Damn tax season. It never fails that that influx of cash from my tax return pushes my “instant gratification” button and I Just.Have.To.Buy.Something “for me” (read: expensive). God forbid I do something smart like pay off that last credit card. Oh no. That’s definitely not the American way. Who needs an economic stimulus package when I can just blow my entire tax return? Nevermind the fact that I’m just getting back all those taxes I overpaid over the course of the year. Huh. Maybe I’ll just start calling it my Federal savings account. One I only take a distribution from once a year. Ugh. Nevermind.
Anyway…I’ve really never had a hobby that was mine alone. Volunteer firefighter: group thing. Boat races: again, group thing. One of the things I love the most about reading a few of my staple blogs is their amazing photos. I’ve had a jealous streak a mile long over those gorgeous photos (by the way, I’m a professional “lurker”, so if any of the owners of those fabulous photos makes their way back here, “HI!”). Whether it is just images of day to day life or composition shots, I love the crispness of the photos. The common thread here is they all use a SLR camera vs. a point and shoot. So, I’ve been kicking around the idea for a while about getting a beginners Digital SLR camera and playing around a little myself.
After hours of slogging around on research websites, I’ve settled on a Nikon D40. Since I’m hit or miss on if a new hobby will stick, the combination of raving reviews (it seems the D40 is the go-to camera for professionals who want to take “everyday” pictures) and price seems perfect.
My first real test will be in a few weeks. I’m off to Paris and Orleans, France for work for a week and a half, so we’ll see what turns up. More on that trip later.
