A Journey Of A Thousand Miles Must Begin With A Single Step

The above title is a quote by Lao Tsu. I think it was appropriate to introduce my new Canon EOS 7D that way. The journey began about a month ago, when, with a bit of Internet research and one trip to a local store, I ended up with a Canon EOS 7D in my hands. It took me a week to actually take the first pictures, as I read the manual first. Okay, I was also a little paranoid about starting to work with this slightly more expensive equipment. The 7D is a bit more advanced, and I've been playing more with manual adjustments this time. I definitely missed a few good photo shoot opportunities as I am a little too slow switching between settings. However, opportunities will always be around; therefore, this time I will be trying to concentrate more on the quality and not the quantity.
The spring has not fully arrived yet. We have shiny days—great days for photography—but it's still cold and windy. The last couple of days temperatures were much warmer, but not enough for the grass to get green yet. The nights are still cold; let's say we got freezing rain last night. Rain is in the forecast for the rest of the week. However, a lot of birds arrived here, and they are getting a little pinch of the cold weather. Maybe it is good that we don't have green leaves yet, as it is always easier to find birds on the 'naked' trees.

And now about the photo. I took this photo a couple of days ago on our trip to the playground with Matthew and my husband. I think you may have figured out by now that I really enjoy the earthy, brownish colours of all seasons. I couldn't get a good close-up of the little chickadee, but I really enjoyed the layout I am now sharing with you.

Lastly, I cannot believe that in a month, Matthew will be three years old. Be prepared to see one lengthy post in a few weeks: my annual Happy Birthday letter to Matthew, a year full of explorations. Of course, it will be filled with photographs of my little star.

~ Anna

[Previously published on My Only Photo Journey Blog]

Comments

Peter said…
I had a look at the Canon EOS 7D care of dpreview.com, very impressive. By the looks of things it has as many buttons as my TV remote control. Will you ever use them all! LOL

Take Care,
Peter
Luis F. said…
Enhorabuena, por tu nueva cámara, la Canon 7D es una excelente maquina. Saludos.
Max Coutinho said…
Hi Anna :D!

Missed you!

I loved the photo (particularly the reign of the Brown colour and its many shades). I anticipate a gorgeous love story between you and your new camera lol ;).

Ah, yes...Matthew will be 3 years next month: time flies. It seems like only yesterday he was born and cute as a button.

I will be looking forward to your lengthy post :D!

Big hug, my friend.

Cheers
Marka said…
Congrats on the new camera! It sounds like you're already well on your way to becoming comfortable with the 70D. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your great photographs, this time with a new camera! Cheers!

PS - Give a Happy (early) Birthday to Matthew for me!
Jeevan said…
Will be looking forward to the Mattews post! Great to know u having wonderful times with 7D and attempt on captures. The bird was pretty one anna! Congrats :)
Marvin said…
Wow, I think I remember when Matthew was born! Three years! Happy birthday to him.
Will said…
Hi Anna! I can't believe it is 3 years! Are you sure you are counting right? ;-)

That is a nice camera. And the photo of the Chickadee is beautiful. You know, I have considered upgrading my camera, but have decided not to for now for one reason only. I wonder if you have ever had the same issue? I read a lot about it online and it seems to be common with digital SLR's.

This issue is dust, etc. on the sensor. It is a terrible problem. I have to fix all my photos in Photoshop. To get the sensor cleaned professionally is very expensive. And the kits to do it yourself get mixed reviews. The only thing I have read that seems to be a solution is to only have one lens per body and NEVER take it off.

Have you ever had this problem? I really miss the old days of my Nikon film cameras and Kodachrome film. I had total control with that setup and was able to get beautiful colors and contrasts.
Lynda Lehmann said…
Anna - I'm glad to hear you've purchased your new camera. You will have to let us know how you like it. I have a SONY Alpha D-SLR which I like, but I do get a bit of lens distortion and noise with it (or so the staff at Shutterstock have told me in regards to the photos they did not accept....although I do have quite a few on their site)

Maybe it's a blessing in disguise that your weather has not been that good, since you wanted to familiarize yourself with the settings a bit anyway, before shooting.

