Ever wondered how you can take beautiful studio portraits at home? Then you’re in the perfect place! I’m going to share with you how I take studio portraits at home using nothing more than natural light, and some simple inexpensive backdrops.

My husband has not one, not two, but three areas for his tools - the garage (where no cars are allowed) a shed at the back of the garden, and a “lock up” where the bigger and least used tools are.

But I only ever seem to see him use about 4 of the tools from them on any regular basis!

Which is the same in photography - although there are many shiny objects competing for our attention, there are only 4 that I would say I really recommend for you to get when learning photography.

These are the ones that I think will make the most difference both in terms of improving your photography skills, but also in just simply making your life easier, or saving you from frustration and headaches!

So without further ado, let’s jump in!

One of the things that used to REALLY confuse me when I first started learning photography was all the different types of camera lenses that were available,  which one I would need, and when I would use each one!

So as I’m willing to bet this bamboozles you too, I’ve put together this post that should make it all seem a damn sight easier to understand.

It breaks down the different types of lenses you can get, the variations you can find within that, along with suggestions for when you would use each one.  

Plus, at the end of this post you’ll also get access to a free bonus download, The Which Lens Quick Guide, so don’t leave without it!

Let’s dig in…

Today, I’m answering all your questions about switching from a DSLR to a mirrorless camera!

I switched cameras earlier this year from the Canon 5Dmk3, a DSLR camera, to the mirrorless Canon R6, and I’ve been loving having a new camera to play with.

I’ve had SO many questions about switching from a DSLR to a mirrorless camera in general, things like whether it was worth making the switch from a DSLR to a mirrorless camera, whether I had any problems with accessories or lenses, what was the most challenging thing to learn and so on, so today, I wanted to answer some of the most common ones I’ve received about changing over!

I recently switched to the Canon R6 from my trusty Canon 5Dmk3, and today, I'm taking you behind the scenes of my thought process and going through the key differences between these two cameras, and ultimately why I switched.

Ready to grow your prime lens collection but not sure what lens to buy next? Or which prime lenses work together? What your "holy trinity" of lenses should be?!

This is probably one of my most asked questions, both from my Auto to Awesome students and from blog readers, because it can be really difficult to know the right way to grow your prime lens collection, and which lens is going to make you the biggest difference to your photos.

I know that I definitely didn’t go about adding to my lens line up in the right way, and i wasted a lot of money that could have been better spent elsewhere - and as always, I want YOU to avoid the mistakes that I made.

So in this video, I walk through the questions to ask yourself when choosing your next lens, some ideas for recommended lenses for child and family photography, and the order in which to purchase any lenses to add to your collection.

If you’re just get started with photography, then you’re probably wondering what the best camera for beginners is! So right now, you’re probably looking at what camera you should choose, and what will be the best one for you as a new photographer.

So that’s what I’m going to look at today with you, so that you can narrow down the options, and ideally, pick your first camera so that you can get started on this exciting new journey sooner rather than later!

This week’s video is the final part in our 3 part series where I take you behind the scenes and give you a guided tour of what’s inside my camera bag.

In this week’s video, I’m going to talk about the actual camera bags I use (all 3 of ‘em!) and the other accessories / random bits and bobs that I don’t perhaps use on a regular basis.

Underneath the video, you’ll find links to absolutely everything I mention in the video, plus a link to my free photography class “Pro Tricks for Professional Level Photos”, where I teach you how to make your images look professional, no matter what gear you have! You’ll also find links to watch Part 1 and 2 of this series.

So, are you ready for Part 3? Let’s dive in!

This week’s video is Part 1 of a 3 part series where I’m going to take you behind the scenes and give you a guided tour of my photography equipment!

Today I’m going to cover my camera body and shooting accessories, part 2 will be all about lenses (all 7 of them!) and part 3 will be the actual camera bags and other accessories that I don’t perhaps use on a regular basis.

Underneath the video, you’ll find links to all the gear I mention in the video, and a link to my free photography class “Pro Tricks for Professional Level Photos”, where I teach you how to make your images look professional, no matter what gear you have!

So, are you ready? Let’s go!

Did you just snag yourself a brand shiny new DSLR camera? Or maybe you’ve just blown the layer of dust off the one that’s been sitting in a cupboard since last year?!

However and whenever you got your hands on your new camera, it’s an exciting time, regardless of whether it’s your first camera or your third!

But of course, ANY new equipment can take a bit of getting used to, and if it’s your first camera ever, it can all be a little bit overwhelming too :)

This post lays out 10 things you should do when you get your camera. Obviously, if this is not your first ever camera, some of these suggestions will be a bit basic for you, but it can act as a checklist to make sure you’ve covered everything. And if this is your first one, this post will be a goldmine of information for you :)

We all love a good deal, which is why Black Friday is such a lovely time of year! If you’ve had your eye on something for a little while, then Black Friday is a great time to see whether there are any deals to be had.

But in case you’re not quite sure what to get, or just want some ideas, I’ve curated a list of black friday deals for photographers in 2020, so you can see what’s available. Some of these I personally use and love, and others I’ve included as alternatives for you, as they might suit you better!

I’ve also broken these by category, so you can dismiss some of these outright, for example if you’re not in business. Ready? Let’s go!

Are you struggling with getting tack sharp images? Do you feel like your images are too soft and that you’re consistently missing focus? Then keep reading!

Today I’m going to talk you about just ONE reason why you might be struggling to nail focus, and that’s due to your lens needing calibrated.

Before we start though, I should start out by saying that most of the time, our images are soft due to user error, not our equipment. There are so many factors that go into getting a tack sharp image (and can stop us from getting one) that it’s far more likely that you have gotten one of them wrong, rather than the lens be the problem.

That said, if you are not consistently getting the sharp focus you want, it might be an idea to quickly test your lens, that way you’ll know whether you have a problem with your equipment or not.

If you do, then you can calibrate your lens to fix the problem, or if you don’t, at least it will put your mind at rest that your equipment is fine and you simply need to learn the strategies that will help you get tack sharp focus!

What’s the best lens for child photography? That’s one of the questions I’m asked all the time, so today I'm going to go over my personal three favourite lenses for child photography!

I'm going to tell you what I like about them, what I use them for and what I don't like about them too.

What do the numbers on a camera lens mean?!

If you’ve been asking yourself that question then you are in the perfect place, as today we’re going to be talking about what all the numbers on your camera lens means, and how you can use this information to decide which lens might be best for you.

So if you've been looking at lenses online, or maybe you already have your lens and you just don't understand what all these numbers actually mean, stick around. as by the end of this post, you'll know exactly what the numbers mean and you'll know how your lens is going to perform!

Ready? Let’s dive in!

Whether you want to shoot a portrait or a landscape or a documentary-style photo, you’ll want to choose the best lens for the job!

With an array of lenses to choose from, it can be hard to know which one to pick, and which will suit your photo best. As I have far too many lenses to choose from, I thought i’d go through my thought process when picking out a lens for a particular photo. Of course, there may be other reasons why I pick a lens (versatility for going away on vacation, or weight if were going on a trek) but the two MAIN reasons are the focal length, and the aperture.

Let’s go into the four questions I ask myself (which you can totally steal, I don’t mind) for choosing the best lens for the job.