Spring is trying

New Camera

Welcome to my new world of Canon EOS Rebel XS. I think I got a pretty good price. I like the guys I bought it from. They are a real camera shop, with real knowledge, and real service. That's hard to find these days. Sure, its not the newest model on the market, but it is a solid perfomer. Today, I took it out in the wilderness to take some shots. It is such a shame there are no flowers up, but winter is winter. Jake enjoyed the walk.

A cold winter begins

 

The Elusive Spontaneous Self Portrait

Jake and I went to Lake Murphysboro for a hike today. I decided that it would be a neat place to take our Christmas picture. Let's just say the art of the spontaneous self portrait takes practice. After looking at the quality of my results, I think I'm going to have to read my camera booklet and actually learn how to use this thing.

At first, no one was in the picture.

Then just me.Then just Jake.Then part of me and part of Jake.

Then there's the wet lick to the face pose.

I think this will have to do.

I decided it was best to focus on other things like a passing heron.

And Jake can be a handsome fellow.Until he gets bored.And then he gets sassy.

When your dog gives you the raspberry, it's time to go home.

Nevada: A Photographic Flashback

Just a few pics that I overlooked that struck me as exemplifying Nevada. I thought I should share them somewhere, so why not here?

Loved to be warm. Sunshine and radiators were her friends.

Always dove in head first.

Liked lawn naps.

Earthworm wrangler.

Hated costumes.

Loved chicken.

Distrusted papparazzi.

Boldly explored new territory.

Scarcely ever got caught.

Was my one and only sweet pea.

I miss her. You can't even begin to know how much.

Latest completed house project: The photo wall

OK, you guys have heard me moan about the expanse of living room that was opened up by the sale of the FAR TOO LARGE dining room suite that went to Bek. I finally DID paint the wall (evidence herein), and--taking a cue from IKEA (pages 340-341) and Olivia (who explained to me what she did, even if I didn't see it until later)--began to create a wall of photos. A well timed sale by my local WalMart (which seems to be getting rid of ALL their current stock of photo frames) helped and I decided my only criteria was that the frame had to be black and the mat--if any--had to be stark white. Other than that, anything goes.

The photos are all photos I took. There are no people or dogs in any of these. This is, for the moment, nothing more than a botanical/travel wall. Landscapes and portrait-type stuff. I think if you click on the photo, you might be able to see the actual photos themselves.

I'm not sure I'm done with this project yet. I'm toying with the idea of going all the way, floor to ceiling, with the photos.

Any comments/thoughts?

Edit: there is one picture of some assassin bugs mating, so the zoological crowd can get off my back!

Photos to Please

Liv seemed disappointed that I hadn't uploaded some of my "good" photos. So here is a smattering of those I think are kinda good. There is no theme here. Just what I had at my fingertips. You be the judge.

Enjoy!

Camera Shopping is Driving me Nuts!

Ok, not having a camera is killing me so I've been doing some window shopping on the internet. For those keeping up with the camera saga, I have decided not to have the Sony camera cleaned. I'm just going to have to struggle along with it until it flat out poops out.

I have decided to wait on the waterproof/dustproof camera until the price of the Pentax W60 drops after initial release. I never saw the waterproof model as much more than a field camera, which leaves me free to fantasize about my "everyday" camera. I have spent a lot of time considering my camera use. Understanding that I am more than a casual camera user, that I find photography to be both a work necessity and a hobby, and I like to have "snapshots" of normal family/friend stuff like everyone else. I love to spend my free time taking photos in natural areas.

Before my next big trip, I would like to have in my camera bag: a quality, high-megapixel dSLR camera with an adequate kit lens, a kick ass macro lens (or at least mid-range), and a wide-angle lens for landscapes. This is a rather expensive proposition. Thus, it remains in the realm of fantasy at the moment. But, with my car nearly paid off, I can plan my attack.

I have narrowed my choices down to two camera bodies: The Canon D400 Rebel Xti and the Nikon D80. Both are 10 megapixel dSLRs. All the reviews say that the Canon is light has great features...overall a great entry-level SLR. It has a dust-reduction mechanism that the Nikon lacks. The Nikon is thought to be a slightly better quality camera, but still entry level. Much is made about its viewfinder, which I seldom use. The Nikon lacks some of the nice features of the Canon (like anti-dust). The Nikon body is also $150 more expensive.

The "kit" lens with the Canon is an 18-55mm number, and the reviews are rather ho-hum about it. The kit lens with the Nikon is a Nikkor 18-135mm lens, and the reviews are slightly more complimentary. Obviously, that lens is going to get me better telephoto capabilities. To compare, the Canon plus kit lens runs about $675 and the Nikon plus slightly better kit lens runs $950. That's a pretty substantial difference.

However, let us keep in mind that my mother has a Nikon macro lens that may or may not be compatible with the D80. I'll have to check on that and also on whether my mother is willing to loan me her lens for any length of time (like forever). Presuming the best, for a $950.00 investment, I'm up and running with a decent all-purpose lens and a decent (?) macro lens.

Back to the Canon. I can get a Canon EF 100mm USM lens (with auto-focus) for $455. I can get the Canon EF-S 60mm USM lens (also with auto-focus) for $370. Now, I've been dutifully trying to learn about lenses here, but I'm a bit confused. These are fixed focal length lenses. If I am understanding the lingo correctly, the 60mm lens with have a wider frame of focus (will get more along the sides and top) than the 100mm. What I am unclear on is whether you sacrifice something in getting that wider frame. Surely, less must be preferable since the 100mm lens costs more. Somehow, I get the feeling that the 60mm lens will be more than satisfactory for my botanical photographic needs, but I don't like not understanding everything before I plunk down my money.

Obviously, the Canon 40D would be a much better camera, but unlike a film camera, I am a bit concerned that there is a shelf-life on digital cameras of around 10,000 shots. How much better does a camera have to be for me to justify raising the cost of that shot from 6.8 cents to 12 cents? On the other hand, with a pocket-size point and shoot in my arsenal, maybe I wouldn't be so tempted to waste those shots around the house. However, the very idea of spending $1500 on cameras in the next year sends even my fantasies crashing down again.

I think I better do some more thinking on this.