Test Picture

Test body 123.

This was sent from my cell phone while on the train. It managed to actually post to the blog properly, which means that you're significantly more likely to actually get updates and pictures posted here while I'm on vacation. Excellent.

Desert Suburbs

Desert Subarbs
Originally uploaded by mikeygibran

New pictures up taken during my flight back from Infocomm 08 in Las Vegas, plus some other updated photos. Go check them out.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcolburn

DSLRs under $600

Seriously folks. If you’re looking to start exploring DSLR photography, this is a great way to do it.

A quick google search for reviews of this camera ought to reveal many indepth camera reviews including a couple of great sites, dpreview is more brief and factual, and Ken Rockwell is prolific if nothing else and loves his Nikon D40. Trust the technical information Rockwell gives, but keep in mind that he is pretty opinionated about preferences between one camera and another. I’ll give you the nitty gritty of it here:

Nikon D40 Quick Review:
Body: Compact and Light (for an SLR)
Lens Compatibility: ONLY AF-S lenses (Autofocus drive built into lens)
Memory: Accepts SD and SDHC
File Format: Raw, JPG, or Combination
Sensor: 6 Megapixel

Personal Experience
I’ve been using the Nikon D40 for a few months shy of a year now so I can officially tell you something useful about it. The Nikon D40 is not a Hasselblad H3DII-39MS, it is not a Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III SLR nor is it a Nikon D3. If you don’t know what any of those specific cameras are, or even recognize the brand Hasselblad, then chances are you don’t need a $44,000 39 Megapixel camera, an $8,000 21 Megapixel camera, or even a $5,000 12 Megapixel camera (top Hasselblad, Canon, and Nikon DSLR respectively).

I’ve written before about the right way versus the wrong way to chose a digital camera. It was a long drawn out article that may or may not have been useful. Quick synopsis: if you just want a camera to make a good looking image for you anytime you pull it out of your pocket, then stick with a point and shoot. If you are looking to have maximum control over the look and feel of the image (how bright/dark it is, what’s crisp and what’s out of focus) and the ability to change the zoom range of your camera without buying/learning about a whole new camera then consider a DSLR. As far as megapixels: look for something with at least 6 Megapixels and then forget about it (unless you plan on regularly printing posters larger than 11 x 14).

So IF you think a DSLR might be worth playing around with AND you don’t plan on regularly printing larger than 11x14 consider the Nikon D40.

You can check out my Flickr site to see pictures taken with it, both casually as well as more intentional “photography”. You can also check out any number of groups on Flickr that are composed entirely of D40 photos.

Look into it and if you decide to get a DSLR, use it. Don’t just stick it on a shelf somewhere. If you don’t decide to get a DSLR, then get your point and shoot and go take photos of the world and people around you. Either way, it’s up to you. Just don’t waste the technology you are lucky enough to have.

First Lightning Photo

First Lightning Photo
Originally uploaded by mikeygibran

My first time catching a lightning bolt in a photo. I'll have to keep working on this one.

OK A Little Wet

OK A Little Wet
Originally uploaded by mikeygibran

Went to the National Zoo with our friend PT who is in town this weekend. It was a blast, though a wee bit wet. OK. Honestly it stormed (thunder, lighting, and torrential downpours) for the better part of the visit but it was still lots of fun. Probably resulted in some more unique photos. I can say this in such good spirits because my camera survived. Somehow.

Enjoy!