PHOTODORK

You can expect the next few days to be filled with my Horsetooth images.  I took 142 pictures, people!  I can’t just squeeze that into one post!  So, I’ve been dividing the images into 36 exposure segments and picking the photo of the day from a different segment each day.  And, if you’re super nerdy like me, you realize that 36 segments is not just a arbitrary number but rather the number of exposures on a large roll of film.  I know, I amaze myself with my dorkiness sometimes, too.

One of the unforeseen benefits of this blog is an increased number of photo-related discussions with people who are checking out the site.  Sure, during the school year I talk photography for about 3 hours a day.  These conversations aren’t always quality though.  In fact, I’d wager that 50% of the time the word “photo” passes my lips it’s in this sentence: “You’re missing the following (insert a number between 3-8 here) photo assignments”.  Or this one: “Your grade in Photo is a(n) ____”.  Don’t get me wrong, I like my job and I don’t mind the more mundane part of it like keeping a grade book and such.  It’s just that I prefer the conversations I get to have about the medium itself.

I bring all this up as a very round about way to my discussion yesterday with Dylan’s mom, Jamie.  She asked me a question about megapixels (as in, what’s the difference between a 2.o megapixel and a camera with more, really?).  And I am sorry to confess, nice readers, that megapixels are one of those technical aspects of photography that make my eyes glaze over and my brain turn lazy circles wondering why I just can’t get myself to care about this.  Luckily, to a certain point, megapixels aren’t the be all and end all of digital photography.  If you’re looking at two cameras (don’t you wish the plural of camera was cameri?  I do, but that’s a little off point, isn’t it?  Sorry.)  with a small difference between the amount of megapixels each offers, I wouldn’t get my feathers too ruffled.  What I’ve been told, and what I believe, is that what really effects the quality of the image is the glass in the lens.  The better the glass quality, the better the image clarity, etc.  So, if you’re in the market for a digital SLR (Single Lens Reflex) then focus more on the lens you’re purchasing and not the megapixel count.  If you’re considering buying a point-and-shoot though, you might pay a little more attention to the megapixel count, but certainly don’t lose your head over it.  Once you get beyond a certain number, like 10, it really is a moot point.  And don’t worry, if your eyes glazed over while you read this, I completely understand.