The Camera Helps

So, I've been researching cameras for a long time and finally "pulled the trigger."  The pun is intended, as in reading about cameras I've found there are many photographers who say that the type of camera you have does not matter and that you can get the same results from a point and shoot as a DSLR if you work hard enough.  That's so very helpful of them, but I've decided I feel the same way about owning a nice camera as I do gun control.  Cameras don't take good pictures, people do...but I think the camera helps. 

Thank you to our numerous friends who have given us advice and recommendations during my camera shopping experience, especially Mr. Andy Maysent.  I have a photography class scheduled for next week and I have a TON to learn just from my camera manual, but these pictures taken on the kit lense with no training make me very happy.  I finally have a hobby other than putting blurry/dim pictures up on a blog that 5 people read.  Now my hobby will be putting somewhat decent pictures up on a blog that 5 people read.  I love you 5 people very much by the way...but Silver Dollar City post excluded, the real reason I do this is for Bryn to have a scrapbook, not to convey any deep thoughts from a multi-tasking, working mom.  The Silver Dollar City post was to get all families who read this to take their kids there soon  and to re-live a part of my childhood...I'll admit it since it was more than obvious.

Here are some shots of some pretty special animal babies. 

Ms. Tegan Sterner.  We know about her.  She still only loves her dad and paternal grandparents.

Gizmo Mungus Bell--he is approximately 874 years old (really 17).  He's a cool dude.  That's a pretty big understatement for our family.  He was originally named Mungus by his breeders because he was always "among us."  I think breeders run out of names pretty quickly.

Kirbicus Liberty Bell.  He was a special gift to me my junior year of high school because I just had to have an American Eskimo like my childhood dog.  My parents have really appreciated getting me a "gift" that I would take care of for 2 of the last 14 years.  Kirby is pretty awesome actually and other than having breath that smells like a rat died in his mouth, he doesn't carry any of the "bad" American Eskimo traits like yapping or being bad with kids.  He's quirky and smart as heck.

This guy is new for my parents.  As of today when we discovered him, he is named "Oh. *bleep* AAAAAHHHHH."  My mom called me back from running about 100 feet to take a picture of the "cool crawdad."  Ever the farmer's daughter.   I didn't think of zooming in my panic.

 
This is a nice trick that Bryn should remember to play on Kirby and Giz at Christmas. 

Kirby and Giz share their food.  Kirby waits for Gizmo to finish before demolishing the rest.  It's pretty sweet.  As of the first picture, Kirby's biggest worry is the speed by which Gizmo eats.  Gizmo can't hear anything, so he has no worries at all. 

Cue the jaws music.

Bryn later made up with Gizmo by offering him a leaf to eat.

Here are some of my attempts to be artsy after a rain and during a power outage.  It's always an adventure at Grammy and Grandpa Bell's. 



Some favorites from the rest of the weekend.

Some action shots of Bryn that show her current personality...which is best described by my mom simply as "you are going to have your hands full...and you deserve it." 

In terms of photography, I really wish I was paying attention to which setting I was using and the angle of lighting that existed on these last ones so I could replicate in the future.  Sigh...I don't want to have to study anything, so I'll probably continue to wing it.