Testing out the new camera

I have never owned a camera, except for the surprisingly exceptional ones that come embedded within smartphones. So in beginning my search, I had a few modest criteria to go by: compact enough to fit into my pocket, better than my smartphone, and affordable. I naïvely thought this would be enough, but as I dove into the sea of camera reviews, I was flooded with new concepts that made my decision incredibly difficult. I began considering attributes such as DSLR vs. ILC vs. point-and-shoot, ranges of aperture sizes, built-in flash, and so on…

After entertaining the idea of getting seriously involved in photography, and watching my potential camera budget double, triple and quadruple, I decided to return to reality. I consulted with my good friend, Sean Su, who has recently acquired widespread fame among the locals here in Evanston, Illinois for photographing any and every willing participant who is lucky enough to run into him! His recent budding interest in photography has remarkably and quickly excelled to professional quality, resulting in the portrait on my About Page as well as other exceptional works which you can find on his website.

With some valuable guidance and useful tips, I decided on getting the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7.

When the Lumix finally arrived, I was committed to taking advantage of the camera to the fullest extent. However, despite having used many different cameras in the past, the extent of my competency with this technology ends at using the flash. During my initial failed attempts to toy with aperture and shutter speed settings, I was fortunate enough to meet another brilliant photographer who has become a close friend. Luke Vogelzang  gave me a crash course on the basics, exposing me to his unique style and sharing his profound understanding of the science behind his hobby. As a result, I feel much better equipped moving forward!

Check out my first few shots!

A view of downtown Chicago from the Northwestern lakeside