New camera!!

2010 has really turned out to be a good year for me so far.  I foresee a lot of major changes happening, some good, some maybe not so good, some great....all in all though, I see this being a huge year for AJP.  I have a lot of motivation in me right now, ideas, and passion for learning and perfecting my craft. 

One of the hundreds of next steps I have this year was to get a new camera.  A new and improved much, much better quality camera.

I started off my photography career with a non-professional Canon Rebel.  In comparison to anything I had used before, this was fabulous.  Once I started learning more about photography though, I realized that this camera was still low quality for what I wanted to do.  It's great for the every day family shot, but not for a business in photography.

I moved up to the Canon 50D.  A great investment for the cost (about $1500 for the body).  Up until today, it has produced most of the images you all have seen on this blog.  It's a fabulous camera, but still considered semi-pro.  It accomplished what I needed it to, and was a great tool for me while I was still learning the possibilities.

Over the past few months, I've felt that I had outgrown the 50D.  There were so many more things I wanted to do, and quality that I wanted to achieve, and it wasn't allowing me to do this, just because it didn't have the capacity.

I did lots of research and decided to purchase the brand new Canon 1D Mark IV camera ($5000).  As it was literally brand new, it wasn't even in stock anywhere.  I placed my order and waited almost 2 months for the camera!  Still no word on when it was to arrive.

I then met a fabulous person who shared my love for photography, and had many more years under him than I did.  We talked for a couple of days about cameras and I decided that the camera I ordered wasn't exactly what I needed.  So I cancelled my order.

I was then deciding between the Canon 1Ds Mark III ($6000) and the Canon 5D Mark II ($2500).  The price difference was huge.  Plus if I got the more expensive one, I couldn't even afford to buy a lens for it.  So after talking to a couple of people, doing more internet research, and sitting down with my fiance to talk money....I decided to go with the 5D Mark II plus a new lens, L series (top o' the line $1200)...all the while, spending less than I originally was going to!

I ordered it right away, 2 day shipping, and TODAY, my beautiful package arrived!! 

I

LOVE

MY

CAMERA

I was sooooo excited to start using it, I picked my son up from school and drove straight over to a local Japanese garden to take some pics, his dirty school clothes and all! :)

Below are just some quick shots I took with minimal editing.  Even the program that comes with the camera is so superior to the version I had been using.  It's amazing.

And I know to the average eye, you probably don't even know the difference...but just trust me....the color, the clarity, the highlights and shadows, everything...is just so much more....::sigh::...beautiful.  I've officially become a camera-geek.

Before I share my snapshots from today, I'd just like to say THANK YOU to ALL of my clients, friends, and family.  If it weren't for all of you, your business, your referrals, your trust and belief in me, I would not be where I am today.  I saved every last penny from every shoot I've done to make these purchases.  I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.  Each of you has played a huge part in my life whether you know it or not. :)

THANK YOU :)