This is a big day for me! A new camera day: a Canon EOS 40D day! Seventeen months after buying my first SLR digital camera--the Canon Rebel XT--I've now taken the step into the land of an internal spot meter, high ISO speed noise reduction, better resolution, excellent per-pixel sharpness, and more, MUCH more. If you want to read Digital Photography Review's conclusions about the Canon EOS 40D, CLICK HERE. And I have Phil Douglis of "Expressive Travel Photography -- communicating with pictures" to thank for steering me towards this particular camera. His primary reason was that my Rebel had no spot meter and I was more and more in need of it as I continue to explore light and shadow in my images. Proper exposure is everything if you want to "paint with light," and that is exactly what I want to do. Now I'll have the tools to do so more effectively. I am SO EXCITED!!!

If you want to see the portrait my dear husband Eddie took of me at lunch after I'd bought my new camera, CLICK HERE. I already see a difference in the images taken with the 40D, and I wasn't even using the spot meter yet. They appear to be sharper and with more accurate color. I also bought a new lens, a Tamron SP AF 17-50 mm f/2.8 XR so that might be part of the change as well. Whatever it is, I'm delighted thus far.