Probably the second most asked question I get, next to “what camera to buy”, is “what lens should I get?”

Ok, you’ve had your digital SLR for a while now, your really getting into photography and are starting to realize that the lens that came with your camera just isn’t cutting it anymore or it is holding you back in some way.

Maybe you’re the person who is looking to buy your first SLR and are a bit confused about the whole thing. Do I get that lens that comes with it or not?

I can remember the first lens upgrade I got. I was all excited because it covered a large focal length range. I think it was a 28-200mm f/5.6 – and it was really inexpensive. Trust those that have learned the hard way, in photography, you get what you pay for. There is a reason why that first lens I got was inexpensive and there is a reason why you are unsatisfied with the lens that came with your camera.

If you’re the one looking to buy a new SLR and think you will take this new hobby serious, read these helpful tips before you buy.

If you’re the one ready to upgrade and aren’t sure what to do, I think this will help.

The most important thing you’re not considering…

Speed – The lenses that come bundled with new SLR’s these days are considered ‘slow’ lenses. Speed refers to the maximum aperture of the lens – or how much light is let in. There is plenty of info on the web that can go into the details of f/stops, so I won’t go into that. Fast lenses, or lenses with a maximum f/stop of at leased f/2.8, are always pretty expensive – but not all of them. Fast lenses are also considered ‘pro’ lenses vs consumer. Speed in a lens is one of the most important things to a pro photographer. That is why you will never see a pro using a lens with an f/stop of f/4 or f/5.6 and up. To me, the lens is more important than your camera choice.

Fast lenses have better optics. Again, there is a lot of complicated technical info on the web about this, but that is why a fast lens is expensive and the one that came with your SLR isn’t. With fast lenses you get better, sharper, more colorful images out of the gate. Buying a more expensive camera does not equal better images, it just give you more control. But buying a better lens does give you better images.

A lot of times camera companies will have promotional stuff on a new entry level SLR and will show the examples from a famous photographer from that exact camera. What they don’t point out is what lens they used. I just went on the Nikon website where it did just that. They showed these amazing photographs, gave the exact details of the camera used, and not one thing about the lens. I guarantee you, that they would have highlighted the lens, if it were on that came with the camera.

I say, don’t buy the lens that comes with the camera. It’s never a good lens and when you realize that you really like photography and want to upgrade, you will realize that there is no resale market for that lens.

So what do you buy? Anything fast! I’m a big fan of people starting out buying a 50mm f/1.4. This so-called “normal” lens will help you develop key photography skills like composition and will work in pretty much every situation. And it’s only $400 or so. There are a lot of pros that only use one fixed focal length (no zoom) or prime lens. In photography they say, if your photos aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough. This is probably the most important thing to remember in photojournalism.

Here is the thing. These fast lenses will have some sticker shock. Most, if not all are worth way more than entry level and even prosumer SLR’s. But you will have that lens forever and really never need to upgrade it. I am still using my same 50mm f/1.4, 24mm f/2.8, 85mm f/1.4 that I’ve had for nearly 20 years. If I ever wanted to sell them, there is a resale market for them.

So just to recap, yes, there are many lenses that I love, and it’s hard to choose just one. But I would go with either one fast prime lens and really pour into your photographic approach, composition, exposure, etc… (around $400-$500). It’s really good to force yourself to use only one focal length. I do it all the time. Or I would go with a medium fast zoom, like a 28-70mm f/2.8 (around $1300).

Questions? Email me at micah at micahalbert.com

In today’s digital age, everyone can be a photographer and with falling prices of digital cameras, anyone can afford to turn his formerly known expensive hobby into a career. So how do you make that leap and distinguish yourself as a talented and creative photographer from “just a guy or gal with a camera?” Well, that’s just it, don’t leap, ease into it.

Darfur Refugee Camp

I’m constantly in contact with people emailing me about this sort of thing and this is primarily intended for those who have some experience with photography and journalism but are looking to gain more experience and improve their skills. To be honest, most freelancers or independents, are still trying to figure this stuff out as well. Especially with the rules of journalism and new-media looking different every day, so take this all with a grain of salt - the key is to find what’s right for you.

1. Keep you full-time job –

Freelancing is a great opportunity and many people desire to be able to set their own hours and work from home. But earning a living as a freelancer can be difficult if not impossible and usually involves taking some sort of risk. Furthermore, some folks find out that they really don’t like freelancing. Obviously, it’s better to find this out when you still have your job.

