Downsized.....

At the beginning of this year, I had 3 very nice dSLR cameras in my camera bag that I loved very much. As of this blog post, I now only have one (definitely kept the newest addition to my gear family) camera. I actually parted with the very first dSLR camera I ever purchased, my Nikon D50. Gave it to a friend's daughter who has a desire to learn photography and has done pretty well too. Gave her a lens, flash, battery, battery charger, camera bag and a memory card also. I loved that camera so much but if it was going be used more often than I'd been using it and help a young, aspiring photographer, I simply had to. Just gave it to her. Yeah, I could have sold it to a used camera dealer, but I think I got more bang for my buck by giving it to the 16yr old daughter of a dear friend.

My 2nd downsizing just occurred during Thanksgiving this year. Sold my Fuji to my sister so that she and her daughters could foster their love for bird-watching, and learn a little more about photography outside of the point and shoot world. Does seem odd that I'd sell a camera to my sister, yet give one away to a friend's daughter. Well, she wanted to pay for it, and frankly, she has the means to do so. She didn't walk away cheated or swindled in any way. I didn't give her a lens, but only because the remaining ones I have are prime lenses and I use them too often to give them away. She is getting a remote flash trigger, professional quality tripod, memory card and a much better camera bag than I'd given to the 16yr old. So, she's pretty set to begin fostering the love of photography in her 10 & 4 yr old daughters. Maybe, in a few years, that love can turn into a family photography business. Who knows?

Downsizing, sometimes, does the heart good when done from the heart and not because of necessity.