Sunday Stills Challenge: Happy New Year

Is it really a new year already?  Seems like just yesterday we were heading out to cut the first hayfield of the summer.

Thanks to Linda at Colorado Farm Life for another great challenge!  The end-of-the-year challenge are always, for  lack of a better word, a challenge.  I usually have several favorites from each time I got out shoot, so it’s tough to pick just one from the whole year, but this year I had a top three (usually it’s more!) to narrow it down from.

Speaking of haying, I discovered this Goldenrod crab spider and his catch while I was out checking the hayfield we were about to lay down for tansy.  These spiders blend in incredibly well.  If not for the moth and the tiny splash of red on the spider’s body, I never would have even noticed that someone was using the plant as his hunting ground.

I haven’t yet given much thought to my photographic aspirations for this coming year….  As always, there is so much to learn about photography, it is a never-ending learning curve.  Sometime this year – for graduation, perhaps – I hope to upgrade to a DSLR.  I’ve got my eye on the Canon EOS Rebel T3i (600D)…

Hope everyone is having a great New Year’s Day!

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Look What Came in the Mail!

I ordered this new beauty on Sunday from Amazon and got it late yesterday afternoon.   I’ve only used it for a couple of hours and I already love it to death!

It’s a Canon PowerShot SX20 IS – it has 20 x optical zoom and 4 x digital zoom, which adds up to 80 x zoom altogether.  No offense to Kodak, but I have only used barely even a quarter of the settings it (Canon) has to off and it has already proven itself  to be absolutely amazing.

It’s bulkier and heavier than the Kodak, but I personally like having something to fill my hands, so that is a pro for me.  The weight also seems to help reduce the shake produced from pressing down the shutter.  The only complaint I have so far is that there is no leash on the lens cap, making it easy for it to slip off.  So far my favorite setting has been the “Super Macro” which allows you to amazing macros without having to have a DSLR with a macro lens.    I’m also very impressed with how it handles low light  – took a couple of photos in the house with the auto setting and they were great.  Can’t wait to see how it does at my next concert!

Here’s a couple sample shots I’ve taken:

From this…

To this:

A macro example:

Sunday Stills Challange – Toys

boys, or what you consider toys challange this week was really fun to shoot.  Some very interesting stuff…

My vast Breyer model horse collection.  I have over fifty, including the dogs, two cows, a cat, and chickens and rabbits.  Now that I don’t play with much anymore, they sit on top of my dressers.

Affirmed, winner of the 1978 Triple Crown. The tenth, and so far the last horse to do so.

Hidalgo from the 2004 movie Hidalgo.  Beautiful chestnut paint.

Holstein milk cow.  I also have a Hereford bull.

My new baby, a Takamine EG530SC acoustic guitar as payment for my work over the summer hauling hay, weeding, and whatever odd jobs.

I’m putting these next two pictures on in behalf of Dad since he doesn’t have a blog, though he has to “share” some of his toys with me. =)  The emblem on our 1948 KB-6 flatbed hay truck.  I love this truck.

The 1/2 scale 12 pound Napoleon cannon.  It makes some serious thunder!

And finally, can’t forget about the camera that makes posting pictures on mine and Mom’s blog possible…