The Start of My Photography Journey

This is the start of my photography journey. I am keeping this blog as a journal so that I will not give up on my goal to become a great photographer. Here, I will document the resources I have found, what I courses I am taking to learn about owning my own photography business, and of course, what equipment I use. I am not great at blogging and my grammar is terrible, so I will keep a lot of my stories short and use as many bullet points and links as I can.


Let’s start at the beginning of this journey, why did I chose the name “Of The Snow”? My last name DellaNeve means, “Of The Snow” in Italian, “della neve”. I am getting married in October of 2021 and I plan to take my fiancé’s name, but I wanted to keep “Of The Snow” in my life, long after my name changes. A lot of my family members also use “Of The Snow” in their professional lives, like my talented cousin Rocco Of The Snow. You can listen to his music here if you are interested! 


What I am using to start out:


As a photographer on a very limited budget, I can’t afford to have the best equipment. Many photographers I know have a Canon Mark IV, but if you are someone like me, you don’t have the money for a $2,000 camera yet. I will say, starting out in photography is easier if you can save for some good quality items. Whether you are a hobbyist or trying to a start business, photography is expensive. Invest in what you can now and save for what you want later, but don’t over spend.


I am currently taking an online class that is hosted by Jessica Whitaker Photography. There are so many photographers out there that offer online classes and some even do them through YouTube for free. I have not completed the course, but so far I find her guidance very helpful. She gives a lot of examples of what she did when starting out, provides budget alternatives for equipment and even gives business templates. If you are interested in the course, you can see it here


Some of the equipment I am starting with:


Canon 80D - while this is not a full frame camera, this had many great reviews for photographers that wanted to upgrade from a Ti series. I had a Canon T3i, before I got my Canon 80D. It is a great improvement from the CanonT3i. Is it the best? No. Does it get the job done? Absolutely. This is a great link that helps compare the Canon 80D, Canon 7Ti and Canon Mark IV.


Canon 50mm f/1.8 Lens - I love this lens. It is an amazing lens to start out with and it is a really reasonable price. It is a great lens for portrait photos. 


Brevité Jumper Photo Backpack - I have to be honest. I bought this bag because of an instagram ad, but I am so happy I did because it is great. It is light weight and I can easily fit my camera, my computer, a change of clothes, chargers, extra lens and other small accessories. It is a smaller bag with a camera pouch, but I would say that I can fit 2 lens, a flash and my camera in it.


Sigma 35mm F1.4 Lens - I just got this lens in the mail today and I am really excited to try it out. I did so much research before I decided to get it. Many photographers recommend it, but I know some that have used it and still prefer a Canon lens over it. Here is a link that might help you decide which one to go with.

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