Just walking around the yard with a new camera I could not resist this fresh Nasturtium with its amazing internal architecture and the two drops of water left from the rain of the night before. And the color of course.

Sony HX400V. 60mm macro equivalent. ISO 80 @ 1/100th @ f3.5. Superior Auto. Processed in Snapseed on my tablet.

And for the Sunday Thought: I am playing with a new camera. I was about to spend $1500 on two lenses, either one of which would have been more expensive than any single photographic implement I have ever bought before, and which would have brought my field kit to two bodies and three lenses…three bodies and three lenses for maximum flexibility. It is all the most compact gear I could find: what they are calling mirror-less compact system cameras, but it was still approaching 15 pounds of equipment in at least two camera bags. And I thought: “Whoa! This is just not who I am!” I love photography, but honestly, for what I do…mostly blogging and posting on Facebook and Google+…15 pounds and $2500 worth of gear is simply way more than I need (or want to carry on a regular basis). And then too, I think of myself as an evangelist for wildlife and nature, and wildlife and nature photography…I would like to see lots more people learning to celebrate the wonder of God’s creation with a camera in hand…and that kind of equipment is a barrier for many of the people who could most benefit from a close look at nature. It becomes too easy for others to say, “Yeah, of course your pics are great. You got all that expensive stuff!” Or, perhaps, “Me, I am not even going to try if I have to spend that much, and carry all that stuff.” I do want to be the everyman’s (and everywoman’s) champion of wildlife and nature photography. It is my niche, and honestly, I had fallen out of it. 🙂

So I canceled the order for the two lenses (though they are undoubtedly the best lenses I have ever used), and went back to using my Canon SX50HS superzoom…just to see if I could still enjoy it after my months in the “real camera” camp. And I found that I could. I have always said the best camera to have is the one you have with you when you see the picture. Still, the Canon is aging and due for an update. It lacks many of the refinements of the past two years, so I did a few day’s research, and bought another under $500 superzoom (which I actually got from Amazon Warehouse Deals for about $350). One camera, the Sony HX400V, to, hopefully, replace three bodies and three lenses. That is a lot to ask, more now that I know exactly what the larger cameras can do, and I know there will be compromises. But then I always knew there were compromises with superzooms.

I am still in the pixel peeping stage of new camera ownership…looking for the flaws in every image while I learn what the new camera can (and can’t) do. I am not certain if the Sony is the superzoom I will end up using, but I am already sure that I have refound my niche. Which is the same as saying I have returned to myself…to that person who most fully expresses my spirit, that bit of the one creative spirit the Creator has gifted me with. And this is good. I will get over peeping at pixels, and go back to simply enjoying and celebrating wonder with a camera. Like the amazing beautiful internal architecture of
nasturtiums.