Interests:Sneaky Shenanigans.Poetry.
Flamboyant words that whisper
gently in your ear.
Stories.
Music that punctures your heart,
wraps itself around you
& won't let you go.
Frolicking.Robots..Llamas.
Pirates.Voyages.Adventures.
Confetti.Narnia.Magic.orcas.
penguins.Mischief.Glee.
Brilliance & rock and roll. Expertise:I'm a professional confetti thrower...
I am taking a photography class starting in January... and need to purchase a new camera for the class... I want a digital SLR and my professor FINALLY sent out the requirement list for the class... I really have NO idea what the heck I am doing... What is the best kind of camera to get [i want it to last for a few years as i'm learning and advancing]... what brand... where I should buy it... how to get the best deals... I was hoping to find a camera during the holiday sales... black Friday & other Christmas sales... but I desperately need help! So any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated. I will love you forever if you are able to help me! [I will probably already love you forever anyway even if you don't/can't help me!!]
Here are the highlights from the email:
"CAMERA - You MUST have one before the class starts. You are to bring your camera to the first class meeting. You will be shooting images the very first week of class. You can use either film a or digital camera. But the camera MUST have the option of working in a MANUAL operating mode. That means you must be able to set the exposure yourself, specifically the f-stop and shutter speed. If the camera only operates automatically, it will not be sufficient to complete your coursework. Icons indicating control of the shutter speed include a “sports” mode – a guy running or “TV.” Controlling the f-stop is in modes “AV,” the mountain and the portrait icons, plus, perhaps others.
There are many good camera manufacturers and I don’t want to recommend a specific one. Keep in mind if you’ve never heard of it - there’s probably a reason. A really cheap camera will not be a bargain in the long run. However there are good sales almost every weekend – so watch the Sunday newspapers. If you intend to continue on with photography you may want to put more money into equipment. New ones have some great features but older totally manual film cameras are also fine for this course. The best thing is to practice shooting with your equipment before the semester starts. This way you will begin to get familiar with its features. This enables you to have the best control of your outcomes and to WASTE LESS time, paper, film and money next semester. Familiarization with your equipment also reduces STRESS! (Mine as well as yours!)
You will need the following by the FIRST DAY of class: • Camera - 35mm OR digital. Manual capabilities required, automatic features and flash nice to have, but not needed. Totally automatic point and shoot cameras are not acceptable. • Fresh batteries. • Manual for the camera - this is very important, especially for the newer cameras that have sophisticated electronic features. Older, manual film cameras are easier to figure out so the written manual is not as critical for these. You can get free or inexpensive manuals on-line for most cameras; do a Google search using the manufacturer’s name, the make and model number. • Lenses - 50 mm is the standard that comes with most film cameras, another that is nice to have but not required is a zoom lens; bring any other lenses that you have that fit the camera. If you must get a camera with a fixed lens, at least get one with a zoom. • Lens cleaning tissues - NEVER clean a lens with anything else or you will damage it.
If you are using FILM - Buy either Kodak or Fuji Color PRINT film, 24 exposure. Get a range of speeds - 100, 200 and 400. You should not need faster film unless you want to try low light shooting. You will need AT LEAST 10-12 rolls. Some of you will shoot much more depending on how you like to work. The only advantage to getting film ahead of time is the possibility that you can get a discount (at some camera stores) IF you buy 10 rolls of one type at a time. Call around to see if any stores in your area offer such a discount.
Optional equipment - if you have them, bring them - • comfortable neck strap • lens cap OR skylight filter to keep lens clean • filters - bring any that fit your lens • camera case or bag • flash • tripod and cable release
Digital cameras - The prices for digital cameras that let you have control of the lens aperture and shutter speed (also called AV and TV modes) are really dropping. The more mega pixels you get, the more the camera will cost.
