Hi. I’m Teryani Riggs, a multi-genre photographer based in the Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA.
I first became enamored with photography when I bought a little Olympus point-and-shoot around 2005. That little camera took the most extraordinary photos – it’s like there was a “ghost in the machine.”
I started with everyday stuff and moved on to nature, landscapes, and travel photography. I have done everything from shooting the illustrations for a book set in the 1600s to portrait and event photography and photojournalism.
When I finally outgrew that lovely little camera, I moved on to an Olympus E-520. I’m an avid backpacker and traveler, so I wanted something small enough to lug around on multi-day backpacking trips.
For better or worse, the Olympus E-520 didn’t have a ghost in the machine, nor the Nikon D7000, which I had transitioned to. Suddenly, I had to understand how to take good photos, not just let the camera do it for me!
In 2017, my entire Nikon D7000 kit went missing, including two new lenses. I was devastated and uninsured.
I tried the Nikon D7200, but I didn’t like it, so I finally decided to bite the bullet and get the camera I wanted: The Sony A7 III, which had just been released.
This was the start of my love affair with the Sony A7 III.
I also have an Olympus TG-6, which is compact, fast, waterproof, dustproof, and freeze-proof.
I live a fairly low-income existence, so the two thousand dollars spent on the Sony was crazy high for me. The only lens I could afford then was the Sony 50mm f/1.8, on sale for two hundred dollars.
Still, I was over the moon. The image quality of my photos skyrocketed immediately, and many people on my social media accounts exclaimed that my photography suddenly looked professional!
My next priority was a wide-angle lens for my landscape photography, so a year or so later, I managed to afford the Sony 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS at an open box price.
By then, I was getting hired for different photography gigs – renting lenses when I needed to – and found that I appreciated the versatility of the Sony 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G OSS, which I managed to procure at an even better open-box price.
I know it’s not the fastest or the most spectacular, but this humble lens has performed surprisingly well at various tasks. I’ve used it for everything from portraits and group shots to event and wildlife photography.
It never would have occurred to me to invest in it had I not tried it out several times first.
That three-lens kit held me for quite a while, partially because I have to save up for long periods to afford new glass but also because most of the focal ranges I use were covered.
In the past few years, I added the Sigma 70mm f/2.8 DGMacro and the Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 DG NG to my kit. I got both of them on sale for fantastic prices.
While I’ve managed to do some pleasing macro work with the Sigma 70mm, I’d get the Sigma 105mm f/2.8 Macro if I had to do it again.
The Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN, on the other hand, is fantastic. It’s as if there’s another “ghost in the machine.” It takes simply magical photos with little effort on my part.
It’s now the lens that lives on my Sony A7 III, and I paid just over six hundred dollars. A real bargain!
Over the years of doing gear reviews, my kit has grown. My favorite travel tripod so far is the Ulanzi & Comen F38. It’s tiny, super light, and quite tall. There’s a bit of mid-column wobble, which wasn’t there in the beginning, but other than that, I love it for my landscape, cityscape, and macro photography.
My most recent use of it was for the Northern Lights, which made a rare appearance last week at my home. You can see those shots on my blog.
I have two speedlight systems right now. The Westcott FJ80se is exceptionally well-made and well-priced based on what it offers, and I love the company. I also love the accessory kit that I got to go with it!
The Godox V1 Pro is a bit bulkier but works well with my new Godox AD600 Pro, so it’s the one I’ve been using most lately. I’m enjoying taking strobe photography out of the studio and into the street.
I mostly use the PolarPro ND Filters for waterscapes. When I was shooting with my Nikon D7000, I had a 10-stop ND filter, but it had a strong color cast.
The Peter McKinnon ND filter has virtually no color cast, is adjustable six to nine stops, and is of fantastic quality. I haven’t been shooting as many waterscapes lately, but I’m grateful to have it in my kit.
I also have a step-up ring and a polarizing filter, all used on my Sony 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS.
I have several different means of carrying my camera while shooting, though I frequently just hold it in my hand.
When shooting events or portraits, I often wear a Spider Camera Holster. I love it for anything up to four hours, even when I need to move around a lot.
My camera strap is from WANDRD, and I like it, though I often find myself not bothering with it. I lost my Peak Design Slide Camera Strap some time ago, which was sad.
I also have the Peak Design Capture Clip, which I use when backpacking and skiing with no easy access to a bag.
I keep my camera in my Lowepro Photosport BP 24L AW III Camera Bag when hiking or running around town. I love this bag and use it for everything. It’s tiny, yet it holds everything I need for shoots that require one to three lenses.
The camera access is quick and easy and negates the need for a clip or holster system.
The camera cube holds my Sony A7 III with the attached 70-300mm lens and my Sony 16-35mm lens. I can drop a speedlight or an extra lens in the main compartment if necessary. It’s the camera bag I use most of the time.
That’s it for me on gear.
Credit : Source Post
