Mitchell Park Domes

When my parents were visiting Milwaukee earlier this month, among other things, we went to the Mitchell Park Conservatory or the Domes. It's taken me a while to get through this whole set of photos, but I'm happy to share them with you today. Enjoy.

Hands down, this shot blew me away more than anything else that I took that day. I played up the contrast when I edited it and cannot believe the results. Who knew that black and white flower photography could be so striking?

I'm continuing to challenge myself to play up vivid colors and sharp imagery when I take pictures.

 

I took this picture for the reflection.

The current Mitchell Park special exhibit in their show dome is a train exhibit.

Finally, I put together this edit for the March BBA Challenge: Emerging Foggy Spring. As we still have several inches of snow on the ground here, it wasn't feasible to go out and get a new outdoor photo to fully capture spring... any time thus far this month. Sad. So this is what I have. My digital drawing skills are on par with my regular drawing skills (which are elementary at best), but I learned a lot completing this little project.

What have you been photographing lately?

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seeking camera advice

The time is coming....

I've held out with using a point and shoot camera for a long time now.  I've always believed that when you get started with any kind of photography, there is no reason to run right out and buy a high end camera.  I still believe this.  However, during this past year, I feel like I have completely maxed out what I can do with my point and shoot and that my photography is stagnating.  I'm just not sure what else I can learn about point and shoot photography with the camera that I have that will significantly improve my shooting.  I could invest in a higher end point and shoot, but if I'm going to upgrade, I feel like I should go all the way and finally jump into this venture with both feet.

With that being said, I am still in the very early stages of research of DSLR cameras and accessories.  I'm looking for tips for both camera bodies and equipment.  Here are my thoughts thus far.

• Camera body: Almost everyone I know who does similar shooting to me (lots of photos for blogs, product photography for an online shop, article photography, and/or some recreational/family shooting) has some type of Canon Rebel.  I have been very pleased with my Canon PowerShot and am inclined to stick with Canon.  If you own a Canon Rebel, I'm interested in: 1) your opinion of it and 2) whether you think it would be a good fit for me.  If you don't but own another body that you think would be a good fit, let me know.  I'm not too concerned about specific models at this point, as I most likely won't be making a purchase for another 6 months and there will be new ones available at that point.
• Lens(es): I'm sure it's not a surprise that my biggest focus with photography is macro photography.  I've heard mixed reviews about the body/lens packages that some web sites and stores offer and would like opinions on that.  Share any and all information that you have about your favorite lenses, particularly those that you use for macro shooting.
• Camera bag: I know that a lot of women photographers love Jo Totes and Cheeky Lime.  I really don't want anything that large.  Period.  If you have something smaller that you love, do share. Something in a cool color and/or handmade is nice, but a classic black Canon bag is just fine, too.
• Camera strap: I understand the importance of having a comfortable strap and don't mind spending a little more to get a high quality, comfortable strap.  Do you have one that you really like?  I'm all ears.
• Memory card:  You can laugh at me, but I'm currently using a single 4GB memory card.  Honestly it has been plenty of space for everything that I do on a weekly basis.  Now that Jake is almost done with intern year and will be getting his life back this summer, we will be taking more trips again, and it would be nice to have some more memory space.  We have some reward dollars at Best Buy right now so I may decide to upgrade my card within the next month.  I've heard varying opinions about different brands and sizes and am not sure if there's any truth there is to it, particularly for those of us who are not professional photographers.
• Photoshop: I seriously have no idea what my hang up is with Photoshop is because I obviously am pretty fearless when it comes to learning new things on the computer.  Even the basic Photoshop terminology overwhelms me so I've just avoided it until this point.  I feel like part of making this photography jump includes finally buying and learning Photoshop.  Do you have any favorite beginner Photoshop books and/or web sites?  I know that there are tons of tutorial sites out there that will be helpful, but for now I'm looking for something that teaches the basics really well.

Is there anything obvious that I'm missing here?  Don't be afraid to let me know.  Thanks in advance for your feedback on this topic!