So I decided that I am already going to change up my posting schedule. Instead of doing Mon/Wed/Fri, I'm going to post Mon/Wed/Thu (probably in the evenings) so the posts will be here waiting for everyone on Tue/Thu/Fri mornings - so if you're planning on stopping by for new posts, that's what I'd suggest (or just stop everyday, that can't hurt ;) heh).

I decided I could use a little retail therapy this evening and went ahead and ordered a new camera bag and a new lens. The bag I ordered is the Canon Professional Gadget Bag 1-EG I liked the listed size of the bag (though reviews say that the description of the bag holding 2 bodies and 7-10 lenses is a bit generous, I think it will still hold all of my regular equipment with some room to spare) and the price was certainly right as most bags in this range are easily in the $150 range. Hopefully I'm as happy about this purchase once it arrives. The lens I bought was the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens. My buddy, Tom, recently bought this lens and has been liking it. I've had it on my wishlist for quite some time, and since it is priced so nicely ($99), I figured it was time to pull the trigger.

And while I was buying new gear, I decided it was time to flesh out the Equipment List, so you can head over there and take a look at the list of most of my current equipment. And then I had the idea about posting this evening, so I guess I should get to the photo...

Technical Data: Canon EOS Rebel XT, Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II at 31mm, 1/130 sec at f/4.5, ISO 400. No post production. Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, Pittsburgh, PA.

Why This Photo: This is actually one of my favorite photos I've ever taken. It is definitely a case of being in the right place at the right time, and being quick to compose the shot and squeeze the trigger.

What Works: The composition of this photo is pretty strong despite it really only having a few elements to it. The polar bear does cover half the photo, but the strong white color ends right on one of the vertical thirds. His nose (which I feel is the eventual focal point) sits pretty close to one of the power points. Additionally, I'm happy that I was able to achieve good focus despite the subject being in water (which automatically softens things) and being behind some pretty thick plexiglass (which can pick up reflections and distortions).

What Doesn't Work: While the composition is strong, there are a few elements that given the perfect set of circumstances, I would like to change. First, I don't mind that the top of the polar bear's head is cropped at the top of the image - though if there were nice reflections on the underside of the surface, that might be an interesting element (but grealy changes the photo). The dark area in the bottom left corner is actually a young child's shoulder - the polar bears were a the main attraction of the day as they had just been put in this new enclosure, so there was no chance of getting a completely free window, but framing that out of the shot would have removed that distraction. And finally, I am less ok with the fact that the paw is cropped at the bottom of the image - I think that would have been a strong element to the photo had I been able to capture it (in all honesty though, I do not remember if I could have even included it). Also, if possible, this would be a much more powerful image had I been able to wait for the bear to actually make eye-contact with the camera - in the shot, he is still focusing on the child in front of me.

Well - there you have it. One of my favorite photos. One I'm rather proud of actually, and have shown off in multiple places. I really want to hear your opinion though. What do you think about this shot? Do you think I should be proud of this one or is it one that should be passed over as just a plain-old-photo? Leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

Thanks for stopping by.

- Bill