Features to look at in digital cameras – resolution, expressed in mega pixels (the more you have, the more you can enlarge prints + the sharper images can be). shooting modes (manual, auto, portrait, macro for close-ups, sports, etc) zoom capability, expressed as “4X” etc. – look for optical Vs. Digital zoom (the higher the OPTICAL zoom number the better the focus of “zoom” shots). What digital zoom does is take a small portion and enlarge that section resulting in poor quality. batteries – specialty, or rechargeable, rechargeable batteries will save you money size of LCD display ISO equivalents – this is what we used to call “film Speed;” it rates the sensitivity to light compression – file formats: JPG, RAW storage capacity – media size & type downloading images – you may want an inexpensive usb card reader ($10 and up)"
Thanks, friends. i love you. & Merry Thanksgiving!!!
So, we had another two day Downhere extravaganza a couple of weeks ago. The guys were in Hampton Virginia on the 7th & the 8th for a youth convention & let us come hang out with them all weekend! we got to see them play 4 short sets, a few of their stellar songs & lots of worship songs, had some divine conversations and fabulous times in the "personalities" room. We navigated successfully around Hampton, with the help of Glenny G & found Buckroe Beach. [which is actually the BAY.] Glenn went for an afternoon swim, we explored the boardwalk & we drove him to the airport to zoom back to Canadaland! it was a furiously fun weekend!
Hanging out with the boys!
Erin is wayyy too adorable for her own good! I can't wait for baby Thiessen to get here!!
I've been making up my own world. I've been painting it with gold. I pretend to be someone else. A fictional character... anyone but myself. Adding sparkle to the real story. Illuminating illusions... exaggerating escapades.
This is my dreamworld.
Dreams are destroyed. Build them into something beautiful. Shatter me into shards and glue my heart back together. with your special superglue. shiny & new. Better than before.
The grains of sand, slipping slowly through my hands. time is running out... feeling frantic, yet hiding in the deep cave of my creation. Why am I hiding in the dark?!
Light will overtake the darkness in battle. The dawn always prevails over the night.
There is hope for the hopeless. YOU are my solace amidst this madness. I am TIRED of myself. I am sick of serenading myself. This time i'll let YOU wear the crown.
Sometimes i LOVE living in Virginia Beach. Last night the sky & the waves were absolutely perfecto at the beacharooney. I love when the sky is painted colors.
Yesterday we had a Busch Gardens adventure with Sarah & Chadd. I hadn't been there, or to any other amusement park for three years. I adore rollercoasters.... that feeling of extreme exhilaration coursing through your veins as you twist, and fall, and fly, and drop at the speed of lightning is phenomenal. Feel the freedom, indeed!
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Warped Tour is hot & sweaty & super long.... but it's fun to bask in the sunshine [as long as you don't forget your sunscreen, like Cherylyn, and scorch your skin to the max.] and hang around through a few lame bands, to see the stellar ones & reunite with friends!
We finally met Jon Schneck!
We had another Family Force 5 adventure. Reunited with the Fam for the first time since last year!
Derek Mount, Chappy, is our bff!
I missed the Anberlin boys this year, but I got to hang out with my friend Brent, Mr. Merch extraordinaire!
Dearest & Darling friends, I've been trying to come up with wondrous words, words of wisdom, or at least some entertaining stories to tell you for weeks... but i feel like i lost my magic touch. The most blogworthy thing that has happened to me recently is spending 8 hours in the emergency room last Sunday night, because the doctors thought i had appendicitis. After hours of intense testing including blood tests, cat scans, and an IV full of morphine draining into my arm... i found out that my appendix was a-okay... and i was sent home. I feel like i've been a hermit, relaxing and resting all week.... catching up on reading & watching fabulous movies. It's been superb not wasting gasoline, driving as little as possible. & i'm still searching frantically for a job-arooney, but to no avail! I feel entirely unwanted everywhere I go. This week has been very quiet & now i miss my friends & adventures. speaking of adventures, here's a little explosion of photos from the last few weeks:
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if you have a flickr account, [even if you don't.] watch my video & then be my bestest friend on my flickr!!!!
