A Happy New Year!

Well well, here's to my first post in 2012. The first of many...I hope.

Writing, like so many other things...um, like ALL things...takes discipline. Am I right? I don't want to waste this year, not that I've been wasting my years away or anything, but there are many things that I set forth to do in my younger years and yet, I still not have accomplished them. When I was 12, I started writing my first full length novel. Did I finish it? NO! Maybe I won't write a full length novel this year or the next, but I do want to write more and continue practicing a craft that I have been so passionate about for so long. Please, if some chick can go on amazon and self publish her stories about trolls, who is to say I can't do that either? (Although not about trolls, mind you). So, with much discipline and motivation, I will get there!

A couple of years ago, I borrowed a DSLR camera from a friend. I think the camera was in my possession for about 2 years before I had to give it back. It was a Canon EOS D60 from back in 2002. While a couple of years old, I was equipped with a telephoto lens and I was ready to shoot some serious photos. I got some great shots and really enjoyed learning how to use the camera. The background of my blog is one of them actually....I caught a Cuban Knight Anole lizard shedding its skin and eating it. Here are a few more examples of the shots I was able to get, in no particular order:

Cuban Knight Anole lizard shedding

Wood Stork by the lake

Shadow Prints

Great Blue Heron stakeout

Tiger at the zoo

Sky Keeper

The sleepy Ocelot

Angry Anhinga

A late lunch - Black Vulture Silhouettes

Wood Stork taking off

So those are a few in a nutshell. Isn't it obvious that I love birds? Or cats...but really birds. After having to return the Canon, which I used to take all of these, I was left with nothing but my point and shoot. For a few months, I pondered which camera to purchase, whether a DSLR or something like it. Finally, I came across the mirrorless micro four thirds cameras and fell in love with the idea. A small digital camera with the functions of a DSLR? Sweet! I looked at the Olympus Pen, then at the Sony NEX series and I ended up purchasing the Sony NEX 5.

Sony NEX 5

I wonder if I should have waited...the Sony nex 7 will come out soon, with some major improvements that have left me wondering. Plus Nikon came out with there version, which I don't care for, as it looks like something silly. Although its being superficial, I just liked the overall look of the Sony alot. Oh well, I'm pretty happy with my tiny camera. Its pretty good and it has all of the features of a DSLR. I also considered getting the Canon Rebel T3, because I think I would've taken the best pictures with it.  But alas, bulk vs brand, in which bulk won, was my final decision. Just like getting a Galaxy S II over an iPhone 4, the thing that won me over was Swype. Laugh out loud!
Back to cameras, I figure, the equipment is important and yet so is how a person takes a photo. In conclusion, any camera, given the right discipline, can take wonderful photos. Plus, Sony is rather up there in the image quality.

My next step is to purchase a telephoto lens for my little ditty. I'd like some really good glass, and I can always buy an adapter lens mount to buy any lens I want. But to keep it simple, I'm looking at the telephoto that the Sony emount series offers. Which is the Sony SEL55210 pictured below:

Sony SEL55210

Nice right? I think so! Its range is 55mm-210mm. I think thats a pretty good zoom to get in there, I mean, I'm not looking for a zuper zoom paparazzi stalker style lens, ya know?

Alright! This post feels like one of my good ol' original posts, where they have some life outside of bitching. And what have we learned today? DISCIPLINE! Its all about having the motivation to push yourself and stay focused on your task at hand right? And I never go back on my word!! At least I try.

<===========================Update 1/9/2012=============================>

Somehow in my hurry to end the post yesterday, I forgot to add one of the reasons I wrote this post in the first place. Duh! So, in my discipline to practice these crafts, I've been trying to read up and even pulling out my old notes from photography class in high school. I got this book a few days ago:

I saw it in Costco and flipped through and thought, why not? I want to hear what Scott Kelby has to say. He's said enough about Photoshop, so lets see what he has to take about Digital Photograpy. So far so good, its a quick read and gives some basic and almost "common sense" insight.

Aaand, thats it.