My new toy gives me the shakes

[phyco126]

Litterally, I am shaking really, really bad right now. I have always enjoyed taking pictures of things, anything. From the bottle of Disaronno that lives next to my keyboard to my little brother and baby niece to mountains and flowers. Mostly, I've enjoyed taking pictures of natural scenery, such as mountains (I live in Colorado), plants, and animals. At work, we occasionally have Kits that run around the front of our building, as well as racoons, coyotes, adult foxes, the occasional rabbit, voles, etc.

However, for the longest time I have taken these pictures with the old school 5.0 Megapixel Kodak EasyShare DX4530, a $259 camera when I bought it. It has served me well enough for the past 5 years, but anymore it just doesn't produce the results of the more advanced things I wish to take pictures of. So I bought a $259 12 Megapixel Kodak EasyShare, based on my experience with the DX4530. No go, the pictures were great but it had a massive picture fail rate (they didn't turn out as good). So I gave that one to my sister since she needed one to take pictures of my niece. Right after I bought a Polaroid T831 8 Megapixel camera, based off of the good results of my sisters older Polariod camera (that died). The results were much better, the pictures were as good as the 12 Megapixel Kodak, but I quickly figured something out. The 5 Megapixel Kodak still took better pictures then either of the newer cameras. There goes another $139.

For the longest time I wanted a SLR camera, but couldn't afford it. Finally, though, I snapped. $1,900 later, I am not the proud owner of a Nikon DSLR, the D90. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6830113155

Plus I picked up other accessories, such as filters for the lens, a carring case, SDHC cards, etc. I went all out. The only thing I am missing is the tripod and additional lens. There is a lens I want to get in about 5 months, so I can take extremely close up pictures of really small things, but since it's an additional $600, I'll have to wait at least a couple of months.

So now, I am shaking pretty badly; I just spent over $1,900... and for the first time it wasn't on Legos or PC stuff. I am very happy and I hope the camera serves me well. Its a shame my college doesn't offer photo classes, but maybe they have similiar stuff. There is so much that is new to me, as I am used to the point and click cameras. I feel I have really outgrown those though, so I'm hoping I can do so much better with my new toy.

*giggle* I can't wait to take pictures! ^_^

I blame my dad for all of this, he has spent more money than that on his 35mm SLR camera.

[captaindax]

Make sure to share some of your awesome pictures with us =P

[Werefrog]

I hope you get over your shakes before you take pictures with your camera.

[phyco126]

Well, the shakes was from the nervousness and the excitement. And the fact that I just spent that much money that didn't involve games or computers. Or a new car for that matter.

Anyway, here are the pictures I have taken so far that I have liked the most. http://www.phyco126.com/otherpictures.html . Warning, they are pretty big. I can't wait until it gets a bit warmer (I've been told that the current temps would run the risk of seriously damaging the camera. Temps are currently 7 outside, but earlier it was around 2) so I can take pictures of my intending subjects... nature. Trees, animals, the mountains and finally clouds.

I'm still learning all there is to know about the camera, so don't expect any Sarah-esq pictures.

[localflick]

I love the control center photo, although I have to ask is the booze always there, or did it just happen to be in the shot?

Monitors usually don't come out clearly in photos, that's a great camera!

[phyco126]

The booze has been there for around one or one and a half weeks. Very little is gone, and what is gone was a small glass for my mother and I. The stuff is too expensive to drink it like I want to. =/ Else I'd probably be drunk quite often.

Anywho, I'm having lots of fun with the camera.

[GhaleonOne]

Glad you like it. I've been using a D80 for about a year and a half now. I love it. Once you jump up to a DSLR from point-and-click you never go back. I'm about to do my first gallery show in February or March with the stuff I'm finishing up. If you get more into nature and landscape, let me know and I can give you some pointers on going various routes. I've gotten heavily into HDR imaging the past few months, and stitching really large photos together. (many of which can be printed to 8x10 foot or larger)

[Werefrog]

I wish I had a parrot. Does it know any words? </OT>

[GhaleonOne]

BTW, Charles, if you're interested in looking through some of the best Colorado photographers (since I assume that's what you'll be shooting for mountain scenery, as you said above) you should check these two guys:

jessespeer.com
morninglight.us

I've always liked these two the best, though there are a number of really amazing professional Colorado photographers out there. You can also check out http://www.widerangegalleries.com/portfolio.php. It's a list of some of the best mountain photographers in the world (the two above are listed, one of which designs the websites for most of those galleries). It's the stuff I aspire to even dream of photographing. They have photos from Colorado to Everest and everything in between.

[Jenner]

Massive myspace photo upload incoming soon.

[phyco126]

Oh wow, hey thanks G1! I'll certainly be checking those out. You are pretty much correct, but at some point I would like to some photos in the forests of the North West and Appalachians, but thats some years away.

Right now I'm just looking at techniques, filters, lenses, etc.

[phyco126]

I wish I had a parrot. Does it know any words? </OT>

Yes and no. Its an African Grey, pretty expensive from my understanding. It isn't my bird, rather its my step-dad's. It knows how to imitate whistling and a few other noises (like water dripping), but only says one word. The bird is pretty intelligent, but he would rather just whistle whatever. He does say hello, but it sounds more like "erro." He also can bark, which in of itself sounds pretty funny and cute.

Localflick, if you loved the command center pick, you'll love the one I'm about to shoot.

[Werefrog]

My neighbors have a parrot that was able to perfectly imitate their voices (they're twins, so they pretty much have the same voice). For example, it could yell, "Mom!" in their voice whenever it wanted some attention.

I wish I was better at imitating voices. It would make learning Spanish/doing comedy so much easier if I could.

[phyco126]

Hah, that's great! Anyway, here is the other command center pick. The game being played on the PC is Doom 3.

http://www.phyco126.com/images/DSC_0007.JPG

[Werefrog]

Hah! I love the A1 sauce in the background. In my mind, you combine the A1 sauce with the amaretto to create a bizarre drink.

[phyco126]

O_O. Wow, you know, I guess it wouldn't hurt to try it. People have made crazier mixed drinks before. Probably a good thing I had already put away the hotsauce before I took the picture, lol.

Personally, I loved the lego boxes in the back/foreground. =P

[HikariOmoi]

You're never too old for Legos~! XD But, wow, that's a lot. Do you have any younger siblings or cousins? They must love coming over! I can imagine you asking them if they want to play with them!

Phyco: Wanna play with the legos? 8D!
Cousins: No, we're too old for that. :\
Phyco: ...you're 7. o.o;

[phyco126]

I have a 5 and a half year old brother who I live with. My 2 and a half year old niece comes by a lot as my mother babysits her every week. Both love to look at the boxes and the models I've already built. No, I don't share my legos. Rawr.

The legos are for various reasons, I build the sets and I then take them apart and build other things. Like, castles. =D http://www.phyco126.com/legos.html

[HikariOmoi]

The comparison shots are hilarious! Such a difference!

Looking at all of those pictures makes me want to get into lego! Unfortunately, I'd only have the ability to watch and move the people around. Designing things isn't really my strong point. ^^;

[Jenner]

I am still upset that this post wasn't about a vibrator or buttplug.

/spurns thread.