Lennon Rivera

Windy areas are tough for stability, I've noticed that with mine during coastal shoots. Keeping the height minimal reduces the leverage wind has on it. Also, spreading the legs wider creates a broader base, which counters the wobble on rough surfaces. I've adjusted by positioning myself to block some wind too. Helps a bit. Overall, these tweaks let me keep using it without issues.

I've been painting with acrylics for a couple years now & and for newcomers like you, I'd say go for student-grade paints that come in tubes rather than bottles, because tubes let you control how much you squeeze out, which helps with not wasting paint and managing drying speed but then aim for sets with at least a dozen colors to get that vibrant palette you're after, all while staying under twenty bucks. Sets that bundle in a few basic brushes are perfect since you're starting out and might not have tools yet. If the paint dries too quickly, I always add a bit of water or use a retarder medium, but even without that, keeping your workspace cool can make a difference. Yeah, it's all about finding what works for your style. Remember, vibrant doesn't mean expensive; even budget paints can give bold results if you layer them right on your projects.

Before paying for a repair rule out the easy gotchas: make sure it isn’t in manual focus or macro and turn off face/tracking modes, and try single-point center AF on a high-contrast target in good light. If it’s an interchangeable-lens camera, swap lenses (or test yours on another body) to see whether the lens motor is the culprit. For fixed-lens compacts, focus actuators and lens groups commonly fail and repair can rival the camera’s value, so only proceed if the estimate is low; as a stopgap, use manual focus if available.