3 questions to ask yourself before buying a camera

My trusty Canon sd870 which went everywhere with me and served me quite well for a couple years.  This is its burial photo.  

What kind of camera should I buy?  

I get asked this question A LOT.  So I thought I should address it here.  

There are a TON of cameras out there.  To help you narrow down your search you should ask yourself these 3 questions.  

1.  What do I want to use this camera for?

Defining WHY you want a camera is an important step.  

If you want a camera just to share the events of your life with family members on the internet, you probably don’t need the most expensive DSLR camera for that.  An smart phone like an iphone might be the best camera for you because of its easy integration to facebook and twitter.  

But if you are wanting to take landscape shots and print them 30x40” an iphone probably won’t do the trick.  You will need a high megapixel DSLR to be getting the quality to print that large.

Identifying the main reason you want a camera is an important step.  

2.  What is my budget?

This is a good determining factor too.  You can want the most expensive DSLR all day but if you only have $500 budgeted than you should NOT go into debt to buy a $3000 camera.  

Also don’t forget to include the cost of some necessary camera accessories.  

3.  What are my friends using?

No you’re not going to buy a camera to fit in with your friends but... if your friends have canon cameras and you buy a canon, then your friends should be able to give you first hand knowledge when you have a question.  Or if you have a Nikon DSLR you might be able to borrow and trade lenses with other Nikon users for a weekend to see what other lenses are like before you make the investment to buy one. 

What else do you think are necessary considerations when buying a camera?  

Honolulu Hawaii Family Photographer | 2012.03.27 - Colleen and her kids!

Colleen and three of her children are here in Hawaii volunteering with a non profit in Honolulu.  She wanted some photos taken at the Japanese gardens on the University of Hawaii Campus and we gladly obliged!  

Thank you Colleen for the opportunity to photograph part of your family!  We hope these serve as a memory of the amazing time you and your kids had in Hawaii! - Jim Baker

Honolulu Hawaii Photographer | 2012.03.22 - Hawaiian Flora

All photos are available for purchase as large prints.  Please contact us if you are interested.

Here are a few photos from this morning after it rained. 


Hawaii's state flower is the Hibiscus.  


We have two hibiscus trees pretty close to where we live.  It rains here a lot in the Manoa valley, but sometimes the best time to get out and take photos is right after it rains! 


What's your favorite flower? Tell us in the comments!  

3 Reasons why you should be using INSTAGRAM!

Instagram | Waikiki, Hawaii | Iphone3gs 

I recently started using instagram.  I’ve downloaded this app a few different times before actually signing up and using it.  What sold me this time is a good friend of mine told me it was like facebook without all of the complaining.  I was sold.  

Instagram is an app for your  iphone.  I don't know if it works on other smart phones or not, I assume it does.  I have an old iphone 3gs that I don’t use as a phone anymore, so its my glorified Ipod touch.

Here are 3 reasons why you should be using instagram if you can.  

Using Instragram will... 

1.  get you exercising your photographic mind.  

Instagram is fun, so you’ll be taking photos a lot more and THINKING about taking photos more.  Subconsciously you will be asking yourself, what is interesting around me that I can take a photo of and share?  Practice makes perfect so this is a great way to get you working, thinking and developing your photographic eye.  It will even help you improve on simple composition.  

2.  put you in community with other photographers.  

Instagram is a COMMUNITY, so you will be following other photographers.  You will be exposed to some great photography and creativity.  Seeing other peoples work always serves as an inspiration and is a great way to get your creativity flowing!  

3.  allow you to share your life in a fun visual way.  

Instagram is a fun way to share what is going on in your life with other people.  What good are your photos if no one sees them?  You can sync it to Facebook and Twitter so you can easily share what you are doing with your social network.  


Did I mention it's FUN?!  Photography should always be FUN!  

Do you instagram?  Leave your instagram name in the comments and follow us! --> @jimjessbaker

Honolulu Hawaii Photographer | 2012.03.15 - Walk Around the University of Hawaii

Aloha!  First post from HAWAII!  
We are living in Honolulu and we are just a 5 minute walk from University of Hawaii's Manoa Campus.  Jess and I along with our friend Krista took a morning photo walk yesterday.  These are my 4 favorites from the walk.  

All photos are available for purchase as large prints.  Please contact us if you are interested.     

ABOUT US

Well hello, we're Jim and Jess Baker and we're the BAKERS photography.  

We have been married since August 2009.  

We like capturing authentic moments, real expressions and genuine interaction.  

We use canon cameras and edit using adobe products on a mac.  

Jim has been doing photography since 1997 and completed an intensive 3 month photography course in Hawaii in 2008.  Jim does most of the photographing and editing and Jess assists and does an awesome job of making sure our clients are comfortable.  She's also a really talented photographer, but she's shy and won't tell you that.  


If you want to know more about us on a personal level you can check out our personal blog.  

The Bakers Photography Pricing

We want to custom build the perfect photography package for YOU!  Please CONTACT US for a quote!

Family Portrait packages start at $350.

Senior Portrait packages start at $275.

All Day Wedding Coverage starts at $2500.

We also do event photography, and corporate and nonprofit work.  Contact us with your needs and we will give you a quote!

We look forward to serving you!

the BAKERS photography