Early Summer Sunrise

The pleasing effects of early morning light for macro nature photography.

Summer in Manhattan

Summer Shots

Happy Nature Photography Day

http://www.nanpa.org/nature_photography_day.php

Seven Top Reasons Why That DSLR Camera Is Not Good For Family Vacations

Seven Top Reasons NOT to Take a DSLR Camera on a Family Trip

1) Capturing spontaneous moments with kids on trips is much easier without fumbling around for the right lens, putting the flash on the camera, checking settings, etc., etc.

2) No heavy camera bag or backpack falling out of the overhead bin and onto a fellow passenger's head.

3) Easier to jump into outdoor activities without the worry of what to do or how to secure a DSLR camera and lenses.

4) No fellow tourists or travelers saying "wow, that's quite a camera. You must be a professional. What do you think is better, Canon or Nikon ?"  (Uuuugggghhhh! Really !?!?!)

5) Not calling out to potential thieves "hey, here's an expensive camera for you to try grab and run off with."

6) You can share in the fun of shooting with a digital point-n-shoot by handing the camera over to your kids without the "now, let me explain how to use this, and this. . . ."

7) Teenage daughters won't be so embarrassed when dad doesn't look like a camera-gear-techno-geek.

I travel quite a bit just for photography. Most often one-day excursions throughout the Ohio countryside mixed in with occasional multi-day trips to locations beyond Ohio. Most times I drive, sometimes I fly. 

I travel with a lot of gear. Then again, the purpose of these trips is for PHOTOGRAPHY, so it's part of the job.

Trips with my family - and for me, that's usually summer excursions with one, or both of my daughters - are an entirely different matter. I learned very quickly a couple of years ago how important it was to make the best of my limited time with my girls, ages eight and 11. The purpose of these trips is even more important - DAD/DAUGHTER TIME.

But, still I love to photograph, and we are often in locations where there's great opportunities for scenics and just fun shots of us making memories together.

The problem is even just one DSLR camera, a couple of lenses and a portable flash can be a hindrance when it comes to staying flexible and just going "with the flow." 

The answer is to simplify, simplify, simplify. In other words, a digital point-n-shoot with many of the capabilities and features of the larger cameras and lenses but without the hassles of juggling a bunch of gear when trying to photograph moments that are constantly fleeting. I also like the idea of having a very portable point-n-shoot that can stand-up to a variety of outdoor activities. I'm looking at the Pentax Optio W90, but there are many, many other digital point-n-shoots that will deliver quality images without all the gear.

See ? Adjust, compromise, adapt. Still get the great family shots without all the hassle. The high-end nature and landscape images with that digital SLR camera and all those lenses can always wait. Kids and time with them is an entirely different matter.