The Sixteen

What is the sixteen you ask?


Why, it's this little guy! Also known as the pancake cake lens, this cutie shoots wide angle while allowing your NEX to be even smaller than it already is. I just tried it out tonight and it makes me love love love the NEX more than I already do! The camera is so much smaller overall - it almost makes you think it's a point-and-shoot. But the NEX is too sophisticated to really make you believe that; it's sturdy and carries itself like it knows what it's doing. LOVE it. Here are some test shots from around our house!

Even though it doesn't zoom, I think it will take great portraits! I can get a larger aperture which I think will give great portraits. PS if you didn't already know, I collect coconut heads. :)
These were taken to show the wide-angle. The first one was taken with the other lens at 18mm, and the second with the 16.

Notice that you can see the picture on the wall on the left as well as the edge of the bookcase.This picture shows that there is some distortion with the lens (look at the angles of the doorframe and canvas). Overall I don't think it's a huge problem, and can be corrected more or less with an adjustment of the camera angle/height. I love this next set. Probably because I love our little kitchen so much! I'm going to miss it.Finally I'll be able to take pictures of small places and get it all in one shot!

I took more but I don't want to bore you with pictures of our cluttered house. I just wanted to show off how impressed I am by this lens I was fairly skeptical about. Now I'm ready for landscape pictures - bring on the Rockies!!

Oh and I almost forgot - you CAN shoot video with the 16. So I am beyond excited for the 5 shows we're going to this summer. Phish in HD with the wide-angle - ahh, it will be so beautiful!

Summer is on its Way

On Saturday we drove BACK to Mechanicsville for a shower for Stafford & Kerry. It was a great time to celebrate their soon-to-be marriage and catch up with friends from college. I tugged my camera along to snap a few shots out the window while we were driving because it was a beautiful day. It was good practice for our drive to Colorado this summer - I'm sure there will be some things I will want to photograph that we won't have time to stop for on the way there. I'm so glad I snapped this one below - it's sad that we're leaving Blacksburg and won't get to take this beautiful drive anymore. It's reminiscent of my childhood - all those drives between Richmond & Roanoke. These farms (and COWS) always made me so happy!! (Except that my family would point them out and I would ALWAYS miss them and complain "I didn't see it!")We stopped at the overlook briefly to take in the view. Love the panorama!Believe it or not, summer has got me in the mood to cook! Before we even came home I made a meal list of dinners to make. I think I was inspired by Whit's drastic change in acid reflux when we were eating real food instead of pasta and Digiorno's! Regardless, I whipped up another dinner, which was delish. Actually, I can't claim credit for the whole meal; Whit made the mashed potatoes! His mom taught him how last week so now he is a pro. I had never made mashed potatoes before, and I was surprised at how good they were. I had fun using our new masher too, which we bought specifically for the occasion. I am proud that I am still a cordless cook! Whit isn't the only legit cook though - I made this cole slaw from SCRATCH! And I mean I peeled the cabbage with a swivel peeler! Haha! I will probably not make that move next time but hey it worked. I was so nervous about this slaw because I got the recipe from a friend and it was not specific at all, so I thought for sure I'd mess up the ratios. However, it tasted exactly how I remembered it! Score! The main dish was this delicious meatloaf - unlike any meatloaf you've ever had before. I have been craving this meal since I left Venezuela. Karlayne used to cook every week for our servant team meetings, and this combo ranked at the top of the list. It wasn't exactly the same, but everything tasted great and I'm glad I finally pulled together a sweet homestyle meal.

New Camera!

I finally have my camera!! It came on Wednesday and we got here Thursday right before Cru. I spent the night reading through the manual to make sure I knew where everything was. Surprisingly, after that short prep time, I know how to do all the basics now! I was worried that it would be confusing because every time I checked out the camera in the store it seemed complicated. But after reading where everything is, it's very easy.

Yesterday I took my new friend out on the drillfield to test it out! I LOVE how bright the pictures are! And how easy it was to switch from auto to manual! Although I'm feeling very noob right now because it seems too easy - and I always hear photographers say there's always more to learn. So at least I feel like I have a good start and don't feel too intimidated to try. And I did have some difficulty trying to use the meter to get a better exposure, but it will be so fun to learn everything! Okay, now you can look at the pictures! (I can't really take credit for these first two because I was still cruising in auto mode at this point - but I LOVE the colors so I had to show them!!)Favorite!Testing out aperture settings. :)I took this one for Whit because he loves flowy water shots. (PS The NEX no-shake feature is AWESOME)So bright & vivid (*double rainbow reference)Yay what a fun day! I can't wait to try it out more!
I was feeling so inspired that I came home, went to the grocery store, and made dinner! We had baked chicken parmesan (thanks Jess for the recipe!!), noodles, bread, and the wine we bought from Chateau Morisette a few weeks ago. Right before we started eating, I remembered that I have my new camera and could take pictures of our food, so I did!YUM.
Hope you have a great Saturday!!

