What is the Essence of Bohemian Photography?

If you drop everything when you see wild flowers blowing in the wind, you may suffer from bohofotemia – bohemian photography.

Being excited about capturing unique beauty from the vantage of a lens is something that we get really giddy about. The activity of exploring the earth and her inhabitants through a camera lens comes from a strong desire to share what we have seen with everyone else. After all, have you ever been walking through the woods only to discover a field of beautiful flowers. It takes your breath away. You go home and take your brother out to see it the very next day. No flowers can be found anywhere. What happened to them?

By capturing photos of once in a lifetime moments, we can share them with everyone. And, that was a true story, by the way.

The Bohemian Photographer

Bohemian photographers encourage one another and are open to more artistic styles of photography. You may be asking, how do I become a photographer and what do I need to get started with photography? We can explore a variety of roadmaps that give you a “true to yourself” venue for your art.

The attitudes of experienced photographers can sometimes be discouraging to those who are just starting out. Sometimes a willingness to help may be intentionally vague, leaving the newbie somewhat concerned that this just isn’t for them.

Let’s just be friends, shall we? We can all encourage one another while becoming wildly successful using our unique talents.

We are all different and our artistic styles will reflect that. Photography is an art form. While some oil painters may develop their style by copying the works of Vincent Van Gogh, eventually every artist comes into their own.

Bohemians seek inspiration from the nomadic and joyful lifestyle of the gypsies. Your photography can, too. The word, bohemia, is also used to describe someone who lives a life of nonconformity – those on the fringes of good society, musicians, artists, writers, and actors.

Have a Boho Casual Attitude

Photographers shouldn’t compete with one another. Once, while taking a photo of a very young man in a pumpkin patch, he excitedly said, “My mom has a camera and she takes pictures, too!”

I would have thought nothing of it, but I noticed the mom tense up. It occurred to me that she must also be a photographer. I reassured him that I thought it was wonderful and that everyone should have a camera. I also reassured him that part of her job was to take as many pictures of him as she possibly could the entire time he grew up. She noticeably relaxed.

I have always thought that moms need other (nonjudgmental) moms who can take random photos of them with their kids. Every mom I know will have thousands of photos of her kids. She likely has three of herself.

Can photography be a sisterhood – or a brotherhood? I certainly think so.

If you’ve been relying on your mobile device to take photos of your friends and family, it’s definitely one avenue to collecting the many memories you make. I am a believer that having something is better than no pictures at all. It really comes down to what matters to you with your artistic style.

Things that make us Super Giddy

• Sunflowers
• Chocolate desserts
• Random horses in a field – literally any field
• Vintage boutiques
• Antique cars, especially convertibles
• Cats of any color, but black is on the top of our list
• Babies and children

Using a Phone as a Camera

One of the main complaints about mobile devices is that the small sensor takes pictures that look great on mobile devices or small prints, but fail to provide enough data for enlargements. This is a valid point for those who immediately point beginning photographers to large, potentially confusing, DSLR or mirrorless cameras. However, I have a 12×18 photo on the wall that I took of the Colorado mountains with my Nokia phone.

If phone photography is part of your package, don’t be afraid to spend a little more on whichever type of phone you choose to get the best camera availability you can afford. My older Nokia often takes better photos than my iPhone 14 – but I have other reasons for carrying my iPhone.

I also carry a pocket camera, the Panasonic LUMIX with the Leica lens, on day hikes and bike races. These are situations where I need more than a point and shoot or a phone, but I have nowhere on my person to keep a larger crop-sensor or full-frame camera. It’s okay to do that as long as you know the limitations of your camera. Neither of these scenarios require the capability to shoot in low or ambient light. In fact, quite the opposite.

Your style of photography will largely be determined by how you live and what you do. It’s okay to own more than one camera. But, ultimately it will be more cost effective if you stick with one brand and add to your lens collection rather than trying to constantly upgrade your camera body.

When you decide to break into the larger DSLR and mirrorless cameras, entry level cameras with interchangeable lenses are just fine. However, always look for a certified dealer of the most recognizable brands. Avoid online generic cameras that look like DSLR cameras at all costs. Some consumers have opened them up to find game cameras inside. They are worthless junk and photographers often refer to them as “scameras.”

There are no camera snobs in boho photography, but we don’t want to see anyone get scammed, either.

Brands like Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, Sony, Olympus and so on have a long history of putting out entry-level and professional products. Since you probably shouldn’t buy all of them, it’s a good idea to at least try one out before you purchase one.

(P.S. Don’t let terms like DSLR or mirrorless scare you. Long story short, the Digital Single Lens Reflex camera preceded the mirrorless cameras, from a technological standpoint. But, just like musicians are still clinging to their vinyl albums, many photographers are still producing excellent work with both DSLR and even film cameras.)

Best entry-level quality camera

Nikon cameras are well-known for producing cameras at every price point that enthusiasts can enjoy. This brand consistently remains a crowd favorite for giving you just about everything you need in a variety of packages.

Nikon’s Z50 packs a smaller crop-sized image sensor into a lightweight body – meaning no sore necks or back when heading out for day hikes. The 20.9-megapixel sensor takes good images that contain excellent detail and good dynamic range in the raw files that allow editors to lower highlights or raise the shadows.

While there isn’t an in-body stabilization, the 11 frames per second burst shooting rate still provides sharpness to the image. This camera offers three different lenses on the same Z-mount as the Nikon FX-format cameras.

Other options for new photographers who are spreading their wings are the Canon EOS R5 and the Sony A1. These moderately priced cameras provide access to easy, quality pictures for photographers who want to lean into their creative side.

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Questions and Answers:

Q: I bought my first real camera. What kind of editing software do I need?

A: While some photographers pride themselves on offering SOC, or straight out of the camera, photos, almost every photograph requires slight editing. Whether you are interested in only slight edits or manipulations of lighting, Lightroom, then Corel Paintshop Pro, Affinity, and even the free software GIMP will allow effective edits.

Q: How many styles of photography are there?

A: That is almost like asking how many colors are in the rainbow. While there are a few different general types, just like colors, they can be mixed into whatever you want them to be. Bohemian photography has a style of its own, but it can easily transform into modern, farmhouse, school sessions and more.

Q: Which brand of camera is the best for photographers?

A: There are several features that photographers look for in their particular field. However, the consensus tends to lean toward the Sony Alpha A6100 for the best overall camera.