Books to Watch Out For -- First Half 2009

Here are the books I'm on the lookout for for the first half of the year.

March 24, 2009 -- Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary by Brandon Mull
(I'm still waiting for the previous one to hit our shores though)
May 5, 2009 -- Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book 5: The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
May 12, 2009 -- The Soldiers of Halla by D.J. MacHale
-- The Magic Thief: Lost by Sarah Prineas
May 26, 2009 -- The Sorceress (Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel) by Michael Scott
June 23, 2009 -- Septimus Heap: The Magykal Papers by Angie Sage

My First Photography Book -- Very Recommended

Photographing Children Photo Workshop by Ginny Felch and Allison Tyler Jones

This is my first book since I got my dSLR. I love this book.
It served as a basic intro book into photography in general. The basics like aperture, iso, shutter speed, etc. are all well-explained. The book also gave me tips on photographing my kid (which is why I bought my dSLR in the first place!). It is an easy read and explains things very well.

I recommend this for all parents who are venturing into photography because they have become parents.

Skip Beat -- Surprisingly Funny

I've started watching this anime on a whim -- and got hooked. It's a shoujo-type anime, which means it is typically aimed at female audiences. The anime is surprisingly funny and heart-warming at the same time. It kind of reminds me of Kare Kano (His and Her Circumstances) in some ways.
I really recommend this anime.
Currently, there are 15 episodes out.
I'll be checking out the manga soon.

Panasonic Lumix LX3

A lot of buzz has been circulating in the forums about this camera. So much so that I was driven to purchase this. Supposedly, this is considered as a enthusiast camera -- more than a point and shoot and less than a dSLR. The driving points of this camera are the fast lens (f/2.0 at the widest) and the numerous special modes (the dynamic b/w mode alone is something to justify buying this camera).
This is the guy who convinced me. Check out his photos.
So what's my verdict on this camera? I loooooove it! For anything less than a dSLR, this camera is IT! But don't take my word for it, read the reviews.
http://www.lawrenceripsher.com/blog/2008/08/panasonic-lx3-review.html
http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/digitalcameras/0,39001468,43812104p,00.htm

My First dSLR - Nikon D40

As I mentioned in the previous post, like many of my friends who had become first-time parents, I got myself a dSLR. After scouring through numerous photography sites, I finally settled on the Nikon D40. Why?
Mainly because of these three reasons.
1. It's cheap -- I didn't want to waste money on something I might not use. Since I was just starting in the world of dSLRs, I was playing it safe.
2. It's a beginner's dSLR -- One thing with the Nikon D40 is that it has a help mode. For a beginner, it's a big plus.
3. It's small and light (for a dSLR) -- Coming from digital point and shoots which are really light, I did not want something heavy. If it's too heavy, I'd probably leave it at home most of the time.

I won't do a review of this camera. There are a lot of good reviews already out there for this camera.
http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/ND40/ND40A.HTM
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40/
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40.htm

So, how is this camera? It's pretty good. Using Automatic mode, I can take good pictures right off the bat. The photos that come out are amazing. The image quality is very different from a point-and-shoot camera. I'm really impressed with this camera.

Introduction - Books

If you haven't heard about Harry Potter, you probably won't want to read this part of the blog. The series has brought back a lot of people into reading books.
Now that the series is done, many are looking for other books to fill that hole that Harry Potter has left behind.
Let's go find them.

Introduction - Digital Photography

Like most first-time parents, I have become an amateur photographer. Many of my friends, upon becoming parents, have purchased hi-tech dSLRs and such to capture those special moments. Of course, almost none of us know how to use them, aside from clicking the shutter button and hope for the best. Hey, that's why we bought these cameras, right?
For the digital photography part of this blog, I'll be talking about my journey into cameras, lenses, etc.

Hello World!

And lo, another blog enters the world of the internet.

I just started this blog.
I'll be posting about what this blog is all about in the next few posts.
I'm still trying to customize this site and figuring my way around.
So for now, please bear with me.
Thanks.