Month: February 2007

It’s more of a backpack than a bag but I don’t want the facts to get in the way of a cool title.

So with the recent addition of a 50mm Prime lens and a 70-300mm zoom lens, the old camera bag wasn’t going to cut it anymore. It just wasn’t quite big enough. So I picked up this little beauty online at half the price of the local photography stores and I even purchased a second battery for the Canon Rebel XT.

A nicely apportioned backpack with Canon’s recognizable black and olive color scheme, this backpack comfortably holds the gear needed for a daytrip hike (like those found in Kaua’i). Constructed of waterproofed polyester and nylon, it is finished with a crosswoven fabric to ensure years of practical use.

The Canon Deluxe Backpack holds up to 2 camera bodies, 4 lenses, plus accessories. Along with its lightweight construction, it features a well-arranged divider system for secure storage and easy access and is equiped with padded shoulder straps and back padding. Add to this the tripod carrying straps and a front webbing ideal for holding a light jacket or sweater.

After seeing it in person for twice the price at our local photography stores, we ordered it online. We also picked up a second Rechargeable Battery for our Digital Rebel XT. This way, we wouldn’t have to worry about running out of power while in the field. In that same spirit, we added a 2GB Compact Flash memory card to our kit. This allows us to shoot all day without having to download images or reduce image size.

This past weekend, Julia and I went to our friends, Ben and Bonita’s wedding. While there is so much we still don’t know about them, we did learn something very significant. They come from a very funny family. I look back at my own wedding and those of other’s I’ve attended but none has been as entertaining as this one. From Drew’s wise-cracking ceremony to the speeches by both fathers, to Ben and Bonita’s own jokes – the humor just flowed throughout the whole event.

At one point during the Father’s speeches, I began to wonder if they could be hired out to do weddings much like a DJ or photographer. They stood up, side by side and did what was essentially a stand up routine not too different from Laurel and Hardy. Only this was actually spontaneous and truly heartfelt. Then there was Ben, who chose his own vows who promised that all that he owned was Bonita’s – except his comic books. When it was her turn, she promised that ALL that she owned was his (emphasis on all)

What this reminds me of is how this is more than a legal ceremony. It’s a celebration of the union between two people in the presence of God and their community (family and friends). It should really speak to who you are as individuals and as a couple. If you’re funny, be funny. If you’re romantic, be romantic, if your dull and boring – get a life. My point is, you don’t want to be fake in life, why start your marriage off being fake?

Happy Valentine’s Day. This is the latest addition to Julia’s equipment list…

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens

Featuring the latest 3-stop Image Stabilizer for outstanding camera shake reduction, the new EF 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM zoom lens also features super responsive autofocus. Replacing the popular EF 75-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM, the world’s first interchangeable lens with Image Stabilizer (IS), the lens is expected to appeal to serious amateur nature and sports photographers looking to achieve outstanding results while shooting hand held.

Image Stabilizer
IS dramatically reduces image blur caused by camera shake. The EF 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM features Canon’s latest 3-stop IS, a one-stop improvement over its predecessor. This allows shutter speeds up to three stops slower than would otherwise be possible, with no perceptible increase in image blur. Photographers normally shooting a 300mm frame handheld at 1/500 second can obtain the equivalent result with a shutter speed of just 1/60 second, vastly extending options in low-light conditions.
(more…)