Panasonic Brit Bloggers 2014

Last month I received some exciting news. My little blog and I have been chosen as Panasonic Brit Bloggers for the next year for the images category. This means that we will be playing around with some of the latest cameras and camcorders, some even on the verge of release! 

I was really excited to be taking part within this section as I love experimenting with my own camera and seeing what comes out as a final result. One thing that always escapes me though is what each of the different settings on my camera does, and when/why they should be used, this is one aspect I am hoping to learn while working with Panasonic over the next 12 months. I hope to use my time as a Brit Blogger to learn more about photography and improve my images over the sessions that will be taking place for myself and the fellow Brit Bloggers.

I was lucky enough to work with Panasonic on their Intelligent Living Mums program last year, so I am no stranger to Panasonic's high values. It was over the duration of last year that I discovered what a remarkable heritage Panasonic is actually based on, and just why Panasonic are so proud of their rather incredible history and founder. Back in 2008 Panasonic won a Which? Heritage award for being the company that has won the most awards across all of the varying categories to date, and it now sits very proudly next to all of their many other awards in their museum based at the Panasonic head office in Bracknell.

On the 25^th February the Brit Bloggers team were invited to the Panasonic head office for our very first meeting. Some of the bloggers I have met once or twice before and some were completely new to me but it soon became apparent that I was part of a fantastic group of ladies, and we were going to have a great time getting to know one another and bonding over the technology laid out in front of us.

Panasonic have a wide range of different cameras to suit people from many different walks of life, they offer value for money and different specs to suit different levels of skill. They have super slim cameras, bridge cameras, tough cameras that still have all of the fantastic features but are developed for outdoor use, and are even waterproof and shockproof! They have an entire range of camcorders from entry level right up to the high spec.

Fiona the resident imaging whizz at Panasonic was very welcoming, offered out numerous biscuits and tea (the way to a bloggers heart?) and soon got onto the exciting Panasonic plans for 2014. They have a number of new cameras on the horizon and we spent our visit playing around with a few of them. The group was divided into smaller groups, one using the Lumix TZ55 compact cameras and the other using the W850 Twin camcorder.

I was really impressed by the TZ55, I think mainly because I am so used to my chunky bridge camera that I had forgotten that there is anything smaller in existence. There have been many occasions where I have wished I owned a smaller camera so that I could just discreetly pop it in my handbag and head out. Aside from my bridge camera I only have my temperamental iPhone which usually decides to die as soon as I decide to use the camera. For just heading out to the park or for a day out when you don’t need the added bulk of a big camera, a compact would be perfect.

The size of the TZ55 apart there are a number of other features that I love, one of which is that they use WiFi, this means that you can connect them up to your phone. Why would you want to do this I hear you ask… Well the same question crossed my mind. In a day and age where we love taking selfies and group photos (And let’s face it… We are all guilty of it) Panasonic have developed a way for us to get the most out of our cameras. By connecting our phone to our camera’s WiFi and using the free Panasonic Image App, we can use our phones as a remote control. We can position the camera wherever we want it, and get everyone together for a group photo, and the person taking the photograph can still be in it! In the past I have set the timer on my bridge camera to take a photo and had to run back in time before the flash goes off, and the picture has been taken! Having this added feature is perfect, and because the camera has it’s own WiFi you can do this anytime…Anywhere.

The day was full of hints and tips that we can use to apply to our own photography, and I have definitely come away from the day feeling refreshed and ready to give some new things a try. After a conversation (and lots of giggles) with Lotte at Berice Baby, she planted an idea in my head, an idea about investing in a white photography back drop. Since then I have actually gone on to buy one and I am looking forward at giving it a go to see what results I can get.

I am so excited to be part of the Panasonic Brit Bloggers Imaging team and couldn’t be in better company. The other ladies were fantastic and we had such a great day enjoying each other’s company and chatting all things Panasonic.

You can find the rest of the lovely ladies from the #PanasonicBritBloggers team below, do stop by and say hello!

Leyla from This Day I Love

Danielle from Blog By Baby

Cat from Yellow Days

Sarah from Sussex Mum

Jacinta from Jacintaz3

Lotte from Berice Baby

Michelle from The Purple Pumpkin Blog

Angela from This Is Life

Nadine from Juggle Mum

Over all it was a great day and it was made even better thanks to all of the above ladies. I am very much looking forward to the next Panasonic Brit Bloggers get together!

Image taken by Nadine at Juggle Mum

Disclaimer: I was invited along to this event as a Panasonic Brit Blogger and they very kindly paid for my travel costs. All views and opinions are completely honest and my own.