Camera Quest

I have been researching relentlessly and have found the camera that I would like:

(Looks almost exactly like my old camera!) I was a little taken by the snazzy compact cameras because of how light they are, and that you can take them anywhere with you in your pocket or small purse. I was focusing on them at them first. But after researching the best compact cameras in my price range (and even some above), I was very disappointed with the quality of the photos, and they were also missing much of what I wanted in a camera.

My broken camera is a Canon Powershot A75 with 3.2 megapixels and a 3X digital zoom which I rarely used because the photo quality was not that great. I think the only time I used it was at football practices! How funny. Once, I used it when we were at a UT football practice with Vince Young in his final year with the Longhorns - one of the many wonderful perks of being a Cub Scout. It was a bright afternoon, so even though they were grainy, we got some pretty good shots of him smiling and enjoying himself on the field. We also used it to take shots this last summer of the Cowboys training camp in San Antonio. It was an indoor stadium, so the shots were not as good.

I have really loved taking pictures with it. I was able to use it right out of the box without reading the instructions. The manual is still in the box, untouched! Few things bothered me about the camera, but one was the weight. If you don't use rechargeable batteries, it's even heavier. My diaper bag is already so heavy, and carrying the camera, too, made it more of a back breaker! This newer one is probably not going to be any lighter.

Another was the shutter lag time. You can't just keep shooting like you can with a 35mm, but the trade off is worth it most of the time because you get to see instantly whether or not you got a good shot, and you can keep trying and shooting without worrying about wasting precious film. But we did miss out on a lot of great candid shots. Sometimes you get a lot of posed shots because you have to ask your subject, "Do that again!"

Also, it was quite annoying that you could only take 3 minutes of video at a time. So at Christmas and birthdays, our videos were just snippets. But it was pretty good quality video if we had good lighting.

And finally, I ended up with many great shots that were fuzzy and blurry because my hand is not that steady.

So I am very excited to have found the Canon Powershot A570 IS. The "IS" stands for image stabilization, so that takes care of that last little annoyance. Four years ago we paid about $300 for our camera, and this 7.1 mp (more than double!) runs $179. But I just found it on sale at Best Buy for $149 - pretty good deal I think. Payday isn't until Friday though, and I still have to crank the numbers to see if we can afford it. If not, I am pretty sure I can find it on sale again somewhere. This is a really good camera, better than our previous one at half the price.

Even though it is not compact, I like that it uses AA batteries because I already have the rechargeable, so I don't have to buy an extra battery or mess with making sure I have charged batteries. A wonderful quality in a camera for a busy mom who has more important things to worry about. All of the compacts have their own proprietary rechargeable batteries. I have gotten caught without having any charged batteries before, and it is great to have the option of popping in batteries, even if you have to stop by the store. They don't last as long as rechargeable ones, but this feature really comes in handy.

Also, this one has the ability to take continuous video until your card fills up. Another annoyance resolved! (Best Buy also has 1GB SDHC cards on sale for $30).

I won't know about how I feel about the shutter lag time until I'm taking pictures with it, but I'm thinking it can only be better since everything else has been upgraded so much. I've read all the specs on it, and I really don't understand it because it all depends on the lighting, whether you're using the flash, if your subjects are in motion, and probably even more.

Another plus is that I have been using Canons for years now. Why not stick with what works and what you know? My 35mm before we went digital was a Powershot; it still works very well. It even looks a little like these do. After I replace my camera, I plan on giving it to my mom so she won't have to keep buying disposable cameras. I wanted to give it to her for Christmas before mine broke. I think she will like the quality of the pictures much better than the disposables.

The camera also got great reviews, especially this one:
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_a570-review/. I think this is the same place I did most of my research the last time I bought a camera. For its price range, this is an excellent camera. I was especially impressed by the night picture:

None of the compact cameras, even the ones quite more expensive, could compare in this shot.

I never thought of this function before, but it also has "white balance" which is something you can turn on when in certain light situations so you get a more truer white rather than a brownish or greenish white. Maybe now I will actually tinker around with this. Check this:


My old camera did have a lot of problems with red-eye, and I know when I finally have the time, I can go in and fix that with software if I can ever figure that out, or even with my handy dandy red-eye pen if I am scrapping a particular photo print, which is what I did with my 35mm photos. They've added a new feature where you can actually press a button to fix the red-eye in play-back mode. The reviewer was peeved that they didn't just make it so it automatically does this, but I am pretty impressed that you can do it at all. It will save me a lot of time this way!

