Portrait shots of Freya

Last Saturday morning saw myself and Sarah with our cameras and a perfect little lady of a model spending a couple hours on a very cold morning in a local park while we both had a play taking some portrait shots.  I'm really pleased with these pictures as they were taken with my new 55-200mm lens which was enjoying it's first proper outing.

 

 

And a sneaky shot of Sarah looking busy!

Before posing for the lens herself...

This picture was purely accidental, it was bright sunshine and it was throwing the cabin into shadow so I was demonstrating what fill in flash can do to shadows and fired this shot off, only to review it and like it immensely!  Therefore it's no longer an accidental shot, but totally thought about long and hard hehe!

I ended up with a right stinking old headache as a result of the cold - must have got brain freeze in the frosty weather, but I really enjoyed myself.  It's really spurred me on to get out there and enjoy my photography.

Got one of these....

I've just treated myself to one of these with my Christmas money - and I LOVE IT!!!!!

I can't believe the bargain that I managed to get either.  Normally this baby retails at the £230 mark, but I found a great site just before New Year who were selling it (and no, it's not a fake, a grey import or second hand) for £155!!!!!!!!  Needless to say the £75 I saved will be going towards something akin to either a lens for portraits or a 70-300mm lens with VR - but they're £400+... I'll keep saving!

With being at work I've only managed to fire off a couple of shots indoors using the flash so far but I have to say, it's bloody awsome!  I can't wait to get out in daylight hours to play properly.  The depth of field is fab, and with the VR (Vibration Reduction) you can go a full 2 stops down on your speeds and STILL handhold it, without having to ramp up the ISO to compensate low light situations.

No doubt, when I actually get a chance to play with it properly (and if we get any snow like the load we had before Christmas) then you may just end up seeing a piccie or two.... be prepared! MWAHAHAHAHA!

My camera is here.......

Couriers pah! They supposedly left a card at work for me when they tried to delivery my new camera yesterday at 8.45am (invisible card as it was!). I managed to get hold of the courier at 5.45pm last night and arranged to collect it this morning, so off I went down the A14 to the depot to collect my replacement toy and it's now with me in my grubby little hands (well I say MY hands but Will is sitting on the sofa next to me playing with MY new toy! - but seeing as he is the house camera expert I best leave him alone to set it up for me properly.

I've managed to take a few photos with it already and am so pleased to have my own camera again. I nipped to Jessops earlier to buy the UV filter to protect the lens and a spare battery which is now charged up and in my new bag that Will got for me (my very own little Lowepro camera backpack - a mini version of his £££££ one!)




We're off out tomorrow morning once the beef is in the oven roasting slowly to take some photos, Will, me and Freya with our cameras and Jacob bored and moaning no doubt (he doesn't do photography as he says he doesn't have the patience).

Have you ever noticed that you really miss what you once had? I have seen so many photo opportunities lately but as I've not had a camera for 3 weeks I've not been able to take them. I normally take my camera pretty much everywhere I go. I will again now!

Right off to photograph my latest DCM now ready to blog. Catch ya later.

What a palarva!

I rang to ask for a claim form for my camera from our insurance company today - they don't send them out but take the info over the phone instead, hence when they asked me some of the questions I felt rather dense as I didn't have the answers to hand as I wasn't expecting them to be asked.

I rang the hotel again - no joy - the thief has NO sense of morals or conscience it seems. Wedding photos and photos of my children have no significance in their life and it certainly hasn't pricked their better nature to return my camera to the hotel. Ooh, I could swear!!!!!!

Next phone call was to the local Police for a crime reference number, before ringing the insurance company back with that info.

I really feel quite stupid as I don't know exactly when or from where it was taken. I do know for sure that it was somewhere between 11am when we arrived and 6pm when we left; apart from that I can't say precisely. Will thought I had my camera, I though he had it so neither of us asked about it until we were going home and Will wanted to put it away properly in one of his camera bags.

I have to say I feel quite lost without my camera. Just knowing it's there to capture moments of the children's lives that I want to treasure is a comfort. I have things made that I want to photograph and things to do that need photographing. I'm reluctant to use Will's camera as it's rather expensive and knowing my recent track record with cameras probably not a good idea!

My camera track record since July 2006....

Will bought a new digital camera for me in July 2006 as my old one's navigation button didn't work any more, but I had had that since Freya was born in 2000. The kids argued over it after Freya took a photograph of DH and me and they dropped that at Easter this year and broke the zoom lens. Replaced that with another new camera in April. Had that camera stolen on Saturday - that only managed to stay in my possession for 6 months!!!!!

Now you know why I daren't use Will's expensive digi camera... Sometimes I really do wonder if I'm safe to be let out you know! I'll keep you updated when I know exactly what's happening. Not 100% of the procedure of making an insurance claim as I've never done one before. Fingers crossed that they replace it for me.