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!

waiting ...

I can hardly stand it. Waiting. We received our state refund this weekend. I don't know about you, but I have a tendency to have a list of things I'd love to do with that refund before it even arrives. So, of course, I have all kinds of plans for our federal refund, but I forgot about our state refund! What a lovely surprise! I immediately thought of my beloved camera I'm saving for. I hesitantly asked my dear husband if I could supplement what I had saved up with some of our state refund, which I had conveniently forgotten about. I want so badly to be a good steward of our resources, which often translates into holding back on the fun stuff because there's always a more practical (albeit boring) option. His response was so unexpected and interesting! He said that being a good steward is not always financial. We have to be good stewards of our gifts as well. He sees this artistic gift in me and the long standing desire for a better camera with more creative features. (Blurred background, clear detailed close-ups, immediate shutter response, an ability for me to tell the camera what I want it to do rather than the camera telling me all about it's limitations! Really. My camera practically yells it's limitations to me). He's also recently developed an appreciation for art in general and keeping it alive (don't know where that came from - he just suddenly in the last few months gets it)! So he supported my getting the camera now! Isn't he wonderful?! After much research, I decided to just get the Canon XT body (no kit lens and I don't need the extra megapixles that the XTi offers) and I decided on an affordable Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens. Amazon has the best prices and free shipping on most items! I feel like I got a real bargain - that's how I was a good steward financially. I can hardly stand to wait. I'm expecting it this week. With some practice... who knows... maybe I'll call myself an artist and a photographer!! That makes me giddy.