It still has the face detection. I noticed the green squares before when I would focus the shots, but never really cared what they were for. I just knew if red squares came up, then it was having difficulty focusing on anything. But it has a bright flash, so most of the time, I got a good shot anyway. the bright flash can be annoying sometimes when you want to take a close up, because you ended up with a big bright white figure rather than a face. But overall, I have really loved this camera these past years, and I am excited to be getting a better version.

It even has a viewfinder for those situations where it's too bright to see the LCD. Since I'm usually trying to get the babies to look up at me making silly faces and voices so I can get their lovely smiles, I have developed a talent of knowing just where to hold the camera even without using the LCD or viewfinder. Sometimes I mess it up, but I have gotten some really great pictures this way, nothing like you can get when you are hiding behind a camera. You get lots of blank faces that way because they are wondering where you went!

Now, the next step up from this camera, the Powershot A720) is an even better camera that takes an even more impressive night shot (although the buildings seem to be quite bit more lit up this evening; that could be making a difference):

But it costs twice as much on sale - way out of my price range. I just can't wait long enough to save up for this one. I am having to stretch for this one already, but I would rather wait for it than settle for something less. I could buy a $39 camera that is the same quality (3.2mp) as mine now if I have to and then give it to Dallas when I'm able to get this one. Hey, there's even one a step up from that one (A650 IS) that has 12.1mp; it must take some awesome pictures, but it's crazy out of my price range, even if I want to save up, and even if I had a job, too! However, this one is perfect for us. I think I would recommend it to anyone with kids who loves to take family photos, especially candid shots (I think the image stabilization is going to blow me away). Pictures are my most precious possessions, other than the actual subjects of my photographic obsession. Except I do not own them. I am blessed to be able to share memorable moments with them that I love to document with pictures. And even if I don't get any pictures, I will always have the memories.

Patience, Carrie, patience...

UPDATE: Got it! It takes great pictures. I like the image stabilization. Only negative for me - lag time between shots taken with the flash. I believe it is because it only has 2 batteries as opposed to my previous model's 4 (which had less lag time). In their quest to make the camera lighter, they sacrificed time, which to me is more desirable over weight. When you have little ones, you miss out on a lot in those 3 seconds, especially if you are having them pose. But overall, it is a really good camera for the price. The research paid off! You can see for yourself in the quality of photos you see after this date...

IMO... Extra Sugar Free Gum is the Extra Best

IMO...

This is a new thing I am starting just for fun. I often have fleeting thoughts about things like, "Hmmm, this gum has given me quite a long run of enjoyment." Something you normally wouldn't say out loud, unless you feel the need to talk a lot, but a notion that has enough worthiness to become a transient thought. It normally ends there, and I go about my business of being a mom, etc, but what if I were to take that thought and run with it? Isn't that what editorialist's do? I have lots of opinions on many subjects, many of which are silly, many of which are serious, but all of which are influenced by my life's expereinces and are open for adjustment. I believe opinions that are not open for change, even the most adamant of opinions, are simply judgments - now, again, this is my opinion. And while there are many people who are experts in certain fields whose opinions are deserving of being judgments, most opinions are not backed by that kind of knowledge and expertise. Most opinions are just based on what we feel is true. So what I am saying is that these installments will just be editorials like those in newspapers or like Andy Rooney's musings on "60 Minutes". Andy Rooney gets on my nerves, however, I think because he comes off snooty and pessimistic, not qualities that I find amusing, and I think he is trying to be funny; or is he? So if my editorializing gets on your nerves, just skip the entries that begin with "IMO..." and continue to enjoy our family stories and updates. What's wonderful about the human brain is that you never know exactly what it is going to come up with next. Maybe I'll want to shed light on a serious subject that needs attention. But I think I'll most prefer to keep it light and whimsical; it lifts my spirit. Like today...

First up:

IMO... Extra Sugar Free Gum is the Extra Best

This thought crossed my mind today, although not in those exact words. I changed it up some for artistic measure. I was especially tantalized today while waiting at the checkout stand by a flavor I hadn't noticed before: watermelon.

