Now that I've jumped into this blog thing with both feet and am spending some time link-chasing and reading more sites, I'm noticing a trend: there are a lot of singers and musicians out there who are also shutterbugs! I had no idea this was such a sideline for so many.
I first began taking pictures as a teenager when I was horseback riding - I was DETERMINED to learn how to take pictures of my friends jumping at shows, so I saved and invested in a Pentax ME Super and a Tokina 70-210 lens and started snapping away. I never DID learn to use the camera on manual, instead preferring to rely on its automatic aperture-priority opinion on exposure, but it did start a lifelong love affair with taking pictures.
Alas, that camera was stolen in an apartment burglary when I was at conservatory, and for too long after that I made do with a hand-me-down point-and-shoot. It was ok, but one day I woke up and thought, "I need a real camera again". I was dirt poor at the time, but scraped together the money for a 35mm SLR with which I spent many happy hours. My husband treated me to a digital upgrade last year following a windfall - it seemed obvious to stick with Canon since I had the lenses, so I now shoot on a Rebel XT.
Recently I decided never to be without a camera by my side ALL the time, particularly when travelling. Not only is it nice to know I can "capture a moment", I find it MAKES me look at wherever I am in a different way, and to find something interesting even in places and situations which could easily be dismissed as boring. The SLR is too big to have with me all the time, but I now carry a digital Elph in my purse (not a perfect camera, but small and light, and thus infinitely portable). The SLR is still my favorite format, however.
Interestingly, while my daughter isn't that into still cameras, two weeks on she is still completely smitten with her birthday present, the Flip videocam we got for her; she would take it with her everywhere given half a chance! Maybe I'm starting more of a family tradition than I realise....
So, without further ado a few of my recent favourites. I'll never be a great photographer, but I have a lot of fun with it! (And yes, there is a certain monotony to the subject matter in these! One thing about the under-13s is that you almost always have a willing subject to pose for you!)
I first began taking pictures as a teenager when I was horseback riding - I was DETERMINED to learn how to take pictures of my friends jumping at shows, so I saved and invested in a Pentax ME Super and a Tokina 70-210 lens and started snapping away. I never DID learn to use the camera on manual, instead preferring to rely on its automatic aperture-priority opinion on exposure, but it did start a lifelong love affair with taking pictures.
Alas, that camera was stolen in an apartment burglary when I was at conservatory, and for too long after that I made do with a hand-me-down point-and-shoot. It was ok, but one day I woke up and thought, "I need a real camera again". I was dirt poor at the time, but scraped together the money for a 35mm SLR with which I spent many happy hours. My husband treated me to a digital upgrade last year following a windfall - it seemed obvious to stick with Canon since I had the lenses, so I now shoot on a Rebel XT.
Recently I decided never to be without a camera by my side ALL the time, particularly when travelling. Not only is it nice to know I can "capture a moment", I find it MAKES me look at wherever I am in a different way, and to find something interesting even in places and situations which could easily be dismissed as boring. The SLR is too big to have with me all the time, but I now carry a digital Elph in my purse (not a perfect camera, but small and light, and thus infinitely portable). The SLR is still my favorite format, however.
Interestingly, while my daughter isn't that into still cameras, two weeks on she is still completely smitten with her birthday present, the Flip videocam we got for her; she would take it with her everywhere given half a chance! Maybe I'm starting more of a family tradition than I realise....
So, without further ado a few of my recent favourites. I'll never be a great photographer, but I have a lot of fun with it! (And yes, there is a certain monotony to the subject matter in these! One thing about the under-13s is that you almost always have a willing subject to pose for you!)
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