That the love for photography has always been present in me will be known to many of you. But often I also talked about a dip I was in, that I wanted to get started with photography again, and that I had some kind of inner blockage to shoot again. My partner came up with an idea to buy a bridge camera a few months ago. I really had to let that idea sink in, because why the hell would I buy a bridge camera? My first thought was: "HELL NO!" I wanted to invest in more lenses for my SLR, and eventually buy a mirrorless system. I don't have to explain to anyone that this costs a pretty penny. But hey, you have to do something if you want to take pictures!
Until I started thinking, what do I use my photos for these days? For personal use and blogging! That's it! I don't shoot professionally anymore, I don't shoot commissions anymore, and frankly I want to keep it that way. 
Now I'm not such a ' people person ' anyway, and I find portrait photography downright one of the hardest things to do, but also the shoots I've done of dogs would have been much better in my opinion if I did this without the owners could have done in complete freedom and without the idea of "I MUST deliver quality". Since I made the decision not to shoot on assignment anymore, now about 2 years ago, I have honestly ignored my camera almost completely. Here and there a sporadic moment when I grabbed it and snapped some pictures, but that was because I really thought I had to. Not because I felt that enthusiasm of yesteryear.
When I started thinking about all that, my partner's idea suddenly didn't even seem so crazy anymore. If I was honest with myself, a bridge camera might actually be a better choice for me right now. Firstly, I would save an awful lot of money, and secondly, it's just a camera that I can take with me and without anything extra, I'd be ready to go. No more carrying around a bag full of lenses. Which is also much easier. And nowadays there is so much possible with these bridge cameras that I don't have to miss the thrill of manual settings. A bridge camera can do that too.
Slowly I started to educate myself about this group of cameras that I had always ignored out of a kind of arrogance. I thought I belonged a group higher up, after all I had photographed professionally, then I won't look at bridge cameras, will I? But as my partner pointed out, "You're not a professional anymore, you've chosen to become a hobbyist again, so you can choose convenience!" And that convenience, yes, I liked that. Incredible zoom possibilities for which I would otherwise have to pay a fortune, and a completely acceptable quality, especially for the purpose for which I use my photos these days.
I was convinced, and together with my partner I finally opted for the Nikon P1000 bridge camera. In the end I gave in to his wish. He really wanted that camera because of the extreme zoom of 3000mm in 35mm equivalent. For me personally, the Sony RX10 IV was a preference. That is also a 600mm (35mm equivalent) zoom, but also super quality due to the 1-inch sensor. The ISO range also goes much further.
But the fact that my partner showed so much interest in the Nikon P1000, and that he clearly stated that he wanted to use that camera to shoot himself, made me tack. After all, having a hobby is fun, but it only gets more fun if you can enjoy it together, right? And what I didn't expect, I have to admit ... I've already fallen in love with this camera in a short time. Sure, my SLR's image quality is better, without any doubt, but the Nikon P1000 has so many features and is so much easier to grab along when I go out. It has a zoom of 125x, as mentioned, 3000mm in 35mm equivalent. And I have to say, that zoom is really nice. No more worrying about not having the right lens, no more worrying about something being too far away. With 3000mm at your disposal you can go far. Literally and figuratively!
Some will undoubtedly wonder why I don't just take my SLR with me. Well, I have three dogs, two of which I can't let go off leash. My dogs are pretty strong, and I have my hands full sometimes. Carrying heavy photo gear is not very convenient to say the least. With just a bridge camera this is a bit easier, it's an all-in-one solution that I just take with me much sooner, and that way I can take pictures of anything that catches my eye while walking the dogs, without an heavy bag loaded with extra lenses on my back.
But what I am most grateful for is that this camera has helped me to find my love for photography again. Since I got the Nikon P1000, I've taken a lot more pictures than in the entire previous year with my SLR. This camera has shown me once again how much fun it is to shoot and made me fall in love again with capturing moments that I value. And then also together with my partner. Because where he never wanted to use my SLR because he just doesn't understand it. He suddenly enjoys it very much figuring out how it works with this camera!
Of course I knew that you don't always need the most advanced equipment to take great pictures. It's about having insight and the right mindset with a portion of willingness to experiment. I did have to learn to let go of a bit, let's say pride and arrogance. And I had to learn to immerse myself in the moment again... Let me say,