I picked up a pack, and it is delicious, in my opinion, if you like artificial watermelon flavor. You can't really reproduce the wonderfully unique flavor of fresh watermelon. After chewing my gum for a while, my exact thought was, "This gum sure is lasting a long time," which brings me to this topic to kick around. ("This Gum Sure is Lasting a Long Time" didn't seem aesthetic enough for a title, my thoughts are never as articulated as the words I choose to speak; heck, as a mom of four, sometimes the words I speak are jibberish! So I doubt I will ever use the actual thought that piques my editorial interest as a title).

They keep coming up with all these gimmick gums that promise you fresh breath and better dental health, but they only last about 2 minutes before you want to chuck it. They do give you a big burst of flavor in the beginning, but if you like to chew gum and enjoy the flavor for a while, Extra is your best bet. In my opinion, Extra is the best gum out there.

Here's why:

• It tastes really good for sugar free gum
• The flavor lasts a really long time (20 minutes or more) compared to sugar gums which are devoid of flavor in only a few minutes
• And because it's sugar free, it doesn't promote cavities.

In fact, it prevents cavities better than those gimmick gums, in my opinion, because the flavor lasts longer. I'm no expert, but I believe sugar free gum works to prevent cavities when chewed directly after meals because the flavors cause you to salivate a lot, and that saliva flushes out all those plaque causing bacteria in your mouth. There's probably more to it than that, but I will leave you to research that on your own if you need to know.

An oddity of my own which my husband finds particularly amusing and of which I have yet to find anyone who shares it with me, is that while chewing gum, when the flavor is all gone, upon the exact chew that is immediately following that last chew with the slightest hint of flavor, I invariably gag. Sometimes I can chew a few more times after that before I gag again, but I continue to gag, often after every subsequent chew, until I spit it out. It does not matter what type or brand of gum, I still gag, although I do gag more violently with sugary gums, therefore, I don't chew sugary gums! Occasionally, I am not in a position to remove the gum inconspicuously, although if I do not draw attention by spitting out the gum, I will certainly eventually draw attention with my incessant gagging, so I have to sometimes secretly expel it into a piece of paper or tissue. I refuse to turn it into that disgusting ABC gum (already been chewed) that we all have come to know and despise that you step into on hot asphalt and can never completely remove from the bottom of your favorite pair of shoes or equally ghastly, the ones you find stuck to the bottom of just about every desk at school. Usually, I try to keep the gum wrapper on my person, so I have the ability to stealthily tuck it away until I come across a trash receptacle.

Gum chewing is fun and enjoyable and can be good for you. I've read that it can help with your concentration, the theory being that the act of chewing stimulates your brain, the hypothalamus in particular, which releases hormones that keep you alert. So if you feel yourself dozing off at work or in the car, rather than pump yourself full of caffeinated and often sugar loaded sodas or coffee, pop in a stick of gum! Another plus, in true MacGyver fashion, you never know when you might need that ABC gum to help you get out of a locked room that is about to blow up!

The Great Haircut Catastrophe of '08

(not to be confused with the "Great Haircut Catastrophe of 2000" - that one was with Dallas)

Well, now I am not so sad about not having a camera.

Savanna cut her hair today. Her beautiful, silky fine, honey blonde locks have been chopped to smithereens (sp? - is that a real word or did Yosemite Sam coin that one?) side note: I did a spell check and I had spelled it wrong; I wrote "smitherines." I looked up the etymology, and it is actually from an Irish word, smidiríní, which means fragments, or smithereens. You have now learned your one thing for the day!

Such lovely hair, no more!

The horror!

Oh, the humanity!

