70-200 f2.8L IS II

I’m in love with this lens.

I’m amazed at the quality of the pictures as well as the beautiful bokeh. It’s super fast, so it can keep up with the kids running around without a problem.

Not a cheap lens by any means, but certainly worth every penny. I’m glad we took the plunge and decided to get it.

As always, we often carry two cameras around. Now the new standard lens in one of them is the 70-200.

A lesson in detachment

Stress does amazing things to the physical body. Different types of stress have varying effects. Practicing law ruined my teeth- I grind so much I could mill oats and corn for flour. Being a mama to two young boys has caused a lot of hair loss, which has been distressing, to say the least (pun intended). Perhaps my focus on the hair loss masks other worries, perhaps it is what it is. I finally decided to cut it off.  It was ending up on the floor anyways, so I thought I might as well let the hair stylist sweep it up as opposed to me picking it off my clothes, off the floor, out of Rio’s and Nash’s diapers…you get the picture.  I find it interesting and somewhat sad just how much I identify with my hair.  I feel more exposed without hair falling on my shoulders. A piece of me was somehow left on that salon floor. Letting go of the hair was akin to torture for me, and that is why I made myself do it.  It was a good lesson in detachment.

BlackRapid straps

After years looking for the perfect strap I have found it in the RS-7 BlackRapid strap. www.blackrapid.com

I saw this strap in the past and a similar concept one and I was reluctant to give them a try because of the price. I’m glad that I decided to give it a go though.Originally I bought the RS-4, but I found it a bit bulky and it didn’t grip my shoulder very well. So I thought of going with the RS-5 instead. But that looked even more bulky and after thinking about it some more, I figured I didn’t need the extra pockets and fancy stuff. So I decided to go with the RS-7 instead. The only worry I had with it was that it has a clip at the back and I thought it could potentially open. But I don’t think this to be the case anymore. The RS-7 fits me perfectly, it’s small and grips my shoulder the way that I want it.

The RS-7 is amazingly versatile. Easy to move camera bodies between different straps (different people). Works great while wearing a backpack and the camera sits nicely by your hip when you want it by your side.

Suzanne has the RS-W1. The women’s version. And she loves it too.