Dead Again

I woke up on Day of the Dead (a miracle in and of itself, eh?) to one of the most incredible November sunrises. Sun angle here in my neck of the plains-meet-foothills provides the most colorful sunrises and sunsets in November and April.

I jumped to grab the Big Gun, my Nikon D300, armed with big zoom, to capture the stunning light coming through the snowflake prism on my window.

But the Big Gun had other plans. It was celebrating Day of the Dead.


Come on, Little Guy, you can do better than that!


That's more like it!
So the unpredictable little Nikon, my P510, had to suffice. This gave the point-and-shoot the enormous burden of taking my mind off my tears long enough to capture that darned sunrise before it was over.


The little Nikon has trouble with macros and with vivid color, such as this gorgeous sunriset. It can't always focus close, and the manual focus is very difficult to use. Bright colors often are washed out. Using the little camera for these types of shots can be very frustrating or educational. Or both.










I will get to continue to experiment and learn with the little camera because the big one has to go back to the shop. Again. Six to eight more weeks. At least. If I'm lucky.

I'd already had the camera repaired following our return from the Tour de Lavender in August. I thought all was good in the world when I got the camera back, good as new, eight weeks later.

I noticed the battery life was growing shorter each time I used the camera. But I tried to pretend nothing was wrong. Because, you know, if you ignore the problem, it doesn't exist. Right?

Worst came to worst. The camera wouldn't power up at all on November 1, less than a month after I got it back from Nikon. Through five batteries. The Lizard checked each and every battery. All tested just fine.

It's the camera. Again.

I'm heartsick, but I guess I'm just numb enough from the last close call to weather this storm. The possibility exists the Big Gun cannot be fixed. I'm without it again for another two months, another painful waiting game, during another significant photographic season for me.

The gorgeous autumn color I had to shoot with the smaller Nikon this year taught me to be creative all over again, taught me to try outlandish things to force the little Nikon shots to turn out the way I could see them in real life. Or in my head.


Forcing Macro in Uneven Light


Forcing Macro in Good Light


Forcing Macro in Low Light
Now I'll get the opportunity to do that same substitute college course all over again in winter. I have to learn to manipulate the little Nikon so winter snows do not overpower the powerful light sensor on the smaller camera.

Lifelong learning is a good thing, right? Continually expanding your skills and exploring new territory helps prevent Alzheimer's, right?

May this be the sunrise to a new camera life. Not the sunset on an old, trusted friend. May this season of long winter's nap be the healing ground for the rebirth of and in spring.

Here's to high hopes for my best camera ever. Don't rest too long, Big Gun. Power up and power through, D3-Double 0. I know you can do it!


My first six months of owning a Nikon D300

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