QUICK INTRODUCTION | Beautifully Wander

In this episode I give a quick introduction into who I am, my story, how I’m learning photography and my plans for the future!

My name is Robynne Ikesaka. When I started Beautifully Wander I was living in Northern Alberta and at the end of June I moved to the beautiful and sunny Okanagan! 

I did not go to school for photography or for business, I have a Bachelors degree in Emergency and Security Management but when I was unhappy in Fort McMurray I turned to photography as a creative outlet. 

I loved how a photo can evoke strong raw emotions and feelings, almost like you were just there!

In the Spring of 2020 I started to explore pursuing photography professionally and left my full-time job to do it. 

Since I’ve been back in the Okanagan I’ve been working on creating a photography business! 

If you enjoyed this post and want to follow along on my journey, please be sure to subscribe to Beautifully Wander on YouTube and follow on Instagram!

FAVOURITE CAMERA FEATURES FOR TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY | OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1 MARK II

Recently when I would talk to people about photography they would ask my why I chose Olympus. I’ve had my Olympus EM1 Mark II for almost 3 months now and if you haven’t watched already I have 3 other videos about my Olympus camera - unboxing my Olympus, choosing a camera and my setup and customization. 

I bought the EM1 Mark II over the Mark III because of the cost of the camera compared to where I was with photography. 

I know the EM1 Mark III has some new features that are amazing but when I was looking for what camera to buy I found comfort and inspiration when photographers I followed on Instagram wouldn’t use the top line camera or the most expensive equipment and yet they were able to produce absolutely beautiful, stunning images because of how they worked with their camera and their creative eye. 

I found that inspiring!

Here are 6 of my favourite features about the Olympus EM1 Mark II:

#1 - Continuous Shooting 

If your camera has continuous shooting you can set the camera to take x number of frames, every so many seconds so I have mine set for 10 frames, timed at 5 seconds and an interval length of .5 seconds. 

So when my fiancé and I travel I can setup my tripod up, my camera to continuous and get self-portraits of us that are more professional and better than “selfies”.

Here’s a comparison of when we were using a selfie-stick in Greece with my iPhone (when I didn’t have this camera) to when we were in Banff (when I had the Olympus EM1 Mark II and a Manfrotto Tripod). 

#2 - The Grip

My second favourite feature is the grip. I don’t have large hands so this experience might differ for you but I find the camera grip quite comfortable.

I don’t tend to carry the camera off my neck anymore with a camera strap so having a comfortable grip is important so I don’t drop the camera and I can freehand with it. 

#3 - Articulating Screen

When I was looking for a camera a mandatory feature it needed to have was a fully articulating screen. 

With the screen I can get low, get high and still be able to see and not bend in an uncomfortable position just to see. 

Here are some shots I took where I required an articulating screen. 

#4 - Weather Sealing

According to the Olympus website the EM1 Mark II is splash proof, dust proof and freeze proof. 

I haven’t experienced it with dust proof or freeze proof setting yet but I did take it out in the rain several weeks ago and it held up nicely.

When you travel you never know what the weather will be like. When we were in Greece there was one particular day that it hailed like crazy for an hour. 

Having a camera that can stand up to the different kinds of weather is super important. 

#5 - Lightweight & Compact

If you compare the EM1 Mark II to a Canon M100, SL1 or SL2 or the Rebel series it is probably heavier. However, I love how compact the camera is. 

My biggest fear when I was searching for a camera was that it would be too bulky or heavy that I wouldn’t take it out for small trips - eating out, going for coffee, etc., and I would leave it at home or the hotel room. 

Having a selection of bags that I can carry my camera in and having certain accessories has helped with that. You can check out the post What’s in My Camera Bag for a full description of what I carry and what I use. 

#6 - Customization

The Olympus EM1 Mark II is super customizable! 

One of the customizations I have changed since my original video is back-button focusing. 

My AEL/AFL button still enables my ISO and White Balance but instead of pressing the shutter button half-way to focus I have moved it now to the FN1 button. 

Thus, when I go to shoot I first press the FN1 button to focus then the shutter to capture. 

I love travel photography so a lot of my favourite features make travel photography easier. These are my 6 favourite features of the Olympus EM1 Mark II that I suggest you think about if you are looking for a camera for travel photography. 

CHOOSING A CAMERA

Last week I posted a blog post and video about my unboxing of the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II and today I wanted to share:

• How I chose which camera to buy

• Why I picked the Olympus system

• Why I chose the EM1 Mark II over the Mark III

Scroll down to the bottom if you’d rather watch a video!

