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Shopping for Bokeh, originally uploaded by darayz009.

I received a Nikon D60 in January 2009 as a birthday gift. It was my first digital SLR EVER and I was eager to learn as much as I can about photography. Several months passed and I became very accustomed to the 18-55mm kit lens the camera came with. The kit lens takes very good pictures, but the depth of field and sharpness left me wanting more.

I read several fantastic reviews for the new Nikon 35mm 1.8G lens and quickly placed an order on Amazon on the first of May. The lens finally arrived on June 15th and it was well worth the wait. First of all, I had to get used to walking towards and away from the subject since the lens does not zoom (it is a prime lens after all). At an aperture of 1.8, the depth of field is just sick, for a lack of a better word.

I’m not going to review the lens because there are far better and more professional people out there that have done so. I’m blogging about the lens because I’m excited for the projects I’ve been inspired to create. Thanks Nikon, it was well worth the month-long wait.

More pics with the new lens in a bar with low light:

[View with PicLens]

All the thrills and frills of the real Vegas, minus Celine Dion

For many, Las Vegas is synonymous with good shows, great food, and Celine Dion.  For others, Las Vegas will now be associated with hanging upside down with a Ranging Bull aimed at an oblivious terrorist while the rest of your team awaits your “open, frag and clear” command.

Vegas, baby.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas finds you and your team on the hunt for Irena Morales, a Mexican terrorist suspected of plotting a major assault on Las Vegas.  Commanding an army, and using over-the-top dialogue with a thick accent, Irena Morales comes very close to being a pretty cool Bond villain.  But that really doesn’t matter.

The main draw for Vegas isn’t the story, which is told via video feeds through the very swanky heads-up display.  It’s the combat; and there’s lots of combat.  And not the arcadey Doom-style combat from 2005’s Rainbow Six Lockdown; but a more sophisticated squad-based combat that merges Splinter Cell’s methodical gameplay with Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter’s ferocity (apparently, Ubisoft knows how to do combat).
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