My new baby

Introducing Canon XT. :o) Bigger than my first digital camera, but more flexible in personality! The new addition is healthy and kicking!!! I'm so happy - it's wonderful wonderful wonderful. Got the lens and memory card yesterday ... the box arrived just as I was leaving to pick up my preschooler - torture I tell you, to have to leave the box at home unopened. Upon returning I photographed happily in the backyard with the kids, installed the software last night, and we're off and running!!! Yeah! Here are some samples of my new creative outlet - it has so much creative power it's overwhelming. LOVE it.

Love the blurred backgrounds with my new 50 mm f/1.8 lens. You can't see all the busyness behind Kiana - school just got out and there were cars and people everywhere! The focus is so clearly on the lovely dancing Kiana and not on the busyness of what's going on behind her ... I LOVE it. If I wanted the background to be more clear I would set the f/stop at a higher number which would allow the camera to focus on both the foreground and the background! See ... now I'm the boss and not the camera. I LOVE it.



This one is an example of the super fast shutter speed. No more delay between when I want to take the picture and when the camera responds. I'm so happy! My point and shoot camera would have taken a picture that showed a blur of a ball ... if any ball at all! The moment would have been long gone ...
Lastly, the stuffing-the-face-with-fishies shot. You can see here where the sidewalk met my daughter. It actually looks much better than it did on Monday. I love how her face is in total focus but the blur even begins on her shirt and not just the background. I LOVE this camera!! I can't wait to learn more. Much of my research for this camera and the lens was done between Karen Russell's blog and ... darn, I can't find the site anywhere in my history or searches ... but it was a site that walked you through what camera is right for you and you could answer questions to find what lens is right for you too. If I come across it I'll let you know. I spent a LOT of time on there ... I can't believe I didn't bookmark it! (Edit: I found it! It's the Digital SLR Guide.) I chose the 50mm f/1.8 lens because it was the most affordable option for me to get the very blurred background effect that I love. It will also allow me to take pictures in very low light without a flash (the f/stop is what affects this) so the lower the f/stop number I could get the better. I try to avoid the flash as much as possible. With my point and shoot I was very limited in being able to choose flash or no flash. I also learned that the 50mm lens takes great portrait shots, gives good skin tones, great clarity, etc. My personal favorite thing to photograph are kids and people in general so after much research, this is what I've decided on. I sacrifice the zoom for the low f/stop, but down the road when the kids are in sports or performing or whatever, I'll invest in a great telephoto. Until then, I play and play with what I've got ... and I'm thrilled!! I LOVE it!