GENTRY -- The Eagle Watch Nature Trail is coming to life with spring flowers and opportunities to view birds and other wildlife on SWEPCO Lake and in the surrounding woodlands and fields.
And it's not necessary to spend thousands of dollars on a camera and lenses to get some good results photographing the plants, birds and animals there. There are many point-and-shoot type cameras with built-in zoom lenses which can give a photographer on a budget some good up-close shots.
The photos with this article were all taken on a brief visit to the trail (less than an hour) with a Canon PowerShot SX730 HS, a pocket-sized camera with a 40x zoom lens, which can be purchased for about $400. That's far less than a quality single-lens-reflex camera body and far, far less than the cost of lenses one would need to cover the same wide-angle to telephoto spectrum to go with it.
Of course, if one is seeking to take professional photos for print magazines or poster-size prints, spending thousands and thousands of dollars on equipment might be a necessity. But, if one is just taking photos to post online or print in smaller sizes like 8x10 or even 11x14, a far-less-expensive option might be more in order, especially if one has other bills to pay. And, in addition to saving some money, it's a lot easier to carry with you, even if you do spend another $20 on a monopod to help steady your shots.
The important thing is to take your time and watch carefully for photo opportunities and then to know how to use your camera's settings to achieve good results in a variety of situations.
General News on 04/19/2018