Cottonwood Mountains

Cottonwood Mountains, Death Valley National Park, CA
Canon Power Shot SX40 HS, 1/200s, f/4, ISO: 160

Before buying an entry-level DSLR, I shot for a year with a Power Shot SX40, which is a point-and-shoot with a 40x zoom lens.  It was a step up in terms of complexity from my Power Shot SD770, which is one of those little pocket-sized cameras.  The SD770 took nice photos and it's what originally got me into photography.  I shot mostly on auto with the SD770 and learned how to manipulate the exposure settings by angling the camera differently against the sky.  That knowledge transferred to the  SX40, but the SX40 had a bigger lens and was much smarter with how it handled the light.  It was also faster with less delay between the pushing of the button and the firing of the shot.

I have a a Rebel T5i now.  It's interesting, I get better pictures with it--it's smarter, faster and I'm starting to understand how to manage exposures manually--but I also throw away a lot more pictures.  That's partially because I've become more fussy with image quality but it's also because I take more shit pictures with the Rebel.  Both of the Power Shots took more consistently acceptable photos.  The SX40 also had better reach than my 250mm lens, which is the longer of my two lenses.

What's the point and what does it have to do with this picture of the Cottonwoods?  I'm not sure, really.  I suppose as I encounter these older photographs I'm pleasantly surprised with how well Power Shots handled themselves.  I wouldn't want to give up my DSLR.  If nothing else, it's simply more fun to use.  Finding just the right settings is sometimes a challenge, but it's also rewarding.  The Power Shots took some nice ohotos, though, I don't regret taking my time moving from the SD770 to the SX40 to the Rebel.

Blah, blah, blah.  I hope you enjoyed today's photo.  It's one of my favorite places to visit.