It's very hard to believe that Matthew will be three! I guess nursery school is around the corner?

I can see that you like the brown, earthy tones. As you point out, they are everywhere in nature, throughout the seasons. More so than the green, which is not nearly as prevalent, in winter.

Enjoy the spring, when it gets there. And you will be ready with your new gear, if not seasoned.

As for the problem Will mentions, some of the new cameras come with free cleaning/dust protection as part of their extended warranty. Will, maybe you can find a camera that comes with that added peace of mind. It's very necessary for those of us who take long hikes over sometimes dusty terrain, or on beaches with blowing sand.
Zbyszek said…
Piękna sikoreczka, widzę że u Ciebie też jeszcze wiosna daleko, na Warmii pada deszcz i strasznie wieje, może to zapowiedź pięknej pogody.
Niech aparat się sprawuje jak najlepiej. Pozdrawiam.
Anna: Beautiful lighting on the little chickadee.
George said…
Congratulations on your new camera. I know you'll get many wonderful pictures with it, just like the one you shared in this post. I, too, am trying to consistently use the manual settings on my camera. I've missed a few shots because of that, but I like the results.
You have really earned that camera and I hope you have many happy years with it! Looking forward to Matthew's birthday post!
Tatiana said…
Congrats with your new Canon camera Anna! And it really is a good one ;) Can't wait for your next post to Matthew too {{{HUGS}}} to you and him!
kRiZcPEc said…
Here's a cake to Matthew. :)
joshi daniel said…
great image and happy shooting with 7D :D
RuneE said…
Congratulations with your camera and your trip (well begun, I see). I started the same trip some time ago and can only highly recommend the 7D,
Phil Slade said…
Think I would like to upgrade my EOS500D Anna, I'll see how you get on with that upmarket thing you chose
Tabib said…
Congratulation on you new toy.
Don't worry about the setting, just use that 'P' mode! ;)
or AV mode for birding.

Matthew, happy birthday!
johnny said…
Pues ciertamente lo más importante de comenzar un viaje es decidirse a dar el primer paso. Feliz primavera Anna y suerte con tu nueva cámara¡¡¡
Birdy Official said…
Nice start with your new camera. Hopefully you be expert of the camera with in a month or two.
Pietro Brosio said…
What a beautiful shaded image with your new camera, Anna!
Have a pleasant day!
beanow said…
Anna, a lovely picture of spring. I hear the bird singing joyfully ...:)
holdingmoments said…
I've heard plenty of good reports about the 7D Anna.
I'm sure you'll soon get used to it.
Sandee said…
Great shot.

My son will be 41 this year. My how times flies. Enjoy that little guy while you can.

Have a great day. :)
HI Anna, Thanks for coming to my blog. Come back anytime... I am enjoying yours.

George and I have Canon Rebels and love them---so I'm sure you will really LOVE your EOS 7D...

Great picture of the Chickadee....

Matthew is one lucky little guy to have a Mama like you.
Hugs,
Betsy
What a great photo, Anna!!! I love the background contrast with the chickadee. Awesome job.

Can't wait for Matthew's third birthday post!!!

Hugs, Nancy
lissa said…
your photos are always so lovely and beautiful. I enjoy seeing them.

thanks for your visit. hope you are having a sweet day.
Rajesh said…
Beautiful shot of the bird in the woods.
MedaM said…
Hi Anna, congratulation and good luck with your new camera! I like this first photo you shared in this post. Little bird is so cute.
In a month your Matthew will be three year old boy and my older son will be a married man. I too cannot believe that. Time flies fast, indeed.:-)
Zbyszek said…
Pozdrawiam Aniu wiosennie:)
Neeraj said…
I purchased a Canon D90 recently but still find myself using my old point-and-shoot Canon SD770 that is sooo handy and compact.