IHM (in her phototblog) had tagged me some time back to write about the photographic equipment I use. It all started with a Facebook conversation with Hrishi, who by the way has already done his post (link). So, yes I am pretty late coming up with mine. These days all I can think of is A, B, C, D and so on. I have reached the letter L (link). Nope; I am not back in nursery revising alphabets all over again. I am a participant in the A to Z challenge April 2013, or rather my photo blog Shots and Captures is. When I signed up, what I was actually looking for was an easy way out. Thoughts of writing a post a day sounded quite a difficult proposition, April being a busy month, but how difficult could it be to post a picture daily, was my reckoning. I hadn’t factored in the visiting/commenting on other participants’ posts I had to do, plus the surge in visitors to my own blog and the resultant catering to the comments on home base as well. I have been running around doing my duties diligently and so have been inadvertently neglecting my main blog due to lack of time. But I certainly am not complaining any. The photo blog which did not have many visitors other than a few regulars has picked up and has a wider audience as of now.

Getting back to the tag, here goes.

My first digital camera was a point-and-shoot one, Sony Cybershot W-150, a gift from the First Born It has been my constant companion, going with me wherever I went. In fact seeing the many pictures that made it to the Facebook wall, mostly of kittens and also of the Most Photographed Dog in the World aka Luci, quite a few have asked me if I walked around with camera in hand all the time. Well, maybe not in hand, but it was always kept handy, where I could reach it at short notice. One never knows when the dog or kitten decides to strike funny poses, does one?

I had almost decided this was it; this was going to be my camera till the end of time (mine, I mean). I was not getting any younger. My already bad eyes were deteriorating. Probably my hands were not going to be steady either. Hence, though I longed to have a DSLR, I never gave it serious thought. It was just a wish, a dream, and we all have a few of those in our lives, dreams that remain just dreams and are somehow never meant to change their status quo. The DSLR was firmly ensconced among those sort of dreams.

What changed? I don’t know. Perhaps I felt reckless. What the hell, why am I not doing something I like/want? I have never been one to spend money on jewellery or gold. What a colossal waste. I don’t remember when I last bought something of the sort. I wouldn’t even accept any blings if you gave it to me free of cost. But here was one thing I longed to have, a DSLR. So why ever not? Once decided, I let it be known to the L & M that I was in the market for a DSLR. After extensive research (by me and a lot of chitchat back and forth with IHM), and also taking into consideration such things as the strength of my arms (tennis elbow!) as also the amount I had stashed away in the coffers (yes I bought it with my savings), I homed in on Nikon D5100, an entry level DSLR. Well, as far as I am concerned it is entry and exit level too. Anyways…

Along with the Nikon D5100, which I got via Flipkart (I love Flipkart), came the AF-S 18-55mm VR Kit Lens. I knew I could not do any zooming with it, so no bird photography or anything of the sort could with this one. I needed new telephoto lens. I am not someone who hesitates in cleaning the coffers out if she has set her mind on getting something. But all decisions at our home are discussed with each other. Hence I put the matter up to the L & M and he (in a surprise move) very magnanimously offered to get me the new lens I had decided upon. So I gently shut the doors of my personal treasury close, for use some other day, for an equally exciting project. Back I went to Flipkart and got myself the Nikon AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 55-200 mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED Lens. The weight was a factor for choosing it. With it in hand I feel complete (like the Raymond Man).

Well, it is impossible to lug around the DSLR everywhere. So my Sony Cybershot W-150 still gets to go around with me in my smaller handbag/clutch purse. Other things I use to take pictures include my iPod for the ease with which I can post it to FB. The same goes for my android phone, Samsung Ace. Well, that sums up the tools of photography that I use. I don’t intend buying any more lens right now. But I have my eyes set on some prime lens. But that is for the future when spring returns to the money tree in the backyard, I can harvest its fruits and fill the coffers to capacity once again. I am in no hurry right now. If you are an amateur photographer (even of your aren’t) and would like to tag yourself, please do so. You don’t have to write Ramayan or Mahabharat like I’ve done, and can stick to posting just the pictures of your camera, lens and stuff with the names and all. I have a request to Ramprasad of Ram’s Photo Blog, to be kind enough to please take up the tag.

Click to enlarge pictures.