Speedlight

I got my speedlight in the mail the other day and let me tell you....it. is. life changing.

I think if you have a DSLR and you live in Oregon you should invest in one of these puppies. Especially for indoor pics - there are only like, 3 months out of the year where there's enough natural light to take indoor pics without needing a flash.  The best way to describe it is if you're taking a pic where there's not enough light, you typically use the built-in flash in your camera to provide extra light. But the bright flash that's built in to your camera only faces directly at where your lens is pointed so it comes out ok, but kinda shiny and harsh.  Here's a pic of Boomer with my regular built-in flash.

but now I have this sucker.....

It twists and tilts so that I can point the light away from Boomer and bounce the light off a wall or the ceiling.  Here's the same shot same settings with my nifty new speedlight (my last purchase from the interweb for a while).

I just moved from using A and S  setting to full on Manual setting like a week ago so don't judge too harshly- my focus was wonky among other things. I'm still a looooong way from good, people. But isn't he much smoother looking and less washed out? Yay Boomer! Yay Speedlight!

I was hoping to get to practice on my alumni at an event in Portland last night but apparently when a dusting of snow falls people freak their freaks here. So that has been postponed for a few weeks. 

Anyone having a kid party indoors this weekend?? Can I crash it to be the creepy stranger who is snapping away like the paparazzi after a Charlie Sheen tantrum? Anyone!?!? 

Otherwise, I'm stuck using my spouse as my guinea pig, and his patience for my photography-guinea pig-antics has grown short. 

Plus, he never does what I tell him. 

Somebody get me a dog, a fish, a buffalo something to take pictures of with my new toy! Drop your kid off at my house for a few hours (cause you know, what kid wouldn't want 1,000 pictures taken of them? Coloring and playing video games is so overrated) I'll even feed them, although I can't guarantee it won't be 100% sugar.

I know, I'm whining. What can I say....I'll try anything...I just wanna practice so I can get better. Send me your children.