As a photographer, I get asked for camera recommendations all the time and, unless someone is trying to break into a niche area like wildlife or sports, my answer is pretty consistent. For the purpose of this article, I am assuming that:

1. You are not trying to break  the bank and
2. This may be your first foray into the world of DSLRs

First off, you have to accept that there is a learning curve and the payoff is worth it. If you don’t want to learn how to use a proper camera, don’t try to cut corners and buy a digital point-and-shoot, just use your phone. Seriously, your smartphone has comparable technology and it has one major advantage; it is always with you. A lot of photography is about capturing moments and your camera phone makes that a lot easier.

Tips for Buying Your First DSLR

Okay, now that we have that established let’s talk about DSLRs. Full disclosure, I am a Nikon man, but when it comes to recommendations I am agnostic. Stick with Nikon or Canon and you won’t go wrong.

It’s Not the Camera… It’s the Lens

The main thing you need to remember is that the camera is not necessarily the investment… The glass (lenses) that you acquire over time are the investment. Camera bodies come and go and the moving parts have a shelf life just like an automobile, but a lens that is well cared for will last you a lifetime. When you buy a camera and start to buy lenses, you are committing to that brand’s lens ecosystem. Lenses are not swappable between brands. The availability of used Nikon and Canon lenses is huge, so I would definitely stick to one of these brands.

For your first DLSR, I would look at used models on Amazon as they will be covered by a basic warranty. As of the time of this publication, you can get great starter models for under $350. For example, the Canon EOS Rebel T5 is listed as low as $320 used with a lens.

Canon EOS Rebel T5

For a little more money you can get increased image quality with the Nikon D3300. It is listed currently at $395 used with a lens.

Nikon D3300

In Your Blog Photography Prime: Why You Want Prime Lenses

The lenses these cameras come with are okay, but what really makes these cameras shine is a nice prime lens. You know those portraits you love with the subject nice and sharp in the foreground and a blurry background? Those were taken with a large aperture prime lens and you can get one at a very reasonable price. The Nikon 35mm 1.8 lens can be bought used for $155. These lenses offer the shallow depth of field I mentioned earlier and the added bonus of performing much much better in low light.

Nikon 35mm 1.8

The combination of your new DSLR and this lens will allow you to create the images you have been drooling over on your favorite foodie blog. The kit lens the DSLR comes with will be okay but a nice prime lens will ease a lot of frustration.

What DOESN’T Matter?

You probably noticed that I didn’t spend any time talking about specs and megapixels. They really don’t matter. A decent DSLR, a nice lens, and practice is all you need to create amazing images.

Have you taken your blog’s photography to the next level? Are there any DSLR and lens-buying tips you’d like to share? We’d love to hear from you in the comments!

The post Best Cameras For Bloggers appeared first on AmpliFound.

1.) Planning takes the pressure off – Coming up with blog topics on the spot can be frustrating. If you plan your topics out in advance, you can spend more time writing. Not only will this will make the writing process smoother, but you’ll also be less likely to dread looming deadlines.

2.) Take advantage of seasonality – Seasonality is bound to be a factor no matter what your niche or subject matter. Do you write about the holidays or annual events? If so, a good portion of your editorial calendar may already be done. Once you have these posts scheduled out, you can round out the remainder of your calendar with less timely topics.

3.) Have a purpose – I cannot stress this one enough: you should have strategy behind your blog and tactics in place to support that strategy. For example, in your purpose column you may have “rank for SEO keywords,” “earn social shares,” or simply “build trust with existing audience.” Whatever the goal is, it will be easier to craft strategies for and achieve a goal if it’s clearly defined.

4.) Track what matters – This one is easy because there is no fudging–it just comes down to numbers. Add columns for what is most important to you. That may be page views, Facebook likes, Twitter shares, email sign-ups, or product sales. Whatever your key performance indicators are, add them to your editorial calendar so you can keep track of your metrics in one place.

5.) Refine & iterate – For me this is the most important reason to have an editorial calendar. Look through the data for your previous posts to see what your audience responded to – and what they didn’t – to help you plan out future topics. Did a post fall flat or get a negative reaction? Avoid that topic next time. Conversely, if a blog goes viral or spikes in page views, you can learn from that success and build upon it. Your audience shouldn’t always dictate what you write about, but if reaching more people is important to you, pay attention to their engagement and learn from it.

The post 5 Stellar Reasons Why You Need an Editorial Calendar appeared first on AmpliFound.