There are thousands of options when it comes to digital cameras. Once you become a mama you quickly realize that you are no Anne Geddes. How you wish you had an extra hand or a super long arm!
When I set up my baby gift registry I had visions of a fancy DSLR, and dreamt of the day I would place my cherubim on meadows covered with wild flowers, I even purchased props from Etsy and visualized my child as crochet pea or wool bear. Those were my aspirations then, my reality now is more in the happy snap phone pic category. The Point & Shoot has become my best friend and I have learned to appreciate the beauty of simplicity in design. When it comes to baby photography less is more.
Recently I set out to purchase a camera as a gift to my cousin Laura. Before I stepping out the door I decided to get some expert guidance. I emailed a good pal of mine who actually earns a living as a photographer. His words of wisdom were very helpful as I tried to pick the perfect camera in a sea of options. This is what I learned:
The features of point & shoot a mama-camera:
- Expendable. Chances are you will drop it or misplace it.
- Easy and quick to turn on and off.
- It has auto-off after a few minutes of non-activity.
- It has a low f/stop lens and it allows a high ISO rating. (This means better flash-free photos indoors).
- Image stabilization feature.
- Independent exposure control for the flash.
- One that has a “kids & pets” setting.
- Fast continuous shooting mode.
- You can control all the features with one hand.
- The surface is easy to wipe clean.
- Long battery life.
- Ergonomic.
A mama-camera is easy to learn, easy to carry and reliable. Look for features instead of price tags. A good way to evaluate the performance of a camera is to visit Flickr and review the camera profiles of your favorite pics.
What about your camera? Is it baby-friendly?