Okay. It's not as bad as a zeppelin falling to the ground, but her hair was just so pretty in the cute little bob I cut for her a couple of months ago. I've only ever been able to do boy cuts and some boys have had to suffer some pretty awful cuts while I perfected my technique. But the only time I ever cut a girl's hair was when I cut my sister Catherine's hair when I was in the 11th grade. We were really, really poor that year. It was the year we could only ask for one Christmas gift. I asked for a Bible and got a really nice burgundy leather bound one with gold glittery paint on the page edges and my name engraved in gold on the cover - one of my most prized possessions. So haircuts were a luxury we couldn't afford, and my sister wanted a haircut. I said I could do it. I mean, it seemed so simple: just cut in a straight line. Oh, not so simple, my friend. I was trying to give her the same haircut I gave Savanna. I got almost all the way around her head, went around to the front to check out my symmetry and uttered, simply, "Ooops." Not something you want to hear when you are getting your haircut outside on the patio when there are no mirrors present! Poor kid; it was awful. I somehow was getting shorter as I went around, so it ended up much shorter than she wanted it. From years and years of watching haircuts and doing them on my boys, I have learned the proper technique to cut longer hair (just bobs, nothing fancy like layers). Savanna was my first actual try, though, and I was so proud of how it turned out. It takes me much longer than a hairdresser though. That's why they get paid the big bucks! Dallas's hair can take me up to an hour. He's got so much hair! And he wants it long, so it's tricky how to measure it because you can't use the fingers method.

So I'm not so sad I do not have a camera right now because I do not really want a picture of this. Although I did not cry, so maybe it's not all that bad. Dallas cut his hair when he was about 4 also, must be a rite of passage. When I saw what he had done, I yelled my signature scream of surprise, "Oooooh myyyyy Goooood!" I said the "Oh" with an upwards inflection, then downwards for the "my", then back up again for the "God." Yes, I used the Lord's name in vain, something I am not proud of, but times like these were the only time I did it, and I really was asking God for help to get through it somehow; they were that bad! And they got to know it well and would scatter like cockroaches in the kitchen when you turn on the light. And so after I yelled my plea for help, Dallas knew he was in deep doggy poo. He just looked up at me with his whacked up hair and his big brown puppy dog eyes, and I wept. He cut it so close at the very front of his head, a big clump of it, too, that we had to shave his head so he didn't look like it was whacked off, which it was! It wasn't a buzz cut, either. It was literally all shaved off; we used Dan's electric razor that he uses for his face. I couldn't stop crying over it because I was so afraid the kids at school were going to make fun of him for being bald. He was in the PPCD program which is a pre-school program for kids with special needs, his was speech. But, amazingly, it was just the opposite. The kids absolutely loved it! Everyone wanted to touch it, and Dallas, whose love language is touch, was in his own Heaven. He became very popular and remained popular until he had to leave that school when we moved away. The PPCD kids were helped out by all the grades, so they got to know the whole school, but I think his special "do" got him some extra special notice. It would be nice if that was all it would take to help him get some friends now...

We'll see what Savanna's new "do" gets her. Maybe it's not such a bad thing for your kid to give themselves their own chop job! They're probably going to do it anyway, so I say when they are around 4 years old, accidentally leave out a pair of kid scissors, and let them create their artistic masterpiece! It could be the best thing that ever happened to them up til then, or you could end up in the ER. Use caution taking any parenting advice from me. You'd think with 4 kids, I would know better. Just yesterday, Savanna found the same pair of scissors she used on her hair and had chopped up hundreds of tiny little pieces of paper all over the school room floor. I asked for the scissors; she brought them to me. I gave her a scolding and made her say, "I will not cut the paper." This works well, but you have to be specific with kids. I was specific, too specific. You know kids. For example, Dallas is running one fine day several years ago. I tell him to stop running, so he stops running as fast as he was but then keeps on running, just slower. So I say, "Stop running!", again, to which he replies, "I'm not running. I'm galloping!" Funny story, too true, but he was serious. This is my life around here. You have to be specific! I should have made her say, "I will not cut anything with the scissors." As I am quite flighty these days, I got sidetracked after our little discussion and just set the scissors back on my cluttered computer desk, shoving them underneath something so she couldn't see them in the meantime. By the time I got back to my desk, I had forgotten about the incident and could not even see them amid the mess. I hid them well enough from myself but not well enough from a 3 1/2 year old!

So it was all my fault, this haircut catastrophe, for leaving the scissors out and for not being specific enough in my reprimand. Bad Carrie!!! You should not have left out the scissors! Say, "I will not leave out the scissors."

I will not leave out the scissors... =-(

And I take it back. I am so sad about not having a camera. Upsetting as it was, I love taking pictures, even when they are bad... =-)

Happy Birthday, Daddy

He would be the big "6-oh" today. Happy birthday, Daddy, and Happy New Year!



Always your daughter,
Carrie Lynn