New Camera - Digital SLR

After stating many times that I did not want a digital SLR because I was quite happy with the results of my Fuji's & SLRs are too much work, I am eating my words! A couple weeks ago I ran into a Canon XT at a very good price & made the jump. Since that time I have been learning & practicing - nothing is safe from being captured by me & my Canon! I can manage the kit lens fairly well, but missed the far reach of the 18x zoom on the Fuji. So, I found a 75-300 refurbished Canon lens I could afford. It does not have image stabilization & makes the camera a bit heavy for me to keep still, so my next move will be to use a tripod. Taking some bird feeder shots I supported it with a table top tripod & those shots are very nice. What did I do with the Fuji's? Bought a bigger camera bag so I can have everything!! Here are a few of my practice shots.

Mady bowling. I think this one will be good for blackmail in a few years!!

Gold finch guarding the feeder

Love that motor drive.

Mountains on a cloudy day. Taken from the overlook on Tuscuora mountain.

Icy Tuscarora Mountain

Andy & I headed for the top of Tuscarora Mountain for a quick photo shoot this afternoon. The ice is still very much present & still makes beautiful images.

Skywatch Friday

Today's Skywatch was taken at one of my favorite areas. A few weeks earlier, I shared a summer shot from this overlook on Sidling Hill. Recently I went back to capture fall images while preparing for a local photo contest. I did not enter this one only because it looks better on the monitor rather than flattened on paper. I really the patchwork of the land, and how the sun highlights the mountain tops. Do you have sky pictures to share or do you want to view skies from all over the world? If so, join us right here.

Sunday Drive

Last Sunday we took an afternoon ride to the top of a local mountain to photograph the valley visable from up there. This area is known to have rattlesnakes, but the air is chilly now so we felt safe. I followed Andy & Sierra in to the woods, taking my time, shooting a couple flowers & some bees enjoying the flowers. I started to follow Andy & was looking down toward the ground & there laid a rattlesnake! He & Sierra were on one side of it & I on the other! I had both of my cameras & it occurred to me to shoot, but I freak (& freeze)with ANY snake. So Andy did the shooting without a camera & we got out of there! We did catch a few nice scenery shots as we descended. Shown here is the entrance of the road, leading to the mountain top. I just love it in the fall when one can travel through "tunnels of gold". If I am not mistaken this shot was taken through the windshield. The other is a brick building beside an old house in town. I have taken a number of shots here from different angles. For this one I added some burlap texture from PS Elements. Oh yeah, the reason this place ends up in so many of my shots is because it is beside our favorite ice cream stand. That ice cream cone really tasted good after our adventure! Andy tells me I have joined the rank of photographers who have risk their life for a shot.