Hello and congratulations on your new camera! I am also a photographer who chooses Nikon. I currently shoot with a Nikon D3, though it took me some years in business to budget in for the upgraded camera. I began my career with a Nikon D70 and then I graduated to a Nikon D200. My Nikon D3 is the latest and I paid close to $6,000 for the camera body some years ago. I Googled the Nikon D3 today to see if it held its value in the market. I can’t honestly say. The Nikon D3 has been archived, which means that it is a discontinued product that is no longer available for new retail sales. It is for this reason I saw it listed for sale at close to ten grand on one website. Mine is a camera that you will soon not be able to find.

You asked me two questions; the first was about finding a quality ‘portrait’ lens at a price that will not break the bank, the second question was about weddings and it was multifaceted. I am happy to answer both of your questions in detail. I am glad you will be reading my book this August. Your question and the subsequent answers will be included in the content. I bet you didn’t realize that you are helping me write my book. You are indeed, and thank-you. Your questions are valuable just as you can only profit from the answers.

While I wish I had the time to provide your answer in depth and detail NOW, I simply am not at leisure. I’ve got a meeting in an hour, photos to edit, another meeting at 5:30 and a client coming by at seven. I am also several days late delivering a portrait to a client who said she would be more than happy to come pick it up if I am busy. I am not too busy!!  I insisted that I would deliver and I will and I do.

While I am writing you here, you are writing me there. You just sent me a question via Facebook messenger, “Long answer? LOL?”

Yes. My answer is Yes. The answers you seek require detailed explanations, unless I know more about YOU. What do I know about YOU and what you know already know about photography?

You wrote to ask about purchasing a quality ‘portrait’ lens. Do you know what a portrait lens is? Can any lens be used to take portraits? What happens if you only have one lens and you can not afford another lens? Is it possible that you may be using the WRONG LENS to take your portraits!

Quality, you want me to help you choose a quality lens that will not break the bank. Doesn’t quality usually cost more? Isn’t it generally believed that the most expensive products are the most expensive because they are the most valuable, meaning they are the best of the best?

Do you want to know my advice? I would only shoot with equipment the amateurs can not afford to buy…..

TO BE CONTINUED.