This weekend was the first one that felt like full-blown summer! Saturday, I got some much needed pool time in and then headed over to see one of my BFFs and her little cupcake Andrew! (And her big cupcake Greg :) Afterwards Angie and I hit the golf course. I had no less than 7 or 8 strokes on every hole... can we say AWESOME? Somebody STOP ME!
One good-lookin fam, eh!?
Here is a primo mommy rendition of Patty Cake...
Here's my favorite of Little Boy Blue ~
7/6/09 UPDATE: Both the Rebel and the 50 mm lens have been sold! Thanks to everyone who contacted me expressing interest!
Any mother will tell you that her firstborn holds a special place in her heart.
I can relate. That's how I feel about my darling Rebel.
See, Rebel was my first DSLR, and she was sooo good to me. Early on, she was patient as I painstakingly attempted to figure out the mysterious ISO/aperture/shutter-speed trinity. She stuck with me through serious learning curves of focus, exposure and white balance. She became giddy with excitement upon the addition of new siblings to her family, like the Nifty Fifty lens (you'll hear more about her later.) She has built her life around Christmas card photos, birthday parties and newborns. Lots of newborns. In fact, she was there the first time I ever laid eyes on the adorable nephew. :) Yes, she has been my go-to girl since the start of this whole photography journey.
A few months ago, I upgraded my camera body, mainly for the need to push my ISO a bit and shoot with a full-frame sensor (so I could actually use my beloved 85 mm lens indoors!) I held on to Rebel because I loved her so much AND because the 5D doesn't have a flash... and as much distaste as I have for flash, sometimes it comes in handy. But with a point-and-shoot AND another DSLR in my possession, I'm sad to say that little Rebel did not see a lot of action.
And so, my friends, as tough as it is, I'm forcing myself to say goodbye to Rebel. I'm giving her wings so she can flee this nest and take up residence in the talented hands of an eager new owner, where she will create beautiful photos and tons of great memories!
If you're just beginning your foray into photography, let me just say in all honesty that the Canon Digital Rebel is a great place to start! This camera, with a little photog know-how and 1-2 great lenses, will produce GORGEOUS photos. Many professional photographers will tell you - and I will echo them - that you don't need a super-expensive camera body to take great pictures. If you're just starting out - save your money. Invest in lenses and master the basics before you begin dropping cash on high priced gear. That's what I did, and I haven't regretted it for a second. (Okay, that's sorta what I did... when I bought the Rebel, it was upwards of $800, so it was still a pretty penny!)
I'm selling the entire Rebel kit, complete with the original box it came in, for $350. Here's what's included:
If you'd like more details on the specs, check out Canon's website here.
Now, if you dig around and do some research, you'll notice the XT is the older version of Canon's current Rebel XS. Overall, the only big difference between the two is that the XT has slightly less megapixels at 8.2 (the XS has 10.) Now, before you go gettin' yer panties in a knot over megapixels, let me just say something about that. I am always amazed when I'm at a place like Best Buy and I hear potential customers asking about megapixels. Why? Well, I have to give props to the camera manufacturers - they have done a phenomenal job creating hype around this topic. I must let you in on a little secret, though... megapixels really only matter if you're cropping significantly or enlarging your photos to GARGANTUAN sizes. Even most point-and-shoots nowadays have 5-6 megapixels - plenty for printing 8x10s, 11x14s, even 16x20s! Don't get hung up on megapixels, folks! If you don't believe me, read this article.
Anyway, the point I was going to make is that many people might be inclined to say "Isn't the XT obsolete since there's now a newer, shinier model out?" But, being that the only real difference is megapixels, and you're wise to the megapixel myth now, what do you think? :)
Anyway, enough bantering. Here's some more photos of the Rebel - she has been extremely well taken care of - no scratches or nicks anywhere on the camera body.
I recently upgraded my 50 mm lens as well, so the 50 mm F1.8 is now up for grabs! This is often called the Nifty Fifty because it is seriously the most incredible lens in terms of image quality for the money - it's priced right around $120. I'm selling it for $75 - like the Rebel, it's also in mint condition. This is a great lens, and for months after purchasing it, I used nothing else. You will be amazed at the difference of stopping down to 1.8 aperture after having used the kit lens! While I am happy to sell the 50 mm on its own, I wholeheartedly recommend it if you're also interested in the Rebel. Here's a few snaps:
(It has a lens cord on it to keep from losing the cover!)
