Merry Christmas!

While I was up until after 2am wrapping gifts, I was still eager to see the kids unwrap them at 8am. They enjoyed every minute of it, and I couldn't have been a happier stepmom at that very moment.

...and the Tree Survived!

After our family day out, I relinquished my tree decorating privileges to my fiance and the kids. To my surprise, the tree didn't turned out so bad. Here are a few pics I took while they were decorating. (I seriously need to purchase a flash. I'm getting shadows and dullness in my pics, causing the pics to look unnatural.)

Family's Day Out

We took the kids out to spend some family quality time and to see the new house in its almost finished state. They simply had a ball, as you can see in the pics. These are just a few of my favs.

Let's make the world a "brighter" place

I've known since when I purchased my D60 that eventually I would need a flash, especially one that bounces. I am considering purchasing the Nikon SB-800. It would be nice to purchase the SB-900, but it’s HUGE! It's only approximately $80 more than the 800, so, I may still consider it. Here are some pics comparing the 2 flashes.

My fiancé...the model

I just love taking pics of "the man". Not only is he easy on the eyes...but he also has a personal relationship with the camera. He can never say "no" to it.lol While visiting the new house today, I used him as my pet project to test my skills...or lack thereof. I'm still learning. Here are a few of my favorites.

The New House

We signed a contract on a new (much larger) house back in the end of August, w/ closing date for March (after the wedding). So, construction was projected to start in November. Well, here it is mid-December, and they are almost finished w/ the house!!! While we are excited, we are nervous at the same time b/c our current home hasn't sold yet. But in the meantime, we're trying to stay optimistic...by visiting the new house as often as we can.lol

(These pics were taken w/ my point & shoot Olympus Stylus 820.)

Unfortunately, the owner of the land behind our house decided to sell the trees. Bye bye trees!
(These pics were taken w/ my D60.)

Lenses...the window to the world's soul

When I first bought my D60, 2 lenses came with it—18-55mm VR and 55-200mm VR. Both lenses were "ok" for their purposes, but I was constantly changing the lenses whenever I wanted to achieve a particular shot. I thought to myself one day, "Boy...it sure would be good just to have an all-in-one lens for right now." After doing a little research, I decided that the Nikkor 18-200mm VR is what I needed in my life.

Since I’m still an amateur, one w/ other life expenses, I just couldn’t fork over $630+…so soon after purchasing my D60 kit. While visiting the mall one day, I decided to window shop in Wolf Camera. Surprisingly, they had an after-market version (meaning…generic) of the Nikkor 18-200mm VR—Quantaray 18-200mm OS—for $200 less than the Nikkor lens.

I purchased it, took it home, and fell in love w/ it! I particularly love the manual focus, which is something my previous 2 lenses didn’t have. I no longer have to switch lenses to achieve a wide angle or a spectacular zoom view. The pictures are extremely sharp, and honestly, I see no difference in the quality b/n the Nikon 18-200mm VR (I tested it in-store) and the Quantaray version.

My dream lenses for when my skills (and bank account) improve are the Nikon 10.5mm Fisheye…

…and the Nikkor Wide-angle Zoom 12-24mm

The Beginning...

I purchased my first SLR digital camera (Nikon D60) for my Christmas gift this year. Since I hadn't previously owned one, I had no idea what to expect or even how to operate it. After playing with it nonstop for a couple of days, I pretty much learned about the options and a lot of photography terminology. Here are a couple of pics I took over the Thanksgiving holiday.

This is a pic of my dad and nephew, being lazy on the couch.

Here's my dad again.

My lovely fiancé

Our dog, Camille