Dan Havlik

Pierre T. Lambert has a secret that every beginning photographer needs to know. That 18-55mm kit lens that came with your camera? It’s really pretty slow and mediocre and if you want to start taking better photos, you should get a fast, prime lens immediately.

Even experienced photographers can struggle with some of the technical aspects of photography. Consequently, everyone is bound to make a few mistakes.

Because mirrorless cameras, by their very nature, have no mirrors like their DSLR counterparts, their sensors can get exposed to the elements when you take off the lens. That means things like dust, debris, moisture and general nastiness can stick to the sensor and defile your photos.

One of the easiest but most expensive ways to get your portrait subject to stand out from a background is to use a fast lens, with a maximum aperture of F/1.4, F/1.2 or even wider. Those types of lenses though are pricey and sometimes don’t do the trick, especially if you’re shooting portraits with a crowded scene of people behind them.