A Break From the Norm

When I first got serious about photography, I was an avid SCUBA diver. I dove close to 100 dives a year, most of them in the cold waters off Monterey and Carmel. I still love diving, but it has taken a back seat for the last few months as I delved deeply into long exposure landscapes shots of my local coast.

The use of remote shutter, tripod, and various filters required an entirely different skill set and technique compared to what I was accustomed to. And by no means do I profess to be an expert on either style. I hope to be the perpetual amateur, always learning and growing. I get excited thinking about what I will be able to create over the years as my experience grows and my skills improve.

So, I impulsively picked up Nikon's new 35mm f1.8 G AF-S DX lens today. It essentially gives me close to the classic 50mm in a lens that can shoot pretty wide open and create some serious bokeh. I took it for a spin today on my lunch break and found some nice flowers near my work.

I found it very refreshing to shoot hand held in full sunlight with such a light little lens. It remains to be seen how much use it gets, but a break from the norm can sometimes be just what you need to grow as a photographer. I didn't have to slip and fall on any algae and wake up at 6am to get the shot either. Two BIG bonuses.