February 17th, 2008 admin
Our point and shoot digital camera came up missing one day and that was just the opportunity I needed to upgrade our equipment. I warned Caroline that if she didn’t find it in one week I would be buying a digital SLR. Anticipating that it would not be found I started my research and decided on the Nikon D40x. I won’t go into the boring details, however it definitley fits my needs for an entry-level DSLR.
I really like the control I now have along with the option of two different lenses…an 18-55mm and a 55-200mm.
I have had a few opportunities to get out with it and shoot our son at some of our favorite spots to hike…luckily he doesn’t mind getting his picture taken.
The thing I need to really get use to is the auto-focus. In this particular image it was jumping all over the place with the various foreground and background grasses. After returning home I was dissappointed to see that his face was a little out of focus and not as sharp as I would like. With a tip from my photo friend Daron, I now know to focus on the face and continue to hold the shutter button down half way and re-compose the image before taking the final shot.
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February 16th, 2008 admin
What is becoming somewhat of a tradition – my wife and I have been stopping by the bookstore on our way home from “date night” to grab a cup of coffee and walk the aisles to see what might grab our attention.
I followed my usual route and hit the mags first then made my way over to the sports section, more specifically the climbing section to perhaps find something I hadn’t yet read .
“The Last Season” by Eric Blehm and “Enduring Patagonia” by Gregory Couch both caught my eye and after reading some of the printed reviews on the back cover I decided these would be perfect reads for the coming month.
The cold temps and a few other distractions have kept me from getting out and climbing…I was in need of a good climbing tale and “Enduring Patagonia” did not dissappoint. Greg Couch did an excellent job of sharing his tales from many seasons spent climbing in Patagonia. I really enjoyed the time he took explaining some of the non-climbing activities that take place while waiting for the weather to improve. One such “MacGyver-esk” story of a mouse trap made from a trekking pole, a 5-gallon bucket and I believe vaseline, will have you wondering what kind of person it takes to truly enjoy the suffering that goes along with climbing in Patagonia. In the end this book is partially responsible for me agreeing to go climbing in Arkansas on a weekend when the temps would not likely get much above freezing. It allowed me to rationalize that it wouldn’t be as bad as climbing in Patagonia.
The “Last Season” really took me by surprise. It is an emotional story about a backcoutry ranger (Randy Morgensen) who worked in Kings Canyon National Park and on July 21, 1996 heads off on a four day patrol and is never heard from again.
The story recounts the search efforts and explores the mind of Randy, his life growing up in Yosemite Valley, his love for the backcoutry, the challenges working for the NPS, the emotional pain he suffered throughout his life and more importantly why the untouched backcountry is such an important asset for us to protect.
I couldn’t put this one down and have since bought a copy for my father and have recommended it to all my friends. If you love the outdoors and have spent anytime in our National Parks, this is a must read.
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