Glimpses

Our camera of choice is a Nikon D60 SLR.  It takes very good pictures.  I'd like to tell you that it's because of the photographer and not the camera, but most of the good shots are pure luck.  Last year, determined to really learn how to use it, I joined a 52-week photography challenge.  The users were very good about giving feedback on my pictures and talking about technique on theirs.  I did learn quite a bit, but most of us (present company included) fizzled out by March. Someday, I will go and take the weekend photography seminar that Nikon puts on.

Besides being somewhat complicated, the other problem with the D60, is that it is bulky and heavy.  It is hard sometimes to bring it along if I am taking Jack somewhere on my own.  I was also hestitant to bring it with me when I travel because I was afraid I would leave it somewhere.  Out of pure convenience I would revert to taking pictures on my iPhone 4, but was often disappointed with the quality of the photos.  For Christmas, Bernie got me a Nikon Coolpix S6000 point and shoot camera.  It's tiny enough to keep in my purse or even my pocket for those times when bringing the D60 isn't practical, but the pictures are better than the iPhone.  Until they make a pocket DSLR, it is the perfect compromise.

I hadn't given much thought to doing a photography challenge this year until I discovered that my cousin was hosting one.  I am not actually committing to the whole year (LOL), but I thought I'd at least give this week's challenge a shot.  The background and inspiration is available here if you are interested: Photography Challenge.

The jist of the challenge is to capture the moments of your routine day rather than waiting for the perfect shot. My first try is below and I think I failed miserably.  By trying to capture various aspects of my day without leaving anyone out, it looks very much like the pictures I normally post.

Below is my second attempt. Jack is the only person who will let me follow him around with the camera all day, so I decided to focus on him.  This is a little more in line with the challenge.  I took all of these today and he is not feeling well, so he was a little less tolerant of the camera than usual. Even with a 102 degree fever, he is still a goof ball!