for my budget. I need to be veeery careful. But yes, I live in Sweden and there are plenty of subjects around for any type of lenses. I’ve got a big pool of patience to drink from.
But since I am already pretty pumped up, maybe I should get out there asap.