Concannon's New Canon

My name is Ashley Concannon. I'm a freelance Photographer based in Columbia, SC. Most of you know me for my dance photography shared on my Facebook page, "Through The Dancer's Eyes." Though I do also shoot a variety of other subjects and styles (portraits, pets, landscapes, events, commercial, advertising, even a wedding...), I have to say, I love capturing the essence and beauty of dance the most. 

Back in 2011, I got my first camera from my dad as a birthday gift: a Canon EOS Rebel T3i. I've taken thousands and thousands of photos with her around the country over the past 5 years, and she's captured some really amazing moments. I'll always be grateful for her, and I'll always cherish her as the amazing gift that allowed me to explore an entirely new world and career path. 

The years of her shutter opening and closing countless times, her mirror snapping closed repeatedly, have taken quite a toll on my baby though. We can no longer hide quietly in my corner of the dance studio or discretely in the stage wings, as her clacking is much too disruptive to the dancers. And that's not all... 

I'll just go ahead and say it - she's not quite up to par. Her image sensor captures about 18 megapixels, whereas cameras on the market today/the camera I'm about the pitch to you captures about 22.3 megapixels. Now that may not seem like a big difference... oooh but it is, especially when you're in low light situations and you can't use flash - which is often the scenario for me. I see the image I'm trying to capture in my head before I press the shutter button, but the resulting photograph lacks the details that would really make the final product pop. Those few extra megapixels would help tremendously in taking my photography to the next level.

So, why start a GoFundMe? Why not just go buy this magical camera? Because the Canon 5D Mark III costs about $2,500, and I make my money as a Professional Ballet Dancer in South Carolina... I'm not exactly raking in the dough. So I'm reaching out to you - family, friends, co-workers and followers - Please help me in reaching my goal.

Anticipating percentages taken by the GoFundMe site, I'm hoping to reach $3000* by my birthday - September 22, 2016. I know its a hefty amount, and its a long shot, but I really can't do it without your help. The sooner I reach my goal, the sooner I can expand my photography to an even further level of greatness. 

Whether it $10, $20, $50 or a generous chunk, I will forever cherish your donation that allowed me to explore this world of photography in a whole new (much more detailed) light. 

Thank you with all my heart and soul.
-Ashley

Check out my photography here:
FB Page: Through The Dancer's Eyes
Concannon Photography: Portfolio

And here's the beautiful Canon 5D Mark III:
Canon EOS 5D Mark III

*Update 6/7/16: So I've consulted with a few Pro's, and it seems there may be a better, less expensive camera out there for me.

Introducing the Canon EOS 6D: at only $1,400 it features a 20.2 Megapixel Full-Frame CMOS sensor (not quite as great as the 5DMIII, but still excellent), is great in low light, is 6oz lighter, and is actually slightly quieter. The 5D does have a silent mode, but it causes the camera to shoot slower - so that won't help for what I'm typically shooting. The 6D also has WiFi capabilities, so I can transfer and share photos even faster (extremely helpful while we're on tour).

While the 5D Mark III is still a great choice, especially with 61 points of AutoFocus, the 6D's 11 points may just be enough for me considering all the other benefits. It's also much more practical to reach a goal of $1,700 than $3,000.

Canon EOS 6D Specs 

So here we go! Thank you to all who have already donated, and those who have donated by purchasing H.E.R.O. prints from my site. Only $1,290 to go.