My First Subject: A Furry Little Gentleman

I busted my new camera out of the box today, and my dog Louie was my lucky first subject. I only shot a few; I didn't get carried away because I haven't even read the manual yet!

But here are the first few of the furry little fellow...

From his ottoman by the window, his own private perching place:

On the floor, by our bed. This is his nighttime resting place since his daddy doesn't allow him actually ON the bed:

And here he is with his perfect posture. Good Boy!:

These are by no means professional quality but they are already worlds above what comes out of my little point and shoot camera. Look out for MANY more photos to come... as soon as I know what I am doing ;-)

Our New Camera

It's been a month since my big Kentucky Derby win and I decided to put my winnings to good use by finally ordering our new DSLR camera online!

I settled on a Pentax K200D SLR Digital Camera with 18-55mm Lens and purchased it online from B&H Photo with no tax and free shipping!

I did a lot of comparison shopping and comparative research, and ultimately settled on the Pentax because:

a). I've owned a Pentax point-and-shoot in the past and it lasted me 6 years with amazing quality photos, I have yet to find a comparable replacement.

b). It's equipped with Pentax's Shake Reduction mechanism, which reduces camera shake for sharp, blur-free images.

c). It's body is sturdier than most I compared it to, with dust-proof, water-resistant construction.

d). This Pentax will accept ANY Pentax lens ever made, even from decades past. No, I don't own old Pentax lenses right now, but I like that I have the option to find many interchangeable and affordable lenses in the future, new or used, that will extend the life of my camera body, hence making it less likely to become obsolete to me.

The best news is that it is supposed to me delivered TOMORROW. I can't wait to open it up and try it out this weekend. I know I have a lot to learn but it will be a fun process.

I'll be sure to start posting many more photos very soon!

'Mine That Bird' is buying me a Camera!

I have had just about the luckiest year in sports that a girl can ask for. So far in 2009, I won our office "Super Bowl Squares" Pool, I won our office NCAA March Madness Pool and then to top it off I just won big this weekend at the Kentucky Derby!

My coworker, Emily, goes to the Derby each year, and on Friday on her way to catch her flight she asked if anyone wanted to give her money to bet on a horse. My coworker T gave her a $20 bill and I handed her a $10 and that was that. She instructed us that we could review the horses on Saturday morning and text her our picks. Well, when the horses were announced, she texted me to tell me that there was a horse called "Mine That Bird" that she was going to bet on for me, being that I am a tiny bit obsessed with birds. I wrote her back and said, "Perfect!"

WOW! It was perfect indeed! A minor obsession of mine really paid off big. 50/1 big! (And, man I should have given her a $20!) Talk about a major ROI in this crappy economy.

So thanks to Mine That Bird, I had a nice chunk of cash sitting on my desk this morning when I arrived at work. And that unexpected cash payout is going to go towards a new DSLR camera! (heck, it will almost cover the whole thing!)

I seriously feel so lucky to even be posting about this right now, and am happy that I will hopefully be able to learn to use my soon-to-camera before our trip to Italy!

I have been following some blogs, doing some research on my own and also asked two of my photog friends their advice for an amateur like moi, and have all but settled on a Canon Rebel XSi. But I could be talked into another model/brand if anyone wants to steer me in another direction. For instance, I had really good experience with a Pentax digital point-and-shoot in the past; does anyone have experience with Pentax DSLR's?

Also, where is the best and most reputable place on the net to find a camera? I'd love the advice of any owners out there!