- Joined
- Aug 27, 2012
- Messages
- 2,289
- Reaction score
- 661
- Location
- Orlando, FL
- Can others edit my Photos
- Photos OK to edit
I got the photography bug 3 years ago, bought a bridge camera, it was a Nikon super zoom. I quickly realized the sensor was too small for what I was trying to accomplish. Also what is the point of zooming in if the photo comes out good enough for your friends to like on facebook, but that's about it. Plus no RAW.
So then I got the Nikon D5300 and starting shooting in RAW. At first I took RAW plus JPEG and I would edit my RAW files the way I wanted to, compared them to the JPEGS, and mine were coming out better....not at first, but eventually.
I paired the D5300 with the Sigma 18-23mm 1.8 Art lens and the Nikon 10-24mm for my real estate photos.
Then I started going to restaurants and telling them that I would photography their food for free, so they can use the photos for their websites, menus, or what ever they wanted.
After 5 restaurants said YES, I took my portfolio of food photos to a local food magazine company and asked them if they would hire me for freelance work for restaurants that were going to be in the magazine. They said...YES.
After 20 of those photo shoots I was able to go to higher end restaurants and ask for and GET more money per job. I now have several jobs lined up for early next year.
My full time job is a Realtor, so I also take the listing photos for my team and a couple of other agents in my office. I recently became really busy with buyers and sellers, so I started to give other agents my "too high price, so I guess you cant hire me". Which is $400 for 25 photos. Well to my surprise, more and more agents were saying YES.
I also brought my residential real estate photos to a commercial real estate company and asked them if they wanted me to take their photos, they said yes, and pay me between $500-$750 for 40 photos. ( These photos are normally all exterior and have the same shooting conditions so I can batch edit and sync them in lightroom, so the editing is quick )
So with my next year looking more and more busy as far as photography goes, I decided to jump on the D7200 today.
A couple things jump out at me right away. First off the shutter sound is....sexy....no other word for it. It makes the D5300 sound like a toy. It feels solid, has a nice deep grip, and just feels more professional in every way.
By the way, I bought the D7200 from a local brick and mortal camera shop. They have great service and gave me a trade in for my D5300 ( which I also bought there ). My D5300 had 35,000 photos taken with it.
OHHHHH before I forget, I also bought a STX PRO 72 tripod! My old tripod now seems like a little toy. The STX is SOLID. No wiggles, no jiggles, nothing. It is ROCK solid. It also could BANG rocks if I needed it to, but for $140, I will try not to bang it in to anything! So now I can chime in on the "What tripod should I get" threads.
So anyway, I am very happy right now and just had to share with you guys.
If anyone is thinking about upgrading to the D7200 or has any questions about it, just let me know and I will give you a real review.
So then I got the Nikon D5300 and starting shooting in RAW. At first I took RAW plus JPEG and I would edit my RAW files the way I wanted to, compared them to the JPEGS, and mine were coming out better....not at first, but eventually.
I paired the D5300 with the Sigma 18-23mm 1.8 Art lens and the Nikon 10-24mm for my real estate photos.
Then I started going to restaurants and telling them that I would photography their food for free, so they can use the photos for their websites, menus, or what ever they wanted.
After 5 restaurants said YES, I took my portfolio of food photos to a local food magazine company and asked them if they would hire me for freelance work for restaurants that were going to be in the magazine. They said...YES.
After 20 of those photo shoots I was able to go to higher end restaurants and ask for and GET more money per job. I now have several jobs lined up for early next year.
My full time job is a Realtor, so I also take the listing photos for my team and a couple of other agents in my office. I recently became really busy with buyers and sellers, so I started to give other agents my "too high price, so I guess you cant hire me". Which is $400 for 25 photos. Well to my surprise, more and more agents were saying YES.
I also brought my residential real estate photos to a commercial real estate company and asked them if they wanted me to take their photos, they said yes, and pay me between $500-$750 for 40 photos. ( These photos are normally all exterior and have the same shooting conditions so I can batch edit and sync them in lightroom, so the editing is quick )
So with my next year looking more and more busy as far as photography goes, I decided to jump on the D7200 today.
A couple things jump out at me right away. First off the shutter sound is....sexy....no other word for it. It makes the D5300 sound like a toy. It feels solid, has a nice deep grip, and just feels more professional in every way.
By the way, I bought the D7200 from a local brick and mortal camera shop. They have great service and gave me a trade in for my D5300 ( which I also bought there ). My D5300 had 35,000 photos taken with it.
OHHHHH before I forget, I also bought a STX PRO 72 tripod! My old tripod now seems like a little toy. The STX is SOLID. No wiggles, no jiggles, nothing. It is ROCK solid. It also could BANG rocks if I needed it to, but for $140, I will try not to bang it in to anything! So now I can chime in on the "What tripod should I get" threads.
So anyway, I am very happy right now and just had to share with you guys.
If anyone is thinking about upgrading to the D7200 or has any questions about it, just let me know and I will give you a real review.
Last edited:
![[No title]](/data/xfmg/thumbnail/34/34128-13fc5c1fff2d14776c9fae00b71ea084.jpg?1619736299)
