"All the world is a laboratory to the inquiring mind." - Martin H. Fischer

Today I got an early birthday present: a new fancy-schmancy camera! It is a Nikon Coolpix L120, and maybe it's not fancy-schmancy on the grand scheme of cameras, but for me, this is a huge upgrade and I'm in love.

On this beautiful Saturday afternoon, I took myself out for a walk around Audubon Park to see what my new baby could do before I take it halfway across the globe to India. I tried to play with angles, scene settings, zoom, and coloration, so I want to share some of my favorites:

Close-up of a tree swing in Audubon Park

Flowers at the front entrance of Audubon Park

Bird Island in Audubon Park

A view of the trails in Audubon Park 

Playing with the macro setting inside the trees

Looks so relaxing, right?

I love this adorable little squirrel! Little guy's munching on a graham cracker.

The bark on this tree was stunning

Ducks!

Stately homes line the perimeter of the park

Details from the park's surrounding homes

Beautiful architecture and coloration on this home

I'll be practicing more this evening at New Orleans Mid-Summer Mardi Gras, and then tomorrow night at my boyfriend's gig on Frenchman street. The more I practice, the more confident I will feel that I can capture my upcoming trip in photos as well as memories!

Have a great weekend!

"Everywhere I look and most of the time I look, I see photographs." - Bert Hardy

Photo: George Eastman House Collection courtesy Flickr

I have a very rocky history with cameras. 


First there was the polaroid era, great tools, but I regret that I was way to young to truly understand their greatness, so I would pick it up, snap a pic, and put it on a shelf forever.
Then, there were disposable cameras. Pick it up, snap a pic, drop it on the ground, finish the roll, take it to get developed, and gone forever with photos in hand.
Next there was the digital camera era - or should I say cameras - pick it up, snap a pic, drop it on the ground - CRAP! 
Digital Camera #2: pick it up, snap a pic, leave it in a cab - SHOOT! 
Digital Camera #3: pick it up, snap a pic, drop it in liquid - NOOO!


I could go on for about 3 more cameras, but I'll spare you the details. But lucky for me, thanks a very brave gift giver, I now have the Olympus Stylus Tough, and I quote "Waterproof, shockproof, freezeproof, crushproof and shakeproof" (amazon.com). Match made in heaven, minus the fact that it's not loseproof. (*Note: I am not above being jinxed, so if I lose this so-called perfect camera in the near future, tears WILL be shed).


Anywho, so, possibly due to this love-hate relationship with cameras, I have developed a mini-obsession with photography. I want to learn all about it, take pictures constantly, edit my own photos from years and years ago, and bookmark gorgeous work all over the internet. Everywhere I go I think, "ooh that could be a photo!" But, until I've proven my ability to responsibly care for this camera, I'm on probation. As much as I dream about getting a fancy-pants camera, its a no-go for this girl. I've made a commitment to practice as much as I can with my Olympus Stylus Tough until I feel confident that I have developed an appropriate respect for the art of photography, and the tools used in the making.