Farewell, Dear Friend

Today is a bittersweet day, the day I say good-bye to a friend that has been at my side for over six years, recording some of my most memorable experiences. Yes, today is the day that I say good-bye to my beloved Canon 20D. Although we'd planned on keeping it when I got my new 60D a few weeks ago (and Erin was going to start using it), it really is too much for her at this point, and the reality is, she's been grabbing the 60D anyway. So I figured I'd sell it. I listed it on Craigslist on Thursday, and yesterday afternoon made arrangements for it to be adopted by a new owner who sounds quite excited about getting it. Yeah! Last night I was looking at some of the pictures I've taken with the 20D, and was thinking about how far my photography has come since I've had it. For the first five years I had it, I only shot on the green box or the other pre-programmed settings. I'd never ventured into that other scary side of the program dial, the one where you actually tell the camera what to do. I also only used the kit lens that came with the camera and the really old zoom lens that we had from way back when we had a film SLR (remember those days, anyone?). And you know what? I took some pretty awesome pictures, if I do say so myself. Last year, I ventured into new territory - expanded my "glass collection" and also started learning more about how photography works. I dared to turn the program dial to AV, TV, and even the really scary Manual mode a few times. My photography (I think) improved. My passion for it definitely grew. The downside was that I started to see some limitations of my beloved camera, which is why I decided to upgrade. The learning curve definitely continues, even with better hardware. I've started the 2 Peas in a Bucket course, 12 Weeks to Better Photos, and am determined to finish all twelve weeks. I'm scheduled for a full-day photography course in early March. And I just ordered a book to help me start delving into more of what Photoshop Elements can do. So I will continue to grow my hobby. And in the mean time, my wonderful 20D will be going to a new home with Dante, who will hopefully love it as much as I have and learn as much as I've learned. Thank you, 20D, for being such a trusty companion all these years. I'll miss you!