Being the Subject

So, one thing I noticed long ago about having a fancy camera.... you can't ask just anyone to take your photo. For that matter, even with a point and shoot most people can't take a decent shot - they zoom out and get just below your knees, or miss the sign / landmark / scene that you wanted in the background.

But with a dslr, it's worse - because they're scared of the camera. And, the average person over 40 doesn't know how to focus a digital camera.

Point is, I'm going to Nepal next week with a group and we had to go up on stage. So I hesitantly asked the guy behind me to take a few shots. I could tell from the confidence with which he took the camera that he knew what he was doing. He got some close ups of everyone, several good group shots....

Guys under the age of 35 - that's who you got to ask when you want to be the subject.

Caught Unaware

A Monsoon Sunrise

Stayed awake a little too late one night, caught the beginning of the sunrise. It started to rain, so I had to run for cover.

Chicken & Waffles

Korean Style!

Post-grooming

Love the expression. She's liking the new cut.

Juicy Shades

My friends thought it was pretty funny when I bought these just before coming to Korea. I had never heard of the brand - turns out it's kind of a hot teenage brand.

Just checking out how well the new lens does with small objects . . . pretty well, I'd say. I'm impressed (although perhaps easily so).

In Flight

I know these aren't the most awesome shots - but the ability to catch a bird in flight is incredible to me. I especially like the wings on the first one.

On another note - this bird is called a "gatchi" in Korean. It's a good luck bird I'd never seen before Korea. Turns out, it's a magpie! It's amazing that I can read about magpies and feel like I know what one is, but realize I've never seen one.

New Travel Lens

Just trying out the new lens. Got a decent deal on the EF-S 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 IS. This is the first shot I took - a fan from across the room (200mm).

The Photographer

Wedding Shots

Got to attend my first wedding with my camera... wishing I had a lens with a longer focal length! I've still only got the 50mm. It's a good lens, but not for weddings. Here are a few shots that did turn out well:

The bride stuffed money in the bouquet because no one caught it - we had a a second (and a third) toss.

Hmm, guess it's about time I started learning what to do for the skin tones...

The best man modeling the rings.

First Portrait

A co-worker during a coffee break. He asked about the camera and became my first portrait. Not bad for a first try, I think.

Remodeling our Office

Hard at work after lunch

The Drive Home

Can't choose just one!

My Couch Arrived

I ordered it online, gave the delivery man the code to my apartment, and it was simply here when I got home. I love it when life is easy.

The First Shot

Meet Selah, who has just volunteered to be my main model for sheer cuteness!

Today, I finally purchased a DSLR. The Canon 550D with a 50mm 1.8 lens to start. This is the very first shot.

As you can see, I have no idea what I'm doing. But I've learned that blogging is a great way to learn something. So here we go, another blog - you can see my daily life, and I can figure out this this contraption. Maybe we'll have some fun or discover something about ourselves.