New Toy

Everyone likes to play with their new toys after Christmas, right?  I got a new toy this year — it’s called a Lensbaby.  It’s a “creative effect” SLR camera lens that’s meant to create cool effects — a slice or “sweet spot” of focus surrounded by neato blur.  There’s a definite learning curve involved in using this manual focus lens “right” … and I got to try it out these last few days as Matt and I escaped for a night to a pretty inn in New England, and then headed down to Breezy to pick up the kids at my parents’ before heading home.  I’ve got lots more to learn, but I even like some of the results of the mistakes I made while attempting to figure it all out.  What’s nice, I think, is that once you head into “artsy” territory (as my teenage daughter Kate would call it), it feels just fine to bend all the rules and enjoy the results, even when they’re less than perfect.

When we got to Breezy, a bunch of us went for a walk in what was once called “the burn zone” and is now being called “the new wedge” (referring to the shape of this area of Breezy on the map).  There’s lots of construction going on and there’s definitely a feeling of hope and movement — it’s come a long way since I wrote this post — but it’s also very disorienting and eerie.  The new lens fit right in with that feeling, I think.

Back on the bay, I learned that as tricky as it is to use this lens on inanimate objects, trying to find the “sweet spot” of focus on moving kids is another challenge altogether.

But truly, anything that can make the Van Wyck Expressway look this good on the way home is worth some more playing around.

Home sweet home.

Thanks for looking, and I hope you’re enjoying your Christmas break as much as I am!

~Jaye