Daily Dose of Cute

If you are sad, bored, frustrated, or just in need of some adorableness, check out these super cute Shiba Inu PUPPIES!! http://www.ustream.tv/sfshiba It's a live camera feed of six precious Shiba pups. Watch them and their mommy as they play, nurse, and sleep.

What is a Shiba Inu? Why, it's only the best breed of dog ever!Shibas are a Japanese breed in the non-working group. They are in the Husky and Akita family, and a lot of people say they resemble a little fox! Shiba Inu is Japanese for "small dog." They're about 1/3 the size of a husky (about 20 pounds) - perfect to cuddle up in your lap! They are extremely popular in Japan as they make great apartment dogs (they don't bark and they have a big bladder). They have a cute curly tail, soft pointy ears, and snuggly little snout that you just have to kiss! And let's not forget those melting eyes - that come in at the corners displaying their Japanese origin. (Look at the puppy below - would you not do anything he asked??)

They come in red:white:and black/tan (aww!!):This stately guy looks like my first Shiba Inu pup, Prince Edward (affectionately known as "Prince" and "Eddie"). He had the perfect markings! Whit always says they look so sophisticated. Shibas are not to be messed around with - they're to be taken very seriously. A Shiba IS the king of his household. Their demeanor is cat-like; they only come when they feel like, they clean themselves regularly, and they're quite aloof. They're easy to get along with, especially for someone who shares their independent nature, like me. They're just about the only dog Whit likes, because they don't slobber or demand constant attention. Sometimes I wish my pup would linger in my arms a little longer though...I could pet her super soft ears for much longer than she sometimes allows. I'll leave you with my favorite internet pic of a Shiba. This one has markings more like my dog, Lady. And you're welcome for all the cuteness!

Trip

Whit and I have been traveling around these last two weeks. We got some great visiting in and had a lot of fun.

We started off in Lynchburg for Courtney's bridal shower. It was great to see her (and spoil her) and also see two of her bridesmaids again, who I had met a few weeks ago. They're great and it was fun to see them again before the wedding this summer. After that we hung out with Evan and Courtney at the JCrew sale, checking out their new house (which is AWESOME), and stuffing ourselves with delicious Mexican food. I love seeing them and am so glad we've been taking advantage of the short distance between us while we still can! Oh yeah and I forgot to mention - on the way to Lynchburg it was literally pouring rain the WHOLE way. I mean TORRENTIAL rains. It was kinda weird because there wasn't any thunder/lightning. I guess it was one of those tornado rains.

The next day we headed east to visit Becky & Justin and see our new NIECE for the first time!! Anna is SOOOO adorable!! I don't love that many babies, but she is really cute. She's two months old and is seriously the size of a baby doll (and looks like one!). See??

Whit had NEVER held a baby before, so this was his first time! He did well! We loved this little sleep sheep toy she had that makes ambient noises - including whale sounds. It was so funny to hear a sheep making whale calls. It was so great getting to spend a lot of time with Becky & Justin since we are normally just there to spend the night.

Then, since we were in the Virginia Beach area, we met up with Bryan & Erin! We hung out on the beach for a little bit (it was a gorgeous day) and then had lunch at "The Raven." The food was good but we joked that they should sell t-shirts that say "I was really hungry by the time my food came" because they were really. slow. So great to catch up with them (and we're sad we missed their visit to Blacksburg the one time we weren't there!).

From there I think you know the rest of the story - we've been in Mechanicsville meeting with some of our ministry partners and it has been great to see them as well. We've really enjoyed spending time with our parents too! Tomorrow it's off to Blacksburg again. I can't WAIT to be there to enjoy beautiful Blacksburg summer - and take pictures of the drillfield with my new camera! - which should be arriving TODAY!!! YAY!

Happy Easter!

What a great Easter! Whit and I came up to Baltimore for the weekend. He has done Easter with my family every year except when I was in Venezuela, and it was fun to come together this time as a married couple. Evan came too, but Courtney went on to visit her family so we missed her this weekend! Maybe next year. ;) We went to church last night - and the place was still packed. It was kind of odd seeing the "He is Risen" signs up front and celebrating Christ's resurrection when it was only Saturday night...but He is really risen so I guess it makes sense when you think about it un-symbolically. The service was pretty good, but what I couldn't stop thinking about was all the people in the room who I knew were only there because it's Easter. My heart was so burdened for them, like I have never experienced before at an Easter service. It made the lyrics we were singing mean so much more, that God is mighty to save - He conquered their graves. I hope that many people understood the true Gospel message - that Jesus changes lives - and that He will change theirs.

