The "Other Side"...

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!

The Last Laugh...

Do you ever feel like you are being laughed at? It's bad enough when friends do it...but, what about when complete strangers do it.....or strange horses?
We visited Hannibal, Mo. yesterday for a photowalk of the city. We took plenty of great pictures which will be on the site in a few days.....but this one is my favorite! This horse expresses it all! Maybe we should all take time to laugh a little more and complain less?