Fun with my new toy

I got my new camera a few weeks ago. My very own DSLR - a Canon Rebel.

I was kind of scared to put it into my cart. Somehow, it felt like a huge commitment, like I had to master photography now. I felt like I maybe wasn't up to the task. It was way too cool for me.

I brought it home, and it literally sat in its box for a few days before I could muster up the courage to open it. When I finally did, I spent a few hours poring over the manuals, but most of the technical stuff went over my head, so I gave up after reading about the different lenses and how to turn it on.

I decided to just try the camera out, but I soon noticed that while my pictures were a little sharper, they weren't much better than my point and shoot.

 I tried turning off the flash, and that didn't work.

 The flash didn't wash out pictures like my point and shoot always does, so I decided to embrace it.

 I finally broke down and read a bunch of blog articles on DSLR cameras. Most of them talked about switching from Auto to Manual mode, which I hadn't gotten to yet in my reading. :) I found the button, made the switch, and the magic ensued. I love the way the crunchy leaves are just frozen in flight here.

I'm figuring out how to get the sharper focus where I want it.

 I've played around a little with lighting.

It's amazing how just a few steps over changes the quality of the picture so completely.

 I was ecstatic to discover continuous shooting, letting me catch all the intonations of Lydia's smiles and playful interactions with her big sister.

 And I love how accurately it captures color. Don't you love Nora's new bangs? I finally got brave and cut them this morning.

My pictures are still far from professional or even frame-worthy, but I do feel as though I'm getting better. One of these days I might even finish reading through the manual, and then we'll really be in business. ;) I'm pretty excited about this new hobby!