**Please note; the Sony links temporarily don’t work.  Please CLICK HERE to see What’s in a Camera Bag for a Beginner?!

I have some really fun news to share this morning!

Sony invited me to write a blog post for their official Sony Style blog on the topic of what a beginner’s camera bag should have. The Sony Style blog…not just the Digital Imaging department, but the whole Sony Style umbrella blog…I was pretty excited! It is a huge honor, and I had a blast doing it!

Many of you have asked me what type of camera gear a beginner should have. If you haven’t invested in a camera or lens before, this post is for YOU! I talk about what gear I use to capture images like this (doesn’t he look sad!);

In the midst of working on this piece, I got a fantastic email from one of our wonderful blog readers (yes, I read them all! 🙂 Sometimes I get over 100 a day, and even though I can’t respond to everyone I still love hearing from you!). I had to share this email in particular b/c her enthusiasm will tickle you too! I know a lot of you will relate to the freedom and excitement she’s feeling!

Hi Me Ra!

I just wanted to say THANK YOU. I’ve been reading your blog for awhile, and have been growing more and more in love with photography since having a baby girl about 16 months ago. I decided I might like to pursue it further, but knew I wanted a better camera (I just had a decent point & shoot). Then, I found out I was pregnant, which is always the perfect excuse to get a better camera, right? Anyway, I decided to get the Sony a330…seriously just based on your reviews and recommendations. I figured that your photos are amazing, and if you are using a Sony, then Sony must be amazing too. I just got it today and I LOVE it. I am so glad I followed your advice…I did get 3 different Sony lenses, and one of them goes down to a 1.8 aperture. Oh my gosh – I am thrilled! I love the blurry background!!

So, I know that I’m still a novice, but I’m so impressed with my photos that I just randomly took today with my new camera. No special photo shoot or anything…just shots of my girl. And, I barely did any editing on them. If you want to check them out, they are here: http://viewpointimages.wordpress.com/2009/08/11/first-pictures/.

THANK YOU!!!
Kellie O’Brien
www.viewpointimages.com

Check out Kellie’s photos by following her blog links! This is her first DSLR camera. Before the Sony a330, she only had a point and shoot camera. She took the Sony Alpha 330 right out of the box, put the slick sliding scale to use for the lowest aperture, and captured those sweet photos! I’m so FREAKING EXCITED for her! A big congrats Kellie! Girl, you are doing GREAT!!!

To read the rest of my Sony Blog post, CLICK HERE! And if you feel so inspired, leave them a comment! 🙂

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The Minneapolis Workshop is off to a FANTASTIC start! In the first 24 hrs. we are almost half full! I can’t wait to meet these beautiful women! Want to join us? If you register before August 31st, you get 20% off!! To find out more details and get yourself a spot, CLICK HERE!

Our Refuse to Say Cheese DVD series is continuing to grow, faster than we know what to do with! If you haven’t ordered your own copy yet, check out our popular Instructional DVDs Refuse to Say Cheese and Beyond the Green Box (They are BACK IN STOCK!! Yeah!!), our 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, click on the titles of your choice!