New camera

I finally bought a digital SLR! After months of pining away (and drooling every time my coworker Eugene came in with yet another amazing photo,) I broke down after the holidays, found a good price, and plugged in my credit card number.

And now I am the proud owner of a Canon 350D (otherwise known as the digital rebel xt.)

Two initial observations:

1. It's a good thing I initially deceived myself into thinking the camera would be the big purchase, because this could be just the beginning of a love that threatens to suck every last penny out of my bank account. No, the camera isn't cheap. But that pales in comparison to the sum of the accessories I'll ultimately want: a wide-angle lens, polarizer, macro lens, extra batteries and CF cards, carrying case, cleaning kit... oh, and a new computer to digitally edit the images on.

2. My cats probably already hate this new toy. Why? Because they are the perfect models for me to practice on. "Oh, isn't Clark cute when he sleeps like that?" Click, click. Flash of light. "Wait, let me try it this way!" Another click, another flash. Don't get me wrong - I feel little guilt. The boy gets to (and does) sleep a good 80% of the day. But I'm sure they'll grow weary of having a big black box shoved in front of their face only to be blinded by the light that it emits next. In fact, Clark already is learning to close his eyes when he hears the camera auto-focus...