“New camera begins with Texas Bluebonnets.”

After attending the Key West photography festival back in February, my thoughts became consumed with updating my Nikon Cool Pix L830, 16-MP, 34x zoom Nikkor lens with full 1080p HD Video, to a higher end digital camera.

So, with the internet at my fingertips, my search and research began for the purchase of a digital single-lens reflex camera aka “DSLR.” My studies included about 80-plus hours of Youtube videos produced by photo enthusiasts and professionals.

All of the videos were extremely informative to help me in my decision that finalized with the purchase of a Nikon, D7200, DSLR Camera lens bundle, that included a 18-55mm, and 70-300mm camera lens.

I spent another twenty hours viewing Youtube videos to learn the manual technical settings of ISO, aperture, and shutter speed to capture an image. ( ISO is an acronym for International Organization for Standardization. Refers to the international standard for representing the sensitivity to light of an imaging sensor or film by a numerical value.)

I did give some consideration to the new mirrorless cameras offered by all of the major camera companies, but so far I’m happily excited beyond belief with my decision as represented with images I captured in this blog post. My study time paid off using the manual settings to capture incredibly detailed images with clarity and definition. Using the manual settings I was able to capture the shimmiring images of the waterfall and the individual water dropplets.

I began my photo journey based on recommendations from a fellow photographer who suggested I capture images of Bluebonnets, the state flower of Texas. It was a great suggestion as many grow wild in areas southwest of the Dallas-Fort Worth into west-central Texas, also known as the hill country area. Another recommendation was to visit the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

My first personal assignment is to capture birds in flight, along with more detail closeup of insects, flowers, and yes, winter wildlife in Yellowstone National Park. Brrr!

Out of all of the advice I have received, from numerous photographers, was to purchase good “glass,” a term used to describe the removable camera lenses.

I’m excited and look forward to capturing many images of wildlife and landscapes, so, writing, reading, mountain biking, and fishing, be patient daddies got a new toy! 🙂