Camera Upgrade

I've been shooting with my Canon Rebel XSi for over a year, and I've loved, loved loved it. When I picked out my Rebel in the summer of '09 I had no idea I'd end up loving photography as much as I do. I wanted an entry level camera that I could use on the full-auto setting; I just needed something fast to capture Andrew's quick smiles.

But then I realized that I could take really awesome photos with my camera and lenses if I'd just take the time to learn how to use them.

I started out shooting in Av (Aperture priority) Mode and then this past January I switched to full Manual (meaning I select my shutter speed, aperture and ISO for every shot) and I haven't looked back. I can't believe what a difference it made in my photos!

Here's one of my favorite shots from last Christmas taken in Av Mode:



It's a good shot, and I love the subject and the composition, but the exposure could have used a little help. See how dark Brian's face is? I'm sure my camera calculated the exposure using some of that bright background as well as Brian and Andrew so they came out a little too dark.

And here's one of my favorite photos ever from just last weekend:



What a difference practice, practice, practice (and manual mode) makes! :)

Recently I felt like I was ready to upgrade my camera, and I decided to make the move to the Canon 7D. It has a 19-point focus system compared to my Rebel's 9-point, and I think this is the part I'm most excited about.

I manually select my focus point for every photo, and I think having that many focus points will really help me do that. It also has high ISO capabilities and has a 100% viewfinder so everything that will show up in my frame will be visible in my viewfinder.

So, my new camera arrived yesterday afternoon! It's going to take some time to get it all figured out, but here is my first days' attempt.





It's fun to take pictures of Andrew watching TV. He sits still!







Every little boy needs a dirty tushy after an hour in the backyard.







I'm happy with most of them, but I feel like they're all just a little soft. I really feel like it's just user error. I'm sure I'll get better with time, and lots of practice!