Another one of my favorite photographers, DrewB, just posted about cameras and lenses earlier this month. Check out her blog to get another photographer's perspective. Please email me using the sidebar link if you're interested in purchasing one or both items above! Thanks!
Remember how I said I was on my storyboard kick?
I'm finally getting ready to print this up for my sister-in-law... even though he is now four months older. :) (Not really sure why the text is looking all wonky... it's not like that in real life.)
And here's another I just got in the mail from Jack's session. I love it! Julie picked out a great combo!
Here's another variation I did in a 10x20 format...
I have another new, fun concept I'm going to start offering... I'll share the details of that in a few days!
Two weeks ago we took Carter for his first dip in the pool. The little squirt LOVED it... you could tell he was unsure at first, probably since the water was still kinda chilly. But within twenty minutes he was really kickin back in his lounger. We might need to upgrade him to one with a bottle holder so he can truly luxuriate with a nice cold beverage.
Anytime we get his hair wet, we like to give him a little up-do. Mohawk style. I think it suits him.
Then I decided maybe he needed to go a little more rebel and sport a do-rag.
Except for the fact that he looked a little more Aunt Jemima than American Chopper.
Still cute though.
Mandy's laughing here because he kept dipping his hand in, pulling it out, realizing it was covered in water, and then trying to shake it off. It was funny to watch. Those little wheels are a turnin' in that noggin of his!
After his swimming skills were perfected, we focused on his diving form. Excellent, if I might say so myself. Extended legs, pointed toes - why yes, he is a baby Greg Louganis.
Aunt Tammy is my sis-in-law Mandy's aunt. So no, she's not really MY aunt, but I don't discriminate... I call her Aunt Tammy too.
Anyway, I digress. I feel for Aunt Tammy these days. Because her baby is all grown up, graduating from high school and headed off to {sniffle} college. And I can see why she'd be misty-eyed. Look at this heartbreaker!
Now, you know a man's a gem when he adores his mama. (I'm still looking for one of those.)
Now, I know this post is about Ben and all, but my sister-in-law just HAD to go and bring the little tater tot by during our shoot, so I just couldn't ignore him, right?!
Besides, he just looked so angelic sitting there on that bench, little chubbers legs and all...
Okay. I digress again. Back to Ben.
Check out the volleyball stud!
Well, Carter got a hold of a few of his medals...
and you know what happened next:
This next one is one of my FAVORITES. The funny part about it is that I asked Ben to sit down on a large rock... He sort of looked at me weird and I realized that the rock was perched in this huge bed of tall, purple flowers. Yeah, an eighteen-year-old guy in the midst of a flower patch looks a little odd. But not when you capture this smoldering look and crop in tight!
Congratulations, Ben! Best of luck to you!
That crafty little Lisa Russo. She's gone and done it again. Dreamt up a great idea to benefit all photograph-ees out there.
Her latest posts on Wednesdays talk about what to wear at a photo session. Hellllooooo, how smart is that?! I always get questions about what to wear for photos, and my general rule of thumb is to have fun. I LOVE LOVE LOVE color. I don't like black and white (the ugly truth is that the majority of photographers don't - it throws off exposure. White, especially, is just H.A.R.D. unless maybe you're on a beach and your entire landscape is fairly light. Okay, no - I lied. Even then it's still hard.)
So, I could offer my own pointers on what to wear for your photo session, but you may just want to see for yourself on Lisa's blog. And take a gander at her photos... she is one of my newborn IDOLS. :)
Sharing a few more of Henry... there were so many cute ones of this kid, it was hard to choose...
Loving this one with Grandma!
I've got this thing for eyelashes lately...
This is a major milestone for me... I have long admired photographers who have mastered "sun flare." I think I may have gotten the hang of it!? NEW FAVE!
I haven't posted one of these in a while - but I just ADORE storyboards. It's such a great way to show a sequence of images. They come printed on matboards and you don't even have to frame them if you don't want to! Plus, you can add any text you like. These look super cute as decor in kids' bathrooms!
I tried some different processing on this one and it came out sort of vintage-y. Fun!
This is another favorite - I love how it captures him in the process of discovery. (Oh - and how great is it to have fresh, green blades of grass after this dreadfully loooonnggg winter?)
