60mm

A friend of a friend lent me an old AF Micro Nikkor 60mm 1:2.8 D lens last weekend to play around with. It's been interesting playing around with it, since I am so used to using my 18-200mm VR lens. I've been using it on manual focus, even though it is AF, because it does get a little squirrely with the body sometimes. A couple of fun shots that I've taken:

My kitty buddy, Thoth

Thoth's pentapus (only 5 legs) toy

My friend Val's kitty buddy, Sherman

Kitty buddy looking out the window

Wheatgrass and blue bottle in the kitchen window

Busy Bee

Not much to post about lately, just life going on as usual - house projects, work projects, weekend visitors, movie outings, and my arch-nemesis, house cleaning! I did get a new camera backpack and camera strap to try out. We're taking a trip via airplane soon, so I thought it would be a good time to test out the camera backpack. I searched all over the internet trying to find one with easy access, sleek design, and good price. In addition with some feedback from friends, I decided to go ahead and get one with a small laptop sleeve in it as well (even though I don't have said laptop yet) and room for at least a shoe-mount flash and maybe 2-3 other lenses (also don't have those yet). I ended up ordering the Kata DR-466 Digital Rucksack with Reflex E camera strap. Additional bonus: there's a $15 rebate currently for the backback I ordered ($20 if you get a more expensive one). The camera strap comes in three sections - a cushy neck section, and then two straps that go on either side of the camera. There are release clips that allow you to remove the neck strap and hook the two ends to D-rings on the backpack straps, transferring and distributing the weight of the camera to your shoulders through the backpack straps and relieving your neck. The neck strap portion has two small zippered compartments - one on either end. I can fit my USB SD card reader and my tiny Nikon ML-L3 wireless remote control in there nicely. I could also put an SD card in there, but with a 16 GB card, I don't really need to carry around extra memory! I did read many online reviews before purchasing, and one thing that I already knew was that the Reflex E strap by itself could be a bit long if you are short, which indeed it is, but at the same time, the end lengths are perfect when you hook it onto the backpack. Really, I think I need the neck portion shortened. But the strap by itself does allow you to carry the camera cross-body and lift the camera to take a photo without having to shimmy your arm back out of the strap or shimmy it around your in order to lift the camera up to eye-level. Thought it was a pretty cool system, so I'll have to review it once I use it more.

Me testing out the new camera backpack and strap with my assistant, Thoth.

Some great bee shots that DH took the other day as they buzzed around our driveway hydrangea - you can see the pollen on the bee's rear in the second photo.

Kitty Photo Shoot

Playing with my camera is a lot more fun than studying, unfortunately. But this photo shoot with Thoth didn't last all that long. He had his back turned to me and gave me the silent treatment after a few minutes. These were longer exposure, therefore some of the blurriness. I think I got a couple good ones. Double-headed kitty turned out funny, so I'm posting it too.

New 'do

After getting my hair really chopped at the beginning of September, it finally started feeling like it was growing out all of the sudden this last week! The back had gotten to the point where it was getting longer than the front, jamming into the back of my neck or collar when I tilted my head back (threatening to be a baby mullet), and just getting plain shaggy. So in honor of Election Day (and there being an opening with my stylist), I went in for a haircut this evening. I had originally wanted a graduated bob when I got my hair chopped, but I think Robbi thought it might be too much of a shock since I was already getting about 11 inches chopped, so she tried to be on the conservative side. Well, I have to say that she outdid herself tonight, as I am loving my cut, and hope it stays like this for awhile!

Camera update - just checked tracking and it looks like if all goes well, the camera should be coming to me at work tomorrow!! I am SoooOOOooo excited!!

Nikon D90 ordered!

Woo hoo!! I've made my big purchase for the year, now I just have to wait for it to get here... YAY!!

http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/lineup/digitalcamera/slr/d90/index.htm

Accessories will be welcome for Christmas gifts...

Cameras and Disco Balls

I haven't had much to write about this week because I've mostly only been working, studying, and sleeping. But I did take some time this weekend to have a little fun.

I found out about a camera warehouse moving sale through my friend Val, so DH and I went with her early Sat. morning. There were maybe 15 people there when we got there (we got there about 20 min early, and the sale had already started), and who knows how many (LOTS!) by the time we left about an hour and a half later. Val got a great deal for some glass filters, mat board, light box, and some other camera stuff. I went without really expecting to get anything, but walked out with an awesome deal on a discontinued Epson compact photo printer for $3 (although it was missing a power adaptor that I am now working on trying to find), a brand new Nikon SLR camera case for $10, a random but cool looking leather case that once held an old camera for 50 cents, a couple $1 packs of 20-count double-sided 4x6 photo paper, and some free lens cleaning papers thrown in there for free. It was certainly interesting just to walk around an peek into the continually multiplying cardboard boxes that magically kept appearing, row after row, in their parking lot. So now I just need a camera to go into that camera bag! I noticed that the Nikon D90 kit is now in stores - they appeared in Sunday ads today. I should go by and check one out in person. Now just waiting for the body only to come out, since the lens I want is not the one that comes with the kit...

I also finally committed to designing a few jewelry pieces for myself using the cool "disco balls" that Val introduced me to. I was finally able to get my hands on some at the bead show we went to a few weekends ago, I just hadn't figured out what I wanted to make with them. They are a cool mix of antiqued, bali-looking silver filgaree and Swarovski crystals. I made a v-shaped chain necklace with the blue one and a pendant and earrrings with the purple and fuschia ones. I still have one more champagne-colored one that I haven't decided what to make with yet. The photos don't really do them justice - they are way sparkly and I love them!

Post #100!

It's my 100th post! I didn't think I'd be keeping this up almost a year later, but somehow blogging is a lot easier than keeping a journal. And people in cyberspace might actually be reading it! It is the year of 100s at GT - 100 years of the alumni association, college of architecture, and GT Band! There will be a lot of fun things going on at Homecoming on Oct. 25th this year, so I am looking forward to that. In fact, I will be helping to plan some of the GTBAA activities.

(Just out of curiousity, I searched for "100" on Google images. Click here to see what it gave me.)

In other news, today I received an end-of-fiscal-year bonus! That was a nice surprise. And it puts me in a better position to get that digital SLR camera that I have been eyeing to replace my old (but trusty) 1.3 megapixal Sony Cybershot that I have had since 2002. I just found out this week that the Nikon D90 is coming out within the next month, so my loyalties have changed from the D80 to the D90 now. I am also trying to decide which lens to get. My friend Val recommends the Nikkor 18-200 mm VR (vibration reduction) lens as a good multipurpose lens, and that way I won't need to be switching between two smaller ones. Any thoughts or advice out there? Please leave a comment or email me! Thanks a bunch!