Marc Benton dot Com

PhotoBlogging DC

While surfing the net for Wordpress photoblog themes to include in my presentation on photoblogging at WordCamp I came across Autofocus by Allan Cole.  This theme really stood out to me as the epitome of a photoblog with it’s minimalistic approach. The photo is really the subject of the post, no sidebars or widgets to draw your eye away from the image.  I started to think of a way to utilize this theme in a new project.  Yes thats a little backwards for most projects, normally the project is defined and then a theme identified.  This was a unique case though.

Last month I launched PhotoBlogging DC.  Just like the theme, my purpose was minimalistic:  Bring together and spotlight photos from some of the Washington DC and surrounding area’s talented photographers.

To begin I sent out invitations to contribute to about 15 of my photography friends.  Word spread and as of today we are up to 32 contributors.  Our photographers are of all experience levels, amateur to professional, but they all have one thing in common…they all have a love of photography.  So far I have not turned any prospective contributor away and all but one of the original 15 invites were accepted (you know who you are ).

I didn’t set any hard rules for photo submissions other than they needed to be taken within the DC and surrounding area.  I’ve defined that area as North to the border of Baltimore, West to the Shenandoah Mountains, South to Fredricksburg, and all points East.  This gives us a broad range of subjects from the monuments on the mall to horses in Loudon county.

Each day a new photo is posted so be sure and visit the site and subscribe to our RSS feed.  We also released new badges today so consider adding one to your site.  If you would like to become a PBDC contributor then contact me or leave a comment here with a link to a sample of your photos.

I Made My DSLR Down Payment

Canon EOS Rebel XS

Someone once told me that buying a DSLR was just making a down payment on an expensive hobby. Last week at Penn Camera in Tysons Corner I made my down payment.

I stopped in just to look for a book on Elements 6 and was assisted by the store’s manager, Ramona Stern. During our conversation I told Ramona about my Canon Powershot S5, how happy I was with it and my interest in possibly upgrading to DSLR at a future date. Somehow, thirty minutes later I was walking out the door with a new Canon EOS Rebel XS. I’m not sure if Ramona is that great a salesperson or if I was just set to make an impetuous decision. The fact that it was $100 off helped too.

So far I’m happy with the XS. I must admit I did not do much research before this purchase but Ramona’s recommendation seems to have been spot on. Being a Canon, the controls are extremely similar to the S5’s which cuts down the learning curve somewhat. The EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS Kit lens does not provide the range of the S5 but thats the nature of DSLR (and hence the down payment statement). The lens does have built-in image stablization and auto focus, both of which are a welcome function for someone like me.

Day one with the XS

My immediate observation was the response time. The XS provides 3 frames per second burst modes and a .1 second power up. It also can do auto bracketing that once I figure out how to configure will be a standard part of my use.

Since I’m new to DSLR I cannot give a good review of the camera other than to say the transition from a Canon P&S is easier if you stick with a Canon DSLR. I did find a great review by Jeff Keller. By the way, if you’re searching the web for the EOS Rebel XS know that its designation in Europe is the 1000D and in Japan as the KISS F.

Today I carry both the S5 and XS on my outtings. Its hard to beat the S5’s super macro mode so it will be with me until I add a good macro lens to the XS.

If you’re looking to upgrade from a point and shoot, I can recommend the XS. In his review, Jeff Keller makes a good point that the XSi has a few better features and only costs $70 more so be sure and check out both models. Once you make your decision, visit Ramona at Penn Camera but don’t be surprised if you have to wait a bit…she’s usually very busy. Tell her I said hi!

Pictures from Hunters Woods Woods

Today found me walking home from the Hunters Woods Exxon after dropping off the car to have the idle pulley and belt replaced.  Luckily it was a nice day to walk the trails that go along the Snakeden Branch stream network.  Here’s a few photos from today’s journey.