Here are a list of applications, web sites and other resources that you might find useful as a photographer.
Please note that many of these are affiliate links, meaning that I will earn a small commission if you purchase products through them, at no cost to you. I only recommend products and services that I have experience with and feel they could be useful to you.
Photography Equipment
Cameras
I used to use a Canon T1i as my main camera. I have been a user of the Canon line for several years.
I intended to buy a Canon 7D Mark II, but in 2018 I bought a Canon 77D instead.
If you are a Nikon user, good for you! I have no experience with Nikons but they are fine cameras as well.
Quite honestly, if I were to buy a new camera today, it would be a mirrorless camera, and I would look hard at the Sony line.
Lenses
I have three lenses at the moment:
- Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM Lens – my main train lens – excellent quality, fast focusing, good low light performance. It’s not cheap, but it’s worth every penny.
- Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 Lens – my wide angle lens. It is a superb lens, great optics and fast, at a good price.
- Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens – a great value for any Canon photographer – excellent image quality and a fast lens for a great price.
Storage Cards
I use a Lexar Professional 600x 32GB SDHC card as my primary storage for my camera. I have several SD cards in my bag as backup but the Lexar does a great job. Here’s a good article to help you choose SD cards. I recommend at least 32GB and wait for them to go on sale and buy two! Always carry at least two cards with you, in case one fails or you forget one at home.
Software
Editing
I use Adobe Lightroom for my image organization and editing. Read 5 Reasons Why You Need Lightroom. A freeware alternative is LightZone (I have not used it).
For basic image editing I use the freeware Paint.NET (leave them a donation for their great software!). Obviously Adobe Photoshop is popular but I haven’t invested in that yet. Adobe Photoshop Elements is an alternative at a much lower cost.
An alternative is to subscribe to Adobe Creative Cloud and get Photoshop and Lightroom for USD $9.99/month.
Video
Hosting
I host my videos on Gumroad. I am just starting to use it in early 2015 but so far I like it.
I have many video clips on YouTube as well.
Editing
I was using Pinnacle Studio 17 from Corel for video editing. The interface is a little confusing but it is very powerful.
Currently I use the VSDC Free Video Editor. Another great freeware program for basic video editing is VirtualDub.
Web Site Hosting
I have used Pair.com for many years for my web hosting needs. They are rock-solid, professional and highly available. Their prices are competitive for the value they provide and I have no hesitation in recommending them for anyone running a serious web site. Sign up with Pair!
I use Sibername.com for my domain registration, both Canadian .ca addresses and general .com names. Their prices are competitive and their customer service is good.
Podcasts
I have a page on podcasts and YouTube channels to follow.
Advertising
I use Google’s AdSense for some of my advertising. It is a low-effort way to earn some income from your web sites. Please do not click on my ads unless you are interested in the product.
When I mention products I like, I often provide an Amazon Affiliates link. Amazon provides a great service to people interested in purchasing products and I am happy to work with them.