Road Trip: Atlanta Part 1

"A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same." - Elbert Hubbard

Remember I remarked before about my physical handicaps?  One of the results is that I cannot spend more than 6 hours in a car without experiencing pain.  Yesterday, I spent 13 hours in my car!  13!

It was bad.  I drove through 4 states to visit an old friend who moved to Atlanta.  I've never been there before.  I just got a new car and a new camera, both of which NEEDED a test drive.  And I haven't seen my friend in several years.

So I hit the road.  The only problem is, I only had a few days off and I wanted to spend as much of it with my friend as possible so...13 hours in a car, no stopping halfway for a hotel room and a rest.

I planned to go running this morning because I didn't have a chance to run all week.  (I was in training class for work all last week so - no time for running)  But I'm in so much pain this morning, I can barely move.  So much for running.

But, despite the pain, it was a beautiful drive.  I miss being on the road.  I got to see the Mississippi River and two states I haven't been to before.  AND, I get to see my friend, which is the best part.

So, I'm off today to go see some Atlanta history and play with my new camera.  I'll share some more later.

Quick pics snapped out the car window with an iPhone:
 

(I'm so bummed I missed getting the Georgia sign)

The Continuing Saga

"If you set goals and go after them with all the determination you can muster, your gifts will take you places that will amaze you." - Les Brown

I wrote about the decision I had to make about my camera.  Put more money into trying to repair it, replacing it with a similar model or replacing it with the professional model I eventually wanted to move into anyway.

I chose option number 3.  An option I instantly regretted the moment I placed the order.  How could I spend so much money I didn't have?  How could I break my debt promise?  What was I thinking?  This is the reason I struggled for so long to get out of debt in the first place.

I got my camera in the mail.  The news was even worse.  Very few of my current accessories fit the new camera.  The lens is too big for my filters, some of which I had barely used yet.  The battery wasn't interchangable.  I even had to upgrade my photo editing software because the camera is a new enough model, the older software couldn't read the raw file format.

Sigh.

Then I went out and shot some pictures.  The new camera is heavier, but I replaced 2 lenses with 1 lens, so less gear to carry.  That worked itself out.  And the results...

Sharp and clear.  I'm so thrilled.  I don't know how I ever lived without this camera!

So, on occasion, questioning your decisions is a good idea, in this case, it was wrong.  Buying the new camera was absolutely the best decision I could have made and I have high hopes of taking my photography to the next level.