Random Updates

So I'm making a very quick jaunt down to Dallas for the weekend. It's Kate and Savannah's birthday week and Kate has her first communion this weekend also. I'm riding with my parents and Uncle Jack which should be quite an adventure. I love each of them dearly but being in a car with the 3 of them for 10 hours is clearly too much of a good thing. I'm very sure that they would say the same about me.

Mom and Jack will be staying for another week but Dad and I will be heading back on Monday. I got us a book to listen to on the way home called A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail which I thought Dad and I would both enjoy.

I ended up buying my telephoto lens off of e-bay as I discussed here. I had to let go of the idea of getting a 75-300mm with IS for under $300. I settled on the Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS Lens and I am actually pretty happy with it. It was a refurbished by Canon with a UV filter for a very good price. It has a great zoom and is incredibly lightweight. It is actually lighter than my 18-87mm. If I could do it all over again though I would definitely go for a single lens that covered all of that range like the Tamron AF 18-250mm. You live and learn and I'm happy with both of my lenses so I'm not going to complain.
The above shots were from last week, prior to the new lens, when I took Ani out for a little adventure. She was a bit scared of the old cemetery which I was surprised by. I think of it as a really cool place to photograph and forget about the creepy factor. When we were leaving and I was apologizing for making her uncomfortable she said, "sometimes I think you forget that I'm only nine Aunt Paige." I laughed and said that she was probably right. The other two shots are from driving around some back roads. The little orchard I caught right at the "golden hour" of dusk as my teacher calls it.

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend. I'm sure I'll have some stories to tell from the trip when I get back.

Obsess Much?

Ever since my photography class last week I've been absolutely obsessing about having the proper equipment for our trip to New Mexico in June. Our teacher was telling us all the different types of lenses we should have, when to use them, and everything else that is a must for an aspiring photographer. I went home and immediately bought a few things that I could afford right away including a travel tripod called the Tiffen Voyager and a filter set for my main lens which includes an (UV) Filter, Circular Polarizer, and 812 Warming Filter with a Pouch. I have a nice tripod that a friend gave me which I use for photographing my knitting but I needed one that is lightweight and that I could carry with me. Mike said that I'm going overboard which is probably true but if we can afford it why not.

She also told me that I must have a telephoto lens which I am now searching frantically for something I can justify buying. I don't want to spend much more than $200 after just buying 2 lenses not too long ago as I discussed here. This means that I will have to buy a used lens which doesn't worry me too terribly much since my teacher says she buys used all the time and most people treat their lenses like their babies. I've been stalking e-bay to try and find one in in the 75-300mm range which should be fine for me right now. I'm well aware that I will probably be replacing it in a year when I can afford to buy one for $500-600, which I'm finding to be the price range of decent lenses.

I just hate waiting for an e-bay auction to draw to a close. There are a few of them that I've been obsessively stalking. One has 2 days left and the other 7. If I don't win one of those I'm afraid I will have to lower my expectations and either buy one without Image Stabilization or a smaller range.

I don't exactly know where this photography bug is leading but I feel the need to follow the passion wherever it takes me. One of the biggest advantages of being childless is that we have the time and some disposable income to spend on our flights of fancy. The pictures above were taken with my favorite little lens the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 last week at St. Charles Borromeo Cemetery.

Photo Fever

I am so itching to get out there and start taking pictures again. Being confined to my couch for 5 weeks so soon after getting my new DSLR Canon Rebel XSi was such terrible timing. I had to postpone the photography class I had booked for January/February and have barely taken it out of the case all year long. I had just bought the camera strap from Lucky Straps and it came a week before the fall so it's still waiting to be put to use.

Last night I discovered that I have never processed my check from the last craft show I did. I didn't get it until January and it has sat there all this time. That is actually a good thing because it probably would have been frittered away by now if Mike had deposited it when it came. I've decided to put it towards a new lens or glass as the pros call it for the camera. They say the quality of your lenses is more important than your camera in terms of picture quality.

Right now I have my kit lens and a few attachments I had from before, including a wide angle and a telephoto no name brand. I have over $400 to spend which sounds like a lot to anyone but camera geeks. Lenses can be so expensive and I've been torn about what to put my money towards as I want it to grow with me. I think I need to take the step up from my kit lens and get a good all around lens that will be appropriate for most situations. I don't see myself carrying tons of lenses with me everywhere and changing them out for each environment.

I've read really good things about Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Standard Zoom Lens.
It is actually the kit lens on some of the professional cameras Canon makes and can be used on film as well as digital SLRs. The biggest complaint I read about it is that it's heavy. This concerns me enough to think about the Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 Image Stabilized USM SLR Lens which is lightweight because it's made especially for the Rebel cameras. The reviews for this one are not as good and there are concerns with it's wide angle and low light capabilities. They both have a good zoom and Image Stabilization which means I won't have to carry a tripod around everywhere.

If I get the refurbished by Canon lens for either of the above I could also get the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II which is only $90 and is considered the best deal in a Canon lens out there. It is perfect for Portraiture and low light settings which should lesson the problem of the second lens from above. Adorama has refurbished lenses which have been inspected by Canon and have a full year warranty on them for around $100 less than the new lens. Most people have had fine experiences buying refurbished from Canon but there is a slight hesitation for me as I've never done it before.

I know there are some photography freaks out there who check in here. If you have any advice for this glass buying novice please share. I'm wanting to stick with the Canon brand as I trust their quality. I'm really hoping to get out there soon and figure out what my camera and I am capable of.