I’m super excited because I placed the order for my new camera yesterday!  WOO HOO!  It should ship tomorrow and be here next week.  I wanted the new camera before my meeting next week with the couple who’s wedding I’m shooting in September.

Since I decided I wanted a new, bigger, better and greater camera I’ve actually started to try and learn more about the basics.  I don’t feel like I have great reading comprehension when it comes to instructions and manual {this could be why I don’t follow instructions.  EVER.} to the point I thought about taking a basics course so I could get some hands on experience.  I seem to be a more hands on learner.  Anyway, a few weeks ago I stumbled across a website called Digital Photography School.  You can sign up for emails with tips and tricks.  So far I’ve read almost all the articles I’ve been sent.  Even though it’s not actually showing me how to work my camera, it’s helping me understand all the moving parts, which is very helpful as well.

I got my current camera, a Nikon D50, for Christmas a few years ago.  It was a total surprise!  Turned out my dad’s boss at the time bought it, used it a few times and decided he didn’t like the idea of the sensor so he switched to a Canon.  He offered dad a good deal and Kelly got her first DSLR.  Unfortunately I didn’t really take the time to figure out my camera.  I could point and shoot and that was good enough for me.  Matt went so far as to buy me a D50 manual, but we were back to the whole reading comprehension thing.  I tried to read the manual and follow along but things just didn’t seem to make as much sense so I didn’t get very far.  I’ve tinkered with my camera and played with the settings.  I even bought the super duper 18-200mm lens last year.  I was in heaven.  But now, now I just spent a ton of money on bells and whistles.  {The D50 was more of the base model when it came out.}  And with bells and whistles I feel like I owe it to myself and the camera to really understand everything I can do.  I’ve found a youtube video that is about an hour long that goes over the D7000.  I haven’t watched the video since I don’t have the camera, but let me tell you I am ready as soon as I have it in hand.

On top of buying a new camera, Matt found a great deal on Tanga.com last week for a lightbox.  As you all know, I tend to take a lot of pics for my blog.  Well most of them end up with the countertop in the kitchen as my backdrop.  Not really ideal.  For $26.99I got a lightbox valued at $100.00 (and PS it’s still on sale).  It has 4 backdrops, 2 lights, a mini tripod and the whole thing is encased in a handy carrier.  Now I can take better blog pics. 🙂  Plus it was such a good deal you almost have to buy it right? 😉

So that’s my spiel on photography.  I hope to start posting more than just iPhone pics in the coming weeks.

~k