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1. Cool Photos from West Medical Lake I snapped a couple of cool photos last Sunday morning...

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Several years ago, I purchased the Canon Digital Rebel the day it was released. At the time, it was one of the first affordable SLR cameras on the market. Over the past few years my Digital Rebel has served me well but now it is time to upgrade. There have been a number of improvements to digital SLR camera technology since the original Digital Rebel was released and I am excited to take advantage of them.

Why the Canon 7D
I need a professional quality SLR. Prior to the announcement of the Canon 7D I had been looking at the Canon EOS 5D. The 5D is a fantastic camera with a ton of great features but as expected it comes with a hefty price tag. As an amateur, it is hard to justify the cost for any new equipment, especially a camera that expensive.

The Canon 7D suits me very well. It may not have as good a sensor as the 5D but it does take 1080P HD video and offer a solid 18MP CMOS Sensor. It also has a quick 19 point AF system. For the $1699 price tag it is a very nice camera and for an amateur like myself it will do a good job for me for years to come.
I was tempted to buy this camera as soon as it was released like I did with the Digital Rebel but I decided to wait until I knew a few photographers that had purchased the 7D so I could get some honest, first-hand reviews. I find that reading online camera reviews can be both good and bad. Any mid-level camera will get very good reviews and very bad reviews. Some of both come from real experts, some come from people who have either paid much more for a higher model camera and want to justify their purchase, or some are written by people that don’t know anything about good camera technology. I have read many of the 7D reviews but I like to rely on the real world feedback from my friends.

What my photographer friends are saying about the 7D so far:

• The 7D takes great pictures and is very fast
• The 7D is a professional grade camera and with all the options it isn’t as ‘easy’ to use as Digital Rebel
• The 7D has a massive user manual and will take some time to learn and use
• The 7D 19 point AF system is quick and accurate
• The ability to switch between RAW and JPEG is very handy
• Video quality is good and color is better than competing cameras at night
• The viewfinder is very clear and shows exactly what you are photographing
• The large LCD screen provides an accurate view of the photo

Based on what I have read, heard, and the price, I am going to purchase the Canon 7D in the next couple weeks. Once I get it, I will make some posts about my experiences adjusting from the basic Digital Rebel to a semi- professional camera, the 7D. I will also discuss some of the pros and cons of the 7D from my perspective.

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Now I am back, and finally back to work. For my first blog post I am going to give a quick review of our crusie on the Norwegian Sky. This trip was our first trip to Miami, our first experience riding in a taxi (with a driver that didn’t speak English), and our first cruise. We had a great time but as with any trip there were ups and downs.

Things we liked about our trip to the Bahamas on the Norwegian Sky

• We liked the freestyle dining options although would’ve enjoyed more variety in food
• The ship was clean
• The staff was friendly and helpful although often hard to understand
• The comedian was great and is a must see
• The beaches and caves tour (Not super exciting but gave us a chance to find a private area on the beach to relax for a few hours)
• Private island was busy but fun (If you go I suggest walking along the shore towards the neighboring island. We were able to find our own private area on the beach. At least for awhile.)

Things we didn’t like about our trip to the Bahamas on the Norwegian Sky

• Lack of free Wi-Fi or other free or affordable Internet use options. (The price of Internet usage is extremely high and comes with an “activation fee”. The price was even higher than what I had read on the NCL website prior to reserving our tickets. The lack of affordable Internet access is a real downside for me. I may have to choose other vacation options in the future because it is difficult for me to be away from the computer for such an extended period.)
• The food was very similar in all of the “free” dining rooms including the buffets. Each night there were a few options but basically wherever you went you were having the same food. I would have enjoyed some more variation which from what I understand you can find on some of the larger, newer ships.
• Almost any activities available on and off the ship have additional fees often with price tags that don’t justify the activity. I personally would rather have the price for a number of events rolled into the initial cost of the cruise like they have done with tipping so I don’t feel nickel and dimed during the entire trip.
• Exiting the ship was a complete mess. There was insufficient instruction and the staff at the customs area was very rude. Once we got off the ship it was a complete free for all with very nobody directing traffic. I got the feeling as soon as you stepped off the ship, Norwegian Cruise Line said goodbye and you were on your own. It would be nice if they had some sort of a system setup to help people find taxis, load their bags etc. We saw lines of people who didn’t speak good English waiting for Taxi’s far from where they actually were because there was a sign that said Taxi. I hope at some point they figured out where to go and they are not still standing there waiting.

