About 4 years ago, I got back into Photography.  I made the choice to go with the classic Minolta X700 and Minolta XD.  I got the 105 Vivitar S1 Macro, 24mm MD, 75-200 MD, 50mm 1.7 MD, and 28-85mm Tokina ATX lenses.  I felt at the time that for the best quality and color, you can’t beat slides.  I have to say that it was a lot of fun handling the manual Minoltas- the lenses were all metal and glass.  I liked having full control over the focus, DOF, and exposure… and there was no shutter lag.  For the most part, the cameras were very reliable, but being 20-25 years old, both had to have some repairs.  Since then, they’ve been solid.

I remember having a number of spirited discussions with friends who had DSLRs, and debating the pros and cons.  For me, it always came down to quality.  I bought the Canon A70, and although it did well, it had its limitations- the flash, the shutter lag, the power up time, the Autofocus, the AWB, etc.  But it was very convenient, and under certain conditions it took nice photos.

Back then, after I invested in a technology that one day will be phased out, I told myself that I would only upgrade when the DSLRs caught up to slide film.  I think that day is near if it isn’t already here- at least in prints up to 8X10, it’s hard to tell the difference.  With the older Canon 300D, you could tell it had problems with some of the higher contrast shots, but I think that’s much improved. 

The only thing that bugs me is using Photoshop to fix up problems.  Is that different that me going to the photofinisher and asking them to lighten up a certain area?  Is using Photoshop any different than using color and graduated filters or burning/dodging?  I’m not sure I can answer that one.  Maybe I’m having a problem with it because one day you could digitally manipulate a photo even further than you could with filters or getting the photofinisher to lighten or darken a stop.

But, there’s airbrushing that goes on with film…

In short, I have my eye on the Canon XTi.  The shutter is quick, lots of features, 10 megapixel, auto or manual mode, and very good quality.  This means I’ll have to get a whole new system of EF lenses and Speedlight flashes, but it will allow me to take a whack of pictures, and not have to wait for LDs to develop and print.  Not having to do that will save $$.  Plus, I’ll be able to use the EF lenses with an older Canon film body.   

Lately I’ve been thinking about how people decide when to start a family.  This topic is close to me because 1) I turned 37 today and 2) I have an Infant.  To put things in perspective, when my Dad was my current age, I had just moved out of the house.  When I reach my Father’s current age, Erica will just be graduating from Highschool.  That’s quite the contrast.

For the past few years, E and I debated when to start a family.  For me, I saw having a child as a sign of having to finally grow up.  There were other ancillary factors- cost, lifestyle, travel, cost, sleeping in on the weekends, cost, space, etc.

Well time was the deciding factor- now was the time to start the family otherwise I’ll be collecting a pension while my kids are learning to drive. 

I try to take the view that there are no regrets in life.  Things happen, when they happen, for a reason.  I think E was ready sooner than I was to have a family, I needed the time to mature and understand what it means to be a good parent… in short, I needed to learn about sacrifice and giving.

As my earlier posts alluded- we’re tired, we have to look for a bigger (and more $$$$) space, we haven’t tried any new swanky restaurants, we won’t be travelling to Europe anytime soon, and Formula is more expensive than Rib Eye steak.

But… the joy e brings… not only into our lives, but the lives of our family… makes us not miss any of those other things we used to do, and probably will make us appreciate going out or travelling even more when we’re able to.

So regrets, there really are none.  E and e are both healthy, and that’s what matters, but I think we could have started our family a few years earlier.  In hindsight, a lot of the reasons I had for not starting a family earlier weren’t really all that important.  It just took time to see past those reasons.  One thing we couldn’t anticipate was how much happiness e brings into our lives. 

I remember my Dad and Mom teaching Vennie and I to ski, play tennis, go hiking, fishing, etc.  I think Vennie was only a few weeks old when we first went camping.  The point is I think some people take that active lifestyle for granted. 

Thinking about the future, I hope I can do the same for my kids.  For the sports I play now, I still got some semi-serious game, and I hope that’s the case a couple of decades from now.  I’m sure when the time comes, I’ll still be able to guide and help her through the difficult teen years, but it would still be nice to lay in a 100+ mph serve down the T as well.  heheeheh. 

When I came home today, and I finally got to pick e up, no doubt in my mind, this is the best Birthday present I could ask for.   

I added a Gallery of photos I took of Grandpa’s house before it was torn down last year.  It took me awhile to look at them again, simply because every room held so many memories for all of us.  It pretty much was home for all of us at one time or another. 

It’s the house I was born in and learned to walk.  It was there that all my cousins played hide and seek, and many other games throughout our childhood.  It’s the home where our family had many important conversations and celebrated many happy events.

It was hard to look at the pictures for sometime, and it still is.  In every photo, I can recall at least a dozen conversations that took place.  It’s a bit sad to see the house emptied out, but I hope it brings back some good memories for everyone.