Why The Olympus Pen is a game changer #1

So you have been searching for information on the Olympus Pen and you’d kind of like to get an all round idea of what it’s like and whether it’s a good buy? This is where I hope I can help you to make that all important decision to make the leap and buy this fantastic little camera.

Why buy an Olympus Pen?

Olympus pen

You may be looking for someone that is speaking your language and lingo when it comes to talking about it. I hope that my take on it and way of explaining things, does indeed speak your language! I hope to be able to make the series engaging and give some good initial pointers for other enthusiasts.

I did a little bit of research before getting the Olympus Pen and I knew that I wanted one smaller than a dslr but yet one with more functions than a compact ‘point and shoot’. A mirrorless camera seemed the obvious choice. Firstly, I won’t deny that I was attracted to the look of the camera with its pretty retro charm. I also love gadgets that are white and this so happened to be a fairly decent piece of kit, so I was immediately sold before it was gifted to me as a surprise. The black is also very cool. I’m a marketeers dream when it comes to designs like this.

Olympus pen

My reason for getting one

Until now, my husband has been behind all of my images and I had wanted for a long time to be able to produce my own shots. He’s a busy man and being a creative sort, he always has millions of projects and ideas on the go, whilst working around his regular job.

So to constantly bother him with my blog stuff, was getting a little annoying (although he will deny it) and time consuming for him, as well as me. I also wanted to be able to move forward at my own pace and keep on top of things, which isn’t really possible when you’re waiting on someone else to produce images for you, particularly for posts that have strict deadlines.

Olympus pen

I also really wanted to exercise my creative flair and sometimes I had ideas for images that I couldn’t quite convey to him, or he just didn’t share my concepts. It was becoming a little frustrating to say the least and I figured that some things, you simply need to produce yourself.

I’ve learnt that you need to find your own style and stay true to it. I take loads of guidance and support but I’ve figured that it’s important to trust your own opinions and eventually you’ll develop an ‘eye’ for things yourself. What is one person’s idea of a good photo, isn’t necessarily anothers.

I see different photography styles everyday on Instagram and although I might think some shots look too over exposed (which I am guilty of sometimes) or too heavily edited, it’s also just my personal preference. Different folks, different strokes! It’s what looks good to you that fundamentally matters, otherwise you just won’t be happy with your images.

Olympus pen

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So back to my mentor. I trust his opinion and he’s pretty good at knowing what’s a good buy and what isn’t. He also knows what he’s talking about when it comes to camera specs and what you need to be using to achieve certain types of shots.

My husband decided to buy the body of the camera separately to the lens, so I didn’t get the kit lens that normally comes with this camera. I have a 45mm lens that is a much better all rounder for me (although it’s a more pricey initial outlay – it’s totally worth it) and a 19mm lens very recently, which has been perfect for shooting flatlays.

I love photos that have the bokeh effect (background blurry) and the 45mm lens is really great for achieving that look on shots.

Olympus pen

Take a look at me being a total non pro on video below! You can see the camera zoomed in closely and I explain a little about what this series will be about. I’d love for you to stick with me…You can subscribe to my blog for the next post or subscribe to my YouTube channel.

If you are already comfortable taking photos and want to learn how to edit them or improve on them, then you might want to see these amazing Photoshop tutorials, courtesy of my husband. He explains exactly what you need to do to improve your photos through a series. He knows his stuff and when he learns something, he learns it back to front. He can’t fathom how people struggle with Photoshop, as his brain doesn’t work in the same way as mine! So if you want a helping hand, check them out.

I’ll be back very soon with some getting started pointers for your Olympus Pen, including the different shooting modes, what I use and getting your head around the menus.