Choosing a Camera

When I started the journey to find the “perfect camera” I poured over YouTube videos watching everything and anything that would tell me what camera to buy - of course everyone had a different opinion.

I realized later that depending on what you want to shoot and what your photography niche is certain features of a camera are going to be more and less important to you.

So I made a list of what I wanted to photograph:

• Travel photography - streets, landscapes, culture, food, and architecture

• Storytelling photography - families and couples

• Social impact photography - events and companies that are doing great things for the world

I then made a list of what I wanted in a camera:

• Mirrorless camera

• Light and compact for travelling

• Budget hovered around $2000

• Front facing screen

• WiFi connection

• Use it professionally

• Solid lens selection

• Good quality reviews

• Aesthetically pleasing

• Produce amazing quality images

The four companies I looked at were Canon, Sony, Fujifilm and Olympus.

I watched several reviews on Youtube and researched Instagram accounts and what I ended up finding was that:

• I didn’t care for the mirrorless lens and camera selection for Canon

• I did have my eye out for the Sony A7III but I really wanted a camera with the front facing screen and the price point was hard to justify without this feature I really wanted

• I did love the Fujifilm aesthetic but I had hesitations on using it professionally

The Olympus System

The Olympus system ticked more boxes:

• It was a mirrorless system

• It had a front facing screen

• It was within my budget

• I was happy with my lens selection and camera lineup

• There were good quality reviews of the camera

• I could use it professionally

• I could upgrade easily

• It was light and compact

• Aesthetically looked good

Why I chose the EM1 Mark II over the Mark III

The primary reason why I chose the Mark II over the Mark III was because of my budget for the camera. Here in Canada a Mark III on Amazon would go for about $3400 and on Best Buy or the Olympus store would be around $3200.

The Mark II that I bought with the 12-40mm f/2.8 was on sale for $2000 at Best Buy.

To get the Mark II it would have been an additional $1200 to $1400 investment that wasn’t in my budget.

I also really wanted to purchase the 12-100mm f/2.8 so instead of waiting to have enough savings for a Mark III and an additional lens which would have taken a while I decided to purchase the Mark II.

I did spend a lot of time debating between the two because I wanted to produce that magic that I have seen other photographers create with the Olympus system. Although I watched a lot of YouTube on what camera to buy I didn’t find the numbers and technical details super helpful because I’m a visual learner/person so I wanted to see images of what this camera could do - so I found websites like The Wander Lens and Instagram accounts like Brooke Little Bear more helpful.

Of course, if the opportunity came along to upgrade to the Mark III I definitely would, but I am more than happy with my current purchase.

Sample Images from the OM-D E-M1 Mark II

Choosing a Camera + Why I Chose Olympus

See below for a video capturing how I chose my camera, and why I chose Olympus and the Mark II!

OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1 MARK II UNBOXING

In December 2019 I decided I wanted to pursue photography as a hobby and because I didn’t know which system I wanted to invest my money in I bought the Canon M100 as a beginner camera. It was small, affordable and it allowed me to learn about cameras and photography and venture away from automatic.

My first trip with this camera was Denver, Colorado - it was here that I really tried to pay attention to composition.

After returning back home I decided that I wanted to pursue photography more professionally and purchase a professional camera for my next trip - New York!

After hours of research, watching Youtube videos, reading reviews/articles, and scrolling on Instagram I decided to invest in the Olympus camera system.

Why did I choose the Olympus system over the other popular brands - Sony and Canon?

1. The Olympus system is compact and light for travelling. Often when I travel back home to Kelowna or internationally we fly carry-on only so everything that I bring needs to fit either in that or my purse that fits under the seat.

2. The camera body and lens have great weather sealing. On our second day in Athens it freakishly hailed a ton in the afternoon. We had just finished our Acropolis tour outside when it started so we were able to make it inside but you never know when you’ll run into some bad weather!

3. I wanted crisp images. I poured over Instagram accounts specific to Olympus, watched Youtube videos and read articles because I wanted to be able to produce those images with outstanding detail.

4. I loved the company behind Olympus! You can really see that they invest not only in their camera quality but their buyers and users too! I loved how they are constantly producing useful content for their users on their website and Instagram.

What was I looking for in a camera?

1. It needed to be light and compact for travel purposes

2. Full-articulating screen

3. Capable of producing crisp images

4. Within my price range

Camera unboxing!

See below for a video of my first unboxing!

I bought this camera in early March in anticipation of my trip with my mom to New York. However, because of the global pandemic (COVID-19) we did cancel our trip.

I hope you enjoyed this post! To come along on my photography and Olympus journey follow me on Instagram at Beautifully Wander!