Grow Your Own
This past week has finally seen the beginnings of spring, with some very nice weather… Even shorts and t-shirt weather for some of us… although it has to be said the evenings are still quite chilly… Yesterday evening though showed signs of being one of those stunning sunsets, and I have to confess to being a sucker for a sunset, but it’s never as much fun, nor does it feel very safe going out alone, near dark, with a bag full of rather expensive camera gear….
It appears though that finally I have a solution to part of that particular problem… I now have myself a “grow your own” shooting buddy… in the way of my eldest daughter… Now she’s always been kinda interested in taking pictures, but has never really had a camera that takes “proper” pictures… She’s only had those real cheap and nasty compacts, that take 5 unrecognisably blurred images before the battery gives out… and hence never really got in to it…
Last weekend though I decided it was time to hand down my spare DSLR, as it was just gathering dust… SO… my grow your own now has her first real camera… And she LOVES it… and can’t wait to go shooting again… I know going out with her won’t BE any safer, but it’s more fun than being on your own… and if the need arises I can always use her as a human shield, or a bargaining tool… :)
This is her btw… capturing the sunset…. Guess now I also need to hand down my spare tripod !!!….
FS Photography 
Oh, Brian, how proud you are! You can FEEL it! It is GOOD to have a shooting buddey. Each of you will push the other to be better, to get different shots, to head out when you’d rather stay in.
What a stunning sky!
(Yeah, and something tells me if there is any shielding or bargaining to be done, YOU will gladly take the fall…)
March 25, 2011 at 8:08 pm
Yeah I may be a little bit proud of her… She’s done us proud in a number of ways this year… firstly by getting very good grades, and with those getting in to a good secondary school… Thanks Tracy… If she starts taking better shots than me though, then I’m taking my camera back… ;)
March 25, 2011 at 8:42 pm
And a hand me down laptop, and software, and…and…lol :)
How cool that you’ve given her such a great camera to shoot with. Now that’s a cool dad!!
Love the shots B. Surprisingly I’m quite drawn to the B&W…love the sky (go figure).
When is she starting her blog?
March 25, 2011 at 8:34 pm
Hahaha… Yeah I’m waiting for that request…. as I have no doubt she’ll want somewhere to display her photos… and someone to help her edit them… and… and… and…. lol…
We’ll see… Thanks G… :)
March 25, 2011 at 8:40 pm
Truth is I wish my son were interested…I’d love to have a shooting buddy, but no such luck.
It’s all good :)
March 25, 2011 at 8:56 pm
Lol… Well maybe you should try playing basketball with him too, then maybe he would… ;)
March 25, 2011 at 9:40 pm
Ahhh, Brian, hope that she surpasses you. Her soul will carry the message of yours into the future some distant day from now. What a wonderful gift of camera, time and knowledge you will be able to share.
Awesome photos!
March 25, 2011 at 11:01 pm
LOL.. She may well do if she continues to enjoy it, and I’ll certainly do what I can to help her along… Maybe one day she’ll even earn some money from it too… Thanks Leslie.. :)
March 26, 2011 at 7:43 pm
Very nice! My “grow your owns” love taking pictures, but they seems satisfied with their cheap, nasty compacts for now! I offered my elder daughter my “good” point and shoot Olympus when I bought my Rebel last summer but she didn’t seem interested.
March 26, 2011 at 1:26 am
Well hopefully yours will get the bug sooner or later… I’ve not actively encouraged mine, and I’ll never discourage her… but she loves doing stuff with Dad, and has the same artistic streak as me… so all the time that continues I’ll be a happy bunny… Thanks Karen..
March 26, 2011 at 7:46 pm
Fantastic – both your photos and the news of your shooting new buddy. She’ll learn so much, so quickly from being out and about with you and you’ll see entirely new angles and new photo opportuniuties through her eyes. Both my (now adult) daughters are artistic, both take great photos but neither have been particularly bitten by the photo bug. I may have to wait for ‘the next crop’!
March 26, 2011 at 7:30 am
I think you’re right about the new angles etc… That night I’d mentally noted a potential place for a shot, but she beat me to it from the opposite direction, and said “This will make a great shot Dad”….
My shot was still better though… LOL… ;)
March 26, 2011 at 7:51 pm
Those clouds really make the shot, bot in the b&w and color photo.
It’s nice to have a shooting buddy, isn’t it? How old is your daughter? I handed down my old DSLR ro Melissa a couple of years ago (she’ll be 15 in August) and she had fun with it at first, but now it seems I need to push her a little to pick up the camera. Maybe I should have saved it a few more years and handed it down to the little one, who’s much more into photography (with an old severely shutter-lagged point & shoot).
March 26, 2011 at 4:50 pm
Thanks Michaela, and it sure is… Mine’s nearly 11 now, but she’s wanted a nice camera for some years now… but it’s only really now that I’m comfortable for her to look after a big boy camera… She LOVES it, and also loves the responsibility she’s been entrusted with… Let’s hope your little one picks up the proverbial baton instead… :)
March 26, 2011 at 7:55 pm
A grow your own shooting buddy! Oh that’s awesome. I should do that… hmmm, but then I’d have to wait like 10 years ;). Excellent choice with the black and white in the first photo. It sure brings out that streaky sky and the water really looks awesome. You’ve inspired me. I think I’ll try bw on one of the seascapes I’ve been struggling with :) Love the shot of your daughter too, shooting in her pink wellies ;)
March 27, 2011 at 9:54 pm
Oh no.. trust me you don’t want one of your own… cos then you have to feed them, and clean them, and… feed them… and train them… and clean them… You’re much better off with a dog, as then you only feed them, and clean them… and trai… well… dogs are cheaper at least… ;)
Thanks anyways A… Oh, and I’m pretty sure you might have inspired me first… (and they’re my pink wellies.. lol)… ;)
March 28, 2011 at 5:54 am
Great shot! You must be proud of her.
:)
By the way, the lower one you took (I think?) looks like it could become a digital artwork… the cloud wisps are just begging to be turned into something else… maybe a dragon?
March 30, 2011 at 9:02 pm
Lol… There are probably things that could be done with it…. Maybe I’ll add it to my list of things to mess with…. Thanks Val..
April 1, 2011 at 7:41 pm
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That sky is ridiculous! A full range of tones that completely knocked my socks off – absolutely love it! :)
April 14, 2011 at 11:09 pm
Haha… Thanks so much… Well it’ll save you time at night I guess…
April 15, 2011 at 7:08 pm