I loved this quote from Eugene Peterson:

"You don't live in a mechanistic world ruled by necessity; you don't live in a random world ruled by chance; you live in a world ruled by the God of Exodus and Easter. He will do things in you that neither you nor your friends would have supposed possible."

I just love the reminder that Christianity changes your life. Because Jesus died, God works in us through the Holy Spirit to literally make us different people - people who aren't angry or bitter, discouraged and hopeless, lost or alone. "Thanks be to God who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!" (1 Corinthians 15:57)

This morning we woke up, had a beautiful breakfast that my mom made (english muffin french toast with fruit and honey yogurt), opened fun Easter baskets (with Tim Tams and Loft tank tops!), and then all sat down and Evan narrated the Easter story to us from the Bible, with commentary. It was great to go so in depth and think about things differently. We also did a couple of fun Bible quizzes based on the Easter story. For one of them, we heard made-up quotes about the resurrection from a first-person perspective, and we had to guess who "said" it. I loved this one from the angel who got to announce Jesus' ressurection:

"I was there for the most glorious moment of earth's history! I witnessed the greatest event that has ever occurred, and the Lord allowed me to help Him with some of the details and remain behind to tell others the good news!"

We had great family time after that too - playing at the park (doing pull-ups, walking Lady, and even getting ice cream from the ice cream truck), playing games, eating a fabulous dinner, and ending the day with a movie. Saturday was really fun, too - we shopped til we dropped at Arundel Mills, along with thousands of other people (I'm a bad estimator, but it is a huge mall and it was completely packed). It was so good to spend time with family and celebrate our Savior!

The Deal is Done

I got it!!! I bought my new camera today!! I am soooooooo excited!!!! It took me a long time to decide which camera to buy...and then once I decided, the good deals were gone! How annoying - right when I decide to buy, the price goes up. So I've been waiting patiently for the past few weeks, checking Best Buy each Sunday. The bundle I wanted was more expensive, same price, and then gone. I had been checking ebay too, but it was just as expensive or more. But today I randomly went on ebay just to see...and found the perfect deal!! They had the price on the Best Buy bundle that I had been waiting for. I actually ended up getting a better package that included lots of extras - huge memory card, lens filters, tripod, and carrying case. Score! Now I just have to wait until it arrives! So which one did I get?



The Sony Nex 3! Once I decided this is the one I wanted, I started waiting for the replacement to come out. I had read some rumors online that they were going to announce the release of an upgraded camera on April 4. However, because of the earthquakes in Japan, the factories have been at a halt so they haven't been making the sensors. They might release the camera later this summer, but I need to start learning how to use it now so I can take sweet pictures of the Rockies (and Tech's campus before I leave!).


So, why did I decide on this one?
This Sony and the Canon Rebel XS were my two choices - both equally great cameras. It's really hard to choose between two similarly good options, but I realized that I just like the Sony more. Normally I make decisions completely based off of logical reasons because I don't know which on I like more. I realized that I was leaning more towards this camera and thinking about it a lot because I had been researching it so much, and it's just cool!

I figured that if this camera really isn't as good, I can always sell it and get a DSLR in the future. The determing factor was that if I decide to do that, I won't really lose any money. The price of this camera will surely go down when they release the new one, but the prices of the Rebel aren't going anywhere (they're already as low as they will probably ever be). So even if I lose some money selling this one in the next few years, I can easily pick up a different camera for as much as I will sell this one for. I get to try this camera out now (I'm so curious about it!) but if it turns out to not be what I want, at least I'll know that I tried it and didn't like it. In addition, this camera will be great to learn on before switching to a DSLR, if I do that. It's trickier (most features are accessed through the camera menu), but I learn it then switching to DSLR buttons will be a breeze. And with all the tips it offers and the way that it's more similar to a point and shoot, it should be easier to learn on this one and way less intimidating.

In the meantime, this camera will be perfect for starting out and for my needs right now. I want to be able to take it on hikes in Colorado to photography the scenery of the beautiful Rocky Mountains. I don't want to be hauling around a huge camera bag. I also really want to try to take it in to Phish shows this summer to utilize the HD video. The camera has an excellent AF feature so I hear, which will make the videos turn out way better than I could ever do on my point and shoot. So even if I want to get the bigger DSLR in the future, this small one (with video) is perfect for right now.

Also, I did a comparison online, and figured out that this camera is actually much better than the Rebel. It has many more features (besides the lack of lenses) including higher ISO, larger screen, more FPS (shoots way faster), has video, better image quality, and significantly better image quality (more MP). So I think I made the right choice. Can't wait til it comes in - YAY!!!!