OK! I admit it! I have been lured over to the "other side"! When I started
The Rusty Shutter website and subsequently this blog I was adamant about using only Point and Shoot cameras. My blog was to be for ALL photographers regardless of their cameras. AND, I hope it still is, but after having a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) in my hands for a couple of months I have been converted. Yes, way back in time I had a film SLR and loved it but I was not convinced of the same fact about DSLR's. But, I will now unequivocally say, without a doubt, that if you want to take your photography to the "next step" you will want to invest in one of these cameras. I will warn you that even though you will feel like you have a "tiger by the tail" the first (and second, and third) time you use one of these, it will be well worth the effort.
The first thing I noticed was the beauty of being able to control depth of field! (how much of the picture is in focus) This is an option you don't have with most Point and Shoot cameras. Manufacturers know that most people, just taking snapshots, want everything in focus. (Or, they "think" they want everything in focus.) Because of this they program the camera to "make it so!" Not so the DSLR! Oh, no! It will gladly blur any part of the picture that you desire and sometimes parts that you don't desire. But, oh, the beauty when you learn to use this seemingly undesirable trait!
Notice the picture above of this ordinary little ball of fluff. Now take a look at the background. Did you notice that it is out of focus but still it does not detract from the picture but rather, enhances it. The sharp foreground draws your eye to the subject of your photograph while the background does just what it is supposed to do...be a background. That is actually the way we see things in real life. Think about it - when you focus on an object, only that one thing is in focus. The rest is a blur until you move your eyes!
Here is another little "jewel" with a small depth of field.
Don't take my word for it! Beg, borrow, (don't) steal a DSLR and try it for yourself. You will never look back!
Posts
Can you guess what these objects are? You only see them a few weeks out of the year. In fact, you may have just spotted a few flying by recently!
Can you guess what this is? I imagine that most of you see this everyday of your life....well, maybe! It's not as pretty as our last picture but just as useful!
The answer that was the closest was from Kerri Shotts. But, it is probably plastic and not glass. Here is a bigger photo.
Can you guess what this is? It is amazing to me how beautiful something can be and I have never noticed it before. Hint: I saw this out walking one day...
Several of you had great guesses as to what this could possibly be. Personally, I would have guessed a stuffed animal left out in the rain all night - but WAIT! That's not it!!! Mindy, you guessed right! Here is a pic that shows the whole object. A fuzzy, wet leaf!
Have you ever looked at a bee or dragonfly up close? Perhaps not. They move so fast and unfortunately, some sting - hard! Fortunately for me (or not) I feel invincible when I have a camera in front of my face. I have been able to get some fantastic closeups of bugs, bees and dragonflies. AND some not so closeups of snakes!
Photography gives you NEW EYES. You see ordinary, everyday objects in a different light. It fascinates me how a photo of just a small part of an item can change it into an unknown and strange object. Sometimes it is unrecognizable. The above photo was taken just a few days ago in a very ordinary place of a very ordinary item. See if you can guess what it is! I will post the answer in a few days (after several have had a chance to comment). Good Luck!