Outside of the experience on the Norwegian Sky we spent some time in Miami. I must say we were less than impressed with Miami. Most of the people we encountered were unfriendly. Our Taxi driver didn’t speak English and couldn’t understand any of the 4 families in our Taxi. We had to direct him turn by turn to our hotel. Had we not had my iPhone we would’ve been completely lost. The worst part of the trip was the Miami airport. It was dirty, confusing, and lacked power plug-ins for laptop computers.

I was extremely thankful to return to Sea-Tac airport where there is free Wi-Fi, abundant power outlets, and decent food options. Overall we had a good time and were able to get some good photos of our experience. I have posted a number of these below for you to check out. If you have any specific questions about our trip please leave a comment below and I will respond.

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Sorry the pictures are not better. The sun was rising behind him and I was shooting through my back window so the pictures are less than stellar but hopefully they’re enough to make all you hunters jealous. Of course, when Halloween comes around and I have nothing to carve I probably won’t be too happy but he was fun to watch.

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Don’t worry loyal web design fans I have already written a web design related post for tomorrow!

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I personally love to hike, fish, camp, photograph, and explore the wonders of nature. I grew up in a family that appreciated these activities and provided me with countless opportunities to experience nature firsthand. I was very lucky. I grew up just a short drive from the Pacific Ocean in the shadow of Mt. Rainier. Chehalis, the community in which I was raised was surrounded by the beauty of nature. Some of my best memories are from experiences that took place in our state and national parks. I read about this documentary while it was in the making and am very excited to watch it and learn more about national park system.

America is filled with beautiful places and thanks to our national parks system many of these wonderful places have been preserved and made available to the public in a controlled sustainable manner. If it were not for our national park system the Grand Canyon would be surrounded by mansions and Mt. Rainier would be the home to a number of fancy ski resorts. Instead, they have been preserved so that generation after generation can experience the beauty of God’s creation.

More Information:
http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/

Photo: © Ryan Stemkoski.
Subject: Sunbeam Falls in Mt. Rainier National Park

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I really like the Finch Arboretum and have photographed there a few different times myself. I am amazed how many people live in Spokane and don’t even know this area exists. If you haven’t been there you should definitely check it out this fall when the leaves are turning. Follow the link below to see some of my shots of Finch Arboretum in the fall!

Finch Arboretum in the Fall: http://www.stemkoski.com/fall-in-spokane-the-fincharboretum-is-cold-in-the-morning/

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Kayla and I had a great year. It was certainly the best I have ever had. In the past year we have had a ton of awesome adventures. We had some fun trips, we visited Seattle, Mt. Rainer, the Washington Coast twice, Mt. St. Helens, and we went on a variety of other local trips and adventures. We also ate 29 meals at Luigi’s on the South Hill, made 3 trips to Greenbluff, and went to almost every Spokane Shock home game. We spent Thanksgiving and Christmas with her family and we also happened to get engaged!

Below is a gallery that shows some of our adventures from the past year starting with me cooking Valentine’s Day dinner last year. I hope next year is just as fun! I know we’re already planning a trip to Las Vegas and a return trip to Mt. Rainer so that should help. Enjoy:

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While we were home, we got a report form my aunt that there was fantastic weather out her way. Excited, we all hopped in the car and took a trip to Westport Washington to enjoy some of the unusually warm and sunny weather we don’t expect during January in Washington. It was a welcome change from the fog and freezing temperatures at my house here in Spokane.

Here are a few pictures from our adventure:

For those of you who don’t care what I have been up to here are a couple of interesting links to tide you over until I make a real post:

- 12 Useful Techniques for Good User Interface Design
- Obama’s Wasteland
- Convert Your TV to Digital (Funny Video)

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