Sunday Frost

Jack Frost took his time to paint the window on a frigid January morning.




And now it is time for hot chocolate and a warm fire.

Shutter Eye

In really sad news, I need to get a new camera. I LOVE my camera. It is a great mix of automatic and basic programmable controls. It has a manual macro setting that I absolutely adore that has helped me capture some lovely florals. It is compact and easy to take out for the night without having to take a large handbag. It takes great sunset photos. And it is blue!

I don't want to get a new camera but I have too. The functionality has been on the decline for months. After three years of intense usage my poor point-and-shoot has hit its limits. The buttons don't work. The toggles are stuck. And, most recently, I black spot has appeared in the lens. If only one thing was going wrong, I could endure. But this collective failure has made my camera a non-responsive device too often for comfort. So I need to get a new camera.

The challenge has been to find the right replacement. The Boyfriend (no, wait The Fiance!) was kind enough to find a possibility. He picked up a new model Sony and brought it home for a trial. I figured that staying in the Sony family might be a good idea since I have been so pleased with my current one. The new Sony has a wider lens which makes taking shots of the two of us together a breeze. A very important feature for all our trips together. The sweep panaroma setting is a new option for me and it is tons of fun. I'm sure trying it out in any season other than winter would have been very exciting.

The camera is quite light but with both setting dials on the back I found it hard to manoeuver between functions. I tend to change my settings A LOT in the course of shooting so an awkward setup for doing this was not going to work. On top of that, the camera did not have a manual macro setting. I had to rely on the internal system to determine when to use the macro and I could not get it to focus when and how I wanted. This was a deal breaker. This particular Sony is not the one.

I had my sights set on a point-and-shoot Nikon. If I was to enter the SLR realm then Nikon is my brand of choice so I figured it was worth checking out the coolpix line. The s8100 version received great online reviews for being an enhanced automatic with an excellent zoom and setting dials placed separately with one on top of the camera and a quick pick on the back. A small switch made it easy to go to video mode, a feature I thought might actually make me use more video.

This camera did have the macro setting but in the store I could not get the detail I desired. Although it was on sale, I decided to delay taking one home for a trial. The pop-up flash is located in the exact spot where I usually rest my finger so that would become annoying fast. The weight balance also seemed off and I just could not get it comfortable in my hand. I have always been a tactile purchaser with my cameras so this option was shelved as well.

This week I came across a Panasonic Lumix camera and it has become the new front-runner. This camera was purchased recently by a friend and he raves about it. The cost is a bit more (almost $400) than I wanted to spend but that seems to the rate for the new brand of advanced point-and-shoot styles. The Lumix has the same features as the Nikon but with a much better body design. A soft curve on the right side makes it easy to hold and the flash is placed on the front. The wide angle lens is there along with a 12X zoom. A manual micro and quick video switch are also in play. And it comes in blue!

So maybe I have found the right combination in a new camera. If I can swallow the price point I might pick one up and play around for a bit to see if the inside is as convincing as the packaging. Afterall I really do need a new camera!

One Hundred and Twenty-Two Days...

... that is the count at the end of December. I decided the mini-cheat in November wasn't going to derail me so I've kep on the non-shopping wagon since then. The one thing that I have realized is that shopping is like a language. If you are not using it, you will lose it. I'm losing my ability to shop!

I don't crave it anymore. My store time has become very practical. I finally have a sense of wat it feels like to be some of my non-shopping friends. It feels like stores are bright and stuffed too full and kind of annoying. It feels like fashion has taken a nasty turn this season and the idea of stifting through the racks is really asking too much. My goodness, what has happened to me?

The worst case of my new condistion came during the holiday rush. Normally, my natural shopping brings me into the stores often and I am immune to the Christmas crazies. I know what I want and I know the best way to navigate the crowds to get it. But this year was different. This year I had not been inside a shopping mall for a month when I went out trying to get last minute gifts for neice and nephew.

It was a nightmare. The shelves were picked over and I had no backup plan. The congested hallways were suffocating. As I wandered from store to store I grew more and more lost. I had forgotten how to shop!! All I could see were the people in my way. All I could feel was the draining lack of achievment. It was unpleasant to say the least. I hated it. My once cozy environment had turned against me. I gave the stores my cold shoulder and now I am cast out to fend for myself just like any other fairweather shopper. What a change!

The one saving grace is this month of losing my consumer powers was that I got to do some shopping for a very special purchase. I was shopping for my wedding dress. And at a completely unexpected time - I found one! So I guess I haven't lost my touch afterall. Rather my energy was channelled for couture rather than consumption and that is not a bad place to be afterall!!

Note: This is NOT the dress!!