The camera that I will be using as a volunteer animal photographer is a Nikon D70s. It's not the latest version of a Nikon DSLR, but it's still decent and includes all the necessary functions. Compared to a point-and-shoot camera, this Nikon D70s is higher in ISO quality (sensitivity to light) and photo quality. This camera will also allow me to control the depth of field which is a key factor when photographing the animals. Using a shallow depth of field (when one point of the photo is in focus and the rest has a slight blur, emphasizing the area that is in focus) will allow me to draw the viewers' attention to the animal rather than the environment that they are in, such as cages, kennels, etc. Here's a visual example of a shallow depth of field:

Aleida Avendano. Aleida Photography: http://aleidaavendano.blogspot.com/2013/01/depth-of-field.html. May 14, 2013.

However, nothing is perfect and there are some cons to using this camera when photographing animals at the shelter. First of all, there are so many controls and buttons that it's a bit overwhelming. I tried playing around with the ISO and aperture, but I just got really confused. My lack of knowledge in working this camera and its many buttons shows in the pictures that I experimentally took with it. Hopefully, I'll get a hang of it before having to photograph the animals. 

Another con to using this camera is the bulky size of it. It's going to be challenging walking in and out of kennels with a camera this size. I'm worried it will get in the way of what I have to do more than being beneficial to my volunteer work. However, I'm sure I'll get used to handling this bulky camera.

Coco and camera. This photo shows a visual of how big the camera really is. Also, I know Coco's nails are long. She has an appointment at Pet's Mart tomorrow. Don't judge me.

The other cons of using this camera include: the expensive price, larger file sizes of the photos (that are really not necessary for the animal shelter photos that I will be taking), and the fragility of it. It has a higher risk of damage in comparison to a point-and-shoot camera.

There are these pros and cons, but I'm still certain that I will eventually learn to take good photographs with this camera. It will take some time though. We'll see and you can be the judge of that.

-P.Ro