New Camera...

Its been a long time since I posted, mostly because, well, I've been pretty busy and haven't gone on any exciting trips. I haven't even left Ithaca much since the DC trip. Of course with the nice weather, summer comes with pickup sports games, BBQ's, and plenty of walks through the local gorges. Some of the more interesting things include a trip sailing out on Cayuga lake, getting into rock climbing (indoor, unfortunately - not much good outdoor terrain around here), and doing Cornell's high ropes course. (including jumping off a 60 foot tower harnessed into a huge swing!)

I've had a change to see it all through a new lens, though. After many years and well over 10,000 pictures, I've up-staged my Powershot A510. That little camera has been an amazing... I've taken it all over... Hikes in the Cascades, a summer around southern California, 2 months in Europe, a cross-country road trip, etc. I used it to learn the basics of digital photography, but there comes a point where one is limited by the technology of a point-and shoot.

Enter the Canon Rebel XSi, Canon's latest "consumer" digital SLR. It's a feature packed camera with an excellent sensor and great all-around usability. Such armed, I've had a chance to explore and enjoy its much-expanded capabilites around Cornell.

Cornell Campus

Watkins Glen (HDRI image composition)

Cornell Plantations

Ditto

McGraw Tower

A bright flower (no color enhancements!)

Sunset from campus, looking out toward Cayuga lake

Fortunately, things are set to get more exciting in August with a conference down in Austin (again) and a couple weeks back home in the northwest. I'll be trying to jam a full years' worth of hiking and backpacking into that time, so hopefully the weather cooperates!