Photography – The DSLR Alternative

Cathedral of Barcelona, Barcelona (surprisingly)

Since starting this blog in 2009, I’ve developed a growing interest in photography. When I started out, there were few blogs on the scene using ‘proper’ cameras. Most fashion blogs displayed dark, grainy photos taken on a basic point and shoot, usually from a wonky angle and with a delightful ‘messy bedroom’ background. Back then, I thought ‘DSLR’ was London’s overground tube line.

But as blogging became more popular, standards began to rise and suddenly everyone was toting a Canon 500D alongside their Alexa. And I started to think more about my photos. I upgraded to a Canon G11, then a Canon 500D (cliché alert!). I learnt about ISO and depth of field and composition (no more messy bedroom… in the photos, anyway). You can read my photography ‘journey’ here.

Clifford’s Tower, York | Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, Barcelona

So, we know photography is important. Great photos make for beautiful, eye-catching blog posts. Stories are brought to life with the help of clear, well-composed photos.

But do you need a big, bulky camera to do it?

Not always!

I was sent the Panasonic Lumix XS1 to review a few weeks ago, and after taking it around Barcelona, on a few nights out and on a day trip to York, I can confirm that I’m in love. It’s about the size of my iPhone but packs a real photography punch – if you’re interested in the specs, that’s 16.1 megapixels, a 5x optical zoom and HD video capabilities.

Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, Barcelona | Top of Montjuïc, Barcelona | Cathedral of Barcelona, Barcelona

I adore my Canon, but it’s a gigantic pain to lug around everywhere. So this little slip of a thing – slim and light enough to fit in my pocket – is a literal weight off my shoulders.

Of course, the picture quality is better on the Canon – as it should be, with the size of those lenses – but the Lumix captures scenes beautifully. I love the ‘shoot-and-go’ aspect of small cameras – no faffing with lenses or exposure levels or aperture. The Lumix has an ‘Intelligent Auto’ setting which adapts to different lighting, meaning I can shoot inside a dark and moody church and walk straight out to capture a sunny day.

Flowers in my living room | Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, Barcelona

The Lumix won’t replace my Canon, but it will replace my iPhone. The DSLR is perfect for blog photos, but when I’m out and about I rarely take it with me. I rely on my iPhone to snap things that interest me, but unless I’m after an Instagram shot, I can see this little beauty becoming my on-the-go camera of choice. Particularly on nights out – if there’s one thing I need more of, it’s photos of me and my friends drunkenly singing karaoke.

What kind of camera do you use?

FYI – All the photos in this post were taken with the Lumix XS1 (apart from the one of the camera itself, which was taken with a Canon 500D) in case you didn’t figure that out! I was sent the Lumix XS1 to review but was not paid for this post.