Point N' Shoot

Another view of Monument Valley ...
... this one captured with my 'old' 2.1 megapixel Canon PowerShot S100 'point n' shoot'. I now carry it in my camera bag right alongside the brand spankin' new digitalSLR Canon Rebel XTi.

Having both cameras on hand keeps me mindful that the main purpose for getting a new camera is not so I can use it merely as a fancier point n' shoot.
I already have a cute little simple-to-use p&s, and it works perfectly fine for those quick shots.

These last decades, if I've been spending any energy at all on photography, it's been to grab those snapshots on vacation or at parties (with dreaded automatic flash, which washes out nice shadows). I've been sloppy and guilty of: poor composition and bad lighting, distracting backgrounds, etc.

My goal is to get into more creative photographic effects of people, places and things. Move myself back into manual mode - like I was once almost able to do - and feel good about it.

For many years, I carted my 35mm Asahi Pentax Spotmatic* everywhere.
All my photos were manually focused/lit. Always impatient with understanding camera settings (Arrrrrrgh - it rather hints of MATH), I stumbled through (b's modus operandi?) and the results were that a fair portion of my pictures weren't satisfactory (out of focus, too dark, too light), but many others turned out looking rather - nice.
Very nice indeed.

For old time sake, the Pentax stays.
However, it is too darned heavy to schlep along with the two Canons, so I'll keep it at home. Perhaps take it out for a spin 'round the block now and then to keep its inner workings working.

Time to take stock of camera inventory.
OK OK - I confess that it is hard for me to move the older cameras along, but it is happening as we speak (no storage space, and the urge to purge). Several old film cameras are finally in the Goodwill box. Said box will be taken to the donation center...bye bye.

So - it's down to the old Pentax, one in-betweeny point and shoot (I'm hanging on to the Nikon AF ActionTouch I used in the 90's), a small p&s digital and the newest acquisition: the digital SLR (which is so new, it still scares me).

Hey - not bad.
Only FOUR cameras in possession of this very-much-an-amateur weekend photographer.
(I sense some photo sessions/outings in the near future).
(I'd better buy a couple rolls of film).

Huzzah! for the old stand-bys.
Huzzah! for point n' shoot cameras.
Huzzah! Huzzah! for the new technology.

* A camera I still love and am loathe to retire forever - though the cost of buying/processing roll after roll of print film does gets prohibitive. Not to forget to mention ye olde mercury battery, which I understand continues to drain of energy in the camera, even w/o use, and needs to be replaced frequently.