Working your full=time job and freelancing in your spare time can take a lot of sacrifice and discipline but it will help you to try out part-time and build up your contacts and business before quitting your job. With a full-time job, you have the luxury of taking on projects that are a good fit for you vs. taking the first thing that comes your way because of the pressure to make money immediately. This way you can be strategic and prioritize your learning and development.

2. Set up a basic portfolio site –

Having a quality portfolio site is one of the best things you can do to get your foot in the door and showing your work. This assumes that you have quality work to include in the portfolio. If your just getting started, you may need to put your time in before you invest in the portfolio.

A Flickr or some other photo-sharing site does not count! You will not be taken seriously by showing your work on these types of sites. The thing is, there is a standard that folks in the industry are accustomed to and anything outside of that just is looked at as unprofessional.

The cleaner the better. If it’s tough to navigate or has too much fancy Flash elements built in, editors just won’t look at it. You need to have a solid online portfolio and carefully choose what viewers will see and in what order. We used to present actual portfolios that we spent months or years working on to editors and decision makers and we would scrutinize the 15 images we put in and in what order. This has not changed and it needs to be handled the exact same way. Less is more.

I haven’t used them, but know folks that use Livebooks.com to set up their website.

Take a look at these sites to get an idea of good portfolios…

http://www.witnessreportage.com/

http://www.lynseyaddario.com/

http://72.32.9.12/~smurphy/

3. Prioritize experience over income -

As you decide to pursue projects, place more emphasis on your learning, development and networking as opposed to just taking something that pays. This may include working for local and regional non-profits who could really use the work or working on personal projects that don’t produce any income. Getting experience is key for you at this point.

4. Work on your own projects –

Every new photojournalist seems to struggle finding relevant topics to pursue. Some of the best and well-known issue-based photo essays published have come from established photojournalists working on personal projects. Usually that personal project came about by having a special insight into something or seeing a reoccurring theme that needed to be highlighted or a topic that was under covered.

Thinking this way is the new way, so get used to it. I went to Yemen because I was personally interested in global food security issues. I followed the issue closely and did what I could to know everything I could about the subject.

What do you know well? I’m sure there is something in your region that has some interest. Do you have a local paper left in your town or city? What are they covering? Use them as a springboard for ideas. But take it further. Don’t think locally; think regionally, nationally, or globally.

Always, always, always ask yourself the “so what” question. When you come up with a potential story and can answer the “so what” question, that  is where your audience to your story is.

5. Re-Invest the money you make –

One of the reasons that freelancing is a possibility is that it requires very little financial investment. However there will be times that you will need to spend money on new equipment or software to take you to that next level. If there are things actually preventing you from doing a better job, then you need to have a plan that enables you to progress as a professional.

6. Don’t forget about taxes –

It’s a good idea to keep your freelancing income separated from your other money is that you may wind up with taxes that are higher than expected. You don’t wan to have to unexpectedly dip into your personal accounts when the IRS asks for its money.

Try using some Mint. I don’t know if you know about this site or not yet, but it has changed my life and I highly recommend using it. www.mint.com. You will be able see all your accounts in one place and with it keep better track of your expenses and income.

7. Stand by your rates –

It can be uncomfortable, when you’re getting started, to be charging high rates. But you need to be charging some or having some sort of trade. Just don’t give away your work. Professionals are used to this and it will be expected. It’s also good to be upfront with clients about where you are currently at in your career and progression. There are plenty of businesses out there that only want to hire newbie’s – sometimes they can get a lot of value this way.

8. Read –

Today, it’s requires much more than just knowing how to operate a camera. Don’t ever forget that the camera is just a tool. No one hires a writer because he knows how to hold a pen just right or has good penmanship. The pen is just a tool for an end result. So is the camera.

Being a good photographer is a baseline. What are you above and beyond that? Editors don’t use the best and well-known photojournalists of our day simply because they know how to take a good photo. They have gotten that job because they know their stuff, they know the region, they know the people. Editors are not looking for another person who can take a pretty picture. They are looking for people who can find the story, highlight why it matters to their audience, operate in that particular environment and then deliver a product with a unique perspective time and again.

Become an expert in something. Consume all the reading you can on it. Know it in and out. Then approach editors on the story and that way you can offer your unique knowledge and your photographs.

9. Network –

In today’s market, learning how to sell your work is just as important as how to create it. Research shows that it takes 6-8 times for an editor to see your work and correlate it to your name. How often are you hitting the pavement, the phone, and sending emails – don’t hope that some editor is going to call you out of the blue and offer you an assignment because they saw a photo of yours somewhere. You need to be strategic about being strategic. Set goals. Get a mentor. Put in the necessary time and expect way more rejection than support – it’s part of the game.

