I just got back from a quick trip down to Florida this weekend and I tried out a new pocket camera while I was down there. I bought the Olympus Stylus 850SW to mostly take on paddling trips so I wouldn’t have to worry about a wet bag. The camera is supposedly waterproof to 10 feet, but I haven’t tested that yet. I was at a party Saturday night while there and someone there told me they had one and it took on water within three months.Maybe mine will last a little longer than that!

Aside from any water bonus, this is really the worst pocket camera I have ever had. I read a review AFTER I had bought it and I would have to agree with about everything they said. Throw in the fact that it requires a special memory card from Olympus and I wonder how they ever sell them. Must be the waterproof feature which is what attracted me. If you have just the right lighting conditions, the camera will produce an acceptable photo. Flash??? Forget it, the worst I’ve ever seen despite the review saying that indoor flash was its only strong point. I had to use exposure comensation on almost every lighting condition and focus is hit and miss for sure. Battery life? Pathetic.

Here were a few that I thought made the grade. Otherwise, Olympus Stylus 850 SW gets a BIG FAT “F”.

Incidentally, I can say that I give the Casio cameras a good grade. I’ve had two, both of which bit the dust by accident, and they had pretty stellar performance. The battery charge on one lasted  an entire three week trip to Asia and that was even after using it as a flashlight one night.  I also hear that the new little Nikons are pretty sweet.

I think Jack looks like a Whoville Pup here. Not the one that pulled the Grinch’s sleigh, but perhaps if Jack lived in Whoville, he would look like this.

I like this composition. That’s all that matters.

There’s lots of ways you could crop this image. I liked this way best. It says a lot about how I feel about winter.

There were so many nice things about this wedding, and I think they are all obvious so there is no need to detail them here. It was truly a family celebration right in the bride’s parent’s front yard with a spectacular view.

This is one of my favorite kids shots of the year. This little fellow was a happy spirit if there was ever one and clearly adored by all, yet he he was required to sit out the ceremony inside the house. I was heading to the back to take the shot above when I looked over and saw him standing in the sidelight windows of the front door looking out to the ceremony. Despite his somewhat pitiful look, he really did have a bird’s eye view down the center aisle.

I went home for Thanksgiving this weekend and Jack and I went up to my old elementary school so he could get in a run. I was amazed that they still had the same monkey bars I remembered way back. I particularly remembered this view from the top of the monkey bar ladder, just before I took that first leap of faith to cross them without a teacher below to catch me if I fell. Nothing but cold steel and sky. Whew….glad I made it!

I was working this morning and looked out the window to see a Great Blue Heron sitting on top of my neighbors roof. By the time I had grabbed my camera and put on a long lens, the heron was ready to hit the skies. So I was just able to fire off a few shots before it quickly moved out of sight.

I am constantly amazed at my cameras’ technical abilities. I invest a lot of money trying to provide my clients with the very best equipment because of the challenging situations we often find ourselves in when shooting wedding photography. It definitely pays off, and they appreciate it. This shot was taken from inside my house, through a low-e glass window that hasn’t been washed in years (I can’t believe I am admitting that publicly!), through a screen, at 100 yards from the subject on an overcast day, handheld.

Try that with your Canon Rebel, Uncle Bob.

 Of all the products I offer, the PhotoBooth is without question the biggest hit with the guests. They love it, and the clients love it. What a better way to record who was at you wedding? In fact, I think Becky and Kris used it instead of a signing book.

 As usual, folks are creative. I provide a few props, but creativity always demands that guests strike out on their own in search of the perfect get-up. I thought this was the winner. Click the image to play!