Very well...

If I've learned anything while blogging, I've learned a lot of photography lingo and many tricks to improve my picture taking.

  And once in a while I stumble upon something that I totally understand and I get some decent photos,

but if anyone were to ask me how I did it, I'd probably sound an awful lot like this guy in this commercial.

Have you seen it?

Some people (photographers) seem to find it offensive.  

Eh... get over it.

I personally find it hysterical simply because it sounds exactly like me, or what I'm thinking when someone asks me about my pictures.  

How did you do it?  Ummmm.... very well?

Honestly... I feel so dumb sometimes and when a concept finally clicks,

I feel like smacking myself in the forehead... DUH!

Or maybe I should be saying, "AHA!"

or Eureka!

or Voila!

or something like that.

Fortunately, I've been having a few more AHA! moments lately 

and I'm feeling a little less like that guy in the commercial.  

That's cool.

(oh great... having said all that, I can't find a single picture that I want to share with you to "prove" my point that I haven't already posted.)

 ( Figures...)

I Totally ROCK!! (or maybe my camera does)

I'm kind of, just a little bit, only a tad excited.

Or maybe a whole lot!!

Because...

as I was sitting on my couch, I noticed that I could see the moon through the skylight

(nothing thrilling yet... just nice.)

I mentioned this to my daughter and she came and cuddled up next to me

so we could look at the moon together. 

(♫ Somewhere out there...♪♫)

I could have just sat there, enjoying this moment, 

but as I stared it occurred to me that maybe, just maybe, 

my brand new zoom lens could get a picture of this moon.

I snapped a few pictures, but they were all too bright.

Hmmph!

It occurred to me to change the aperture.

Better...

A little more... 

better again.   

But maybe I should get off my couch and go outside.

Maybe the picture would be a tad clearer if I weren't shooting through a dirty skylight.

It's possible.

And maybe if I take a few more shots...

mess with the aperture and the ISO just a bit more.

(Heck yeah!  I just discovered the manual button)

Maybe I can get a picture like this!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, yeah!

(It's hard to tell, but that's a darn good picture.)

Hang on... let me zoom in for you.

Check it out!

There are craters!  

Wait... one more zoom...

Seriously, I took that picture!

Standing on my back porch holding my new camera in my hands (no tripod.)

So cool!

Yeah, I'm just a little bit excited.

Maybe other people have taken pictures of the moon before.

(I mean it's not like I just discovered it.)

And maybe they've taken better pictures than this one, 

but...

I really never even considered taking a picture like that

and I think you can tell that I'm kind of thrilled by it.

I'm sure I owe most of this to a really cool zoom lens 

and a pretty awesome new camera,

but I think I'll take a little of the credit.

***edit***
Because you asked... and because I should have thought to mention it,
this is the lens I used.
Canon 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS

Click on it and it will take you to B&H photo.

Oh... and just to be clear... the last two pictures are just the fourth picture cropped a lot!

What a moment!

Well, I definitely had a moment this week! 

The moment my new camera arrived only 18 hours after I ordered it online. 

I wish I had had the presence of mind to take pictures of the UPS man handing me the lovely brown package all wrapped in B and H tape. 

That was a wonderful moment.  

The moment became a full blown, jumping up and down, squealing with excitement kind of moment as I opened the box and pulled out the goodies inside.

I slowly opened the boxes and reverently placed them on the recently cleaned counter.  

No crumbs allowed!

Then there was the moment of fear and uncertainty.

Was I ready to give up my little camera?

Will I know how to work the new one?

What if I drop it?

Oh, please, don't let me drop it.

I slowly opened each component.

Placed the memory card and battery in the camera.

Turned it on.

And, OH!... like Frankenstein's monster, it came to life!

I pointed the lens at the nearest object.

Not bad...

Then the nearest kid.

Cool!!

Oh, yeah... this is going to be good.

So I wandered around my house and took 217 pictures of random objects.

(I'm not kidding... that's the actual number!)

If it didn't move... and maybe even if it did, it was fair game.

I took it in the car to pick Quincy up from school.

and... like a good and very trusting mother....

I let her take a few pictures.

After prying the camera from her hands,

I took about three hundred more shots outside

(an approximation, but pretty darn close to the truth)

and a few more around the house

Where I captured a few more moments...

Check out more wonderful moments at Beth's photo meme,

You Capture

I did it!

I did it, I did it, I did it!

I took the plunge and bought myself a big girl camera!

My face is flushed and my hands are shaking, but I did it, I pushed the "Place Order Now" button at B and H's website. 

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh.... my.... goodness.....

I thought and I thought.

I compared and contrasted.

I hemmed and I hawed.

I thought about the trips that I have planned.

I thought of Spring Break in New York

and oooooh I wanted that camera.

I even paid a few extra dollars for one day shipping.

I never do that!

I won't order anything from Amazon unless I'm over the 25 dollar limit for free shipping.

I usually figure that there's nothing that I can't wait a few extra days for.

But (channeling Veruca Salt)  I wanted it NOW!

It comes tomorrow!!!!

(That's as close to now as I could get.)

Now if there are no noticeable differences in the pictures that I post from here on out....

hmmmmm... just don't tell me.

I don't want to know.