If you live on the West Coast, sorry, but it’s the wrong one for networking. You need to get yourself to New York, London, and D.C. and spend some time networking in that environment.

10. Plan for differentiation –

As you advance in your progression, always be thinking about how you will differentiate yourself. You want to develop a stamp to your work. So that when people see it, it becomes recognizable. This is what will lead you to getting under the umbrella of a photo agency.

Image Retrospective: Gettysburg, PA

A few weeks before I left for Chad, my parents, Lindsey and I went to Gettysburg, PA for a few days. This shot is taken of Lindsey on a early morning run through the park.

Whenever we go some place, I’m always looking for images that can be used in the travel industry or some thing similar. With the case of Lindsey being a runner, I’ve always got an opportunity to use her as a subject in these type of images. I think this is the third photo of her published in Runners World. The key to the approach at large is to make the image interesting and yet somewhat generic. Editors want striking images but sometimes the image will be used somewhat out of context. The Patagonia catalogs used to do this really well; show a subject that relatively matched the text but neither was dependent upon each other - the image only added to the overall layout look.

What caught my eye as she was running was the obviously the diagonal warm sun rays cutting through the forest. The problem, was that this light wasn’t happening everywhere, it was only in a few spots, where moisture collected in the low parts of the land. Also, there was so much clutter because of the forest, that I really needed to simplify the image somehow. I ended up using a 200mm f/2 because I really wanted to compress as much of that very 3D space and light so it really popped. With a normal lens or wide, the many layers in this image would have been too dispersed through its depth of field.

I recommend using long glass when you want to place your subject in the context. I carry the extra weight even when I go backpacking, that’s how important it is. Use a long lens, and back way up. Start looking at your subject through this perspective and eventually you will be able to see these moments come together without looking through the view finder.

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The UNFPA is using another batch of images surrounding population dynamics and climate change on their current website.

This particular image, used on their current home page, was taken in the dusty cattle camps of southern Sudan. The woman in the photo was gathering and spreading burned  cow manure so that later on those in that village could spread it on their bodies to provide protection from the sun and ever-present tsetse flies.

To give you some context, here are a few other images taken on that assignment. Some you may be familiar with, others I haven’t shown before.

My web portfolio was recently highlighted on the website Onextrapixel.com with 34 other very talented photographers.

It has a good into section that I recommend going over ‘Personal Traits of Becoming a Successful Photographer’ such as,

• Preparing Yourself
• Formal Photography Education or Qualifacation
• Working Up Your Rank
• Choosing the Perfect Master
• Passion Vs. Income
• Vision Talents
• Stand Firm on Your Beliefs

Image Retrospective: Lake Como, Italy

For those of you that have been to my house, you’ve seen this in printed version hanging on my wall. It’s always been one of my favorites images I’ve shot in Europe. Lindsey and I spent a few weeks together in Switzerland, Italy and Germany just traveling and visiting good family friends in eastern Switzerland, back in 2004. This was a very transitional time in digital technology and I wish I could have shot this either three years before or three years after. This was shot with a Nikon D100, which at the time Nikon only had 2 or 3 digital SLR’s, and the digital cameras then just didn’t have the tonal latitude like they do now, rendering a lot of noise in the shadows.

But, regardless of the noise, I still think it’s a strong travel genre photo.

The hotel we were staying at was right on the lake and we were walking back there after dinner and were lucky enough to have this beautiful sunset. This photo would not work if the boats were not in it. Having a pattern element in your travel photography is key - and so is lighting. I’ve got photos of this lake in the middle of the day and they are boring and pedestrian.

I say wait for the right light, don’t force what isn’t there. Do your sightseeing when the light isn’t so good, all the while scouting where you want to be when the light does get good. I remember walking by this spot earlier in the day and making a mental note of it. Later that evening, Lindsey and I were sitting in an nice outdoor trattoria, when the light started to shift. I remembered that this spot was pretty close and did what I could to finish dinner and get to this spot.

When ever you are shooting landscapes, don’t just think about the obvious elements of what make up the image. Think about how that place or scene makes you feel. What kind of emotions does it conjure up? Then figure out how to match that onto film.

As part of my commitment to be a better photojournalist in my own life, I included the ‘Daily Life’ category a while back. So, in keeping with that commitment, I couldn’t help include photos from Norah’s first bath. and as you can imagine, ‘daily life’ looks a lot different these days. So get used to seeing more photos of our parenting adventures.