New Equipment

My favorite two presents came after Christmas. First, the 50mm. For those of you who always forget or never knew, a 50mm lens can have a very low aperture-1.8 is the one I have used-which means the lense opens wide, allowing much more light in, and creating a very shallow depth of field. It is a fixed lens, which means that it does not zoom. This results in a cheaper lens-in fact, the 1.8 is about the cheapest Canon lens you can get, ranging around $100.

I use the 50 almost constantly, but it was Ryan's lens. "Are you going to give me my lens for Christmas?" he asked. I told him I'd give it back, asking to keep it a bit longer. Then, when I tried to give it back, he wouldn't take it. "I feel bad," he said. "You probably enjoy it a lot more than I do."

"Just take it," I said.

Finally he did, saying, "Just get one."

I told him he could be glad I gave it back. "I can't stand not having it, so I'm going to end up getting one." Two days after Christmas, he sent us a deal, and Mom ordered it for me. I waited in anticipation. It arrived on New Year's Eve.

I excitedly wandered the house, taking pictures.

The first picture I took with my 50mm.

I was glad to have it before the New Year's Eve variety show, without which it would have been almost impossible to take pictures with my camera in the dim sanctuary.

A number of my favorites from there, all using the 50:

On Friday after Christmas, we celebrated with Dad's side of the family. I forgot to bring my tripod, and it seemed someone had gone back to get it. Dad came in, handing me...my tripod? It didn't look like my tripod. It was a new one-well, new to me, anyway-with professional written on one of the legs. It is very sturdy and adjustable.

I wasn't the only one with new photography equipment. On New Year's Eve, I enjoyed taking Rebekah's new 60D camera and filling her card with a couple hundred pictures. I had used it a bit at the variety show too, and took pictures that even with my 50 wouldn't have turned out on my camera. Needless to say, I liked her camera. Suddenly I realized I need a new one...soon, I hope, soon.

Since I don't feel like finishing this post, I shall post it and be done with it.