The old is new again.

Let me start off by saying...woo hoo! I got my camera back! Actually, it's not my camera, or at least the one I sent to Nikon. Apparently my camera was pretty sick, so instead of a repair, they just replaced it. Nice! So I won't have to worry about the backfocus issue rearing it's head again...or at least I hope not. That would indicate some serious bad camera jo-jo. Might actually make the switch to Canon if that were to happen.

So, new camera, Yay! All factory default settings, boo. I've been pouring through the menus and settings to get everything the way I like it. I haven't even realized that some of the settings are actual settings. I don't remember changing them, but as I reaquaint myself with my buddy,  things are amiss. Autofocus settings, white balance, picture quality, noise reduction. It's good though. I feel a bit more knowledgable due to the effort.

The D50 has found it's way back to the camera bag and I thank it mightly. It took some nice photos while stepping in.

And I even found her noisy shadows a bit nostaglic and charming. A bit .

 But I've been busy appreciating the work of my now new camera and I must say, I appreciate it even more.

 I have a few things on the horizon in the next month and I'm sure everyone involved is happy I have it.

Gearing up for Art Hop 2010

Art Hop is this awesome 2 day art festival in the south end of Burlington. All sorts of businesses and store fronts convert their space into galleries for the weekend. On Friday night, the streets come alive with "arthoppers", people galavanting from one exhibit to another, eating street food, nibbling on hordervs and perhaps doing a little drinking. It's a blast. Jay and I always managed to make it out, though with kids in strollers you're restricted a bit. We had been looking forward to doing up Art Hop right one of these years.

Well, this is the year! Kinda. I mean, we won't be swilling martinis and musing over the thousands of pieces exhibited all over the city. This year? I signed up. So arthoppers will be musing over me!

It's all a bit stressful, first selecting the specific photos, then figuring out how to display them and getting them all ready. I also signed up for a juried peice. Like a true newbie, I committed my first faux pas with my picture hang hook on the back, not wire. Oops. Just chalk me up as an Art Hop virgin...I'll know better next year.

All the stress kind of came to a head yesterday, when I checked the Art Hop website and discovered that in the program, my name...is wrong. They have me down as "Kristen" (not unheard of, I'm kinda used to it at this point) "Unger." That's my maiden name. I haven't used it nearly 10 years. The only places it still exists is on Facebook, so the old gang from West Springfield High School (go Spartans!) could find me, and my yahoo email...which I've had since I was 17. It wouldn't be such a big deal if wasn't hoping it might lead to some business for KIRSTIN LAMONDE PHOTOGRAPHY.

AND to top it all off, I'm without my camera. It's at Nikon right now being serviced. I was having a bit of trouble with "backfocusing" (which means the camera is actually focusing slightly behind what I am focused upon). So I feel somewhat naked...and irritable. I do have my backup camera, and boy do I love her, but she's just not quite as fancy. I miss my fancy camera.

SOOOOO, I don't really have any photos to post, since I haven't been able to take any. Oh wait, I can show you some of the ones I'm going to show next weekend! There, problem solved. So here, have a gander.

This is the one I entered in the juried show...without a wire.


Be sure to hop by Great Harvest Friday night or Saturday and say hello!